Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
May 10, 2011
Minutes of the City of Lincoln City Council Committees' Meeting held in the Council Chambers
on Tuesday, May 10, 2011.
Those present were Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Bacon, Alderman
Busby, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue,
Alderman Tibbs, and Alderman Wilmert. Department heads present were Street Superintendent
Mr. Jackson, Police Chief Greenslate, Safety and Building Officer Mr. Lebegue, EMC Manager
Mr. Tackett, and Fire Chief Miller. 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 ten Aldermen present
(Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Bacon, Alderman Busby, Alderman
Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman O’Donohue, Alderman Tibbs, and
Alderman Wilmert) and none absent.
There was a moment of silence in memory of Arnie Haak. Everyone present recited the Pledge
of Allegiance.
Mr. Dave Kitzmiller was present.
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 but that Fire Chief Miller had
something.
Fire Chief Miller asked what the process was for hiring a new firefighter.
Mr. Bates said the Council would have to approve the hiring of a firefighter and then the process
is through the Fire and Police Commission. Do they have an eligibility list?
Fire Chief Miller said yes. Mr. Bates asked if it was entry level. Fire Chief Miller said yes.
Mr. Bates said they have an eligibility list once the Council authorizes then the Fire and Police
Commission will certify, he thought at the entry level they take the top name off the list didn't
they. Fire Chief Miller said yes. Alderman Horn said she would like to put on the agenda to hire
a firefighter.
Grounds, Buildings and Local Improvements:
Chairman Alderman Tibbs said she did not have a report.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
May 10, 2011; Page -2-
Sewer Treatment Plant, Sewers and Drainage:
Alderman Busby said he would like to put on the agenda to go out for bids for a backhoe with
the specs to be written by Mark Mathon and Bob Tackett. It is for the sewer plant and they will
be asking for trade, without trade and a possible lease.
Mr. Bates said if it becomes a lease we need to have an ordinance authorizing a lease so we do
need that before it is time to sign the lease unlike the police cars we did a few years ago.
Police:
Chairman Alderman Hoinacki said he had a request from Art and Balloon Fest for the parade.
Mayor Snyder said we have approved the route and this is a modification on that route.
Alderman Hoinacki asked to have it on the consent agenda to change the route.
Police Chief Greenslate said he has two separate issues. He said first he had placed in their
boxes last week early retirement proposal for Officer Rawlins. The city would pay 1/2 of his
insurance until he is age 55 and then they would normally begin paying his insurance and even
after subtracting his share of the city insurance over the next three years it would save the city
several thousand dollars a year over a new lateral hire. He is requesting to approve his early
retirement offer of half insurance until age 55 and also separately a lateral hire to replace him if
that is approved. This would be to replace him once he comes off the books. He was also asking
for a lateral hire to replace his position he used to hold and it is in the budget.
Mr. Bates said you can't offer an early retirement incentive for Officer Rawlins. If you do that
you have to offer that same thing to other qualified employees. He wanted it in the minutes
that what he was considering was an early retirement incentive to offer to all similarly situated
employees.
Police Chief Greenslate said in the police department. Mr. Bates said no it has to be city wide.
Police Chief Greenslate said they are all separate pensions. Mayor Snyder said they can't offer
early retirement to IMRF until it is paid off. Police Chief Greenslate said they are all separate
systems and pensions. Mr. Bates said he understood that but they couldn't qualify for the IMRF
but they would have to offer to all similar as Fire and Police and Street and Alley.
Mr. Jackson said Street and Alley was IMRF. He has three guys that would take it and that is
what is holding them up now is the insurance. If they could get the half they are liable.
Alderman Tibbs said they can't because it is IMRF. Mayor Snyder said we still owe a couple
hundred thousand dollars from the last time. Mr. Jackson said they wouldn't be an early
retirement it would just be the city covering their portion of the insurance and they would
probably jump then. Mayor Snyder said they wouldn’t need an early retirement incentive.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
May 10, 2011; Page -3-
Police Chief Greenslate said the early retirement for IMRF is where the city bought time and
they bought time and they were able to retire out early with less years or less time. We are not
offering that as Mr. Jackson talked about but if you pay the insurance separately they might take
it if they are over age 50. If an employee retires at 50 they are required to pay 100% of their
insurance until they turn 55 and at that point they pay 50%.
