Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011
Minutes of the City of Lincoln City Council Committees' Meeting held in the Council Chambers on Tuesday, September 13, 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 Fire Chief Miller, Safety and Building Officer Mr. Lebegue, Police Chief Greenslate, City Engineer Mr. Mathon, Mr. Kitzmiller for EMC, and Street Superintendent Mr. Jackson. Also present were City Clerk Mrs. Martinek, Mayor Snyder, 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.
The Pledge was said by all.
Public Participation
Mr. John Black with Logan Correctional they were looking at having a COFCA hearing here for the closure of the prison and it has to be within 25 miles of the facility they are going to close. They have not got a date yet but they would inform the Mayor. He would like full support of the community, City Council and had spoken to potentially close to the hearing time frame meeting with Mr. Jackson about a location where they can have similar to Pontiac a community get together and a rally behind them against this. This way they carry it to the media and right into the hearing and then when the actual hearing is inducted, they do not have a location yet but work with him to get a location lined out. He wants to fill the place and he would hope that everyone bring everyone out in their area. We are going to saturate the town. Once he gets a closer time frame right now the only definite date that he has received is December 31 for closure. They committee for COFCA has to give a report that wants to close it within 10 days of the formal announcement and 45 days is usually the window if you lay it all. He has researched other facilities that they have closed and the window is anywhere from 60-70 day period wants the resolution is handed down. When it is first initially announced and so far none of the staff have received any pink slips or notices. He was advised by the director yesterday in a meeting that there would be spots throughout the state. He said it’s like 2009 and a lot of the same faces were sitting here when he was up here. It’s nice to say there are other jobs out there but truthfully he didn’t want to leave Logan County and Logan County doesn’t want to see him leave. Since the layoff we have hired 92 officers and he has a guy on Thursday that closes on a house on Wyatt and just got married. He has another gentleman that lives in Springfield and he was part of Thompson when they closed and he was raised in Lincoln and was looking to buy a house.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -2-
Mr. Black said they have an older staff and there won’t always be jobs here in this county and asked for their full support. He knew they were meeting next Monday night. Dale Ridgeway from Lincoln Correctional Center and his staff are also and it is not just a Logan thing because Logan’s staff, have bumping rights to Lincoln, not all the staff. It could end up affecting some over there. They try to represent Lincoln and Logan County to the fullest. He said if anyone had any questions they would be happy to answer any questions.
Mayor Snyder said it was important for Mr. Black to come up and that everybody be fully aware of all the steps that it takes to keep the facility open. He passed out to the Aldermen a draft copy of a letter that he would like for them to all read and then maybe Monday night it’s a one page letter and would like everyone to sign Monday night then they will mail it to the Governor. Just expressing our strong opposition to the closure so if you could all take a look in the coming days and let him know if they had anything to add or any changes they would like to make. It is not just the Mom’s and Dad’s that are employed there that are affected but it will be the kids going to college and others within the family that are supported there. As Mr. Block said it is that maybe the folks at Logan could find other positions but the bottom line is there are 357 jobs that could be leaving Logan County. That is a very significant thing and remembering back to the LDC thing and Mr. Block had a connection with that.
Mr. Black said his wife worked at LDC when they closed and like he spoke at a meeting last night they will survive but didn’t know about the young guys out there and it is rough on them. You are going to pull these 357 staff out and how many of these spouses also work in the county and the school system. He said his kids are older and in two years they will be out of school but you have families that might pull them out and move to a different county. We go south we go north east or west they will stay there and their roots go that direction. They might not return back to Logan County. How many houses have set vacant because they cannot be sold that worked in LDC?
Mayor Snyder said he thought he could speak for the Council that they want to do everything they can to help them out and stand beside you and strongly support you and the 357 families that could be impacted here.
Mr. Black thanked them for their time.
Jeannie with Full Gospel Church about their petition and they would like to do a block party. They did get signatures from everybody but two and that was because they were not home.
Mayor Snyder said that would be on September 24 from 1-6. He asked her to further clarify, do not a portion of the street blocked.
Jeannie said yes and they were going to have three Christian bands out there. They are trying to reach the community. They will be offering hot dogs, prizes, food, and games.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -3-
Mayor Snyder said it would be the block of Monroe Street. Jeannie said yes sir. Mayor Snyder said from Short 11th to. Jeannie said she thought they only needed part of it where the church is at to the Short 11th and didn’t think they would need to block the whole because that would be two blocks. Mayor Snyder said that is a long block. Jeannie said yeah.
