Rock Island Today

City of Aledo City Council met Dec. 16.

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 December 16, 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, JAY DOHERTY, CARMEN RUH, and ANDREW WEEKS. Mayor CHRISTOPHER HAGLOCH. Aldermen MARK FRIESE and LINDA SARABASA 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: No Report.

Requests & Petitions: Cemetery Transfer: Sandra K. Peterson, Petitioner, conveys & quit-claims Block Four (4), Lot One Hundred Ten (110), and Lot Ninety-five (95), in the Sixth (6th) Addition of the Aledo Cemetery to James L. and Lynn A. Childs, 821 – 140th Street, Aledo, Il., 61231.

Public Works Activity Report:

• Streets: Salt streets for the two snow events; decorate & clean central park; clean downtown for Holly Days. Tracking hours for decorating downtown, central park & the holiday tree, the Public Works Department spent a total of 74-man hours to complete.

• Gas: Locates; year-end reporting; read meters on 12/3; host the annual Gas Emergency Responder meeting; assist other Divisions as needed.

• Water: Repair two service line leaks; repair one sewer lateral hit; camera inspection of three sewer repairs; jet sewer at NE 7th Ave; re-install High Service Pump no. 3 at the WTP.

• Cemetery: Tree trimming & assisting other Divisions as needed.

• DPW: Sponsler Manor Third Addition Grading is complete. We will be working on the public access area and the rules and regulations signage in the coming month. The SE 6th Street sidewalk is also complete. Everything is rough graded. The final black dirt grading and seeding will be completed in the spring. The Community Improvements project is substantially complete. The project came in approximately $223,000 under the original contract price of $3,077,258.30. DPW noted he would be ready to have a committee meeting to discuss the 2021 building code amendments. Tentatively to set an Ordinance & Police Committee meeting in January, 2025.

Aledo Police Department Activity Report: CHIEF Fisk reported Officer Jaydon Brown is in his last week at the academy. He is set to graduate from the Sauk Valley Community College Police Academy on December 19, 2024 at 3:30 PM.

Lt. Baker is currently in Week no. 4 of the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command being held in Peoria, Illinois.

Officer Dallas Wakeland was released to return to full duty on December 12, 2024. He returned to work on December 16, 2024.

Chief Fisk was invited to speak at the Aledo Exchange Club meeting held on December 12, 2024. He updated the members on new laws in Illinois and the status of the Aledo Police Department.

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 Gas Department Emergency Response Training Plan Meeting. • Met with a company dealing with Economic Development consulting. • Participated in a conference call with other city staff and city attorney dealing with personnel.

• Met with Lindsey Dunn – Aledo Main Street to have an overview of Holly Days, especially dealing with parade security.

• Had numerous emails with Denise Bulat with Bi-State to go over the current and future zoning use maps for the Comprehensive Plan.

• Attended the High Roads Graduation ceremony as the city’s representative. • Attended the Zoning Board meeting.

• Attended the City Christmas Party.

• Hosted for other municipalities in Mercer County and participated in the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) meeting to create the CEDS report for Bi-State.

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 the City Christmas Party was held on December 13th and thanked all those able to attend the event. Games were played after dinner and a good time was had. MAYOR noted he was excited for the upcoming New Year along with the upcoming projects set to begin in spring, 2025.

Committee Report: MAYOR Hagloch reported a Finance Committee meeting was held on December 9, 2024. The Committee re-visited a Hotel / Motel Room Renting Tax ordinance. The item was recommended for approval by the Committee and listed on the agenda this evening for a first reading.

REGULAR COUNCIL SESSION

Following the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag,

CONSENT AGENDA

ALD. COOPER requested Item F: Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding between REACH Strategies and the City of Aledo for $50,000.00 for Financial Assistance for Electric Vehicle or EV Infrastructure to be removed from the Consent Agenda for discussion.

MAYOR Hagloch noted the request.

Motion was made by ALDERMAN RUH and seconded by ALDERMAN COOPER to approve the following consent agenda items:

• Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of December 03, 2024.

• Approval of Finance: Invoice Listing – AP23.

• Approval of Ordinance No. 21, Series of 2024; Amending Title 13 of the City Code of Aledo, Illinois (Cemetery Fees). (Second Reading).

• Approval of the Publication Regarding the Schedule and Regular Committee of the Whole and City Council meetings in Fiscal Year 2025.

• Approval of the Resignation of Officer Breanna Wakeland as a Police Officer effective November 25, 2024.

• Approval of a Cemetery Transfer: Sandra K. Peterson, Petitioner, conveys & quit claims Block Four (4), Lot One Hundred Ten (110), and Lot Ninety-five (95), in the Sixth (6th) Addition of the Aledo Cemetery to James L. and Lynn A. Childs, 821 – 140th Street, Aledo, Il., 61231.

