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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-14-2011 Clerical Committee Minutes , CLERICAL COMMITTEE Tuesday June 14, 2011- 6:30 p.m. Donald E. Edwards Way 50 North 4t" Avenue Canton IL 61520 Aldermen in attendance: Jeremy Pasley, Dave Pickel, Justin Nelson, Jim Hartford, Jeff Fritz, Eric Schenck, Craig West, and Gerald Ellis Staff in attendance: City Clerk Diana Tucker, City Treasurer Aaron Anderson, City Attorney Chrissie Peterson, City Administrator Jim Snider, Deputy Police Chief Rick Nichols, Keith Plavec of Maurer Stutz Inc., Joe Ginger Video Services. SRPED Mark Rothert In the audience: Dan Oaks, Emily Schoenfelder, 1oe Berardi, Jay Smith, Caty Campbell, Phil Fleming News Media- John Froehling from Daily Ledger. Finance Alderman Craig West, Chairman BILLS Alderman Pickel questioned why the flowers at Jones Park is not being purchased in town and believes this should be considered next year. City Administrator Jim Snider explained the expense for the Illinois Fire Chief's Association was for the hiring process of the new fire Chief Keith Frank. Keith will begin next Tuesday night after the swearing in. Motion and second were made by Aldermen Pickel/West to send the bills to Council for consideration. The motion carried by voice vote and was unanimous. TREASURER'S REPORT City Treasurer Aaron Anderson reported that the May 2011 report shows total available cash in all funds at 1.5 million which is down due to large outflows in two different funds. One of the outflows was for the payment to MICA (insurance renewal) and the other large outflow was for an adjustment made for the 2010 audit. Page two reflects 7.8 million in investments. One of the money market accounts is down to $835,000.00. The City is waiting on property taxes and EDA funding to replenish the funds. y Page three reflects a small property tax payment around $256,000.00. Aaron explained that he added additional information to reflect various extensions. The governmental funds extension is approximately two million dollars. The Industrial Park will receiving approximately $35,000.00 and the IH TIF will receive approximately $507,000.00 Special revenues funds recap reflects the IH TIF fund with $60,000.00 in interest expense paid for the 2009 debt certificates. Budget comparison reflects the general fund has a loss of $140,896.00 which is typical while the city is waiting on property taxes. Water and Sewer fund has a net gain of $208,505.00 for the month. The DECA Revolving fund loan recap reflects A-Z Risk Management making payments for eight months under the new agreement. The balance was reduced from $16,000.00 to $14,000.00. Motion and second were made by Aldermen Fritz/Pickel to send the Treasurer's report to Council for consideration. The motion carried by voice vote and was unanimous. PURCHASE OF 2011 FORD EXPEDITION FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT Deputy Chief Nichols read the following memo from Chief Taylor: In accordance with your Police Department's Fleet Plan I am requesting to replace the current 2007 Dodge Durango with approximately 110,000 miles. As you know, this vehicle was to be replaced last year but due to the poor economy we held off on purchasing this vehicle and have budgeted $23,000 out of this current fiscal budget for its replacement. Since this is the only four wheel drive heavy service vehicle in the Police Department fleet I think it is important to replace it with another four wheel drive vehicle due to the possibility of heavy snows such as the snowfall we received this past year where we had to borrow a four wheel drive vehicle from Davis Ford and one from the Fire Department in addition to our current vehicle. This Command vehicle is driven by the patrol Lieutenants and carries certain supplies and equipment that the other patrol vehicles do not have such as Operations Plans, School District Crisis Management Plans, Command Board, and the ILEAS StarCom mobile radio for critical incidents. The only police package four wheel drive vehicle available at this time is the Ford Expedition. Dodge will be coming out with a Durango in September and Ford will be introducing their new SUV in December 2011. Due to the high mileage and possible loss of trade in value if we wait for the new models to come out 1 would recommend the purchase of a new 2011 Ford Expedition from Landmark Ford for the State Bid price of $26,199 minus a trade in value of $3300 for the Durango. The final purchase price would be $22,899 which is $101 under budget. Deputy Chief explained that he would have to order a 2012 since the 2011 would not be available. The arrival time would be the end of September. I respectfully request authorization to purchase one (1) 2012 Ford Expedition Police Package from Landmark Ford for a total cost with title, registration, and trade in of $22,899. Motion and second were made by Aldermen Pickel/Fritz to send the request to Council for consideration. The motion carried by voice vote and was unanimous. PURCHASE OF ONSITE 350 SPEED TRAILER The following memo was from Chief Taylor: In the summer of 2009 your Police Department was able to borrow a speed trailer from Illinois State Police District 8 for a couple of weeks. The Police Department received a lot of positive feedback from the community. I also