Alderman Tibbs said we had a block party this past summer and didn’t have any problems with it. She knew that Mayor Snyder himself encouraged this and she thought it was good to know your neighbors and sounds like a fun time.
Alderman Armbrust asked Fire Chief Miller what his thoughts were as far as blocking the whole street. Fire Chief Miller said he thought if in their planning stage for their block party to get with them just prior to so they could have a plan if they need to get in there with a fire truck or medical. Jeannie said absolutely. Fire Chief Miller said that way they have access without hindrance.
Alderman Hoinacki asked to have it on the consent agenda.
The Mayor asked for the Committees' Issues to be Presented:
Finance, Policy and Procedure:
Chairman Alderman Anderson said she wanted to remind the offices, departments and department heads that if you have expenditures that you would like to come out of the general obligation bond funds. Those need to be approved ahead of time so please speak to both herself and the Mayor if you are planning on trying to use some of those funds or would like to use some of those funds. Even if we have budgeted for it and you know that ahead of time we would like to know that you are getting ready to do that.
Police Chief Greenslate said he just bought a squad car yesterday.
Fire/Water & ESDA:
Chairman Alderman Horn said she did not have a report.
Grounds, Buildings and Local Improvements:
Chairman Alderman Tibbs said they had damage on the roof in May and trying to decide whether it is storm damage or something that came loose. We finally had the architect over here a couple of weeks ago to survey the damage and she emailed you that conversation. We in May though Mr. Mathon had asked Top Quality for a bid on the damage if it was proven not to be storm. Also, at that time to submit a quote for the removal of the flagpole on top of City Hall and as far as she was concerned that right there is $1,800.00 and that flagpole could stay there for the next five years as far as she was concerned. She didn’t see any great emergency we just had this roof worked on and she didn’t want anybody up there messing with the flagpole.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -4-
Alderman Tibbs said we will take another look at this at the end of our budget year and see if there is money lurking there that we would be able to use because Buildings and Grounds operates on “You never know what is going to happen” and it is really hard to budget Buildings and Grounds because it is the unknown that kills you and since we have control of something and that is the flagpole and we will set that aside. The quote on the roof which will be $2,700.00 for repair that was given to Mr. Mathon in May so we will go forward with that and have it repaired before the bad weather sets in.
Mr. Mathon said when the damage was discovered the city’s insurance carrier was contacted and the process was started and they had an adjuster out to take a look at it and they said if we wished to pursue it to just get a hold of them and we can run that through the buildings insurance.
Alderman Tibbs said that if no one had any questions that was all she had.
Sewer Treatment Plant, Sewers and Drainage:
Chairman Alderman Busby said he took it upon himself to have Mr. Kitzmiller hire Petersburg Plumbing to take care of a sink hole on 4th Street. At the time we thought maybe it was the sewer line for Carroll Catholic School and would shut the school down if we didn’t get at it right away. He asked to have that put on the agenda and it will need a 2/3rds vote on it. We contacted Hoerr Construction also they gave us an estimate of $24,000.00 and Petersburg was $12,000.00 so we opted for Petersburg.
Alderman Tibbs asked if they had used them before. Alderman Busby said oh absolutely. Alderman Tibbs said and we’re thrilled to death with their work. Alderman Busby said yes. Mayor Snyder asked Mr. Mathon or Mr. Kitzmiller to explain what they found in that.
Mr. Kitzmiller said a sink hole developed almost in front of the school. When we were investigating it we found that there are actually two lines in the road one that is used by the school and some other buildings that is about 9 feet deep. Then we also found one that is not on the maps and have no record of that is 14 feet deep. That is actually one that had the trouble. There were enough issues with the lower one that it began to make the upper one that everyone was using collapse as well. We were trying to go through the process with getting quotes and getting lined up to bring to you to get approval when we were locating the line last Friday they found the upper line was collapsing as well and it wasn’t two days before when they televised it so we thought we would get things moving very quickly and got Petersburg in here and they started excavating today.
