Macon Reporter

City of Clinton City Council met April 18.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

Minutes of the Budget Hearing of the City Council, City of Clinton, Illinois in session in the Council Chambers of City Hall and electronically, Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 6:45 p.m. Mayor Roger Cyrulik, presiding. On roll call Commissioners Wise, Ballenger, Edmunds, and Buchanan were present.

Mayor Cyrulik turned the meeting over to Paul Skowron, CEO of the Hospital and Tom Hankins to give an overview of the capital and operating budget for fiscal year 2024.

Paul Skowron, CEO, discussed the Capital Budget total of $7,399,200 (excluding carry over and contingency). He stated the Hospital plans to pay for the capital purchases with cash and investment reserves which can absorb these costs as the Hospital has been building up those balances in recent years. If all the non-contingency items are purchased, certificate of deposit investments of an estimated $5.6 million may need to be used to pay for the non-contingency capital purchases. Contingency items would be separate. Major expenditures include: Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Financial System upgrade (Meditech) $2,300,000, Remodel Emergency Department $1,500,000, Roof reconditioning: Hospital and Family Medicine $700,000, West Parking Lot and Storage Garage $700,000, Redesigned American Disabilities Act (ADA) Entrance for Specialty Clinic $600,000, New offsite Emergency Trailer Storage $150,000, New Family Medicine and Specialty Clinic Exam Tables $195,000, Remodel Med Surg Nurses Station $125,000, and Other Facilities Improvements $395,000.

He then discussed the Operating Budget, which is projecting an excess of revenues over expenses of $487,349. Inpatient revenue is 7% and outpatient revenue is 93% of the total revenue. Of this revenue, over 43% will be written off due to Medicare, Medicaid and various other reasons concerning expenses, 40% relates to salaries and wages, 10% employee benefits, 16% professional fees, supplies 11%, Utilities 1.3%, Purchased services and maintenance services 15%, Education and travel 0.5%, Insurance 1%, Depreciation 5%, and Other expenses 0.2%.

Mayor Cyrulik thanked Paul and Tom for their presentation and asked the Council if they had any questions.

City Treasurer, Clint Lichtenwalter discussed the City portion of the budget. He stated the General fund revenues have increased over the last few years with the largest increases being in sales tax, income tax and video gaming tax. The General fund expenses are budgeted approximately $1.4 million higher than the current year estimated year-end totals. This is due to some large capital items including the purchase of a fire truck that was approved last fiscal year but will not be completed until next fiscal year, two new squad cars and mobile and body cameras, as well as two new trucks in the street department. The FY24 budget projects that we will dip into our reserves by approximately $1.2 million. Around $800,000 of this is due to ARPA money that came in during a prior fiscal year but will be transferred out for water infrastructure projects during the next fiscal year. The rest of it has to do with the unusually large capital budget. The FY24 projected reserve balance would be about 13 months of operating and capital expenses. State mandated minimum wage increases will continue to have direct impacts on the budget in future years in the General fund (fire department) and the Garbage Disposal (yard waste). The Water and Sewer budgets both include a 4% increase to their respective portions of the water bill. The Self-Funded Health Insurance fund continued with another very healthy year so there will again be no increase in rates to the departments or employees in FY24. There have been no premium increases since FY16. Our three pension funds are in very healthy positions. IMRF is currently 91.26% funded as of 12/31/22. Police pension as of 4/30/22 was 99.79% funded on an actuarial basis and 92.63% funded on a market basis. Fire pension as of 4/30/22 was 108.61% funded on an actuarial basis and 104.43% funded on a market basis.

Commissioner Wise thanked Commissioner Edmunds and Clint for all the hard work on the Pensions and the Budget. He stated the ARPA money was received and we are doing some upgrades to the Plant. The new water tower and the main coming up from the Plant but we have to make sure the Plant is running at all times and that is as important as the new water tower. I want the citizens to know that this is all in the long-term plan. The ARPA money has to be used before 2024. The projects will be done when we have the money.

Mayor Cyrulik thanked Clint for his presentation and asked the Council if they had any questions.