• Approval of an Agreement for Cleaning Services between King Cleaning Services and City of Aledo – January 1, 2025 thru December 31, 2026.

A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Cooper, Dixon, Doherty, Ruh, and Weeks. NO: None. Motion carried. 5 yeas, 0 nays.

Item F: Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding between REACH Strategies and the City of Aledo for $50,000.00 for Financial Assistance for Electric Vehicle or EV Infrastructure:

Motion was made by ALDERMAN RUH and seconded by ALDERMAN WEEKS to approve Item F as presented. A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Ruh, Cooper, and Hagloch. NO: Dixon, Doherty, and Weeks. Motion failed. 3 yeas, 3 nays.

PUBLIC COMMENT: No Report.

ACTION ITEMS:

ORDINANCE NO. 19, SERIES OF 2024; ADOPTING A MUNICIPAL BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF ALEDO FISCAL YEAR 2025. (SECOND READING)

Motion was made by ALDERMAN COOPER and seconded by ALDERMAN DOHERTY to adopt Ordinance No. 19, Series of 2024; Adopting a Municipal Budget for the City of Aledo Fiscal Year 2025 in an amount of $16,712,604.00. A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Doherty, Ruh, Weeks, Cooper, and Dixon. NO: None. Motion carried. 5 yeas, 0 nays.

ORDINANCE NO. 20, SERIES OF 2024; LEVYING TAXES IN AND FOR THE CITY OF ALEDO, IN THE COUNTY OF MERCER AND STATE OF ILLINOIS, FOR THE CORPORATE AND MUNICIPAL PURPOSES OF SAID CITY, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING JANUARY 1, 2025 AND ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2025, AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY CLERK OF SAID CITY TO CERTIFY THE SAME TO THE COUNTY CLERK OF SAID COUNTY OF MERCER. (SECOND READING)

Motion was made by ALDERMAN DIXON and seconded by ALDERMAN DOHERTY to adopt Ordinance No. 20, Series of 2024; Levying Taxes in and for the City of Aledo, in the County of Mercer and State of Illinois, for the Corporate and Municipal Purposes of said city, for the Fiscal Year commencing January 1, 2025 and ending December 31, 2025, and Authorizing the City Clerk of said City to Certify the same to the County Clerk of said County of Mercer, that the total amount of $547,879.00 is required by said City to be raised by taxation. A Roll Call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Ruh, Weeks, Cooper, Dixon, and Doherty. NO: None. Motion carried. 5 yeas, 0 nays.

ORDINANCE NO. 22, SERIES OF 2024; ADDING A NEW CHAPTER 17 TO TITLE 3 OF THE CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF ALEDO, FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPOSING A HOTEL AND MOTEL ROOM RENTING TAX. (FIRST READING)

The City is authorized under the Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS 5/8-3-14a.) to impose a hotel and motel room use tax. The proposed Ordinance imposing a hotel/motel tax within the City establishes an 5% tax on overnight rentals at hotels/motels/short-term rentals (the maximum tax allowed by statute related to non-home rule communities). The tax is to be collected by the operator of the hotel/motel/short-term rental and remitted to the City on a monthly basis. As drafted, the taxes levied pursuant to this Section will begin on April 1, 2025.

By statute, revenues received from the tax may only be utilized by the City to promote tourism and conventions within the City or otherwise to attract nonresident overnight visitors.

Implementing a Hotel-Motel Tax offers a valuable opportunity for the City of Aledo to enhance its financial resources without imposing additional burdens on local residents.

A second reading to be held on Monday, January 06, 2025 beginning at 6:30 o’clock p.m. in the City Council Chambers.

RESOLUTION NO. 30R, SERIES OF 2024; APPROVING THE CITY OF ALEDO FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM:

Total proposed CIP projects in the General Fund are listed in the amount of $10,115,179.

Motion was made by ALD. COOPER and seconded by ALD. WEEKS to approve Resolution No. 30R, Series of 2024; Approving the City of Aledo Five-Year Capital Improvement Program as presented. A Roll call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Weeks, Cooper, Dixon, Doherty, and Ruh. NO: None. Motion carried. 5 yeas, 0 nays.

RESOLUTION NO. 31R, SERIES OF 2024; A RESOLUTION REGARDING THE RELEASE OF CLOSED SESSION MINUTES AND DESTRUCTION OF CLOSED SESSION VERBATIM RECORDINGS:

Motion was made by ALD. DOHERTY and seconded by ALD. COOPER to approve Resolution No. 31R, Series of 2024; a Resolution regarding the Release of Closed Session Minutes and Destruction of Closed Session Verbatim Recordings as presented. A Roll call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Cooper, Dixon, Doherty, Ruh, and Weeks. NO: None. Motion carried. 5 yeas, 0 nays.

OLD BUSINESS: No Report.

NEW BUSINESS: No Report.

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 6:51 P.M.

https://www.aledoil.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_12162024-437