Rock Island Today

City of Aledo City Council met Oct. 21.

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 October 21, 2024.

MAYOR HAGLOCH called the meeting to order at 6:33 P.M. The roll was called, whereupon the following answered present:

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

Also present was MICHAEL CHAUSSE, City Administrator, TREVOR FISK, Interim Chief of Police, JUSTIN BLASER, Director of Public Works & Utilities, 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, Executive Director, Aledo Main Street appeared before the Committee of the Whole to report on statistics related to the seasonal downtown Main Street Farmer’s Market. A customer count of 2,232 was noted for 2024 with a vendor cumulative total in the amount of $18,127.50. Numbers were noted by Dunn to be comparable to 2023.

Early Bird Shopping to be held on November 9th and encouraged all to support local.

Holly Day’s electric parade to be held on Friday, December 6th with the theme noted as “Disney”. Dates of event listed as December 6th and Saturday, December 7th in downtown Aledo.

AMS winter memorial planters in the downtown area to be completed in the downtown area here soon.

Storefront decorating for Christmas / Winter Holiday Season to be completed with volunteers decorating some of the storefronts in the downtown area again.

A business survey has been issued out to the downtown businesses to gather baseline data and to see how AMS can better serve Aledo businesses.

Requests & Petitions: Aledo Opera House, Inc. has submitted a liquor license application for a Class “C” Bar/Tavern license. The license location to be located at 108 SE 2nd Avenue, Aledo, IL., 61231.

Public Works Activity Report:

• Streets: Daily checks, tasks, JULIE’s, and work orders continue. Form and pour sidewalk at cemetery; met with Vermeer and Little Giant loader dealers; assisted the W/WW Division; push up debris at lagoon site; and picked up patch.

• Gas: Daily checks, tasks, JULIE’s, inspections and finals continue. Completed final rough plumbing inspection at Aledo Opera House; rebuild meter set at 106 ½ S College Ave; prep for hospital meter change out; assist the W/WW Division regarding mowing; and assist Cemetery Division to pour concrete.

• Water: Daily checks, tasks, JULIE’s and work orders continue. Install new meter set; inspect a sewer repair at 408 NW 6th Ave; pull aerator motor from S Lagoon. 

• Cemetery: One (1) funeral occurred. Mowing and weed-eating continue. Lot and grave look-up(s) for customers; met with Cemify; schedule new foundation with moline monuments.

• DPW: The Sponsler Manor Third addition grading is moving nicely. It is anticipated the grading to be complete within the next three weeks. The SE 6th Street SRTS project started 9/30 and is progressing without issue. The CIP project is nearing completion. Items to complete are final paving in the alley, seeding, signage, and final electrical hook up. We are still waiting on one electrical controller cabinet. Delivery of that will determine the final completion date.

Aledo Police Department Activity Report: CHIEF Fisk reported Officers Breanna Wakeland and Jaydon Brown have now completed Week 7of the 16-week Sauk Valley Community College Police Academy in Dixon, Illinois. Positive reports on both officers have been received from the Academy.

Officer Dallas Wakeland continues to attend physical therapy twice a week, working to complete his recovery from shoulder surgery. He has a follow-up appointment with his surgeon on November 12, 2024.

Lt. Adam Baker has recovered from surgery and returned to active duty following an appendix attack on October 4, 2024.

Lt. Adam Baker and Inv. Lindsey Kenney recently attended the Illinois Homicide Investigation Association (ILHIA) conference to obtain the continuing education hours required to maintain their respective certifications as Lead Homicide Investigators. The conference was held at the Westin Conference Center in Itasca, Illinois, where the officers attended a lecture presented by an officer with the Nashville, Tennessee Police Department and learned of his experience in responding to the active shooter situation at The Covenant School in Nashville in 2023. The officers also attended a session on Human Trafficking, presented by the Missouri State Police. The conference attendees included law enforcement officers from all areas of the State of Illinois.

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

• Attended a discussion with other City Staff to discuss Main Street funding.

• Attended the Historic Preservation Committee meeting.

