Galesburg Reporter

Mercer County School District #404 Board of Education met Feb. 19.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

The City Council of the City of Aledo met in Regular Session in the Council Chambers of the City Hall building on March 02, 2020. MAYOR HAGLOCH called the meeting to order at 6:38 P.M. The roll was called, whereupon the following answered present:

Aldermen ILA BERTRAND, TERRY BEWLEY, MICHAEL CHAUSSE, BARRY COOPER, DENNIS DIXON, JIM HOLMES, CHRIS KOPP, and LINDA SARABASA. Mayor CHRISTOPHER HAGLOCH.

Also present were CHRIS SULLIVAN, City Administrator / Chief of Police, and JAROD DALE, City Clerk.

An attendance sheet has been marked Exhibit “A”, attached hereto and made a part of these minutes.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

The meeting was opened in prayer by Pastor Jose Cortes, Messiah Lutheran Church, Aledo.

Appearances: Steve Johnson, Rhubarb Festival Committee – American Veterans Traveling Tribute to be held June 2nd – 6th, 2021. The Committee is looking to have the traveling tribute in Aledo during the 30th Annual Rhubarb Festival celebration. Plans are to have the tribute wall located at Memorial Park during the specified dates. Johnson requested permission to utilize the location during the committee of the whole. This replica is 80% of the memorial wall in Washington, D.C.

City Council provided a consensus to support the event request and noted the location to be a great location for visitors.

Communication & Correspondence: No Report.

Requests & Petitions: Cemetery Transfer: Petition of Sarah J. Wise & Barbara Damery – Exe, Grave Space One (1), in Lot Two Hundred Eight (208), in the Sixth (6th) Addition of the Aledo Cemetery to Barbara Damery, 5123 Hunter Rd, Rochester, Il., 62563.

Public Works Activity Report:

 Streets: Bury landscape waste pile; assist Cemetery Division with a funeral; work on equipment.

 Water: JULIE’s and finals.

 Gas: JULIE’s; assist Water Division with multiple tasks (odor call, water meter purchase at Diamond Ag, sewer inspection, turn water on at Button Building); plumbing inspection at McDonalds, and work with Viola Home Telephone bore crew for locates.

 Cemetery: One (1) funeral occurred. Work on equipment; and sale of lot.

 DPW: Met with Hutchison Engineering regarding the installation of the storm water detention pond in the Industrial Park & the layout of the new baseball diamond at Northside. Hutchison also started surveying for the 2020 street resurfacing project. Met with Fire Chief Litwiler regarding a proposed fire department training facility located in the Industrial Park. Attended the Downtown Revitalization kick-off meeting at the Edwards River Public Library.

Aledo Police Department Activity Report: CHIEF Sullivan reported the Department applied for a renewal of its Class C, Nuisance Animal Control permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The permit is for the calendar year 2020 and 2021. The permit authorizes the Department to trap nuisance animals under certain circumstances. It also allows the Department to rent or loan traps to City of Aledo residents.

Officer Jared Conaway, reported to Macon County Law Enforcement Center, on Sunday, March 1, 2020, to begin his Basic Police Officer training. The training will last fourteen (14) weeks with a graduation date set for May 5, 2020.

The Department is reviewing the possibility of purchasing and issuing body cameras for the officers. The Mercer County Sheriff’s Department has been operating a body camera system for a number of years. It has become an industry standard in law enforcement. One of the primary issues related to having body camera system is maintaining huge volumes of digital data and organizing it properly. This can require significant amounts of employee time and considerable cost.

Administration Report: CITY CLERK Dale provided information regarding utility billing and payroll for the month of February, 2020.

CITY CLERK is working with Goulash Media to generate a mockup for the Rhubarb Festival billboard. A couple of the proposed mockups are being reviewed by staff and event coordinators. The Mercer County Fair and Antique Days billboards will also be completed in the coming month. Once finalized, the item will be provided to the Economic Development Advisory Committee as well.

Platinum Information Services has been onsite the past few weeks transitioning City Hall with the updated computers. Rebuilds and software updates were provided to the Aledo Police Department and PW department as well. Those units in PD and PW were noted as new machines.

Mayor’s Report: MAYOR reported he recently attended the Cash Mob at Morrisons Market in Viola, Il. He encouraged Aledo residents to shop local and continue to support Aledo and Mercer County businesses.

