South Central Reporter

City of Salem City Council met Feb. 7.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

I. CALL TO ORDER

The regular meeting of the Salem City Council was convened in the Council Chambers of Salem City Hall. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Farley at 6:00 pm.

Council members present:

Mayor Nicolas Farley

Councilman Jim Koehler

Councilman Royce Bringwald

Councilman Craig Morton

Council member absent: Councilwoman Amy Troutt

Others Present:

City Manager Rex Barbee

Public Works Director Annette Brushwitz

City Attorney Mike Jones

City Clerk Bev Quinn

Finance Director Keli Barrow

Economic Development Dir. Tabitha Meador

Chief of Police Sean Reynolds

Members of the Media and Public

II. PRAYER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Councilman Koehler offered the opening prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

III. PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS/PUBLIC COMMENTS – None.

IV. MAYOR’S REPORT AND PRESENTATIONS

• Mayoral Proclamation – Kaskaskia College

Mayor Farley presented a joint proclamation between the City of Salem and Kaskaskia College declaring February as “Career and Technical Education Month” in the City of Salem, and urged “educators, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals, administrators, and parents to promote career and technical education as a respected option for students.”

• congratulated the SCHS Bowling Team for its 7th place win at State;

• congratulated Purcell Properties on the ribbon cutting held for its opening of “The Villas at 515”, and added that the apartments are very nice;

• congratulated Liberty Appliances (formerly Keith McNeil Appliances) for their new location on W. Main Street, and indicated they will be holding a ribbon cutting in the near future;

• expressed condolences to the family, friends and City of Centralia on the passing of former Mayor Becky Ault.

VI. CITY COUNCIL ACTION

1. Consent Agenda

(1) Approval of Minutes – February 7, 2022

Motion was made by Councilman Koehler and seconded by Councilman Bringwald to approve the minutes of February 7, 2022, as presented. Roll call vote: AYES: Councilman Bringwald, Councilman Morton, Councilman Koehler, Mayor Farley. NAYS: None. Councilwoman Troutt abstained. Motion carried.

2. Review and approval of Planning Commission rezoning of property on S. Walnut St. for Crouse Funeral Home

City Manager Barbee indicated the Planning Commission held a Public Hearing on February 8th on a petition to rezone 420 S. Walnut from RS-2 Single-Family

Residential to B-5 Central/Intermediate Business, and they are unanimously recommending approval.

Richard Crouse of Crouse Enterprises, Inc. indicated he owns both 414 and 420 S. Walnut St., and 414 S. Walnut has a non-conforming residential building on it. Mr. Crouse would like to demolish the residential building and construct a new prep and care facility on both lots. Crouse added that their calls have increased from approximately 160 to 190 calls per year, and it has made it difficult to tactfully bring their clients in while services are being conducted. Councilman Koehler indicated he is confident they will do a nice job and he would like to see the City help them expand their operations. Motion was made by Councilman Koehler and seconded by Councilman Bringwald to approve Ordinance 2022-03 amending the zoning of 420 S. Walnut Street from RS-2 Single Family Residential to B-5 Central/Intermediate Business. Roll call vote: AYES: Councilwoman Troutt, Councilman Morton, Councilman Koehler, Councilman Bringwald, Mayor Farley. NAYS: None. Motion carried. Mayor Farley commended Mr. Crouse for continuing to improve and expand his business in Salem.

3. Discussion and approval of change to a 4-way stop at Shelby and E. Boone Intersection

Kerri and Sean Rasul were present to request that a stop sign be added for traffic heading north and south on Shelby St. at the intersection of Boone and Shelby. Ms. Rasul indicated they have lived there for 13 years, have young children, and they have seen a number of collisions or near collisions at that intersection. Rasul added that there has been an increase in traffic with the towing service taking vehicles to their location on Charleston Rd.

Chief Reynolds indicated he had pulled the accident reports for the intersection for the past five years, and found six accidents. Reynolds added that these records don’t show the near misses, and he supports converting this intersection to a four-way stop. Motion was made by Councilman Koehler and seconded by Councilwoman Troutt to approve Ordinance 2022-05 amending Chapter 12, Appendix A, to make the intersection of E. Boone and Shelby a four-way stop intersection. Roll call vote: AYES: Councilman Morton, Councilman Koehler, Councilman Bringwald, Councilwoman Troutt, Mayor Farley. NAYS: None. Motion carried.

4. Approval of Ordinance vacating abandoned roadway near Little Egypt Golf Cars City Manager Barbee indicated City Council has discussed abandonment of the roadway between North Hotze Road and to the east to the interstate ramps at the request of the adjacent property owners, Neil Smith and Josh Dice. The ordinance has been prepared by City Attorney Mike Jones. Motion was made by Councilman Morton and seconded by Councilman Koehler to approve ordinance 2022-04 vacating the section or roadway between N. Hotze Rd. and I-57 as requested. Roll call vote: AYES: Councilman Koehler, Councilman Bringwald, Councilwoman Troutt, Councilman Morton, Mayor Farley. NAYS: None. Motion carried.

