REGULAR MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF TAMPICO
November 3, 2015 – 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 Bruce Hill, Phalen Vancil and Derrick Maupin were present. Commissioner Scott Meier was absent. Police Chief Terry Strike was also present and Village Clerk Kathy Leathers recorded the written and digital minutes.
Mayor Hill let those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Minutes of the October 20, 2015 Regular Meeting were approved as presented.
On a motion by Commissioner Vancil with a second by Commissioner Maupin, approval was given for a fence permit for Joe Johns, 406 E. Second Street. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Hill, Vancil and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
Al Morthland brought a matter before the council dealing with a family that has a newborn baby and recently had their water tested. Morthland said they were told not to give the water to the baby unless they boil it for 5 minutes because it’s full of nitrates. Mayor Hill told him this is the first the council has heard of this issue. Morthland said don’t you guys test it. Mayor Hill told him the water is tested all the time. Mayor Hill said she would like to see those tests. She said they need to bring them into the office and that way the village can run a test as well. Morthland told the Mayor she thought he was making it up and she was calling him a liar. Mayor Hill said she is asking him to please ask them to bring their water sample in here or have Tom, [Pierce], stop and gather one.
Morthland next addressed Commissioner Hill about the junk yard on S. Lincoln Street. Morthland was told the matter has been turned over to the courts.
The council next learned the upgrades to the W. Kimball Street lift station will begin either the middle to end of November or even into December. Clerk Leathers told them everything is completed on the sewer project on South Main Place.
Commissioner Hill updated the council on the status of the Emergency Storm Siren installation. He said he hasn’t heard anything from the company after sending the incorrect unit back but he is hoping to hear from them in the next couple of weeks. Mayor Hill said the generator is in place so it won’t take long to get it installed.
Discussion turned to the annual contribution to the Illinois Municipal League Risk Management Association for Work Comp Insurance, Property Insurance, Auto Insurance and General Liability Insurance. The company has offered several payment options such as paying early and getting a discount or paying the contribution amount in two installments. The original invoice amount was $29,062.00 and paying early and in full will give the Village a $290.62 discount making the payment $28,771.38. The council agreed to the savings with full payment. On a motion by Commissioner Maupin and a second by Commissioner Vancil, approval was given to pay the discounted amount of $28,771.38. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Hill, Vancil and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
Commissioner Hill motioned with a second by Commissioner Vancil, to approve a resolution authorizing the use of Motor Fuel Tax Funds for payment to the Whiteside County Highway Department in the amount of $1,217.95 for Section 15-00000-01-GM for engineering fees to repave East Third Street. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Hill, Vancil and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
Commissioner Hill motioned, with a second by Commissioner Maupin, to approve a resolution authorizing the use of Motor Fuel Tax Funds for payment to Martin & Company Excavating in the amount of $27,403.74 for Section 15-00000-01-GM for repaving services for East Third Street. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Hill, Vancil and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
Council members were given copies of the annual audit for their records. A copy will be kept on file in the Village Clerk’s office.
Zoning Administrator, Ron Kuepker, issued a building permit to Joyce Cole, 216 S. Benton to replace the roof on her house and garage.
Reports of Village Officials
Clerk Leathers told council members the new township assessor, Kathy Hogue, stopped in this week to introduce herself and let the village know she has been out and about familiarizing herself with the area.
Mayor Hill gave council members a copy of the RCC agreement. She asked them to please read through it and see if they have any changes so it can be sent to the Village Attorney for final approval. Mayor Hill advised it will need to be put on a meeting agenda for approval since it will be a policy and that way it can be binding if anyone damages the building in any way. She said it covers the village in the event someone renting the building would say they didn’t know.
Mayor Hill told the council she had sent out a Text Alert today because water tower had been drained for standard maintenance so people may experience a slight drop in pressure until Friday. Mayor Hill advised she also put it on the Village’s web page. Mayor Hill noted that 14 people had signed up for the text alerts. The mayor encouraged anyone who would like to be signed up that doesn’t know how to do so may come to the Village Clerk’s office and fill out a form and then either the mayor or the clerk will go online and sign them up. Mayor Hill said there is a choice of e-mail alerts or text alerts. She hopes this will encourage them to get on but make sure they are not getting a charge if it’s coming in to their cellphone. She said most companies do not charge if it is coming in to their phone and only charge if it goes out. Mayor Hill advised she really wants to encourage it and push it because it was a really good way to send out a message quickly today saying don’t be alarmed it’s not a problem it’s normal maintenance that had to be done.