Mayor Snyder asked if there were any further questions on that. Alderman Busby asked Mayor Snyder if he had signed the contract and sent it back yet. Mayor Snyder said no he thought American water was signing it.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -5-
Mr. Bates said the way the letter originally came when they sent the wrong one they sent the two originals and said to have the city sign it and send it back and when it was signed by them they would send us a copy. Subsequently he got the correct one a few weeks later via email which he forwarded to both of them. That one is good to go and he believed that we are going to sign and send to them. He didn’t believe that but know that. If you don’t want to do it that way I can tell Chris we are not doing it that way or we can print it and sign it and send it.
Mayor Snyder said he would do it tomorrow. Mr. Bates said he had a UPS mailer that they sent to send back to them. Alderman Busby said thank you and that was all that he had.
Alderman Wilmert said he is intrigued by this 14 foot mystery sewer line. He asked if it looked active, connected to anything, can you tell or is this the time to map it.
Mr. Kitzmiller said that is why we did what we did today was to try to find out where it goes and what it is doing because it’s a 15 inch line that when we started investigating it and cleaning it, it was completely full of sand and gravel. He didn’t mean it had some in it but meant it was completely full. It was full enough that we could not clean it with the big vacuum machine that we have. Once we got in there today we excavated out maybe 10 feet of it and tried cleaning it again and they went 35 more feet which almost equals 100 that we cleaned sand and gravel and we are still going and it is completely packed. This did not happen overnight and it cannot be used in the shape that it is in so we are going to abandon the lower line the portion that goes East from where we are at and digging now and keep the portion that flows to the West active because we do know that that small section roughly 100 feet is active but the rest of it cannot be. We are going to abandon that tomorrow morning and then they will move over and they will excavate and repair the other 12 inch line the school is actually hooked to.
Police:
Chairman Alderman Hoinacki said he had a petition for permission for White washing for Homecoming and it says it has tentative dates Sunday the 25th, Tuesday the 27th and Thursday the 29th. It is kind of vague if they are doing it three nights or if it is a rain situation. It will be in front of the player’s residences and down Wyatt Avenue. He asked to put it on the consent agenda.
Alderman Hoinacki said the next petition is for the Homecoming Parade, Friday, September 30 at 2:30 and will follow the same route as always. He asked to have it on the consent agenda.
Streets and Alleys:
Chairman Alderman Neitzel said they had a curb break request on State Street and asked to have that on the consent agenda. Mr. Jackson said it is on the 2nd Street side of the property.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -6-
The following bids were opened by Mr. Mathon:
Bids for Pulaski Street, 6th Street and Kankakee Street with a base bid for overlay, patching of the needed areas included, Alternate One included removal and salvage of the brick pavers, removal of the concrete upgrade, installation of an aggregate base course and asphalt surface, and Alternate Two is removal of the brick and concrete and installation of a new concrete base course and reinstallation of the salvaged brick pavers.
Pulaski (Hamilton to Sheridan)
Base Alt. 1 Alt. 2
United Contractors Midwest $112,068.36 $178,428.98 $347,468.64
P.H. Broughton & Sons $165,335.41 $232,719.98 No bid
6th Street (College Street to Mill)
Base Alt.1 Alt. 2
United Contractors Midwest $74,250.70 $178,977.85 $305,911.76
P.H. Broughton & Sons $83,788.95 $216,556.36 No bid
Kankakee (Peoria to Keokuk)
United Contractors Midwest $139,619.13
P.H. Broughton & Sons $177,756.50
Mayor Snyder asked Mr. Mathon if he had what the budget estimate was for these.
Mr. Mathon said he didn’t pick up that folder but that Pulaski Street was approximately $140,000.00, Kankakee Street was approximately $130,000.00 and 6th Street was approximately $80,000.00. He said he would tabulate each of these bid items and make sure there is nothing missing out of them and would be able to present a recommendation based on the budget amounts and where the work came out at.
Alderman Tibbs said in regards to Pulaski Street. She said if you do put an overlay over the brick is the brick removed first.
Mr. Mathon said no there is where the impressions for the areas where sub grade is suffering will be removed and patched prior to any overlay.
Alderman Tibbs said she was not hearing him very well. Didn’t we bring this up before about overlaying on top of brick and how that doesn’t hold and starts problems because there is a sand base under the brick?
