Village of Swansea Board of Trustees met July 7.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
Attendees: Board President Jeff Parker, Treasurer John Walter, Village Clerk Gloria J. Collier, Village Administrator Ben Schloesser, Trustee Brian McGuire, Trustee Sherman Pochek, Trustee Matt Lanter, Trustee Natalie Jablonski, Trustee Brian Thouvenot, Police Chief Matthew Blomberg, Chief Doug Little, Director of Public Works Rick Tucker, and Building and Zoning Director Dan Thomas
I) Call to Order – Mayor Jeff Parker called the regular meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
II) Pledge Allegiance to The Flag
III) Roll Call – Village Clerk Gloria Collier conducted the roll call.
IV) Mayor’s Announcements/Correspondence
Mayor Parker stated he did not have any announcements or correspondence at the moment.
V) Approval of Minutes
1. Board Minutes- June 16, 2025
2. Committee Minutes- June 16, 2025
3. Executive Session Judiciary Committee Minutes- June 16, 2025
Trustee Lanter made a motion to approve the Board Minutes of June 16, Committee Minutes of June 16, and Executive Session Judiciary Committee minutes of June 16. Motion seconded by Trustee McGuire.
Motion: Trustee Matt Lanter moved to approve the board minutes of June 16, committee minutes of June 16, and executive session judiciary committee minutes of June 16. Trustee McGuire seconded the motion. Trustee Votes – All Ayes
VI) Acceptance Of Minutes Of Advisory Boards/Place on File
It was noted that there were no minutes to accept or place on file.
VII) Park Board Chairman Report
Charlie Pitts, Park Board Member, reported that there would be a meeting on Saturday, July 12th. An update will be provided at the next board meeting.
VIII) Village Attorney/Village Administrator-Announcements/Comments
Mayor Parker called on the chiefs to provide updates first.
The Police Chief reported two recent incidents:
• A homicide case from a couple of weeks ago had been submitted but was pending reports from crime scene and the medical examiner. A final determination would not be made until those reports were received.
• A shooting at Max’s from two weeks ago was not progressing much due to lack of cooperation from those involved.
The Fire Chief, Doug Little, announced that the new brush truck was now in service with all equipment installed. He invited board members to come view the vehicle and thanked the board for their help in acquiring it. He also mentioned that the fire department’s annual open house would likely be held in October to kick off Fire Prevention Week, though planning was still in early stages.
Public Works Director Rick Tucker provided two updates:
• He attended a meeting that morning with IDOT regarding an upcoming road project on Gilbert Kingsbury, which would start on July 21st.
• The demolition of the old playground at Mel Price Park would start that week, with new equipment arriving on Thursday. Construction of the new playground would begin shortly after.
Building and Zoning Director Dan Thomas did not have any additional updates beyond what was in the meeting documents.
Village Administrator Ben Schloesser provided several updates:
• The village had received notice to proceed on the MEPRD parks master plan. He was coordinating with Heartlands Conservancy to keep the project on schedule.
• There had been concerns about work on Sullivan Drive affecting Whispering Walkway. The county was doing work on Sullivan, and they were coordinating with the highway construction office to address the issues.
• The mayor had signed a letter of support for the transit district’s Sullivan Drive projects, which would benefit the village. There were discussions about future trail planning, including potentially coming across Huntwood.
• Regarding energy aggregation programs, both the municipal aggregation program for the community and the contract for village facilities would expire in December. They would likely go out to bid for the community program around September. For the municipal facilities, he expected to receive a bid from their energy consultants, Good Energy, in the next few days. He reminded the board that they had previously given him authority to sign recommendations from the consultants due to the volatility of energy pricing.
IX) Public Comment
Joseph Martin and Aileen Martin from Ravenel subdivision addressed the board regarding a sewer backup that occurred on June 27th. They praised the quick response but expressed concerns about the cause of the problem and prevention of future incidents. They also inquired about procedures for reporting such issues outside of normal business hours.
Thomas Reichert, also from Ravenel subdivision, echoed the concerns about the sewer backup. He expressed disappointment with the village’s communication following the incident and requested documentation regarding liability and insurance information.
Mayor Parker and Village Administrator Schloesser responded to their concerns, explaining the process of filing insurance claims and promising to follow up with more information. Public Works Director Tucker provided some details about the cause of the backup, mentioning that it was likely to be due to debris in the line following recent repair work in the area.
X) Report of Committees
A) Personnel Committee – Comments
Travel Request- Amy Neutzling- Civic Symposium- June 27, 2025
Trustee Natalie Jablonski made a motion for approval of travel for Amy Neutzling to attend the 2025 Civic Symposium from September 10-12 in Wisconsin, with an estimated total cost of $849.
Motion: Trustee Natalie Jablonski moved to approve travel for Amy Neutzling to attend the 2025 Civic Symposium from September 10-12 in Wisconsin, with an estimated total cost of $849. Trustee Thouvenot seconded the motion.
Trustee Votes – All Ayes
Request to Hire POC Firefighter- Robert Engel
Trustee Jablonski made a motion to hire Robert Engel as a paid-on-call firefighter at a rate of $15 per call or training.
Motion: Trustee Natulie Jablonski moved to hire Robert Engel as a paid-on-call firefighter at a rate of $15 per call or training, Trustee Thouvenot seconded the motion.
