Red Bud's grant request for new senior center denied
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Red Bud City Council received bad news Monday from Mary Hamilton, who chairs the Civic Center Commission. The city's requested grant application for federal stimulus money to fund the purchase of and improvements on the vacant First Baptist Church building was denied.
The city had sought $675,000 for the proposed purchase and renovations, with plans to turn the church property into a new senior center. The building was recently vacated when First Baptist moved into a new facility.
A pledge custodial agreement was approved by the council to safeguard the city's bonds. The agreement was necessitated by the merger last week of First State Bank in Red Bud with First National Bank of Waterloo.
The council approved Ordinance 1221 allowing separate living quarters in a planned new addition to Country Inn for the motel's owner/manager. According to Mayor Ken Mueller, this is a variance to the city's existing ordinances, which he said were outdated.
A credit card was authorized for the police department to be used for travel expenses not to exceed $1,000. The council also approved the hiring of two part-time police officers, Steve Meister and Carl Mendenhall, pending the results of physicals, psychological evaluation, and drug testing. Both are employed as full-time officers in other communities.
Training requests for Assistant Chief Dan Brotz and Officer Chris Hewitt were approved. Brotz is scheduled to attend a one day liability seminar in Fairview Heights and Hewitt will take a course in O'Fallon on investigating child abuse injuries and deaths.
Training requests were also approved for Administrative Assistant Pam Poetker and Barb Moeller, billing clerk. The training required by a new state law involves the Freedom of Information Act.
The council went into executive sessions on four separate occasions to discuss an Ameritank loan, the Red Bud Country Inn agreement, the senior center, and Seigfried property. No action was taken on any of the matters.
In other business:
The council approved funds for six city officials to attend the Southwestern Illinois Regional Leadership Breakfast in Steeleville Oct. 21 at a cost of $15 per person.
A contract with Rhutasel and Associates was entered into for a sludge removal permit.
A requested street closing on Nov. 11 was approved to allow the Red Bud Muskets to hold an annual shooting match.
The Chamber of Commerce's request to hold the annual DeerFest and Holiday Happening, Nov. 20-22 was approved.
The council approved moving $200,000 in the Electric Fund into a new account at North County Savings Bank at a 1.75 interest rate.