Macon Reporter

Village of Harristown Board of Trustees met Nov. 27.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The Village of Harristown Board of Trustees held their monthly meeting on November 27, 2023 at 185 N. Kembark St, Harristown, IL. Trustees Jay Trusner, Les Jenkins, Jeff Eller, April Bogan, Kevin Vessels, Kurt Terry, Budget Officer Rick Laskowski, Treasurer Teresa Acree, Attorney Joshua Dubbelde, Clerk Penny Allen, and Mayor Evelyn Deverell were present. The meeting was called to order at 6:33 pm, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Adopt Meeting Agenda

Motion by Trustee Vessels to adopt the meeting agenda. Trustee Jenkins 2nd. Approved 6-0.

Approval of Minutes

10/23/23 regular board meeting – Mr. Terry’s first name should be Kurt not Curt. Motion by Trustee Vessels to approve minutes with above correction. Trustee Eller 2nd. Approved 6-0.

Visitors

Mike Sorrentino questioned how long he has to leave the JULIE flags up? Mayor Deverell told him if they have completed pass their house, they can remove them

Chris Coggan and Brian Canady from Camp Wilson Church were present regarding the expansion of the church discussion later in the meeting.

Treasurers Report

Treasurer Acree discussed.

Bills needing approved

Samuel Miller attorney $ 2158.00

Foremost Truck install snowplow/salt spreader $ 14,494.97

Total $ 16,652.97

Motion by Trustee Trusner to approve above payments. Trustee Jenkins 2nd. Approved 6-0. Motion by Trustee Trusner to approve Treasurers report. Trustee Eller 2nd. Approved 6-0.

Budget Officers Report

BO Laskowski discussed. Motion by Trustee Vessels to approve Budget officers report. Trustee Trusner 2nd. Approved 6-0.

Zoning and Planning

Mike Sorrentino discussed the zoning hearing on November 7, 2023 regarding special use permit for Camp Wilson Foursquare Church expansion. They would like to start in spring. The Zoning committee recommends approving this expansion and allow the house to be there. Trustee Vessels asked if there were any concerns about the building being so close to the house? Mr. Sorrentino said the contractor would decide this concern. The variance would allow the house to be there until one year after construction. Motion by Trustee Eller to approve a special use permit 23-20 to allow church to be in residential area. Trustee Trusner 2nd. Roll call: Trustee Bogan, yes; Trustee Eller,yes; Trustee Jenkins, yes; Trustee Trusner, yes; Trustee Vessels, Trustee Terry, yes. Approved 6-0.

Motion by Trustee Vessels to approve as ordinance 23-21, to allow house to remain up to one year from effective date of ordinance. Trustee Jenkins 2nd. Roll call: Trustee Bogan, yes; Trustee Eller,yes; Trustee Jenkins, yes; Trustee Trusner, yes; Trustee Vessels, Trustee Terry, yes. Approved 6-0.

Storage America Update -still working with IDOT for correct access (annexed 10 acres)

Public Works

Jonathon Closs not present. Report distributed.

FEMA claim from the storm June 30-July 2nd - should receive approximately $ 12,000.

Old Business -nothing to report

New Business

DCEO Grant-receiving $45,000-need to decide what to do with it

Employee Christmas Bonus Pay-Motion by Trustee Eller to give Superintendent of Public works, Jonathon Closs, maintenance man Jeremy Embrey, and Clerical Misty Peters all $500 for Christmas bonus. Trustee Trusner 2nd. Trustee Vessels suggested raising to $750; Trustee Eller stated he feels $500 is fair. Approved 5-1

2024 Board Meeting dates-Motion by Trustee Trusner to approve as the 2024 regular board meeting dates as January 22, February 26, March 25, April 22, May 20, June 24, July 22, August 26, September 23, October 28, November 25, December 16. Trustee Terry 2nd. Approved 6-0.

Personnel Committee –Nothing to report

Streets and Alleys Committee

IDOT will be resurfacing Main Street in 2024; 36 to Glasgow

Finance Committee – nothing to report

Ordinance

Ordinance Violations-Apartment building on Kembark/W. Main had a dog running loose. Mayor sent them a letter. Dog has not been on village property since. Resident Bones’ children were playing in the village hall parking lot. Jonathon Closs talked to them. A trail cam camera has been installed.

Treasurer ordinance – distributed. This is for changing from elected to appointed. Attorney said will have to stay as is until next election April 2025. Teresa Acree is currently being paid $23/hr and works about 10 hours a week. This is tabled until more research is done for the compensation.

Clerk ordinance- distributed. This is for changing from elected to appointed. Motion by Trustee Trusner to approve as ordinance 23-22 making clerk position an appointed position instead of elected with the deletion of sections J & L regarding compensation, leave this out completely for now. Trustee Bogan 2nd. Roll call: Roll call: Trustee Bogan, yes; Trustee Eller,yes; Trustee Jenkins, yes; Trustee Trusner, yes; Trustee Vessels, Trustee Terry, yes. Approved 6-0.

