Harrisburg City Council met March 1.
Here is the minutes provided by the Council:
Mayor John McPeek presided over the meeting with Commissioners Natalie Miller, Richard Harper and Mike Weirauch answering roll call. Commissioner Beth Montfort was absent.
Pastor Dan Masters from the First Church of God led the group in prayer and the pledge.
Commissioner Harper made a motion to approve the following items under the Consent Agenda:
1. Regular Meeting Minutes of February 15, 2018.
2. Bill from Brown & Roberts for 2017 bridge inspections in the amount of $510.25 approved on January 4, 2018 and approved now for MFT.
3. Bill from Pinoy Construction for demolition at 24 South Jackson in the amount of $9,564.20 to be taken out of TIF.
4. Harrisburg Lake:
Petition to Lease:
Chris Andreae - Second Addition, Block 2, Lot 14
Commissioner Miller seconded. By roll call vote, Commissioners Harper and Weirauch and Mayor McPeek voted yes. Commissioner Miller voted present. Motion carried.
Fire Chief John Gunning addressed Council regarding an insurance check that was being held on 20 West Walnut. He explained the procedure was to prevent owners from receiving insurance money for a claim, not cleaning up the damage and then leaving it for the City to clean up the property. He stated the owner of 20 West Walnut has done sufficient work for him to receive the check the City was holding. Commissioner Harper moved the insurance check for 20 West Walnut be released. Commissioner Miller seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Chief Gunning stated the McClure report on the old junior high was Phase II to collect samplings of asbestos, lead paint and other contaminants and report back. He stated Brownfield grants may be available to properly handle the disposal of the contaminants. He stated the cost was $11,688.00 which could be covered by TIF funds. Commissioner Harper moved to accept the Scope of Services from McClure for the ACM Survey at the old junior high and the cost to be paid out of TIF. Commissioner Weirauch seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Attorney Todd Bittle stated Commissioner Harper had pointed out to him that the bid opened and accepted at the last meeting needed 75% of the Council to accept and there had been only three present. Commissioner Harper moved to accept the bid from Aaron and Lara Shaw of $200.00 for 117 West Lincoln. Commissioner Miller seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Commissioner Harper moved to pass Ordinance 1754 an Ordinance Authorizing the Sale of Certain Surplus Real Estate Owned by the City of Harrisburg. Commissioner Miller seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Jim Brown of Brown & Roberts stated the City had been working on abandoning the toe drains at the levee following the levee seepage analysis by Patrick Engineering. He was presenting their final bill for the original project in the amount of $6,932.50. Neil Cash at the Corps had approved grouting the last five feet of the drains to abandon them. The cost for that additional analysis was $1,000.00 which was represented on Patrick’s Change Order. Commissioner Harper moved to pay the Patrick Engineering bill of $6,932.50. Commissioner Miller seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried. Commissioner Harper moved to authorize the Change Order for the additional $1,000.00. Commissioner Miller seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Attorney Bittle stated that IDOT wanted to purchase a strip of land on Rt. 34 by the levee/reservoir of Harrisburg Lake for bridge repair. The information in the packet showed the location. He stated he was not sure the City owned the property but IDOT has presented information which they believed showed that the City did own it. IDOT was asking for a Warranty Deed which legally promises that the City does own it. Attorney Bittle believed that, if the City did want to sell, it needed to be researched. Commissioner Weirauch stated he and Superintendent Rick Brown had looked at the strip of land this afternoon. He stated there was a problem with the County’s maps which the County had admitted were incorrect. He wanted to go ahead with the purchase. Commissioner Harper stated he didn’t think the City could sell something if they didn’t own it. Commissioner Weirauch suggested possibly tabling the request. Superintendent Brown stated that, if the City didn’t own that strip of land, then it didn’t own the lake levee either. Commissioner Weirauch stated he believed there were two choices: take the $400.00 for the sale or decline the price, in which case IDOT could claim imminent domain and the City would get nothing. Attorney Bittle pointed out that IDOT could not take the property without compensation. He stated the City has not done any title work and the property has no real value to the City, but does have value to IDOT. Commissioner Weirauch stated the City cannot spend $2,000.00 to prove the City owns the property to get $400.00 for it. Commissioner Weirauch moved to pass Resolution 18-0301 a Certified Resolution for a Governmental Entity to complete a land sale to Illinois Department of Transportation. Mayor McPeek seconded. By roll call vote, Commissioners Miller and Weirauch and Mayor McPeek voted yes, Commissioner Harper voted no. Motion carried.
Commissioner Weirauch moved to authorize the Mayor and himself to sign all the necessary paperwork to complete the transaction. By roll call vote, Commissioners Miller and Weirauch and Mayor McPeek voted yes, Commissioner Harper voted no. Motion carried.
Mayor McPeek stated the Dispatch agreement in the packet was for review. Commissioner Harper moved to accept the Intergovernmental Agreement with Saline County for Central Dispatch and authorize Mayor McPeek to sign the Agreement. Mayor McPeek stated he had some concerns, as did Police Chief David Morris. Commissioner Weirauch wanted to discuss the agreement. He read the dollar amounts for the three years of the agreement. He stated that 911 was great. He stated that Eldorado does their own dispatching but the other cities in the County did not pay anything into 911. He stated that 911 pays $120,000.00 and the County pays $110,000.00 but no one else pays. He did not think it was fair that Harrisburg be the lone supporter and rather than pay $180,000.00, the City should pay $90,000.00.
