Macon Reporter

Village of Warrensburg Village Board met Aug. 7.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Riley called the meeting to order at the Warrensburg Village Hall on Monday August 7, 2023 at 5:30 p.m., reminding everyone the meeting was being recorded.

THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was recited.

ROLL CALL: Present: Mayor Riley, Trustee Fisher, Trustee Freeman, Trustee Hackl, Trustee K. Hood, Trustee P. Hood & Trustee Netherton. Also present were Chief Wheeler, Atty Jankowicz, & VAC Hundley. DPW Allen was absent.

MAYOR’S COMMENTS: Mayor Riley presented the board with a copy of the Warrensburg logo that the majority of the trustees had stated they liked when it was presented a couple months ago. We have checked on doing letterhead using this logo. If no one objects, we will move forward with this. It will also give us a definite starting point for the signage for the east & west sides of town. Trustee Netherton has taken on the project of contacting persons who would be able to do the signs.

Mayor Riley reported on the Corn Festival and how it was one of the best that we’ve had thus far in terms of weather, attendance, feedback, no issues and profitability. The committee has already met to talk about how this year went and what could be done going forward. The festival next year will be July 18 – 20, 2024.

PUBLIC COMMENTS: Lacey Wright was in attendance and also mentioned how proud she was of the Corn Festival committee and how hard they work to make things successful. She does hope new persons would want to be a part of this great effort.

NEW BUSINESS: Mayor Riley brought up the potential tree removal on the property at 254 S Main. A motion was made by Trustee K. Hood, seconded by Trustee Freeman to accept the bid from Xtreme Tree Service to remove the tree. The cost will be shared by the homeowner. 3 proposals had been received and Xtreme was the lowest. Trustee Hackl wanted proof that it was on Village property and didn’t think it was acceptable to start tree removal if it wasn’t on Village property/easements. He suggested maps should be reviewed, which would show the easements where water lines are located. Trustee Fisher stated the only way to obtain a legal decision was to hire someone to have it surveyed. Trustee Hackl agreed and stated the homeowner should consult with a surveyor.

Atty Jankowicz was asked for his opinion and he stated he felt Trustee Hackl was making 2 points. Certainly, if the tree is not on Village property, the Village might create a precedent if we take it down. The 2nd is how we prove it. The most current way is to look at the GIS maps the county has. They are aerial photos and would indicate where the tree is; however, those are not legally binding. In looking at the photos, it would appear the tree is potentially on the library property.

Atty Jankowicz mentioned one other option, given what the aerial shows, it could be said the decision is between the Village & the Library as opposed to the Village & Mr. Creekmur. If each party were to pay a third, it could be taken off the agenda and a good neighbor to everyone. A motion was made by Trustee K. Hood, seconded by Trustee Netherton to table this decision until the next meeting on August 21. Roll call vote: Yes – Trustees P. Hood, K. Hood, Freeman, Netherton, & Fisher. Trustee Hackl abstained. Motion carried.

A motion was made by Trustee Fisher, seconded by Trustee K. Hood to approve Option #4 of the recommendations by Moran Economic Development for the Perfect Pair TIF application. Atty Jankowicz stated it should be clarified that this is a one-time grant payment for 100% of the total eligible project costs, estimated to be $34,492.00. Mayor Riley explained what their request is for: to remodel an existing 800 sq. ft. room to create a space to host events and classes and to construct an outdoor dining space. He went through the TIF eligibility estimates and the majority of the indoor space would be eligible but the outdoor space would not due to it being new construction. He invited Wanda Timmons and Lacey Wright a chance to explain their vision and plans. Wanda stated she is trying to improve their business and in turn, the Village of Warrensburg. They hope to use the remodeled event space for meetings, showers, classes, etc., which will bring more people to the Village. Lacey stated they attempt to make The Perfect Pair as a destination location & enjoy that experience. Mayor Riley mentioned the board knows 121 Coffee Run will be relocating out of their building and asked what kind of thoughts did they have for that space. Wanda stated they have several ideas for that space, including a soda fountain, ice cream shop, protein shakes, possibly coffee but not to compete with 121 Coffee Run. It will not be retail space but something that can add to the overall experience of The Perfect Pair. Roll call vote: Yes – Trustees Fisher, P. Hood, Hackl, Netherton, Freeman, & K. Hood. No – none. Motion carried.

