Rock Island Today

City of Aledo City Council met Nov. 18.

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 November 18, 2024. MAYOR PRO-TEM DIXON called the meeting to order at 6:30 P.M. The roll was called, whereupon the following answered present:

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

Also present was MICHAEL CHAUSSE, City Administrator, TREVOR FISK, Interim Chief of Police, JUSTIN BLASER, Director of Public Works & Utilities, 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. Highlights include: • Aledo Holly Days – December 6th & December 7th

o Electric Parade Theme – Disney (Parade starts at 5:30 p.m.)

o Pop-up vendors & local shopping

o City of Aledo Christmas Tree Lighting (following the parade)

o “Trees in the Park”

• Hot Chocolate Hustle – December 7th

• Design Committee is currently working on the Winter Memorial Planters which should be out before Small Business Saturday.

• Storefront Decorating for Christmas / Winter Holiday Season – Volunteers will be decorating some of the storefront windows in Downtown again 11/21.

• Economic Vitality – business surveys are being distributed and collected back from downtown business locations.

Requests & Petitions: No Report.

Public Works Activity Report:

• Streets: Daily checks, tasks, JULIE’s, and work orders continue. Install new debris screen on the Sponsler pond overflow pipe; fall cleanup of Monument Park; pot hole repair at various locations; vac leaves; clean downtown; remove planter boxes from downtown.

• Gas: Daily checks, tasks, JULIE’s, inspections and finals continue. assist water division; shut off work orders; work on alley meter sets; winter odorizer adjustment; Tanner & Tanner attended the Illinois Commerce Commission annual conference in Effingham last Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday.

• Water: Daily checks, tasks, JULIE’s and work orders continue. Multiple sewer investigations; repair water salesman hose; 12th Street lift station maintenance.

• Cemetery: Five (5) funerals occurred. Headstone adjustments; finish weed eating for the year; trim trees; work on cemetery mapping proposals.

• DPW: The Sponsler Manor Third addition project is still waiting on dry soil. Seeding is the last remaining item to complete. The Central Park Project is also nearing completion. Items to be completed are the final electrical components for the building services adjacent to the alley, festoon lighting poles and lights, & the new metal benches. We are hoping to have the street lights and parking lot lights operational by Holly Days. The holiday tree will also be installed late next week. The SE 6th Sidewalk continues to progress. The 300 & 400 blocks are the last two sections to complete. A new tree was also planted outside of the bandshell. We will call it the “Jarod Tree”. It is a Princeton Sentry Ginko. DPW noted he there is only one other ginko in the city, potentially. It’s a beautiful shade tree that turn bright yellow in the fall.

Aledo Police Department Activity Report: CHIEF Fisk reported Officers Breanna Wakeland and Jaydon Brown completed Week 11 of the 16-week academy. They are performing well and are scheduled to graduate from the Sauk Valley Community College Police Academy on December 19, 2024 at 3:30 PM.

Lt. Baker completed the first week of the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command being held in Peoria, Illinois. This is a ten-week intensive leadership and management education program that helps prepare experienced law enforcement professionals for success in senior command positions. The school is being held for two weeks each month through March 2025.

The Aledo Police Department assisted with the Veteran’s Day parade.

It is with deep regret to inform you that Ofc. Steve McGuire passed away on November 15, 2024. Ofc. McGuire agreed to work part time in house each week to assist with inventory, audit, training, LEADS certification, range qualifications, squad car equipment installation, evidence and anything else that was needed to improve the operations of the police department. He truly made a difference. Steve was a positive influence and will be greatly missed by all of us.

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 the Mayor’s Department Head Meeting.

• Met with our website design company – CivicPlus.

• Held a meeting to discuss the sidewalk on SE 6th St.

• Met with Ameren to discuss grants concerning EV’s.

• Attended the Zoning and Planning Commission Meeting.

• Attended a meeting with Watchfire concerning the city message board at the Fire Department.

• Installed garland around decorative light poles on numerous days and times.

A Cemetery & Cable T.V. Committee meeting to be held on Tuesday, November 19th at 6:00 o’clock p.m. in the City Council Chambers. A Public Property, Streets & Sidewalks Committee meeting to be held on Tuesday, November 19th at 6:15 o’clock p.m. in the City Council Chambers.

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 PRO-TEM Dixon read a proclamation recognizing November, 2024 as Epilepsy Awareness Month in our community and call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Committee Report: No Report.

REGULAR COUNCIL SESSION

A moment of silence was recognized by the CITY COUNCIL in memory of Officer Steven McGuire.

Following the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag,

CONSENT AGENDA

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

• Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of November 04, 2024.

• Approval of Finance: Invoice Listing – AP21.

• Approval of the Resignation of Noel Bush as Ward III Alderman effective November 5, 2024.

A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:

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

PUBLIC COMMENT: No Report.

ACTION ITEMS: No Report.

OLD BUSINESS: No Report.

NEW BUSINESS: No Report.

ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, motion was made by ALDERMAN SARABASA and seconded by ALDERMAN RUH that the meeting be adjourned. A Unanimous voice vote followed in agreement. Meeting was adjourned at 6:34 P.M.

https://www.aledoil.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_11182024-430