Sept 18 Council Meeting

Had all council members there for the meeting, it took a little over an hour I think.

We heard that the crack filling project bids were in and we got a reasonable bid from Dennco, so we be starting on that yet this fall. That was pretty much it of note from department heads.

We like to bring our main boards in once a month on a rotating basis to give us a headsup on what is going on with their boards. Library Board president Steve Olson came in and gave a brief report on the library. There is a new Children's Librarian, Sarah Almond, and her programs are doing well. Otherwise it sounded like things at the library were going good.

We had a presentation from the Ames Resource Recovery Plant. That is where all our garbage goes after it is picked up by Stone Sanitation. We have a 20 year contract with them to take our garbage, and it is coming up in 2014. I see no reason why a change is in order. They do a nice job. It is interesting how they mix our garbage with coal to make electricity, and how they use magnets to pull out metals for recycling. That is a place where Roland residents can take used motor oil, and other hazardous materials, such as paints for no charge (at least in small amounts). I encourage you to use that facility. They also take sharps as well. That is the preferred method to dispose of them, if perchance someone in your family has a need to use needles. (Please don't just throw them in the garbage unprotected--for the safety of sanitation workers!)

We had a brief discussion about water/sewer charges for watering yards at new houses. A "policy" is possibly coming on that. We also approved our annual financial report. All was well there.

We finished up with a longer discussion of the sewer trunk line project. We got the estimate for boring it under Cottonwood Street versus Samson Street. They came $60,000 apart, with Cottonwood the higher one. If the council chooses to go forth with this, they have to decide the merits of each route. Going under Cottonwood effectively would divide the town's sewer route, with everything from Cottonwood east using the new line, and everything west of Cottonwood using the existing trunk route. Going under Samson would put the entire town on the same line (like we are doing now, but only with a bigger line)

The other thing pondered, while we were doing this work, and which we have pondered in the whole grand scheme of work, is running a new line east up Elm Street (north of the school). Everything South and East of the school currently goes north all the way up to the bank on Main Street, and then around to the pool. This new construction would give sewage in that area of town a more direct route to the sewer plant, and keep flows down in the NE part of town, where we have had issues with sewer backup. (And again, normally we don't have issues with our sewer, but when we have lots and lots of rain, rain water tends to get in our sanitary sewer system).

Then, while working that way, we also discussed upgrading the storm sewer work in that area, while we have everything tore up.

So still some discussion to figure out what should be done. As always, contact me or a council member if you have questions.