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -7-
Alderman Tibbs said she had an individual stop her in the grocery store on Saturday about Pulaski Street saying that why don’t we let the prisoners lay our brick streets and why not educate them and let them do that. Is that something that has to be done right away this year? We aren’t saying we can educate them.
Alderman Neitzel said do we have some kind of insurance for that Mr. Bates. Mr. Bates didn’t think the prisons let them do that any more.
Alderman Tibbs said why go ahead and put a street together that is going to last maybe ten years versus a street that is going to last 50-100. Where are we, as far as that is concerned? She guessed that they had to go according to the budget.
Alderman O’Donohue asked what the time frame of how long overlay lasts versus brick. Alderman Tibbs said travel South LaDue and it was one of the first streets laid in Lincoln, Illinois. Alderman O’Donohue asked from an engineering point of view our overlay versus brick versus asphalt what is life expectancy before we have to repair them again.
Mr. Mathon said there are numerous brick streets that have been overlaid with asphalt that, he has been here 12 years and they were done some time before he moved to Lincoln some of them many years prior to that and there are no apparent surface distresses. There are some where the asphalt has started to crack or spawl or ravel and expose some of the brick. The reason that there are issues on those streets is the asphalt was laid to thin so it didn’t develop the structural strength to hold it together.
Mayor Snyder asked how thick the asphalt was laid on State Street. Mr. Mathon said on South State Street this past year he believed that was a 3 ½ inch overlay. Mayor Snyder said what was this anticipated to be. Mr. Mathon said 3 ½ inch also. Mayor Snyder said there are cracks in South State Street where most of the concrete have cracked underneath it. Mr. Mathon said yes those are called reflective cracks and there is very little that can be done to prevent those cracks from performing and revealing themselves back through the surface. Mayor Snyder said we did State Street just a year ago. Mr. Mathon said yes.
Mayor Snyder said he too has concerns about overlaying brick with asphalt. He has heard it likened to trying to lay tile over carpet.
City Treasurer Mr. Conzo said he guessed in looking at these estimates and kind of amplifying on what Alderman Tibbs said if you are going to spend $112,000.00 that will last 8-10 years you are going to spend $347,000.00 that will last something up to 100 years. He realized there was a huge difference in the cost of those but looking at it in the long term we might be better off to do that and settle for repairing fewer blocks in any given year particularly this year. As opposed trying to get to all three of these and do them with something that we will have to do them again in 8-10 years.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -8-
Alderman Tibbs said Pulaski Street from LaDue to 121 concrete road was put in there and she believed it was in Mr. Mathon’s first year as engineer. Mr. Mathon believed that was done in the early 90’s. Alderman Tibbs said it was probably ’91 and they have not had any problems with Pulaski Street that she knew of. She is sick to death of the overlay stuff and it just seems to not last at all. She was wondering about the contractors that we hire.
Alderman Anderson said just to give you a rough idea the budget amounts that Mr. Mathon had mentioned is $350,000.00 for the three sections of the three different streets. To do the alternate one for both Pulaski Street and 6th Street, if she remembered correctly is to pull the brick up and then put the overlay down (asphalt) and then the least expensive Kankakee is $497,000.00. There is $150,000.00 difference between the base option and alternate 1. If we don’t have it in the budget we would have to figure out what we could cut out. She wasn’t commenting on what she thinks they should do but telling them that there is $150,000.00 difference there.
Alderman Wilmert said could it wait a year. In other words, what if we didn’t do it and save the money, budget some next year and add the money all together and did it in a year from now.
Alderman Tibbs said that was a good idea.
Mayor Snyder said there are 2 ½ blocks that brick is not involved the one block on Pulaski from Hamilton to Sherman and then the block and a half on Kankakee from Peoria to basically the apron that was put in there by the gas station.
Alderman Wilmert said alternately overlay what is already overlay and not do the brick this year, save up and do the brick right next year. Take care of the cheap stuff this year.
Alderman Anderson said you could she meant they have put the money in the budget there is no reason if you said ok we don’t want to do that base we want to do it right and go to alternate 1 you can pick either Pulaski Street and 6th Street and do that and then do the overlay on Kankakee and still be within the budget. You will be cutting one of them out.
