City of Aledo City Council met March 7.
Here are the minutes provided by the council:
The City Council of the City of Aledo met in Regular Session in the Council Chambers at the Aledo City Hall building. MAYOR HAGLOCH called the meeting to order at 6:46 P.M. The roll was called, whereupon the following answered present:
Aldermen ILA BERTRAND, MICHAEL CHAUSSE, BARRY COOPER, DENNIS DIXON, JAY DOHERTY, JIM HOLMES, CHRIS KOPP, and LINDA SARABASA. Mayor CHRISTOPHER HAGLOCH.
Also present was CHRISTOPHER SULLIVAN, City Administrator / Chief of Police; JUSTIN BLASER, Director of Public Works & Utilities; and JAROD DALE, City Clerk.
The media was represented by John Hoscheidt, WRMJ.
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Public Comment: No Report.
Communication & Correspondence: No Report.
Requests & Petitions:
Request by Chris Whitenack, Mercer County Athletic Boosters, appeared before the Committee of the Whole to request City Sponsorship for the 2022 Bear Country Wrestling Tournament to be held Saturday, March 19th. Total request was noted in the amount of $1,500.00.
Request by Rita Williams, Mercer County Agricultural Society, appeared before the Committee of the Whole to request City Sponsorship for the 2022 Mercer County Fair to be held July 12th – 16th. Total request was noted in the amount of $2,000.00 plus utility fees for the month of July, 2022.
Special Event: Race/Walk – Champions4Children Walk to be held May 7th between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and Noon in Aledo & Aledo Central Park.
Public Works Activity Report:
• Streets: Daily checks, tasks, JULIES, and work orders continue. Plow snow and salt streets; cleaned catch basins; cleaned shop; CIP work.
• Gas: JULIE’s; Inventory; map valves; calibrate CGI’s; work on two (2) meter sets; investigate two gas leaks; Sponsler Manor utility review; plowed snow; assist the Village of New Boston with a ruptured gas main; T. Heath work on OQ.
• Water: JULIE’s, Inventory; map valves; truck research; multiple sewer investigations; Sponsler Manor utility review; generators were serviced; Jake attended Rural Water conference in Effingham; research the summary of the lead service line replacement act, source water protection plan, and fire hydrant flow test requirements for ISO audit (coming in 2024); plowed snow.
• Cemetery: Two (2) Funeral occurred. Set two (2) stones and plow snow.
• DPW: Review preliminary civil plan sheets for Sponsler Manor Third Addition. Comments were sent back to the engineer for further review. ExecuTime work; NE 6th Avenue Sanitary Sewer pre-construction meeting, (stating March 14) complete updated PW vehicle ID list; code update review and building inspections.
Aledo Police Department Activity Report: CHIEF Sullivan reported the Department has several applicants and is moving through the testing and hiring process again. The Department has secured a slot in the May 4, 2022 academy class at the Southwestern Illinois Police Academy. It is located in Belleville, Illinois. Officer Dallas Wakeland is enrolled as a cadet in that academy, in its current session. He is scheduled to graduate on April 22, 2022.
Administrative Report: ADMINISTRATOR/CHIEF Sullivan contacted Travis Bushue of Bushue Human Resources and discussed his earlier contact attempting to get information and pricing on having a salary study conducted. Bushue stated he would get information to me in the immediate future and then we could get quotes for exactly what we wanted. It was discussed a study of the hourly rates, salary rates and benefits package of all categories of employees in the City would be reviewed. The intent would be a comparison to other cities of our size, of those in our area, and those the City would compete against for employee retention.
The City applied for a grant from the Looser-Flake Foundation, through Mercer County Better Together. The grant outlined proposed upgrades and improvements to Jaycee Park which would be possible with grant assistance. Those improvements include the installation of two (2) pickle ball courts. The City has received the funding, and a check in the amount of $9,000.00 was deposited on March 3, 2022.
CITY CLERK Dale provided the monthly reports for utility billing and payroll for February, 2022. CITY CLERK provided highlights regarding the City’s social media. Those included: Park District Baseball signup; Aledo Monthly Memo; new website features; SXS permits; 4th of July Capital Campaign; Water/Sewer Lateral Program; and promote a small business in the downtown area.
City Staff continue to utilize the new timekeeping software. The CITY CLERK has requested a 2-week extension to continue to assist staff with familiarizing themselves with the software and also make some additional changes to ExecuTime production. Plans are to go live on Monday, March 14th.
CITY CLERK noted a press release was sent out on Tuesday, March 1st to local press and letters were also sent to local businesses to promote the 4th of July Fireworks Capital Campaign. A total of 173 letters were sent out on Tuesday. A social media campaign has also been set-up and will see the launch for that on Facebook & Instagram mid-month. This will run monthly through the beginning of June.
