REGULAR MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF TAMPICO
June 20, 2017
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 Derrick Maupin, Robert Sigel and Scott Meier were present. Commissioner Todd Tornow was absent. Police Chief Terry Strike, Police Officer Brian Oostenryk and Assistant Clerk Jamie McIntire were also present. Village Clerk, Kathy Leathers, recorded the written and audio minutes. The meeting was also video recorded.
Mayor Hill led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Minutes of the June 6, 2017 Regular Meeting were approved as presented.
Reports of Village Officials
Commissioner Rob Sigel informed the council that he has met up with Public Works Superintendent Pierce. Mayor Hill said that’s great. Sigel said Pierce has a lot going on so he thought it would be better if he was informed with everything. Mayor Hill said that makes sense.
Mayor Hill then said, since that was brought up, she wanted to let everyone know that the State is in dyer straights right now. Mayor Hill said it’s down to crunch time again, and the State is going to start withholding any money as of July 1st. The State is going to start shutting down construction and we don’t know how bad it’s going to get. Mayor Hill said it’s not just MFT, but also for the main highway. At this point with some of the Villages maintenance money, we don’t know if they suspend the time or if the Village will be prorated. Mayor Hill said the council currently does not have answers to anything, but wanted to make everyone aware. It’s going to be nip and tuck for a bit, but hopefully the State will come through at the eleventh hour and get something done for the Village. Mayor Hill said it is getting pretty critical. Clerk Leathers said the Village receives $397 from the State every quarter to maintain Main Street, and they are not going to be sending that anymore. Mayor Hill said the MFT isn’t paying people, so who knows.
Commissioner Maupin said Yoga starts tomorrow. There are classes at 9:00am, 5:00pm and probably 6:00pm. Mayor Hill said the teacher, Jennifer Sleeman, has been getting some good responses about the class. Sleeman said next week the 9:00am class will be at 7:00am because of a prior commitment. Maupin said we’ll get the word out and have that posted on the Villages website. Mayor Hill said it’ll also be in the report in the paper, so that will help too.
Remarks from Guests
Village resident Al Morthland asked Commissioner Meier why the taxpayers are paying for somebody to come over and sit in the office about 90% of the time they are here. Meier said paperwork has to be done. Morthland asked paperwork on what. Mayor Hill said it’s not 90% of the time and that the council has already went over this with Morthland several times. Mayor Hill said sometimes the police car is here when an officer isn’t on duty because there is an officer that comes here from somewhere else. Mayor Hill said when Morthland goes by Village Hall blowing on his horn, disturbing the neighborhood (Commissioner Maupin said like me) it has been noted. Mayor Hill said the council understand Morthlands concern, but it’s really not his issue. Morthland said it’s the taxpayers business. Mayor Hill said they’ve been over this and asked if Morthland has anything else.
Morthland then asked Commissioner Sigel if he has driven down the ally’s. Sigel said he has not driven down all of them. Morthland pointed out a few, including one next to his home. Sigel asked if those ally’s
needed to be addressed. Morthland said yes. Sigel said he will take it upon himself to drive down every ally. Mayor Hill said Public Works Superintendent Pierce has a list and it’s pretty well scheduled in a rotation. Sigel said if the ally’s are really bad they can be looked into. Mayor Hill said yes, if they need patching. Morthland said it’s the trees that are an issue. Mayor Hill said the trees are not on through-streets and the Village is going to be putting up signs in certain alleys as well. This has been said before. The alleys are for the people who live on those streets. Mayor Hill told Morthland it’s not his concern. If the people living on those streets and using those ally’s have a concern, they need to let the Village know so we can help them out. Morthland said he does live on the one by his home. Mayor Hill said the Village has gone through and taken care of it. Morthland said no you haven’t. Mayor Hill said we have in the past. Morthland said it hasn’t been taken care of yet this year so far. Mayor Hill said Sigel will take a look at it. Sigel said he will do it this week. Mayor Hill asked Morthland if he had anything else. Morthland told Mayor Hill not to holler at him. Mayor Hill asked Morthland if he had anything else. Morthland then asked Sigel if the sewer thing out by his folks house is going to be put in for a rock quarry. Sigel said yes, right off the main road. Sigel has spoken with Superintendent Pierce about it. Sigel said he’s getting rid of the pit but not sure if there is enough funds this year to re-do the road correctly, to where it doesn’t have the big pond out front. Sigel said they are trying to get that solved this year. Mayor Hill said Behrens is coming tomorrow. Sigel said so they are going to dig that and set that in. And then hopefully get the road grated to where there won’t be that problem anymore. Morthland thanked Sigel and Sigel said you’re welcome.
