Minutes of a regular City Council Meeting held in the Council Chambers of City Hall,
Mayor Snyder called the regular City Council Meeting to order at
Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag led by Alderman Tibbs.
Public Participation:
Mayor Snyder said Alderman Busby’s birthday was today. Alderman Busby said Mr. Chuck Conzo’s birthday was today as well. Everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to both.
Mayor Snyder called for the Consent Agenda by Omnibus Vote:
Approve Minutes of the
Approve payment of bills
Petition by
Petition from Main Street to close the Pulaski Street and Kickapoo Street intersection on June 26, 2010
Petition by Denise Bartelmay to construct a concrete sidewalk at
Petition by Liane and Dave Ballard to permit a curb break at
Petition by the
Authorize the Mayor to sign two letters of understanding with IDOT
Alderman Anderson made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Alderman Armbrust said he wanted to remove item E which was the Petition by Denise Bartelmay to construct a concrete sidewalk at
Approval of any items removed from the Consent Agenda
Petition by Denise Bartelmay to construct a concrete sidewalk at 220 S. Elliott Street
Alderman Armbrust said I move to approve the petition by Denise Bartelmay for the sidewalk at 220 S. Elliott, the amount of work to be done determined by the Street Superintendent and completed at the expense of the city and Alderman Neitzel seconded it. Mayor Snyder asked if there was any discussion on this. Alderman Armbrust said the reason he wanted this separated out was that we have been advised by our attorney on several occasions about those lines as to who is paying and the amount of work and until we get something cut and dry that that goes on automatically. Mr. Bates asked if it was on the petition. Alderman Armbrust said it is not in there about the amount of work. Alderman Anderson said it says with the final dimensions to be at the discretion of the street superintendent.
Alderman Armbrust said we don’t always go by that because it may be a 60 foot property line and you have 24 feet of bad sidewalk that’s the reason the terminology is used for Mr. Jackson to determine the amount of work. He said he would be willing to work around it.
Mr. Bates said they just needed to get language in the petition itself to say what you want it to say. Alderman Armbrust said they would work on it. City Clerk Mrs. Martinek called the roll call. There were ten yeas (Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Bacon, Alderman Busby, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, Alderman Tibbs, and Alderman Wilmert), zero nays, and none absent; motion carried.
Mayor Snyder asked for the Presentation of Petitions:
There were no Petitions to come before the City Council.
Official Reports:
City Clerk’s Report for April 2010 is on file.
Special Reports:
Written reports for the department heads are on file.
Unfinished Business:
Ordinance Amending Title 8, Chapter 10 pertaining to Signs of the City Code of the City of
Alderman O’Donohue said he would like to remove this from the table and Alderman Hoinacki seconded it.
Ordinance Amending Title 8, Chapter 10 pertaining to Signs of the City Code of the City of
City Clerk Mrs. Martinek called the roll call. There were ten yeas (Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Bacon, Alderman Busby, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, Alderman Tibbs, and Alderman Wilmert), zero nays, and none absent; motion carried. Alderman O’Donohue made a motion to remove from the agenda and Alderman Anderson seconded it. Mayor Snyder asked if there was any discussion. Alderman O’Donohue said they are not ready to do this and didn’t know if they had seen it but it was lengthy and they are not ready to do it and there was no point in staying on the agenda week after week and it is going to be done but they are just taking it off for now. City Clerk Mrs. Martinek called the roll call. There were ten yeas (Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Bacon, Alderman Busby, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, Alderman Tibbs, and Alderman Wilmert), zero nays, and none absent; motion carried.
Petition for the LCHS Class of 1990 to hold a 5K run on
Alderman Hoinacki said he would like to leave that on the table.
Petition by Gene Baker for curb and gutter replacement from corner of Clinton and Chicago Street down East Clinton Street to alley (tabled 5/17/10)
Alderman Neitzel said she was going to leave it on the table.
Ordinances and Resolutions:
There were no Ordinances or Resolutions to come before the City Council.
Consideration of Bids, Contracts and other Expenditures:
There were no Bids, Contracts or other Expenditures to come before the City Council.
New Business/Communications:
Revision of Petition Policy
Mayor Snyder said Alderman Armbrust brought this up at our workshop meeting that we should have a discussion about no longer reading the petitions and he didn’t know if Alderman Armbrust wanted to say anything or if he wanted City Clerk Mrs. Martinek to give us some information. Alderman Armbrust said City Clerk Mrs. Martinek could go ahead and tell us what her Clerk Association is directing and that he had gotten an email and thought everyone had gotten it.