Committee Report: No Report.

REGULAR COUNCIL SESSION

Following the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag,

ACTION ITEMS

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

Motion was made by ALDERMAN CHAUSSE and seconded by ALDERMAN KOPP to approve the meeting minutes of February 18, 2020 as presented. A Roll call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Bertrand, Bewley, Chausse, Cooper, Dixon, Holmes, Kopp, and Sarabasa. NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.

FINANCE: INVOICE LIST:

Motion was made by ALDERMAN BERTRAND and seconded by ALDERMAN DIXON that the Invoice Listing, which has been marked Exhibit “B”, attached hereto and made a part of these minutes, be authorized and checks issued. A Roll call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Bewley, Cooper, Dixon, Holmes, Kopp, Sarabasa, and Bertrand. NO: None. ABSTAIN: Chausse. Motion carried. 7 yeas, 0 nays, 1 abstention.

ORDINANCE NO. 02, SERIES OF 2020; PROHIBITING THE USE OF GROUNDWATER AS A POTABLE WATER SUPPLY BY THE INSTALLATION OR USE OF POTABLE WATER SUPPLY WELL OR BY ANY OTHER METHOD IN A DEFINED AREA NEAR 210 SE 3RD STREET, ALEDO, ILLINOIS: (SECOND READING)

Motion was made by ALDERMAN HOLMES and seconded by ALDERMAN BEWLEY to adopt Ordinance No. 02, Series of 2020; Prohibiting the use of groundwater as a potable water supply by the installation or use of potable water supply well or by any other method in a defined area near 210 SE 3rd Street, Aledo, Illinois. A Roll call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Chausse, Cooper, Dixon, Holmes, Kopp, Sarabasa, Bertrand, and Bewley. NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.

ORDINANCE NO. 03, SERIES OF 2020; PROVIDING FOR ANNEXATION OF PROPERTY OWNED BY GREGORY & JULIE RICE: (FIRST READING)

The following described tract of land, to-wit:

The north 1⁄2 of lot 7 and Lot 8 and 9 in the plat of College View subdivision of Lot 7 (Except the north 1 acre of the west 1⁄2 thereof) of a subdivision of the west 1⁄2 of the northeast 1⁄4 of section 17, Township 14 North, Range 3 West of the Fourth Principal Meridian, reference being made to the plat of the said subdivision filed for record on July 19, 1917 and recorded in the office of the recorded of Mercer County, Illinois in Book “B” on the Page 90 all situated in the County of Mercer and State of Illinois.

commonly known as 707 N College Lane, Aledo, Illinois (PIN: 10-10-17-202-006), be and the same is hereby annexed to and made a part of the City of Aledo in the County of Mercer and State of Illinois.

The second reading to be held Monday, March 16, 2020 at 6:30 o’clock p.m. in the City Council Chambers.

ORDINANCE NO. 04, SERIES OF 2020; APPROVING OFFICIAL ZONING MAP FOR 2020: (FIRST READING)

In accordance with State Statutes, (Section 11-13-19 of the Illinois Municipal Code), the City is annually required to publish the Official Zoning Map depicting zoning map amendments approved during the prior year. The 2020 Official Zoning Map – City of Aledo, Illinois was prepared by the Western Illinois University GIS Center.

Several annexations were completed and are reflected within the new zoning map. A total of twenty-five (25) annexations were executed in F/Y 2019. Those parcels were set as R-1 Residential.

The second reading to be held on Monday, March 16, 2020 at 6:30 o’clock p.m. in the City Council Chambers.

ORDINANCE NO. 05, SERIES OF 2020; CREATING A SIXTH (6TH) CLASS “D” LIQUOR LICENSE WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF ALEDO: (FIRST READING)

Rilind Bekteshi, Lindis, LLC (Ariana’s Café) has submitted a Class “D” (Restaurant) Liquor License Application. The property address is 213 S College Avenue, Aledo, Il., 61231.

To accommodate the applicant, an additional Class “D” Liquor License would need to be created for Rilind Bekteshi. Currently, there are five (5) available license(s) for “D” of which all are presently utilized. Section 3-2-8-D of the City Code would be amended to reflect six (6) available licenses. A current liquor license application is $1,100 per year, but would be pro-rated this first year.