Village resident Mary Jo Sigel asked what is going on with the oil out front of Village Hall and asked if the EPA has been called about it. Mayor Hill said there is an old tank there and it’s being taken care of.
Mary Jo Sigel then asked if Bruce Hill has worked any hours since he was hired. Mayor Hill said a couple here and there but not very many. Mary Jo said she didn’t see his name on the wage list and asked that he be added. Clerk Leathers said he’s not been paid yet. Mayor Hill said he has not turned in any hours yet. Mary Jo said thank you.
Morthland asked Commissioner Meier why Chief Strike is salary. Mayor Hill said that was the way he was hired and that happened before Meier came on the board. Meier said that’s the way he was hired and it happened before he came on the council. Mayor Hill asked if there is anything else.
Village Resident Sherry Coleman said the council is doing a great job and to keep it up. Mayor Hill thanked her for that.
Unfinished Business
There was no unfinished business at this time.
New Business
The council discussed canceling the Regular Meeting of the Tampico Village Council for July 4th, and only having one meeting for the month of July. Mayor Hill said this has been done frequently in the past, especially when the meeting falls directly on the holiday. A motion to approve canceling the July 4th meeting was made by Commissioner Meier and a second from Commissioner Sigel. Mayor Hill said if a Special Meeting is needed it can be called upon. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Sigel, Meier and Mayor Hill. The motion was carried.
The council turned their discussion to approving an amended resolution to close Main Street for two days, Saturday June 24th and Sunday June 25th, instead of just one day. Mayor Hill said the council slipped up and didn’t realize the Car Show is on Saturday and thought it was on Sunday. This needs to be straightened out with the State. Mayor Hill said it’s not a huge deal with the State, they just need to know because they have a lot of over-sized loads that come through here so this way they’ll be able to schedule that better. Mayor Hill said the Village did have Main Street closed all weekend last year for Tampico Days. A motion was made by Commissioner Maupin and a second from Commissioner Sigel. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Sigel,
Meier and Mayor Hill. The motion was carried. Commissioner Maupin said the Car Show starts at 10:00am and Mud Volleyball sign ups are at 8:00am. The road will be blocked off before Mud Volleyball begins to prevent everyone from parking on Main Street. Commissioner Maupin said last year people struggled to get out that parked on Main Street when Mud Volleyball was over because the Car show had begun so the road was blocked off. Mayor Hill suggested putting out small barricades saying no parking for Car Show. Tried having that done last year but the Village was short on barricades. Mayor Hill mentioned to maybe have some of the cars parked early showing that the Car Show will be there later in the day.
The council began discussing Energy Supply Rates for the Village street lighting. Clerk Leathers handed out information on the topic to the council members. Mike Mudge with Rock River Energy Services thinks the Village needs to act on the street lighting accounts first because that’s coming up. Leathers said Mudge told her that Constellation NewEnergy, Inc. is offering a one or two year term and Dynegy has a three year term. Leathers told the council that in the handouts given, there is a graph showing the price comparisons. Constellation’s price for a three year term would be .03368 per kilowatt hour and Dynegy’s price for a three year term would be .03283 per kilowatt hour. Mayor Hill said she does not see these prices going down in the future so it would probably be better to lock in at a longer term. Commissioner Sigel agreed with doing at least three years. Leathers asked the council which company looked best to them right now, Constellation or Dynegy. Mayor Hill said Dynegy. Leathers said that it what the Village has for the Water and Sewer accounts right now. The council agreed on going with Dynegy for 36 months with a rate of .03283 per kilowatt hour for the Villages street lighting. A motion was made by Commissioner Meier and a second by Commissioner Sigel. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Sigel, Meier and Mayor Hill.The motion was carried.
