City of Sullivan Council met Nov. 5.
Here is the minutes provided by the Council:
1 The City Council of the City of Sullivan, Illinois, met in regular session on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, at 6 p.m. at the Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library, 2 West Water Street, Sullivan. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Richard Glazebrook. A roll call was taken.
Commissioner Abbey Sherwood present
Commissioner Mike Fowler present
Commissioner Chuck Woodworth present
Commissioner Peggy Hargis present
Mayor Richard Glazebrook present
2. Mayor Glazebrook explained that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss a four year plan and asked if there were any comments from the public
3 Mike Piper from the Sullivan Fire Department expressed an interest in working with the City for fire protection of new developments and construction. They would like to be involved with the development of subdivisions, areas with large occupancy, and commercial and retail businesses. In previous years, the department received copies of plans to review prior to builds and are asking to reinstate this process. He also suggested a City Ordinance be passed for the enforcement of firework violations.
4 Kim Drury, the President of the Sullivan Blue Dolphins, presented information on an Illinois Department of Natural Resources Grant. The deadline for the grant is January 17, 2020, and offers 2. 5 million dollars towards recreation. She believes the City should look into the grant for possible repairs to the Civic Center and provided handouts showing items that could be improved or added.
5 Linda Huber, President of the SCED board, asked for a higher level of continued funding for economic development activities and to improve their outreach and marketing ability The SCED is creating a marketing plan in hopes of increasing the population and business community The SPARK program has been successful in engaging citizens within the community She would like to see the groups continue to work together to benefit the City
6 Laurrie Minor, the Director of the SCED, has been working on attracting businesses to our community She has approached businesses about relocating to the area and has been working on housing. Mrs. Minor shared that the Chamber started a store consisting of 23 individual businesses and will soon be including a youth entrepreneurship program. She presented the idea of implementing a downtown preservation grant for business owners to assist them with building repairs.
7 Becky Ogle, from the SPARK Park & Rec Committee, gave an update on the fundraising efforts for the splash pad. This weekend, the Committee will be holding a project fundraiser consisting of a dinner, a live auction, and a silent auction. Everything for the fundraiser was donated and 100 percent of the proceeds will go straight to the project. Hydro- Gear has agreed to sponsor one of the activity areas for the splash pad. Mrs. Ogle would like the City to meet with representatives from Water Play to discuss how the project will work and to explain the flow-through system.
8 Jim Plank shared that there are plans to start a culinary school at Building 1225, and most of the equipment has been purchased for the $50,000 project. They are working with Lake Land College and local schools to implement this program.
9 Linda Huber explained that the SCED is working towards pairing Okaw Valley and Sullivan students with Sullivan businesses to assist them in developing websites, advertising, and social media. Grant Wade will be offering quarterly meetings on Google for local businesses.
10 John Stephens, the Executive Director of the Little Theatre, explained their budget. He shared that the City has worked with them on power bills and any additional funding they could offer would be helpful. The theatre brought 49, 000 people to our community this year, making a large impact on revenue. Ninety- five percent of their funding comes from within a 30- mile radius, while the remaining five percent of their budget is provided by state grants. This year their state grant increased from $25,000 to $48,000 With the funds they receive, they purchase one piece of LED lighting each year The current lighting creates heat and requires them to use the air more frequently LED lighting would take up less space and requires less power to operate. The theatre has used $15,000 of its funding to provide scholarships for children in Moultrie County There are currently 87 kids enrolled in the theatre dance and drama programs. Next week they will accommodate the attendance of 4,500 kids for the performance Frozen. They feel that there is a need for these programs due to arts being cut from school curriculums.
11 Dave McCabe, Moultrie County Board Chairman, expressed being pleased with the cooperative efforts of the County Board, the City Council, and the municipalities within the county Local public entities have a relatively fixed budget, while the needs of the public are continually growing. He suggested working together to consolidate assets and resources to benefit everyone. The County is willing to work with anyone trying to address a community need. They have entered into a contract with Coles County Regional Planning to complete a comprehensive plan for the county They have recently reached out to community members for their input and concerns. A computerized survey is going to be promoted county wide, they would like to see participation by all citizens in Moultrie County
12. Mayor Glazebrook asked Dave McCabe and Rich Rutledge if they would entertain a collaborative effort to get rid of surplus equipment. They seemed willing to discuss the issue in the future.
