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CITY OF VIRGINIA CITY COUNCIL – MINUTES OF REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011 The regular meeting was called to order at 7:30 by Mayor Sudbrink. Roll was called, with aldermen Petefish absent. Also in attendance were Tom Osmer, Randy McClure, Luke Thomas and Kevin Velten, Treasurer. Alderman Bell moved and alderman Danenberger seconded that the November minutes be approved. Motion carried unanimously. A written treasurer’s report was presented by treasurer Kevin Velten. Velten also presented the following transfer of funds: $30,500 MRTF to General fund; $670 Police DUI Equipment Savings to Police Fund; $6,000 Water Special Capital Improvement Fund to General Fund; $65,608.75 VRWS Savings to Alternate Bond & Interest Fund; $1,900 Water Special Capital Improvement Fund to Police Fund; $82.40 VRWS Savings to Water Fund. Alderman Kilby moved and alderman Clark seconded that the transfer of funds be approved. Motion carried unanimously. Alderman Bell then moved and alderman Clark seconded that all monthly bills presented. Motion carried unanimously. Guests: Alderman Clark presented the Certificates of Achievement to this month’s winners from the Virginia School District: Autumn Harris, Elementary; Chastity Bright (not present), Jr. High; Josh DaMotte, High School. Mayor Sudbrink then asked for input from any guests present. Mike Horney spoke about his purchase of the Reynolds South property to bring the City Council up to date on the business being constructed. In addition to the existing storage structures he is constructing a building to be used for his construction business parts and for additional storage units if the demand exists. He will have a total of 3 buildings on the property. He is asking for re-zoning of a portion of the property for parking of trailers and trucks associated with his construction business. He also committed to cleaning up the debris currently located on the property.
Monthly Reports: Public Works Director: Workers have repaired two water leaks, unplugged two sewers, replaced 2 water meters on 10" water line with pressure regulator valves, finished sewer connection for County Court House and installed a water tap for the Cagwin Cattle Services. Police Chief: Monthly Report: 7 Civil Disturbances; 1 Accident; 3 Traffic Arrests; 1 Ordinance Violation Arrest; 1 Letter on Garbage. Fire Chief: One false alarm was responded to. Board Reports: Zoning Approved two permits for porches and two permits for sheds. Zoning board met on Reynolds South property and approved rezoning as requested. Working on vacant homes/trailers to be demolished/removed or renovated for habitation. . Park: No report. Library: No report. Economic Development: No report Cemetery: No report Aldermanic Reports: Kilby: Questioned Police Chief Osmer on progress on break-ins in city. Chief Osmer responded that investigation is on-going. Danenberger: No report Clark: Commented that the ‘Christmas in Virginia’ event was a ‘home run’. Bell: Wished a Merry Christmas to all.
City Clerk Report: No report Mayor’s Report: Mayor Sudbrink reminded all the TIF ordinance had passed last month and that a TIF Development Committee needed to be appointed to develop rules and provide screening of applications. He recommended that the Economic Development Committee members, along with Kevin Velten, City Treasurer, be appointed to this committee. He then asked City Attorney, Luke Thomas, to draft an ordinance pertaining to such, for first reading at the January meeting. Mayor Sudbrink read an email from Kevin Hannel, Farnsworth Engineering, pertaining to a ‘Merit Award’ for Engineering Excellence from ICE. A presentation luncheon is scheduled for February 3, 2012 at the Marriott in Bloomington. All City officials are invited to attend and should notify Mayor Sudbrink of their intent. Mayor Sudbrink then mentioned the Open House ‘Meet and Greet’ event for the new OEDC Director, December 12, 2011, 5 to 7 pm at Dr Ugs in Virginia. Unfinished Business: 2nd Reading – Catering Liquor License Ordinance. Clark moved for approval and Danenberger seconded. Motion passed 3 to 2, with Bell and Kilby voting no and Mayor Sudbrink casting the tie-breaking vote. 2nd Reading – Tax Levy Ordinance. Danenberger moved for approval and Bell seconded. Motion passed unanimously. New Business: Resolution Abating 2011 Bond Tax Levy. Bell moved for approval and Danenberger seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 