Mayor Cyrulik asked for any comments or questions from the audience. Hearing none, motion was made by Commissioner Ballenger and seconded by Commissioner Buchanan to adjourn the Budget Hearing. On roll call vote, Commissioners Ballenger, Edmunds, Buchanan, Wise, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

Minutes of the regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Clinton, Illinois in session in the Council Chambers of City Hall and electronically, Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. Mayor Roger Cyrulik, presiding. On roll call, Commissioners Edmunds, Buchanan, Wise, and Ballenger were present.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Kendra Hunt addressed the Council regarding Dollar General. I attended the Planning Commission meeting last Tuesday and they stated that the parcel had been zoned back in December but the meeting you had it was stated it was annexed but you didn’t know of the rezoning. Can you clear that up? I know you are here to approve the Budget, you pass Ordinances, Resolutions, regulate land, rezoning, communicate policies but do you feel like you are doing this? No one is answering questions. Keeping plans on the downlow and having unsanctioned meetings after residents leave a meeting is not communicating with transparency. That is pretty shady. That makes me question trust and I don’t trust that this Council has its resident’s best interest or safety in mind to allow Dollar General to build less than one hundred feet of residential homes. You are implying that we don’t matter. You have heard our concerns, our potential loss of thousands of dollars in our property value, safety of pedestrians without proper infrastructure, the water runoff issues, all of this is going to happen, and the Council will not answer questions or explain why this location was chosen. This is not fair to the residents who live on E. North St. Just because you can build it here doesn’t mean you should. Residents of Clinton deserve better representation with individuals who can be truthful and actually care and take care of existing infrastructure issues instead of creating more. Profit over people is not a good look.

Tracy Karr addressed the Council regarding Dollar General. I know last Tuesday there was a semi sitting on E. North St. trying to unload. Why are people trying to unload when there are no permits? There is a Bobcat there now. I attended the Planning Commission meeting and two out of three voted no so the Minor Subdivision didn’t pass. Can their decisions be heard, and their concerns be known?

Marc Rogers addressed the Council regarding Dollar General. I just want you to know that the people speaking to you are just like Dollar General we are not going away. We belong to this town. We are not giving up. We have semis coming in stacking up merchandise in the parking lot at Family Video for Dollar General. Someone needs to start investigating that Dollar General is not playing fair with anybody. When you call the main office, they deny anything about a new building in Clinton. You talk to all the contractors they are hired by Dollar General to come in and do this. We now have more equipment sitting at the site. We just need to be heard and understood that whatever you do they were offered land and they refused it because they wanted two acres out of eleven acres, and they refused because they wanted to continue farming but Dollar General wants to control it all. This is not conducive to this City. They want something on the main drag, and they are as far from the main drag as you can get.

Seth Redington addressed the Council about Zoning and Planning Boards. My family’s property abuts property that is zoned Industrial. Any time you are building in Industrial there needs to be a permit and it should go to a Board. The Fire Training facility does not have a building permit. The City stated they don’t have ties to it. Loopholes – I want to know what is being built next to me. How can they burn in a facility in town when we can’t burn? Weasel it in and nobody will notice and then it is already there. I listen to the minutes, and you can hear the sidebar conversation. I heard one of the Commissioners say if you don’t like it then move. I am not moving. Commissioner Wise I will tell you that Jemima was Jemima St. It wasn’t Jemima Lane. They put the road sign on the wrong road years ago. That has been a road for many, many years and because the City failed to maintain it is not my problem. But as a taxpayer I should have access to my property. I have been told because I am tired of mowing a street, I have been told by Commissioner Buchanan that I can’t even park there. So, Commissioner Buchanan told me it is going to be abandoned. So where are you going to abandon it from Sherman St. to the fence going east or just in front of those two properties? Whenever I come and ask questions, I can’t get any answers. Commissioner Wise stated one time if you want answers to come to City Hall and that is what I have been doing. Each one of you is elected by the public to do the best for the City. You are not City employees. Just one more question - water mains have to be below thirty-six inches and Commissioner Wise stated it has to be four feet or more. Where is the City’s trench box? The City has an agreement with the union and the workers in this town are union. They have rights too.

Written motion was made by Commissioner Buchanan and seconded by Mayor Cyrulik that the minutes of the regular meeting of April 4, 2023 be approved as submitted. On roll call vote, Commissioners Buchanan, Wise, Ballenger, Edmunds, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

The bills and payroll were read.