5. Request to purchase three pumps and related items for East Main underpass City Manager Barbee indicated Public Works Department needs to work on the area at the underpass. The agenda reads “three pumps”, and they will need to be purchased or repaired at some point in the future, but tonight’s discussion is for the $41,554.25 electronic sensor panel that runs the pumps. This equipment was originally installed by IDOT when the underpass was built, then turned over to the City to maintain. The control panel no longer works.

Public Works Director Brushwitz indicated that during any amount of rain at all, her employees must go to the site and manually turn on the pumps to avoid flooding. Mayor Farley asked how long the board has been non-functional. Dir. Brushwitz indicated approximately two years. Mayor Farley indicated he does not like that this is not a budgeted item. Dir. Brushwitz indicated she can put it in the FY23 Budget, but in the meantime she will have three men working overtime any time it rains. Brushwitz added that one pump is working and they are going to pull a second and have it worked on.

City Manager Barbee indicated we under estimated revenues for the current budget year, and the public works budget can manage this purchase. Finance Director Barrow added that we also increased water rates, which increased revenues.

Councilman Morton indicated he would like to see the City do this entire project at one time. Dir. Brushwitz responded that it will need to be done in phases. Councilman Koehler added that this sensor panel will need to be replaced sooner or later. Mayor Farley commented that he does not like approving unbudgeted projects, but feels it is something that needs to be done. Motion was made by Councilman Koehler and seconded by Councilman Bringwald to approve the purchase of the electronic sensor panel for the underpass lift station for $41,554.25 from Hydro Kinetics Corporation. Roll call vote: AYES: Councilman Morton, Councilman Koehler, Councilman Bringwald, Councilwoman Troutt, Mayor Farley. NAYS: None. Motion carried.

6. Agreement to commit ARPA funds to replace water line on South Broadway from McMackin to Kell St.

Director Brushwitz indicated she is requesting authorization to move forward on using the ARPA funds on the water line replacement from Kell St. to McMackin on St. Broadway. The first step would be the engineering. This section of line is very old, and has had numerous water main breaks. There have been five leaks over the past few months. Brushwitz added that she anticipates the project could be ready to go out for bid in the fall, with work possibly starting in the Spring of 2023. Motion was made by Councilman Bringwald and seconded by Councilwoman Troutt to commit use of the $949,000 in ARPA Funds (half of which has been received) to the waterline replacement project on S. Broadway from Kell St. to McMackin, and authorizing Dir. Brushwitz to proceed with the engineering on this project. Roll call vote: AYES: Councilman Koehler, Councilman Bringwald, Councilwoman Troutt, Councilman Morton, Mayor Farley. NAYS: None. Motion carried.

7. Request to amend City ordinance on allowing Council to take local bids within specified percentage over low bid

City Manager Barbee indicated the City currently has an ordinance in place that permits City Council to award non-Public Works bids to a local bidder, as long as the local bid is not more than 5% higher than the low bid. Councilman Morton has requested that this percentage be increased to 10%. City Attorney Mike Jones added that the City is not required to take bids on personal property, but as good stewards of the taxpayer’s money, it is a good idea. It you keep increasing the acceptable percentage of difference between the low bid and the local bid, you get away from the idea of accepting bids. Mayor Farley responded that he feels awarding locally is good for the community. Councilwoman Troutt indicated she has concerns about a 5% difference on large ticket items. City Manager Barbee asked how we are going to define “local”. Councilman Morton said that determining if a bid is “local” or not can be left to the discretion of the Council. Motion was made by Councilman Morton and seconded by Councilman Koehler to approve Ordinance 2022-06, amending Chapter 2 of the City Code to permit award of non-Public Works purchases to a local bidder, if the difference between the local bid and the low bid is 10% or less. Roll call vote: AYES: Councilman Morton, Councilman Koehler, Mayor Farley. NAYS: Councilman Bringwald, Councilwoman Troutt. Motion carried.

8. Request to allow food trucks and vendor at Bryan Park for Disc Golf Tourney

City Manager Barbee indicated that City ordinances require that Council approval must be obtained for any “fundraising” to be held at City parks and properties. The City Recreation Department and YMCA are planning to hold a disc golf tournament on May 7th and Mr. Casburn is requesting permission to have food truck vendors and a disc golf vendor on site for the tournament on May 7th. Motion was made by Councilman Bringwald and seconded by Councilman Koehler to approve the YMCA/City have food trucks and a disc golf vendor in the park during the disc golf tournament on May 7th. Roll call vote: AYES: Councilwoman Troutt, Councilman Morton, Councilman Koehler, Councilman Bringwald, Mayor Farley. NAYS: None. Motion carried. YMCA/Recreation Dir. Casburn indicated he is excited about the event, and hopes to make it an annual event. City Clerk Quinn reminded Mr. Casburn that his vendors will need to have Mobile Vendor Permits to sell in the City, and the permits have a cost of $25.00 and are good for the calendar year.

