Harrisburg City Council met May 3.
Here is the minutes provided by the Council:
Mayor John McPeek presided over the meeting with Commissioners Beth Montfort, Natalie Miller, Richard Harper and Mike Weirauch answering roll call.
Minister of Music Chris Wilson from the McKinley Avenue Baptist Church 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 April 19, 2018.
2. Adjourned Meeting Minutes of April 30, 2018.
3. Bill from Brown & Roberts for St. Mary’s Drive C & I in the amount of $9,704.61 to be taken out of MFT.
4. Bill from E. T. Simonds for St. Mary Drive in the amount of $162,195.82 to be taken out of MFT.
5. Bill from Siegels Uniforms for Leverett equipment in the amount of $100.99 to be taken out of Council Contingency.
6. Harrisburg Lake:
Request to Relinquish:
Terry and Barbara Littell - First Addition, Block 1, Lot 14
Petition to Lease:
Cassandra Fitzpatrick - Southeast Addition, Lot 2
Lease Renewal:
Reita Carrett - Southeast Addition, Lot 7
James and Misty Biggs - Second Addition, Block 2, Lot 4
Commissioner Miller seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Attorney Bittle stated the 30 acre Hart property at one time had an option to purchase for an impoundment area. That option has expired but the project is still being considered. The option needs to be extended or renewed. Jim Brown of Brown & Roberts stated he had had conversation with Bob Keiscoms who manages the property but requests for the option would need to go through the Hart’s attorney Sam Beggs. Attorney Bittle asked to clarify that the project would have to be done by June of 2019 to received funding and Brown verified that. Commissioner Harper moved to authorize Attorney Bittle to seek an extended option with Attorney Sam Beggs. Commissioner Weirauch seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Jim Brown stated the IEPA forms in the packet were to verify that all the bills for the IEPA funded projects have been paid and the City will operate and maintain them properly. Commissioner Harper moved to authorize the Mayor to sign the Dorrisville Watermain Rehabilitation certifications. Commissioner Miller seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Commissioner Harper moved to authorize the Mayor to sign the Garden Heights Sanitary Sewers certifications. Commissioner Miller seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Commissioner Harper presented a spreadsheet to illustrate the declining or stagnant revenue for the last five years. (Attached) The revenues from Sales Tax, Personal Property Replacement Tax, Telecommunication Tax, State Income Tax, Corporate Tax Levy, and Video Game License/Tax were presented for FYs 2013/2014 through 2016/2017. He reviewed the figures with Council and compared the last two years to point out the two accelerated Income Tax payments that were received in FY 2017/2018. He stated, when those two payments, totally $126,428.00, were subtracted from the year, the actual revenue from the above line items was a deficit of $1,317.00 for the year. He also pointed out that the Video Gaming revenue was maxed out based on the monthly receipts for the last year. He stated the State will charge 10% for the collection of PPRT. He explained that was supposed to have been a onetime charge but it will also be charged this year.
Commissioner Harper stated the revenues have flattened out and the City cannot anticipate more revenues. He stated the expenditures are getting larger, the cost of doing business is larger and labor cost is increasing. He stated somewhere along the line adjustments will have to be made.
Citizen Terry Maynard addressed Council regarding an article in the Southern Illinoisan about the city of Harvey, Illinois and their financial problems with regard to pension funding. He challenged Council to quit kicking the can down the road and solve the financial problem now. He stated there was no income growth but there was spending growth and everybody had to cooperate. Commissioner Harper agreed that it was a spending problem and the City had to cut expenses to make the money go farther.
Mayor McPeek stated the shopping center agreement for police patrol in the packet was just a revision because of a new owner. Commissioner Harper moved the City enter into the Agreement for Police Patrol of Arrowhead Point Shopping Center. Commissioner Weirauch seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Mayor McPeek stated Council would be hiring summer help at the next meeting and applications could be picked up at the City Clerk’s office.
Commissioner Montfort stated that Chief Morris is doing additional training and some Officers had not received training since 2012.
Commissioner Montfort stated she had vehicle purchase on the Agenda because Chief Morris had turned back in $63,000.00 and Chief Gunning had turned back in $120,000.00 from the old budget. She stated the Officers can’t do their job without cars and moved to purchase two Police vehicles at a State bid. Commissioner Weirauch seconded. Commissioner Harper stated the money is not there and they do not “turn in” money; it was in a budget and not actual money. Commissioner Montfort stated with the new budget she was told there is $180,000.00 in a line item for vehicles. Commissioner Harper explained that in that line item there was not was money for a Police car. He continued that the money was for Public Property, the Legacy software, a fire truck. Commissioner Montfort restated there was $120,000.00 turned in. Commissioner Harper asked when he turned it in and Commissioner Montfort stated it was done when the line item transfers were done. Treasurer Linda George stated the money was moved to cover the large health insurance plan expense. Commissioner Montfort stated she understood that but now there was a new budget with $180,000.00 for vehicles in a line item. Treasurer George corrected her that the line item was $130,000.00. Commissioner Montfort asked then if she could get one vehicle. Clerk Wofford reminded Council there was a motion and a second on the floor. Mayor McPeek asked for a roll call. Commissioners Miller, Montfort and Weirauch and Mayor McPeek voted yes. Commissioner Harper voted no. Motion carried.
