South Central Reporter

City of Hillsboro City Council met Aug. 22.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

1. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Downs at 5:00 p.m.

2. Roll Call was taken:

Present: Mayor Downs

Commissioners Tommy Justison, Patrick Ward and Kendra Wright

Absent: Commissioner Fred Butler

Also Present: City Clerk David Jenkins

Community Planner Sarah McConnell

Deputy Chief Tim Hopper

Code Enforcement Officer Mike Lee

3. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

4. Public Comment: Assistant Fire Chief Kenny Lohman thanked the City for the oiling and chipping that was done on the roads by the sports complex, adding that it was one of the best things that has happened with the City. He also stated there are 62 businesses that either don’t have address numbers on their buildings or don’t have numbers that are the correct size. He said it is not as big of an issue during the day, but at night when most fires occur, firefighters are unable to see those numbers.

5. Minutes of the August 6th, 2024 and August 20th, 2024 regular meeting and August 12th, 2024 special meeting were approved as presented.

6. Mayor and Commissioners’ Departmental Reports:

Commissioner Justison thanked the various agencies that assisted on a structure fire that occurred recently, including the Volunteer Fire Department, Police Department, Coroner’s Office and Sheriff’s Office. He also expressed his condolences to the Alton Police Department after the loss of their canine. Justison reported one of the Hillsboro Police squads was involved in an accident, stating the officer is okay and they are working with the insurance company to remedy the situation with the vehicle.

Commissioner Wright reported the Lead Service Line project has begun, and Water and Sewer Plant Manager Tim Ferguson will be meeting with Murphy Brothers Construction weekly to go through the progress. Mayor Downs asked why the company was bouncing around the town instead of staying in one area. Wright said they are currently looking at areas that may or may not contain lead lines.

7. Economic Development & Community Planner Report:

McConnell reported the first Energy Community Transition Grant from DCEO has been fully reimbursed. She also reported she received a letter from DCEO that the sign project for the current Energy Grant has been approved.

8. City Engineer Report:

City Engineer Jeremy Connor was absent, so no report was given.

9. Discussion / Action – Paying Bills for the Month of August 2024: Ward reported the City did not receive a bill from Woodard and Curran, so the bills are a little smaller than normal. He stated there were no bills that were out of the ordinary. Motion by Ward and second by Wright to approve paying bills for the month of August in the amount of $313,250.69. Motion carried with a 4-0 vote in favor.

10. Discussion – Fines/Penalties Increases in the City of Hillsboro: Downs stated he would like input on the fines and penalties for ordinance violations, as a number of them appear to be low. He said, regarding buildings not having house numbers, the City could enforce the ordinance so those changes could be made. Code Enforcement Officer Lee stated the City does not currently have a house number ordinance. Downs stated they could work on getting one written. Deputy Chief Hopper stated many times with the current fines, the City does not recoup the cost of attorney fees. Downs stated the council needs to take a serious look at the fines and penalties.

11. Discussion / Action – Street Closures for Imagine Hillsboro Events: Harvest Market and Bed Races on October 5th, Shake the Lake Run on October 12th, and Christmas Festival on November 30th: Imagine Hillsboro is requesting the following roads be closed during the following dates: Main Street from Wood Street to the Courthouse Square from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 5th (Harvest Market); Main Street from Wood Street to Water Street from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 5th (Bed Races); City Lake Road from the spillway to the Campground from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 12th (Shake the Lake); Main Street from Water Street to the Courthouse Square from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, November 30th (Christmas Festival); Pleasant Street from Rountree to Main Street; Main Street from Pleasant Street to the Courthouse Square; Seward Street from the Courthouse Square to Broad Street; Broad Street from Seward Street to Wood Street; Wood Street from Broad Street to Rountree Street; and Rountree Street from Wood Street to School Street at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 30th (Christmas Parade). Justison asked if there were any issues with the police department with these dates. Hopper stated there were not. Ward said he will continue to bring up the road closure issue because the City closes the roads too often. Hopper said it is also an issue with man hours and man power because there aren’t as many auxiliary police officers anymore. Motion by Justison and second by Ward to approve the Street Closures requested for the Imagine Hillsboro Harvest Market and Bed Races on October 5th, Shake the Lake Run on October 12th, and the Christmas Festival on November 30th. Motion carried with a 4- 0 vote in favor.

12. Discussion / Action – Community Solar Agreement and the Third-Party Electric Supply Contract for the City of Hillsboro Municipal Electric Bills: Wright reported the City is not doing the solar agreement at this time, and stated the third-party electric supply will be for just the bills that the City pays, reiterating it does not affect the municipal aggregation. Zach Resmann from Resolute Energy reported AEP Energy submitted the lowest bid, which is about 35 percent below Ameren’s current rate. He said AEP’s bid does not include a capacity charge. He said they started bidding without that charge two years ago, which made many question if it was a true rate. Resmann stated a lot of customers veered away at the time, while others took the gamble. He said it ended up working out for those who bet on AEP because the capacity charges are not present for 10 months out of the year, adding that they are only really there between April and August if they are there at all. Resmann stated he originally advised against this model, but now recommends it. He said consumers probably haven’t even noticed a capacity charge. Ward said he would be comfortable with a 12-month contract as opposed to a 24-month since the City hasn’t tried this model before. Motion by Wright and second by Justison to approve the 12- month Third-Party Electric Supply Contract with AEP Energy for the City of Hillsboro Municipal Electric Bills. Motion carried with a 4-0 vote in favor.

13. Discussion / Action – Repair with Lining of Storm Sewer Pipe from Main Street to Gunning Street Using Business District Funding: Downs reported this would repair the pipe underneath a few downtown buildings. Motion by Ward and second by Wright to approve the proposal from Visu-Sewer for the repair with lining of the storm sewer pipe from Main Street to Gunning Street in the amount of $22,500 using business district funds. Motion carried with a 4-0 vote in favor.

14. Discussion / Action – Adjourn: Motion by Justison and second by Ward to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried with a 4-0 vote in favor. The meeting adjourned at 5:32 p.m.

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