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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-04-03 Canton City Council274 A regular meeting of the Canton City Council was held on March 4th, 2003 in the Council Chambers at the Historic Depot, 50 North 4t" Avenue, Canton, Illinois. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE OPENED THE MEETING FOLLOWED BY THE INVOCATION GIVEN BY NANCY WHITES CITY CLERK. Mayor Bohler asked for roll call at 6:30 p.m. Present -Aldermen Bob Molleck, Jim Hartford, Larry Sarff, Craig West, Les Carl, Kevin Meade, Jo Anne Shores, Mary Fillingham. Absent -None. MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 18TH, 2003 MEETING. Motion and second by Aldermen Shores/Hartford, the minutes of February 18, 2003 be accepted and placed on file. Voice vote, motion carried unanimously. COMMITTEE REPORTS. Public Safety & Traffic. Council Action Motion and second by Aldermen Molleck/Shores, the approval to purchase a Dyna-Fog Thyphoon 1 Ultra Low Volume Applicator for $8,000; and pesticides of Pyethrin for $10,000, and Larvicdes $4,000, for mosquito abatement. Discussion. Alderman Molleck commented this issue has been discussed at great length at committee and council meetings. And now the issue is back at this council meeting again. We decided unanimously at the last committee meeting to purchase the applicator and pesticides for the mosquito season, that's why I made the motion. Alderman Meade ask Clif O'Brien, how far does the applicator spray from the road? Clif answered, 150 feet from the middle of the roadway. The cost is around $1,000 each time you spray. Alderman Meade said, my concern is not so much, because I don't have the information to argue with the experts about it, I look at what we've been given as the less affective. It's affective, but the less affective of everything else they are talking about, and the most expensive of everything we're talking about. I think later on we will be talking about some financial matters and money, and, I guess I just have a problem with the cost of this being the less affective and more expensive and don't have a problem with the larvicide and everything else that we need to be doing. I don't think it is the wisest decision considering this moment of our financial situation. Alderman Sarff commented, Clif, when scheduling the spraying, will this be overtime? Clif answered, no! Sarff asked, how many applications this summer? Cliff said around 10. Sarff then quoted from previous comments made by Clif about spraying 5 days, off 5 days, and spraying 5 more times for the season. Clif said that's correct. Alderman Sarff, so your saying we could buy another $2,000 of applications. Clif said, you have 66 miles of streets, this will cost $12.00 a mile, for just the pesticides, not the person, not the machine. If you want to figure all in, the city of Macomb figures about $32.00 an hour, and you'll have 6 people with the right licenses, and they will rotate so no one person is doing all the spraying. Will apply during the height of the season, and we will do everything else before that. We will larvicide & educate. We will have a complete program. This is the theory. Alderman Hartford said, if it saves one life, I don't care what it cost, we have to do something. If we don't do this, we are being derelict. 275 City Council meeting 3-4-03 happens to kill mosquitoes The city of Macomb have always sprayed but not larvicide and they did not have any cases of West Nile. Alderman Molleck than read from a letter of Rex Stil the Division Manager of Environmental Health Services of Fulton County Health Department... More visible and familiar to the public is adulticiding. However, the adulticiding must not be the chief activity, but must be a part of any effective mosquito control program. Clif said, this is the safest method. Clif said he would keep the public informed when spraying will take place. Roll call. AYES -Aldermen Fillingham, Shores, Carl, West, Hartford, Molleck. NAYS -Aldermen Meade, Sarff. 6 AYES, 2 NAYS, 0 ABSENT. Motion carried. Streets & Garbage. Council Action Motion and second by Aldermen Shores/Fillingham, accept the low bids of Riverland FS for Diesel Fuel Gasoline $1.3643 for the month of March, April, Ma; Molleck, Hartford, Sarff, West, Carl, Meade, Shores, AYES, 0 NAYS, 0 ABSENT. Motion carried. Lake, Buildings & Grounds. Council Action the staff's recommendation is to $1.421, and Don Quick Oil for ~. Roll call. AYES -Aldermen Fillingham. NAYS -None. 8 Motion and second by Aldermen CarUHartford, staff recommends to reject the bid of Turret Investors Group of $10.00 for the former City Building at 210 East Chestnut, and re-bid at a later date. Voice vote, motion carried unanimously. Public Works, Water & Sewer. Council Action None. COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR BOHLER. Received communications from Linda Caudle Public Relations Coordinator, for local residents to be aware of recycling old phone books from April 11th to May 