• Met with a website design company – App-tegy –to discuss the city’s website and potential mobile app.

• Held discussion with City Staff to discuss FY 2025 budget.

• Attended a debriefing concerning threat to the HS Homecoming Parade.

• Attended a meeting (by phone) concerning the neighborhood vehicle path and dog park with the individual heading up those projects.

• Started initial discussion with Jeff Sedam from Mercer Market on the Illinois Grocery Initiative Grant.

ADMINISTRATOR Chausse provided an update concerning the 9th Ave path, Hutchinson Engineering shared our concept of the jog across the street with IDOT. Initial indications are that they are not in favor of the proposed detour to avoid Riddell Roofing. However, the city could submit a change in the original plans and submit to IDOT. ADMINISTRATOR noted to keep in mind that doing so would delay the project up to two years and would be a significant expense to the city since any changes would be completely paid for by the city. Also, there would be no guarantee that the plan change will be approved by IDOT. Staff is seeking input on how to proceed and has requested a Property Committee meeting to continue discussion.

Budget Meeting(s) will be held on Monday – October 28th with a second night of Tuesday – October 29th as needed.

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 reported he recently appeared on the WRMJ program, Focus, to remind residents on procedures and restrictions related to yard-waste dumping at the lagoon site. It was emphasized that no lighting of yard-waste is permitted at the facility.

Committee Report: No Report.

REGULAR COUNCIL SESSION

Following the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag,

CONSENT AGENDA

Motion was made by ALDERMAN DIXON and seconded by ALDERMAN FRIESE to approve the following consent agenda items:

• Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of October 07, 2024.

• Approval of Finance: Invoice Listing – AP19.

A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Dixon, Doherty, Friese, Ruh, Sarabasa, and Weeks.

NO: None. Motion carried. 6 yeas, 0 nays.

PUBLIC COMMENT: No Report.

ACTION ITEMS:

ORDINANCE NO. 17, SERIES OF 2024; AMENDING THE REGULATION OF PEDDLERS AND ITINERANT MERCHANTS FOR THE CITY OF ALEDO. (FIRST READING)

Title 3, Chapter 4, Section 2-2 is hereby amended as follows (additions are indicated by bold/underline and deletions by strikeout):

3-4-2-2: APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION:

The following sections of 3-4-2-2 are amended as follows:

9. Has the applicant ever been convicted of a violation of a felony or of any crime that involves theft, embezzlement, fraud, or dishonesty under the laws of the state or any other state or federal law of the United States;

(E) No certificate of registration shall be issued to any person who has been convicted of the commission of a felony or of any crime that involves theft, embezzlement, fraud, or dishonesty under the laws of the State or any other State or Federal law of the United States within five (5) years of the date of application, nor to any person who is a registered sex offender in this or any other State, nor to any person who has been convicted of a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, nor to any person whose certificate of registration issued hereunder has previously been revoked as herein provided.

3-4-2-3: REVOCATION OF CERTIFICATE:

(A) Any certificate of registration issued hereunder shall be revoked if by the Chief of Police finds that the holder has violated any of the provisions of this Chapter, if the holder of the certificate is convicted of a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, or has made a false material statement in the application, or otherwise becomes disqualified for the issuance of a certificate of registration under the terms of this chapter, or if the holder of the certificate is convicted of a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter.

(B) Written notice shall be provided via mail to the certificate holder of the City’s intent to conduct a hearing to revoke the license in question. Such notice shall be mailed not less than three (3) business days before the date of the hearing at the address set forth in the application. Said hearing may be conducted by the City Manager or designee and shall be conducted as a hearing with a civil burden of proof and informal rules of evidence. In the event that the City Manager or designee determine that, by a preponderance of evidence, that it is more probably true than not that the holder committed the offense in question, the City Manager or designee shall revoke the certificate. Immediately upon the revocation, written notice thereof shall be given by the Chief of Police to the holder of the certificate in person or by certified United States mail addressed to his or her residence address set forth in the application.