Mayor Snyder said Pulaski Street the issue goes beyond Sheridan right and goes to LaDue. Mr. Mathon said yes. Mayor Snyder asked how many more blocks that was? Alderman Anderson said 4 total. Alderman Wilmert said they could the ones without the brick and then do the ones with brick later. Alderman O’Donohue said his question was are people, wanting to put these brick streets back to brick because we keep talking about alternate 1 which is not back to brick? Alderman Anderson said we can’t afford alternate 2 regardless of what people want. Alderman O’Donohue said what he is trying to understand he hears people saying alternate 1 and hearing other people say they want to put them back to brick and he is concerned about that. Alderman Wilmert said he was not advocating putting the brick back but if that were the goal you wouldn’t have to do it right now.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -9-
Alderman Anderson said the thing of it there are so many other streets that need to be addressed and she didn’t think realistically they think about spending twice as much money to do two blocks on Pulaski Street to put brick back when they could do two or three other streets or more.
Alderman Wilmert said he was not disagreeing with that. Alderman Anderson said as far as she was concerned alternate 2 is not even a consideration. Alderman O’Donohue said he just wanted to clarify that there were people talking about alternate 2 and not alternate 1. Mr. Conzo said it becomes how long do you want it to last?
Mr. Mathon said just to address the last ten year street issue. He didn’t believe 10 years is an accurate number and is low compared to what we have seen and what he would expect out of doing an overlay of a brick street.
Alderman Neitzel asked if there was brick underneath Tremont Street. Someone thought so.
Mayor Snyder said an option might be if we were to consider certain areas in a more historic or whatever where you want to preserve the brick they could change the requirements for the utility cuts to require them to put brick back and right now we do the red stamped concrete. That creates an issue. If the interest is in preserving the brick streets we could require any time a brick street is opened up we could require brick back. He thought the street department has excess brick that has been pulled up over the years so if they couldn’t salvage enough when they opened it up it could go back with replacements that they have. That is not overlaying just patching.
Alderman Tibbs said she didn’t know about Pulaski Street but she imagined along with LaDue and of course Wyatt they went ahead and when over Wyatt and those were some of the first roads in the city. As far as she was concerned as far as Pulaski Street and that is her ward and she was just speaking that some people would like to have the brick streets and she knew the Mayor himself would like to see the brick. If we can’t go with the brick that doesn’t bother her but what does bother her is let’s just not pour stuff over the brick lets take it up and make it right instead of having these problems arise again.
Mr. Mathon said there is a special provision where the bricks that are removed are called out to be palletized and delivered to the city.
Mayor Snyder asked if there was further discussion on this. He asked how to proceed.
Mr. Mathon said he would have information on these to give to the Aldermen and City Officials by the end of this week. Alderman Neitzel asked to have this on the agenda.
Mayor Snyder asked Mr. Mathon to give them an update about the Oglesby Avenue Bridge.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -10-
Mr. Mathon said he had recently gotten a proposal from an engineering firm in Springfield for engineering services for design of a replacement structure for Oglesby that was quoted to them just short of $85,000.00. The estimate from this engineering firm he had discussed based on the needs for that area for that particular structure were resulted in an estimate in the neighborhood of $250,000.00 to $300,000.00 for replacement.
Alderman Anderson said over and above the $85,000.00. Mr. Mathon said yes. Mayor Snyder said the bridge at Palmer just a block over is of similar age and construction type.
Mr. Mathon said yes and there are three other bridges that were all built within about a 5-7 year time span of Jefferson Street, State Street, Palmer, and Oglesby as well that are of similar construction type and was one of the items that the engineer and he had discussed in looking at what may potentially happen in the future we have other structures that are of the same age that are not at the moment showing any signs from any of the recent inspections of any significant deterioration but he guessed that limited the possibility. That led to a discussion about traffic flow and accessibility across the branch where specifically where Oglesby there are bridges on either side of it that are accessible and are currently sufficient to handle the traffic and traffic patterns.
Mayor Snyder asked if there were any questions on that. We do within a four block area have three other bridges across the branch there. At State Street and Jefferson those are a little further out. He asked if there were any questions on that.
Mr. Mathon said he guessed the point of that being we had discussed finite budget dollars if we are looking at being good stewards of that money consideration needs to be given to what they will do with that bridge. There are no federal funds to help.
Alderman Tibbs asked how long that bridge has been out. Mr. Mathon said very early spring and he couldn’t recall the date. Alderman Neitzel said 6 months.