16th at the City Recycling Center, 4th Avenue and East Elm Street, or Canton Wal Mart at 2071 North Main. The recycling containers and service is provided by Wigand Disposal. Any questions on this contact the City at 647-1288. Fiscal Budget. Mayor Bohler reported he passed out a copy of the Revenues & Budgeted Expenditures statement done by Pat Wright and Dave White. This is not the fmal draft. What Pat & Dave see on the estimate revenues for 2004 is $4,925,000.00 and expenditures from the general government of police, fire, street, garbage, general, not the water & sewer is $5,811,266.00. This does not take much to determine we will have a $886,266.00 deficient. Mayor Bohler was willing to answer any questions anyone would have. Mayor Bohler said he also met with the department heads, and unless we can come up with some other funding. I know last August we turned down the T 1 • T T111 1. 1 .1 T• n .. I• 276 City Council meeting 3-4-03 figures given to us by the people who came to the meeting were not correct, and he at this time, disputes the amount of savings. He will be getting with us soon. Alderman Sarff asked, when was this communicated to us? The last I heard anything was at the committee meeting. Mayor Bohler said we have not gotten the results back yet. Alderman Sarff interjected, we have no feedback. Mayor Bohler said, well you will when we get something. Alderman Sarff said, that's why I'm bringing this up now, you ask, and since we have a $100,000 difference. Ron Weber city attorney, we met with the consultant right after the first of the year. The mayor and myself met with him. One of his concerns was the Illinois Municipal League as it is a different kind of carrier. Mayor Bohler said, also will be taking a look at our permit fees. I've talk with each department head and different offices to get a hold of us, let us know what their fees are. Also boat stickers at the lake, will look at. Alderman Meade said he heard that a couple of permit fees had been waived. Mayor Bohler asked him to be more specific as to what he was referring to. Alderman Meade said the American Legion and the Park District. Clark Wilson zoning officer said the Park District is a taxing body and is also the general contractor, it would be giving a permit on ourselves. The American Legion has no permit at this time. Neither permit has been issued. Motion and second by Aldermen Sarff/Fillingham, to grant LaFiesta a Class B Supper Club liquor license. Voice vote, motion carried, unanimously. The mayor then decided to do a Roll call. AYES - Aldermen Fillingham, Shores, Meade, West, Sarff, Hartford, Molleck. NAYS -None. Alderman Carl voted present. Mayor Bohler mentioned that he had asked for each of you if you were interested in given your a-mail address, only one Alderman has done that. The residents are requesting the addresses so they can ask the alderman questions. The Economic Development Director David Byerly gave a written report. It is as follows...Areas that are currently active with the ED department. 1. Working with the WIRC to develop a proposal for a comprehensive land use to present to the City Council. 2. Residential Developers -Inquires from 5 residential and housing developers. *Currently in discussions with 3. * Various stages from complete engineering and layout to conceptual. 3. IH-Brownfield. *2 developers interested in projects on or adjacent to the site. *Collectively they could produce $12 million capital investment over 3 years. 4. Business Retention. * Business Survey that is being conducted by the ED/Chamber/Spoon River/Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs. *Roll out in approximately 3 weeks. Will provide information on general business climate, needs, trends, workforce issues, etc. that the community can then build plans to address. S. Business Recruitement. *Currently working with three potential new employers which vary from service to light manufacturing. Collectively these projects could yield 250 new jobs in Canton if chosen and all three are successfully completed. *Are assisting the Ethanol project in marketing to possible spin-off companies/industries that could be located near the plant once completed. These facilities vary from agricultural to processing and light industry. l 277 City Counci13-4-03 Clark Wilson said the Redevelopment Committee will be meeting next week in Canton. What we have done, we have gone through the first phase of a grant proposal for $550,000. Very competitive. They give us two weeks to get input from the City so we can put in a grant proposal. We will get this done, looks pretty good. Alderman Meade ask, what is the rationale behind Mr. Byerly not coming to meetings and giving us his report himselfl Mayor Bohler answered, Dave Byerly does not report to city council, he answers to the Revitalization Committee. But I know Dave would be happy to come and give his report. Alderman Meade commented, I feel the citizens can get better acquainted with him. OLD BUSINESS: None. NEW BUSINESS: RESOLUTION - IMPOSING A FREEZE ON HIRING, PROMOTIONS, AND PURCHASES OF NON-EMERGENCY CAPITAL EQUIPMENT FOR THE CITY OF CANTON, ILLINOIS. First reading, read by title. Motion and second by Aldermen CarUWest, the resolution be adopted. Discussion. Alderman Meade stated lets go back to the question I asked two weeks ago, by the way, I appreciate the resolution being on the agenda! My opinion, it was an illegal motion two weeks ago. Now, back to my question! What position involving hiring, promotions/purchases in the City do not come through the City Council first before they are expanded, or what ever happens? Mayor Bohler answered, they all come through us. Alderman Meade, all except Fire/Police Commission. Mayor Bohler, eventually the recommendations come to you, don't they? Alderman Meade, we don't approve Fire/Police Commission recommendations, they are an independent body that does separately. Mayor Bohler, well, if that's the case, that even makes it more so, we should put a freeze on, so no one but us can make sure they do not get hired. Alderman Meade, than I wonder, really, if you have a good understanding of what the Fire/Police Commission role is!? Mayor Bohler, that is irrelevant now! Alderman Meade, oh no! its irrelevant in that what we asked, as it appears in essence thinly disguise to be a way to stop the Fire/Police Commission in the lawful independents of their jobs. The only thing this affects in reality is the independent nature of the Fire/Police Commission. Mayor Bohler, that's not true! If affects the hiring of anyone in the Fire/Police department, and that along with non-emergency equipment, and we make sure it does not happen due to our budget. Alderman Meade, again said, what not do we control today without this resolution? Mayor Bohler, apparently like you mentioned, we do not control whose hired from the Fire/Police Commission. Alderman Meade, why is that!? Mayor Bohler, because they are independent from the City! Alderman Meade, why are they independent from the City, you appoint them!? Mayor Bohler, exactly! Alderman Meade, why then do they act independently? Why are they a independent body? Mayor Bohler, what's your point Alderman Meade? Alderman Meade, my point is they are independent from us because politics should not play a part in the role of promotions or hiring when it comes to the Fire/Police Commission. The process is, the chief s decide they have a personnel need, which they have to prove it, and then the as a council we agree, then moves to the Fire/Police Commission, they act independently of this body to keep all politics out. Now this resolution has only one affect, to stop the Fire/Police Commission from their i r. r.~. _•. •_~-----~--. __• __ •._ _~__. .i--~-- ~-~--- 278 City Council meeting 3-4-03 Alderman Meade, this does not make a problem for me of a majority vote needed. I have yet to hear as a council that we cannot do this right now, on our own except for Fire/Police Commission. I believe there are people in the audience who would like to address the issue. I would like to hear what they have to say before I go further with my comments. Mayor Bohler, we're not going to turn this into your own personal public meeting Alderman Meade. This resolution is what the city attorney said, it will affect all departments. I don't want any person think they can come and put expenditures against this City with the finances we're in. You want the Fire/Police Commission to hire and do what they want to do at the expense of the tax payers of Canton, its not going to happen. Alderman Meade, again it appears there is a lack of understanding on your part on how this works. City Attorney Ron Weber interrupted Alderman Meade, excuse me, lets just not go with saying things about people personally. Alderman Meade, fine! Than let me explain best of what I understand. I prefer Mr. Ketchum who is in the audience and had asked to address the council, and he could better state the process in terms of what were talking about. Mr. Ketchum, said he would answer that question first. The Fire/Police Commission doesn't do anything unilaterally. We don't take any action unless we receive a request to take action. And that action comes from this council. I'm here, because I believe you would have voted differently on February 18~' if you had the opportunity to hear the rest of the story. Which I think Alderman Meade is trying too allude to. The rest of the story is this. On February 14, the Board of Fire/Police Commissioners held a regular scheduled meeting at 11:00 a.m. in the city building. Two of the appointed commissioners were present. I was unable to attend because of a conflict to my business that occurred at the last minute. However, only two members are required for a meeting. At this meeting the Board received a verbal request to make two promotions to the police department. A Lieutenant and a Sergeant, and to make original appointments for a police officer. The Board does no like to make these decisions with only two members. And