South Central Reporter

City of Litchfield Council met Dec. 6.

Here is the minutes provided by the council:

Mayor Steve Dougherty called the public hearing to order and open for the presentation and receipt of public comment pursuant to the Bond Issue Notification Act.

The Mayor stated that the notice of the public hearing was published in the Litchfield News

The Mayor stated that the notice of the public hearing was published in the Litchfield NewsHerald and posted at the City Hall ofthe City more than 48 hours ago. The Mayor explained that the hearing was to receive public comments on the proposal to sell bonds in an amount not to exceed$ 6, 000,000 for the purpose of financing costs of infrastructure and capital improvements in the new industrial park located northwest of the I-55 and Route 16 intersection and the costs of issuing bonds, and explained that all persons desiring to be heard would have an opportunity to present written or oral testimony with respect thereto.

Whereupon the Mayor asked for presentation of any written or oral public testimony concerning the proposed issuance of the Bonds.

No statements, written or oral, were presented.

Alderwoman Sisson moved and Alderman Gerl seconded the motion that the public hearing be adjourned.

Mayor Steven Dougherty called the Regular Meeting to order on December 6, 2018 at 6: 30 p.m. The Pledge ofAllegiance was recited. Present on roll call were Alderpersons Dwayne Gerl, Marilyn Sisson, Dave Hollo, Mark Brown, Kassidy Paine, Tim Wright, and Woodrow Street. Absent: Ray Kellenberger. The Mayor declared that a quorum was present.

Kevin Schott reported to the Council on the emergency services and support the fire department provided during the recent tornado in Taylorville.

Other Business:

Alderman Brown made a motion, seconded by Alderman Wright to accept the minutes of the November 15, 2018 meeting.

The Mayor directed a roll call vote.

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. 

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Alderwoman Sisson made a motion, seconded by Alderman Gerl to direct the City Clerk to transfer funds from the city sales tax to the City' s general fund to issue checks and authorize to pay the bills.

The Mayor directed a roll call vote. 

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. 

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Old Business:

None.

New Business:

Administration:

Jereme Zook of Kerber, Eck and Braeckel reported on the proposed 2018 tax levy, state that the2018 proposed city tax levy is $ 1, 517, 110 which represents a$ 44, 188 or 3. 00% increase from the 2017 levy amount of$ 1, 472,922. As a result of a$ 16, 158 decrease in the tax levy supporting the City's police and fire pension funds, this levy will allow for a$ 60,346 increase of the general fund tax levy revenues. He further remarked that the Police pension fund contribution decreased21, 720 to $43 7, 119 while the Firefighters pension fund contribution increased $ 5, 562 to299,664. The combined pension contributions now constitute nearly 1/ 2 of the City's real estate tax levy. The county's estimated equalized assessed valuation forecast of$90,996,057 represent san increase of 3, 349, 899 or 3. 82% which will decrease the property tax rate by. 8%.

Alderman Street made a motion, seconded by Alderman Wright to approve an Ordinance ascertaining the total amount budgeted for all corporate purposes legally made and to be collected from the tax levy of the fiscal year, beginning on the 1st day of May, 2018, ending on the 30th day of April, 2019 and levying a tax for the same on all property subject to taxation within the City of Litchfield, Montgomery County, Illinois, as the same is assessed and equalized for state and county purposes for the current year.

The Mayor directed a roll call vote. 

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. 

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Alderman Street made a motion, seconded by Alderman Brown to approve an Ordinance annexing 121 West Lake Trail.

The Mayor directed a roll call vote.

Aye:Hollo,Brown,Paine,Wright,Street.

Naye: Gerl, Sisson. Absent: Kellenberger. 

Motion carried.

Alderman Street made a motion, seconded by Alderman Wright to approve an Ordinance annexing 181 West Lake Trail.

The Mayor directed a roll call vote.

Aye: Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street.

Naye: Gerl, Sisson.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Alderman Street made a motion, seconded by Alderman Hollo to approve an Ordinance annexing 175 Arrowhead Lane. The Mayor directed a roll call vote.

Aye:Hollo,Brown,Paine,Wright,Street. Naye: Gerl, Sisson.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Streets:

Alderwoman Paine made a motion, seconded by Alderman Street to approve the purchase of a four-wheel drive pick-up truck via State Bid from Morrow Brothers Ford Inc., of Greenfield for the amount not to exceed $25,860 and to authorize the City Clerk to issue a check upon satisfactory delivery.

The Mayor directed a roll call vote. 

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright,Street. 

Naye: None. 

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Alderwoman Paine made a motion, seconded by Alderwoman Sisson to approve the contract renewal agreement for three years with Illinois Power Marketing Company, doing business as Homefield Energy and to authorize the Mayor to sign the Agreement.

The Mayor directed a roll call vote.

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. 

