Council approves water main

At its Monday evening regularly scheduled meeting, the Odessa Town Council heard from Patty Martin and Jackie Allen, organizers of the October 7 community candidate forum, that assistance with presenting the forum will be supplied by the civics class at Odessa High School. The students will time the speakers, keep track of the questions supplied by the audience, eliminate any duplications and provide any other help needed by the organizers or the moderator.

Odessa resident and candidate for town council Bill Pichon expressed his dismay that the recent public budget meeting was, in his view, essentially inaccessible to the public. The meeting was held in the clerk’s office on a Wednesday evening. Mayor Bill Crossley responded that the public library was not available for the meeting, as it was open for people to check out materials from 7 to 9 p.m. He added that holding the meeting in the cavernous back portion of the community center, as has been done previously, was not accepted as an option because prep work for Deutschesfest was being performed there which would have made hearing very difficult, if not impossible.

Infrastructure

People who recently purchased five lots on Odessa’s south hill had requested hookup to the town’s water system, which the town has an obligation to provide. Discussion on the subject at the council meeting two weeks ago centered on the extent to which the main water line should be laid and how to cover the cost. On Monday, the council opted to approve public works director Rod Webster’s original proposal from two weeks ago to lay main line the entire length of undeveloped Seventh Avenue. The land owners for their part have agreed to pay for digging the trench and preparing it for the water main. Once the city crew has laid and connected the water main, the land owners agree to pay to close the trench. Bill Bell, who has been awarded the contract to do the digging and gravel hauling for opening and closing of the trench attended Monday’s meeting and answered many of the questions posed by members of the council.

According to Bell, the land owners plan to build a home on the two lots closest to the existing residences on the hill and would like to get as much done as possible before severe winter weather sets in. At some future time, family members plan to build a residence on two lots, leaving an empty lot between the two homes. Since this mini housing boom is expected to Ego forward, council members expressed their thoughts that the water main ought to be completed in its entirety now so that less disruption to the neighborhood would occur later on.

Executive session

The council adjourned to the clerk’s for a brief executive session, returning after a few minutes to announce that an ad would be created for the deputy clerk’s position.

EDC

Margie Hall, executive director of the county economic development council, provided information on completing community assessments and signing mutual aid agreements among the county’s municipalities. In the event of disasters or major equipment failures in water systems, communications, transportation and the like, each community would know what assets might be drawn upon to help it get through an emergency. Since informational meetings about these issues will take place during the week of Fest, Hall offered to provide Odessa with answers to questions its representatives may have and bring information on the proposals back to the community.