Lincoln, Illinois

City Council Committee's Meeting

January 25, 2011

Minutes of the City of Lincoln City Council Committees' Meeting held in the Council Chambers

on Tuesday, January 25, 2011.

Those present were Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Busby, Alderman

Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, and Alderman Wilmert.

Also present were Police Chief Greenslate, City Engineer Mr. Mathon, Fire Chief Miller, Street

Superintendent Mr. Jackson, Safety and Building Officer Mr. Lebegue, and EMC Manager Mr.

Tackett. Also present were Mayor Snyder, City Clerk Mrs. Martinek, City Attorney Mr. Bates,

City Treasurer Mr. Conzo, and Recording Secretary Mrs. Riggs.

Mayor Snyder called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. There were eight Aldermen present

(Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Busby, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman

Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, and Alderman Wilmert) and two absent

(Alderman Bacon and Alderman Tibbs).

Everyone present recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Rebecca Van Nydeggen, Director of Salvation Army was present and spoke for the banning of

the video gambling.

The Mayor asked for the Committees' Issues to be Presented:

Finance, Policy and Procedure:

Chairman Alderman Anderson said she did not have a report.

Fire/Water & ESDA:

Chairman Alderman Horn said she did not have a report.

Sewer Treatment Plant, Sewers and Drainage:

Chairman Alderman Busby said he got an email from City Attorney Mr. Bates. He asked for that

to be explained a little bit, please with regard to American Water.

Mayor Snyder said he could fill the Council in. They had gone back to Illinois American Water

with regards to the negligence issue and we had pointed out to them that we found (Alderman

Busby) had found the contract from Streator which dealt with negligence in the way that we

wanted it to be dealt with so we sent that contract to American Water and asked for their

response. Their response back to us was that the contract with Streator was entered into 5 years

ago and was a different structure within the corporation at that time. They proposed back to us

some language to take the place of gross negligence and it was his opinion and our City Attorney

Mr. Bates read it and he believed it was his as well that that language was broader in favor of

American Water than the original language was. It asked us to cover more to indemnify them for

a greater degree than the original language.

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City Council Committee's Meeting

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Mayor Snyder said that is when Mr. Bates suggested back to propose to American Water that

we insert into the contract language that is found in the statute that deals with municipalities

contracting with utilities to shut off water for the payment of debts basically.

Mr. Bates said that was an excellent summation. The statutory language that is in the law that

provides that city's can contract with other municipalities or private companies to shut off water

for delinquent sewer bills does state in the last sentence a municipality shall indemnify the

privately owned public utility, public or municipal corporation or political subdivision of the

state for any judgment in related attorney's fees resulting from any action based on any provision

of this paragraph. He suggested to Mayor Snyder and he then passed on to the water company

why don't we just use the language that is in the statute and that is where it is right now. They

have not responded to Mayor Snyder to his knowledge.

Police:

Chairman Alderman Hoinacki said he did not have a report.

Downtown parking

Mayor Snyder said recently Mr. Mathon had put together a map for us of the downtown parking

regulations and where the two hour and overnight parking and also the boundaries for the

downtown district. He didn't know if the Council wanted to address that this evening.

Alderman Neitzel said she didn't see the need for the two hour parking over by New Beginnings

on Pulaski and Sangamon. Mayor Snyder said the two hour parking starts at Sangamon and

Pekin and runs all the way down to Sangamon and Clinton. Alderman Neitzel said it was the

North side of Pulaski going toward Logan.

Alderman Anderson said she didn't know why they needed any on that side of the tracks.

All of Sangamon Street and the whole block of Broadway, half a block on the North side of

Pulaski, both sides of Clinton are all two hour parking. She didn't know why they needed to be

addressing anything on that side of the track. She said that brings you to Chicago Street and did

any of that need to be 2 hour. They had talked about off the courthouse and there may be some

exceptions to that. She knew that Attorney Bates said he hated to see the two hour parking go

from in front of his business there on Clinton. They are going to have issues regardless of where

they have it or don't have it with regards to volunteers and the Oasis and she thought some of

those things would have to be addressed. She thought they needed to make this decision first

before they start addressing it realistically.

Alderman Hoinacki said he could see doing away with maybe on Clinton Street all the way

towards Logan real close to the five points. He thought that whole block there he couldn’t see

the two hour parking there.

