Harrisburg City Council met October 4.
Here is the minutes provided by the Council:
The Harrisburg City Council met on October 4, 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.
Mayor McPeek asked for a moment of silence for Linda Ghent and the Vegas victims and their families.
Pastor Phillip Fritts from the Southern Illinois Sanctuary 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 September 21, 2017.
2. Bill from Brown & Roberts for levee toe drain analysis in the amount of $1,196.73.
3. Bill from Brown & Roberts for pump discharge pipe inspection in the amount of $4,326.10.
4. Harrisburg Lake Lease:
Steven and Debra Hollerson
Commissioner Montfort seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Mayor McPeek moved to repeal Ordinance 1740. Commissioner Weirauch seconded. By roll call vote, Commissioners Montfort and Weirauch and Mayor McPeek voted yes. Commissioners Miller and Harper voted no. Motion passed.
Mayor McPeek moved to pass Ordinance 1741 as presented at this meeting granting a franchise to Liberty Utilities. Commissioner Weirauch seconded. Commissioner Montfort wanted to clarify that it was not going to cost the taxpayers anything and Mayor McPeek stated they would have to pay their gas bill. She also wanted to clarify that the amount of free gas for the City had been increased to 20,000 CCF and she was told that was correct. Commissioner Harper stated that before it was unlimited. Commissioner Montfort asked if the City had ever used more than 20,000 and Mayor McPeek stated not in the last four years. Commissioner Harper stated the years had been mild years. Commissioner Miller stated that maybe the Police would move and they would not get free gas. Commissioner Montfort pointed out that Liberty does not have to give the City any free gas but they were doing that as a courtesy because they were in town. By roll call vote, Commissioners Montfort and Weirauch and Mayor McPeek voted yes. Commissioners Miller and Harper voted no. Motion carried.
Jim Brown of Brown & Roberts wanted to update Council on two projects. The pump discharge pipes have been videoed and the Corp has verbally accepted the video. The scaffolding has been removed. He stated the pipes and the interiors are supposed to have a bituminous coating which the Corp may request be done. Commissioner Montfort asked about that cost and Brown stated it would have to be bid. The procedure would require actually going inside the pipes.
Brown stated the toe drain analysis was proceeding with Holcomb having done the drill samples which are in the lab. Hopefully, after Patrick does the modeling, the drains can be abandoned. He will report back when the report is received.
Mayor McPeek stated Attorney Todd Bittle did not need to go into Executive Session for Pending Litigation and moved to dismiss the lawsuit against Saline Valley Water Conservancy District. Commissioner Harper seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Keith Moran from Moran Economic Development stated the original TIF for the City had been retired two years ago but there was still work to be done in that area. By closing that TIF, $700,000.00 had been released back on the tax rolls with the schools receiving $281,000.00. He named some of the good projects that had benefited from the TIF such as levee repairs, public infrastructure and sewer plant repairs.
The proposed TIF would be in the same approximate area and would be called the Veteran’s Drive TIF. The hotel project slated for that area could only happen with benefits of a TIF. Additional infrastructure improvements would be part of the proposed projects and businesses in that area could receive benefits for rehabs and renovations. The basic area is around Veterans Drive, Small Street and Ford/Leberman Roads; it encompasses Arrowhead Point Shopping Center and the sewer plant. Some residential area is included which makes it contiguous with the Downtown TIF so funds from the Downtown TIF can be used for startup costs to be reimbursed when the Veterans Drive TIF starts to receive funds.
Moran wanted the public to be assured that a TIF is not a tax increase, has nothing to do with imminent domain and is not forced annexation. He explained that it is a plan for redevelopment of an area that would not otherwise get developed. Development would generate additional real estate tax revenue.
Moran explained that for an area to be a TIF it has to qualify and referred to the list on page 14 of his handout. He noted there were 398 total parcels with 273 developed and 363 structures with 287 of them over 35 years old. He stated three qualifiers were needed in the Developed Land and the area had five – obsolescence, deterioration, inadequate utilities, lack of community planning and low EAV. In the Undeveloped Land, two qualifiers were needed and the area had four and the Stand Alone Factors had two qualifiers.
Commissioner Montfort asked how flooding and undermining impacted the TIF area. Moran explained the TIF was designed to help in this area for potential and future development. She asked specifically about undermining and Moran stated it basically involved filling in any mines.
Moran asked Council for a motion to proceed with the TIF plan. Commissioner Harper made that motion and Commissioner Montfort seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Moran stated the City was targeting the right area because it could use some stimulation and possibly incorporate the Façade Program like the Downtown TIF had initiated. He explained the Veterans Drive TIF would work with existing businesses to do improvements, get buildings filled, expand businesses, improve businesses, funds could be used to buy land and even recruit businesses. He explained the funds generated would be used to improve waste management, sewer lines, storm water basins, infrastructure, utilities, the sewer plant and general street improvements. The TIF will last 23 years and is contiguous to the current TIF. He noted there were a lot of corporate boundary issues with the County but he will work through those. He stated at the next meeting an ordinance would be passed for a Public Hearing on December 7 before Council Meeting and a Joint Review Board would conduct a meeting on November 8.
Moran asked Council for a motion to place the TIF Plan and Feasibility Study on file and to approve sending the TIF Plan and Feasibility Study to all affected taxing districts. Commissioner Harper made that motion and Commissioner Montfort seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Commissioner Miller stated that Leaf and Limb Pickup would begin October 16 and Fall Clean Up would begin October 7 and end October 14.
Commissioner Miller stated the St. Mary’s Drive project would tentatively begin October 16 and would allow only local traffic. Signs and blockades would be posted.
Mayor McPeek stated the City will continue to be aggressive in regards to clean up and deteriorated buildings.
Commissioner Montfort stated the new Fireman would graduate next Friday and was named in the top eight at the Academy which would allow him to participate in a leadership conference.
Commissioner Montfort stated the new Policeman has a few more weeks of training.
Mayor McPeek stated the testing of hydrants would begin soon.
Mayor McPeek noted the Air Evac Open House was tomorrow from 11:00 to 1:00.
Mayor McPeek stated that Bill Ghent had undergone surgery yesterday for eight and a half hours but was doing OK.
Citizen Jonathon Gericke asked what the hotel occupancy was now because he saw no need for another hotel or another TIF. Commissioner Montfort stated there was no bed tax that came to the City because it went to tourism. Gericke stated he thought the City should first establish zoning and a development plan. Mayor McPeek defended the TIF by saying it was needed for development and to not see the benefit of a TIF was “old school” thinking. He continued that the City benefited not only from its citizens but also from the other 15,000 people that came to town during the day. Gericke stated Moran’s report had stated the 76% of the current buildings in the proposed TIF were in need of repair and Gericke’s recommendation was to move them out of the area to higher ground that was not subject to chronic flooding.
Gericke asked about the Saline Valley issue and Mayor McPeek explained that the Liberty/Ledford contact that was passed at the last meeting resulted in the City dropping its lawsuit with Saline Valley.
Commissioner Harper moved to adjourn to Executive Session for Property Acquisition and Sale of Property. Commissioner Weirauch seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Adjourned: 6:35 pm.
Reconvened: 6:45 pm.
Mayor John McPeek presided over the reconvened meeting with Commissioners Natalie Miller, Beth Montfort, Richard Harper and Mike Weirauch answering roll call.
Mayor McPeek stated there was no action on Property Acquisition and Sale of Property.
Commissioner Weirauch moved to adjourn. Commissioner Montfort seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Adjourned: 6:46 pm.
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/3acc7b_aed8ac84752141e0b6d52159071f4b7e.pdf
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