Cannabis Ordinance- Mayor Deverell said discussion on this has been ongoing since 2019. She has asked the attorney to look into what tax we will get from the growery. Trustee Trusner said he has reached out to Sheriff Root about the laws regarding consumption on sight. Deputy Shane Beck said this is completely different than alcohol. He said if someone consumes one gummy or 2-3 hits, they have to sit for 3 hours before they are legal to drive. He also said if Harristown allows a lounge, be prepared for gangster rap groups promoting their brand; it will be bad for Harristown and bring down property values. Trustee Eller stated he does not see an issue. Trustee Trusner questioned how the lounge will be controlled? Trustee Terry said he understood that they said no one can bring anything in as it all has to be bought next door. Mayor Deverell stated need to firm up the ordinance. Trustee Trusner thinks we need to eliminate consumption entirely in the ordinance. Our ordinance states have to have a permit for consumption. We could shut it down when this happens. Trustee Trusner had requested Mayor Deverell to shut it down but nothing was done. Mayor Deverell said she was told Indus does not pay for the bus to be there; the bus comes to promote their own products. Trustee Trusner stated the bus is just like a lounge which is not allowed. Trustee Vessels said the ordinance states 2 licenses are available; does this mean 2 can be granted. Attorney said the Mayor cannot issue without Board approval. Licenses can only be granted by board and then the mayor can issue. Mayor Deverell said the Attorney had advised her not to shut them down. 22-1-7 states what can be done if violation occurs. Trustee Terry believes people would use a lounge if they can’t smoke at home and for social aspect. Trustee Trusner questioned again how is this going to be controlled; how are they going to control what is coming in? He stated the Mayor should never be telling a business “”we will never shut you down”” as she did with them. He knows there are side conversations the Mayor has with Indus. He stated that if this ordinance was approved tonight, she would be calling them after the meeting to let them know. Trustee Trusner said he is here for the people of Harristown. It appears a straight answer can never be received from Indus. He does not see the benefits of a lounge/consumption on sight. Trustee Eller stated he went when the bus was there to see what was going on and that is was a pleasant atmosphere. Teresa Acree disagrees with this statement as her daughter was there and it was not a good atmosphere at all. Trustee Vessels said his issue is they are not following the ordinance and doing what they said they would do. He believes before a lounge, we need to have police enforcement and other regulations in place. We made a promise to the residents that there would not be public consumption. Trustee Jenkins stated provisions can be added like check id’s, get police force. Trustee Vessels stated if this was going in his area, he would be furious, he has a 1 year old daughter. Our job, as government, is to make sure no one leaves drunk or high. He said we need to get something in place to not allow busses for consumption. If we approve the ordinance, that makes it one step closer to having a lounge. This ordinance states cannot have a bus; motorized vehicles. Mayor questioned the violation mentioned in the ordinance. It says has to send 3 days notice advising a public hearing about revoking or fining them. Trustee Jenkins said he thinks once this is passed, then we can tell them they cannot have a bus there, if they do, we can suspend their licenses. Motion by Trustee Vessels to approve as ordinance 23-23, revised cannabis ordinance. Trustee Jenkins 2nd. Roll call: Trustee Bogan, yes; Trustee Eller, yes; Trustee Trusner, no; Trustee Jenkins, yes; Trustee Vessels, yes; Trustee Terry, yes. Approved 5-1. Mayor questioned if she can advise Indus? The Board recommended she email them.

Water and Sewer Committee

URWC – water rate increase from them for 2024 beginning February 1st of 8%. Our residents rate increase will be in May for 3%.

Economic Development

Park Grant-received Norfolk and Southern grant for park.

Veterans/1st Responders Dinner-was successful; money is in bank. Could use for walkway

Santa -December 9, Santa will be riding on firetruck around village

Music Bingo – will have one in February

Farm ground property on Main Stret – this is in village and it is residential even though they are advertising it as commercial. If sold, they will have to come to village to get zoning changed.

Motion by Trustee Trusner to enter closed session to discuss closed session minutes. Trustee Eller 2nd. Approved 6-0.

Enter closed session at 8:54 pm. Back to regular session at 9:05 pm

Motion by Trustee Vessels to release 9 sets of closed session minutes: October 26, 2020; December 21, 2020; January 25, 2021; February 22, 2021; April 26, 2021; November 22, 2021; May 22, 2023; June 26, 2023, and August 28,2023. Trustee Vessels 2nd. Approved 6-0.

Motion by Trustee Bogan to adjourn. Trustee Vessels 2nd. Approved 6-0

Meeting adjourned at 9:06 pm

https://villageofharristown.com/documents/231/VOH_11-27-23.docx