Rock Island Today

City of Aledo City Council met May 20.

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 on May 20, 2024.

MAYOR HAGLOCH called the meeting to order at 6:30 P.M. The roll was called, whereupon the following answered present:

Aldermen BARRY COOPER, DENNIS DIXON, MARK FRIESE, CARMEN RUH, LINDA SARABASA, and ANDREW WEEKS. Mayor CHRISTOPHER HAGLOCH. Alderman NOEL BUSH, and JAY DOHERTY were excused.

Also present was MICHAEL CHAUSSE, City Administrator, ADAM BAKER, Lieutenant, JUSTIN BLASER, Director of Public Works & Utilities, QUESEAN FORD, Community Service Officer, LINDSEY DUNN, Aledo Main Street, and JAROD DALE, City Clerk.

The media was represented by Jim Taylor, WRMJ.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Public Comment: No Report.

Communication & Correspondence: Lindsey Dunn, Aledo Main Street, appeared before the Committee of the Whole to highlight the following activities for AMS:

• Community Connection meeting to be held on Tuesday, May 21st at 5:30 p.m. at Ferg’s Public House.

• Ladies on the Loose event – had 51 tickets sold with 20 businesses participating. 43 total businesses donated / contributed whether it be by donated item(s) or participated on the date of the event.

• Rhubarb Festival – 47 total vendors, 67 total spaces for College Ave & portion of Central Park parking lot. Golf carts reserved for the event.

• Cinema at Central Summer Movie Series – Dates highlighted for June 14, July 19, August 9th. Movies to include: Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken, Migration, and Kung Fu Panda 4.

• Main Street Farmer’s Market Downtown Aledo – to begin on Thursday, June 13th from 4 pm – 6 pm in Central Park.

Requests & Petitions: Special event / run/walk 5K event: Aledo Rhubarb Run to be held on Saturday, June 8th beginning at 8:00 a.m.

Public Works Activity Report:

• Streets: Daily checks, tasks, JULIE’s, and work orders continue. Mowing, flower planting, dirt work at Central Park.

• Gas: Daily checks, tasks, JULIE’s, inspections and finals continue. Installed the new natural gas mains & services in the alley. Our resident engineer also commented on the great work they did, and asked that we pass that along to the PW City staff. Other work consisted of cathodic protection mapping, work orders, isolated services, and the Gas Superintendent attended plumbing class in Peoria for CEU’s

• Water: Daily checks, tasks, JULIE’s and work orders continue. Camera sewers and assist the gas division in the alley, the Water Division assisted the Cemetery with weed eating, hydro vac water mains on SE 8th Ave, the W/WW Superintendent attended the W/WW worker interviews and attended the Weekly Ion meeting, repair one water service.

• Cemetery: Four (4) funerals occurred. Memorial Day preparations continue and the PW Department has been putting in extra hours in preparations for the holiday.

• DPW: The storm sewer & natural gas utilities have been installed in the alley limits. The electrical infrastructure is currently being installed. Storm sewer work has started on the SE 2nd Ave limits. Other work consisted of W/WW worker interviews, ION weekly meeting, building inspections & various site meetings, & Sponsler grading plan.

Aledo Police Department Activity Report: LT. Baker reported Investigator Kenney attended the Evidence Based Interview and Interrogation training held at Mobile Team Unit IV in East Moline from May 07 – May 09, 2024. This training provides skills and competency to elicit information from victims, witnesses and suspects. The goal of the course was to master research-based skills for interview and interrogation, while taking every legal advantage allowed by the courts.

Officer Dallas Wakeland’s on duty injury will require surgery. The approval for surgery is pending through Workman’s Comp.

Lt. Adam Baker submitted a grant application to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board to offset the city’s cost of the unfunded mandate for the requirement for body cameras. He was actively seeking to locate the grant opportunities. The grant allows reimbursement for the cost of body worn cameras, in-car cameras and data storage. To be able to apply for the grant, our department had to provide documentation that all of the full time and part time officers currently met their firearms, scenario-based and long-term training requirements. The other requirements for the grant opportunity include: Whether or not the applicant agency complies with the reporting requirements of the Uniform Crime Reporting Act and whether or not the applicant agency complies with all reporting requirements of the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act; The Aledo Police Department complies with both. The award start and end dates are 05/18/2024 to 08/01/2024.

Administrative Report: ADMINISTRATOR Chausse reported on an overview of highlights of what the Administrator (and others) have worked on since the last council meeting:

• Held meeting with all the banks in the county concerning the Aquatic Center Project - May 7th.

• Attended the Mayor’s Department Head meeting - May 8th.

