Rock Island Today

City of Colona City Council met May 27.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

3. ROLL CALL

a. Aldermen present: Stablein, Lack, Swemline, Jones, Hergert, Waterman, and Strobbe.

b. Staff present: Mayor Johnson, Attorney Wright, Police Chief Swemline, Finance Director Jen Legare, and City Clerk Park.

4. PUBLIC COMMENTS

a. Chief Swemline recognised some of his officers

1. Officer Kruckenberg for graduating from the IL Police Academy

2. Investigator Hull was awarded with the Chief’s Award

b. Laura Lamantia commented about chickens - summary: verified signatures gathered against allowing chickens within city limits, also stated we do not have the police manpower to add another ordinance violation causing issue

c. Debbie Farnsworth commented about chickens - summary: spoke against allowing chickens

d. Jacki Catour commented about chickens - summary: spoke against chickens in city limits

e. Jena Dreifurst commented about chickens - summary: spoke for allowing chickens, gave benefits of allowing chickens and surrounding city’s rules and regulations

5. MAYOR’S REPORT

a. Reminder about special meeting Saturday at 8am for municipal training

b. Chief Swemline applied and was granted police retention grant

c. Spoke with Loren Reigns - delay in engineering services in Briar Bluff Road Bridge Project - delays will result in 10% decrease in cost ($4,000)

d. Spoke with IMEG about general delays - they said they would try to do better moving forward

e. Overlay Project - IDOT funding or RBI funding requires full environmental review, if local funds are used we will not have to have the environmental review done

f. 714 2nd Street property inspected, structural engineer checking foundation and stability of building before anyone moves ahead

g. Custodial contract - work in progress

h. Burrage Roofing project - 4 in progress, insurance complicating some projects, does the council want to move forward?

i. The state notified the city of a local roads grant, reimbursement grant for disadvantaged communities, is being looked into

j. Updating the Comprehensive Plan meeting scheduled July 23rd, 2025

k. $300,000 parks grant awarded to the city, funds are not given until plans are approved

1. Park sub-committee may be created to help with this

2. Alderman Stablein reminded the Mayor a packet with projects does currently exist

l. Water bill issue at the school; the school is going to reimburse the city in full

6. CLERK’S REPORT

a. Reminders given about completing OMA and Sexual Harassment trainings

7. COMMITTEE REPORTS

a. Economic Development

1. Alderman Lack gave a report of how their meeting went on May 13th

b. Finance Admin.

1. Alderman Stablein gave a report of their meeting went on May 13th

i. Meeting minutes can be found on the city website

8. CONSENT AGENDA

a. Approve payment of bills/claims by vendor report for the period of May 13, 2025 – May 26, 2025.

b. Approve payroll for the period May 11, 2025 – May 25, 2025.

c. Approve monthly bank reconciliation review for the month of April 2025.

d. Approve 04.28.25 City Council Meeting Minutes

e. Approve 05.12.25 City Council Meeting Minutes

1. Alderman Hergert made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda letters a-e. Alderman Jones seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Stablein, Lack, Swemline, Jones, Hergert, Waterman, and Strobbe. Motion passed with 7 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstain, and 0 absent.

9. OLD BUSINESS

10. NEW BUSINESS

a. Approval of Mayoral Appointment – Jennifer Hillman to serve as 1st Ward Alderman with a term expiring April 30th, 2027.

1. Alderman Waterman made a motion to approve. Alderman Stablein seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Stablein, Lack, Hergert, Waterman, and Strobbe. Nays: Jones. Abstain: Swemline.

Motion passed with 5 ayes, 1 nays, 1 abstain, and 0 absent.

2. Discussion

i. Alderman Waterman stated he met and talked with Alderman Hillman; said he thinks she will do a good job.

ii. Alderman Jones asked Alderman Hillman if she was joining for the city or for her road; she replied it is for the city.

b. Approval of Mayoral Appointment – Charlotte Park as City Collector, effective as of 06.02.25. 1. Alderman Swemline made a motion to approve. Alderman Lack seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Lack, Swemline, Jones, Hergert, Waterman, Strobbe, Stablein, and Hillman.

Motion passed with 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstain, and 0 absent.

2. Discussion:

i. Alderman Jones stated someone asked him who was on the hiring committee; he was told Alderman Stablein, Waterman, and Jen Legare

ii. Alderman Jones asked what the deciding factors were; he was told education, experience, and relevant skill sets, along with team fit

iii. Alderman Jones asked if the people on the committee knew her before and how long; Mayor Johnson said he had met her at council meetings prior, Alderman Stablein said she has known her a very long time, Alderman Waterman said he did not know her, and Jen stated she did not know her

iv. Alderman Waterman stated Alderman Stablein stayed out of opinion; Jen and himself made the final hiring decision

v. Alderman Jones asked about probationary time; he was told it is 6 months

c. Approval of Mayoral Appointment – Joseph Swan – Colona Police Pension Board with a term expiring April 30th, 2027.

1. Alderman Stablein made a motion to approve. Alderman Hillman seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Swemline, Jones, Hergert, Strobbe, Stablein, Hillman, and Lack. Abstain: Waterman Motion passed with 7 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstain, and 0 absent.

d. Approval of Mayoral Appointments to Council Committees.

1. Alderman Stablein made a motion to approve. Alderman Hergert seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Jones, Hergert, Waterman, Strobbe, Stablein, Hillman, Lack, and Swemline.

Motion passed with 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstain, and 0 absent.

e. Discussion and Possible Action on Amending City Ordinance 5-4B-2(B) to Permit the Keeping of chickens, specifically hens, within the City of Colona.