ENGINEER: Luke Kirby was in attendance from Chastain & Assoc. He took notes in regards to possible sewer grant for work that needs to be done; IDOT had sent information for SRTS grants which needs to be applied for by October 2; and he was going to view and take pictures of the recent sidewalk work that was done for the current SRTS project.

REVIEW/APPROVAL OF MINUTES: A motion was made by Trustee Freeman, seconded by Trustee Netherton to approve the minutes of the July 17, 2023 regular meeting. These should have been received via email last week for review. Motion carried. A motion was made by Trustee Freeman, seconded by Trustee Netherton to approve the July 31, 2023 special meeting minutes. Motion carried.

VILLAGE ADMINISTRATIVE CLERK: Trustee Freeman moved and Trustee K. Hood seconded to approve the Balance Sheet, pay the bills and make the appropriate transfers for August 7, 2023. She mentioned there quite a few invoices to pay as evident by the 2-page report. There were still many invoices for the Corn Festival but the majority of those payments have been made. No IL Funds transfers will need to be made, which is good since the average rate of return for July on those funds was over 5.3%. Mayor Riley asked what the invoice to Illinois EPA for NPDES fees was for and how often it was invoiced. Roll call vote: Yes – Trustees Netherton, Fisher, Hackl, P. Hood, K. Hood & Freeman. No – none. Motion carried.

VAC Hundley let the board know there was a budget comparison in their packets since it was the end of the 1st quarter.

VAC Hundley reported an estimated invoice from General Code to update our code, both the online code and print new pages to be inserted in the 2 copies of our code. The estimated cost was between $1,450.00 and $1,670.00 for 5 ordinances. Two of the ordinances were for the Personnel Policy and the Fair Housing Policy, which normally aren’t included in the code book. Her recommendation would be to hold off on this, especially since we are talking about making changes to the utility billing procedures. She would also like to confirm why we need 2 paper copies updated. It was the consensus of the board to hold off.

FINANCE: Trustee P. Hood didn’t have anything.

BUILDING: Trustee Netherton didn’t have anything.

POLICE: Trustee Fisher didn’t have anything other than what Chief Wheeler wanted to update in regards to the body cameras.

A motion was made by Trustee Fisher, seconded by Trustee Hackl to accept the proposal from Midwest Public Safety for $5,662.00 for the purchase of body cameras and an annual cost after that of $1,320.00. VAC Hundley asked if there were copies of the proposals for the board to review.

Chief Wheeler had received a proposal from Axon late this afternoon and their quote for a 5-year contract is $18,000.00. The first-year start-up is $7,815.44, which includes storage costs. It increases each year after that. The proposal from Midwest Public also includes storage costs but doesn’t have a set cost per year after the first year.

Mayor Riley asked what the start-up cost covered. Chief answered it is 3 body cameras, 3 blue-tooth trigger devices, officer mounts in the quotes, docking stations, remote set-up, training and yearly storage space. Mayor Riley asked what the rules were for the storage space, which Chief explained. Mayor Riley asked how Chief would know when footage can be deleted. Is it up to our department to determine that? Chief explained there are standards out there to go by and the program gives you prompts when it is uploaded to the system. It was also asked if there are prompts when it is time for material to be removed from storage. This is all cloud-based storage, not on a disk or hardware. It was asked why Axon was increasing the plan every year. Chief is unsure. (Chief Wheeler went on to explain the differences between the plans but it wasn’t clear on the recording which plan or what equipment was being talked about.)

