Harrisburg City Council met August 3.
Here is the minutes provided by the Council:
The Harrisburg City Council met on August 3, 2017 at 6:00 pm in the Council Room of City Hall Harrisburg, Illinois.
Mayor John McPeek presided over the meeting with Commissioners Natalie Miller, Beth Montfort, Richard Harper and Mike Weirauch answering roll call.
Danny Gibbs led the group in prayer and the pledge.
Commissioner Harper made a motion to approve the following items under Consent Agenda:
1. Minutes from the Regular Meeting of July 20, 2017.
Commissioner Miller seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Jim Brown from Brown & Roberts reviewed with Council the levee toe drains which were originally installed to collect seep water but are now clogged and collapsed. The Corps has requested a seep analyze before approving their abandonment. He had spoken with Patrick Engineering which has the software that allows the engineering analysis to be done. He was working with Holcomb Engineering which could do the boring. He has submitted the proposal to Neil Cash but Cash is on paternity leave so he had not received an approval. Brown warned Council to expect the cost to be between $20,000.00 and $25,000.00.
Mayor McPeek stated no bids had been received for 24 South Jackson, 407 South Jackson and 1204 South Ledford.
Mayor McPeek stated the solar eclipse is coming up soon. He noted the Chamber is sponsoring an event on August 20 at Wooded Hills and the City is hanging banners. Commissioner Weirauch announced the City-owned field on North Veterans Drive would be mowed and available for parking on that day. Mayor McPeek stated the City will definitely be impacted by the event and asked that citizens try to plan accordingly such as buying staples ahead of time as well as gas.
Fire Chief Gunning stated the title work for 407 South Jackson had been received so the trailer could now be removed. He stated the 1204 South Ledford property was beyond rehab. He would take it down and clean up the lot. He had a meeting with the people who were considering 24 South Jackson but they had decided to forego the purchase because they were looking at other property. He and Superintendent Rick Brown would be looking at taking it down in-house. Mayor McPeek clarified that the asbestos had been removed. Superintendent Brown stated he may need a larger machine for a demolition. Clerk Wofford reminded Chief Gunning and Council that there were demolition bids for 24 South Jackson that had not been opened yet. Chief Gunning stated they needed to be tabled until he and Superintendent Brown had evaluated the situation.
Commissioner Harper moved to pass Resolution 17-0803 for the IDOT approval to close Poplar Street for the Homecoming Parade on September 14.
Mayor McPeek confirmed with Chief Gunning that he did not need Executive Session for Property Acquisition.
Commissioner Miller moved to approve a banner request for August 7 through August 22 which would promote the Summer Bash on August 12 and the Solar Eclipse Chamber event on August 20. Commissioner Harper seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Commissioner Miller stated in the Street and Alley Department there is someone off on FMLA who is retiring in December and someone on Workmen Comp which makes the Department shorthanded. She stated that hiring someone now would mean the rate would be less that the two people off work. She moved to hire Nathan Shaw effective August 15 pending passing a physical and drug test. Mayor McPeek seconded. By roll call vote, Commissioner Miller and Mayor McPeek voted yes. Commissioners Montfort, Harper and Weirauch voted no. Motion failed. Commissioner Montfort stated she didn’t know the City was hiring at this time and felt the applications that were turned in should be looked at. Commissioner Miller stated that she did do that.
Commissioner Montfort stated that all the Police are firearm qualified except for the one off on comp. She thanked the Land Street Church of God for the prayer service they conducted for the safety personnel. She thanked Cynthia Winters for the activities she has done in the Park this summer and announced a future event.
Chief Gunning showed a map in the flood plain that was the Park District’s ball fields in Gaskins City. He stated they had considered buying some adjoining property to obtain fill dirt for the ball fields but it would not be feasible to disturb because it was in the floodway. He was asking Council’s permission to offer them dirt from the City’s impoundment to the south for fill dirt to be used for the Shaw Street batting cages. They had indicated they would be willing to pay the fee of $25.00 a pickup load or $75.00 a dump truck load. Council had no problem with that. Chief Gunning stated he would work with Superintendents Brown and Hefner to move the dirt. Jim Brown stated there would be no negative impact if dirt were added to the batting cages on Shaw Street.
Chief Gunning stated repairs for the 1975 LaFance rescue truck was starting to get into his maintenance budget, there are no replacement parts available and it did not pass the last pump test. He was asking permission to solicit bids for a refurbished replacement. He had three companies who might give a bid. Mayor McPeek stated he had no problem with that. Commissioner Harper asked why seek bids if it can’t be purchased and wanted to revisit the request at the end of the fiscal year. Chief Gunning stated the vehicle was used to respond to extractions because it carried all the equipment that might be needed. He stated he might be able to “hodge-podge” it till the end of the year but it was an important piece of equipment. Commissioner Montfort thought there was money in the budget for it. Commissioner Harper responded that there might be money in the budget but not in the bank. He stated that Chief Gunning had spoken to the Treasurer about it and had been told not now. Commissioner Montfort clarified that this was used in life or death situations and asked if it would save someone’s life. Chief Gunning restated this truck carries all the extraction equipment. He stated they might be able to move the equipment around but it might take three pieces of apparatus to get everything this vehicle carries. Commissioner Montfort moved that Chief Gunning seek bids for the replacement of the 1975 rescue truck. Mayor McPeek seconded. By roll call vote, Commissioners Montfort and Weirauch and Mayor McPeek voted yes. Commissioners Miller and Harper voted no. Motion carried.