Trustee Votes – All Ayes.
Resignation Letter
Trustee Jablonski made a motion to place on file the resignation letters from Officer Claire Avila and a probationary police officer.
Motion: Trustee Natalie Jablonski moved to place on file the resignation letters from Officer Claire Avila and a probationary police officer. Trustee McGuire seconded the motion.
Trustee Votes – All Ayes.
B) Finance Committee Report – Comments
Approval of Bills
Trustee Matt Lanter made a motion to pay bills in the amount of $819,509.42 from the proper accounts.
Motion: Trustee Matt Lanter moved to pay bills in the amount of $819,509,42 from the proper accounts, Trustee McGuire seconded the motion.
Trustee Votes — All Ayes.
C) Judiciary Committee – Comments
Ord. No. 1991 An Ordinance Implementing A Municipal Grocery Retailers’ Occupation Tax And A Municipal Grocery Service Occupation Tax For The Village Of Swansea, St. Clair County, Illinois Trustee Brian Thouvenot made a motion to read Ordinance No. 1991 by title only for the second reading. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The ordinance was then read by title.
Trustee Thouvenot then made a motion to accept Ordinance No. 1991.
Motion: Trustee Brian Thouvenot moved to accept Ordinance No. 1991. Trustee Lanter seconded the motion.
Trustee Votes – All Ayes. Trustee Jablonski abstained based on conflict of interest.
D) Community & Economic Development – Comments
Ord. No. _An Ordinance Amending Section 150.004 Of The Code Of Ordinances, Table Of Fees Trustee Matt Lanter made a motion to read the ordinance related to the table of fees by title only. This was noted as the first reading of the ordinance. The ordinance was read by title: “An ordinance amending section 150.004 of the code of ordinances table of fees.”
There was discussion about the process of assigning ordinance numbers, with a suggestion to assign numbers at the second reading to avoid potential sequencing issues.
Ord. No. _An Ordinance Granting A Special Use Permit For A Group Home At 2921 Bridle Ln. Ord. No. _An Ordinance Granting A Special Use Permit For A Group Home At 3755 Winward Way
These two ordinances were not forwarded to the board for action at this meeting.
There was discussion about the notification process for special use permits and the voting requirements for the Planning and Zoning Board. Building and Zoning Director Dan Thomas explained that there was a potential conflict between different sections of the village code regarding the number of votes required for approval. He was seeking legal clarification on this matter.
E) Public Safety Committee – Nothing Requested At Agenda Time
F) Public Works Committee – Comments
Res. No. 1-2690 A Resolution Accepting The Low Bid Of $1,336,528.83 From Hank’s Excavating And Landscaping, Inc., 5825 West State Route 161, Belleville, IL 62223, For The Village’s Annual Pavement Management Program
Trustee Brian McGuire made a motion to read Resolution No. 1-2690 by title only. The motion was seconded and approved. The resolution was read by title.
Trustee McGuire then made a motion to accept Resolution No. 1-2690 and declare it passed.
Motion: Trustee Brian McGuire moved to accept Resolution No. 1-2690. Trustee Lanter seconded the motion.
Trustee Votes – All Ayes.
Res. No. 1-2691 A Resolution Approving A Contract With Thouvenot, Wade & Moerchen, Inc. 4940 Old Collinsville Rd, Swansea, IL, For Design And Construction Observation Services For The Second Phase Of Rosewood Subdivision And Other Smaller Projects, At a Total Not-To- Exceed $86,500
Trustee McGuire made a motion to read Resolution No. 1-2691 by title only. The motion was seconded and approved. The resolution was read by title.
Trustee McGuire then made a motion to accept Resolution No. 1-2691 and declare it passed.
Motion: Trustee Brian McGuire moved to accept Resolution No. 1-2691. Trustee Lanter seconded the motion.
Trustee Votes – All Ayes.
Res. No. 1-2692 A Resolution Approving A Contract With Thouvenot, Wade & Moerchen, Inc. 4940 Old Collinsville Rd, Swansea, IL, For Design And Construction Observation Services For Three Culvert Replacement Projects On Lindenwood Drive, Marla Kay Drive, and Bobbie Drive, at a Cost Total Not-to-Exceed $62.700
Trustee McGuire made a motion to read Resolution No. 1-2692 by title only. The motion was seconded and approved. The resolution was read by title.
Trustee McGuire then made a motion to accept Resolution No. 1-2692 and declare it passed.
Motion: Trustee Brian McGuire moved to accept Resolution No. 1-2692. Trustee Lanter seconded the motion.
Trustee Votes – All Ayes.
G) Cultural Committee – Nothing Requested At Agenda Time
H) Swansea Report Committee – Nothing Requested At Agenda Time
XI Old Business
Trustee Brian Thouvenot mentioned that construction on the previously approved Kinder Care daycare was underway. He noted that their sign said “Kinder Care/Fairview Heights” and suggested confirming that the location was indeed in Swansea and asking them to update their signage accordingly.
XII New Business
There was no new business discussed.
XIII Announcements
There were no announcements.
XIV Adjournment
Mayor Parker called for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Motion: Mayor Parker moved to adjourn the meeting. Trustee Jablonski seconded the motion. Trustee Votes – All Ayes.
https://www.swanseail.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_07072025-118
