City of Centralia City Council met Feb. 24.
Here is the minutes provided by the council:
The City Council for Centralia, Illinois met in the Council Chambers at Centralia City Hall. Mayor Williams called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Williams, Councilman Jones, Councilman Smith, Councilman Sauer, and Councilman Marshall
Absent: None
Staff Members Present: Bill Agee, Acting City Manager; Luke Behme; City Attorney; Chief Greg Dodson, Police Department; Rose Aldag-McVey, Economic Development Director; Michelle Liggett; Finance Director; Gayla Harting, Community Development Director; Jeff Schwartz, Public Works Director; Kala Lambert, Assistant City Manager; Chief John Lynch, Fire Department; and Kim Enke, City Clerk
PRAYER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Williams led the Pledge of Allegiance and an opening prayer was offered by Vernell Burris.
AMENDMENTS AND/OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA
None
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Jennifer Price addressed the City Council in regards to the recent placement of a digital sign on the South Central Transit building. She stated that she is also bothered by the sign on Calumet Street in front of the Centralia Junior High that is mainly a residential area. She stated that is a brash flashing sign that changes its script or photo every couple seconds. She stated that while it is there to provide information, it creates a distraction in the area where the children are crossing. She stated that she has looked into the ability to regulate signs and she feels that the Council does have the ability to do that. She stated that at night it is just as bright as it is during the day. She noted that signs are necessary, but there should be some regulations concerning the nature of the sign including the method in which it is conveyed. She stated that she feels it is distracting and detrimental to the neighborhood. She stated that the latest electronic sign placed downtown also causes a distraction in a busy area. She stated that she expects an accident to occur due to the sign causing distracted driving, she compared it to looking down at a cell phone while driving. She stated that it is a concern of hers and the city will look like Time Square if something isn’t done. She thanked the City Council for their consideration.
APPOINTMENT OF CITY CLERK
A motion was made by Councilman Smith and seconded by Councilman Jones to approve the appointment of Kim Enke as City Clerk.
Ayes: Councilman Jones, Councilman Smith, Councilman Sauer, Councilman Marshall, and Mayor Williams Nays: None
A majority of the Council voting aye, the motion carried.
OATH OF OFFICE BY CITY CLERK
The Oath of Office was administered by Mayor Herb Williams. City Clerk Enke thanked the Mayor and City Council for the appointment and their confidence in her. She recognized the Department Heads and Staff that she is also appreciative of. She also recognized her family members that were in attendance.
CONSENT AGENDA
A Motion was made by Councilman Jones and seconded by Councilman Marshall to Approve Items 1 & 2 of the Consent Agenda.
1. Approval Of The Minutes Of The February 10, 2020 Council Meeting
2. Approval Of Payrolls And Vouchers In The Amount Of $743,027.38
Ayes: Councilman Jones, Councilman Smith, Councilman Sauer, Councilman Marshall, and Mayor Williams
Nays: None
A majority of the Council voting aye, the motion carried.
REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Rhonda Yates, the Marion County Circuit Clerk, addressed the City Council to inform them about DigiTicket. She stated that Centralia is in Phase 1 of using the new hardware/software program along with Salem, Marion County, and Central City. She stated that many clerk’s office have worked with the company previously and she has seen many demonstrations and has met with police agencies concerning it as well. She stated that they will purchase the hardware and software for the Police Department to use. She reported that the cost is $10,299.03 for the software and hardware that Marion County will purchase for all departments. She stated that the document storage and E-citation fee will provide the funds for the purchase. She stated that after two years to the City would have some maintenance costs. She explained that those costs would be approximately $2,072.00 for the city after the second year and then annually. She stated that this will reduce the paper costs to the department due to the paper for the E-citations being purchased by the Marion County Circuit Clerk’s Office. She stated that the E-citation fund can only be used for E-citations. She stated that the only thing that is not included is the installation into the cars which is the only expense necessary upfront. She stated that she signed the contract and provided the first payment for the program. She stated that this system allows the tickets to go directly from the officer’s car to the Circuit Clerk’s Office noting that it will save time and also allow for fewer mistakes. She stated that this is not mandated yet, but they are ahead of it by setting up the program now. Mayor Williams asked what the estimated cost of installation into the cars. Circuit Clerk Yates stated that she did not know what the City’s expenses would be due to it needing to be addressed