Mayor Hill reported to the council she met with the Day Care Board last night and there will be an open house on November 22nd and the opening of the Day Care will be November 30th. She told them the Open House is from 2-4 pm and everyone is invited to attend that. Mayor Hill advised they do still have a short list of items for simple things such as a can opener or if you have towels or dish cloths laying around. She said they are looking for a small tool kit with a hammer, screwdriver and tape measure. Mayor Hill said she will post the list for people to see. Mayor Hill announced they have been completely approved and the license is basically in the mail.
Clerk Leathers gave the council an update on the state budget she received from the Illinois Municipal League and it’s pretty grim. She told the council that all along municipalities have been told they would not be hurt that Local Government Distributed Funds, [LGDF], were fine. Leathers advised she had gone back over payments the village has received from the state since the beginning of the fiscal year. She told them a few payments were received around the first of October but the village has not received Local Use Tax funds since August and no Video Gaming Tax since May. Mayor Hill said she had heard today that the state is really, really trying to have at least some type of budget agreement by January 1st. She said while there is a little flicker of hope today, lawmakers know once the state rolls over to January 1st the state will be in really dire straits and it will cost the state far more than how the deficit is impacting everyone now. Mayor Hill said we are at their mercy and there are a few things that trickle down. Clerk Leathers told the council in light of that she thinks they are going to have to approve a permanent transfer of funds earlier that most years probably as soon as the next meeting.
Mayor Hill also reported the recent “Trick-or-Treat” at the RCC went really well. She said even though only six people were set up to hand out treats, they did have 150 kids. Mayor Hill thinks it would be nice to organize a little more to help with that. Mayor Hill was told by one “treater” that she started out with 12 dozen cookies and only 3-4 dozen by the end of the evening.
There were no communications.
Commissioner Vancil reported he was able to get someone down to give an estimate for the cost of repairing the fence at the basketball courts replaced and at the ball diamond. Vancil said in some cases it may be more cost effective to replace rather than repair. Vancil advised he is still looking into getting a fence for the outfield. Instead of going with a chain link fence it’s like a snow fence and it’s cheaper. He told the council once it is up for the first time, they can stake it out and take it down for the winter. He said it rolls right up, stores well and they can put it back up themselves next year so they don’t have to have someone out there every year and they won’t have to worry about the fence rusting. Vancil said the cost came out to about $1,000.00 installed. He advised he has the estimates for everything else and he will have them turned in for the next meeting. Mayor Hill said it would pretty much go on the next budget or whatever they can chip out of this budget as well. Vancil told her everything would be booked for springtime since the contractor is busy pretty far out.
Mayor Hill told the council she has met with Tim Hatten. She said Hatten has some programs he is looking at some adult gym nights along with several other programs he is working on as well.
Vancil told council members the Tampico Recreation Committee will be having their meeting next week. He is hoping to get the rest of their details worked out such as the Father / Daughter Dance. Mayor Hill is checking into insurance for serving alcohol at a ball diamond event. Mayor Hill said looking over former Commissioner Toby Johnson’s list, there are only a few things left on that wish list. Mayor Hill stated those are helpful and they need a wish list in order to get things done.
Mayor Hill advised the council there are now two new members to the Day Care Board, Luke Sandrock and Marsha Rogiewicz. She said the Day Care has a really energetic, dynamic board and she is just in awe of what they have done.
Bills were ordered paid on a motion by Commissioner Maupin with a second by Commissioner Vancil. “Yes” votes were Hill, Maupin, Vancil and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 7:27 PM. The next regular meeting of the Tampico Village Council will be Tuesday, November 17, 2015 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 17th DAY OF November, 2015
**These minutes are not official until signed, dated and sealed by the Village Clerk**
