Troy Council Hears Updates About Progress In The City

By Charlie Feldman

cfeldman@timestribunenews.com

The Troy City Council met on Tuesday, January 10 not to act, but to listen.

The meeting was held on Zoom due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic and on a Tuesday due to the Martin Luther King Day holiday the day before.

Except for a vote approving the repair of pumps at the Dairy Queen Booster Station, there was no real action. Just reports.

The final vote will come by March, Mayor Allen Adomite said, but the city is high on the list to receive a Transportation Alternate Program project grant through the East-West Gateway Council of Governments.

This is for the bike/pedestrian path from the MCT Park and Ride to C.A. Henning School. Federal funding will cover $378,300 – about 80 percent of this $540,700 project.

Plans for a system of paths in Troy began in 2008.

“With this successful application, just about every portion of that trail that is within the city limit is now funded in some way,” Adomite said. “It is certainly something to celebrate.”

Dawn Mushill, executive director of the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce, gave a presentation outlining past, present and future activities. Twenty-three Troy businesses participated in the series of Small Business Saturdays held in November.

“Over two hundred people spent at least a dollar at those locations,” she said. “So we had great feedback from the businesses and I anticipate a much bigger year this year.”

Gift certificates are now available online, she said. Virtual job fairs and digital highway billboards are planned, as well as family fun events, recycling/e-cycling drop-offs and heavy promotions for the hotels.

The city treasurer’s report showed that in 2020, the general fund had an opening balance of $1,630,136.93 and a closing balance of $1,506,124.41.

“I certainly would have expected that to have been the case if you had asked me back in April,” Adomite said. “I’m very pleased to see that we are safeguarding our treasury fund not knowing what’s going to happen in the future but we’re not leaving future accounts and some mayors with very little money in our general fund. We’re back to the general level of reserves that we try to stay at.”

Remaining funding due the city, tourism grant applications and  House Bill 3653 – the Police Reform Bill – and the unfunded mandates it will bring upon smaller police departments were also discussed.

A thank you card was read from the Field of Honor and Service committee. With the city’s $70,000 donation, sidewalks are being built at their site at Tri-Township Park. “The memorial is becoming a reality,” the card said.

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 1 at 7:30 p.m.