Motion was made by ALDERMAN CHAUSSE and seconded by ALDERMAN BERTRAND to waive the 2nd reading for Ordinance No. 05, Series of 2020. A Roll call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Cooper, Dixon, Holmes, Kopp, Sarabasa, Bertrand, Bewley, and Chausse. NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.

Motion was made by ALDERMAN CHAUSSE and seconded by ALDERMAN BERTRAND to adopt Ordinance No. 05, Series of 2020; Creating a Sixth (6th) Class “D” Liquor License (Restaurant). A Roll call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Dixon, Holmes, Kopp, Sarabasa, Bertrand, Bewley, Chausse, and Cooper. NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.

MOTION APPROVING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF ALEDO AND CENTRAL STATE FIREWORKS:

Motion was made by ALDERMAN CHAUSSE and seconded by ALDERMAN SARABASA to approve an agreement between the City of Aledo and Central State Fireworks, 18034 Kincaid Street, Athens, IL., 62613, for the Aledo Fireworks Spectacular in the amount of $8,000.00 and includes five-million-dollar liability extension, crew, equipment and complete performance; and to be held on Saturday, June 27th, 2020 at the Mercer County Fairgrounds. A Roll call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Holmes, Kopp, Sarabasa, Bertrand, Bewley, Chausse, Cooper, and Dixon. NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.

CITY SPONSORSHIP: ALEDO MAIN STREET F/Y 2020 IN THE AMOUNT OF $18,000:

Motion was made by ALDERMAN BERTRAND and seconded by ALDERMAN COOPER to approve the city sponsorship to Aledo Main Street as presented. A Roll call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Kopp, Sarabasa, Bertrand, Bewley, Chausse, Cooper, Dixon, and Holmes. NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.

CEMETERY TRANSFER: PETITION OF SARAH J. WISE AND BARBARA DAMERY – EXE, GRAVE SPACE ONE (1), IN LOT TWO HUNDRED EIGHT (208), IN THE SIXTH (6TH) ADDITION OF THE ALEDO CEMETERY TO BARBARA DAMERY, 5123 HUNTER RD., ROCHESTER, IL., 62563:

Motion was made by ALDERMAN KOPP and seconded by ALDERMAN BEWLEY to approve the cemetery transfer as presented. A Roll call vote was recorded as follows:

YES: Sarabasa, Bertrand, Bewley, Chausse, Cooper, Dixon, Holmes, and Kopp. NO: None. Motion carried. 8 yeas, 0 nays.

STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS: A Personnel Committee meeting to be held on Monday, March 9, 2020 at 6:00 o’clock p.m. in the City Council Chambers.

OLD BUSINESS: No Report.

NEW BUSINESS:

Discussion regarding Cash Farm Lease for property located at the South Lagoon & Property located in Hyett’s Second Addition:

City staff reported a cash farm lease with Rick Gillespie for approximately 8 acres of city property located at the South Lagoon has expired. The City also purchased acreage located next to the Aledo Cemetery from Hyett’s in 2019 and that property will need a formal cash farm lease agreement as well.

After review, City Council noted to proceed with cash farm lease agreements between the City of Aledo and Rick Gillespie and to forward those items to City Council for approval.

Discussion regarding a Gas Main Extension along Route 17 to provide service to potential customers:

Ald. Bewley reported the City has been approached by the DeBlock Farms requesting to have a gas extension to their facility. Diamond Ag to also be adding an additional building and would require additional work.

The request is being brought before the Council as there is a timetable and the requestor would need confirmation if this would be something the City would consider. Permits will need to be applied for with the State as well. Part of the timetable for the requestor also involves the purchase of a gas dryer and takes time to order.

Ald. Bewley reported the system will be able to handle the load but wanted to verify the City Council would be interested in the project and potentially move forward. A return on investment was voiced to take 2 1⁄2 years per Mayor Hagloch and Ald. Bewley. Propane uncertainty is why DeBlocks have approached the City. Consensus to move forward and begin planning for a gas extension.

ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, motion was made by ALDERMAN DIXON and seconded by ALDERMAN SARABASA that the meeting be adjourned. A Unanimous voice vote followed in agreement. Meeting was adjourned at 7:03 P.M.

https://aledoil.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_03022020-220