individually by each department. She did note however though that the Salem Police Department has maintenance staff that will be installing their equipment. Councilman Jones asked if it was another computer. Chief Dodson stated that it is not another computer. He stated that it is a printer that ties into the computer that is already in the squad cars. The installation that will be required is minimal with a CAT5 cable that runs from the printer to the docking station for the computer and power. Circuit Clerk Yates stated that there are also two additional stations that will be placed in the Police Department in addition to the stations in the vehicles. Chief Dodson stated that they will be in the report room and booking area in order to issue tickets directly from those stations. Councilman Sauer asked about the copies that will be provided. Circuit Clerk Yates stated that it will print 3 copies at time the ticket is issued in order to provide a ticket to the individual. Councilman Jones asked if it will work in all of the city. Circuit Clerk Yates stated that the program is also written to work with code enforcement and ordinance violations. Chief Dodson stated that an added advantage of this is that they are providing the printer for the purpose of e-tickets but it can also serve a dual purpose and be used for electronic crash reporting. Chief Dodson also pointed out that the current 5-8 day wait time for tickets will be eliminated due to everything being electronic. Councilman Jones asked if there was additional fees being paid by those being ticketed. Circuit Clerk Yates stated that there is a fee that is paid with the ticket for an E-citation fee. She stated that this is paid out monthly. Chief Dodson stated that the costs will be offset due to no longer required to have the ticket printing fees they have currently for paper tickets. Councilman Jones asked there was an estimated time frame to have the program implemented. Circuit Clerk Yates stated that she expects it to be in use this summer. Chief Dodson stated that the record management vendor has to write a module that will interact with it. He stated that the module will be split equally among all agencies. He stated that the cost of the module will be paid for by the Circuit Clerk’s Office but the ongoing maintenance, approximately $1500/year, will be split between all departments. Councilman Jones asked if this will be able to be used in the entire City. Chief Dodson stated that initially it will only be set up for Marion County but every county will eventually have to go to this. Chief explained that right now DigiTicket is only set up to work in one county and not cities with multiple counties, but they are working on getting that set up as well once the module is written for it. Circuit Clerk Yates stated that a majority of their tickets are from Centralia which is why she wanted to include Centralia in Phase 1. Mayor Williams clarified that this system will be able to be used for all ordinance tickets. Circuit Clerk Yates stated that there will be a lot of work to set that up due to the codes required to match the charges for those tickets, but it will be an advantage to the City. Councilman Jones asked about the storage of the records. Circuit Clerk Yates stated that it will be backed up by her office in addition to the Police Department. Chief Dodson stated that a paper copy will also be retained by the department. Councilman Marshall stated that this seems to save the City money over time. Chief Dodson stated that it may be a wash as far as expenses but it will be so much more efficient due to the auto population of information and cutting out steps. He added that Central City & Clinton County have been using electronic crash reporting and Clinton County is already using DigiTicket which are good models. Circuit Clerk Yates did reiterate that there will be a savings of paper costs though since she will continue to purchase the paper for the system.
BIDS
A motion was made Councilman Jones and seconded by Councilman Sauer to Approve Bids Received For Aggregate Materials For 2020 Public Works Maintenance From Beelman Logistics, LLC. And Kall Trucking.
Ayes: Councilman Jones, Councilman Smith, Councilman Sauer, Councilman Marshall, and Mayor Williams
Nays: None
A majority of the Council voting aye, the motion carried.
Councilman Sauer asked the Public Works Director there was only one bidder this year and last year for the bituminous material. Director Schwartz stated that they are the only supplier in the area that bid on it but confirmed that the price is similar to Salem and some of the other community’s costs. A motion was made Councilman Sauer and seconded by Councilman Smith to Approve The Bid Received For Bituminous Materials For 2020 Public Works Maintenance From General Contractors Inc.
Ayes: Councilman Jones, Councilman Smith, Councilman Sauer, Councilman Marshall, and Mayor Williams
Nays: None
A majority of the Council voting aye, the motion carried.
A motion was made Councilman Jones and seconded by Councilman Marshall to Approve The Bid Received For
Concrete Materials For 2020 Public Works Maintenance From Quad County Ready Mix.
Ayes: Councilman Jones, Councilman Smith, Councilman Sauer, Councilman Marshall, and Mayor Williams
Nays: None
A majority of the Council voting aye, the motion carried.
