Dec. 13 Huntingburg Common Council meeting
Huntingburg – Heidi Reller with the Huntingburg Housing Authority informed the Huntingburg Common Council of an Energizing Indiana initiative that would allow the housing authority to receive $25 for every energy audit completed on qualified homes.
Reller explained she has been in contact with Liesl Disch, a Community Outreach Coordinator at Energizing Indiana, about programs for League Circle, one of the two housing authority apartment complexes. During the conversation Disch informed Reller that since the Huntingburg Housing Authority was a nonprofit organization, they qualified for the $25 award.
The qualify factors for individuals that want an energy audit completed on their home are:
- Be part of one of six qualified power utilities, of which Huntingburg is part of one —Indiana Municipal Power Agency.
- Be a qualified single home owner with certain restrictions.
- Provide an application with the Huntingburg Housing Authority reference number.
Interested homeowners can contact the Huntingburg Housing Authority at 683-2513.
Reller stated the accumulated funds will be used to improve the energy efficiency of the two apartment complexes the housing authority maintains.[hr]
Nick Stevens, Executive Director of the Huntingburg Chamber of Commerce, requested the city approve the transfer of ownership of a revolving loan from Big Venture Sports to the newly formed Dubois County Baseball, LLC., new owners of the Dubois County Bombers. The loan amount is $20,956.45. The council approved the request.[hr]
Utility Superintendent Tony Traylor presented the council with the utility review which included the unfortunate incident of a squirrel and two hot electric supply wires that caused some minor problems at the St. Joseph Hospital.[hr]
The council reviewed the ordinances prepared by City Attorney Phil Schneider in regards to the reorganization of the utilities departments.
The first ordinance under review created the new water and energy superintendent positions as well as reorganized the three utilities; gas, electric and water.
Councilwoman Linda Summers stated she had an issue with the utility billing office being moved under the clerk/treasurer’s office. Schneider stated according to state statute, the utility billing was actually supposed to be supervised by the clerk/treasurer. “In the past we have not done it that way, but the statute provides for that,” Schneider explained.
A motion was made to consider passing the ordinance on the night it was introduced but, with Summers the lone dissenting vote, it did not carry by the necessary unanimous vote of the council.
The council then introduced the ordinance to amend the salary ordinance for the new superintendent positions but again it did not pass due to Summers’ lone dissenting vote.
After the meeting, Summers stated she was concerned about how the proposed superintendent positions would be paid. She felt the energy superintendent being over two utilities required more responsibility and thus afforded a higher salary than the water superintendent position. The ordinance has both positions paid within the same ranges.
She also stated she was concerned about the potential of raising water rates to pay for the increased budget of the City Water Department.
Mayor Denny Spinner stated the council will consider the new ordinances in the January 2013 meeting. [hr]
Aside
At the beginning of the meeting the council was considering cancelling the Dec. 27 council meeting. City Attorney Phil Schneider joked he would make a motion to cancel it at which point the mayor told him he had found the left-handed shovel Schneider alluded to at the previous meeting in regards to his digging trenches. The council followed Schneider’s improper motion with the proper motion which passed unanimously with a few laughs.
