City of Centralia Council met Sept. 10.
Here is the minutes provided by the council:
ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Ashby, Councilman Jones, Councilman Smith, and Councilman Marshall
Absent: Councilman Sauer
Staff Members Present: Dan Ramey, City Manager; Gayla Harting, Community Development Director; Jeff Schwartz, Public Works Director; Michelle Liggett, Accounting; Chief Brian Atchison, Police Department; Chief John Lynch, Fire Department; Bill Agee, City Treasurer; Doug Gruenke, City Attorney; Kim Enke, City Clerk
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Ashby.
AMENDMENTS AND/OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA
None
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Ann Chappell from D.A.R. was presented with a proclamation proclaiming the week of the September 17th through September 23rd as Constitution Week. The public was invited to attend the program at the Carillon on September 17th at 2 p.m. Bookmarks with the preamble printed on them were presented to all attending the meeting. Mayor Ashby expressed his appreciation of Ann and her involvement in many events and organizations in the City of Centralia.
Mayor Ashby recognized the Kaskaskia College students in attendance and thanked them for showing interest in municipal government.
CONSENT AGENDA
A Motion was made by Councilman Smith and seconded by Councilman Jones To Approve Items 1 - 4 of the Consent Agenda.
1. Approval Of The Minutes Of The August 27, 2018 City Council Meeting
2. Approval Of Payrolls And Vouchers In The Amount Of $646,126.50
3. A Resolution Regarding Closed Session Minutes
4. Approval Of Request To Allow Use of Lake Centralia By The Clay City Bass Club For A Tournament On October 7, 2018
Ayes: Councilman Jones, Councilman Smith, Councilman Marshall and Mayor Ashby
Nays: None
A majority of the Council voting aye, the motion carried.
REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
None
BIDS
None
ORDINANCES
None
RESOLUTIONS
None
OTHER BUSINESS
None
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
None
REPORTS
City Manager Ramey provided an update concerning the dog park construction. He stated that the equipment that was purchased is being assembled and he expects it to be placed in the coming weeks along with the sprinklers that are to be added. He stated that Youth Build will be constructing the pavilions in the park. He stated that more details concerning the opening date and grand opening will be provided within the next few weeks.
City Manager Ramey stated that some of the staff and City Council will be attending the upcoming IML Conference in Chicago. This event provides sessions concerning new topics and laws effecting municipalities.
City Manager Ramey requested that the Community Development Director, Gayla Harting, provide a report about the upcoming Elmwood Speaks and Celebrate Centralia events. Gayla provided details about the Elmwood Speaks event that will run from September 13th thru 15th at Elmwood Cemetery. On the 16th the actors will perform at the Cultural Society in the theatre. Tickets are still available for the Sunday performance, but the event has sold out for the performances in the cemetery. Gayla also provided information about the Celebrate Centralia event on October 13th. She stated that David Dee will be returning this year to perform. She stated that vendors are still needed for the event and encouraged anyone interested to contact her in order to take part.
City Manager Ramey informed the City Council that the Pleasant Street road project from MLK to Rexford will be starting in 10 days.
City Manager Ramey discussed the recent heavy rain and stated that the flooding issues that had occurred in the past during heavy rain in Centralia were not as much of an issue this time. He stated that the plant did have some infiltration issues but they were resolved quickly by staff. He credited the new 48” line that was installed for the decrease in flooding issues.
City Manager Ramey stated that last month there were no structural fires and thanked the Fire Department for their ongoing inspections and education that they provide to the community.
City Manager Ramey reported that the robbery that occurred earlier in the day at Peoples National Bank was under investigation and stated that the police are working diligently to catch those that were involved.
Mayor Ashby thanked the Cultural Society for their partnership in the very successful Elmwood Speaks program and was glad to see that the performances in the cemetery were sold out. He encouraged anyone interested to attend the Sunday performance at the Cultural Society. Mayor Ashby also expressed his excitement for the upcoming Celebrate Centralia festival that includes art, wine and blues music for the public. He stated that this is a great event for Centralia and the utilization of the Foundation’s Carillon Park including their fountain and the green space provides a great location for the event to showcase Centralia.
Mayor Ashby addressed the recent article in the Centralia Sentinel’s Voice of the People section. He stated that the letter to the editor questioned the authority to demolish the properties in Centralia and in particular the building that previously housed a laundromat on West Broadway. Mayor Ashby stated that the building is in violation of health and safety codes and with it being located on a main thoroughfare it hurts the image of the city. City Manager Ramey stated that this building has been vacant for a while and the State Fire Marshall has written up the building for multiple violations. The doors and windows are out of the building, the ceiling is falling in, the A/C has been removed and someone has driven into the building to cause structural damage as the photos of the property depict. He explained the process of sending letters and abatements to the property owner prior to following through with court action. He also noted that the resolution for all of these properties includes the option of repair or demolition. He stated that the City tries to avoid tearing down properties if it can be avoided but in most cases the properties are abandoned and have become so dilapidated that the owners do not have the money to repair them so demolition becomes the only option. City Manager Ramey encouraged anyone with questions or concerns such as this to contact him or the staff so it can be explained.
Mayor Ashby stated that in conjunction with the upcoming IML Conference he had been nominated to serve on the IML Board and is proud to represent the City of Centralia.
Mayor Ashby encouraged everyone to take a moment to reflect on the significance of the September 11th, 2001 tragedy. He also urged everyone to take part in the Constitution Week Program next week.
Mayor Ashby discussed the crime in the community and the effort to eradicate the perception that Centralia is not safe. He stated that he does not feel that the crime is worse but social media and untrue reports give a bad perception. He stated that he feels the Police Department is working more efficiently than ever.
ADJOURNMENT
A motion was made by Councilman Jones and seconded by Councilman Smith to Adjourn the meeting.
Ayes: Councilman Jones, Councilman Smith, Councilman Marshall and Mayor Ashby Nays: None
A majority of the Council voting aye, the motion carried, and the meeting was adjourned at 6:26 p.m.
https://cityofcentralia.org/vertical/sites/%7BFC680FE7-BE5C-4903-A103-67AF5EF51655%7D/uploads/9_-_September_10_2018.pdf
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