REGULAR MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF TAMPICO
June 21, 2016, 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.
Commissioner Bruce Hill, Scott Meier, Derrick Maupin and Phalan Vancil were present.
Police Chief, Terry Strike was also present. Village Clerk, Kathy Leathers, recorded the written and audio minutes.
Minutes of the June 7, 2016 Regular Meeting were approved as presented.
Mayor Hill told those present the council had proposed a special permit when they changed the existing ordinance to allow alcoholic beverages at outdoor events which will allow groups to have events such as “Wine in the Park” and other different outdoor venues. She advised the council opened it, [the ordinance], to make it a little more flexible and to help the businesses in the village, too, so they aren’t getting in trouble if someone walks outside during an event that is happening in front of their establishment as well. Mayor Hill said she hoped it would help both of the liquor establishments but unfortunately, Julie, [Old Town Pub n Grub], is now closed too. She said it may even help the beer garden too. Mayor Hill reported Larry Specht, of the Tampico Men’s Club, was willing to sign the application as being under the Men’s Club. Mayor Hill said the special license just during the car show is the only time and within that area. She said the area will be monitored and police officers will be there. In addition, she said there will be a little leniency afterward, the village will not pull up and start arresting people the minute the cars in the show pull out. Mayor Hill said there will be no glass containers on Main Street and one of the promoters of the show, Ricky Dean, said he has monitors who will help patrol the area and that will help. Mayor Hill hopes it will allow more flexibility, a little more friendly atmosphere, a little more leniency during that time. She said this is what Tampico Days is about and as long as it’s limited to an area and it’s not like it’s during the night time to disturb anyone. An audience member asked if the cars were going to be on Main Street and you just walk up and down and see them. Mayor Hill told them they will just cruise in and park for a few hours and then back out. She said they will be the only ones allowed in that closed section of Main Street.
A motion was made by Commissioner Hill, with a second by Commissioner Meier, to approve a special outdoor event liquor license for the Tampico Men’s Club to allow alcoholic liquor and beer to be consumed in a designated area for a Car / Cruise-In on June 25, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Hill, Meier, Vancil and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
Al Morthland once again engaged the Mayor in a heated discussion with topics unrelated to Village business with his supporters joining in. Mayor Hill called for order several times. The same group questioned Mayor Hill’s reference to the legality of Morthland going up and down the alleys in town. According to state law, unless you have a delivery, are visiting someone, you live on the alley or have a purpose for going down the alley, you have no business going down them. Resident, Beth Etheridge, said that is true and was in force when the previous Mayor was in office. Etheridge said he put a stop to it since there were people going up and down his alley all the time. Mayor Hill stated the comment was, while you have no business down an alley, but if something is seen, then it needs to be reported to the officers or to zoning.
Resident, Carol Camper, reported the alley behind Joy Street, between Joy Street and Lincoln Street, they had tilled it up or whatever but it needs gravel in the pot holes. Camper said she had mentioned something a month ago. Mayor Hill stated she would talk with Public Works.
Camper also asked the mayor if she had tried to find some assistance for people in town with flood damage. Mayor Hill told her yes, she had. She has contacted Springfield but since Tampico is not in a flood plain and insurance companies won’t give the insurance unless an astronomical amount is paid. The Mayor said she would like to work with Springfield for ways that people can get flood insurance to help protect them in events like this 500 year flood. She reported, unfortunately something like this helps to call attention to the need and the need for it to be a priority. Mayor Hill said there are so many things you have to go through. Camper asked if there were any grants or some type of assistance for people who had damage like side walls caving in. Camper said there are quite a few homes. Mayor Hill stated they could probably go through the USDA to see if there is some assistance and if they qualify for some of that through Rural Development. Mayor Hill stated that a lot of times they have loans and programs.
Commissioner Hill stated he had gone through this with a house on Washington Street. He said the basement caved in and it wasn’t safe. Hill said they tried to help her out but they couldn’t. He said like Mayor Hill said this isn’t a flood plain. Camper said people can’t buy insurance. Mayor Hill said that is what the village is trying to work toward so people can. Camper said even if you can get insurance, when the foundation falls in, which includes three houses in town that are having issues, they can’t even get help for that. Mayor Hill told her the USDA does have some programs that individuals can seek out. Mayor Hill said people can check with them and the village does have some information they can contact with, but a lot of the time it’s more for an individual. Mayor Hill reported it was a 500 year flood and there is only a .2% chance it will happen in another year. Camper said more rain was expected the next day. Commissioner Hill said hopefully that won’t happen.
Business owner, Bonnie Anderson asked Commissioner Meier if he could get more gravel to put near the drywell on her side of the sidewalk since it has all settled down in. Anderson said since they have had lots of rain, lots of her gravel is washing down in there. Mayor Hill reminded those present approval from the state might be needed to make sure it was done the way it was supposed to be done because the area did drain off really well. Anderson said it’s her property. Mayor Hill told her according to state law, you have to allow drainage and if it is damming it up in any way or obstructing it…Meier clarified the matter as settling of gravel and dirt where the drains were installed. He said some of it may have filled back in. Mayor Hill said we just need to make sure they are compliant with the state. She said so far it’s good and it drained really well and within 12 hours. Anderson said it took a little longer for her side of the sidewalk because the drain is on her property. Mayor Hill told Anderson she, Anderson, did offer and and the Mayor appreciates that. Commissioner Meier will check into the matter.