Revision of Petition Policy
City Clerk Mrs. Martinek said she has been going to several of the municipal clerk’s seminars and one of the things she asked them was that we read petitions out loud. Most of the municipal clerk’s were unaware of that ever being done. She said Nancy Weiss she was the former City Clerk in
Alderman Neitzel said she thought they should read the petitions for the simple reason that the people of
Alderman Hoinacki said I guess I am in agreement on this too with Alderman Neitzel that maybe if each chairman under the committee that it falls under could read the petition because yes I think the example of the sidewalk petition we had this evening just to say that we are approving the sidewalk petition for Ms. Bartelmay and it doesn’t tell us where at or how big. It does by reading it in front of us to ourselves but not out to the public.
Alderman Tibbs said how else would the newspaper or the people know what is being addressed. I go along with Alderman Neitzel think this is very fair to go ahead and read these petitions.
Alderman Anderson said the only real concern she had was that she wasn’t quite sure how they would if they had questions or concerns about certain petitions if they weren’t brought up or read when we were going to have an opportunity to discuss them or even ask our Street Superintendent or whoever how some of these things, often times they are aware of the issues before we ever see the petition and there is background information that we would never get otherwise.
Mayor Snyder said just to clarify it’s not that they wouldn’t be distributed it’s just that they wouldn’t be read verbatim during the course of the meeting. Alderman O’Donohue said we’re not talking about not bringing it up at all but we’re talking that we would still read what the motion is you just wouldn’t read the details of the petition. Alderman Anderson said it would be a summary you say this is a sidewalk petition for Denise Bartelmay at such and such an address.
Alderman O’Donohue said he didn’t know but his understanding was that they would still, the motion, would still be a part of the record. He said they were just talking about doing away with the formal reading. I am just saying that I would like to find out if that is what we are talking about.
Mayor Snyder said it is.
Revision of Petition Policy
Alderman Armbrust said he had seen in the past sometimes for clarity you get some of these more complicated petitions to shut down certain streets and this and that and we’re reading them on an individual basis but when it is read publicly in front of us there are a couple of us saying I did or didn’t see that. It adds some clarity but we are all getting a copy and if the Clerk feels that she wants out of it I don’t have a problem with reading my own.
Alderman Busby said I’d like to see them all read whether at a workshop or at the regular meeting. I think it informs the public a lot better than strictly through a motion.
Alderman O’Donohue said is there something in the books that says we have to read them.
Mr. Bates said he did not know that there was and I have only been here 9 years and it has always been read at the workshop meetings and he didn’t know if it was in a policy or procedure and I can’t answer that I have never seen it. I can only speak of what has happened where someone like Alderman Busby has done it a lot longer than I have.
Alderman Busby said ever since he started up here they have been read. Alderman O’Donohue said he was just curious whether it was on the books or just long standing tradition. Alderman Busby said well we have about six different policy and procedure and that is why Alderman Anderson is going through it right now. Mr. Bates asked if they were still going to read Resolutions and Ordinances. Mayor Snyder said he thought this was just brought up about petitions but that is a valid question as well and are they required.
Mr. Bates said he didn’t know that it was necessarily required but there are a many number of times that he has sat up here and keep in mind we probably proof read it twice before he sends it to the appropriate party four or five times but he can’t tell them how many times he has sat up here and followed along while it is being read and found something that wasn’t right. He said just like Alderman Armbrust said a little while ago when you are reading through it that something is not right. I don’t mind to read and I would be glad to read them but when we get some of those voluminous ordinances we have said we are not going to take the time to read all of that so we are going to distribute.
Alderman Anderson said she knew in the past that they have waived the second reading and asked if there was something that said they had to read it twice. Mr. Bates said it has to be somewhere because the 9 years that he is aware of we’ve always waived a second reading on everything. Alderman
Revision of Petition Policy
Mayor Snyder said in legislature they have to read it three times but that is required by the constitution. I am kind of reminded about the old story about the pot roast where Grandma cut both ends off the pot roast off and did it year after year and got passed down until somebody asked Grandma why she cut both ends of the pot roast off because it didn’t fit in the pan. We probably need to go back and see when this all started. He asked if there was any desire to do anything this evening.