Police Chief David Morris addressed Council regarding the change in animal control complaints. He stated that previously tickets were considered a criminal complaint with fines going through the Circuit Clerk and attorney fees and court fees added. He has created a book for the Animal Control Officer to issue a citation that resembles a parking ticket which makes it a civil complaint with the fines coming straight to the City. Commissioner Montfort asked how much the City had been receiving. Chief Morris stated that through the court system he believed the court costs alone were around $200.00 plus the attorney fees and some other costs with only about $25.00 coming back to the City. He explained that, if the citation is not paid, then the attorney would be able to recoup the expense. Chief Morris explained that with the previous method people were being taken to court which created a record for possibly a dog barking incident.
Chief Morris stated that, in reviewing the Code Book, he found some other irregularities in the livestock prohibition, kennel license and humane care language. He and Attorney Bittle will be working on an amendment for those portions of the Code to establish a fine and fee making them a civil complaint also.
Mayor McPeek stated he gets complaints about the Animal Control Officer not responding in a timely manner. Chief Morris stated he would talk to him about that and believed the new system would make his job easier.
Commissioner Harper read the attached statement regarding his Agenda item. Commissioner Weirauch asked what the cost would be and Commissioner Montfort stated she had some questions. His motion was seconded by Commissioner Miller. Commissioner Montfort restated the term “qualified engineering firm” and stated the City employs Jim Brown as an engineer and she respected his opinion. She asked Brown to answer some questions. Commissioner Weirauch stated if the City did not have the money to buy fire equipment where would it get money for this. Brown stated his firm did the original study for the Conservancy District with a grant of $60,000.00 through Senator Simon which included looking at ground water. He stated the Illinois State Water Survey has done a publication which indicates holes dug throughout the County and identified the Henry aquafer where the existing water wells are located. He stated that other than the Henry aquafer there is no other economically close water supply. Commissioner Montfort asked about an estimate on bringing another engineer in and what other places his firm does engineering work for. Brown stated they do work for McLeansboro, Metropolis, West Frankfort, Sesser, Royalton and Eldorado all the time. Commissioner Harper stated that possible down the line there might be a conflict of interest because he was the engineer for Harrisburg and the Saline Valley Conservancy District. Brown stated that was correct he did work for both. Commissioner Montfort asked if that meant he would be unfair. Commissioner Harper stated this was just advertising for proposals. Commissioner Montfort asked how much an engineer would cost. Brown stated it would be a substantial study and would probably be between $20,000.00 and $50,000.00. Commissioner Harper stated the City could be, by today’s dollar amounts, entering into a $40 million dollar contract with Saline Valley. He stated the question was if remaining with Saline Valley was the right choice for the City. Commissioner Weirauch wanted to know where else the City would go and where the money would come from. Commissioner Harper stated that’s what the study would reveal. Commissioner Montfort asked what a water plant would cost. Mayor McPeek stated it would be 20 million dollars. Jim Brown stated that first you have to identify a raw water source, how to get it here and if it will serve the City. He stated there is a publication that has been out for 35 years that all the experts have in their hands. He stated the water is just not here. Commissioner Weirauch added there is not a place in Saline County that isn’t undermined. Brown stated that there is not a source in Saline County capable of supplying enough water to the City and it has been proven. Mayor McPeek clarified that Commissioner Harper was just wanting to advertise and called for the vote. Commissioners Miller, Harper and Mayor McPeek voted yes. Commissioners Montfort and Weirauch voted no. Motion carried.
Citizen David Crest asked for an update on the paperwork for the retention pond. Mayor McPeek stated the City was waiting on the State funding determination. Jim Brown stated the only thing he had was the email from Ron Davis stating the City needed to put in its portion of the original cost and Davis was optimistic about the funding. Crest asked about more pumps once the retention pond is built. Mayor McPeek stated he would get with Jim Brown and talk about it.
Crest stated he was opposed to a new TIF especially in any flood plain until the current problem is under control. Mayor McPeek stated the new TIF is in the same area as the original TIF and he hoped the businesses in that TIF would take advantage of a TIF’s benefits. Mayor McPeek stated he hoped the current motels update their businesses. Crest stated the new hotel is in the flood plain and Mayor McPeek stated they would have to bring dirt in.
Crest stated he was in favor of looking for other water options.
Citizen Terry Maynard stated he had recently been to the City Park and he believed it makes the City shine.
Commissioner Harper moved to adjourn to Executive Session to discuss Collective Bargaining and Personnel. Commissioner Weirauch seconded. By roll call vote, Commissioners Harper and Weirauch voted yes. Commissioners Miller, Montfort and Mayor McPeek voted no. Motion failed.
Commissioner Miller moved to adjourn. Mayor McPeek seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Adjourned: 6:40 pm.
http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/3acc7b_5f99910a3c7249d88b63140f731837b0.pdf
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