Mr. Bates said he thought under the IMRF restrictions that we did not qualify for an early
retirement incentive to buy years or to buy qualifying time. This is strictly to pick up their
insurance earlier which has nothing to do with IMRF. He thought they could offer it to anybody
in the city and he didn’t think they could offer it to the specific departments. He thought they
got into this the last time they did it. As he recalled they opened it up from a certain period to a
certain period and said they had to notify us by a certain date to qualify.
Police Chief Greenslate said the city would either choose to pay off their remaining time on their
books and let them remain on vacation until their time ran out. Mr. Bates said they actually
created a window and they had to notify us and there was a deadline by when they had to retire.
Alderman Anderson said they had to tell us what that date was. Mr. Bates said there were two 1)
they tell when they elect to do it and 2) a deadline by when they had to declare it. Mr. Jackson
said he could take a straw poll tomorrow as far as his guys. Mayor Snyder said whatever the
language was they would want to do it in a similar way so there would be those windows.
Alderman Tibbs said when you say the lateral hire. That would be an increase in salary.
Police Chief Greenslate said he had figured it out and he put stuff out previously that the reason
we created lateral hire list. The State of Illinois allows us to have 2 separate lists new hire and
lateral hire. Departments across the nations are creating these lists because people are already
trained and you are saving all the training costs and a minimum of one year salary that the
person is not available for use on the road. They are riding with other people and not capable of
performing any functions to speak of independently and you have all your training costs whereas
with a lateral hire yes you do spend more money the first year on salary because they are not
getting paid probationary new hire salary they are getting first year salary but they are working
and at least they are earning it instead of just being trained.
Alderman Neitzel asked how longevity will fit into that. Police Chief Greenslate said they get
no longevity and they are starting out at zero seniority and zero longevity and that is also by
contract and by state statute. Alderman O'Donohue said they would still be on the same contract
and still have longevity. Alderman Anderson said they would still follow the same contract
under the new hire. Alderman O'Donohue said one of their issues is this tier. Police Chief
Greenslate said they are also on probation the first year. Mr. Bates said if they come in before a
contract is signed they are under the old contract.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
May 10, 2011; Page -4-
Mayor Snyder said he passed out to their places a letter and obviously hiring additional people
one of the factors of our ability to do that is not losing money we are supposed to be getting
from the state. The letter was about the Governor's proposal to do reduce or possibly eliminate
distribution of income tax proceeds to the cities across Illinois. He asked that they take time and
look at it and if they are comfortable with it they could sign it before they leave.
Police Chief Greenslate said he would like the replacement on the agenda. They have worked
shorthanded for one year and it is in the budget.
Alderman Hoinacki asked to have it on the agenda just like the fire department.
Streets and Alleys:
Chairman Alderman Neitzel said we talked about the collections so we kind of thought we would
try with Midwest Credit Collections. She is going to put it on the agenda to use Midwest Credit
and Collections as we are already using them.
Alderman Anderson said she thought they should take up the highest balances due and go dig
them up. We have messed around with this for so long now it is ridiculous. If they are large
enough the third we are going to give away will pay our employees to go dig it up. I think what
will happen is when we put that notice on they are going to come in and pay and we are going to
keep the third. The smaller ones let them go send them off but the bigger ones dig them up. She
thought it was time they start putting some bite in this yakking they are doing.
Alderman Busby said he would like to find out if Doris collects in the interim do they still get the
30%. Mr. Bates said once it is turned over they get it, even if someone comes in and voluntarily
pays it they get their percent.
Alderman Hoinacki said without getting into too many names on the list is our top two or three
multi properties. If you have one landlord with different properties how do you choose which
property do you go dig up.
Alderman Bacon said go to his house and do his. Mayor Snyder said they may not live in
Lincoln.
Mr. Tackett said one of the things that he saw when he was looking at the list that they have
some landlords, at least one landlord that is $3,500.00 behind on two different homes. If you
go through the list he is $500.00 behind in a couple other homes. That meant he was already in
arrears on some rental property when he put the name of the tap or his name on another home.
