At tonight’s special council meeting, which was attended by several members of the public, council discussed a few options for our immediate, emergency Department of Public Works needs: required water operations and testing, and plowing. Elberta’s backup water operator, Dave Bissell, who works full time in Frankfort, is available to fill in for the next couple of days, but we’ll need additional assistance very soon. For those concerned about water meter shutoffs for winter, contact the DPW number at the Village office (231-651-9626) and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. A DPW steering committee was formed, consisting of Ken Holmes, Holly O’Dwyer, Robin Rommell, Sue Oseland, and Emily Votruba. They will be meeting next Monday at 6 in the Community Building. In the meantime they will be researching how surrounding communities of similar size cover the various components of the job. Your input is valuable. We all know that mistakes have been made in the past with respect to how our Department of Public Works was managed. Looking to the future, what are our needs and what positive changes would you like to see? —Emily Votruba