REGULAR MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF TAMPICO

November 4, 2014
7:00 PM
Reagan Community Center

Mayor Kristine L. Hill called the regular meeting of the Tampico Village Council to order at 7:00 PM.

Commissioners Toby Johnson, Bruce Hill, Mary Jo Sigel and Derrick Maupin were present. Also in attendance, Chief Terry Strike. Village Clerk, Kathy Leathers, recorded the written and digital minutes.

Mayor Hill led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Minutes of the October 21, 2014 Regular Meeting were approved as presented.

A review of the October 21, 2014 Public Hearing Notes for the DCEO Storm Warning Siren Grant was made with no changes.

Village resident, Susan Frank, addressed the council about a sewer smell in her home. Frank stated Mary [indicating Commissioner Sigel] called her today and asked if Frank had a sewer smell in her home. She advised the council they have cleaned all the traps in their home or changed them and have checked the exterior vent for blockages. She stated they have no idea where the sewer smell comes from and why they have it. Frank also said the residents behind her have a water problem, saying the water is either milky, rusty or yellow. Frank stated her neighbor’s have told the Utility Clerk about it when they pay their bill but nothing is done. Frank said she has talked with a lot of people in town who have problems with their water. She stated they all have told her, ‘Why go to the meeting? They aren’t going to do anything about it anyway.’. Frank also said it was a hard one to figure out what’s going on. Mayor Hill asked Commissioner Sigel if she called Frank this morning. Commissioner Sigel stated she called Frank because her sewer was really bad. Sigel said she was curious if Frank had a sewer smell too to see if it was in the area or not. Frank said because they, [Sigel and Frank] live on the same block.
Commissioner Maupin said he understood they were both on the same sewer line. Commissioner Sigel said Anna is usually the same too. Mayor Hill said she was surprised Sigel did not call Commissioner Maupin or Tom Pierce. Commissioner Sigel said she wanted to call Frank first. Frank said because Sigel wanted to see if she had the same problem. Mayor Hill said she understood that so they could report both…Sigel stated she was going to tell Commissioner Maupin at the meeting but she was just curious. Frank said she called the neighbor behind her and why she called Anna Wetzell to see if she was having the same problem, too. Frank said Wetzell told her she is not having the problem, ‘at this time’. Frank said that’s how she put it. Frank said she talked to Maupin who told her Pierce had done some pretty random water testing and they all came out fine. Frank wanted to know who the samples were from. Maupin told her the three samples were taken from three places on map Pierce provided. Maupin said the first sample was taken from the Fire Department, the second farther downstream from the old village hall and the third was taken from the Men’s Club. Frank stated then the samples were not from residential areas. Maupin told her the samples are from residential areas, they are on the same lines as residential.Frank said she had confidence in Pierce doing the water testing properly and everything but if there’s a problem, wouldn’t you want a second opinion just to make sure. Mayor Hill said Pierce takes the samples to Dixon. Frank asked if Pierce does take it to Dixon or if he does it himself. Maupin advised her he does some himself. He, Pierce has to test it everyday, because the water changes with the seasons and changes when it comes out of the ground, that’s why he checks it every day. Pierce told Maupin there are several tests he has to send in to the EPA, who send the village coolers and vials have to be drawn and sent in when the EPA says. Maupin said some are six months, some are quarterly and some are every year, some are every three years, different versions of tests. Maupin said Pierce tests for the phosphates and the chlorine level everyday cause that’s what he is adjusting. The phosphates help with your color, they help to clear it up and chlorine level is to help neutralize the things in the water. Frank asked Maupin about the bacteria, what about maybe nitrates, what about all the other things in the water that aren’t good for small children, doesn’t the village test for that? Maupin told her those are part of the EPA tests. Frank wanted to know how often that is done. Maupin told her he wasn’t sure about the time line but it all follows the EPA guidelines. Maupin said you can go to the EPA website and see the village’s score. Al Morthland wanted to know what’s causing all this. Mayor Hill stated the council talked about that at the last meeting, the scouring from the harsh winter. Maupin said that’s what the village thinks right now. Mayor Hill said that’s what came back with the letter that was brought up at the last two meetings. Frank said she can’t believe that there are still problems from that because that was isolated cases, that wasn’t the whole town. Frank said it was people on the east and west sides and now it’s on the north that are having water problems. Mayor Hill told Frank even though the more lines did not freeze, there was still ice in the lines that scoured the lines and released residue in the pipes. Commissioner Sigel asked if the results from the video cameras were back yet. Commissioner Maupin told her that’s not until the first week of December. Mayor Hill said that’s the sewer lines that will be videoed not the water lines. Morthland said he talked to someone who lives on W. Third Street who said her water stinks like sewer. As Morthland has said repeatedly, his water is dirt. Morthland said when he uses a washrag it looks like you washed the floor with it. Frank said a resident on East Second Street turns on their water and it comes out of the spigot looking like dirt. Commissioner Maupin stated this is something that is not going to be fixed overnight and we can sit here and preach that all we want. The village’s ability to gather more information to figure out what’s going on depends on how many people the village knows that it’s impacting. Maupin said if the village can get verifiable information