City Council Meeting
City of Carmi
February 17th, 2015
The Carmi City Council met Tuesday, February 17th, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Room of the Municipal Building, 225 East Main Street, Carmi, Illinois.
Prior to opening the council meeting, Mayor Pollard asked Alderman Winkleman to give the invocation. The prayer was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mayor Pollard presided with the following Aldermen present: Steve Winkleman, Mark W. Blake, Kenny Carter, Keith Davis, Sheila Jo Headlee, Doug Hays, Jack Lamont and Mike Knight.
Minutes for the February 3rd, 2015 council meeting were presented. Motion made by Alderman Knight and seconded by Alderman Hays to approve the minutes as presented. The motion carried on roll call by each Alderman answering “yes.”
January 2015 Financial Reports were presented. Motion made by Alderman Headlee and seconded by Alderman Winkleman to approve the financial reports as presented. The motion carried on roll call by each Alderman answering “yes.”
February 2015 Vendor Invoices were presented. Motion made by Alderman Winkleman and seconded by Alderman Lamont to approve the vendor invoices as presented. The motion carried on roll call by each Alderman answering “yes.”
Mayor Pollard presented City CPA Keith Botsch to present the 2015 Budget and Appropriations Ordinance No. 1483 for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2015 and ending December 31, 2015. Motion made by Alderman Headlee and seconded by Alderman Winkleman to approve the 2015 budget as presented. The motion carried on roll call by each Alderman answering “yes.” A second motion made by Alderman Winkleman and seconded by Alderman Headlee to approve the Appropriation Ordinance No. 1483 as presented. The motion carried on roll call by each Alderman answering “yes.”
Mayor Pollard then presented Mrs. Angie Leuke with Relay for Life to address the council about the upcoming events. She stated that they are planning a 5K run on April 18th. The route has not been determined yet, but they are looking at using either the Reindeer Run 5K route or the PBIS 5K route. The Relay for Life will only be a six (6) hour event instead of an all-night event as in past years. This change will help with the complaints and hopefully get more people involved. It will be from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. on Friday, June 19th at the CWC high school football field. The Relay for Life was moved from Bradshaw Park to the football field two (2) years ago. They raised eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) over the last two (2) years in White County, which is better than most in the country.
Mayor Pollard asked the council to consider Resolution 02-17-15 for Authorization to Purchase approximately twenty (20) properties funded through The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program FEMA-DR-1960-IL (Carmi 2015 Flood Buy-out and Demolition). Motion was made by Alderman Lamont and seconded by Alderman Hays to approve the Resolution as presented. The motion carried on roll call by each Alderman answering “yes.”
Mayor Pollard then presented Mr. John Acree with Lamac Engineering to ask approval for funds on a loan application for the Blue Goose pump station and High Service pump station at the Water Plant. He stated that the Blue Goose pump station was built in the 1950’s. The city has a permit to build a new pump station and they applied for a grant that they did not receive. There has been discussion about getting an EPA loan for 2.21% interest, in order to do this there is a twenty five thousand dollar ($25,000) loan application fee that is non-returnable. He recommended that the city go ahead and repair the two (2) pump stations at the same time. Mr. Acree explained that there is a six (6) month lead time to repair the High Service pump station valve because it is not built properly. He stated that they will get a better price replacing both pump stations at the same time. These stations pump all of the water for the city of Carmi. The only major repair left to do would be the painting of the West Water Tower after the pump stations are replaced. This project can be paid over a twenty (20) year time period. Mayor Pollard said that these projects were supposed to be completed from the water bond money but was not used for these particular projects. He added that the Blue Goose could go down tomorrow and then the city would have to pay out of pocket to replace it. Mr. Acree added that the application needs to be turned in by the end of March 2015. He explained that this is a construction loan and that it does not close until the last dollar is used. Lamac Engineering does owe the city some money which would go against the twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000). He then asked the council for which direction they would like him to take. Alderman Winkleman wanted to remind the council that all of this borrowed money has to be paid back sometime in the future. Citizen Lance Yearby stated that the government has water pumps that are available for requisition that were used in Iraq and Afghanistan for housing projects. Motion made by Alderman Lamont and seconded by Alderman Blake to submit applications for both pump stations in the amount of twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000). The motion carried on roll call by each Alderman answering “yes.” Mr. Acree will be back on March 17th with the applications for the new pump stations.
Reports and/or updates from Mayor Pollard
Mayor Pollard wanted to thank all of the city employees for all of their hard work removing the snow and getting the roads opened in a timely fashion.
He said that Holly Healy with the Carmi Chamber of Commerce and himself are working on the Spring Fling at Burrell’s Woods.
Mayor Pollard then stated that he gave the alderman a copy of what the contracted mowing cost the city last year. He suggested that we bid this out sometime at the end of March or first of April as a four (4) year contract. He also gave them an updated list of the city trucks and the department that they are in.
Mayor Pollard gave an update on the First Street property. After the last meeting he spoke with the land owner the next morning to inform him of the council’s decision to table. He called back later that morning and after talking with his colleague’s, decided to pull his offer to sell the property. They have decided to utilize it for their own business needs. Mayor Pollard and Sandra Irvine were able to come across three (3) lots on First Street that the city was able to purchase from the tax sale for two thousand three hundred and ninety four dollars ($2,394). This should give the city enough room to eventually build a storage building to house a couple of Fire Trucks on that side of the tracks. Hopefully, the city will be able to build in the next couple of years.
Mayor Pollard made comment on the County Board Meeting. He heard the rumor that the county was thinking of closing the City-County Jail down like everyone else. He felt like it was his duty as the Mayor of Carmi that he attend the meeting to listen to the facts and report them to the citizens of Carmi. After many phone calls to my office he wants the public to understand that it is not his or the council’s decision to close the jail. The public needs to call the County Board Members to voice their opinions. He did say that if the county does decide to close the jail than the council will have to decide at that time what to do as a group. He hopes that there are other avenues to save money than to close the jail.
Reports from Standing Committees
Alderman Knight expressed condolences for Tracy Bergman’s loss of his father.
Alderman Hays discussed the county jail some more. He stated that he understands limiting loses of funds of the county. The jail lost three hundred and twenty nine thousand dollars ($329,000) last year. He said that the city lost half of that amount, which it budgeted for. The expected loses with the closing of the jail would be over a million dollars per year. He said that if the county does decide to close the jail then he will vote that the city pulls out as well because the city’s budget cannot handle that kind of hit. He followed that by saying if the county does not close the jail then he recommends that the city stays there as well. Alderman Hays then stated that the city would still have to provide dispatchers and equipment. The working relationship with the city and county departments is a great one and an asset. He then commented on the great job the city did on protecting the burned outbuilding at Jefferson school.
Alderman Lamont commented that the new salt spreaders are working well.
Business or Comments from Visitors
None
Motion was made by Alderman Headlee and seconded by Alderman Davis to go into closed session regarding litigation with no action to follow.
At 7:44 p.m. the council went into closed session.
Motion made by Alderman Headlee and seconded by Alderman Davis to return to open session and adjourn. The motion carried on roll call by each Alderman answering “yes.”
At 8:26 p.m. the council adjourned.
Brian K. Allen, City Clerk
Jeff Pollard, Mayor