Peoria Standard

City of Marquette Heights City Council met Aug. 12.

Here is the agenda provided by the council:

1. PLEDGE

2. CALL TO ORDER

The regular City Council meeting was called to order by Mayor Hamm at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 12, 2024.

3. ROLL CALL

Aldermen present for Roll Call: Aldermen Amundson, Greiner, Joos, Neuhaus and Neumann. Absent: Alderman Babb.

Also present were Clerk Steele, Treasurer Worent, Attorney Herman, Police Chief Merritt, Fire Chief Hermacinski, Water Superintendent Smith, Street Superintendent Helms, Deputy Clerk Fogle and Building Inspector Dearborn.

4. REPORTS OF CITY OFFICIALS:

a. MAYOR

• Met with Brightspeed two weeks ago

o Send them needed permits

b. CLERK

• Exec. needed to discuss personnel

c. TREASURER

• Tuesday Maria trained Tim Fogle and I on Treasurer Reports with new software

• Tim Fogle is getting things caught up

• He will get Alisha Russell up to speed

d. ATTORNEY – No report.

e. BUILDING INSPECTOR / CODE ENFORCEMENT

• Received permit for 8 ft. privacy fence at 712 Joliet

o Initially applied 2 years ago and paid for it but unable to get help to install

o Permit expired and would have to pay for a new one or can we reinstate old permit?

o Attorney advised with length of time that has passed, new permit needed

5. COMMUNICATIONS – No report

6. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL

TJ Reynolds - addressed the Council and, when asked to provide his name and address, gave someone else’s information

• Inquired about Item f. on the Consent Agenda

7. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES:

a. WATER AND SEWER – Alderman Amundson

• GA Rich will be in by end of the week.

• Merkel to get a hold of Dillon – J.U.L.I.E. expires Sunday

b. LAW ENFORCEMENT – Alderman Neuhaus

• Graduate Devin Rutledge first day on the street today

• Balloon Fight had good turnout

c. FIRE – Alderman Greiner

• 20 pagers at a cost of $16,713.81 under New Business for pagers only

• Programming will be approximately $900

• Good turnout at Balloon Fight on Saturday

d. STREETS – Superintendent Helms

• Entrance sign cleaned up

• Recognized former Alderman Dale Little for cleaning up debris near the sign

• Tree cut down on yates, Concrete sidewalk repaired on same area

• Catch basin repaired

• Spray patch complete

e. PUBLIC BUILDINGS / PARKS – Alderman Neumann

• No report

f. FINANCE / PLANNING – Alderman Joos

• No report

8. OLD BUSINESS

a. Mowing of LaSalle

• Todd Helms – city mowers can definitely mow LaSalle

• Put mower at the highest to cut, will take a number of passes

• Stables lady was going to bale it, but Men’s Club cut it too short for her to do so; she was waiting on equipment, manpower

• Double check on Arbor Day/nature preserves

• Call Scott to do survey on what can be cut down and not near the fire road

• Contract with Pekin Park District will be forthcoming

• In straw poll: Greiner – no because of not having the resources; Neumann – no; Amundson – yes as many people saying it looks horrible; Joos – yes as everyone she has talked to has complained about it.

o Consensus was for the city to mow.

b. Main Entrance Sign

• Got cleaned up

• Discussion on location of sign and that it has been hit in that same location

o Do we want to move it or make 2 single sided signs and put on the curves?

o New sign/ On each side – state owned land?

• Option to put small LED on stone sign

• Straw poll: Amundson – thinks best where it was at; Neuhaus – no input on location, but constituents want like for like; Joos – put back where it was with no landscaping; Greiner – people expect for it to go back where it was; Neumann – good to go back where it was

• Consensed to put sign location on next agenda for approval

• Suggestions to make lighting adjustments were discussed

• Sign to take 8-12 weeks

• $31,543.94 quote for stone sign, $1,200 for crane and $4,000 for landscaping

• Order like for like, not to exceed $31,543.94 invoice; insurance covers $35,578.13

9. CONSENT AGENDA

APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING CONSENT ITEMS BY VOTE:

(All matters listed under CONSENT AGENDA will be enacted by one motion and one roll call vote. There will not be separate discussion on these items. If discussion is desired by any Member of the City Council, the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and discussed immediately after approval of the Consent Agenda.)

a. Approve the regular Council Meeting Minutes of July 22, 2024.

b. Approve the Committee Meeting Minutes of August 5, 2024.

c. Approve the Executive Committee Meeting Minutes of August 5, 2024.

d. Approve Bi-Monthly expenditures in the sum of $136,972.78

e. Approve Resolution #¬¬610 Approving the Semi-Annual Executive Committee Minutes

f. Approve Ordinance Amending the Water Deposit for Homeowners and Renters

g. Approve Ace in the Hole in the amount of $3,950 to finish spray patch

h. Approve GA Rich Valve Replacement in the amount of $11,950.00

i. Approve payment to AB Hunter in the amount of $1,455 for vac truck – 4 locations

j. Approve the purchase of Water fountain in the amount of $1,099 from Global Industries

k. Approve the Semiannual payment to IEPA in the amount of $18,632.76

l. Approve the Semiannual payment to IEPA in the amount of $29,290.12

m. Approve Tim Fogle to the position of Office Manager with $1.00/hr. increase effective Aug. 12th

ITEMS REMOVED FROM AGENDA:

• Item b. was corrected to reflect the Committee Meeting Minutes of August 5th state

Item 6., second tab “Chris Hermacinski – District…”

• Remove Items k. and l. as they are included in Item d.

MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA:

Alderman Neuhaus made a motion, seconded by Alderman Neumann to approve the Consent Agenda in its entirety. Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Aldermen Neuhaus, Neumann, Amundson, Greiner, and Joos. Nays - 0. Absent – Babb. Motion carried.

10. NEW BUSINESS

a. Approve the position of Street Superintendent – Todd Helms. Alderman Neumann made a motion, seconded by Alderperson Greiner to approve Todd Helms to the position of Street Superintendent. Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Aldermen Neumann, Greiner, Amundson, Joos and Neuhaus. Nays – 0. Absent – Babb. Motion carried.

b. Approve 20 pagers for the Fire Department from Supreme Radio Communications. Alderperson Greiner, made a motion, seconded by Alderperson Amundson to approve the purchase of 20 pagers from Supreme Radio Communications in the amount of $16,713.81. Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Aldermen Greiner, Amundson, Joos, Neuhaus, and Neumann. Nays – 0. Absent – Babb. Motion carried.

11. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS COUNCIL – None

12. OTHER BUSINESS PERTAINING TO THE CITY

• Conduct/Performance evaluation of specific personnel

Council exited regular session and entered executive session at 7:41 p.m.

Council resumed regular session at 7:58 p.m.

13. ANY OTHER BUSINESS PERTAINING TO THE CITY

• Tim Fogle uses email to boost employee morale

• Tim Fogle’s overtime last couple weeks was due to extra work and training

14. ADJOURNMENT

Alderman Neumann made a motion, seconded by Alderperson Greiner to adjourn the regular City Council Meeting at 8:05 p.m. Roll Call Vote: All Ayes. Motion passed.

 http://cityofmhgov.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/08-12-2024-Minutes.doc