2012 Meeting Dates. Clark moved for approval and Bell seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 1st Reading Ameren Electric Franchise Ordinance. Danenberger moved for approval and Clark seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 1st Reading Ameren Gas Franchise Ordinance. Clark moved for approval and Danenberger seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 1st Reading Rezoning Ordinance (Reynolds South). Zoning officer, Mike Finn, gave a report on the Zoning Board meeting. Zoning Board vote was 3 in approval with one ‘present’. Don Reynolds abstained from voting. Bell moved for approval and Kilby seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 1st Reading Virginia School District TIF Ordinance. Matt Werner, School Board President, explained the school’s request for reimbursement for TIF funds relating to current building bond issue. Kevin Velten, City Treasurer, explained the impact to expected TIF funding. Danenberger moved for approval and Clark seconded. Motion passed 3 to 1, with Kilby voting no. The Council then went in to Executive Session. Council reconvened after Executive Session. Roll call was taken with Bell, Clark, Danenberger and Kilby in attendance and Petefish absent. A motion was made by Danenberger and seconded by Clark to approve incentive bonuses to city employees equal to the amount approved last year. Motion passed unanimously.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. _________________________ _____________________________ Steve Sudbrink, Mayor Kevin Velten, Treasurer |
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- - City of Virginia Minutes of Regular Meeting November 14, 2011 Mayor Steve Sudbrink opened the regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. with roll call. All aldermen answered present. The minutes of the October meeting were presented. Danenberger moved and Clark seconded that the minutes be approved as presented. Motion carried unanimously. The written treasurer’s report was presented by Kevin Velten. He remarked that there was nothing notable for year to date, and is in the process of working out some issues on the report for the water treatment plant. He will have a YTD report ready in January for the February meeting with the other entities involved. Also reported that the audit is complete with no remarkable findings. Velten also gave the following transfer of funds: General Fund to Police Fund $300, MRTF to Police Fund $2400, MRTF to General Fund $12,000, VRWS savings to VRWS Operating Fund $41,728.90. Clark moved and Danenberger seconded the transfers be approved. Motion carried unanimously. Monthly bills were presented. With no discussion, Bell moved and Petefish seconded to approve the bills as presented. Motion carried unanimously. The WTP Manager’s report is no longer needed and will be removed from future agendas. Guests were called upon. Brad Liegel of Energy Alliances gave a short presentation on a plan for the City. He has reviewed all the utility charges for the City and offered a contract to the City with lower electric rates. Energy Alliances is the seller of the electricity, with Ameren continuing to bill the charges monthly. The council will discuss the proposed contract in executive session. Susan Young made a request that the city waive the two reading requirement on the proposed Catering Liquor License Ordinance that is to be discussed under Unfinished Business. There were no students present for student of the month presentations. Monthly Reports Public Works: Randy reported that there was a 6 in. water main break that they have repaired/replaced; the company inspects for water line leaks has completed their inspection and found no unknown leaks; 8 dumpsters were used for city wide cleanup. Police Chief: Osmer reported that in the month of October, there were 6 civil disturbance calls, 8 traffic arrests, 2 criminal arrests, 2 ordinance violations, 1 house burglary, 2 thefts and 2 criminal damage to property incidents. Fire Chief: The FD responded to 3 calls. Board Reports Zoning (Finn): Issued 2 permits for a mobile home and a fence, a permit for construction on the vacant lot on the square now owned by Petefish, Skiles & Co. Bank, issued letters on property cleanup, and reported that the board of appeals meeting has been rescheduled to 11/21/11. Finn also advised that at present there is no application for home business. He is working on an application.