Chief Wheeler mentioned there will be a small cost to install the blue-tooth switches into each of the vehicles. This will be done by Clear Talk.

Roll call vote: Yes – Trustees Fisher, P. Hood, Hackl, K. Hood, Freeman, & Netherton. No – none. Motion carried.

Chief Wheeler presented his monthly report for July. He reported things went fairly smoothly during the Corn Festival. No arrests were made and lost property was returned to the various owners.

SEWER: Trustee Hackl reported he had contacted Vandevanter today to see when they were going to be able to do the work at the sewer plant. He had talked with Jared Burdick to see why they hadn’t responded to requests for information. Mr. Burdick said it was totally his fault.

Vandevanter had planned on being here on Thursday, August 17 and it was explained there were some serious situations which needed addressed. They said if the parts were available, they will be here on Tuesday, the 15th. This is for the repair on the lagoon pipe.

Mayor Riley reported there is another issue after the check valve in one of the pumps was replaced. Now that engine is making some noise and will probably need the bearings replaced and the other pump will not hold prime. It is having to be manually primed to pump.

Mayor Riley had talked with Trustee Hackl and Trustee Hackl is going to try to get a Sewer Committee together to talk about grants and what needs to be updated at the plant.

Trustee Hackl mentioned he’s had the 495 John Deere lawn mower for the sewer plant at his house trying to repair it and he brought it back up to the street shed. Kenny Crosier will take a look at it tomorrow.

STREETS: Trustee K. Hood would like to go ahead with the sidewalk from N. Washington St towards Dollar General. He hasn’t gotten any response from Dollar General so he would recommend stopping at the property line. Trustee Hackl asked if we had an agreement with the apartment owners. We do not at this time as Atty Jankowicz was waiting to find out what Dollar General was wanting to do rather than go back & forth with the apartment owners. Now, with direction from the board, he will be able to have an agreement & ordinance ready for the next board meeting. Trustee Hackl asked if there was going to be the purchase of an easement involved and there will not. The apartment owners feel it will save their property from damage by having the sidewalk.

Trustee Hackl wanted to make clear that the Village didn’t used to be able to use MFT money for sidewalks. Atty Jankowicz stated since Luke was here, he could bring the question to Chastain’s for clarification. Trustee Hackl stated that if it doesn’t come out of the MFT fund, it would need to come out of the General Fund and if the board thought the General Fund could take a $15,000.00 hit, we are wrong.

Mayor Riley reported on the Oil & Chip project, which happened last week. He stated all of Warren, all of West St, south to the Village limits and North and South Main streets were done. Trustee Hackl asked why S. Main was stopped at Off St. He felt it was in the plan. He & Trustee Fisher asked why the parking spaces on N. Main weren’t done. Trustee K. Hood had told Dunn not to cover the parking spaces. Trustee Fisher & Hackl stated those were Village property and it was going to cause future issues. Trustee P. Hood asked if it was spelled out the parking spaces were to be coated. Trustee Fisher mentioned it should be coated from sidewalk to sidewalk on N. Main. Trustee Hackl mentioned it’s going to break down and he’s taken a couple pictures. It was suggested Matt from Chastain clarify what should or shouldn’t have been done and how to remedy the situation.

Cindy Hundley mentioned if the spaces are supposed to be striped when seal coated, then we need to also make persons quit parking on the sidewalks since that will break down the concrete sidewalks that have been repaired. It was mentioned by Trustee Fisher that was most likely put into place when the vehicles were smaller and with the larger trucks and vehicles now, it’s difficult to avoid pulling onto the sidewalks. VAC Hundley stated that the Village Code needs to be amended because it clearly states there is not to be parking on sidewalks. Trustee P. Hood mentioned there is parking available in other areas. It was mentioned it would be difficult to enforce the no parking on the sidewalk if signs weren’t posted. Atty Jankowicz suggested a temporary alternative might be to paint a yellow stripe along the edge of the sidewalk.