CITY CLERK reported an engagement letter has been signed by the City of Aledo with McCarter & English, LLP to assist in legal services regarding a new ANR Pipeline Case, FERC Docket No. RP22-501. ANR has proposed a rate case with some rates potentially increasing near 200% or more and this would not include any modernization costs ANR would want to assess which could be hundreds of millions across the ANR system. UGM has put a group of municipalities together to fight this rate case and has gathered entities similarly situated holding STS and ETS contracts to fight the proposed increases.
Mayor’s Report: No Report.
Committee Report: ALD. Sarabasa reported the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee met on Monday, March 7th to discuss an amendment to a TIF Agreement with Marty & Sheila Herman. The project amendment to include an additional $2,200.00 for tuckpointing with the City’s portion of that increase listed in the amount of $1,100.00. The TIF Committee recommend approval of the amendment and has forwarded the item to the Aledo City Council for final approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL SESSION
Following the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag,
CONSENT AGENDA
ALD. Chausse requested Item E: Approval of City Sponsorship to Bear Country Wrestling in the amount of $1,500.00 be removed from the Consent Agenda for further discussion. MAYOR Hagloch noted Item E has been removed.
Motion was made by ALDERMAN CHAUSSE and seconded by ALDERMAN KOPP to approve the following consent agenda items:
• Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of February 22, 2022.
• Approval of Finance Invoice Listing – AP04.
• Approval of Ordinance No. 06, Series of 2022; Approving Lease Agreement between the City of Aledo and Skinner Landscaping, Inc., for a term of a 5-year period Lots Eleven (11), Twelve (12), and Thirteen (13), and the undeveloped SE 8th Street right-of-way lying east of the east right-of-way line of SE 22nd Avenue all in Progress Park Second Addition to the City of Aledo, situated in County of Mercer and State of Illinois, and the Tenant agrees to pay Landlord the sum of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per annum due on the first day of every Lease Year. (Second Reading).
• Approval of Ordinance No. 08, Series of 2022; Approval Official Zoning Map for 2022. (Second Reading)
• Approval of City Sponsorship to Mercer County Agricultural Society in the amount of $2,000.00 plus utilities for July, 2022.
• Approval of Special Event: Champions4Children Walk to be held May 7, 2022.
A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:
YES: Bertrand, Chausse, Cooper, Dixon, Doherty, Holmes, Kopp and Sarabasa.
NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.
ALD. Chausse reported the City Sponsorship line-item regarding Bear Country Wrestling (01-5-214-510.08) was budgeted in the amount of $1,000.00 and made a request that $500.00 of the line-item budgeted for community artwork (01-5-214-510.10) fund the remainder of the sponsorship for Bear Country Wrestling tournament. This would leave the remaining balance for community art in the amount of $7,000.00.
Motion was made by ALD. DOHERTY and seconded by ALD. CHAUSSE to approve Item E: Approval of City Sponsorship to Bear Country Wrestling in the amount of $1,500.00. A Roll call vote was recorded as follows:
YEAS: Chausse, Cooper, Dixon, Doherty, Holmes, Kopp, Sarabasa, and Bertrand.
NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.
PUBLIC COMMENT: No Report.
ACTION ITEMS:
ORDINANCE NO. 09, SERIES OF 2022; TO ESTABLISH A DATE FOR A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PROPOSED ALEDO DOWNTOWN – 2022 TAX INCREMENT FINANCING (TIF) DISTRICT: (FIRST READING)
The Public Hearing for the proposed Aledo Downtown-2022 Tax Increment Financing District shall be held at 5:30 p.m., Central Standard Time, on April 25, 2022, at the Aledo City Hall, 120 N. College Avenue, Aledo, Illinois.
Pursuant to Section 11-74.4-5 of the Act, the City must cause a Public Hearing to be held on the proposed Aledo Downtown-2022 TIF District Redevelopment Plan, Redevelopment Projects and a designation of a Redevelopment Project Area.
Pursuant to Section 11-74.4-6(c) of the Act, the City shall provide notice by certified mail to each taxing district which levies a tax within the Redevelopment Project Area and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) not less than forty five (45) days prior to the date set for the Public Hearing.
Pursuant to Section 11-74.4-5(b) of the Act the City shall convene a Joint Review Board meeting to be held at least fourteen (14) days but not more than twenty-eight (28) days after the mailing of notice of the Public Hearing.
Motion was made by ALDERMAN DOHERTY and seconded by ALDERMAN SARABASA to waive the second reading for Ordinance No. 09, Series of 2022; To Establish a Date for a Public Hearing for the Proposed Aledo Downtown – 2022 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:
YES: Dixon, Doherty, Holmes, Kopp, Sarabasa, Bertrand, Chausse, and Cooper.
NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.
Motion was made by ALDERMAN DOHERTY and seconded by ALDERMAN CHAUSSE to adopt for Ordinance No. 09, Series of 2022; To Establish a Date for a Public Hearing for the Proposed Aledo Downtown – 2022 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:
YES: Doherty, Holmes, Kopp, Sarabasa, Bertrand, Chausse, Cooper, and Dixon. NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.
RESOLUTION NO. 12R, SERIES OF 2022; ACCEPTING PROPOSAL AND AWARDING CONTRACT FOR SOUTH LAGOON FENCING PROJECT:
The City Council of the City of Aledo previously approved a project for replacement of the chain link fence at the South Lagoon as part of the FY 2022 CIP budget. The Director of Public Works has received a proposal from Lovewell Commercial Fence and Rail of Davenport, Iowa for the purchase and installation of fencing at the South Lagoon at a price of $24,500.00, and the Director of Public Works has recommended purchase of the foregoing from Lovewell Commercial Fence and Rail.
Motion was made by ALD. DIXON and seconded by ALDERMAN COOPER to approve Resolution No. 12R, Series of 2022; Accepting Proposal and Awarding Contract for South Lagoon Fencing Project to Lovewell Commercial Fence and Rail of Davenport, IA in the amount of $24,500.00. A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:
YES: Holmes, Kopp, Sarabasa, Bertrand, Chausse, Cooper, Dixon, and Doherty.
NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.
RESOLUTION NO. 13R, SERIES OF 2022; APPROVING AMENDMENT TO DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PROGRAM LOAN AGREEMENT FOR MARTIN J. HERMAN AND SHEILA D. HERMAN:
Martin J. Herman and Sheila D. Herman (the “Developer”), previously applied to the City for a Downtown Revitalization Program Loan Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) relating to a portion of the Redevelopment Project Area located at 127 East Main Street in Aledo, Illinois (the “Property”), pursuant to which the Developer was to replace windows, complete tuck pointing and masonry repairs, and replace the front door for the Property, and the Developer was to receive reimbursement for one-half of the costs of such improvements (not to exceed $17,516.00) in accordance with the Revitalization Program. The City Council for the City of Aledo previously approved a Revitalization Program loan for the Project and the parties entered into a Downtown Revitalization Program Loan Agreement on July 19, 2021. The Property Owner has determined that due to cost savings, significantly more tuckpointing work can be completed for an additional cost of $2,200.00.
Motion was made by ALDERMAN SARABASA and seconded by ALDERMAN BERTRAND to approve Resolution No. 13R, Series of 2022; Approving Amendment to Downtown Revitalization Program Loan Agreement for Martin J. Herman & Sheila D. Herman in the amount of $2,200.00. A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:
YES: Kopp, Sarabasa, Bertrand, Chausse, Cooper, Dixon, Doherty, and Holmes.
NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.
OLD BUSINESS:
Discussion regarding Employee Salary Study: ADMINISTRATOR/CHIEF Sullivan communicated with Bushue Human Resources last week and anticipate receiving a quote soon. CITY COUNCIL noted if BHR does not return a quote back to the City in a timely manor CITY STAFF to obtain a quote from a different company for Council review.
ALD. Doherty asked if the City should look into different ways to rid of yard-waste for residence and to also consider the abolishment of burning within the city limits. It was suggested to discuss further at a future Public Property, Streets & Sidewalks Committee meeting. CITY STAFF noted current city equipment would not be able to handle this type of service if no burning was allowed. Tentatively, a joint Ordinance & Police and Public Property, Streets & Sidewalks Committee to convene on March 28th at 6:00 o’clock p.m. in the City Council Chambers.
DPW Blaser reported signage in right-of-way (ROW) was picked up the week prior with roughly 30 signs removed and temporarily stored at City Hall for pick-up. A complaint was voiced by former alderman Zach Frick regarding the current signage ordinance. CITY COUNCIL discussed enforcing the ordinance and if not adhered to a fine would be issued.
ALD. Sarabasa inquired on the current regulations in Central Park. ADMINISTRATOR / CHIEF Sullivan reported no loitering has been established in the park and visitors are allowed from dawn till dusk. Signage needs to be posted in the parking lot and the parking area by the Aledo Fire Station. Also, Aledo PD can issue a ban notice to individuals who violate current regulations.
NEW BUSINESS: No Report.
ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, motion was made by ALDERMAN KOPP and seconded by ALDERMAN HOLMES that the meeting be adjourned. A Unanimous voice vote followed in agreement. Meeting was adjourned at 7:13 P.M.
https://www.aledoil.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_03072022-312
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