03-22-2008

1. ONE PERSON AT A TIME TO READ METERS.

2. READ METERS EVERY OTHER MONTH. (COMPUTERS CAN CALCULATE).

3. UPDATE PRESENT DOS COMPUTER SYSTEM IN WATER OFFICE AND NETWORK ENTIRE CITY. SHOULD BE AT MINIMAL COST AND GOOD USED COMPUTERS COULD BE ACQUIRED FROM VINCENNES UNIVERSITY, OTHER UNIVERSITIES OR COLLEGES FREE OR $25 AT MOST. USE LOCAL COMPUTER COMPANIES FOR UPGRADES TO SAVE BIG MONEY.

4. CONSIDER PAPERLESS BILLING AND PAYING ONLINE. 50% PARTICIPATION = APPROX $2000 ANNUAL SAVING.

5. CONSIDER SELLING BACKHOE, TRUCKS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT TO STREET AND SEWAGE DEPARTMENTS AND LEASING BACK WHEN NEEDED OR HIRE WORK DONE.

6. MULTIPLE GRANTS TO BE APPLIED FOR. (COMPUTER PROGRAMS, WEBSITE, PAINTING WATER TOWER, ETC.). IT IS SAID GRANTS ARE QUESTIONABLE IF LOANS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.

7. TAP INS-- TEMPORARILY OK TRAILERS AND CAMPERS TO USE VACANT LOTS IN TOWN AS LONG AS A TIME FRAME MATCHES CONSTRUCTION TIME OF THE DUKE PLANT. A VARIANCE FROM AREA PLANNING COMMISSION COULD ACCOMPLISH THIS. COULD ADD THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF INCOME TO THE WATER AND SEWAGE DEPARTMENTS. GREENE AND DAVIESS COUNTIES HAVE NO ZONING RESTRICTIONS AND COULD ASSIMILATE NEW RESIDENTS EASILY.

8. ESTABLISH A MINIMUM MONTHLY SERVICE CHARGE FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS WITH SERVICE SHUT OFF. MORE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF WATER AND SEWAGE INCOME.

The Bicknell Volunteers group as well as anyone interested in attending are invited to the Bicknell Bed and Breakfast Saturday March 22 at 8:30 am to discuss possible increases in Bicknell's water rates.

Other topics can be discussed also.

from Ron Ackman

A meeting was held Saturday March 24 at the Library in Bicknell.

Present were landlords and tenants who had concerns over the proposed Bicknell City Rental Ordinance #3-2007 requiring city inspections and fees for all rental units in Bicknell.

While agreeing that substandard rental units are objectionable to take a blanket approach and include all rental units with fees, possible fines, and in most cases duplicate inspections (HUD and City) is not the proper approach.

With the rental business in Bicknell being marginal at best landlords would have no recourse but to pass on fees to tenants and possibly in some cases find it necessary to evict a tenant if required improvements are not feasible.

Increased rents will be a big problem for tenants due to city utilities already being high, the cost of driving to work in other cities, being out of work, fixed incomes and the fact that HUD contracts are only adjusted once a year and only by 2 percent.

We feel that HUD and the Welfare Dept already covers the range of tenants this proposed ordinance hopes to help and given the chance does and will produce acceptable conditions for all tenants.

The city already has trash, junk vehicles, etc, ordinances on the books which the proposed ordinance also seems to want to address.

Furthermore we feel to prepare an ordinance affecting the rental business with no consultation and input from landlords or tenants prior to being presented for the first reading at a City Council meeting is wrong.

We urge the City Council to vote ‘no’ on this proposed ordinance.

As an alternative the landlords present would be agreeable to a possible ordinance or a possible city adopted procedure that requires a registered letter to a landlord from a tenant requesting action and then if no satisfaction is reached the city may investigate and take action to remedy the situation.

This is not being done currently due to the city feeling this is a ‘civil situation’.

The meeting was organized by The Bicknell Volunteers Committee.

From Ron Ackman,
120 W 3rd, Bicknell INbr phone 812-735-3013

Bicknell Volunteers will meet this Saturday, May 20th at 7:30 am at the Bicknell Bed and Breakfast, 120 W 3rd St.
Anybody interested in the future of Bicknell is invited to attend.
John R. Stanczak

Better late than never! Sorry to be so late with this email but we do meet this morning at 10 am in the Bicknell Public Library meeting room.
You are all welcome to come.
We support the idea of extending SR 159 through Bicknell and all the way to Wheatland and want signatures on a letter to that effect.
Ron Ackman

The Bicknell Volunteers group of interested Bicknell citizens with the public invited will meet Saturday March 4, 2006 at 10:00 am in the meeting room at the new Bicknell-Vigo Library.
An item to be discussed will be the shortcomings of the existing engineering report that the entire sewage project is based on.
From Ron Ackman

The Bicknell Volunteers committee will meet again on Jan 2 at 7 am at Pryor’s Pantry.
Everyone who is interested in improving Bicknell is encouraged to attend.

Ron Ackman

Our Bicknell Volunteers group will meet again on Friday Dec 2 at 7 am at Pryors Pantry. We will have some interesting replies from other towns who were contacted about comparable sewage and water charges for 4500 gallons of usage.

We know city hall wants suggestions from us but we should challenge ourselves to do something really positive for the city of Bicknell. Lets see what kind of ideas we can come up with.
Ron Ackman

'In regards to sump pumps, floor drains and downspouts, it seems to make sense to spend a couple hundred dollars to divert infiltration water if you are contributing to infiltration than to have to spend five thousand dollars which is possible per household for a new plant. Larger families would spend more, smaller families likely less.

     Our meeting with Tom Easterly, IDEM Chief, gave the impression of a crack in the door by telling us if an engineering report could show how we could get in compliance without a new plant they would certainly consider it. That's fair and since existing reports don't address all infiltration sources it should be done. Infiltration will need to be stopped anyway, why not remedy it now and possibly avoid having to build a new plant?

     From Ron Ackman, Bicknell Volunteers Committee'

We meet again on Wed Nov 2 at 7 am at Pryors Pantry dining room. If you have time you might want to check United Engineerings response to some questions on johnstanczak.com or ronackman.com websites.

Ron Ackman