Meetings before the fair

 Joint Commissioners-Council meeting

The Commissioners and Council held a joint meeting on July 11 at 5:00. They briefly discussed  County health insurance; the County switched providers this year. They then noted that EMS would require more dollars in the future and suggested a few ways that those dollars might be found.

Construction work is continuing on a new EMS building across the highway from the Fairgrounds entrance. Here is a picture from Tuesday.

The last item on the agenda was a discussion of a grant writer. There is the impression that the County could obtain more grant money if there was a person tasked with finding grant opportunities and writing grants. At Tuesday's discussion the sentiment was to hire an individual rather than contract with a company. 

In the other-business part of the meeting, a suggestion was made to construct a pole-barn type building behind Community Corrections that could be used for storage for the maintenance staff, space for the County Coroner to use, and space for training for Community Corrections. All three have been requesting additional space. The building might be funded by ARPA money. (Some of the remaining ARPA money will be used for sidewalks on two sides of the Courthouse and some to get City utilities to the west side of the Interstate.) The Health Department is willing to pay for an expansion of this parking lot at the Sparling Annex. 

The new horse barn will be ready for Fair use. Below is a picture from Tuesday.

The meeting ended at about 6:00. Unfortunately the County Council meeting did not start until 7:00 so there was a long wait. During that wait the Airport Authority Commission had its meeting at the Airport. I am not sure what it did, but before the meeting there was an executive session to discuss personnel. They may have hired an assistant manager.

County Council meeting

The County Council meeting approved a list of additional appropriations. Several were to allow the Sheriff to purchase an X-ray machine to examine incoming prisoners to detect any illegal drugs they might try to smuggle into the jail. The Council members have been given budget books so they can prepare for their August budget hearings, the big event for the Council.

Special Park Board meeting

The Rensselaer Park Board did not have a meeting scheduled for July. However, an issue came up that needed immediate attention so a special meeting was called for the 12th. That issue was where to place a mural in the parks. The Board approved $2500, which matches the amount approved by Jasper County Tourism, for Rein Bontreger to put a mural on the bath house at the LaRue Pool during Art Week. 

New mulch has been delivered to the playground at Brookside Park and was being spread this week. The Blacker Field Tournaments went well this year and none were rained out. Filson Park improvements are on hold pending more detailed engineering drawings that have to be submitted to the State. Those improvements need a conditional use variance from the City BZA that will not be on the agenda until an August meeting. Sports equipment has been delivered to Brookside Park and can be checked out when the Pool is open. On Monday at noon there will be a dedication ceremony for the Day courts, tennis and basketball. There will be a dedication for the Blacker Fields in August but no date has been set. The next Park Board meeting is scheduled for August 6.

I learned at the meeting that there are six murals scheduled for Rensselaer and four for Wheatfield this year.

The Rensselaer Plan Commission and BZA met Thursday evening but I did not attend because I took family members to the Children's Summer Theater performance. On the agenda at the Plan Commission meeting was a recommendation to the City Council to approve the new Comprehensive Plan, a revision of the ordinance on swimming pools, a revision to the zoning ordinance that will allow some residential uses in business districts, and a re-plat application. On the agenda for the BZA was a resolution to adopt a filing deadline for conditional use and variances of uses petitions, and a conditional use application to allow the sale of portable buildings on a property on North McKinley. 

Notes 

I noticed activity in the former Walgreens building on Friday.

The new sidewalks along College Avenue were almost finished on Friday.

Most or all of the meetings that would normally be scheduled for next week were moved because of the County Fair.