City Council Committee's Meeting
Minutes of the City of
Those present were Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Bacon, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, and Alderman Tibbs. Also present were Police Chief Greenslate, Building and Safety Officer Mr. Lebegue, Street Superintendent Mr. Jackson, EMC Manager Mr. Tackett, Fire Chief Hulett (he arrived at
Mayor Snyder called the meeting to order at
Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
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 report.
Grounds, Buildings and Local Improvements:
Chairman Alderman Tibbs said they are looking into combining all of the communications under 1 bill. At this time Mr. Bates is looking over our contract and then he will give her the go sign.
Mr. Bates said he had actually looked at that contract. It is very short and is a part of one page. It provides for a three year term, it provides for monthly payments, services and there are some disclaimers about some inability to sometimes connect to 911. I think there is some reference to their website that may be additional terms to this that he has not looked at. The only comment that he wanted to make that the phone service that he believed that Comcast provides and stand to be corrected but thought it was internet based phone service so if the internet is down your phone service will be down. This is not hard line phones.
Alderman O’Donohue said we are talking about the system that you want to change to is the Comcast phones. We are currently with several different services I guess.
Alderman Tibbs said yes it is, which is a savings of approximately over $4,000.00 to the city. Alderman O’Donohue asked if there would be any additional outlay for new equipment.
City Council Committee's Meeting
Alderman Tibbs said we do not need any new equipment we can use what we have right now. Alderman Anderson said it is a three year contract and if for some reason we found we were having multiple issues or is there any penalty or anything if we, can we back out.
Mr. Bates said no you can’t back out of it and it is really void of any unless this provision that makes reference to additional terms and conditions that are their website which we have not looked at. To the best of his knowledge they are signing a three year term and there is no way to get out of it. There is a provision in here that you have the right to get out in the first 30 days if you are unsatisfied for any reason but after that it would be my opinion you are obligated to a three year term.
Alderman Anderson said the rate is locked in for the three year term. Mr. Bates said the rate as I read it is a promotional rate for three years.
Alderman Tibbs said it is and they also told us that it would be an upgrade on our internet too. Right now we are at a lower and it would be much faster etc. Right now we have a long distance provider along with Verizon and AT&T which is costing the city quite a little bit of money. After she saw what Brenda did (she separates it all out into the different departments) then she looked at the bottom line at what each department is spending. That made her want to investigate this a little bit more and this is what she came up with. It is quite a savings yes if the electricity goes out she knew the phones sometimes go out.
Mr. Bates said it is not just the electricity but if the internet goes out the cable goes and you are out of a phone system. I don’t know that that is a problem I just want to make sure you understand that.
Alderman O’Donohue said you said a few minutes ago something about an increase in the internet is that included in the contract. Alderman Tibbs said yes.
Mr. Bates said they did not specify what the speed is and he was sorry he had forgotten his glasses but there was something in there about the level of internet service. It does not make any reference to the speed.
Alderman O’Donohue asked if there would be any way to see actual figures of the savings that you are talking about. Alderman Tibbs said she has those.
Police:
Chairman Alderman Hoinacki said he had several things to block streets for some events. The first was a petition from Lincoln Christian Church for
City Council Committee's Meeting
Alderman Hoinacki said they have a petition from
Wanda Rohlfs said the request is for the intersection with Pulaski and Kickapoo. She said the Railsplitter Auto Club has already requested several months ago to have the entire street for the St. Jude’s Car Cruise In they have part of Broadway as well as
Alderman Hoinacki said it would be the intersection of Kickapoo and Pulaski. Mrs. Rohlfs said they had already cleared it with the Logan County Courthouse for the electricity and she had talked to Joe Fitzpatrick. Alderman Hoinacki asked to have that on the agenda.
Mrs. Rohlfs said the Christmas parade has been set for
Alderman Hoinacki said he had a petition for the Lincoln Fireworks 4th of July Celebration Committee. They would like to block McLean, Decatur, South Kickapoo immediately adjacent to the surrounding Scully Park from Decatur Street to McLean to Wyatt Avenue and then Wyatt Avenue to Lincoln Park District on July 3 from 8-11 for a 4th of July parade and they are also asking for some police assistance to help escort the Children’s parade from Scully Park out to the Park District.
Chuck Conzo said the celebration this year is scaled down from what we’ve had in the past but they are going to have the fireworks, watermelon feed, and it will be at the rec this year. There will be water balloon fights as it has been in the past years. The parade we wanted to retain as well in the past and this year for the parade to line up at
Alderman Hoinacki asked to have that on the agenda.
Streets and Alleys:
Chairman Alderman Neitzel said she had two things. She said she had a request for a driveway curb cut at the corner of College and
Alderman Neitzel said they had the Letters of Understanding on the IDOT projects. We have received these from IDOT where they have agreed to the project being paid entirely by state funds. She asked if this had to be voted on.
City Council Committee's Meeting
Mr. Mathon said by way of erring on the side of caution the letters do request a signature acceptance by the Mayor and be returned. Mr. Bates said it would need a motion to authorize the mayor to sign. Alderman Neitzel asked to have this on the agenda.
Sewer Treatment Plant, Sewers and Drainage:
Mayor Snyder asked Mr. Tackett if he had anything. Mr. Tackett said the STAG grant had come through.
