Business was brisk and the mood was light at Monday night's regular Mt. Carmel City Council meeting, a 25-minute-long gathering held on the eve of today's primary election where three city commissioners -- and six newcomers -- are on the ballot.

Polls are open until 7 p.m. today for city residents who will narrow the field of city commissioner candidates from nine to eight. That contest, plus a two-man race for mayor, will be on the April 17 consolidation election ballot.

A pair of reformatory ordinances were unanimously approved Monday night, the first attaching a formal legal description to an existing ordinance dealing with Alcoa's Friendsville Mine property.

City and county officials had collaborated to extend Mt. Carmel Enterprise Zone boundaries west to include the mine property prior to its operation's start. City Attorney Tom Price told the council most of the document work was completed by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and, though a plat of the area was attached, it was discovered the ordinance contained no legal description of zone boundaries.

A second ordinance OK'd Monday night changed the zoning of an area on the north side from agricultural to industrial.

The move comes from a request made at the last council meeting on Feb. 12, after it was discovered the area was improperly zoned.

Officials said the north-side landscape off of Route 1 includes such companies as Ackerman Bit Service, Wabash Container and M&S Cement, plus Mt. Carmel Sand & Gravel, the old radio station and the county highway department building.

In other business...

• The council approved a subdivision request by local resident Kyle Peach, allowing him to convert three properties into two.

Peach, who resides at 619 Chandler Drive, said he plans to re-subdivide the lot housing his home, plus two empty lots, into two lots total, keeping one and offering the other to a family member who's looking to construct a residence.

• Mayor Tom Meeks offered words of congratulations Monday night to the Mt. Carmel High School Lady Aces basketball team, winner of the Big 8 Conference Championship; the MCHS Aces basketball team, for its Regional Championship, and claiming a piece of the Big 8 title; and to Wabash General Hospital, recently awarded Best Overall Performance by Alliant Management Services.

• Commissioner John Fearheiley announced that, barring any "catastrophe," water and waste water plants should be under budget come the end of the fiscal year, April 30.

The commissioner also outlined planned projects for next year. Efforts at the water plant are scheduled to include the change of water plant filter media, $16,500; 3rd Street water tower inspection, $2,600; and rehabilitation of the No. 1 well, $15,000.

For the waste water treatment plant, proposed projects include rehabilitation of the No. 3 screw pump, $58,000; purchase of a pick-up truck, $15,000; and replacement of two electrical boxes in the aeration system, $6,000.

Some of these project, including screw pump rehabilitation and filter media changes, were actually to have taken place this year, but were postponed due to financial constraints, the commissioner indicated.

• Kudos were given to organizers and participants of the TIP-A-VIP Celebrity Banquet, "Hollywood & Vine," an event held Friday at Parkview Christian Church to raise money for the Guardian Center in Carmi.

Commissioner Jack Emmons said he'd heard some $2,700 in tips was raised alone, as guest waiters dressed as celebrities and performed stunts for tips. Mayor Meeks and Commissioner Norm Brunson participated in the event, dressed as the Blues Brothers.

"It was worth 10 bucks to me to get Norm and Tom to polish my shoes!" Emmons laughed.

Brunson commended the Guardian Center, which works with 23 abused children from Wabash County, he said.

"This is a really good program."

• Emmons reported Monday that Clara Hockgeiger, who has worked part-time for the Senior Citizens Center, is retiring. "We're going to miss her," he said.

The commissioner also issued his own corrective, noting the cost of lunch at the Senior Citizens for individuals under age 60 is $4.25, not $5 as reported in the last council meeting.

• Commissioner Mike Witters reported the street department has begun work at the city pool, readying the site for installation of a new water slide. According to City Administrative Assistant Merle Weems, the slide will be located on the southwest corner of the pool.

Witters said he was confident the slide would be reading for swim season this year, and optimistic the new feature would help attendance at the facility.

Witters also reported the city recently responded to a "major water line break" on the edge of Division Street.

While fixing the break, crews discovered a void underneath the street, which had been recently paved. Rather than tear up the new paving to make the repair, Witters said it was the idea of Administrative Assistant Weems and Street Superintendent Dave Easter to cut a hole in the street a fill the void by pumping in 14 yards of concrete -- flowable fill, according to Weems, which is more soupy and will flow to position.

It was an effort that "worked nicely," Witters said. He indicated the process could be utilized should similar discoveries be made in the future.

• Commissioner Brunson reported the Mt. Carmel Fire Department made 10 runs over the course of the last two weeks. All department are running smoothly, he said.

• Weems provided the council with some numbers Monday night, indicating the appraised value of six properties currently owned by the city that they're considering selling. The administrative assistant said "a little" interest has been expressed in the site of the old Uptown Theater on Market Street.

There was no decision to act Monday on potential sale of the lots; interested individuals can contact City Hall for details on the properties.