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Tourism:

Alderwoman Sisson made a motion, seconded by Alderman Street to renew an advertising contract with Illinois Times for a 1/ 3 of a page square ad in the 2019- 2020 Capital City VisitorGuide, not to exceed the amount of$1, 000 and to authorize the Mayor to sign the contract. The Mayor directed a roll call vote.

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Lake:

Alderman Hollo made a motion, seconded by Alderwoman Paine to approve the purchase of two special order commercial steel entry doors with steel welded frames, ADA handles and ADA closers from Nelch Doors for$ 2, 266. 18.

The Mayor directed a roll call vote.

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street.

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Alderman Hollo made a motion, seconded by Alderman Wright to approve an Ordinance setting the 2019 Lake Lou Yaeger fees.

The Mayor directed aroll call vote. 

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. 

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Water:

Alderman Hollo made a motion, seconded by Alderman Street to approve the agreement for construction and sale of water line with KAHO Public Water District and authorize the Mayor to sign the design build agreement with HCS, LLC for the construction of the water line contingent

upon the Water Purchase Agreement with KAHO Public Water District being approved and executed.

The Mayor directed a roll call vote. 

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. 

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Economic Development:

Alderman Wright made a motion, seconded by Alderman Gerl to approve the Government/Municipal/Public Funds Banking Resolution. The Mayor directed a roll call vote.

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. 

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Building Department:

Alderman Street made a motion, seconded by Alderman Wright to approve an Ordinance accepting the infrastructure and the street Bel-Air Drive for the Route 66 Crossing SubdivisionStn Addition.

The Mayor directed a roll call vote. 

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. 

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Alderman Gerl made a motion, seconded by Alder-woman Sisson to direct the City Attorney to begin a title search and a legal agreement for parcel # 10- 33- 390- 010 ( 203 N. Van Buren) to be donated to the City of Litchfield.The Mayor directed a roll call vote.

Aye:Gerl,Sisson,Hollo,Brown,Paine,Wright,Street. 

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Police:

City Administrator Flannery explained that due to the recent storms, individuals and businesses have been in town wishing to provide services for roof repair, auto hail damage, etc. and were going door to door. An ordinance from the early 1940s prohibited door to door sales; however,this ordinance was not codified when the Code of Ordinance was adopted. Building InspectorGary Baker stated that the number of door to door solicitors was concerning the citizens and that he would like to see proof of insurance and licensing. Police Chief Jarman remarked that when the sales are for services, it is difficult to hold the solicitor responsible and feels that licensing should be required in order to monitor the activity. He believes that each person should have to carry a permit they would acquire from the Clerk' s office and that a bond be posted. CityAttorney Hantla explained that there was little time to prepare the Ordinance because of the urgent need to have something in place. He suggested that the bond amount be set, that thisOrdinance be passed to address the current situation, and then modified over the next few weeks.It was decided to set the bond at$ 1; 000.00.

Alderwoman Sisson made a motion, seconded by Alderman Gerl to approve an Ordinance to regulate door to door sales in the City of Litchfield, Montgomery County, Illinois. The Mayor directed a roll call vote.

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. 

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Executive Session:

Alderman Brown made a motion, seconded by Alderwoman Sisson to Enter into ExecutiveSession, as allowed under the Illinois Open Meetings Act, as found in Chapter 5 of the IllinoisCompiled Statutes, Section 120, to address these certain and restricted items:

1. " The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the public body..." ( 51LCS 120/ 2( 2)( C)( 1).2. " Collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees." ( 51LCS 120/ 2( C)( 2))3. " The setting of a price for sale or lease of property owned by the public body." ( 5ILCS120/ 2( 2)( 6)4. " Litigation, when an action against, affecting or on behalf of the particular public body has been filed and is pending before a court or administrative tribunal, or when the public body finds that an action is probable or imminent, in which case the basis for the finding shall be recorded and entered into the minutes ofthe closed meeting." ( 5ILCS120/2( 2)( C)( 11)

The Mayor directed a roll call vote. 

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. 

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Executive Session was entered into at 7: 10 p.m.

Alderman Street made a motion, seconded by Alderwoman Sisson to return to open session at 8:26 p.m.

The Mayor directed a roll call vote.

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

New Business:

Alderman Street made a motion, seconded by Alderman Wright to extend the consultant contract with Kevin Schott an additional 30 days beginning December 8, 2018. The Mayor directed a roll call vote.

Aye: Gerl, Sisson, Hollo, Brown, Paine, Wright, Street. 

Naye: None.

Absent: Kellenberger.

Motion carried.

Alderman Wright made a motion, seconded by Alderman Brown to direct the Police and Fire Commission to promote an officert o Sergeant based off the current sergeant list.

The Mayor called for a voice vote.

Motion carried.

Having no further business, Alderman Street made a motion, seconded by Alderman Wright to adjourn the regular meeting of the Litchfield City Council.

The Mayor called for a voice vote, motion carried, and the regular meeting adjourned at 8: 27 p.m.

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