received positive feedback from the Aldermen who often request speed studies to be done in certain areas of the community as I was able to provide them with data and graphs that gave an accurate measure of the traffic at the specified locations. During the budget sessions for this fiscal year we discussed the need for such a speed trailer as it would help alleviate the use of manpower for some of these speed studies as well as provide yet another Community Policing type service to our citizens. As a result of these discussions we budgeted $6800 for the purchase of a speed trailer. It was decided that half of the money would come from the General Fund and half from the DUI Fund. Myself and Deputy Chief Nichols have researched several vendors and feel that the OnSite 350 Speed Trailer by Decatur Electronics would fit our needs. This is a very similar trailer to the one we borrowed from the Illinois State Police in 2009. This particular model has the solar panels to reduce having to charge the batteries every couple of days. This model would also come equipped with the EZ Stat Pak which will collect all of the data and graphs that can be downloaded onto a computer and printed out for review. Attached are brochures for both the speed trailer and the EZ Stat Pak. Total cost is $6800. There would be an additional shipping charge of approximately $700 that can be avoided if we pick the trailer up ourselves in Northbrook, Illinois which I would recommend. There is a two year warranty on the trailer with a 7-10 year life expectancy. I respectfully request authorization to purchase one (1) OnSite 350 Speed Trailer with EZ Stat Pak from Decatur Electronics for the price of $6800.00 Deputy Chief Nichols explained the benefit from having a speed trailer. The speed trailer will provide the facts in certain areas to track speed. Deputy Chief Nichols explained that once citizens know that the speed is being tracked people become much more aware of obeying the speed limit. Motion and second were made by Aldermen Fritz/Pickel to send the request to Council for consideration. This will come out of the capital budget for the police department. The motion carried by voice vote and was unanimous. SIDEWALK PROGRAM UPDATE The sidewalk program applications were reviewed and an additional $4,000.00 will be required to be added to the program funds. City Administrator Jim Snider received a call from Ted Rumler to participate in the program for his new fitness center business. The funds were previously used for residential purposes only; however Ted may submit a request. This will be placed on the mechanical committee agenda for further discussion. The Finance Committee adjourned at 6:50 p.m. Legal & Ordinance Alderman Jeff Fritz, Chairman STOP SIGN AT "T" INTERSECTION OF 8T" AND ANDERSON Alderman Schenck explained that he received complaints from citizens about this intersection. The police department has performed traffic studies at this location. The officer did not observe any vehicles running more than 30 miles per hour. Chief Nichols explained that out of six vehicles, three made complete stops and three vehicles made slow stops and right turns. No report of accidents is on file at this location for two years. The department did not see any violations at this location. Alderman Schenck explained that residents can have the opportunity to speak about both of these intersections before a final vote is made at a council meeting STOP SIGN AT "T" INTERSECTION OF 9T" AND OAK Deputy Chief Nichols explained that the difference between the two locations is that this one is a bus stop. Alderman Schenck recommended drafting an ordinance for a stop sign at this location. Motion and second were made by Alderman West/Pickel to forward to Council for consideration. The motion carried by voice vote and was unanimous. STOP SIGN AT 3RD AND MAPLE Attorney Peterson explained that the temporary stop signs at this location could be turned into permanent stop signs. The temporary stop signs have been in place due to the construction in this location. Motion and second were made by Aldermen Fritz/Pickel to forward to Council for consideration. The motion carried by voice vote and was unanimous. PREVAILING WAGE ORDINANCE Attorney Peterson explained that each year in June the council is required to ascertain the prevailing wages. The wages are for Fulton County for 2011 from the department of labor. Motion and second were made by Alderman West/Pickel to send to Council for consideration. The motion carried by voice vote and was unanimous. RESOLUTION AND WATER PRE-ANNEXATION AGREEMENT FOR HAROLD BRAZEE/MAIDA WILLIAMS A few months ago a portion of the property was sotd to Harold Brazee and Maida Williams. The line was reviewed and it was found that a meter and line would need to be put in. Double water rates will be charged. The house is not yet constructed so a house number is not on file, but a legal description is included. Motion and second were made by Aldermen West/Pickel to forward to Council for consideration. The motion carried by voice vote and was unanimous. The Legal & Ordinance Committee adjourned at 6:55p.m. ENFORCEMENT OF CITY ORDINANCE CONCERNS Joe Berardi addressed the committee about his concerns and explained that this is an opportunity to show how not enforcing our ordinances affects the City. Joe explained