Park (Chad Winters): The park is requesting funds for a handicap lift for the swimming pool, due to their need to comply with current ADA requirements. The cost for a lift is approximately $4100. They are also requesting fund for a motor for the pool pump at a cost of approximately $2000. No allocated maintenance funds have been used this year to date, so the $1500 allocated for that is still available. Kilby inquired about the loss of revenue from the concession stand. Winters said the park board has discussed the issue and they will be working to streamline the process. Winters also reported that the park is planning a couple of fundraisers to help offset some of the expenses, but additional funds will still be needed. After some discussion, Bell moved and Clark seconded that the allocated maintenance funds of $1500 be released and $4100 be added to the FY 12 budget for the purchase of a lift. The motion carried 3-2 with Petefish and Kilby voting no. Library (Clark): Board met 10/18/11. The library now has access and has been trained on legal aid forms; the board has adopted a policy handbook and will meet again 11/15/11. Economic Development (Winters): The County ED committee has taken applications for director and will be hiring soon. Cemetery (Petefish): Nothing to report from last month. Meeting scheduled for 11/15/11. Attorney’s Report: Made one change to the parking ordinance under Unfinished Business. Aldermanic Reports Kilby: 1. Voiced a concern regarding the safety of a freezer in front yard on property at Washington & Main St. Tom Osmer will address the issue with the property owner. 2. Inquired as to whether or not the county has been notified that he is the new city representative on the animal control board. 3. Reported that the Halloween open house at the fire department was a success. 4. Noted that as of the most current census figures from 2010, the current population of Virginia is 1611. Danenberger: No report. Clark: Thanked the Christian Women’s Fellowship group for their Veteran’s Day breakfast. The women reported that there were 114 in attendance. Bell: No report. Petefish: Clerk’s Report: No report. Mayor’s Report: No report. Unfinished Business A. 1st Reading Catering Liquor License Ordinance. The request for waiving the two reading requirement was brought up by the Mayor. The request failed for lack of a motion. Clark moved and Danenberger seconded that the 1st reading be approved as presented. The motion carried 3-2, with Bell and Kilby voting no.
B. TIF 2nd Reading Ordinance Approving Virginia TIF #1 Redevelopment Plan and Redevelopment Project. Clark moved and Bell seconded that the 2nd reading of the ordinance be approved as presented. Motion carried 4-1, with Kilby voting no. C. TIF 2nd Reading Ordinance Designing the Virginia TIF #1 Project Area. Clark moved and Petefish seconded that the 2nd reading of the ordinance be approved as presented. Motion carried 4-1, with Kilby voting no. D. TIF 2nd Reading Ordinance Adopting Tax Increment Financing. Clark moved and Petefish seconded that the 2nd reading of ordinance be approved as presented. Motion carried 4-1, with Kilby voting no. E. Storm Siren-Radio Control. The options on triggering the storm siren via the 911 office were discussed. The two options – via the current phone line or by radio control – were and have been explored and discussed. On a motion by Kilby and a second by Petefish, the council voted unanimously to proceed with the option for radio control at a cost of $2322. F. 1st Reading Main Street No Parking Ordinance. The language on the proposed ordinance was revised just to specify the exact location involved, and to include making the last space a handicap space.. Kilby moved and Clark seconded that the two reading requirement for ordinances be waived for this ordinance. Motion carried 3-2, with Danenberger and Petefish voting no. Danenberger then moved and Kilby seconded that the ordinance, with corrected wording, be approved. Motion carried unanimously. G. 1st Reading TIF Ordinance-School. This item was removed from the agenda. H. Police Radios. The police committee met with the 911 committee and worked out current communication issues. The expense for new digital radios will be worked into next year’s budget if possible. Osmer will explore grant funding to assist with the cost. I. Intergovernmental Agreement. The proposed agreement between the county and the city regarding the new city utility lines for the courthouse. Kilby moved and Clark seconded that the 2 reading requirement for ordinances be waived. The motion carried 3-2, with Danenberger and Petefish voting no. Clark then moved and Kilby seconded that the agreement with the requested changes, be approved. Motion carried unanimously. Kilby then moved and Clark seconded that the accompanying ordinance required for the agreement be approved as presented. Motion carried unanimously. J. (added) Maintenance Contract vs new Copier. The current copier/printer is due for it’s annual maintenance contract renewal. The machine is older, and maintenance costs have increased. The cost of the contract versus purchasing a new copier/printer were discussed. A motion was made by Bell and seconded by Clark to purchase a new copier/printer at a cost of $3865.80. The motion carried unanimously.
