REGULAR MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF TAMPICO
February 19, 2019
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 Jim Coleman, Al Wildman, Scott Meier and Todd Tornow were present. Police Officer Will Lukehart 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 January 7, 2019 Regular Meeting were approved as presented.
Reports of Village Officials
Mayor Hill said she had nothing to report and asked the other Commissioners if they had anything.
Commissioner Coleman said we received the closing instructions for the Water Main Replacement Project. We’ll be proceeding with the biding for the project. The biding will be open on Wednesday, March 13th at 2:00pm. Mayor Hill said and it’s out for advertisement. We’ll be getting it done, finally.
Remarks from Guests
Todd Slock was present on behalf of the Tiger Cubbies summer daycare program. Todd Slock presented the purposed budget for the day care to the council and asked that they look it over. Slock said essentially, numbers for the day care look to be about the same as last summer. We can pinpoint our expenses fairly well. Most of it will depend on the children. We had 6 to 9 children last year, most of them being part-time. This year we anticipate the same numbers. We’ve already had some inquiries. We’re just looking for a recommendation and to see if this is something the Village would still like to proceed with in the summer time on a part-time basis. Mayor Hill said it supported itself and I think it’s a good program to have for the kids. We certainly have the space. The council members agreed. Slock said for us, we’re looking to maybe after your next board meeting, or whenever we can follow up, we can then decide to plan a little more. We’ll put some advertisements back out there again. We don’t really have any winter time staff. Amber Stavenger on occasion will follow up if we need her to with the health department or whatever it may be. Jamie McIntire has helped us out with things as well. Some of the expenses we did cut back on a little bit. Last year we planned out 10 weeks worth of preparations because we had to switch licenses and such things since we changed from full-time to part-time. We cut that time back to 4 weeks, and that’s probably more then enough. Mayor Hill said this is a good time line for our budget too. We can have the line items ready for it. I would say to include it in our budget. Mayor Hill asked if anyone had any questions. There were none. Mayor Hill thanked Slock and the whole day care board for their hard work and helping the kids in our community. We really appreciate it.
Unfinished Business
Mayor Hill said Commissioner Coleman already briefed us with updates on the Water Main Replacement Project. Everything is going very well and timely. I still have to have a meeting with Lorali Heintzelman with Rural Development. With the way the weather has been it’s been difficult to get times to get together. I’m sure Matt Hansen will be getting in touch with us soon.
New Business
The council began to review Ordinance NO.O07-19-02-19. An Ordinance to combine addresses of two properties located on South Main Street in the Village of Tampico. Mayor Hill said I’ve argued over this in the last couple of months. For years this property has been two store fronts, two addresses and one business. This is down in the area where Jared Strader is opening up his restaurant. Apparently, some laws or ordinances have changed along the years. They feel that if a business has two store fronts, then they have to have two water lines coming in and two sewer lines. All these things needed two even though it’s one business. I called our Village attorney, Mr. Shirk, and he went over to the assessors office and we’re having it combined into one address. As a Village we have the right to designate addresses within our Village. We can just do it in the court but I want to make it public knowledge and put it in our meeting as an ordinance so we’re all aware this has happened. This will help Strader open his business as one unit instead of having the two addresses and any confusion. Commissioner Tornow made a motion to approve the ordinance with a second from Commissioner Coleman. Mayor Hill said this has already helped him with his plumbing. “Yes” votes were Coleman, Wildman, Meier, Tornow and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
Next on the agenda for the council to discuss is closing the CDAP checking account and moving the funds to the General Fund. Clerk Leathers said this is a checking account that we had to get for the Community Development Grant and for projects that we’ve done previously. We haven’t had to use this account in the last 3 to 4 years. Rather then having to continue transferring money to keep the account from going dormant, I figure we might as well close it and put the money back into the General Fund where it came from. Mayor Hill said it is better for accounting to just close these accounts. Leathers said we’ll be opening another account soon for the Water Main Replacement Project. That’ll have to be kept separate with separate names. A motion to close the account was made by Commissioner Wildman with a second from Commissioner Meier. “Yes” votes were Coleman, Wildman, Meier, Tornow and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
Discussion turned to Resolution NO.R04-19-02-19 to open a new checking account for the Water Main Replacement Project. Mayor Hill said this will have to be done eventually so we’re trying to be proactive by getting it done now. A motion was made by Commissioner Tornow with a second from Commissioner Coleman. “Yes” votes were Coleman, Wildman, Meier, Tornow and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
Next the council began to review the Treasurers Report / Audit. Clerk Leathers said this came directly from the annual financial report that’s filed with the Comptroller of the State of Illinois. It’s really hard to decipher. If you have any questions any time just let me know and I’ll try to explain it to you. We did finish the year in the black for both the General Fund and the Water / Sewer, the two most important accounts. I call that a win.
