Village of Orion Village Board met Dec. 7.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
The regular meeting of the President and Board of Trustees was held at 7:00 p.m., via the Zoom electronic app (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) in lieu of Village Hall, 1202 4th Street, Orion, Henry, Illinois. The following members were present: Cooper, Drucker, Dunlap, Hancock, Mitton, Newman, and Nelson. Absent: None.
President Cooper called the meeting to order and led the board in the Pledge of Allegiance.
It was moved by Drucker, seconded by Mitton to approve the minutes of the regular meeting held November 16, 2020. Ayes: Drucker, Dunlap, Hancock, Mitton, Nelson, and Newman. Noes: None. Absent: None.
The auditor for the village, Mr. Tom Engelmann, addressed the board regarding the FY 2020 audit. He emphasized that the board needs to continue to be aware of the financial aspects of the village, be good stewards, and maintain proper oversight. Mr. Engelmann briefly spoke about how the audit is organized and governmental fund types. He noted motor fuel tax revenue has increased since the state began providing more funds, and this could benefit plans the village has for 7th Street improvements. In the overall comparison of assets to liabilities in the proprietary funds, Mr. Engelmann said the appearance of more liabilities than assets can be attributed to depreciation. There was positive cash flow in the water and sewer funds. Mr. Engelmann said there was no harm in drawing down reserves for capital improvement projects, as long as the balance wasn’t drawn down too much. Borrowing rates are low and thus it is a good time to look at capital improvements. Mr. Engelmann noted general fund revenue is diversified and not heavily dependent upon property taxes. There was brief discussion on pension and personnel leave obligations.
Trustee Nelson said work is continuing on the 5th Street storm drain project. The contractor hopes to finish within a week.
It was moved by Nelson, seconded by Newman to approve an engineering study for the installation of ornamental street lights along a portion of Rt. 150. Prior to a vote, Trustee Mitton said the original intention of ornamental lights was to place them in the downtown area. Trustee Hancock agreed as did Trustee Drucker. Trustee Hancock said increased costs to comply with IDOT regulations for placement on the highway right-of-way would be hefty. When dealing with the state ROW it would be better to place a greater number of lights at the same time, according to Trustee Hancock. Trustee Nelson said it seemed issues along 11th Avenue and around the park would prevent placement of lights in those areas, but he was open to ideas. Trustee Mitton said the city of Geneseo has lights all over its downtown area, and placement obstacles could certainly be overcome. The motion was called for a vote. Ayes: Nelson and Newman. Noes: Drucker, Dunlap, Hancock, and Mitton. Absent: None.
Sewer Supt. Chris Lundburg said the VLRs are now operational and working well.
Heaters were replaced at both the east and west pumphouses, according to Trustee Drucker. He also said the exterior of the west ground storage tank will be cleaned.
Trustee Drucker expressed his desire to get moving on the 11th Avenue watermain project by hiring an engineer to draw up plans and secure an Illinois EPA permit to proceed. He said Trustee Hancock submitted a financing plan for 7th Street improvements and the water main installation, though it had not been discussed yet by the Finance Committee. Water Supt. Arnie Sandberg shared a photo of a recent break in the 11th Avenue main. The photo also showed deterioration, and another photo indicated a section of the main had been blown out, possibly by the action of turning water on and off at the hydrant. The most recent break inconvenienced 30 property owners for several hours. The main has been repaired on several occasions. Water Supt. Sandberg said the best solution is to replace the main. Twenty years ago, a former engineering firm advised that a plan for infrastructure replacement be developed. The 11th Avenue water main is expected to cost $375,000 to replace. The section between 10th and 13th Streets is slated for replacement. The main cannot be placed between the street and the sidewalk as the area is too narrow. Improvements to replace the street surface that will be disturbed is estimated at $100,000. Trustee Drucker said the sooner the board acts, the more quickly the project will be completed and possibly at a lower cost. Bidding later in the construction season, when contractors are flush with work, can affect the price. It was moved by Drucker, seconded by Newman to allocate $18,000 for an engineering survey prepared by Klingner & Assoc. and acquisition of the necessary Illinois EPA permits for water main replacement on 11th Avenue between 10th and 13th Streets. Prior to a vote, it was noted the Finance Committee will determine a plan for paying for the project and present it to the board. In answer to a question by Trustee Nelson about the condition of other water mains, Water Supt. Sandberg said most breaks have been caused by bolts that rot off, not failure of water main pipe. He surmised something in the soil near the 11th Avenue main could be causing a reaction in the pipe. The motion was called for a vote. Ayes: Drucker, Dunlap, Hancock, Mitton, Nelson, and Newman. Noes: None. Absent: None.
