REGULAR MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL
OF THE VILLAGE OF TAMPICO
March 18, 2014, 7:00 PM, Reagan Community Center
The regular meeting of the Mayor and Council of the Village of Tampico was called to order at 7:00 PM by Mayor Kristine L. Hill.
Commissioners Toby Johnson, Bruce Hill, Mary Jo Sigel and Derrick Maupin were present. Police Chief Terry Strike was in attendance as well. Village Clerk Kathy Leathers recorded the written minutes.
Minutes of the March 4, 2014 Regular Meeting were approved as presented.
The Minutes of the February 18, 2014 Closed Session will be reviewed in Closed Session before approval.
Anita Elgin, Tampico Recreation Board, advised Baseball Program Registration has started. It will run through March 28, 2014. She stated they had to start it earlier this year because of the Walnut League’s early start. She reported meeting with Tim Hatten. He has students that will be helping out with umpire duties or anything else she would need done at the ball diamond. She reported Hatten has four men’s fast pitch tournaments scheduled for May and June. Elgin advised she and Hatten want to get the fields looking decent if the program will be hosting tournaments. The backstops are starting to fall apart and will need to be looked at and repaired. Elgin requested permission to have Sterling Fence come down and look them over. Mayor Hill suggested the Recreation Board discuss the matter at their upcoming meeting. Elgin stated the Rec Board has been discussing the purchase of a small used garden tractor with a mowing deck for ball diamond upkeep. The tractor would also be able to groom / drag the field. Mayor Hill advised Elgin to bring the tractor details to the next meeting. Elgin also discussed using a local vending company for concession stand supplies.
A resident asked the council if the fire hydrants had been flushed lately. Mayor Hill advised several hydrants have had to be opened in an effort to assist the few residents whose water had frozen. Hill reported running the hydrants may have caused resident’s water to appear rusty or brown. Mayor Hill advised this winter has been anything but typical and the village has done what it can to alleviate some of the water issues.
Another resident was present to learn any updates for a zoning variance to allow him to open a business in his home. He requested permission to put a small sign in his yard. The council advised there is no issue with putting out a sign. He also asked about dogs running loose in the village. He was advised to contact Village Hall during the day or contact Tampico Police on their non-emergency phone when he notices dogs running at large.
The council was told kids are hanging out in the gazebos again. Chief Strike advised him the police department is patrolling the parks and has given warnings and made arrests when necessary.
Mayor Hill reported she and Commissioner Maupin are working on a fee schedule for the RCC but there are many things to factor in to what should be charged. She stated the council is still learning. Commissioner Maupin said the longer the village is in the building the easier it will be to find the right scheduling and fees. He and Mayor Hill do not want to set any fees and then keep changing them making those who use the facility angry in the process. He said hopefully they can get it out and done right the first time.
Clerk Leathers advised the council she had talked with Dan Pepin, of grant writer CFPS, Inc., earlier this week about budgeting for the Safe Routes to School Grant and the DCEO grant for the South Main Place sewer project. She told them everything is on schedule concerning the two grants.
Mayor Hill reported she and Chief Strike have been working with the school in an effort to provide more safety for students and traffic on Hahanaman Road / E. Kimball Street. The school and village are working together to ease some of the traffic congestion when parents are picking up their children after school. Chief Strike reported that the school has freed up the majority of the existing parking lot changing faculty parking to spaces along the building. He noted the school will have parent / teacher conferences this week and it will be a good time to see if the new parking arrangement will ease the after school congestion. Strike advised drivers have slowed up considerably since the start of school. He stated even though the traffic has slowed, drivers are still concerned for child safety. Strike said that is the main issue, child safety. Mayor Hill and Chief Strike reported there are new signs coming for the school zone. Commissioner Hill stated, those will include signage that can be placed in the middle of the road during times when children are present and easily taken down when they are not like those used in Morrison and Dixon.
Clerk Leathers will continue to review and compile the 2014-2015 Fiscal Year Appropriation Ordinance.
Discussion turned to changing Village ordinance to allow for residents to have chickens in residential and business districts. The matter was tabled until the next meeting to determine how much public interest there is in the change.
On a motion by Commissioner Johnson, second by Commissioner Hill, a $300.00 donation will be made to Tampico Library. “Yes” votes were Johnson, Hill, Sigel, Maupin and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
Mayor Hill reported to the council the nice thank you the village received from Whiteside County Public Transportation for their recent donation.
Mayor Hill reported four (4) applications were received for the recently advertised part-time / as needed general labor position. The matter will be discussed in closed session and acted on later in the meeting.
Mayor Hill advised she is still gathering information on extending / renewing the current garbage / recycling contract with Republic Services who bought out Affordable Waste on January first of this year.
Mayor Hill stated she and Commissioner Johnson have been discussing recreation board matters. Hill said part of her office is to make recommendations to the Rec Board. She would like to recommend Tim Hatten. She said he would be a huge asset to the board. Commissioner Johnson advised they have a few people who wished to get on the board, but Tim Hatten has shown a lot of ability to help us out. He is willing to jump in, help out and go the extra mile to do that. Johnson thinks Hatten will be a great addition and will help the Rec Board move forward. Commissioner Sigel agreed, especially since Hatten is so willing to help out. Johnson said when you start talking big ticket items, big moves, Hatten is the guy that will push the Rec Board forward.
Commissioner Hill advised he met with Hatten last week. Commissioner Hill reported someone from around the Chicago came down to look over the gym floor. He will bring samples of the different flooring types and designs for the council to review at the next meeting. Mayor Hill advised the council should have things “shovel ready” in anticipation of receiving grant monies for a project such as this. Commissioner Hill stated the flooring contractor will provide the village with information on how smaller communities have been successful in completing like projects. Johnson stated it is just another reason Hatten is the right guy for the job. He has the networking and resources to accomplish these things. Commissoner Sigel thinks Hatten will be very beneficial for us.