Mayor Snyder said there would be a public hearing Monday about the right-of-way of Evans Street. He said Mr. Mathon found out some information about the utility companies and issues through there with regards to the church.
Mr. Mathon said he was waiting on two return phone calls and the only response that he has received from any utility company is from Ameren the electric side has requested to maintain an easement from the East side for an overhead guide wire. It’s a line that changes direction in that area.
Mayor Snyder said the public hearing was at 7 and then they would go into their regular meeting.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -11-
Mayor Snyder said Mr. Mathon also did some work with regard to the question of the potential annexation of the prisons and what that might mean to us from a sewer standpoint and believed Treasurer Conzo also had some information.
Mr. Mathon said sewer rates on based on whether the property is within the city limits or outside the city limits with outside city limits rates being higher and based off the last twelve months water usage for Lincoln and Logan Correctional Centers the difference between those two rate structures would be a net loss of almost $116,000.00 in revenue to the sewer fund.
Mr. Conzo said what he did was went back and took the information they have from the Department of Revenue on our local share of the State Income Tax and the local share of the state use tax and the motor fuel tax and the reason he took those three because they were all allocated to municipalities based on population where other things such as sales tax and other revenues are not. What he found out, one thing they already knew, per capita average annual distribution has gone down not only for us but for all municipalities and counties within the state. He started with the state income tax and take the period from January 2010 through July and it is $665.65 per person is the state wide average. It would cause a population increase for annexing those properties in. That would give us $19,285.00 per month or $231,420.00 per year. One thing to note about this and with the other sources of revenue is deceasing. If you took a 43 month period from January 2008 to last July it would be $244,644.00 in use tax. If you use the period from January 2009 through this July it would be $233,160.00 and as he just pointed out January 2010 through July of this year it would be $231,420.00 so the trend is downward. Currently the share of the income tax would go to the county and the state use tax with the motor fuel tax if we were to do this would come at the expense of the other municipalities. The counties do not get motor fuel tax based on population but based on the number of registered vehicles.
Alderman Anderson said the one thing that you would have to think about if you look at this and say ok that more than offsets the lost sewer revenue but you have to remember the sewer revenue supports the sewer system and these other revenues we can’t use to support the sewer system.
Mr. Conzo said they don’t have any good way to replace that. If you take the sewer estimate loss of revenue the City Engineer calculated for us subtract that from what we began and we come out ahead by $226,000.00 overall in the general fund. The other things that you have to look at what it would cost if we annexed that in and he couldn’t really calculate that and the department heads would probably be in a better position to tell us what it would cost us if we had to provide city services to the area we annexed. He thanked Alderman Bacon for helping him with providing him with the census figures.
Mayor Snyder said the county board requested numbers on the city side and the city requested them on the county side as well.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -12-
Mr. Jackson said he had gotten an email last week that the street signs are on their way. The street light that got ran over by the paving company at the crossing it came in so they will try to get that up this week.
Ordinance and Zoning:
Chairman Alderman O’Donohue said he did not have a report.
Mr. Bates said he had an ordinance for the vacation of a portion of the street prepared if they vote in the ordinance vacating a portion of Evans Street.
Alderman O’Donohue said they would like to put on the agenda the Ordinance creating a City Administrator.
Mayor Snyder said this is revised slightly from what we had passed out previously. Alderman O’Donohue and he met with Dave Anderson the former city manager of Normal and he is with the Range Riders of the Illinois cities, counties and management association. He had several suggestions for them to try to simplify, consolidate, and boil down some things so he had passed out to them a revised job description which is now down to three pages and they used that for the basis of the ordinance and there were things that were changed out of the ordinance. One thing that Alderman O’Donohue and he found out from Mr. Anderson was because of our type of government that we have here the administrator’s term has to run concurrent with the term of the Mayor. Let’s say we hire someone January 1, 2012 their term would have to end April 30, 2013 and then they could have another term starting May 1 which could then run four years but it has to be concurrent with the Mayor’s term. He said Mr. Anderson gave them suggestions for the advertisement and that they needed to have the ordinance in place, job description finalized, and profile finalized before we place the ad. In fact, Mr. Anderson will place the ad for them but won’t do it until they have everything done.
