Peoria Standard

The Auburn City Council met Feb. 21 to provide nursing home upgrade updates.

Here are the meeting's minutes, as provided by the council:

Members of the Auburn City Council come from each of the city’s four wards and serve four-year terms. Council meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first and third Monday of each month at City Hall, 324 W. Jefferson St. If a council meeting should fall on a holiday, the meeting will be held on Tuesday.

City of Auburn

Council Minutes

February 21, 2017

Mayor Stamer called the meeting to order at 7:00PM,

Present: Barb Stamer, Chris Warwick, Julie Barnhill, Tom Berola, Vic Devos, Jr., Matt Gillock, Larry Hemmerle, Rod Johnson, Ed Madaus, and Seth Williams. Absent: Tom Appelt,

Department Heads: Bruce Centko, Bill Karhliker, and Kristy Ponsler. City Attorney: Raylene Grischow,

1. Mayor's Comments

a, Stamer reported that she has heard from a couple of aldermen regarding sidewalks in their wards.

||, Visitors

a. Jason Garrett asked if the Freedom of Information Act requests could be filled out on line and sent to whoever is the appropriate person instead of downloading the PDF and then submitting,

III. City Clerk's Report - Warwick

a. Warwick presented the 02/06/17 meeting minutes for the Council's review and approval.

A motion was made by Williams to approve the meeting minutes and destroy the recorded copy, second by Gillock, Voice Vote: AYE: Julie Barnhill, Tom Berola, Wic Devos, Jr., Matt Gillock, Larry Hemmerle, Rod Johnson, Ed Madaus, and Seth Williams. NAY: None. PRESENT: None. ABSENT: None. (8-0-0-0)..

b. Warwick noted that Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray and County Auditor Andy Goleman will be at the 03/06/17 Council Meeting,

c. Warwick reported that there was a Public Hearing prior to the council meeting regarding the Comprehensive Plan and there were no public Comments regarding the plan.

d. Warwick noted that the Bi-Annual Review of Closed Session meetings will be held on 03/06/17 at 6:30 PM.

IV. City Treasurer's Report - Appelt

a. Warwick presented the Bills List from 02/06/17 to 02/21/17 for the Council's review and approval. A motion was made by Williams to approve the Bills List, second by Barnhill. Voice Vote: AYE: Julie Barnhill, Tom Berola, Wic Devos, Jr., Matt Gillock, Larry Hemmerle, RodJohnson, Ed Madaus, and Seth Williams. NAY: Nome. PRESENT: None. ABSENT: None. (8-0-0-0).

b. Warwick presented the January Cash Balance Report ending 01/30/17 for the Council's review and approval. A motion was made by Williams to approve the January Cash Balance Report, second Gillock, Voice Wote: AYE: Julie Barnhill, Tom Berola, Vic Devos, Jr., Matt Gillock, Larry Hemmerle, Rod Johnson, Ed Madaus, and Seth Williams. NAY: None. PRESENT: None, ABSENT: None. (8-0-0-0).

C. Warwick reported that January 2017 Budget Report was in the aldermen's drop box for their review, no action is needed,

V. Attorney - Grischow

a. Grischow presented for Second Reading Ordinance 1429-17 an Ordinance approving the 2017 Comprehensive Plan, there was Public Hearing held earlier in the day and there were no public comments, Madaus made a motion to approve Ordinance 1429-17; second by Barnhill. AYE: Julie Barnhill, Tom Berola, Vic Devos, Jr., Matt Gillock, Larry Hemmerle, Rod Johnson, Ed Madaus, and Seth Williams. NAY: None, PRESENT: None. ABSENT: None. (8-0-0-0).

B. Grischow presented for Second Reading Ordinance 1430-17 an Ordinance approving the redevelopment plan & Project for the Auburn TIF District.

C. Grischow presented for Second Reading Ordinance 1431-17 an Ordinance designating the redevelopment project area for the Auburn TIF district.

D. Grischow presented for Second Reading Ordinance 1432-17 an Ordinance adopting tax increment allocating financing for the Auburn TIF district redevelopment plan and redevelopment project area,

E. Berola asked that the TIF District be reduced to just the east side of town based on the previous TIF map, the western boundary will now be the railroad tracks. All properties previously listed east of the railroad tracks would remain in the TIF district. Kline and Associates will be able to do their work at no extra cost to the city, Greene and Bradford will charge $1,500 for the re-drawing of the TF map, Johnson asked if reducing the TIF will be helpful to the school district, Berola said he had a long conversation with Darren Root and that Root said a reduction of the TIF size is a step in the right direction; they will still need to work out the Intergovernmental Agreement. If structured correctly the school could get behind the TIF. Grischow pointed out that ideally the TIF needs to be approved in March orthers will be extra costs if voted on in April because the paperwork will need to be reworked because of the tax changes that occur in April. Johnson had issues to the residential component of the TIF if a new subdivision was added and he did not like the language about hotel/motel, although he understood that the language is in there just in case some type of development came up. Johnson asked about the mechanism of TF monies be disbursed either back to the school or other entities. There would still be 30 homes in the proposed area for the TIF district. Karhliker asked where the money would come from to cover the cost of the TIF over the next year.