He said basically the landlord is responsible for the home and the sewer and he thought the
landlords were not paying their bill and shouldn't have any more taps in their name. Once they
pay the bill we will give you another tap but until you pay up all your bills you are not going to
get another tap in your name.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
May 10, 2011; Page -5-
Mr. Tackett said I don't know if that takes an ordinance or what it takes as far as that is
concerned. In the city within Lincoln there are a lot of common laterals and you might have a
lateral that comes out in a common driveway. The person on the right is paying their sewer bill
and the person on the left is not paying their sewer bill and you dig up the person on the left on
the main you are ultimately going to cut the guy off that is already paying his bill. He thought
there were some legalities with this and he thought. He said Mr. Conzo asked him to do some
research on other cities and he is doing that now. If he could have another couple of weeks to do
that and he could possibly bring back some things that other cities do that will help us out?
Alderman Neitzel said what do we do with these people that pay their water bill and it doesn’t
have anything to do with their sewer bill. Are we going to cut them off anyway?
Mr. Tackett said it is common with any other municipality that your sewer bills are based on
your usage. When you add those two bills together that means they are not paying either one of
them and it is not legal but they aren't paying the water or the sewer so they are cutting them off.
What he was trying to say that Lincoln's situation is really uncommon to have a flat rate sewer
bill. That means me as a person that lives by myself in a house is paying the same sewer bill as
the family that has six and putting a lot more sewerage to be treated than I am. It is like if you
had a flat rate electric bill. The bill for a one room home and six room home would be the same.
It is not a common thing for that to happen. What most municipalities do is they bill from the
water usage. They put them together and it becomes a common bill and it becomes a situation
where you shut things off. It is uncommon for a municipality to have a flat rate bill. The other
part is water usage is billed monthly. We are all set up and if I get a bill in I pay $22.00 and I
am on an income and if it is $22.00 I have that in my pocket. If I get a bill for four months its
$88.00 and I might not be able to pay that $88.00 but in the same token I can pay $40.00 but not
$88.00. His suggestion was to find a way to bill for water usage to make it fair and bill monthly.
What you have is an epidemic of what is going on is people can't pay their bill because and once
they find out they don't have to pay it they can't do it. If you put your water usage whether you
bill your water usage once they are behind you can start collecting because you have shut their
water off.
Alderman Tibbs said what we have right now you can come into City Hall any time you want
to and put money towards your bill as long as it is paid for during that period and in full. They
accept payments every month and she knew it was extra work for the girls.
Mrs. Martinek said they have to be current though.
Alderman O'Donohue said he understood there were billing issues and he was not going to argue
that but lets focus on the issue of those people who are already delinquent and aren't paying
even a portion of their bill not matter why they can't pay it. Can we take of that before we go
changing the billing system?
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
May 10, 2011; Page -6-
Alderman Wilmert asked if there was a precedent for taking some amount that is in arrears (big,
small or whatever) and placing that on or levying some sort of tax placing it on the property tax.
If they don't pay it in that venue eventually they will lose that property.
Mr. Bates said they already have liens on the property and you can't add the sewer bill on the
taxes. All the sewer bills we are talking about have liens on them.
Alderman Hoinacki said nothing about Mr. Tackett and the sewer system but he could remember
we had a problem in Union and Clinton Street that started out a small dig and ended up being a
whole block dig. If we start cutting into our sewer system and start digging and trenching and it
starts crumbling another several feet the next thing you know they have a whole block they are
replacing sewer just because of one person. That is few and far between and he understood that.
Mr. Tackett apologized for getting off track but he had just been talking to Mr. Kitzmiller and
several years ago they put the door hangers on that said that your bill has to be caught up in
30 days. They started calling locates and started marking utilities and got the backhoes out
there and everybody seemed to start scrambling and if the Council wants them to do that but he
thought before they actually dig they take a real close look at it. He said he was not an attorney
but he thought there was a lot of liability for doing that with common laterals.
Alderman Bacon said she has been on the Council for a little over 21 months now. We have
been talking about this since I started and personally she is getting tired of talking about it.