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City Council Committee's Meeting

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Alderman Hoinacki said also, on Chicago Street between Decatur and Clinton didn’t see the

need for parking there.

Alderman O’Donohue said he was not agreeing or disagreeing but he wanted to see them tell the

reasons why this area is/is not two hour. If we are going to do it can we have a reason for doing

it that applies rather than just picking here or there? He could think of one of the merchants that

was mentioned here that might enjoy having the two hour parking. He wasn’t saying that he was

disagreeing.

Alderman Wilmert said to dovetail that why don’t we eliminate all of this and then put back what

we deem necessary. Justify your reasoning why you are doing it versus cherry picking. Get

feedback.

Alderman O’Donohue asked about the 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. parking downtown that was

different than the others which is right in front of City Hall as long as you are not there for more

than two hours.

Mr. Mathon said that was one of two or three areas that signage doesn’t agree with the

ordinance. He said there is a block down between Logan and Sangamon on Pulaski, the south

side of the street alongside Logan County Bank and New Beginnings and it is signed right now

for no 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. parking but is not in the ordinance at this point.

Alderman O’Donohue asked where the issues are at.

Parking volunteer Andy Anderson said when they first started doing it; it was still an issue

around the courthouse. He could count 15 cars at least that he knew they would come out of

work obviously and move their cars because it would be in a different place two hours later. He

thought just in the past few days since the Police Chief had addressed them that it must have

made a difference. A lot of those same cars aren’t there and he had just noticed it this week. To

him they needed to create a place to park other than what we have. He was telling Mayor Snyder

that David Lanterman owns it the Simonson’s. He has looked at that the last two days and it is

almost made for a parking lot right now. He apologized to Mr. Bates that would it would come

in towards Mr. Bates’ office running all the way to the alley there is tons of parking down there.

No one parks behind the old Courier building. If we want to get them off the square which is our

goal for the businesses we need to give them someplace to park besides of the parks and parking

lots. With just two of them doing it from the time he starts chalking tires to the time he’s done

it takes him half hour. They can’t go any further out than they are or they are going to have to

come up with more volunteers. It is a lot to ask of the volunteers to do twice a day. He thought

if they could find another place for them to park that would be one less gripe that they would

have. He said there is a gentleman who owns a business on Pulaski Street who has an internet

café they are running off their business because sometimes people spend two to three hours in

there.

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Mr. Anderson said the Oasis is an issue also. Mr. Bates said Shay lot is never full. Mr.

Anderson it is pretty full and today there was only one spot left when he was there.

Alderman Anderson said if we get the cars off that are taking spots from those businesses and if

we get them out of there those parking lots will be full. She mentioned to Mr. Anderson today

that she noticed that some of the cars that she always see around the square were not parked over

at the park on Clinton but that lot was full today.

Mayor Snyder said he has heard from a lot of businesses that they are appreciative because it

has helped their business. Mr. Anderson said if the could just create more parking he thought it

would ease it.

Police Chief Greenslate said he was going to be reviewing the ordinance signage conflicts to

make sure we don’t enforce those areas. There are a couple of areas that are within that one

block radius of the courthouse that aren’t signed that some people have discovered and are using

it as a daily parking to avoid.

Alderman Wilmert asked for a clean copy of the topographical map without the red and green

on it case they wanted to sketch an opinion. He asked if the committee would work on that or if

they would do it as a committee as a whole.

Police Chief Greenslate said if everyone would agree that if they would talk with any of their

constituents or any downtown businesses that are interested opinions on it, if they would give it

to him he would comprise them in whatever committee.

Mr. Mathon said he would email everyone a copy of the map.

Mr. Bates said there were two ordinances that would have to be changed. One is the two hour

limit downtown and the other is the 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. no parking. Both have to be changed

once you get to that point. Both ordinances need to be cleaned up no matter what.

Mayor Snyder said if they could have some standards that these blocks make sense because of

this and this block didn’t make sense because of that.

Streets and Alleys:

Chairman Alderman Neitzel said she did not have a report. She said that Broadway Street would

be closed tomorrow for a sewer project. She commended Mr. Jackson and his staff on the job

they did on the snow removal. She thought they did a good job and knew it wasn’t perfect.

Mayor Snyder said he asked Mr. Mathon and Mr. Jackson to come up with some costs on

the snow removal. He passed that out to the Aldermen and it was broken down into several

categories.