that the city has lost a large amount of money by not enforcing various ordinances. These issues should have been addressed several years ago, and the problem comes under the public works committee. Joe Berardi explained that when he requested these items be placed on Alderman Ellis's committee he refused to allow the items to be placed under his committee. Joe Berardi explained that he received a phone call from City Administrator Jim Snider that the item was not allowed on the agenda by Alderman Ellis. Alderman Berardi then contacted Alderman Fritz about having the items placed under his committee. Joe Berardi asked each alderman to write down the following date: January 27, 2009 e Joe Berardi explained that in the City of Canton it matters who you are and how the city ordinances are handled by the City. 1oe explained that favoritism and oversight is a practice used by the city. The oversight has cost the tax payers thousands of dollars per year because of the horrible lack of management. Joe further explained that these are documents and emails that can be proven. Joe stated he read 26 emails about things happening in the city with no forwarding addresses to the aldermen. Joe further explained that this is just the very tip of information how has found. As the president of the Village Square Association a chain of events have lead to the discovery that a home, swimming pool and bath house was encroached upon. Joe explained no permit was issued to build the garage or the swimming pool. A permit was not issued to build a bath house on the property. Allowing a citizen to build without a building permit is a violation. Joe Berardi explained that he expects the city to go back and enforce any ordinance that has been violated. Joe Berardi further explained that when he requested the City Engineer to meet with the association, Keith Plavec refused to meet with them. Joe Berardi said the engineer was instructed by the staff at city hall not to meet with the association. A letter is on file telling the engineer not to meet with the association. The engineer did meet with the owner of the property. Keith Plavec has an ethical and professional duty to conduct his duties and Joe explained that it is a violation not to meet with the association. In 2003 the City of Cuba notified the City of Canton that the meter was not working for nine months. For nine months 500-700,000 gallons was pumped into the meters per month which would equal a total of $30,000 in the 9 months. Joe explained that a discovery by a resident of West Gate found that the City failed to charge double rates for several years. The Council discussed Golf Villa many times and the Council agreed to supply water to Golf Villa for 90,000.00 and be paid back by the 24 lots. Nothing was done professionally to cover Ralph Sedgwick and the two lots. Joe Berardi explained that all of these amounts make a large loss of funds to the City. Joe Berardi explained that he has documentation that the city has lost large sums of money and the public has the right to know. Joe Berardi explained that over $250,000 in legal fees have been paid for EPA violation and defending an employee. Alderman Pickel asked Joe Berardi why he didn't have a building permit for the addition on his home. Joe Berardi explained that he has a letter from Keith Plavec that he did not need a building permit. Joe Berardi further expressed his frustration about the difficulty of getting the items placed on the city agenda for discussion. BUILDING CONDITIONS UPDATE 49 SOUTH MAIN STREET Alderman Ellis explained that a sign was posted to condemn the building at 49 South Main Street. Attorney Peterson reported that the city currently has three properties in the same process. The locations are at: 408 Johnson Court 44 West Chestnut Street 49 South Main City Attorney Peterson explained that the procedure is to post the sign on the building, mail notices and publish in the newspaper for three consecutive days. A copy will be issued to the owners, and if no objection is filed in the court then demolition or repair action can begin on July 22, 2011. Discussion will take place about demolition vs. repair with the council. The legal and ordinance committee adjourned at 7:45 pm Community & Industrial Development Alderman leremy Pasley, Chairman UPDATE FROM MARK ROTHERT Mark Rothert Reported: Downtown/Former IH Site: • Gazebo painting was completed this month • Majority of fa~ade work is done with two project left to close out • Working out finer details of SRPED marketing 61 East Side Square in partnership with the City • Developed downtown map identifying public parking and possible points for directional signage Tourism Development • Thanks to Fire Chief Keith Frank for the shout out about our newly designed website. • Attended the Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway river cruise. • Please see attached report from Dana Smith. Business Development, Attraction and Support: The SRPED is working with the following business development opportunities. Please call me if you would like to talk privately about any of these: • Following up on expansion lead for two businesses at Industrial Park ~ Sent multiple companies information on the former golf course property for development • Working with several local people looking to start their own small businesses • Working with several national retail chains looking to expand in Canton • Basement Dewatering has made strides in expanding out at the former bowling alley. I want to publicly thank them for reinvesting and growing their business in the community • Canton Main Street and the Chamber will hold a joint "Coffee at Crawfords" next Wednesday to talk about retail in the community. More specifically the negative impact our down economy and not shopping locally have had on existing businesses. As you may have seen around town there are growing numbers of vacant buildings and businesses that are closing. We as a group want to talk about what the underlying issues are and possibly create some strategies to combat that. The members of city council are invited to that meeting at Crawford's Home Furnishing at 8am on Wednesday June 22"d Grant Work: • Applied for USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant Marketing & Tourism Committee • At the invitation of Jim Murphy, of CFC Properties, organized a tour for the Marketing & Tourism Committee of the new Canton Harvester Inn on Friday, May 27. The tour included Jim Murphy, Joe Vezzoso of French Lick Resorts, members of the committee, city officials, local media, Peoria television and the new General Manager of the facility, Tom Bradley. • Developed a memo for Mark Rothert to present to the City Council on May 17 outlining the efforts of the committee from its inception-to-date for their review. The memo was included in the Council packet for distribution to all Aldermen. Canton Main Street ~ Attended Canton Main Street Coffee at Crawford's on May 10. • Facilitated meeting of the Promotions/Organization Committee on May 13, at the Spoon River College Tech Center. • Attended the Main Street Board meeting on Monday, May 23 at Palm Cafe. • Mailed registration confirmation postcards to vendors signed up for June 11 Sidewalk Sales & Open Air Markets. • Developed and distributed flyer announcing Sidewalk Sales & Open Air Markets. • Designed and created a table-top display, with significant input and assistance from Emily Schoenfelder, for presentation at Main Street Day at the Capitol on May 10. • Attended Main Street Day at the Capitol with Missy Towery, Emily Cleer, and Ray Cleer form Canton Main Street. • Updated downtown business list to add new businesses, and update changes in ownership or contact information. • Developed and distributed invitation to a"Main Street Mixer" on June 2 at the Palm Cafe, designed to recruit business participation and volunteers for Canton Main Street. Scenic Drive • Mailed postcard to potential vendors, reminding them of the June 1 deadline to be in the Spoon River Scenic Drive Guidebook. • Contacted local businesses about advertising in the 2011 Spoon River Scenic Drive Guidebook. Website • Updated Festivals & Events section of the general website to include all events on the calendar, including the Chamber of Commerce, Friendship Festival and Canton Main Street. • Verified that the new tourism website has been created, awaiting customization. • Contacted Janelle Gulka of GovOffice.com to schedule preliminary design and layout of the website, to be based upon one developed for Princeton. UPDATE ON REVISED SELF GUIDED HISTORICAL TOUR PROPOSAL Emily Schoenfelder- WIU Peace Corp Fellow explained: Goals and Obiectives Recently, downtown Canton has been invigorated through fa~ade restorations, special events, new businesses and a plethora of other exciting activities. All of these improvements help make the downtown area a more inviting and welcoming place for visitors and residents alike, a process often referred to as "place-making." Additionally, bringing people downtown encourages them to shop and eat locally, thus boosting Canton's economy. A self-guided historical tour will be yet another element in the make-up of a dynamic downtown destination. The goal of this project is to create the framework for a self-guided tour that allows people to learn more about Canton at their convenience and according to their interests, while enhancing the local economy and advancing the place-making goals for our downtown. This will be achieved through the following objectives: . • Mount interpretive signs featuring narrative and photographic historical information at key historical sites, with the Jones Park Gazebo as a focal point o The initial scope of this project is to place 4 signs in the Jones Park Gazebo that will display stories and pictures relating to the history of the park and downtown area as a whole. Three additional plaques will be placed on the Opera House, Lewis Emporium (Sweet Shoppe), and the Canton Hotel (Palm Cafe), respectively and pending owner approval. o The below quotes are for costs related to the specified 7 signs. However, more sites are being identified as more community members become involved in this project, such as Petrovich Grocery (Katy & Tory's), Orendorff Emporium and the Randolph Building. These additional sites can be included with additional funding. • Create a brochure mapping and describing sites o Brochures will be distributed throughout the year in the Gazebo, SRPED office, lodging facilities, and participating downtown businesses. They will also be handed out at various annual events, such as the Spoon River Drive. • Build a map utilizing'Google' tools to provide an online