At its meeting last Tuesday night, the Valmeyer Village Board discussed plans to sell land to Ameren to create an electricity power substation. 

Valmeyer Village Administrator Dennis Knobloch told the Republic-Times the land is at the base of the bluff near Rock City in Old Valmeyer.

Knobloch said Ameren believes building an electricity power substation on that land will strengthen the power grid’s reliability. He explained it will facilitate the distribution of power from the substation in Valmeyer to rural customers in the Columbia Bottoms and from Valmeyer to Waterloo. 

“It will be helpful for the entire area and especially for Rock City because it’ll provide additional power that they need,” Knobloch said. 

Knobloch said the village hopes to have the sale finalized around June, but he does not sure when the substation will be constructed and in use. 

“That’s not our part of the project,” he said. “All we’re doing is selling the land to be used.” 

Also discussed at the meeting, fifth grade Columbia students enjoyed a stargazing night at the head of Salt Lake Trail in Valmeyer on April 1. 

Amber Haven, a fifth grade teacher at Columbia Middle School who organized the event, said the event was originally going to be held at Columbia R/C Flying Club Inc.’s field, but due to the large number of individuals planning to attend it was switched to Salt Lake Trail. 

Haven estimated the event brought between 150-180 attendees. 

The village board said it would be happy to host the event in the future should it become an annual tradition, and noted the attendees did not leave any trash or traces of being there. 

The village maintenance position previously discussed at prior meetings and advertised by the village has been filled. Knobloch said Jeremy Eckenfels’ first day was last week. He replaces Justin Rohlfing.