In regards to the Police Vehicle being bid. Councilman Smith asked where the dealership that bid is located and Councilman Jones asked about the vehicle specifications. Chief Dodson stated that they were from Decatur and it was bid as a police pursuit package SUV. He stated that the bids were also sent to the local dealers. He added that Miles Chevrolet has the state bid and their prices make it difficult for a dealer to be lower than them due to the hundreds of police package vehicles that they purchase. He added that they supply approximately 75% of the state. Councilman Jones asked if the purchase was a dire need. He stated that they will be shuffling the cars in the department but the car that needs to be taken out of service is the canine vehicle which is a 2011 Crown Victoria. He stated that a lot of money is going to need to be spent on it to keep it serviceable. Chief Dodson stated that it will be scrapped. Mayor Williams asked if the new vehicle will be used for the canine unit. Chief Dodson stated that one of the other Ford Explorers they have will be used for the canine vehicle after the purchase. He stated the new vehicle which is a Tahoe will be a Sergeant’s vehicle. He stated that the current canine vehicle has over 90,000 miles and since the canine is in it, it runs the entire day that it is on shift due to keeping the car cooled or heated for the canine. Councilman Sauer stated that this is typical discussion when police vehicles are not purchased from a local company during this bid, noting that Miles has it locked up due to dealing with hundreds and not just individual cars. He added that the local dealers also don’t bid due to knowing that. A motion was made Councilman Sauer and seconded by Councilman Smith to Approve Bid Received For The Purchase Of A Police Vehicle From Miles Chevrolet For A Total Amount Of $38,678.00.
Ayes: Councilman Jones, Councilman Smith, Councilman Sauer, Councilman Marshall, and Mayor Williams
Nays: None
A majority of the Council voting aye, the motion carried.
ORDINANCES
None
RESOLUTIONS
None
OTHER BUSINESS
None
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
None
REPORTS
City Clerk Enke reported that the bids are being accepted for the water tower restoration project as part of the CDBG grant. She noted that the bids will be opened on March 4th and the approval may appear on the next agenda after the bids are opened and reviewed.
Acting City Manager Agee reported the he provided an IEPA economic impact evaluation for the sewer plant. He stated that this was needed for the phosphorus removal exemption that the City is addressing this week in Springfield. He stated that the City will discuss this with the IEPA, but the report that was prepared by the engineer is being provided to the Council for their information.
Acting City Manager Agree provided photos of the existing signs at the Emergency Operation Center and the proposed images that will be incorporated. He explained that the current signage will remain but Police, Fire, 911, & ESDA will be added. Also a sign will be added to the top of the building to cover the area that currently has City Hall displayed on it. Councilman Smith asked when it is expected to be installed. Acting City Manager Agee stated that he doesn’t have an exact date but expects it to be done quickly. Councilman Jones asked what the expected cost is and Acting City Manager Agee stated that the quote was for $861.50 from Kaco. Mayor Williams asked about the signage for the current City Hall building. Acting City Manager Agee stated that he doesn’t have that finalized but anticipates asking Kaco to put a design together for placement on the corner of the building to be seen on both Broadway and Locust.
Acting City Manager Agee stated that a Police Officer resigned this past week to go to work for the State Police. He stated that he authorized the F&P Commission to hire a replacement. Chief Dodson stated that it will take approximately 7-9 months before they are on the street. He noted that there are several background, health tests, and health exams that need to be completed before placing them in the academy. He stated that the academy is 14 weeks long and then that is followed by 12 weeks of field training. Councilman Marshall asked if there were 23 officers at this time. Chief Dodson stated that the department is authorized for 24 and they had 24 before Officer Schilling resigned. He stated that with the resignation, with two officers on light duty, and two being in their 7th week of academy, there is 19 available at this time.
Acting City Manager Agee stated that a group from the City met with Conagra to discuss their concerns of the cross walk and other items at the plant. He reported that they have agreed to investigate several options including painting the existing cross walks to bring attention to them, possibly installing advanced warning signs for the crosswalks, increase police patrol in the area to reduce speed, and possibly relocate the digital speed sign to the area to slow things down as well. He stated that they have agreed to continue communicating to determine if any of these steps make a difference and adjust the strategy accordingly. Mayor Williams asked the Public Works Director about the regulation the size of the painted crosswalk area. Director Schwartz stated that there is 5’ in between the lines. Mayor Williams asked if it could be widened. He noted that there are two crosswalks, one by the gate and then one down the street further. There was discussion concerning extending the area and making it wider. Councilman Smith asked if there they will not be providing the solar powered crosswalks. Mayor Williams stated that they are still investigating it. Mayor Williams stated that in their meeting, they agreed to look at what can be done presently and also add some safety features. He stated that the digital sign would cost some money so they are looking at some immediate results to help them out. Councilman Jones stated that they are agreeing to do an evaluation of the whole area and not just put up flashing signs that may not help due to other issues. He stated that they are reporting cars are going over the tracks at 40 MPH so more investigation needs to be done. He stated that are looking at the entire area for a plan to resolve the issue. He stated that the Acting City Manager will come up with a plan. Councilman Smith asked the Police Chief if there many tickets issued in area. Chief Dodson stated that they reviewed the tickets for that area and didn’t find any incidents, wrecks, or complaints. He stated that once they put the digital sign there though it will come back with reports that will indicate what the real situation is. He stated that they typically leave it up for 1 full week to see the repeating pattern, so he anticipates having it set facing one direction for a week and then another direction for another week.