WATER: Trustee Freeman made a motion, seconded by Trustee Hackl to accept a proposal by KLM to clean the exterior of the pedestal water tower for the amount of $7,950.00. Another proposal submitted by National Wash Authority quoted it for approximately $1,000.00 more. Mayor Riley asked if other than aesthetics, does this do anything for the tower? It was also asked how often this would need to be done and it was mentioned it was done to at least prior to 2017. Roll call vote: Yes – Trustees K. Hood, Freeman, Netherton, Fisher, Hackl & P. Hood. No – none. Motion carried.

PUBLIC WORKS: DPW Allen wasn’t in attendance.

VILLAGE ATTORNEY: Atty Jankowicz thanked the board for excusing him from the last meeting as he’d had surgery. He also suggested the agenda be amended to reflect the special session minutes date of July 31 instead of August 31.

Atty Jankowicz mentioned he’s been attending the Village Board meetings for approximately 43 years and as he was hearing different topics being discussed tonight, to remember that everyone is donating tremendous amounts of time, effort & energy to do the work for the Village. He reiterated that sometimes during discussions, comments that are made about what was done, not done, how it was done can come across in the tone or speech as harsh. Remember to be civil in the discussions and cordial with each other.

OTHER AND/OR OLD BUSINESS: VAC Hundley asked if everyone had brought the information with them that had been presented a couple meeting ago so that it could be discussed tonight & possibly make some decisions as to the procedures. She reminded everyone that what is currently being done does not conform to Village code. Mayor Riley asked VAC Hundley would take the lead on it since the office deals with it. One of the questions she had when thinking about preparing for the meeting was “Do we really need to physically mail the penalty bill?”. The code states the penalty should be charged if the account is not paid by the 15th and then mail a statement on the 20th. The original bill mailed shows what the penalty amount will be if not paid. On average, 50 penalty bills are mailed each month which would cost approximately $33.00 with postage, paper & envelopes. Even if we followed Village Code for the mailing of the penalty statement, 5 days later we are instructed to put a door tag on the door for notification of non-payment and possible termination of services.

Trustee P. Hood asked, if at the point of the door tag, are they paying a late fee? VAC Hundley explained they’ve already been charged the penalty at that point and according to Code, they are supposed to be charged a $25.00 service charge AND if service is terminated, they are to be charged another $25.00 fee to reconnect service. VAC Hundley feels the $25.00 service charge does not need to be charged. She will gladly work with Atty Jankowicz with her suggestions to amend the Village Code and bring it back to the board, possibly by the next meeting. Mayor Riley asked if it was acceptable with the board to try to streamline and clarify the process. All were in favor of that.

Mayor Riley brought it to the board’s attention that he had received a text from 121 Coffee Run, asking if their TIF grant could be increased by $3,500.00 as the contractor had raised the fee for the demolition. He contacted Moran’s and they gave him 2 options: state to 121 Coffee Run that they had come to the Village with one amount and that had been approved; or Moran could prepare an amendment to the contract that was signed approving the increase. He asked for the board’s feedback. Mayor Riley had contacted 121 Coffee Run for an explanation as to why the contractor was asking for additional funds and had not heard back. Trustee P. Hood asked if a lesser amount could be approved. It probably could but we would still have costs associated with the amendment.

Mayor Riley mentioned that every time he comes to the office to do anything or talk with the staff, someone calls or comes in to hammer the Village regarding the condition of the properties in town. Is there something “outside the box” that can be done to help the people with their property? It could be clearly made known that it’s a one time offer of assistance. Currently we are doing everything within our abilities to make the situations known, we send letters, we follow-up with citations, volunteered to mow a yard, etc. Do you think there would be enough people in this town to volunteer to help people? He knows there are people in this town with special skills and equipment who could help with this if they are willing but where do we draw the line?

Trustee Hackl moved and Trustee Freeman seconded to adjourn. Motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 7:31 p.m.

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