Work continues on the new parking lot in Love Park. Areas where soil was disrupted will be allowed to settle over the winter season and more work will be done next spring.
Trustee Newman set the tax levy hearing for 6:30 p.m., December 21, 2020
The next Finance Committee meeting will be held Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at 4 p.m.
A special Finance Committee meeting was held December 2nd to discuss financing for capital improvements. Options are being narrowed down, and the FC is trying to minimize borrowed money and keep the term of the loan short.
Trustee Newman and Henry County Deputy Chad Baze have been collaborating on juvenile issues in Orion, which have seen an uptick since the coronavirus pandemic. Juvenile offenders go through a different process of punishment than adult offenders. Trustee Newman said there is only so much law enforcement can do, the rest is up to the juvenile court system. Trustee Nelson said the offenders see little to no consequences for their actions and feel free to offend over and over. He said he has heard of break-ins and assaults by juveniles. Trustee Newman acknowledged the problems and said deputies are issuing citations, not warnings, when they have evidence or witness a crime, and the rest is up to the court. Trustee Mitton felt repeat offenders should be treated more harshly and the deputies’ schedule needs to be changed up. Kids learn the schedule and take the opportunity to act up when no one is on duty. President Cooper asked that kids caught violating laws be banned from Central Park as has been done in the past. Clerk Sampson urged those who witness crimes or anything that seems out of the ordinary to contact the Henry County Sheriff’s Dept. and not wait two or three days before reporting. Trustee Newman said Orion still has far fewer incidents of juvenile crime than other Henry County communities, but the increasing incidents are not up to Orion’s standards. Deputies will be encouraged to do foot patrols in areas where youths gather.
President Cooper asked that a $50 Main Street Orion gift card be sent to Mr. Joe Femali, a Henry County Sheriff’s Deputy who recently retired. Mr. Femali worked in Orion for six years.
Trustee Mitton said Tri-City Electric has not responded to the village’s request for a camera system upgrade in Central Park. The park supt. will continue to pursue getting the work done.
It was moved by Drucker, seconded by Mitton to approve Ordinance #2020-5, Adopting a Policy Prohibiting Sexual Harassment. Ayes: Drucker, Dunlap, Hancock, Mitton, Nelson, and Newman. Noes: None. Absent: None.
President Cooper presented a proposal to consider implementation of a simplified municipal telecommunications tax. He said many surrounding municipalities put the tax in effect several years ago. He spoke with officials from Coal Valley, Cambridge, Galva, and Milan. Some set the tax at 5%, others higher, and representatives of these communities reported no objections by residents. President Cooper said a 5% tax on his Frontier telephone bill would only result in a cost of $2.50. Trustee Drucker was concerned about the number of telecommunication devices that could be taxed - possibly cellphones, satellite dish services, the internet, etc., which would
drive up the cost. He said there could be a negative impact on residents and businesses during this time of COVID-19. President Cooper was uncertain how many devices would be affected but was offering it as an additional source of revenue to the village. Trustee Dunlap said he would need to know what the revenue would be used for before considering an additional tax. He said a 5% tax to his cellphone bill could increase his monthly obligation $25-$30. President Cooper asked that the topic be added to the next meeting agenda.
President Cooper told the board of a program to help restaurants and bars during the month of December, which would help offset effects of shut-down orders due to the pandemic. Village officials in Cambridge approved a $10 credit to a resident’s water bill for submission of a receipt showing an expenditure for take-out at any Cambridge restaurant or bar, for the month of December only. President Cooper said he thought the program was more suited for Main Street Orion, and a $10 MSO gift certificate could be given in lieu of a water bill credit. He said MSO’s budget is about a wash but the organization has a $31,000 cash balance. Sewer Supt. Chris Lundburg objected, noting the size of MSO’s budget compared to the village’s budget. He said the program would be more of a drain on MSO than the village. He also said MSO supports businesses through façade grants and other programs along with providing events for the community. Trustee Mitton told Sewer Supt. Lundburg he was comparing apples and oranges. President Cooper said he had spoken to a couple of MSO board members about the proposal and would see if they would pitch it to their full board.
There being no further discussion to come before the meeting, it was moved by Mitton, seconded by Nelson to adjourn. Ayes: Drucker, Dunlap, Hancock, Mitton, Nelson, and Newman. Noes: None. Absent: None.
https://orionil.org/government/meetings/2014-03-09-05-52-59/1302-minutes-2020-12-07-pdf/file
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