Councilman Jones congratulated the City Clerk for her appointment. Councilman Jones thanked the Elks and Lady Elks for hosting the pancake breakfast on Saturday. He stated that he read on social media that they have approximately $2,000 to donate back to the Veterans Committee for flags.
Councilman Jones confirmed that the trash collection was delayed by one day with collection on Tuesday for those that were not collected on Monday.
Councilman Jones responded to Jennifer Price’s concern about signage and recommended that it be looked into by the City.
Councilman Smith congratulated City Clerk Enke for her appointment. He also recognized her daughter Lexi that was in attendance wishing her luck at the upcoming 3 point basketball shootout in Effingham. He added that Natalie Edson and her are both representing Centralia High School at the Sectional Tournament.
Councilman Smith also reminded residents that the Census is coming up. He stated that everyone needs to do their due diligence especially due to the number of people that have left Illinois in the last decade. He stated that hopefully someone will be able to present and provide more information about it. He also discussed the 1% sales tax that will be on the ballot on March 17th. He noted that Chief Dodson and Superintendent Chuck Lane will be presenting information about this and the importance of it. He stated that it was previously voted down, but it would benefit all schools in Marion County. He added that it is not only for Centralia or Salem, but for all schools in the entire county. He stated that it would help get school resource officers and social workers.
Councilman Smith stated that he wanted to clarify that he was not on board with the hiring of GovHr. He stated that he didn’t vote for that and he was not on board.
Councilman Smith thanked and congratulated the Elk’s for the great job that they did with the breakfast over the weekend. He heard it was outstanding.
Councilman Sauer discussed a mailing that he received from Arcadia Solar that other residents also asked him about. He stated that it looks good, similar to electric aggeation, but he is concerned about what it is that they are attempting to sign people up for. He requested that the city staff look into it further.
Councilman Sauer stated that the digital signs are the trend and they are a distraction and safety hazard especially for young drivers, the elderly, or other drivers that are impaired. He stated that there are ways to regulate them such as eliminating scrolling, regulating the change rate of the signs, dimming them after hours, and they should not be able to flash red or blue to imitate a police car. He stated that it is not just the safety but also the esthetics. He added that some of the signs are located in residential areas. He stated that schools and small business are using these signs in a way that disturbs the calm of the neighborhood. He stated that they are at eye level and can disrupt personal enjoyment in resident’s homes. He stated that there is rise in the use of the digital signs and a lot of communities are regulating them. He asked that Acting City Manager Agee and the Community Development Director direct the inquiry to the appropriate committees to make recommendation to the Council about what they can do to limit the harm done to the city by the proliferation of the signs. He stated that he will follow up on that at a later date.
Council Marshall congratulated the City Clerk for her appointment and also thanked Circuit Clerk Rhonda Yates for presenting the DigiTicket program. He stated that he feels it will be beneficial to the city due to the number of speeders and people who drive erratically. He also expressed his condolences for the family and those effected by the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter. He stated that it has effected many people around the world.
Mayor Williams also congratulated the City Clerk and her daughter on her accomplishments and wished her the best. He also congratulated the Elk’s on a job well done during their breakfast fundraiser.
Mayor Williams also added that he would like the regulation of digital signs be looked into and in addition to the other requests by the Council, he would also like the City Attorney to review it and look into what other communities have done with ordinances to regulate them. He also requested that the City continue to work toward adding signage on the buildings as previously discussed.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Williams stated that they are continuing to receive a number of applications from individuals that have applied for the City Manager position. Mayor Williams requested that the closed session also include the exception for discussion of personnel as it pertains to the City Manager search and candidates. A motion was made by Councilman Smith and seconded by Councilman Jones to Adjourn the meeting to closed session under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)21, for the semi-annual review of the minutes of the meetings lawfully closed and under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)2, for collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives and under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)1 for personnel.
Ayes: Councilman Jones, Councilman Smith, Councilman Sauer, Councilman Marshall, and Mayor Williams
Nays: None
A majority of the Council voting aye, the motion carried, and the meeting was adjourned at 6:55 p.m.
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