Commissioner Montfort stated Council had discussed this situation at the last meeting and gave some areas where she thought money had been saved. She moved to have all the Superintendent to make the same salary. Mayor McPeek stated he did not know what she was asking for and to name a figure. Commissioner Harper moved to freeze the salaries of all the Superintendents. Mayor McPeek stated again Commissioner Montfort needed to name an amount. Commissioner Montfort stated that the three Superintendents would make the same amount as the highest Superintendent. Commissioner Montfort stated she understood that all Superintendents used to all make the same. Her statement was challenged by Mayor McPeek and Commissioner Harper. She repeated that her motion was for all four Superintendents to make the same. Commissioner Harper asked what criteria she was using to bring all of them equal. Mayor McPeek stated she was asking to spend $10,000.00. Treasurer George stated they were all in the 70’s. Commissioner Harper asked if there were any Superintendents dissatisfied with the amount of money they were making. He stated they were making 70 some thousand dollars, health insurance, benefits.
Chief Morris stated he was the only one present that could speak and reminded Council that Superintendent Rick Brown had been promised a raise. Mayor McPeek asked who had made that promise. Chief Morris stated the Harrisburg City Council had made that promise when Brown took over Public Property. He stated he understood that Superintendent Hefner had the Water/Sewer but thought they should all be treated the same. He also stated that past Superintendent had made the same based on conversations he had with previous employees. He stated that it was only fair that supervisors who control a budget and numerous employees should make the same. Commissioner Harper stated that then everyone in 318 should make the same; pick the highest salary and make them all that figure. Chief Morris stated they each had different number of years. Commissioner Harper stated he had supervisor salaries back to 1996 which showed they did not all make the same. He wanted to know why now it was an issue. He stated if Council make all the supervisors the same salaries, they would spend more money in three people’s salaries than was offered to 318, Police and Fire combined. Commissioner Weirauch stated they should add all four salaries and divide by four. Commissioner Harper asked if he thought some of the Superintendents should be cut. Commissioner Weirauch stated he thought everybody should be paid equal and reminded Commissioner Harper that he had asked for a way to come up with a salary.
Mayor McPeek stated that these Superintendents make between $70,000.00 and $75,000.00 a year in the City of Harrisburg, Illinois. Commissioner Harper added with their insurance, retirement and benefits. Mayor McPeek stated they drive vehicles home. He asked what better job is there. He stated people would die for those jobs in Harrisburg. He stated that, if they thought they should be making $80,000.00 and they were qualified, then they should go find that job.
Commissioner Montfort stated Mayor McPeek had asked her two weeks ago to bring it up again. Mayor McPeek stated he had asked her to go to the Treasurer’s office and talk with her about it. Commissioner Montfort stated she had made a motion and referred again to money that was “left over” from the budget. Commissioner Harper reminded her that she did not have money “left over”. Both motions (all Superintendents make the same and all Superintendent’s salaries be frozen) died for lack of seconds.
Commissioner Montfort stated that, when Officer Johnson leaves she would be asking the Merit Board for the next person on the list. Commissioner Harper stated another Police Officer was not in the budget. He stated that, when one Officer retires, he will make the motion to replace him but Officer Johnson has not turned in a resignation.
Commissioner Harper stated he did not need Executive Session.
Commissioner Weirauch stated the Legacy software program for the cemetery has been ordered. He stated it would update the computer at the cemetery and it would be a good thing.
Mayor McPeek stated there is a problem at the old Round House with people who were not citizens dumping out there. He stated they would put a new lock on the gate to put a stop to it. He stated people were also driving down the bike path and that must stop.
Mayor McPeek stated the littering in Harrisburg was the worst he had ever seen. He was asking the Police to write tickets for littering.
Jim Brown asked to address Council regarding a truck with an open bed he had seen in the Dorrisville area picking up garbage and with bags falling off the truck. He asked Council to consider not allowing open bed trucks for hauling garbage.
Citizen Danny Gibbs informed Council there was nothing illegal about hauling trash in an open truck as long as it was tarped according to IEPA guidelines and DOT regulations which call for two straps on anything that was being hauled. He stated the City just had to enforce what was already in place.
Commissioner Harper moved to adjourn. Commissioner Weirauch seconded. By roll call vote, all voted yes. Motion carried.
Adjourned: 6:48 pm.
http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/3acc7b_22d333b6081b4a5fb19d2929c28cd253.pdf
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