Communications
There were no Communications at this time.
Mayor Hill asked Village Zoning Administrator, Ron Kuepker, if he had anything for the council. Kuepker asked how the abandoned/condemned houses and the burn house are coming along. Mayor Hill said that’s a good question. I was thinking about that this week too. We do have a lean on the burnt house on Canal Street. I think we need to start pushing that and get that house cleaned up. I would like to see, since Kuepker is head of Zoning and Building Permits, I’d like to get an ordinance where he has a little more power and push to work with the police and make some of these calls even outside of our board as well. He can use his better judgement. We’ve talked about this before and I think it would be helpful if we could get it done. Then he’d hopefully not have to go through as much red tape. He could also work more directly with Mr. Shirk. Leathers said we need to have Mr. Shirk find out if the property has been released yet. I think they has a cause origin gentleman come in for the insurance company. I’m not sure if he has finished. Mayor Hill said I know they’ll probably say something about the weather, but we don’t want this to go on and on for years like that other one did. We really had to push to get that one resolved. That way once we start doing our spring ordinances, especially with the other abandoned houses, Kuepker can work right with the police too. Kuepker said I’m worried about the several cars that are going to be parked there forever unless something is done about it. Mayor Hill said we can probably start writing that up now for the house on Canal Street. Kuepker said I saw in the paper that there is a guy that’ll come and get cars and he doesn’t need a title or anything. Officer Lukehart said the guy will have what’s called a Junk Title. He’ll file for that through the Illinois State Police to make sure the vehicle isn’t stolen, then they’ll give him the Junk Title. Mayor Hill said I’m all for that. Otherwise it ends up tying us up in court. Then there’s times we don’t get things resolved the way we’d like to. I’d rather see our town look nicer and have this stuff cleaned up. We will discuss this further. We’ll contact Mr. Shirk on what to do to give Kuepker a little more power with our ordinances. This will help with some of the building permits in regard to fence permits. I’ve always felt rather then having people wait for a board meeting, if Kuepker goes out and knows they are compliant with the ordinance he should be able to say yes, it’s fine. If there’s discrepancies and he’d like us to review it, that’s fine and we can do that too. If there is conflict with a neighbor and he doesn’t want to make the call at that time we can resolve it and back him up. But most of them are so cut and dry that I’d rather see people be able to move forward in a more timely manner.
Mayor Hill asked Officer Lukehart if he had anything. Lukehart said I’m just waiting for the weather to break and hit some traffic and hopefully bring some revenue in. There’s not much movement when it’s 20 below out. Mayor Hill said no, I bet there isn’t.
Bills were ordered paid on a motion by Commissioner Meier with a second by Commissioner Wildman. “Yes” votes were Coleman, Wildman, Meier, Tornow and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 7:16 PM. The next Regular Meeting of the Tampico Village Council will be Tuesday, March 5, 2019 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 5th DAY OF March, 2019
**These minutes are not official until signed, dated and sealed by the Village Clerk**