She thought they needed to do a collection agency, get it moving and at least get some of our
money recouped or try and at least let them do it and not tie up our employees and maybe get
some money back in our budget. Sitting here talking about it week after week we're not going
anywhere with this and she didn't think parking a backhoe in front of somebody's house is going
to do it anyway. If they aren't paying their bills they don't care what is parked in front of their
house and they don't care if it is parked in their yard. I am tired of talking about it and ready to
turn it over to a collection agency, forget it and move on and collect the money we can.
Alderman Busby said he knew last week a lot of them voted against the contract with American
Water because of the liability clause. There is one way to get rid of it having American Water
collect the past due and send out all the bills for sewer and water at the same time.
Alderman Bacon said how much is that going to cost us. Alderman Busby said $1.00 per bill.
Mr. Bates said he didn't think collections was a part of the deal with our existing past due.
Mayor Snyder said if they were going to take over for the billing of the sewer they bill someone
and they get behind it doesn't take long to get a notice from the water company even for one
months. Mr. Bates said he thought they were going to do shutoffs but he didn't read anywhere
that they were going to go after the $233,000.00 in past due bills. Alderman Busby said he could
get a hold of Chris Johnson.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
May 10, 2011; Page -7-
Police Chief Greenslate said he has been in houses that the sewers have been shut off and
he could tell them that they end up with a different set of problems because people do find
alternatives and they are not pleasant. It then becomes a bigger problem for the Safety and
Building Officer. He had been in those houses and couldn't describe it.
Mayor Snyder said one thing to consider before the motion on Monday night but which accounts
get turned over to the collection agency and how that all is handled. Alderman Neitzel said she
was going to add that to her motion and she thought they should put in a dollar amount. Mr.
Bates said how many days delinquent such as anybody 90 days or more gets turned over. Mayor
Snyder said he would make available the delinquent sewer list to everyone before Monday night.
Mr. Conzo said one thing he would recommend was they be careful to not turn over any that you
are going to get anyway. Alderman Neitzel said she would go with at least 90 days or older. Mr.
Conzo said the ones we have a problem with are not short term. Alderman Anderson said you
need to think about that because we bill on 120 days cycle.
Mr. Tackett said his point before was that collection people will help with what is in arrears now
but his suggestion to the Council to find some way to keep this from continuing. Rather than
hoping year to year you find something is to go ahead and find a solution for your collections.
Find a way to stop your people from being delinquent either shut off their water or find some
legal means to do something.
Mr. Bates said they voted down last week to shut off the water.
Alderman Neitzel said she has a petition for replacement of 49 feet of curb and gutter by Paul
Hennessey at 115 Edgar Street and asked to have that on the agenda. She also had a Resolution
for Motor Fuel Tax supplies.
Mayor Snyder said he asked Mr. Jackson to hand out to everyone a list of their street signs. The
longer one is a list of street signs that need to be replaced or repaired. The smaller one is a list
of street signs that Mr. Jackson has on order. These should be coming to be fixed, repaired or
replaced. He thought by getting the lists out they would be aware of what he has ordered and
what he is going to be attacking but also if there are other street signs that you would come
across he would ask them to pass it on to Mr. Jackson so that he could use this as an organic
working list that would always be in place so we would know what the universe is out there.
He said Mr. Jackson has one set of eyes but there are ten sets of eyes here and you see things
and encounter things and it might be something you see everyday and bugs and it might be
something that has been missed for whatever reason.
Mr. Jackson said the bigger list with street signs that need replaced or repaired these are just
the ones that are listed are ones that need to be replaced and it could be that they are bent signs,
some are brackets, like the pole is bent and it just needs straightened. There are old rusty signs
out there that is on the list to be replaced. If there is an x on it, it is being replaced.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
May 10, 2011; Page -8-
Alderman Bacon said she would like to see the same thing for the street lights.
Mr. Jackson said he could see if Cilco had a list. He said if someone calls in about a street light
out he goes out and gets the pole number and he calls Cilco. It is up to them to get a work order
and get it repaired. That is how it currently works. A homeowner can call Cilco too just give
them the address and they will put a work order in.
Alderman Bacon said the ones out by Cracker Barrel and Arby's have been out for months.
