Galesburg Reporter

City of Monmouth City Council met July 3.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

I. CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

Mayor Rod Davies called the meeting to order in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 East Broadway at 6:00 p.m. and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

II. ROLL CALL 

City Clerk Susan S. Trevor called the roll and those answering Present were: Alderman Bone, Alderwoman Susan Twomey (remote), Aldermen Brian Daw, Jim Conard, Juan Pinedo, Kevin Ferry Absent: Aldermen Justin Thomas and John VanVleet Also Present: Mayor Rod Davies, City Administrator Lew Steinbrecher, City Clerk Susan S. Trevor, City Attorney Marcum Spears, Building and Zoning Director Joe Clark, Communications Director Ken Helms, MFD Chief Casey Rexroat, MPD Chief Joe Switzer, Woodard & Curran Public Works Director Andy Jackson and Woodard & Curran Area Manager Greg Frieden

III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 

A. Approval of June 19, 2023 Council Meeting Minutes 

It was moved by Alderman Conard and seconded by Alderman Pinedo to approve the June 19, 2023 Council Meeting Minutes as presented. AYE: Alderwoman Twomey (remote), Aldermen Conard, Pinedo and Ferry NAY: none PASS: Aldermen Bone and Daw ABSENT: Aldermen Thomas and VanVleet MOTION CARRIED. 

IV. PRESENTATION TO THE COUNCIL 

A. Presentations or Citizen Inquiries 

     1. Chicken Ordinance Information 

          a. Joe Bratcher addressed the Council to make them aware that he had posted a petition on Facebook in favor of changing the City ordinance banning the raising of chickens within City limits to allowing chickens to be raised within the City. He cited several reasons that were favorable for allowing chickens to be raised within City limits such as it was environmentally friendly, it reduces food waste and other communities surrounding Monmouth permit the raising of chickens. There are also a number of families within City limits who are in violation of the current ordinance banning the raising of chickens in the City. He thanked the Council for addressing the issue.

          b. Jimmy McVey also spoke in support of changing the chicken ordinance. He felt it was more of an educational issue. His daughter wants to show chickens as an educational experience. However, he did not want roosters to be permitted in a new ordinance.

B. Consent Agenda 

     1. Approval of Bills

It was moved by Alderman Daw and seconded by Alderman Ferry to approve the bills as presented. AYE: Alderman Bone, Alderwoman Twomey (remote), Aldermen Daw, Conard, Pinedo and Ferry NAY: none ABSENT: Aldermen Thomas and VanVleet

MOTION CARRIED. 

V. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE 

A. Backpack Street Closure Request - Karla Wallace

Mrs. Wallace explained that she was hosting a Back to School party in South Park on July 29th. She will be providing train rides for the children and is asking for A, B, C Streets, West 10th Avenue and West 11th Avenue to be blocked off for the train rides, Mrs. Wallace thought the hours would be from 1:00-3:00 p.m., but said she would have to check with the owner of the train as to his schedule. After some discussion as to the closure of the above- mentioned streets, Mayor Davies asked Mrs. Wallace to meet with Chief Switzer and explore the best solution for a train route around the park and then bring the specified streets to be closed back for the next Council meeting.

B. Building and Zoning June Report - Director Clark'

     1. Grants

          ✓ The City currently has a list of houses to be demolished and is waiting for notification from the Strong Communities program that they have received the grant, which they submitted an application for to be able to demolish the houses on its current list.

     2. Open Projects 

          ✔Monmouth College Stockdale Center, Monmouth Townhomes, Monmouth Child Center and Dollar General

     3. Junk and Debris 

          ✔The Department has started tracking notices being sent out. These figures do not reflect the phone calls made to the offenders, which usually get quicker results than the written notices.

C. Woodard and Curran May and Annual Report – Director Jackson

     1. Month of May and Annual Report 

The City has invested heavily in Capital Improvements, which was partially made possible through the sale of the Transfer Station. However, inflation has risen from 1.2% in 2020 to 8% in 2022. This has definitely impacted the services provided to the City by Woodard and Curran.

          ➤ In 2022 Woodard and Curran oversaw $1.785 Million Capital 

Repair/Replacement Work with repairs to Wells 8,9, and 4 as well as repairing the West Harlem Water Tower. Replacements were made with water and wastewater SCADA; softener vessel refurbishment at North Water Treatment Plant; installation of new motors and VFD drives on high service pumps at water treatment plants; the re-routing of a sewer interceptor at North 5th/East Clinton and North 3rd Street; downtown sewer replacement and retention.

          ➤ Current Capital Projects include water main replacements on W. Harlem, East Euclid/North 6th Corridor and Downtown; road reconstruction on W. Harlem, East Euclid/North 6th Corridor and the MFT Street Maintenance Program, which should finish this coming Wednesday.

          ➤ Woodard and Curran continues to give value added services through Engineering Services, Funding Team for grant assistance, best Management Practices for operations and maintenance and GIS mapping and CMS asset management program. The Funding Team was successful on 7 of the grants applied for that resulted in $10 million dollars to the City for Capital Projects.

          ➤ The City is assisted through Woodard and Curran with Environmental Compliance for issues such as Lead Service Line Replacement, which is an unfunded mandate. The City has received a $2 million grant through U.S. Representative Sorenson to apply to this project. A Nutrient Assessment and Reduction Plan along with wastewater effluent disinfection requirements and compost site permitting and compliance are other Environmental Compliance issues that Woodard and Curran has been assisting the City with.