On a motion by Commissioner Johnson, second by Commissioner Hill, Tim Hatten was approved as a member of the Tampico Recreation Board. “Yes” votes were Johnson, Hill, Sigel, Maupin and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
Mayor Hill introduced the issue of a possible lease of space for the Route 172 bridge project field office. The Mayor told the council, Village Attorney William Shirk has said no formal approval is needed because the lease is for less than 2 years. Commissioner Johnson will represent the Village’s interest in this matter. It is a state contract and even though there is no conflict of interest because the mayor works for IDOT, (she will not benefit from the lease), she would still like Commissioner Johnson to handle the agreement. She advised the office space is being readied for the contractor to move in. In addition, Mayor Hill advised the project had initially called for shoulder widening on Hahnaman Road to use as a detour route, but due to the extreme winter weather, that could not be completed on time. She advised they will take the detour route for most traffic down Route 40 to Route 92. They will also bring in “trailblazing” signs to place at Hahnaman Road for car traffic to the Reagan Birthplace. Mayor Hill advised March 26th will be the close date for RT 172 north of Tampico. Commissioner Johnson advised Sjolstrom and Sons, Inc. is a contractor working for the Illinois Department of Transportation and will be doing the construction on the bridge on 172 north of town. They needed a construction headquarters of sorts. They are going to lease a trailer for a minum of six months while they complete the project. Mayor Hill advised it will be a complete bridge rebuild. She advised the work may be hindered from time to time since no in stream work may be done during certain times of the year because of a type of endangered species of mussel in the water that may not be disturbed.
Building permits issued by Zoning Administrator, Ron Kuepker, are as follows: 206 S. Main replace a portion of the south west roof and 205 S. Main to replace a front porch.
Reports of Village Officials
Mayor Hill told the council, the scoreboard is operable. The village only needs to purchase a longer cable connecting the control box to the existing score board output port.
She also told the council, she and Mike Scuteri, have been taking turns attending Whiteside County Economic Development meetings.
She reported residents should continue allowing a narrow stream of water to run in their homes to avoid frozen water service. She advised the first of next week could be soon enough to stop. Commissioner Sigel asked if water service has been returned to those who had frozen water service. She was advised there were still a few still frozen. Clerk Leathers advised Public Works has been opening some water hydrants in an effort to bring water through the lines to loosen up the freeze. She reported, some residents may have noticed rusty water a different times from the open hydrants.
Commissioner Johnson advised both dances went really well this past weekend. He is really encouraged at the amount of men, fathers, that came out for the event. When compared with attendance at their basketball nights, it’s clear the men in this village had the need for something to do, somewhere to go, a place to be active and hang out with other men. The Recreation Board will look to utilizing the gym more with movie nights and other activites. Rec Board Member, Anita Elgin, advised it will be so much easier to get a movie license now that the village has the gym. Mayor Hill advised she is happy that it’s just not all about baseball, it can be all kinds of things and activities. It was learned the Friday Night Dance would have been more well attended except for conflicts with other school activites.
Methodist Church member, Al Morthland, reported 23 pints of blood were donated at last Thursday’s Blood Mobile.
Mayor Hill and Commissioner Sigel discussed the Tampico Historic Preservation Committee. It is their understanding, a member of the committee has moved away from town and may want to be replaced.
Clerk Leathers shared some communications with the council. News has been received from the IEPA in regard to the repayment schedule for the Market Street Lift Station / Waste Water Treatment Plant Aeration
System Projects. Payments will start in April of this year with the length of the loan to be nineteen and a half years. The payments amount to about $670.00 per month due in April and October.
Clerk Leathers also advised the final audit for the Department of Economic Opportunity CDAP grant has been received. Everything is in order. She advised that was due to Sharon Pepin’s administration of the grant process.
At 7:46 PM the village council approved a motion by Commissioner Sigel, second by Commissioner Maupin, to recess the regular meeting session to go into closed session to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of employees of the public body. “Yes” votes were Johnson, Hill, Sigel, Maupin and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
At 8:19 PM a motion was made by Commissioner Maupin, second by Commissioner Sigel, to adjourn the closed session portion of the meeting to re-enter the regular meeting session. “Yes” votes were Johnson, Hill, Maupin, Sigel and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
A motion was made by Commissioner Johnson, second by Commissioner Hill, to approve hiring Matthew Jaquet as a part-time and / or as needed employee at the rate of $8.50 per hour for a six-month probation period. “Yes” votes were Johnson, Hill, Sigel, Maupin and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
A motion was made by Commissioner Maupin, second by Commissioner Sigel, to approve hiring Christopher Lauritzen as a part-time and / or as needed employee at the rate of $8.50 per hour for a six-month probation period. “Yes” votes were Johnson, Hill, Sigel, Maupin and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
The minutes of the February 18, 2014 Closed Session were approved as presented.
Bills were paid on a motion by Commissioner Johnson, second by Commissioner Hill. “Yes” votes were Johnson, Hill, Sigel, Maupin and Mayor Hill. The motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 8:40 PM. The next regular meeting of the Tampico Village Council will be Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at 7:00 PM in the RCC at 202 W. Second Street.
Kathy A. Leathers
Clerk
Kristine L. Hill
Mayor
MINUTES APPROVED THIS __1st__ DAY OF ____April___, 2014
**These minutes are not official until signed, dated and sealed by the Village Clerk**
