Galesburg Reporter

City of Knoxville City Council Met June 7.

Here is the minutes provided by the council:

Call to Order: Mayor Myers called the Meeting to order at 7:00 PM.

All rose to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll Call: Present: Aldermen Eiker, Gruner, Hillier, Hope, Howard, and Moore; Mayor Myers, Treasurer Barnum, Chief of Police Poyner, Attorney McCoy, and City Clerk Wilt. Absent: Alderman Reed. Also present: Officer AJ Avery, Mr. Blake Benedict.

Public Comments: None.

Approval of Minutes: Alderman Eiker moved to approve the Minutes of the May 17, 2021 City Council Meeting. Alderman Gruner seconded the motion which passed by voice vote with no dissent.

GENERAL REPORTS

Attorney Report: Attorney McCoy reported that the City has the right to keep the current size of the Council in case a change is required after the results of the 2020 census, and should consider issuing an ordinance to this effect. Attorney McCoy also noted that for the flooding issue on Circle Drive, the City could demand access to the drainage ditch owned by the adjoining landowner to stop the flooding. This item will be placed on the June 21, 2021 Council agenda. Engineer Report: No report.

Treasurer’s Report: No report.

City Clerk’s Report: Clerk Wilt stated that the first Council meeting in July would be held on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, as Monday, July 5, 2021 is an observed holiday.

INFORMATION ITEMS

Lieutenant Donald Ryner tendered his resignation from the Police Department, effective July 30, 2021. A gathering, with badge retirement, will be held before the July 19, 2021 Council meeting.

OLD BUSINESS

None.

NEW BUSINESS

1. Tap into Manhole for Baseball Field Concession Stand: Blake Benedict with MSI Inc was available to answer questions about this request. Alderman Moore moved to allow Knoxville School District #202 to tap into the manhole for a sewer connection for the high school baseball field new concession stand. Alderman Gruner seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote with no dissent.

2. Garage Addition 38 Lincoln Street: The owners of 38 Lincoln Street had applied for a building permit to add on to their existing garage, making the garage over 1000 sq ft. A Zoning Board of Appeals meeting was scheduled for June 2, 2021 to review this request. There was no quorum present, so the meeting was not held. After further review, the addition was to be made to an attached garage, which is not an accessory building, so a zoning variance is not required. Due to the confusion with this request, Mayor Myers requested Council approval for this building permit. Alderman Eiker moved to allow the permit for the proposed garage addition at 38 Lincoln St. Alderman Howard seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote with no dissent.

3. Send Two Full Time Police Officers for Training: Chief Poyner is pending hiring new officers to fill open spots, but slots with the training academy need to be reserved ahead of time due to demand. Alderman Howard moved to allow two potential police officers to attend training during the current fiscal year. Alderman Hillier seconded the motion, which passed with six (6) Yes votes and one (1) Absent.

4. Police Department Officer Positions: Alderman Howard moved that two new police positions be added: Captain, paying an additional $3.00 per hour over the base wage (currently $18.00 per hour), and Sergeant, paying an additional $1.50 more per hour over the base wage. Alderman Gruner seconded the motion, which passed with six (6) Yes votes and one (1) Absent. Chief Poyner will prepare job descriptions, which will be discussed at the June 21, 2021 Council meeting.

Mayor’s Report:

• A note from the Knoxville High School Class of 2021was circulated, thanking the Council for the donation towards Project Graduation.

• Garrett’s Glass, 110 Galesburg Road, will have a grand opening on Friday, June 11, with ribbon cutting at 11:30 am.

• Employee performance reviews will be reinstated at the end of the 2021-2022 fiscal year, with Aldermen involved in the process.

• Current wheel taxes are collected from those who make an effort to pay them. It is suggested, if legal, to add the tax as a $1.00 or $2.00 surcharge on the water bills, and do away with the current procedure.

• Water and sewer rates need to be reviewed for possible increase. This will be discussed at the June 21, 2021 Council meeting.

• Council members should report proceedings back to their respective department heads following each Council meeting.

• The TIF account is expected to receive approximately $297,000.00 from 2020 property taxes. A loan may need to be secured to pay for the new City Hall.

• Mayor Myers and Aldermen Gruner and Howard attended the Knoxville Community Fund meeting on June 2, 2021. Attorney McCoy is to research to see if the Cemetery Trust funds could be legally placed in the Community Fund, since those funds can never be spent. The interest could be higher with the Community Fund than in the current investments.

• New tablets will be ordered for those Council members who need them.

• The next regularly scheduled Council meeting will be held on Monday, June 21, 2021 at 7:00 PM at the Police Station.

Committee Reports

• Administration: No report.

• Cemetery: No report.

• Economic Development: No report.

• Parks: No report.

• Police: No report.

• Sanitation: No report.

• Streets: No report.

• Water/Sewer: Alderman Gruner reported that he is now receiving monthly status reports from Water Superintendent Johnson. He also reported that two new fire hydrants have been ordered for East Ann St and East Mill St, and that the laptop computer has been repaired.

Adjourn: At 8:06 PM, Alderman Hillier moved to Adjourn the Meeting; Alderman Gruner seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote with no dissent. The meeting was adjourned.

https://kville.org/wp-content/uploads/minutes-agendas-newsletters/Minutes_2021-06-07.pdf