New Business A. 1st Reading Tax Levy Ordinance. Velten advised that the 2011 levy ordinance is the same dollar total as the 2010 levy, but that some levy amounts have been reallocated to be more in line with the actual line items. Bell moved and Danenberger seconded that the 1st reading of the ordinance be approved. Motion carried unanimously.
The meeting was adjourned on a unanimous voice vote into executive session at 9:15 p.m. to discuss litigation and contracts. The council reconvened at 9:50 p.m in open session. Roll was called with all aldermen present. Motion was made by Bell and seconded by Kilby to enter into a 2 yr contract with Energy Alliances. Motion carried unanimously. With no further action taken, the meeting was adjourned.
_____________________________________________ ___________________________________ Steve Sudbrink, Mayor Sarah Fanning, Clerk
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Virginia City Council Minutes of Regular Meeting October 10, 2011
The regular meeting of the Virginia City Council was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Mayor Steve Sudbrink. Roll was called with all aldermen answering present. The minutes of the September 12th regular meeting and September 26th special meeting were presented. Danenberger moved and Clark seconded to approve the minutes as presented. The motion carried unanimously. Kevin Velten gave the treasurer’s report, and told the council that the water project report is now functional and accurate, the audit was received on 10/7 and will be reviewed for the November meeting, but it did indicate no deficiencies were found. Velten also gave the following transfer of funds: General Fund to Police Fund $3500, Police vehicle savings to Police equipment savings $12.40, MRTF to Police Fund $2300 and Payroll Fund to General Fund $4522.40. Kilby moved and Petefish seconded to approve the transfers. Motion carried unanimously. Monthly bills were presented. With no discussion, Clark moved and Kilby seconded that the bills be paid as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Phil Houser gave the WTP manager’s report. There was no paper work or payment requests. When all work is completed to specs, which will be soon, completed paperwork will be submitted to the IEPA so that the regional manager can inspect the project. When inspection is complete, the grant will be closed out which will trigger the start of the loan repayment. Students of the month were presented by Steve Clark. Elementary: Billie Grace Wooldridge, daughter of Bill and Deana Wooldridge; Jr. High: Kylie Tate, daughter of Joe and Jodie Tate; High School: Amber Bencher, daughter of Beverly Bencher. Guests were called upon. Susan Young inquired about her permit application. Sudbrink responded that it will be discussed under unfinished business. Carolyn Defenbaugh inquired about the police tape surrounding the house on Cass St. 1 block south of Beardstown. Mike Finn responded that the tape was up because the building is unsecured as it is in process of being demolished. Janet Bell inquired about the water main leak on E. Beardstown St. in front of Kevin Dennie’s property. Sudbrink responded that Randy is aware of the problem and JULIE has been called to locate the underground utilities. The problem will be fixed as soon as they can get to it. Matt Werner, representing Virginia School Board, introduced Travis Davis, the JR/SR High Principal at Virginia.
Monthly Reports: Public Works: (McClure) Randy was unable to attend the meeting, as he was completing the water main repair to Rt. 78 at the Cenex station. The Mayor also reported that the guard rail on Rt. 78 at the health department is scheduled to be installed. Police Chief: (Osmer) Handled 14 civil disturbances, 4 traffic arrests, 3 criminal arrests, and 3 accidents. Fire Chief: (Reynolds) Handled 1 fire call, 1 mutual aid to Ashland and took the rescue vehicle to an accident. Board Reports: Zoning: (Finn) Issued 2 construction permits; and reported that the scheduled Board of Appeals meeting only 4 members were in attendance, so one case was postponed. One property, owned by Andy Desollar, was approved for rezoning to parts sales (no service) at his residence on Grant St; also reported that all council members will be receiving a summons from Leon Henderson, and that Luke will respond for all parties. Park: (Winter) No report Library (Clark): Halloween party will be held 10/29/11; Cayla Boensel has resigned from the library board due to relocating, and the book club is still meeting the 4th Monday of the month. Economic Development: (Clark) Meeting to be held in November. Cemetery: (Petefish) Regular meeting to be held in November.
