COVINGTON, Ind. — The city council heard about Halloween activities and preparations for winter throughout the city Monday night.

Fire chief Rick Talbert said the fire department only responded to one fire call during the Halloween weekend that involved a prank burning toilet paper.

Police Chief Larry Weber said that the police patrols were beefed up on Halloween and that the only problem that the department had to deal with was trees covered in toilet paper.

Park Superintendent Don Crowder said that Halloween at the city park was very successful. Crowder said that 300 pints of beans and 400 hot dogs were served to visitors.

Councilman Max Keller commended the police department, park department, and the Covington Business Association for making a good Halloween.

Crowder reported that the park is closed for the season and that the park restrooms are being winterized. Leaf pick up also is under way throughout the city. The street department has been removing leaves from the street sides pretty much daily.

In other business, council members:

-- Heard about dirty water problems at Brent Lewis’s house at 1308 Eighth St. Lewis said that his neighbor also is experiencing dirty water. Water Superintendent Phil Dotson said that the problem may be related to the fact that the house is located at a dead end water main.

Crowder said the city park also is receiving dirty, yellow water.

Mayor Brad Crain told Lewis the city would test a sample of his water to try and determine exactly what is the problem.

-- Approved the 2010 salary ordinances. City employees will see no increase to their health insurance premiums in 2010, but will receive annual raises of about 3 percent to their salaries.

-- Received a presentation on full net metering from Leon Bontrager of Home Energy, LLC of Middlebury. Bontrager made the presentation on behalf of Masakazu and Mary Pat Miyagi, who are interested in installing a solar energy system at their property on Stonebluff Road.

Crain said he would have to check with Indiana Municipal Power Agency since the city of Covington is contracted with them to receive electricity. Net metering regulates the electricity generated from renewable resources such as solar or wind. It measures how much is electricity is generated and used by the consumer from their renewable energy source and how much they take from a municipality’s power grid or send to it. The owner of the renewable energy source usually receives credit on their bill for the electricity they generated. The net meter measures the power that goes out of and into the owner’s system.

-- Learned from Weber that the police department has begun its annual coat drive. Coats in clean and good repair can be donated at the city building. The coats then will be redistributed to people in the community that need them.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Covington City Council will meet at 7 p.m. EST Nov. 16 at the city building, 1329 Second St.