• Met with Jen Hammerlink – Mercer Co. Prosperity Group and City Clerk to discuss our application for the Looser – Flake Creative Arts Grant – May 8th.

• The new phone system was installed over the last couple of weeks. The new phones were ported and activated on May 7th. Staff are adjusting to the phones and the experience has been very positive as of this time.

• Conducted three interviews for the Water/Wastewater Worker position with DPW, Water Superintendent and City Clerk – May 9th – The hire is on the consent agenda.

• Went over the revision of the Employee Handbook with Josh Herman of MH&T and City Clerk - May 9th.

• Met with Jamie Hopkins (our former Health Insurance Consultant) from his new company, Lee Agency. He asked that we retain him as our agent at his new agency. At this time, City Staff decided to stay with our current agency –Sagacity Benefits, a World Company. City Staff will review the agent and agency closer to renewal which is at the end of the year.

• Met with a property owner and DPW on location to discuss drainage issues for a proposed new home in the Hidden Valley subdivision – May 13th.

City Treasurer’s Report: The Treasurer’s Reports has been marked exhibit “B”, attached hereto and made a part of these minutes.

Mayor’s Report: MAYOR Hagloch invited the City Council to the Aledo Main Street Community Connection meeting on Tuesday, May 21st at Ferg’s Public House. Mayor noted the meeting is dependent upon weather.

Committee Report: ALD. Cooper reported the Public Property, Streets & Sidewalks Committee meeting met on Wednesday, May 15th at 6:00 o’clock p.m. The Committee continued discussions regarding a SE 2nd Avenue Reconstruction project; Sponsler Manor 3rd Addition site; and, a discussion of a potential fee structure for commercial landscapers at the landscape waste site.

REGULAR COUNCIL SESSION

Following the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag,

CONSENT AGENDA

Motion was made by ALDERMAN SARABASA and seconded by ALDERMAN WEEKS to approve the following consent agenda items:

• Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of May 06, 2024.

• Approval of Finance: Invoice Listing – AP09.

• Approval of a Special Event / 5K Run/Walk Event: Aledo Rhubarb Run to be held on Saturday, June 8th beginning at 8:00 a.m.

• Approval of the Hiring of Jacob Fobert as Water/Wastewater Worker in the Public Works & Utilities Department effective May 28, 2024.

A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Cooper, Dixon, Friese, Ruh, Sarabasa, and Weeks. NO: None. Motion carried. 6 yeas, 0 nays.

PUBLIC COMMENT: No Report.

ACTION ITEMS:

RESOLUTION NO. 15R, SERIES OF 2024; APPROVING THE APPOINTMENT OF THE ALEDO CIVIC CENTER AUTHORITY BOARD:

Motion was made by ALDERMAN DIXON and seconded by ALDERMAN RUH to approve Resolution No. 15R, Series of 2024; Approving the Appointment of the Aledo Civic Center Authority Board as presented. A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Dixon, Friese, Ruh, Sarabasa, Weeks, and Cooper. NO: None. Motion carried. 6 yeas, 0 nays.

RESOLUTION NO. 16R, SERIES OF 2024; APPROVING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH HUTCHISON ENGINEERING FOR PRELIMINARY PLAT & MASS GRADING PLAN FOR SPONSLER MANOR THIRD ADDITION IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $32,000.00:

Motion was made by ALDERMAN COOPER and seconded by ALDERMAN WEEKS to approve Resolution No. 16R, Series of 2024; Approving Professional Services Agreement with Hutchison Engineering for Preliminary Plat & Mass Grading Plan for Sponsler Manor Third Addition in the amount not to exceed $32,000.00 as presented. A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Friese, Ruh, Sarabasa, Weeks, Cooper, and Dixon. NO: None. Motion carried. 6 yeas, 0 nays.

OLD BUSINESS: No Report.

NEW BUSINESS: ALD. Friese suggested the Public Property, Streets & Sidewalks Committee further discuss potential incentives for new home construction not only for Sponsler’s Manor Third Addition but also city-wide. This was noted as something that could be beneficial to the community later.

MAYOR Hagloch requested the CITY COUNCIL to provide the City Administrator with their ideas or suggestions related to incentives. ADMINISTRATOR Chausse reported that some municipalities sell lots at very minimal costs if the property is built upon within a certain time-period established by the municipality. CITY STAFF to contact Steve Klein with Jacob & Klein to accumulate recommendations as a TIF incentive within the Aledo – 2022 TIF District.

ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, motion was made by ALDERMAN WEEKS and seconded by ALDERMAN SARABASA that the meeting be adjourned. A Unanimous voice vote followed in agreement. Meeting was adjourned at 6:39 P.M.

https://www.aledoil.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_05202024-408