Mayor McPeek stated they had to answer all 911 calls. Commissioner Weirauch stated it was not Harrisburg’s responsibility to take care of the County. Mayor McPeek stated he was surprised by how much they wanted to charge Harrisburg which by 2020 would be $200,000.00. Commissioner Harper withdrew the motion. He stated there was finally a Council who would stand up to the difference. Commissioner Weirauch stated the citizens of Harrisburg put them in office to work for them and he wanted to work on this. He stated it wasn’t fair and the City should stand up for itself.
Commissioner Miller introduced Signe Hull Plumlee from the Harrisburg Class of 1980 who read the letter in the packet requesting a street currently unnamed to be named LCpl. D. Gay Drive in honor of a fallen classmate. The road is located off South Commercial that leads to Rollie Moore Drive as an entrance to Walmart. Commissioner Miller moved the request be granted. Commissioner Weirauch seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Commissioner Miller stated that a few of the City street lights have LED bulbs. She would like to authorize Jim Brown to inquire about possible programs for replacing all the lights with LED’s which would be brighter and more cost effective. Mayor McPeek stated he was aware that when Ameren replaces bulbs now, they are replaced with LED’s. Brown stated he was working on a similar project for Saline Valley Conservancy District and would also look at programs for the City. Commissioner Harper stated the City is currently spending about $6,700.00 a month on street lights.
Commissioner Miller announced the Spring Clean Up dates of April 2 through April 9 but not on Sunday. She read the information from the ad and the phone numbers to contact for more information.
Commissioner Harper stated there was a Lease Agreement in the packet for the space at the Detention Center. Mayor McPeek stated he had some concerns as did Chief Morris. Chief Morris stated that since the 1990’s, the Department has grown and outgrown the space at the Detention Center. He stated there was no privacy. Rather than renewing the lease, he suggested possible redoing City Hall where the old Fire Department had been. He stated the evidence room is so packed it is inaccessible, Officers have to share desks and rooms for personal interviews had to be shared with the County. Commissioner Miller stated she had had a design done previously. Commissioner Weirauch stated he and Superintendent Rick Brown had been talking with Commissioner Montfort and looking at the space downstairs which has more room than the Police Department has now. He stated the City is currently paying $36,000.00 a year for their space. He stated walls could be studded in to make rooms, electricity is already there and the City has carpenters who could do the construction work and make a professional Department as well as save a big expense. Chief Morris stated someone would always be at the door to help out if needed and not only would there be more room but everything they need to do could be done at City Hall. Citizen Elizabeth Woodworth asked about parking to which Commissioner Weirauch stated that at any one time, at most, there would be three squad cars. Chief Morris stated they are sometimes parking on the street now. He stated he had looked at other buildings in town and City Hall seemed the most feasible and it could be covered with TIF funds. Commissioner Harper stated, if there was money in the fund, it could be spent for City Hall. Commissioner Weirauch suggested that he and Superintendent Brown could bring some cost back to the next meeting. Commissioner Harper stated they had gone 11 months without a contract and the proposed contract has a 30 day cancellation clause for either party. Commissioner Weirauch stated he wanted to table the Agreement till next meeting because the City has an excellent Police Department and they deserve something to call their own.
Mayor McPeek thanked all the Water/Sewer and Street/Alley employees for all their hard work during the recent rains which was cleaning up and preventing flooding, other than some flash flooding.
Mayor McPeek stated he had seen the clean gates at the Sewer Plant before the rains and was astonished at the amount of debris that was collected after the rains. He stated it made him sad to see all the litter and asked everyone to please do what they can to prevent the litter.
Mayor McPeek referred to a recent new media post that claimed Saline County was the worst county to live in in Illinois. He stated that was simply now true. Harrisburg had great hospitals, great schools, SIC with their nursing program and theatre program and high schools that win awards.
Citizen Mike Bryant addressed Council about the same problem of Code violations next door to his parent’s house. He stated it was getting worse and wanted the City to enforce the laws.
Citizen Mark Hodge thanked the City for handling some erosion problems. He asked for an update on the Police hiring. Mayor McPeek stated that one Officer had been hired with another possibly in the next couple of months because there was one retiring in May.
Hodge asked what the $40,000.00 water study was to show - quality of water, where it comes from, cost of water or what. Commissioner Harper stated all of that and to see if there were any alternatives. Hodge asked if this study had been done before. Commissioner Harper stated it had been done by Jim Brown before the City went with Saline Valley at a cost of $60,000.00.
Hodge asked if there was a conduct policy for Council. Mayor McPeek stated the City did not have a conduct policy. Hodge asked if the Oath of Office covered anything like that. Mayor McPeek stated it did not. Hodge asked the Mayor what he expected of Council members. Mayor McPeek stated he expected them to be professional, to take care of the citizens of Harrisburg and be respectful.
Commissioner Harper moved to adjourn. Commissioner Weirauch seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Adjourned: 6:46 pm.
http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/3acc7b_6536c62d849846538dcfe6e7815052c6.pdf
Alerts Sign-up