          ➤ Woodard and Curran through its partnership with the City provides for theBilling Department, Meter Readers, Engineering Assistants, Funding Assistants, Licensed Wastewater Operators, Licensed Water Operators, SCADA Department and the Street Department.

D. Discussion on Draft of Urban Hen Ordinance 

Administrator Steinbrecher gave highlights of the proposed Urban Chicken Ordinance as follows: 

          ❖ Under the proposed ordinance it requires an annual license of $25.00 from May 1st to April 30th of the following year.

          ❖ The chickens must be raised for non-commercial purposes and the license is non-transferable.

          ❖ In Section 5, the license can be revoked for violating ordinance regulations. If an owner is found to be in three or more ordinance violations, their license can be permanently revoked.

          ❖ Paragraph 7 provides for an appeals process.

          ❖ Paragraph B on page 3 states there are to be no more than 6 hens and no  roosters. 

Under Section D, Enclosures; Confinement, there are 7 standards and 3 guidelines with one such being that hens must be kept in a fenced area at all times and the coops must be 10 feet from the property line and 35 feet away from a residential dwelling, school, church or place of business. It also provides for an independent heat source without the use of extension cords.

          ❖ Section G, Waste Storage and Removal, provides that all waste if not used for compost must be removed at least 1 times per week.

          ❖ Under Section I, Unlawful Acts, it states that there cannot be a coop on a vacant lot and no roosters and chickens can be kept inside a residence.

When asked about who would be responsible for enforcing this ordinance, the Mayor stated that Joe Clark, the Zoning Director would be, but the Mayor added that he was very concerned as to how overworked Joe is currently and was not sure if he would be able to keep up with all the added work if chickens were allowed within City limits. Alderwoman Twomey expressed her support of the Mayor's concerns. Alderman Bone asked that an amendment providing for metal containers for food be included in the ordinance. It was moved by Alderman Daw and seconded by Alderman Pinedo to bring back the Urban Chicken Ordinance with the amendment stating metal containers were to be used for food storage at the August 7th meeting. AYE: Aldermen Daw, Conard, Pinedo and Ferry NAY: Alderman Bone and Alderwoman Twomey ABSENT: Alderman Thomas and Alderman VanVleet MOTION CARRIED. 

VI. ORDINANCES 

A. 1st Reading 

     1. 23-017, An Ordinance Amending Schedule II of Chapter 76, Entitled "Traffic Schedules" 

This ordinance sets a 15-mph speed limit for the road servicing Monmouth Townhomes. The road ends in a cul-de-sac. It was moved by Alderman Pinedo and seconded by Alderman Bone to approve Ordinance 23-017 as presented. AYE: Aldermen Daw, Conard, Pinedo, Ferry, Bone and Alderwoman Twomey (remote) NAY: none ABSENT: Alderman Thomas and VanVleet MOTION CARRIED. 

     2. 23-018, An Ordinance Modifying Setback Variance 

Administrator Steinbrecher explained that the City Council granted a two-foot variance on the front yard setback (from 25 feet to 23 feet) for the Monmouth Townhomes project on February 22, 2022. In preparing the "As Built" survey of this development, it has been discovered that 3 of the 22 duplexes are closer to the front yard lot line than 23 feet. The Administrator respectfully requests the City Council to adjust the front yard setback for the 3 duplexes at 203, 309, and 404 East Jackson Avenue from 23 feet to 21 feet to accurately reflect the measurements of this "As Built" survey. It was moved by Alderman Conard and seconded by Alderman Pinedo to approve Ordinance 23-018 providing for the above-stated variance adjustment. AYE: Aldermen Conard, Pinedo, Ferry, Bone and Alderwoman Twomey (remote) NAY: Alderman Daw ABSENT: Aldermen Thomas and VanVleet MOTION FAILED and will be brought back for a 2nd reading at the July 17th meeting.

     3. 23-019, An Ordinance Granting Setback Variance 

Director Clark stated that a ZBA meeting was held on June 28th to consider a setback variance to construct a new garage in the same location as the original garage. It will be 1 foot from the South property line and due to the lot width and house placement there is no room to move the new garage to the North. With no objections expressed, the ZBA unanimously granted the setback variance for 321 North 3rd Street and is recommending approval of the setback variance to the Council. It was moved by Alderman Daw and seconded by Alderman Ferry to accept the recommendation of the ZBA and approve the setback variance for 321 North 3rd Street to construct a new garage. AYE: Aldermen Pinedo, Ferry, Bone, Alderwoman Twomey (remote), Aldermen Daw and Conard NAY: none ABSENT: Aldermen Thomas and VanVleet MOTION CARRIED. 

VII. OTHER BUSINESS 

There was none to consider.

VIII. ADJOURNMENT 

It was moved by Alderman Daw and seconded by Alderwoman Twomey (remote) to adjourn the July 3, 2023, meeting at 6:50 p.m. MOTION CARRIED by unanimous voice vote with the exception of Aldermen Thomas and VanVleet, who were absent.

https://www.cityofmonmouth.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif7191/f/minutes/approved_july_3_2023_council_meeting_minutes.pdf