Alderman Busby said he would give it a rip and moved to table this and Alderman Neitzel seconded it. City Clerk Mrs. Martinek called the roll call. There were ten yeas (Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Bacon, Alderman Busby, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, Alderman Tibbs, and Alderman Wilmert), zero nays, and none absent; motion carried.
Authorize City Attorney to draft ordinance amending the fine and penalty section of the Building and Safety Code
Alderman O’Donohue said so moved and Alderman Neitzel seconded it. Mayor Snyder asked if there was any discussion. Alderman Busby said did we put our attorney to all this work before we’ve even talked about it.
Mr. Bates said that is what I thought was going to happen tonight. He said that Mr. Lebegue has handed out a memorandum and put in recommendations on what those changes are and he would like to see those changes as soon as possible. What I was hoping is that you would vote on that document and direct him to prepare an ordinance to make those changes as recommended or if you don’t like his suggestions tell me what you want.
Alderman Busby said I can’t tell you that tonight.
Alderman O’Donohue said the sections only amending those sections for the numbers that you have had in front of you for weeks now. With the initial memorandum from Mr. Lebegue was passed out on
Mr. Bates said this is the first time there’s ever been (couldn’t hear).
Alderman O’Donohue said the only amendment to those section numbers is changing the dollars signs to equal the amounts as in that first memorandum. I am confused as to why it wouldn’t be because you have had the information in front of you for weeks now why it wouldn’t be something that could be addressed tonight.
Alderman Wilmert said if all we’re doing is changing numbers I am inclined to go with recommendation of the Zoning Officer without any further deliberations.
Authorize City Attorney to draft ordinance amending the fine and penalty section of the Building and Safety Code
Mr. Bates said that is all that it does and there are 8 different sections to be amended. He said they were all changing from what they are stated with a minimum of $75.00 and maximum of $500.00 unless (couldn’t hear) they all say the same thing don’t they. You are making it uniform are you not?
Mr. Lebegue said yes it is uniform. Mayor Snyder asked if there was further discussion on this. Alderman Anderson said she was comfortable with proceeding. Alderman O’Donohue said if you want to vote no and readdress this but I still I mean the Council has had plenty of time.
City Clerk Mrs. Martinek called the roll call. There were ten yeas (Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Bacon, Alderman Busby, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, Alderman Tibbs, and Alderman Wilmert), zero nays, and none absent; motion carried.
Appointment of City Treasurer
Mayor Snyder said it is my pleasure tonight to place before you the name of Chuck Conzo to be your next City Treasurer. He had passed out to them he thought a few weeks ago his resume which includes a number of things and he is here tonight to allow you to ask any questions of him tonight or to make a brief statement. He has 25 years of experience with the State of
Alderman Busby said I am not opposed to this appointment but he did have a question for Mr. Conzo. He said many of the jobs of the City Treasurer cannot be done during the night hours so how do you plan on doing that.
Mr. Conzo said for now he is still employed by the State of
Appointment of City Treasurer
Mr. Conzo said he worked in an advisory capacity on different commissions with the city as the Mayor pointed out and looking forward to becoming more involved and thought the experience that he has in the state government and other things will help him do that and again he is just honored at the selection.
Alderman Armbrust said you know sir that this job can age you quickly. Alderman Neitzel said she made the motion to accept the Mayor’s appointment of Chuck Conzo as our
Mr. Bates swore in Mr. Conzo as Treasurer. Mr. Conzo said he had with him his wife, Judy, his sister-in-law, Donna Krebs, and Marilyn Wheat.
Public Announcements:
Mayor Snyder said Saturday night
Mayor Snyder said he passed out to them a volunteer letter and volunteer sign up form for the Art and Balloon Festival. He said the Chamber was always looking for good volunteers. He said Alderman Hoinacki has agreed to coordinate our city’s balloon and those types of things.
Alderman Tibbs said she wanted to have a committee meeting on the 29th for Buildings and Grounds at
Alderman Busby made a motion to adjourn and Alderman Neitzel seconded it. There were ten yeas (Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Bacon, Alderman Busby, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, Alderman Tibbs, and Alderman Wilmert), zero nays, and none absent; motion carried.
The City Council Meeting was adjourned at
Respectfully Submitted By:
Risa Riggs
Recording Secretary
City of Lincoln