and samples and get everybody in here bringing in this nasty water the village can test it and could see what’s going on and where it’s changing and start plotting them out on a map, maybe the village could see on a map that certain residents on certain lines are affected. Frank said she had heard from her son there is a lot of chatter about this on facebook. Mayor Hill told Frank facebook remarks were addressed at the last meeting. Commissioner Maupin reiterated that facebook is not a proper place for it to get noticed. Commissioner Maupin said he hears about facebook complaints third-party. Maupin said the proper way to reach him is to either send him a private message, call village hall and talk to either Kathy or Anna, they will relay the message to him, just like it was done this morning for Frank. Maupin said he will call people back as soon as he possibly can and the village will try to work it’s way through it and try to see what’s going on. Frank suggested the village send out letters. Maupin said his question is, Frank thinks her problem is serious enough for her to make a call and come here and talk to him about it, others must not think it that serious enough of a problem if they don’t want to come in here. Frank said she realizes this is an inherited problem…Mayor Hill advised the council is doing everything in their power to rectify the situation but like Maupin said, it takes time to get everything in line and November 4, 2014 Regular Meeting Minutes – Tampico Village Council, it is on our project list so the village has a list of priorities so it can get this stuff addressed. Commissioner Sigel agrees they are getting the information out there and she agrees if the village does send a letter out to ask the people for any information they may have with their water or their sewer to let the village know. Sigel said because people are frustrated right now with what is going on. Sigel thinks that is a good start, a step forward to get the data, at least the data that Maupin is asking for. Commissioner Maupin told Sigel she couldn’t even take the time to call him today regarding the sewer smell. Sigel said she was going to tell him today. Sigel said she has told the village before about the water, before. Sigel said she wanted to know if her neighbor was having the sewer problems that she was having. Commissioner Maupin said he understands that but at the last meeting Sigel sat right there and heard him say the biggest thing he wanted to happen was to talk to him if you’re having problems. Sigel, said the council is having a board meeting, she was going to tell him today. Frank told the council the only reason she called the city is because Sigel called her. Frank said she did not know what was going on. Frank said she asked what they could do about it because the smell was driving her nuts because it is sporadic, it’s not all the time. Maupin said he understands. Mayor Hill said she has lived her all her life and her mother has even said to her there have been highs and lows over the years with the water but it hasn’t been as bad as it used to be in the past. Mayor Hill said it used to be once a week when they flushed the hydrants and everybody got nailed in certain sections of town. Mayor Hill said they don’t recommend flushing them now because of the age of the water mains and breaking stuff lose, they don’t want that rush and then lose the village levels and what not. Mayor Hill said there may be times when you are using the same water lines that maybe somebody past you might have clear water but it could be within a certain residence as well. Mayor Hill said that’s not to say that’s what Frank’s issue is. Commissioner Maupin said most of the houses in town, and he doesn’t want it to sound like he is passing the buck by any means, most of the houses in town are starting to get up there in age and if people are not maintaining their houses some of this may be the owner’s fault. Maupin said what he doesn’t want to do by sending a letter out is to get everybody to come in here and storm in here and say ‘guess what, I don’t have any problems, it’s not my fault it’s the village’s fault, I’m going to get them to pay for this.’ Maupin said he doesn’t want to create an attitude for people to come in here and thinking that is it the village’s fault no matter what. He said because there are things that can be wrong on the average person’s, on most people’s side of the house. He said he knows for a fact that he doesn’t keep water in some of his drains and in some of his traps the way he should. He said he doesn’t notice any sewer smell but that doesn’t mean other people don’t. It doesn’t mean that everybody goes to every trap in their house and fills them once a month, or once a week or whatever. Maupin said he doesn’t want to create an atmosphere where a lot of people coming in here thinking they are going to get something free, getting hand-me-outs. He does not want to create that by saying, ‘Guess what, we think there’s a problem so please come to us’. The village is trying to figure out if there is a problem. Maupin said when someone gets fed up with it enough to come in here, like Frank had, to talk about it. Maupin said that’s fine, he could take it as a legitimate complaint. Maupin continued by saying that if somebody on facebook that just jumps on a post of thirty people complaining, it’s easy when you’re just sitting around talking with your friends to start talking and complain to complain. Maupin said he is trying to spread the word as much as possible and that’s a problem with facebook. Maupin said if residents would make a little bit of effort to come talk to him, he will give you some effort back in return to figure out what your problem is. Maupin said he can’t take facebook as a serious complaint. Maupin stated if people will take the time to contact him or village hall, he will take the time figure out what’s going on and he will try to get them the most satisfactory answer that he can. Commissioner Hill stated in some of the older homes, when the wind gets a certain direction and gets in your vent pipe that comes out of your roof, it will actually blow down and push those odors down and a lot of them can come into your house. Commissioner Maupin will be in touch with the Frank’s soon.