The next item to discuss is the Villages Water and Sewer accounts. Clerk Leathers said after reading the note from Mike Mudge, Constellation looks to be the lowest cost and the three year term is probably the best value. Leathers said this approval doesn’t really need to happen right now because the Villages current contract goes through December. Mudge did say if possible, the Village should take advantage of the lower rates now, because there’s no guarantee of these same rates when we are up for renewal. Mayor Hill said she would like to wait because this packet of information was just given to the council today, and she would like to give everyone the chance to review it further. The Village would be better off gambling a bit because there can’t be that huge of a difference, and then the council will also have more information. Leathers said the council was just given the information today because they go by the mornings first pricing. Mayor Hill said if the council could get something the Friday before a meeting, then send updated information the day of, then we’ll know what’s going where. Leathers said she’ll try. Sigel said ComEd probably owns the line, so there’s probably a surcharge on it. Sigel said he’s not sure if all the surcharges are the same because he’s not familiar with it, so that would be another question. What would the surcharges be. Sigel said if they’re all equal, and if the rate given is the cheapest rate then yes, go with them always. Mayor Hill said from what Mudge has explained in the past, she believes it is a flat surcharge, and Mudge is willing to come to a meeting if he does not already have another meeting at the same time. Leathers said that Mudge would’ve been here tonight but he already had a couple different meetings. Mayor Hill said hopefully he can be here for the next meeting to help explain things. Leathers said the next meeting is July 18th. Mayor Hill said that way, even if the council doesn’t get the information until that day, Mudge can help express what it is. Sigel said and that way everyone can ask their questions. Maupin asked if the rates change every day. Mayor Hill said yes. Leathers said the council really needed to take care of the downtown street lighting tonight because that’s coming up real quick. Mayor Hill said the council was able to review that information so that helped. Maupin asked if it’s because of the usage why the rate is higher for the pumping stations then it is for the lighting, or does the Village get a discount for the lighting. Leathers said there is a discount for the lighting, and the Village makes money off of the pumping station so they have to get every little bit.
There were no building permits to approve at this time.
Communications
Clerk Leathers said the council already spoke about how IDOT will not be paying for the street maintenance anymore.
There was also the Ancel Glink email that was passed around to the council about the Freedom of Information requests. Leathers said the Village usually does not have a fee attached to our requests. Most of the larger requests are in an electronic format, so there is no copy paper or toner being used for those. The
Village hasn’t had to charge a fee for any requests yet.
Bills were ordered paid on a motion by Commissioner Maupin with a second by Commissioner Meier. “Yes” votes were Maupin, Sigel, Meier and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
Clerk Leathers said she did have something else to report since Commissioner Tornow was not at the meeting. The baseball program had a local business, Leathers thinks it’s a friend of one of the coaches, donated a thousand dollars for them to be able to purchase specific equipment. Mayor Hill said how nice. Leathers said the equipment has been ordered and the last bit of it was delivered today. A lot of it was stuff for training. Sigel said that’s terrific.
Village resident Al Morthland asked what was the status on the flag for out front of Village Hall. Mayor Hill said the flag pole will be moved as soon as possible. Morthland said that was said three months ago, you’re in contempt because you’re suppose to have a flag out front. Morthland said it’s the law, and if you don’t believe me look it up. Mayor Hill said ok, the Village is working on it. Mayor Hill asked Morthland if he had anything else. Morthland said no and this was his last meeting so we no longer had to worry about him. Mayor Hill said ok. Morthland said he’s getting out of this town.
The meeting adjourned at 7:21 PM. The next Regular Meeting of the Tampico Village Council will be Tuesday, July 18, 2017 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 18th DAY OF July, 2017
**These minutes are not official until signed, dated and sealed by the Village Clerk**