Carol Camper told the council behind the Post Office floods something terrible and now since there are only three parking stalls in front of the Post Office people have to have some place to park. Camper wanted to know if there is something that can be done. Mayor Hill told Camper that is private property. Camper wanted to know if that included the drain. Commissioner Hill told Camper there is actually a pump in that drain and it’s their responsibility because it is private property. Commissioner Meier told them it actually drains into a manhole behind the Fire Station and it goes from there under the newer ambulance building and then on to the storm sewer. Mayor Hill stated the Post Office had actually proposed parallel parking in front. Hill said she was opposed to it until the state came down and did their review. The Mayor reported that’s when the state said under the agreement with the village, there will be parallel parking and the Village had to do it. Mayor Hill told them there have been positive comments that it is easier to get out, they don’t have to worry about backing out onto the street and they can see better. Camper said she had been watching people come in this way or that way. Mayor Hill said she is just the messenger and she has told people what the state said the village had to do. Camper asked if it was the Post Office’s private drain. Another resident said it runs into the city sewer. Commissioner Maupin said it still doesn’t make it the village’s problem. Commissioner Hill said the village can’t do anything about it. Camper said the Post Office is a federal building, right? Mayor Hill said the property is private and is leased to the Post Office. Commissioner Meier said there are a lot of them that way. Mayor Hill said the drain is a design from years ago and capacity is capacity and there are only so many places water will go. Commissioner Hill said especially after getting 5.16 inches of rain and then another inch or two on top of that.
Resident Deb Terbush brought her concerns about the placement of her neighbor’s fence to the council. Terbush stated the neighbor did not get a survey and she just wanted to make it known that the neighbor is not within his property lines. Mayor Hill told Terbush to let the Zoning Administrator know and bring it to his attention. The Mayor said she knows he didn’t realize that and that way the village can correct the situation. Terbush said she talked to the zoning administrator about all this. She said she did not want the neighbor putting up the fence and then all of a sudden she is arguing with them to get it moved. She said she would rather alleviate it and do it prior to them putting the fence up and then require them to move it off my property. Terbush said she asked to see the neighbor’s layout and she was told that she could not see it. She just wants to make sure they are well off her property. Mayor Hill told Terbush she has a right to see it. Mayor Hill said she was sorry Terbush was told that. Mayor Hill stated anything adjacent to her property, she should have the right to address it. Terbush said she just wants to make sure they are off her property, her driveway is actually not her boundary. Terbush said her driveway is actually not… and is between whatever she and the Village Clerk looked up, it was not, it is still stating that it’s the city’s alley and in all the years she has been here, it’s not. Mayor Hill agreed saying there is still an easement. Terbush said a previous board must not have deeded it or never had the city…what she, they, had surveys done and they had it deeded over to them and it was supposed to be in Whiteside County. She said she has not contacted the county herself but that requires her getting over there during work hours and that’s hard for her to do. Mayor Hill assured her the neighbor would be contacted and asked not to proceed until the issue is resolved.
Discussion turned to Commissioner Maupin about a men’s basketball league’s request to rent the gym. Maupin told the council he talked with the league’s contact person and he hasn’t finalized anything yet. Maupin said he told them what the council had discussed at their last meeting. They are still trying to finalize things and the league normally runs a concession stand as part of their league and what they do with the profits from the concession stand is they go back and donate portions of it to the local boosters and the different clubs in town. He said the money tries to stay in town. Maupin said that’s fine if the village allows them to do that, if they are going to end up giving it back, giving some of it back to the town. Mayor Hill said it would also be serving people in the area too. Maupin said he is okay with that aspect of it. He said it eliminates the hassle of trying to find people to man a concession stand. Maupin said the town should see some benefit from it. Maupin also said they asked if there would be a week-day discount or if the village would offer them a cheaper rental rate if they took the two week days as opposed to staying on Saturday. Maupin said he doesn’t see why the council couldn’t do that since it would be more beneficial for the village. Mayor Hill said typically the gym is not rented on those nights at all. She said a lot of places have a weekday and a weekend rate. Maupin said it could still be rented out on the weekends. Maupin said he advised them he would talk with the council tonight and get back to them. Mayor Hill advised she thinks it’s great to have another program in here. She said it looks like the league has had some success in other areas. Maupin said he would find out what they are thinking and he wouldn’t be opposed to a $50.00 per month discount to take the Tuesday-Thursday time slot. Mayor Hill said the way it stands, she thinks they pay it back and if they can have some concessions too. Maupin said it still puts a value for those days and it should be good. Maupin said if the league feels they can run on these days, effectively, he would like to see them fill those days up then it would still give the village the chance to rent it out to the community on the weekends, it’s just more activities. Maupin said that’s where they are at. Mayor Hill replied it sounds good.
Ordinance No. O03-16-06-21 establishing the prevailing wage rates in Whiteside County was approved on a motion by Commissioner Maupinl and a second by Commissioner Vancil. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Hill, Meier, Vancil and Mayor Hill. The motion carried. The ordinance determines the Prevailing Rate of Wages for Whiteside County as determined by the Illinois Department of Labor. Copies of the Village’s prevailing wage ordinance will be forwarded to the IL Department of Labor. Copies of the ordinance are also available from the Village Clerk’s office.
There were no building permits issued by Zoning Administrator, Ron Kuepker.
Bills were ordered paid on a motion by Commissioner Maupin and a second by Commissioner Vancil. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Hill, Meier, Vancil and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 7:26 PM.
The next regular meeting of the Tampico Village Council will be Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at 7:00 PM in the Reagan Community Center located at 202 W. Second Street.
Kathy A. Leathers
Clerk
Kristine L. Hill
Mayor
MINUTES APPROVED THIS 19th DAY OF July, 2016
**These minutes are not official until signed, dated and sealed by the Village Clerk**