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Mr. Jackson said they had $38,500.00 for snow removal for salt and wasn’t sure what they had in

labor. He said they would be ok as long as February is nice to them.

Ordinance and Zoning:

Chairman Alderman O’Donohue said Mr. Lebegue has passed out his quarterly report with color

pictures of the buildings that are gone. He said he was doing a good job compared to past years.

Alderman O’Donohue said the Mayor asked him to put on the consent agenda the Resolution

celebrating Catholic Schools.

Alderman O’Donohue said the other issue they needed to talk about was the video gambling for

Lincoln. He thought they needed to talk about it.

Mayor Snyder said he had passed out earlier in the month a draft Ordinance that the City

Attorney had put together for video gambling. He thought the Council needed to consider and

eventually pass this ordinance.

Alderman O’Donohue said he would like to have a public hearing. He wanted to hear from the

constituents and the establishments that this would affect one way or the other.

Alderman Busby said if we vote this so there is no gambling done the machines that are now

here will they go also and he knew they would if they had gambling. He said we receive

$24,000.00 a year from those machines.

Mr. Bates said there was not a grandfathering in to this.

Alderman O’Donohue said this takes affect whenever the gaming commission board gets the

hard and fast rules. The counties and municipalities have the option to opt out of the law but

vote of an ordinance.

Mr. Bates said the state law is making the machines that we now have illegal. We have issued

stickers at least once if not twice and we are still issuing because this has gotten derailed a little

bit.

Mr. Conzo said there is one other component to that too and it has to do with the delaying of the

implementation of video gaming that there was questionability about the bidding process.

Alderman Anderson said we have had groups already that have come in and express their

opinions with regards to not having the gambling. She thought if the public was notified and let

them address and thought it was fairer that way.

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Mayor Snyder said they would have a meeting on March 1 as the workshop for the March 7

meeting.

Alderman Hoinacki set a Public Hearing for February 22, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. Mr. Bates said they

would need to set some ground rules.

Insurance:

Alderman O’Donohue said he, Alderman Bacon and the Mayor had a meeting with a gentleman

on a health insurance program for the city. It comes up in May for renewal. No matter what the

claims are that is how much they pay with a limited liability self-insured program. They would

cap their losses with excess policies and the like. They are paying $76,000.00 per month in

health insurance and they have to do something.

Mr. Bates said they have obligations with collective bargaining that have time frames in them.

Sidewalks, Forestry and Lighting:

Chairman Alderman Armbrust said he would turn it over to Mr. Jackson.

Mr. Jackson said there are no parts or service is available for the lights. He sent around photos

of new stop signs. One option would be decorative stop signs. Another option would be to just

replace the cabinet and the computer in that cabinet for the one corner.

Mayor Snyder said he had not heard a comment on how soon will that light be back.

Mr. Mathon said he had a $10,000.00 quote from a contractor several years ago.

Sanitation/Technology:

Chairman Alderman Wilmert said he did not have a report.

Mayor Snyder said he had received a letter from Mark Hughes regarding the Economic

Development Partnership master plan.

The workshop for February 15, 2011 will be held at 5:00 p.m. instead of 7:00 p.m.

Alderman Anderson said I move to go into Executive Session under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2) to

discuss collective bargaining and Alderman Busby seconded it. City Clerk Mrs. Martinek called

the roll call. There were eight yeas (Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Busby,

Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, and Alderman

Wilmert), zero nays, and two absent (Alderman Bacon and Alderman Tibbs); motion carried.

The meeting adjourned to Executive Session at 8:00 p.m.

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City Council Committee's Meeting

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The meeting returned to regular Session at 9:40 p.m. City Clerk Mrs. Martinek called the roll

call. There were eight present (Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Busby,

Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, and Alderman

Wilmert), zero nays, and two absent (Alderman Bacon and Alderman Tibbs); motion carried.

Also present were City Attorney Mr. Bates, Mayor Snyder, City Clerk Mrs. Martinek, City

Treasurer Mr. Conzo, and Recording Secretary Mrs. Riggs. Also present was Fire Chief Miller.

Alderman Busby made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Alderman Neitzel seconded it.

There were eight yeas (Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Busby, Alderman

Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, and Alderman Wilmert),

zero nays, and two absent (Alderman Bacon and Alderman Tibbs); motion carried.

The City of Lincoln Committee’s as a Whole Meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Risa Riggs

Recording Secretary