Mr. Jackson said they are the state and they are waiting on the photocells. He said he would ask
Cilco if they had a map program that shows all of theirs.
Alderman Tibbs said she has had two complaints in two days right out there at the High School
on Miller Street where you enter into the High School. This is another Ameren thing and she
knew it makes the city look bad and they continually drag their feet.
Mayor Snyder said he could follow up with Cilco.
Ordinance and Zoning:
Chairman Alderman O’Donohue said he had nothing before he knew there was something.
Mayor Snyder said they have two Resolutions. The first is for May 16-20 as Small Business
week and the second was for May being Historic Preservation Month. He asked if they could be
placed on the Consent Agenda.
Alderman Tibbs said is there any reason why we don't read these anymore. The people at home
don't have these copies and how do they know what we are voting for.
Mayor Snyder thought they had good coverage by the media and it was a time saving matter.
Sidewalks, Forestry and Lighting:
Chairman Alderman Armbrust said he had a petition at 603 Sheridan Street by Angela &
David Headley to be done by owner and requesting reimbursement. He asked for that to be on
the agenda.
Alderman Armbrust said that he had a sidewalk petition for 331 7th Street by Roberta Tucey
with the work being done by the city and at the expense of the city. He asked to have that on the
agenda.
Alderman Armbrust said they would be awarding the Arbor Day Coloring contest winners and
asked that they be on the agenda.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
May 10, 2011; Page -9-
Sanitation/Technology:
Chairman Alderman Wilmert said he did not have a report.
Mayor Snyder said glass recycling this Saturday from 9 to noon at the Logan County
Fairgrounds.
Insurance:
Alderman Bacon said she did not have a report.
Mr. Bates said he wanted to go back and revisit the sewer bills. He said it has always been
his understanding that the billing for all sewer bills will go to the owner of the property and
the owner is responsible. Section 7-8-1-14 of our code says in part the owner of the premises,
the occupant or the user of the sewerage system shall be jointly and severally liable to pay
the service on the premises and the services furnished to the premises by the city only by the
condition that the owner of the premises, the occupant or the user of the service are jointly and
severally liable for the payment of all charges to the city. To him that says we can and maybe
should be billing tenants and landlords if we can find out who the tenants are because this makes
them jointly and severally liable.
Mayor Snyder said that becomes a problem because he didn't know about lease agreements.
Mr. Bates said then it forces the burden on them to resolve it but one of them has to pay it. Right
now we are strictly billing owners. If they have tenants that are paying their rent and the owners
are not paying us we have never attempted to collect anything from the tenant.
Mayor Snyder said he passed out the quarterly franchise fee payment from Comcast. He said
their gross revenue was up almost 10%.
Mayor Snyder said he has also passed out to their places 2 emails and 2 letters the city has
received in regards to the high speed rail committee. They were a letter from Secretary of
Transportation Ray LaHood, Secretary of IDOT Gary Hannag, Mike Rock Vice President of
External Operations of Union Pacific, Michael Sted the Rail Safety Administrator from the
Illinois Commerce Commission. Their report has been received. The last they have heard is
they are coming back to do Pulaski, Broadway and Pekin Street crossings and will be closed
from May 16-23. They were also told that while those three are closed at some point they will
have to close temporarily at some point Tremont and Keokuk because they have to drag some
equipment across that to work on the other three. He has requested that Union Pacific that they
not close Tremont and Keokuk on the weekend of High School graduation which is the 21st and
22nd of May.
Mayor Snyder said Lincoln Christian Church will close the sidewalk to work on the bell tower.
Mr. Jackson said they will be doing some work there where they need their lift in there.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
May 10, 2011; Page -10-
Mayor Snyder said Friday from 11:30 to 1:30 Economic Development Partnership Luncheon at
Lincoln College. This Friday and Saturday is the Route 66 Garage Sale. Saturday will be the
Movie in the Park at Postville Park at 8:30. Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Habitat for Humanity is having
a ground breaking at 1419 N. McLean.
Alderman Anderson said Sunday is her mother's 90th Birthday.
Alderman Busby made a motion to adjourn the meeting 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 of Lincoln Committee’s as a Whole Meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Risa Riggs
Recording Secretary
City of Lincoln