(C) Immediately upon the giving of the notice, the certificate of registration shall become null and void. Any person who is denied a certificate of registration or who receives a certificate and said certificate is subsequently revoked, may appeal such decision to the City Manager. A written notice of appeal must be filed in writing with the City Manager within 30 days of the date of the denial or revocation and said written appeal must include all grounds and bases for the appeal that the appellant wishes to have considered. The decision of the City Manager shall be issued within 30 days of the date of receipt of the appeal and shall be final.

A second reading to be held on Monday, November 4th at 6:30 o’clock p.m. in the City Council Chambers.

ORDINANCE NO. 18, SERIES OF 2024; CREATING A SEVENTH CLASS “C” LIQUOR LICENSE WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF ALEDO: (FIRST READING)

CITY CLERK Dale reported Aledo Opera House, Inc., 108 SE 2nd Avenue, Aledo, has submitted a liquor license application for a Class “C” for their performing arts center. With the renovations at the facility, plans are to get their license organized with Aledo and then proceed to the State of Illinois. Tentative plans are to have the project near completion later this year, beginning of next.

To date, six (6) Class “C” liquor licenses for Bar/Tavern have been issued by the City and will be increasing licenses to seven (7). Current tavern licenses have been issued to Saucy’s, Ferg’s Public House, Casey’s General Store, Mac’s Convenience Store, Dancer’s Creek Barn, and Cheers on Main, LLC.

Motion was made by ALDERMAN WEEKS and seconded by ALDERMAN SARABASA to waive the 2nd reading for Ordinance No. 18, Series of 2024; Creating a Seventh Class “C” Liquor License within the Corporate Limits of the City of Aledo. A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Doherty, Friese, Ruh, Sarabasa, Weeks, and Dixon.

NO: None. Motion carried. 6 yeas, 0 nays.

Motion was made by ALDERMAN SARABASA and seconded by ALDERMAN FRIESE to adopt Ordinance No. 18, Series of 2024; Creating a Seventh Class “C” Liquor License within the Corporate Limits of the City of Aledo. A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Friese, Ruh, Sarabasa, Weeks, Dixon, and Doherty.

NO: None. Motion carried. 6 yeas, 0 nays.

RESOLUTION NO. 27R, SERIES OF 2024; APPROVING LOCAL PUBLIC AGENCY ENGINEERING SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH HUTCHISON ENGINEERING FOR PHASE I & II ENGINEERING FOR SW 6TH STREET SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL SIDEWALK:

DPW Blaser reported the City was awarded a $250,000 Safe Routes to School Grant for the removal and replacement of a 5’ sidewalk along SW 6th Street from South College Avenue to SW 8th Avenue. Phase I & Phase II design engineering is not covered under the grant award.

Hutchison Engineering has submitted a Local Public Services Engineering Agreement to perform the Phase I & Phase II Engineering in the amount of $25,225.00. This was not a budgeted item, as the City received the grant award after adopting the FY 2024 CIP Budget. Finance Director Parchert has advised DPW funds are available in the CIP to cover this work. Staff recommends completing the design engineering this fiscal year with the available funds with completion the construction in the summer of 2025.

Motion was made by ALDERMAN WEEKS and seconded by ALDERMAN FRIESE to approve Resolution No. 27R, Series of 2024; Approving Local Public Agency Engineering Services Agreement with Hutchison Engineering for Phase I & II Engineering for SW 6th Street Safe Routes to School Sidewalk in the amount of $25,225.00. A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Ruh, Sarabasa, Weeks, Dixon, Doherty, and Friese.

NO: None. Motion carried. 6 yeas, 0 nays.

OLD BUSINESS: No Report.

NEW BUSINESS: MAYOR and CITY COUNCIL discussed the need to initiate a Burn Ban within the corporate limits of Aledo. After quick discussion, the Mayor to issue a burn ban order in effect until further notice due to the dry conditions within the region. A media notice to be issued by the City on October 22nd, 2024.

ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, motion was made by ALDERMAN WEEKS and seconded by ALDERMAN DIXON that the meeting be adjourned. A Unanimous voice vote followed in agreement. Meeting was adjourned at 6:43 P.M.

https://www.aledoil.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_10212024-427