SE Illinois News

The Benton City Council met Sept. 26 to approve payroll.

Here are the meeting's minutes, as provided by the council:

Council Meeting Minutes — September 26, 2016

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR BENTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 AT6:00 P.M. IN THE BENTON MUNICIPAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 500 WEST MAIN STREET, BENTON, ILLINOIS. MAYOR KONDRITZ CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER. THOSE PRESENT WERE COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. COMMISSIONER MILLER MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 12, 2016 REGULAR SESSION MEETING. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WYANT. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. COMMISSIONER MILLER MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 SPECIAL MEETING. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE ABSTAINED. MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT HE WOULD ALLOW RICK CAMPBELL TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING A BOOKLET OF FREE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE CITY OF BENTON. MR. CAMPBELL STATED THAT WITH THE COUNCIL’S APPROVAL HE WOULD PRINT 5,000 OF THESE BOOKLETS. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE MADE A MOTION TO ALLOW MR. CAMPBELL TO MOVE FORWARD. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE PURCHASE ORDER #001517 TO ALAN ENVIRONMENTAL FOR GREASE GOBLIN IN THE AMOUNT OF $928.62. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MILLER. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. COMMISSIONER WYANT STATED THAT HE HAD NO BUSINESS TONIGHT. AS AN UPDATE COMMISSIONER WYANT STATED THAT 95% OF THE 2016 OIL AND CHIP PROGRAM IS COMPLETED WITH APPROXIMATELY 4 BLOCKS LEFT. COMMISSIONER WYANT ALSO STATED THAT HE IS STILL WAITING ON A BID FOR THE OVERLAY PROJECT. COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED CAREER FIREFIGHTER MATT CARPENTER HAD SUBMITTED HIS RESIGNATION AFTER TAKING A POSITION WITH THE EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS FIRE DEPARTMENT. FIRE CHIEF SHANE COCKRUM STATED THAT MR. CARPENTER HAD BEEN A FIVE YEAR CAREER FIREFIGHTER WITH THE CITY OF BENTON AND HAD BEEN A VOLUNTEER FOR 2 YEAR PRIOR TO THAT, GIVING HIM A TOTAL OF 7 YEARS WITH THE BENTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE RESIGNATION OF CAREER FIREFIGHTER MATT CARPENTER WITH HIS LAST DAY BEING OCTOBER 10, 2016. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WYANT. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO HIRE JOHN OWENS AS A TEMPORARY FULL TIME FIREFIGHTER FOR 60 DAYS WITH A START DATE OF 10/11/16. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS 4: COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 1. COMMISSIONER MILLER. COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO ALLOW THE FIRE AND POLICE MERIT BOARD TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS OF HIRING A FULL TIME CAREER FIREFIGHTER. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WYANT. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE BEGINNING TO RAISE MONEY FOR A K9 UNIT IN THE AMOUNT OF $30,000.00. COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED THAT THIS COST WOULD INCLUDE THE DOG, THE TRAINING, AND THE EQUIPMENT. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED THAT CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW POLICE STATION IS SLATED TO BEGIN THIS WEEK WITH A COMPLETION DATE TENTATIVELY SET AS MARCH 1, 2017. COMMISSIONER MILLER MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE PAYROLL DATED 09/23/16 FOR THE GENERAL FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $64,058.69, FOR THE WATER DEPARTMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $35,252.1, AND PAID ON CALL FIREFIGHTERS IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,276.19 FOR A TOTAL PAYROLL IN THE AMOUNT OF $103,587.03. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WYANT. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. COMMISSIONER MILLER MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE SEWER ADJUSTMENTS FOR CAROL OVERBEY OF 310 NORTH MCLEANSBORO AND SUE DIRKS OF 401 EAST BOND AS THEY BOTH MEET THE CRITERIA SET FOR IN THE ORDINANCE. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. COMMISSIONER MILLER MADE A MOTION TO SET TRICK-OR-TREAT HOURS ON OCTOBER 29, 2016 FROM 5 P.M. TO 9 P.M. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WYANT. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. ATTORNEY TOM MALKOVICH STATED THAT WE NEEDED TO AMEND THE SIMPLIFIED TELECOMMUNICATIONS TAX ORDINANCE CHANGING THE DATE OF FIRST COLLECTION FROM JANUARY OF 2017 TO FEBRUARY OF 2017. COMMISSIONER WYANT MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE ORDINANCE #16-22 AMENDING THE SIMPLIFIED TELECOMMUNICATIONS TAX COLLECTION DATE. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT ON OCTOBER 10, 2016 CINNAMON SMITH, AN EXPERT ON SOLAR ECLIPSES, WILL BE AT THE COUNCIL MEETING TO EDUCATE US ON THE UPCOMING SOLAR ECLIPSE. MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT HE WANTS TO OFFER TO SELL TO THE BENTON CIVIC CENTER THE CITY OWNED LOTS ON HUDELSON STREET FOR $10,500.00, REPRESENTING THE CITY’S EXPENSE. COMMISSIONER MILLER MADE A MOTION AUTHORIZING LEGAL COUNSEL TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE BENTON CIVIC CENTER AUTHORITY BOARD REGARDING THE SALE OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY ON HUDELSON STREET. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WYANT. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 3. COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 2. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE AND COMMISSIONER STOREY. MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT WALKER’S BLUFF WANTS SUPPORT FROM NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES REGARDING BUILDING A RESORT AND CASINO. MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT THIS WILL CREATE OVER 1,000 CONSTRUCTION JOBS DURING A FOUR-YEAR PERIOD AND 726 PERMANENT JOBS ONCE COMPLETED. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE MADE A MOTION APPROVING RESOLUTION 16-11 SUPPORTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A RESORT AT WALKERS BLUFF. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WYANT. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. NO MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS. UNDER OLD BUSINESS, COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE STATED THAT A LETTER HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE EPA STATING THAT WE HAVE MET ALL STANDARDS AND WE NOW WAIT 30 DAYS TO SEE IF ANYONE CONTESTS THIS. COMMISSIONER MILLER STATED THAT A SURVEY IS BEING DONE ON THE CITY OWNED PROPERTY ON STUYVESANT STREET. COMMISSIONER MILLER STATED THAT THE CHAMBER AFTER HOURS EVENT AT CITY HALL WENT VERY WELL. COMMISSIONER MILLER STATED THAT HE WOULD NOW LIKE TO WORK ON A CITIZEN OPEN HOUSE THAT WILL LIKELY BE HELD BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 3 P.M. TO 5 P.M. OR 3 P.M. TO 6 P.M. COMMISSIONER MILLER STATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO SEEK BIDS TO HAVE THE DIGITAL SIGN CURRENTLY LOCATED AT 500 WEST MAIN MOVED. COMMISSIONER MILLER ALSO STATED THAT A FLU CLINIC HAS BEEN SET UP WITH KUMMEL CHAPLAIN PHARMACY. THIS CLINIC WILL TAKE PLACE AT KUMMEL CHAPLAIN PHARMACY ON OCTOBER 18, 2016 FROM 9 A.M. TO 11 A.M. THIS WILL BE OPEN TO EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS CITIZENS. NO NEW BUSINESS. UNDER MATTERS FROM THE PUBLIC AUDIENCE, JERRY WIGGS STATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THE RIGHT AWAY ON HIS PROPERTY HAS NOT BEEN MOWED. COMMISSIONER WYANT STATED THAT THIS WOULD BE LOOKED INTO. MR. WIGGS ALSO STATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THE CITY STANDS ON THE BURNOUT LOCATED ON GLENDALE STREET. CITY ATTORNEY TOM MALKOVICH STATED THAT THIS WAS CURRENTLY ON THE CITY’S LIST FOR DEMOLITION. NELSON HENRIETTO STATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CITY FOR THE CLEANUP OF 2 MOBILE HOMES ON SOUTH MCLEANSBORO STREET. MAYOR KONDRITZ ASKED TONY LANG IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY PROGRESS ON HIS ISSUES OF FLOODING IN HIS YARD. MR. LANG STATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO PROGRESS MADE. THE MAYOR TOLD MR. LANG THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING INTO THIS FURTHER. MR. LANG ALSO QUESTIONED BRINGING OTHER CABLE TV PROVIDERS TO THE CITY OF BENTON. ATTORNEY MALKOVICH EXPLAINED THAT THE CITY HAS A FRANCHISE AGREEMENT CURRENTLY WITH NEWWAVE COMMUNICATIONS FOR CABLE TV. COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER BAUMGARTE, COMMISSIONER WYANT, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MILLER, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. 6:58 P.M.