1. Discussion:

i. Alderman Jones - can also get salmonella from cats, dogs, cucumbers, etc.

a. HUD and FHA - local county city and state laws - support chickens

b. He would like a committee put together to make rules and regulation

ii. Alderman Stablein - stated the data she collected did not support having chickens

a. Property size would be a problem, enforcement concerns straining already limited police resources, fines for not following ordinances putting a strain on citizens

iii. Alderman Swemline - asked if we approved chickens, what is to stop getting pigs, horses, etc. next, where is the city going to draw the line

iv. Alderman Hillman - talked to people within her ward, the majority expressed they would not like chickens

a. Had dogs get sick from drinking water runoff from illegal chickens that people have now

b. Expressed concern about the increase in predators if chickens are allowed

c. Gave statistics on how much chickens would cost versus buying eggs, did not see savings in having chickens

v. Chief Swemline - police are not for chickens

a. An average day for an officer consists of 6 ordinance calls/day

b. They do not have the staffing to be able to maintain

2. The motion was not made or seconded

3. Alderman Jones made a motion to establish a committee to establish rules and regulations to amend the city ordinance to allow chickens

i. The motion was tabled for lack of a second

f. Approve Resolution R-25-13; Authorizing the Mayor to execute (2) three-year service agreements with Vestis for rug services at the Police Department and City Hall. During year (1), the weekly service will cost a total of $24.65 for the Police Department and $31.70 for City Hall. Funds from the building budget will cover the annual cost.

1. Alderman Stablein made a motion to approve; amending the resolution to say “City of Colona” where it should. Alderman Hillman seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Strobbe, Stablein, Hillman, Lack, Swemline, and Hergert. Nays: Waterman and Jones.

Motion passed with 6 ayes, 2 nays, 0 abstain, and 0 absent.

2. Discussion:

i. Alderman Waterman asked about after 1st year cost; was told it could increase 5%, but the council has the choice to then end the agreement with no penalty

g. Approve gaming fee refund to Swanny’s in the amount of $1,500.

1. Alderman Hergert made a motion to approve. Alderman Lack seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Strobbe, Stablein, Hillman, Lack, Swemline, Jones, Hergert, and Waterman.

Motion passed with 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstain, and 0 absent.

2. Discussion:

i. Council asked for clarification; Mayor stated Swanny’s independently submitted a check, then the IL Gaming Commission sent their payment, Swanny’s would like refunded original (duplicate) payment

h. Approve business license for Sav’s Sweets; 703 8th Ave., Colona, IL 61241.

1. Alderman Stablein made a motion to approve. Alderman Lack seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Strobbe, Stablein, Hillman, Lack, Swemline, Jones, Hergert, and Waterman.

Motion passed with 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstain, and 0 absent.

i. Motion made to move into closed session to discuss consideration of collective negotiation matters with the Colona Police Fraternal Order of Police concerning salary schedules and benefits and schedules and benefits under Section 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5).

1. Alderman Waterman made the motion to approve. Alderman Lack seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Hillman, Lack, Swemline, Jones, Hergert, Waterman, Strobbe, and Stablein.

Motion passed with 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstain, and 0 absent.

11. CLOSED SESSION

a. Roll Call

1. Aldermen present: Stablein, Hillman, Lack, Swemline, Jones, Hergert, Waterman, and Strobbe.

2. Staff present: Mayor Johnson, Attorney Wright, Police Chief Swemline, Finance Director Jen Legare, and City Clerk Park.

b. Discussion was had and concluded

c. Motion made to move out of closed session at 7:40pm.

1. Alderman Swemline made the motion to approve. Alderman Waterman seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Hillman, Lack, Swemline, Jones, Hergert, Waterman, Strobbe, and Stablein.

Motion passed with 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstain, and 0 absent.

12. NEW BUSINESS

a. Motion made to move back into open session at 7:41pm.

1. Alderman Lack made the motion to approve. Alderman Swemline seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Lack, Swemline, Jones, Hergert, Waterman, Strobbe, Stablein, and Hillman.

Motion passed with 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstain, and 0 absent.

b. Approve Resolution R-25-14; Approving the following budget amendments as follows: (a) Salaries 100-110-400: original budget $1,077,035, increase $44,391. New amended budget for Salaries 100-110-4000 will be $1,121,426 to be paid out of General Fund Cash 100-000-1000; and (b) Medicare 100-110-4030, original budget $16,446, increase $645. New amended budget for Medicare 100-110-4030 will be $17,091, to be paid out of General Fund Cash 100-000-1000).

1. Alderman Lack made the motion to approve. Alderman Hergert seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Lack, Swemline, Hergert, Waterman, Strobbe, and Stablein. Nays: Jones. Abstain: Hillman. Motion passed with 6 ayes, 1 nays, 1 abstain, and 0 absent.

c. Approve the collective bargaining agreement between the City of Colona and the Fraternal Order of Police (May 1st, 2025 – April 30th, 2028).

1. Alderman Stablein made the motion to approve. Alderman Swemline seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Lack, Swemline, Hergert, Waterman, Strobbe, and Stablein. Nays: Jones. Abstain: Hillman. Motion passed with 6 ayes, 1 nays, 1 abstain, and 0 absent.

13. ADJOURN

a. Alderman Swemline made the motion to approve. Alderman Stablein seconded the motion. Upon roll call; Ayes: Swemline, Jones, Hergert, Waterman, Strobbe, Stablein, Hillman, and Lack.

Motion passed with 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstain, and 0 absent.

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