REGULAR MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF TAMPICO
December 15, 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, Scott Meier, Phalen Vancil and Derrick Maupin were present. Police Chief Terry Strike was present as well as Village Clerk Kathy Leathers who recorded the written and digital minutes.
Mayor Hill led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Minutes of the December 1, 2015 Regular Meeting were approved as presented.
Resident Al Morthland was present to question council members on a variety of things. Morthland wanted to know what is being done about the sidewalk on S. Main Street that has been dug up for months. Commissioner Vancil told Morthland, he knows it’s a nuisance but village crews had recently had to dig there again to install a water shut off valve. Vancil said the village will fix the problem as soon as weather and work schedules allow but it may not be until spring.
Morthland also wanted to know about several burglaries in the area involving Christmas decorations. Morthland was told unfortunately, it’s all over, not just around Tampico.
Morthland asked again about a nuisance property not being cleaned up. He was told the matter rests with the courts at this time.
Commissioner Hill advised the council the new emergency storm siren is up and ready to be hooked up. He said it was quite the process but it is done. Mayor Hill stated it is just waiting for the final hook-up. The Mayor reassured council members they still have the old one. She said it has not been disconnected in any way. Commissioner Maupin wanted to know if that will be taken down. Mayor Hill told him yes, but the Fire Department wants to preserve it and to some extent put it back to the original location. She said it was at the fire station at one time. Commissioner Hill said they will have to have JLG or something to get it down since it is very, very heavy. Mayor Hill said that’s where the siren was when she was a kid and she would like to see it back there.
Mayor Hill asked Commissioner Vancil if he had any more fence estimates for the ball diamond and the basketball court at Booth Park. Vancil advised he hasn’t gotten anything back yet, he is still waiting. Mayor Hill told him it can be left on the agenda for next time. She said this time of year it’s hard to get things together.
Clerk Leathers reviewed the tax levy worksheet with the council. She said she hoped it helped them knowing how she came about the figures used in the Tax Levy Ordinance. As usual, the tax levy amount will be 105% of last year’s levy. A final review was made of the 2015-2016 Tax Levy Ordinance. Commissioner Maupin motioned seconded by Commissioner Vancil, that Ordinance No. O04-15-12-15 Tax Levy Ordinance for the 2015-2016 Fiscal Year be passed, approved and in effect after it’s adoption as provided by law. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Hill, Meier, Vancil and Mayor Hill. The motion carried. This tax levy provides for $13,781.00 in General Corporate Fund taxes and $62,996.00 in Special Funds taxes. Special Funds include; Police Protection Fund, Municipal Audit Fund, Social Security & Medicare Fund, Workers Comp Fund, Liability Insurance Fund and a Public Benefit Fund. The total of the tax levy is $76,777.00. This is 105%, (104.99%) over last year’s tax levy.
Mayor Hill moved the discussion of amending the Village’s Public Health and Safety Ordinance to the next meeting, January 5, 2015. She encouraged council to review an example taken from a nearby town’s ordinance to get an idea of what Commissioner Hill and Chief Strike are trying to pull together. She said the basic concept is a remedy if the police department is repeatedly called back to a residence. Commissioner Hill told the council if the police keep getting called to any place any house that is a rental or whatever, time after time after time. Hill said it’s really cutting into the police department budget. Hill advised the council once they read through the sample ordinance they will understand what he is talking about. Once it gets to a certain extent and the police have been called so many times, the village can start charging the person that is renting that place out. Mayor Hill added such as who is living there, the property owner. Commissioner Hill stated that way maybe it will stop all these call and people may start moving on and cost the village a lot less money. Hill reported the times that Strike and the other officers have been called out is getting up there to several thousand dollars. Mayor Hill said the village wants people to call the police but the properties need to be managed. Commissioner Hill said when this is going on late at night and village police have to take care of it all the time along with county, too, it gets old. Hill said coming across this sample ordinance is something he thinks will really help the village out. Mayor Hill said a neighboring town has used it and successfully. Mayor Hill said it’s just a different way of charging a fine. Commissioner Hill said maybe it will make people renting places out think it could give them a little bit of better authority toward their renters. Property owners could have rules for renting out their places and if anything goes on, they may actually be able to get rid of them. Mayor Hill said it will be reviewed and organized but that is the premise of it. Commissioner Hill said it will be blended into what the village has already and have the attorney review it and see what he thinks. Chief Strike said police are getting called out at one or two in the morning. He said usually the callers have been drinking and get into a fight and then by the time police arrive they are gone. Strike said after two calls he would like to start citing them. Mayor Hill said it will give the department a little more power to shut some more of this down. Commissioner Hill said the owner may start thinking he has to start doing something. Mayor Hill said they will get the proposed ordinance pulled together so at the first of the year the council can get it in place.
Clerk Leathers advised council members since the Tiger Cubbies Day Care is under the Village of Tampico, the accounting will be run through the Village’s accounting system. Leathers said she attended the last day care board meeting and talked with them about the issue. Leathers told the council she thought it would be best if the village opened a checking account for them since they have a separate fund. Leathers stated it would be easy to manage reports for them. Mayor Hill told the council it would still be the village’s three principal signers. Leathers said the day care board was agreeable to the idea. Commissioner Maupin said he doesn’t think the village needs to make it more complicated than it needs to be, streamline it. Mayor Hill said they will still do their own books too. Commissioner Hill said he thinks that is a really good idea. On a motion by Commissioner Hill, with a second by Commissioner Meier, Resolution No. R06-15-12-15 authorizing the Village of Tampico to do business with PNB Kewanee for the Tiger Cubbies Day Care Funds. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Hill, Meier, Vancil and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
Clerk Leathers advised the council she has heard from the Illinois Municipal League regarding the local share of state revenue. She said since the state has not been paying their bills due to lawmakers inability to come to an agreement on the state budget, the village has received very little from the state. Since the passage of Public Act 99-0491, motor fuel tax revenue, use tax revenue and video gaming revenues will be released for payment to municipalities. She advised she has already received several checks from the state for monies owed. Mayor Hill said prior to the bill being passed, she had been contacted by Representative Mike Smiddy’s office for what the village was owed this year as opposed to what funds the village had received for this time last year. Mayor Hill said Smiddy has been very good at helping the “little guys” out here. Commissioner Maupin said he, [Smiddy] has done wonderful things.
Bills were ordered paid on a motion by Commissioner Maupin with a second by Commissioner Vancil. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Hill, Meier, Vancil and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 7:25 PM. The next regular meeting of the Tampico Village Council will be Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 7:00 P.M. in the Reagan Community Center located at 202 W. Second Street.
Kathy A. Leathers Kristine L. Hill
Clerk Mayor
MINUTES APPROVED THIS 5th DAY OF JANUARY, 2016
**These minutes are not official until signed, dated and sealed by the Village Clerk**