Attorney’s Report: (Thomas) None
Aldermanic Reports: Kilby: Reported that the Fire Department will host Halloween for kids on 10/31/11 from 5-8 p.m.; Inquired about the Finance committee and the fact that it has 2 members and no chairman. The mayor promptly appointed Kilby as chairman of the committee, as well as chair of the Dog Catcher committee; and advised that he (the Mayor) will sit in on finance committee meetings in the absence of the 3rd member. Kilby also acknowledged Tom Osmer’s professional handling of the recent fatal accident on Rt. 125; also inquired about the loss of revenue on the concession stand at the park for this past year and would like the park board president to attend a meeting to discuss the situation. Sudbrink will ask for a board representative at an upcoming meeting. Danenberger: Inquired as to the ‘no parking’ ordinance for south main; Luke will have the ordinance prepared at the November meeting. Clark: Reported that the 911 office is upgrading their systems and the options were for triggering the weather siren via either radio or phone line. He was asked to investigate the cost for the phone line and add the issue to the November agenda for further discussion. Bell: No report Petefish: Will discuss police committee request for new police radios under new business.
Clerks’s Report: No report
Mayor’s Comments: Had a request from Energy Alliance to provide the city with a quote for lowering electric utility bills. He will ask the representative to come to the November meeting.
Unfinished Business A. Catering Liquor License. Luke advised that he had done some research and that all sales tax revenue generated by the issuance of this license will revert back to the city. Petefish moved and Clark seconded that a catering liquor license be created for Susan Young, Dr. Ugs, for the period 7/1/11-6/30/12. Motion carried with Petefish, Clark and Danenberger voting yes and B ell and Kilby voting no.
New Business A. TIF 1st Reading of Ordinance Approving Virginia TIF #1 Redevelopment Plan and Project. There was much discussion regarding the development of a TIF district. Alderman Kilby had many concerns and reasons to oppose the proposed district. Clark moved and Bell seconded that the proposed plan and project be approved. Motion carried with 4-1, with Kilby voting no. B. TIF 1st Reading of Ordinance Designing the Virginia TIF #1 Redevelopment Project Area. Danenberger moved and Clark seconded that the ordinance be approved as presented. Motion carried 4-1, with Kilby voting no. C. TIF 1st Reading Ordinance Adopting Tax Increment Financing. There was a great deal of discussion here too, with Steve Clark reporting that he met with Kevin Velten, Matt Werner, School Board President, and Travis Davis, Principal regarding the impact the TIF ordinance will have on the school district. Werner presented the board with a handout showing the dollar amount of impact on the school district by adopting TIF. The school is asking that the TIF district contribute the amount of the bond levy applied to the increment amount each year. A motion was made by Petefish and seconded by Clark to adopt the tax increment financing. The motion carried 4-1, with Kilby voting no. Following the vote to adopt TIF, Luke was directed to draft an ordinance for the November meeting that would accommodate the request by the school district.
D. Police Radios The county sheriff’s department has converted to digital radios, which makes chief Osmer unable to communicate with them via direct radio since he has no digital equipment. He has obtained an estimate for the cost of obtaining digital equipment. The council would like the finance and police committee to meeting with Chris Ginder and the county 911 coordinator, as well as the Sheriff to make sure that any equipment purchased now will continue to be compatible with their equipment for a number of year. Funds have not been appropriated for this purchase, however according to the treasurer, there is money available in the vehicle fund, although it is not entirely enough to cover the bid amount. More discussion will be held after the committees meet.
The meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m. into executive session to discuss litigation and contracts. The meeting reconvened in open session at 9:25 p.m. Roll was called and all aldermen answered present.
No action was taken and the meeting was adjourned.
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ Steve Sudbrink, Mayor Sarah Fanning, Clerk
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Minutes of all months viewable at City Hall |
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