F. Jason Garrett asked about tax rebates instead of TIF District like Dave Rikas mentioned at the TIF Hearing. Madaus pointed out that Rikas made his tax rebate deal with the New Berlin School District and not with the City, Other council members pointed out that we do have 1% for one year tax rebate for new businesses.

G. Berola made a motion to reduce the size of the TIF to only include the east side of the town, the railroad tracks would be the western boundary of the TIF, second by Madaus, AYE:Julie Barnhill, Tom Berola, Matt Gillock, Larry Hemmerle, Rod Johnson, Ed Madaus, and Seth Williams. NAY: Vic Devos, Jr. PRESENT: None, ABSENT: None, (7- 1-0-0).

h. Berola made a motion to table Ordinance 1430-17; 1431-17; and 1432-17 until the March 6 council meeting, second by Hemmerle, AYE: Julie Barnhill, Tom Berola, Matt Gillock, Larry Hemmerle, Rod Johnson, Ed Madaus, and Seth Williams, NAY: Wic Devos, Jr. PRESENT: None. ABSENT: None. (7-1-0-0). 

i. Berola stated that a memorandum of understanding has been sent to the School District's attorney for review. 

j. Tracy Sheppard stated there are still a lot of unanswered questions. Dan Parrish asked if there could be another Public Meeting on the new re-sized TIF. Ponsler asked about what additional expense might come in during the year. Grischow replied that the costs are not to exceed $3,000. If additional expenses exceed $3,000; it would need to be approved by the Council. Becky Pisarek asked if Kline and Associates would help to bring businesses to town once the TIF is passed. Kline and Associates would not; the cost is to handle the legal costs to run a TIF, Centko asked what happens to the $30,000 if the TIF fails and could it be revived. The consensus answer is that the City would be out the money, Johnson stated at as long as the EAVs increase then the TIF will pay for itself.

k. The Nursing Home is doing upgrades to their facilities and will have temporary mobile home during the upgrades. They are requesting approval to have temporary mobile home on their property for at least 3 months. A motion was made Devos to allow the Nursing Home to have a trailer on their property for 3 months, second by Williams. AYE: Julie Barnhill, Tom Berola, Wic Devos, Jr., Matt Gillock, Larry Hemmerle, Rod Johnson, Ed Madaus, and Seth Williams. NAY: None. PRESENT: None. ABSENT: None. (8-0-0-0). W, Department Heads

a. Centko

i. No report. 

b. Karhliker

i. No report. 

C. Ponsler

i. Ponsler reported that she would like to pursue some changes to the deposit policy for utilities and she is asking for permission to move forward and Work on the changes with Grischow, A motion was made by Hemmerle to let Ponsler work with Grischow to make updates to the deposit policy and present an ordinance to the council, second by Johnson, AYE: Julie Barnhill, Tom Berola, Vic Devos, Jr., Matt Gillock, Larry Hemmerle, Rod Johnson, Ed Madaus, and Seth Williams. NAY: None. PRESENT: None. ABSENT: None, (8-0-0-0).

ii. Williams asked about higher utility bills, it was suggested they call the city office and it is important to compare bills from the previous year and not previous months during winter months,

VII, Committee Reports

February 21, 2017 Page 3 of 4

a. Administration

i. No Report b. Public Works

i. Johnson mentioned the Karhiker will work with Jim Ippensen on a new driveway apron for his business, C. Public Utilities

i. No Report. d. Health & Safety

i. No report. e. Health & Housing

i. Berola reported that he is checking into a couple of nuisances that have been reported to him and he will have more information at the next meeting.

f. Parks

i. Hemmerle asked Karhliker if there was any update on the upgrades at the Veterans Park concession stand, One of the upgrades will be self-flushing toilets.

VIII. Adjournment

a. A motion to adjourn was made by Berola at 8:31 PM; second by Devos. Voice Wote: AYE:

Julie Barmhill, Tom Berola, Vic Devos, Jr., Matt Gillock, Larry Hemmerle, Rod Johnson, Ed Madaus, and Seth Williams. NAY: None. PRESENT: None. ABSENT: None, (8-0-0-0).

Respectfully Submitted,

Christopher Warwick City Clerk