One other resident thanked Commissioner Maupin for getting back to her so soon about her problem with rusty water. The resident had recently moved to Tampico and was told by other residents not to call village hall since nothing gets done. She said the water goes from brownish to creamy, but yesterday it was fine. Commissioner Maupin asked if it would be feasible for the village get a sample or if she could bring a sample by village hall. Commissioner Maupin advised the resident to bring by a sample of water on a bad day.

Discussion turned to cast iron pipes and replacing them if they are inside the house. Commissioner Hill stated those cast iron pipes and the older galvanized pipes allow build-up and that could be why people are having issues with dirty water. Commissioner Maupin said if residents take the initiative and have a licensed plumber come out and the plumber says he can’t find a problem or a reason for this is happening and puts it in writing, they should bring that into him. Maupin realizes it costs to have a plumber come out but it would make the village realize it was not something… Mayor Hill stated Pierce does work with the plumbers too.

Commissioner Maupin reported there has been no progress in talks with Mediacom. Mayor Hill said the village will hang in there a little longer.

Mayor Hill advised the council the village’s grant application for the South Main Place Sewer Project has been rejected. Mayor Hill said for right now she is waiting to hear from Sharon Pepin about why the village was rejected for the first round. The Mayor said at this point she is not concerned unless the grant writer, Sharon Pepin, tells her to be concerned. Mayor Hill said in fact the village wound up with more money another time an application was rejected and resubmitted.
Clerk Leathers advised council members there will be another public hearing for the Emergency Storm Siren Grant on Tuesday, November 18, 2014, before the regular council meeting. Leathers advised this will be for the USDA portion of the grant and is the next step in getting the storm siren.

Clerk Leathers told council members the Annual Treasurer’s report goes hand in hand with the annual audit and it will appear in this week’s Echo. The treasurer’s report will be kept on file in the clerk’s office along with copies of the audit and are available to the public. Leathers advised the numbers on the report have been taken from the audit.

Building permits issued by Zoning Administrator, Ron Kuepker, were as follows; a new roof at 409 E. Market and a new garage roof at 104 Ross Street.

Reports from Village Officials

Commissioner Johnson advised the recreation committee will be meeting again the next night. The men’s basketball league has resumed at the RCC with a little over ten (10) people playing a couple hours every Wednesday. Johnson said it’s $2.00 per visit to play otherwise it’s $20.00 for the quarter. Johnson said everyone is welcome.

Mayor Hill said she would like to thank Don and Shirley Lester for their Trick or Treat night here
November 4, 2014 Regular Meeting Minutes – Tampico Village Council, at the RCC. The Lester’s thought it might be too cold to be handing out candy and wound up with eleven (11) people handing out candy and about 150 kids. Mayor Hill said they would like to expand it next year and have cookies and hot chocolate and all kinds of stuff. They would like to do it again to make sure it’s a safe “Trunk or Treat” kind of atmosphere.

Alice Grimes, Shirley Lester and Avis Rosenow, with Royal Neighbors, are working to decorate the barrels downtown for Christmas. Mrs. Grimes is actually donating the trees in memory of her husband, Harold, but it will be a Royal Neighbor’s project as well.

Bills were ordered paid as presented on a motion by Commissioner Johnson, second by Commissioner Hill. “Yes” votes were Johnson, Hill, Sigel, Maupin and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.

Commissioner Sigel stated she thought there was a good turnout for the election.

The meeting adjourned at 7:40 PM. The next regular meeting of the Tampico Village
Council will be November 18, 2014 at 7:00 PM in the Reagan Community Center located at 202 W. Second Street.

Kathy A. Leathers _________________Kristine L. Hill ______________
Clerk Mayor

MINUTES APPROVED THIS _18th_ DAY OF __November_______, 2014

**These minutes are not official until signed, dated and sealed by the Village Clerk **