Mr. Mathon said the STAG grant that was awarded to the city several years ago for the work done to slip line the Pulaski Street sewer line after completing all the required paperwork and application work and sent into USEPA we were finally notified two weeks ago that we had received the formal notice of award and grant agreement. He had left his notes in his other notebook but thought it was $424,600.00 as a reimbursement for costs already expended by the sewer fund. There were three projects that were in this fiscal year budget that we had been holding off on doing until that grant money was received. This included doing some additional concrete work around several of the drying beds on the back side of the plant, replacement of the pumps in the plant, spray water system and construction of a storage building for some of our equipment that is currently sitting outside and get it under cover. The Federal Government has sent back a response to the online sign up for getting ready to make a draw on that grant and he was in the process of getting everything setup so the documentation sent in to make the draw. What he had been told that it is electronic funds transfer once the request is made it is a matter of two or three business days then it should be posted to our accounts.
Alderman Anderson said the projects you just mentioned that we had been holding on approximately what do they cost. Mr. Tackett said right around $180,000.00 and that is the budget price on them. Alderman Neitzel asked what they were going to do with the rest of the money. Alderman Anderson said like we will have a problem spending it. Mr. Bates asked if it had to be used in the sewer department. Mr. Mathon said yes it is a reimbursement for monies that have been expended from the sewer department so it is my understanding how it was set up was that it goes to Sewerage O & M. Mr. Tackett said I do have to say when I came here a year ago this was past on by Dave Kitzmiller who was working on it but in the last several months Mr. Mathon dug out all the old bills and I am sure he is with Mrs. Martinek several times and he has worked very hard in submitting all the paperwork so the full refund could be there so I applaud Mr. Mathon for all his work.
Alderman Neitzel said being that is sewer money and we need an upgrade with our sewer computer can we use that money for that.
Alderman Anderson said it will go into the sewer funds so you know anything that we would have to access but the thing we have to consider is if we don’t have it in the budget now if it is something that we would need to do we are going to have to be sure that we cover it in the appropriations otherwise we will not be able to spend it.
City Council Committee's Meeting
Alderman Anderson said there are no restrictions on what it can be used for other than it has to be in the sewerage department.
Mayor Snyder said Mr. Mathon also oversaw the process of getting the city registered to complete the grant to the hospital roadwork so that was all done by the deadline today. Now we have to get the pre-application in.
Mr. Mathon said it is a two step process there is a pre-application that actually goes to Federal DOT and once those are reviewed it’s an invitation process to actually submit the full application that is done through trans.gov the Federal grant clearing house. He had spoken with one of the representatives that is working on it for the hospital today and they both agreed that the pre-application has not be posted yet on the Federal DOT website but we are monitoring that.
Mr. Mathon said that he had misspoken and the actual number being reimbursed on the STAG grant is $240,600.00.
Ordinance and Zoning:
Chairman Alderman O’Donohue said he needed to put on the agenda the fine and penalty structure amendment on the agenda.
Sidewalks, Forestry and Lighting:
Chairman Alderman Armbrust said before the meeting our Clerk informed him that at one of her clerical meetings or association meetings indicated that they were not reading the petitions and that it was not necessary. I have no strong feeling either way but he thought a decision should be made by the Council as a whole whether they want to do that or not. He said with his discussion with Mr. Bates that Mr. Bates felt that it should be a decision by the City Council rather than us saying gee this how we are doing it.
Alderman Armbrust read the Petition by Denise Bartlemay for sidewalk at
Mayor Snyder asked to have on the agenda the reading of petitions.
Insurance:
Chairman Alderman Bacon said she did not have a report but that Alderman O’Donohue had something.
Sanitation/Technology:
Alderman O’Donohue said he had two things. 1) There would be a computer recycling at the Fairgrounds by Vintage Tech on
City Council Committee's Meeting
Alderman O’Donohue said in regard to workers compensation when employees are off they are continued to be paid their full salary and he wondered if anyone knew why that was because that is not the way the Illinois law works. They are supposed to be paid by the insurance company 66 2/3rds percent of their salary while they are on workers compensation.
Mr. Bates thought some of the collective bargaining agreements say they have to turn over their workers comp check to us. Alderman O’Donohue said normally union contracts do not trump state law.
Mayor Snyder asked to have on the consent agenda the Petition by Lincoln Christian Church, Petition by Main Street for June 26, the 4th of July parade, and letters of intention by IDOT.
Mr. Bates said asked of all the items for the Consent Agenda if they had the Certificate of Insurance. Alderman Hoinacki said they had two of them. Mr. Conzo said he had talked to Marcia Greenslate and she was getting those from the insurance company.
Mr. Jackson said the curb request is at no cost to the city it is just permission. Alderman Neitzel asked to have that on the consent agenda.
Mayor Snyder said he got a letter from Ameren and they will be performing vegetation management in our community. They will be cutting tree branches.
Mr. Bates said on the
Mr. Jackson said the landfill would be closed again tomorrow they had broken down again.
Alderman Tibbs made a motion to adjourn and Alderman Anderson seconded it. There were eight yeas (Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Bacon, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, and Alderman Tibbs), zero nays, and two absent (Alderman Busby and Alderman Wilmert); motion carried.
The City of
Respectfully submitted,
Risa Riggs
Recording Secretary
City of Lincoln