Written motion was made by Commissioner Edmunds and seconded by Commissioner Ballenger that the bills and payroll be allowed as read and the Clerk be instructed to issue warrants on the Treasurer for the several amounts. On roll call vote, Commissioners Wise, Ballenger, Edmunds, Buchanan, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

PETITIONS

John Baker, Chairman of the Tree City Commission, presented the awards to the Arbor Day Poster winners, which were Mailey Boston, Avalynn Farrell, and Addyson Dunham. Mayor Cyrulik read an Arbor Day proclamation. The Arbor Day Celebration will be Saturday, April 29th at 10:00 a.m. in the Arboretum located on Taylor St.

REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Mayor Cyrulik Tabled the Recall and Rescind of the Vote on the Garbage Bid Approval and Contract with GFL Environmental. He also stated there are bricks falling at the Brownstone on E. Adams St. so we have the sidewalk roped off and will be getting bids to tear it down.

Written motion was made by Commissioner Ballenger and seconded by Commissioner Buchanan to reappoint Chad Walker to the Fire & Police Commission – said term to expire May 1, 2026. On roll call vote, Commissioners Ballenger, Edmunds, Buchanan, Wise, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

Written motion was made by Commissioner Ballenger and seconded by Commissioner Edmunds to reappoint Brandon Robinson to the Police Pension – said term to expire May 1, 2025. On roll call vote, Commissioners Edmunds, Buchanan, Wise, Ballenger, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

Written motion was made by Commissioner Edmunds and seconded by Commissioner Wise to reappoint Edith Brady-Lunny to the Tree City Commission – said term to expire May 1, 2026. On roll call vote, Commissioners Buchanan, Wise, Ballenger, Edmunds, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

Written motion was made by Mayor Cyrulik and seconded by Commissioner Wise to reappoint John Baker to the Tree City Commission – said term to expire May 1, 2026. On roll call vote, Commissioners Wise, Ballenger, Edmunds, Buchanan, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STREETS & PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS

Commissioner Buchanan reported the department is picking up brush this week and wanted to remind the citizens of the size of brush pile you can set out 4x4x8 and that leaves have to be in the brown paper lawn bags to be picked up.

REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC PROPERTY Commissioner Wise had no report.

REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY Commissioner Ballenger had no report.

REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTS & FINANCES

Commissioner Edmunds had no report.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Written motion was made by Commissioner Edmunds and seconded by Commissioner Wise to adopt Ordinance #1574, An Ordinance Adopting Budget (FY 2024). On roll call vote, Commissioners Ballenger, Edmunds, Buchanan, Wise, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

Written motion was made by Commissioner Wise and seconded by Commissioner Edmunds to approve the Proposal for Engineering Services for the Water Treatment Plant Improvements from Mead & Hunt in the amount of $126,800.00. On roll call vote, Commissioners Edmunds, Buchanan, Wise, Ballenger, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

Written motion was made by Commissioner Wise and seconded by Commissioner Edmunds to adopt Ordinance #1575, An Ordinance Amending the City of Clinton’s Public Ways & Property Codes – Sewer & Water Use Charges (4% increase). On roll call vote, Commissioners Buchanan, Wise, Ballenger, Edmunds, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

Written motion was made by Commissioner Ballenger and seconded by Commissioner Edmunds to approve an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Clinton and DeWitt County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) for $15,000.00, which will be paid in four quarterly installments of $3,750.00. On roll call vote, Commissioners Wise, Ballenger, Edmunds, Buchanan, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

NEW BUSINESS

Written motion was made by Mayor Cyrulik and seconded by Commissioner Buchanan to approve Resolution 2023-5, A Resolution Approving Minor Subdivision (Dollar General). On roll call vote, Commissioners Ballenger, Edmunds, Buchanan, Wise, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

ADJOURNMENT

With no further business to come before the Council, a motion was made by Commissioner Ballenger and seconded by Commissioner Buchanan to adjourn the meeting. On roll call vote, Commissioners Edmunds, Buchanan, Wise, Ballenger, and Mayor Cyrulik voted “Yes.”

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