9. Request to allow Saved with Amazing Grace to sell concessions at youth soccer games

City Manager Barbee indicated Mr. Casburn has been approached by a local group, Saved with Amazing Grace (SWAG) to allow them to sell concessions at the youth soccer season scheduled from March 12th to April 23rd. SWAG is raising funds to support their Community Thanksgiving Dinner and Toy Drive. SWAG has been one of the food vendors at the 4th of July event the last two years.

Motion was made by Councilman Koehler and seconded by Councilwoman Troutt to approve SWAG’s request to sell concession items at youth soccer games from March 12th through April 23rd. SWAG must obtain a Mobile Vendor Permit, but the fee will be waived. Roll call vote: AYES: Councilman Morton, Councilman Koehler, Councilman Bringwald, Councilwoman Troutt, Mayor Farley. NAYS: None. Motion carried.

10. Review and approval of Accounts Payable from January 15 through February 17, 2022 Following discussion, motion was made by Councilman Bringwald and seconded by Councilwoman Troutt to approve the Accounts Payable for January 15, 2022 to February 17, 2022, as presented. Roll call vote: AYES: Councilman Koehler, Councilman Bringwald, councilwoman Troutt, Councilman Morton, Mayor Farley. NAYS: None. Motion carried.

VII. CITY MANAGER AND DEPT HEAD REPORTS

City Manager Barbee -

• commended Public Works crews for their work during the heavy rains;

• reported he is in ongoing discussions with Department Heads regarding budgets;

• reported that he and Economic Development Director Tabitha Meador have spoken with PGAV to begin the process of extending TIF #2, which expires in 2025;

• reported that he, Dir. Barrow and Chief Reynolds met with the school systems to start the process of renewing the three-year contract for School Resource Officers. The school districts have agreed to pick up a larger portion of the cost;

• indicated he has met with the YMCA to discuss renewal of the interagency contract which expires on April 30th

Chief Reynolds –

• indicated the portable lights purchased for the DOEM will also benefit the Police Department when they are working a crime scene located in a wooded or dark area;

• reported that the portable speed limit sign is up, and he is working with PW Dir. Brushwitz to have 10 additional locations prepared for temporary placement of the speed sign.

X. CITY ATTORNEY REPORT – None.

XI. CITY COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS

Councilman Koehler –

• Indicated he saw a particularly heartwarming event during the SCHS invitational tournament, when one of the teams brought out a special needs boy who made two 3-point shots with the help of members of both teams. Koehler indicated the entire gym went wild.;

• reported the Historical Commission is hosting an open house at the Bryan Home on March 19th from 9:00 am to noon in honor of William Jennings Bryan’s birthday. Koehler added that they are pushing to get it open more often and bring interest in William J. Bryan back to the community.

Councilman Bringwald –

• indicated he visited Addy and Friends Inclusive Playground three different times during one of the warm days, and it was packed all day. The skatepark was busy, as well;

• reported he reached out to Purcell Properties regarding The Villas at 515, and they are all occupied;

• indicated he attended the Chamber lunch where the Mayor gave his “State of the City” speech, and it was a fine speech;

• reported that the Putt-n-Pub Crawl hosted by the ABC Pub and American Legion was a success, and both places were busy all day.

Councilwoman Troutt –

• apologized to the other members of Council, as she will have to miss the next three City Council meetings due to scheduling conflicts.

Councilman Morton –

• asked when the City will be redoing Whittaker St., as it has a lot of pot holes. Public Works Director Brushwitz indicated she will be getting bids in June. City Manager Barbee indicated the street department can patch some of the pot holes in the meantime. Mayor Farley added that there is a really big pot hole on Missouri by Hucks.

• asked what the status of the soccer park is. City Manager Barbee indicated Gonzalez is preparing to put out bid requests for the earth work. Councilman Morton asked the City Manager to touch base with Gonzalez on a project timeline.

XII. MOTION TO ADJOURN

As there was no further business to discuss, upon motion made by Councilwoman Troutt and seconded by Councilman Bringwald, the meeting was adjourned at 7:10 pm. Roll call vote: AYES: Councilman Koehler, Councilman Bringwald, Councilwoman Troutt, Councilman Morton, Mayor Farley. NAYS: None. Motion carried.

https://www.salemil.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif1161/f/minutes/cc_-_2022_02-22.pdf