Sidewalks, Forestry and Lighting:
Chairman Alderman Armbrust said he had a sidewalk petition for 1003 N. Logan Street by Lizzel Cook with the work to be done by the city and by the expense of the city. He asked to have that on the regular agenda.
Alderman Armbrust said they have a possibility for a grant for some trees. Mr. Jackson said it is Spring Road Nursery they are doing a $3,000.00 matching grant which he does have in his budget. They don’t say how many grants are being handed out but it is basically from Logan County north to right outside Cook County. If they are awarded this there would be a person that would come and speak to them about the Emerald Ash Bore which is an education class. There would be some records that would have to be kept. The trees would have to be planted by November 30, 2011.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -13-
Sanitation/Technology:
Chairman Alderman Wilmert said he did not have a report.
Insurance:
Chairman Alderman Bacon said she did not have a report.
Mayor Snyder said he had a letter from the Park District. They are going to be doing a fall family fun run on Saturday, October 8, 2011. They did not need anything closed.
Mayor Snyder said he also received in the mail the 2010 Community Engagement Report from Kroger and said he would pass around.
Mayor Snyder said the Paint the Town the Red is ongoing right now. He talked to Kathy Vinyard this afternoon and she already has orders for about 2,000 tulips for this fall. He thought she had passed out copies to each of them. They are $15.00 for 100 bulbs.
Mayor Snyder said Wednesday, September 28 is Community Night at Allison Park in Mayfair. There are three groups that will be doing things. From the Ground Up will be cutting some beds in, Crime Stoppers Police Department will be there with the Weenie Wagon, and also the Fire Department will be there.
Mayor Snyder said the copy of expenditures to date of the G. O. Bond funds has been passed out.
Alderman Anderson said I move to go into Executive Session under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1) to discuss personnel, hiring, firing, compensation, discipline and performance and 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5) for purchase or lease real estate and Alderman Horn seconded it. City Clerk Mrs. Gehlbach 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. The meeting adjourned to Executive Session at 8:34 p.m.
The meeting returned to regular Session at 8:53 p.m. City Clerk Mrs. Gehlbach called the roll call. There were ten Aldermen present (Alderman Anderson, Alderman Armbrust, Alderman Bacon, Alderman Busby, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Neitzel, Alderman Tibbs, Alderman O’Donohue, and Alderman Wilmert) and none absent. Also present were Mayor Snyder, City Treasurer Mr. Conzo, City Clerk Mrs. Martinek, and Recording Secretary Mrs. Riggs. Also present was Street Superintendent Mr. Jackson.
Mr. Jackson said the water company got the line separated from the Logan County Health department’s fire suppression so that was the only thing they were waiting on for their property.
Lincoln, Illinois
City Council Committee's Meeting
September 13, 2011; Page -14-
Mayor Snyder said he had an email with Dolan Dalpoas about the former hospital property. We’ve set a date for Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. to do an announcement at the site about their gift of the hospital land to us. They will put out a press release that there will be an announcement about the whole thing that day. They will also outline at that time and he obviously wants to thank the hospital for the gift. They are going to give us the land and the parking lot across the street. He thought he had told all of them in an email or memos.
Alderman Neitzel asked who got the garage behind.
Mayor Snyder said they were holding on to that. We do thanks to the generosity of the Woods Foundation we have the cost of development of a concept plan for the park underwritten. We have kind of a tentative date set for a public meeting where people can come and give us their ideas of what should go in the park. They have that set for October 13, 2012. They will announce all of that at the time. He wants to appoint a steering committee to help and guide and work through that process. At that end of that whole process there is a presentation to the City Council so it will be the presentation of the plan and what it could look like as well as timelines and possibilities for funding and a way to make all of that work. That is Wednesday the 28th at 12:30 and that night is the thing at Allison Park.
Alderman Tibbs said did you say it has all been planned or plans have been made.
Mayor Snyder said no plans yet but they will be developed. There will be a public hearing so invite the public to come and tell us what they would like to see in a health park. The landscape architect will take that information and meet with the steering committee in three months to come up with a plan and present that in another public hearing to let people react to it and then to the Council with the final concepts of what it could be like and what might be included. Naming rights are available.
Alderman Busby made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Alderman Hoinacki 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 8:59 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Risa Riggs
Recording Secretary
City of Lincoln