The Ferdinand Town Council began their meeting with some good news on Tuesday night.
Ferdinand Police Officer, Christian Gogel, was recognized for helping a mother and son with a dog bite. The family was staying in a Ferdinand Hotel when a random dog bit the boy in the parking lot. The family thanked Gogel for his kindness and compassion during the incident by writing to the town council.
Next up to the podium was Ferdinand Fire Department Chief, John Hoppenjans. The fire chief says this year’s Firemen’s Ball was a huge success. Thanks to the community, they were able to sell out of the dinners.
Town Council members then began talking about a special ribbon cutting. The new Dubois County Chamber of Commerce is hosting their first ribbon cutting by opening Wellness Matters Chiropractic. The ceremony takes place at 301 East First Street in Ferdinand at 4 pm on Thursday, August 20th.
After this, Town Manager Chris James took over the mic. James says installation for Patoka Lake’s new water pit is complete. This will help the recent water problems at Scenic Hills at the Monastery.
And speaking of Scenic Hills, the street department fixed the stop sign at the intersection at 5th Street and 285 East. When passing through the intersection, drivers will notice the stop sign is further south and the word “stop” is painted on the roadway.
Dubois Strong President, Ed Cole, stood up to speak towards the middle of the meeting. Cole says they are updating their strategic plan and hope to have it finalized by the end of September or early October.
Cole also announced that they hope to have another round of loans for small businesses struggling with COVID-19 within the next month or two. More details about this will be released in the coming weeks.
Town Council President, Ken Sicard, took over the meeting next. Sicard says they are working on a plan in case a town employee tests positive for COVID-19. To make sure town departments are on the same page, Sicard says he will meet with them individually throughout this week.
Sicard is also working on putting the latest COVID-19 information together in one single pamphlet. He hopes to have this in the public hands by the end of this week.
Council members approved this year’s dates for the Legion Barbeque:
- Sunday, October 11th, 2020
- Sunday, November 8th, 2020
- Sunday, December 13th, 2020
- Sunday, January 10th, 2021
- Sunday, February 14th, 2021
- Sunday, March 14th, 2021
- Sunday, April 11th, 2021
The next item on the agenda was the 2020 Rosenvolk Fest. Sicard says festival officials have not yet decided to have it or not. They expected to make a final decision within the next two weeks.
The council also extended the town’s emergency order until the next city council meeting or until the state changes its guidelines.
The next Ferdinand Town Council meeting takes place on Tuesday, September 15th at 7:30 pm at the Ferdinand Community Center.