they also need the request in writing. So the Board scheduled a special meeting for the purpose of making selections from their list of eligible candidates. That meeting was held at 10 a.m. on Monday February 17. The Board went into executive session to discuss the candidates. Approximately an hour `/2 later, the Board went back into open session and subsequently scheduled another meeting. Its obvious from my viewpoint that this council, not the Board of Fire/Police Commission was about to make appointments. These appointments were the result of council action in December wherein this council changed the ordinance for where the police by adding one Lieutenant, and reducing the number of police officers by one. You can imagine my dismay! You have made the Board of Fire/Police Commissioners completely in operative. Our list of eligible candidates are frozen. Any plans we need to make for testing are frozen. Any request made of the Board, be it temporary or permanent are frozen. This council was in control before the freeze, not the commission. However, the freeze adds additional burden to your responsibilities. Mr. Ketchum than read from the Commissioners Manual of the Illinois Fire/Police Commissioners Association. The Board of Fire/Police Commissioner's must remain neutral and objected, and cannot permit political or other inadequate consideration to enhance their decision. This ends Mr. Ketchum presentation. 279 City Council meeting 3-4-03 Alderman Meade, I guess my concern is the timing of it and the additional decision of action taken and looking at what we are doing to the police department that is already in process. The council already has full control. I would like to offer an amendment to the resolution to allow the Fire/Police Commission to continue what it was doing on this matter only, and that being the promotion of a Lieutenant, Sergeant, & temporary officer. This is a highly concern that we're going to stop the process because of political interference on what appears to be...Mayor Bohler, Alderman Meade I will not tolerate you making any statements like that! Alderman Meade, I believe free speech is an asset. Mayor Bohler, not when you're making accusations! Alderman Meade, let me ask a direct question, did you contact the Fire/Police Commission in reference to any candidate on the list? Mayor Bohler, no! City Attorney Ron Weber, there is a resolution being considered. Alderman Meade that's what I'm discussing. Ron Weber, no, we're traveling into potential actions I believe are not appropriate of this council's discussion of this issue. The merits of the issues are appropriate to discuss. Alderman Meade, let me continue, I guess Mr. Ketchum can answer for himself whether or not if he received a phone call. Alderman Meade, I propose an amendment on this resolution that would allow the Fire/Police Commission to continue what it takes to finish up the work already started, and that the positions we have already approved in their convened independent nature. Mayor Bohler, you can't make that motion because the people who made the motion would have to amend it. I would caution the people making the motion and second to even consider Alderman Meade's proposal. In December this council was advised that we had over $800,000 in our account when we made the decision to move forward on promotions and hiring. We now find, after working on the budget February l lt'' we were sure we had between $800,000 and $900,000, but when Dave White and Pat Wright got into that budget we only had $700,000. And now you have before you what exactly your going to have, a $800,000 shortfall. What would be fair to go ahead to make expenditures and can't go through with it in the first place. The police chief will have to make 15% cuts out of his budget. It will not only be part time employees that will not be employed, but some other people. We have a motion and second. Alderman Meade, you haven't answered my amendment? Mayor Bohler, roll call. Alderman Meade, I have one other thing before the roll call, I believe I have the right to speak. We just spent $18,000 on mosquito abatement and you won't spend $7,000 on police officers. I urge you to vote no! Roll call. AYES -Alderman Molleck, this is a very controversial issue. I've heard things tonight I don't like at all. The fact that politics was brought up tonight displeases me. I don't like that at all! And too much is read into this way in the beginning. We have a letter from Dave White that says we're broke. Goes against my grain to do so, but I'm going to vote AYE, Hartford, West, Carl, Shores, I agree we have to go with the budget, Fillingham. NAYS - Aldermen Sarff, Meade. 6 AYES, 2 NAYS, 0 ABSENT. Motion carried. Resolution being #3647. The executive session for Negotiations, Grievance & Personnel was not held. ADJOURNMENT. Motion and second by Alderman West/Fillingham, to adjourn. Voice vote, motion carried unanimously. The regular scheduled council meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.