Galesburg Reporter

City of Knoxville City Council Met Jan. 4.

Here is the minutes provided by the council:

Due to the current Illinois Governor’s Executive Order regarding the COVID-19 Stay at Home Mandate, this Regular City Council meeting was held via remote access in accordance with current Open Meetings Act guidelines.

Call to Order: Mayor Maurer called the Meeting to order at 7:11 PM. All recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll Call: Present: Aldermen Benjamin, Eiker, Gruner, Hillier, Hope, Howard, and Myers; Mayor Maurer, Chief of Police Poyner, Attorney McCoy, and City Clerk Wilt. Absent:Alderman Naslund. Also in attendance: Mr. Jim Whitney and one member of the press.

Installation of City Treasurer: Mayor Maurer installed Jim Whitney as City Treasurer. Mr. Whitney was appointed at the December 21, 2020 Council meeting to complete the term of the late Treasurer Margaret “Peg” Bivens.

Public Comments: Clerk Wilt and Chief Poyner thanked the Council for the Christmas bonuses, and Wilt stated that several City employees also passed along their appreciation.

Approval of Minutes: Alderman Gruner moved to approve the Minutes of the December 21, 2020 City Council Meeting as corrected. Alderman Eiker seconded the motion which passed with seven (7) Yes votes and one (1) Absent.

GENERAL REPORTS

Attorney Report: No report.

Engineer Report: No report.

Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Whitney stated that he will fill in as Treasurer until a new one is appointed after May 1, 2021.

City Clerk’s Report: Clerk Wilt reported that the list of dates for 2021 Council meetings has been posted at City Hall and online, and that two dates are changed due to falling on City- observed holidays. The first July meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, and the first September meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 7, 2021.

INFORMATION ITEMS

None.

OLD BUSINESS

None.

NEW BUSINESS

1. City Email Addresses: Mayor Maurer stated that city officials and aldermen are currently using personal email accounts for city business, and issuing generic Gmail accounts would be more cost effective and more accessible than setting up accounts through our current email vendor Office Specialists Inc. Mayor Maurer shared a list of potential addresses that he will edit for the January 18, 2021 Council meeting.

2. Consideration of Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Policy: Mayor Maurer stated that the COVID-19 vaccine could soon be made available to municipal employees, and asked for input about making the vaccination mandatory. By general consensus, the Council was largely against making the vaccination mandatory. Aldermen will check with their departments to gauge employee feelings about the vaccine.

Mayor’s Report:

A note of thanks from the family of Margaret “Peg” Bivens for the donation in her memory to the Knox County Historical Sites was read.

David Amor, Knox County Board Vice-Chairman, contacted Mayor Maurer asking if the City of Knoxville would like to add a member to the Western Illinois Regional Council. This Council provides grant administration and other assistance. Additional information was requested by the Council before making a commitment.

The Public Library Board will meet via email on January 5, 2021.

Mayor Maurer and Alderman Myers will meet with a representative from Bruner,

Cooper, and Zuck on January 7, 2021 to discuss plans for the new City Hall. To give the public the opportunity to comment on the plans, they will be noted on the City website and Facebook page, plus there may be a public informational meeting scheduled.

The next regularly scheduled Council meeting will be held on Monday, January 18, 2021 as a virtual meeting via Zoom.

Committee Reports

Administration: No report.

Cemetery: No report.

Economic Development: No report.

Parks: No report.

Police: No report.

Sanitation: No report.

Streets: Alderman Hillier thanked the Street Department for their work on snow and ice removal during the holiday season.

Water/Sewer: No report.

Adjourn: At 7:47 PM, Alderman Gruner moved to Adjourn the Meeting; Alderman Hillier seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote with no dissent. The meeting was adjourned.