City-County Council Meeting - August 31, 2009

The City-County Council meets this Monday night. In addition to the all important public hearing on the various budgets now working their way through Council Committees, there are two interesting Proposals to be voted on and several that seem interesting that will be introduced and assigned to a Committee for consideration.

Up for a vote again is Prop 237, that would limit solicitation at intersections. This Proposal, sponsored by Councillor McQuillen, has been before the Council two other times.

Also up for a vote is Prop 292, that would reduce the pay of Township Assessors to the lowest allowed by State law. This Proposal was sponsored by Councillors Lutz, Mansfield, and McQuillen.

To be introduced on Monday are the following that struck me as interesting.

Prop 332 -- sponsored by Councillor Cockrum -- would join with the County Auditor and Treasurer in recommending that the Department of Local Government Finance allow property owners with a homestead deduction to pay their property taxes over more than two payments, beginning with the taxes coming due this year. -- referred to the Administration & Finance Committee which next meets on Tuesday night, but this Proposal is not listed on the public notice for that night.

Prop 337 -- sponsored by Councillor McQuillen -- would allow the Library to refinance three series of outstanding bonds which have an aggregate outstanding balance of $43,605,000 with a new bond issue totalling $48,000,000. No exact savings are mentioned in the Proposal text, but it does seem to suggest that the interest rate can be no more than 6% and it must be at least 3% lower than the rate on the current bonds. -- referred to the Municipal Corporations Committee which next meets on Thursday night, but this Proposal is not listed on the public notice for that night.

Prop 344 -- sponsored by Councillors Adams and Hunter -- approves two amendments to the agreement between DPW and United Water for the operation and maintenance of the wastewater treatment facilities and the wastewater and stormwater collection facilities. These amendments were approved by the Public Works Board in December, 2008, and February, 2009, and seem to have something to do with insurance and vehicles. The language is a bit indeterminate and I'll leave you to peruse the Proposal for yourself. -- referred to the Public Works Committee which next meets on September 17.