visual and narrative depiction of sites • Create and upload a virtual tour of downtown Canton to the new Canton tourism website, www.visitcantonil.or~ (in development), using both historical and current photographs The mixture of both "hard copy" and digital materials allows a variety of potential visitors quick access to the information. Those comfortable with the use of technology for trip planning and information gathering will be able to find all they need through Google Maps and the Canton website. Those who are less comfortable with technology, who do not have computer access, or who simply stumble upon the tour, will have ready access to printed literature. In this way, the self-guided tour will have broader market appeal. Furthermore, adjustments may be needed throughout the life of the tour due to changing or supplemental information. As such, all of the proposed methods can be altered with little difficulty. Additionally, they can be easily complemented with later projects, such as location additions to the tour, a visitor's center, museum, or guided tours. Tar~et Markets The target market for this project will include Canton tourists, as well as residents interested in learning more about the town in which they live. This might include visitors in town for the Spoon River Scenic Drive, the Friendship Festival, class reunions, and trips to see family and friends, returning natives, and any number of other local events. By utilizing this tour infrastructure, visitors to Canton will develop a greater understanding of, and fondness for, the area. Additionally, they will become more likely to patronize the shops, restaurants, and recreational opportunities in Canton's business district, thus increasing the local economy and enhancing the overall atmosphere of our downtown as a welcoming and exciting destination. Bud~et and Resources Quotes have been gathered for a variety of signage materials with varying appearances, life spans and price points. The material chosen will depend largely on the funding body. Novalloy: $1934.00 x ~ ~ ~~aN,~ te ~ ~ ~ . i6 ai ~:~~~a~ ' ~ y 7i ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~a ~ i~~i F ~ L °s t '9. . , ~W ~ Price includes .r ; , seven 8" x 10" x 3/8", 2-color signs, blind taps with studs for mounting, shipping and a lifetime warranty. Photo examples follow (signs will be wall mounted rather than freestanding): High-Pressure Laminate: $987.00 Price includes seven 8" x 10" x 3/8", 12-color laminate panels, 4 inserts each with studs for mounting, shipping, and a 10-year warranty. Photo examples follow (signs will be wall mounted ~ ~ ~ i s~ I {P~RA~~l~~,~~~pui ~~~u ~d~~Alil i~~VP~~i la~~~y~~! ~ID~!1~~9l,M ~ Iq'~°~91i1~1 ; i ~ I'9~i~~ ~,I~~~~~I'11i~~~1 ~~~~~M~u~,~ill ~d~~ ~III.I ~A~I~ ~~I~I~, I I I i ~ rather than freestanding): High-Pressure Laminate Sign Examples , Photometal: $493.00 Price includes seven 8" x 10" x.012", monochromatic metal plaques, plexiglass covers and mounting materials. All materials can be sourced from locat businesses. Plaque example is attached. Additionalltems Cost Quantity Total Brochure Holder $10.00 6 $60.00 Printing $0.10 500 $50.00 Mounting $20.00 7 $140.00 Total Additional Cost $200.00 Activities such as historical research, writing, website updates, and map construction are underway or have been completed. Additional human resources are needed for historical research and knowledge, gathering pertinent photographs and general project administration. As a clear community development project, this tour framework would be well suited to receive TIF funds. Additionally, downtown business owners may be interested in contributing the costs of signs and other materials placed at their business location. Ancillary Activities The initial proposed framework for this tour has been kept intentionally modest in both cost and scale. However, upon proof of success, supplementary activities can easily be undertaken to increase the scope and magnitude of the project • Stand-Alone Interpretation at Cook Medical: This particular property lies at the heart of Canton and its history is imbedded in our residents. As such a crucial piece of our collective recollection, it is imperative that this site is appropriately marked and recognized. • Historical Homes: Canton holds many beautifully restored, historical houses, particularly along West Elm Street. Interpretation and literature might be expanded to include these assets, or they may form the basis of separate tour. • Artists' Renditions: As we strive to include more visual aesthetics in our downtown, local artists might be commissioned to render works based on our historic landmarks. ~ . , Motion and second were made by Aldermen West/Fritz to send to Council the high pressure laminate for the self guided historical tour proposal. The motion carried by voice vote and was unanimous. For The Record: Alderman Pickel did not vote on this since Katy and Tory's store would be a potential area for the historical tour. Next week Alderman Pickel will refrain from voting. The Community & Industria) Development Committee adjourned at 8:OOp.m. Negotiations, Grievance & Personnel A/derman Dave Pickel, Chairman Nothing for open session. The Clerical Committee adjourned at 8:01 p.m. No Executive Session Held Adiournment ' I Com ittee adjourned at 8:02 pm ~ ~ ~ ucker City Clerk