13 SPARK Park and Rec Committee Member Austin Hunter presented the idea of a new sports complex. The committee has been looking into budget numbers and a possible location for the proposed complex. Should tournaments be held at the complex, it would be an opportunity to bring revenue into the City Their idea included four softball diamonds with fencing, a concession stand, and safety netting. Depending on the options, each diamond would occupy 1 to 1.5 acres and would cost approximately 75, 000 each. Additional land would be needed to provide parking for patrons. Mr Hunter explained that this cost does not include scoreboards, a concession stand, or lighting. Scoreboards can run anywhere from $ 3,500 to $ 5,000
14 Commissioner Abbey Sherwood mentioned continued improvements, beautification projects, and equipment purchases for the parks. Park Superintendent Herb Bricker explained that he would like to purchase three mulch kits for the zero- turn mowers to help mulch leaves. Some items needed for the park include a new teeter-totter and ground cover for the playground. Mr Bricker would also like to revamp the island at Wyman Lake. The island has eroded over the years to half of its original size He explained that there was a proposal of $30,000 to reshore the island and to dredge the south end of the lake. The bridges are also in need of repair, as some of the concrete is chipping away Mr Bricker would like to replace them with covered bridges.
15 Sue Weaver, Civic Center Director, mentioned that there are a lot of cosmetic items that need to be updated at the Civic Center The elevators have almost reached their lifespan, and the front entryway is not ADA compliant. She would like to replace the lockers and shared that the roof continues to leak.
16 Treasurer Sarah Golden will begin compiling ideas from tonight' s meeting and prioritizing them to create a five-year plan for the city She has been researching options for vehicle and equipment replacement and the possibility of creating a capital equipment fund. If a fund is established, a collective decision would be required to determine what equipment will be purchased yearly Depending on the outcome of the Titus auction and the direction given by Council, Mrs. Golden will begin strategizing investment plans and completing requests for proposals. She went on to discuss the conditions and the limited space in the city building. She would like to see if there are possibilities of relocating or rehabbing another building for future use, as the office will continue to grow Commissioner Sherwood agreed that space is very limited and they are aware of the mold issues.
17 City Administrator Dan Flannell elaborated on the condition of the city building and explained that the building could potentially be unsafe due to air quality Steps were taken a few years ago to reduce the moisture and odor in the building and were only semi- successful. He recently met with an architect and an engineer on the future of the Titus home They are working on a plan for a rough cost projection to renovate the home into office space. Mr Flannell offered options of moving to another location, renovating the current building, and expanding into the upstairs along with a modification of the basement. Ten years ago an estimate to renovate the current location and install an elevator was proposed at one million dollars. Commissioner Hargis suggested relocating the office, due to health issues. She explained that some staff have been ill and sometimes she can only tolerate being in the office for brief periods of time herself. Mayor Glazebrook suggested looking into a ventilation system.
18 Commissioner Mike Fowler explained that he would like the city to purchase a JLG ariel boom lift. The JLG cannot be used around high voltage lines but could be used for other purposes. The lineman crew would like to purchase an evacuator and 2- 55 foot bucket trucks
Commissioner Fowler would like the City to consider whether or not they want to continue investing money into the power plant. He proposed ideas to move toward renewable energy or removing some of the current generators and replacing them with natural gas generators. He would like to know if it is best to stay with the IMEA or to start producing energy and purchasing the rest of our power on the open market. He explained that he would like to see a move towards renewable energy and would love to see a large city- owned solar array Hydro- Gear is also interested in installing a solar array and there has been discussion of a partnership with the City The IMEA stated that this would be a violation of their contract with the City Mayor Glazebrook asked where a solar ray would be placed or the size that would be needed. Commissioner Fowler would like to see 20- 30 acres, adding that Hydro- Gear owns a 6- 7 acre plot that they would like to use for solar energy
There are many electrical upgrades that need to be completed. A new power line has been run from Worth Street to Maddox Street, increasing the power to the south side of town. He would also like to employ one or two more journeymen as an effort to eliminate the use of outside contractors
19 Mark Allsop, the Water Plant Superintendent, would like to add a water production well at the water plant in the next five years. An additional well could be used for emergencies, with the well location depending on the location of the new water plant. He also believes the City should consider building a 500, 000- gallon water tower in the next eight to ten years.
20 The Sewer Plant Superintendent, Justin Farris plans on replacing all water meters beginning in the spring of next year His long term goals are to complete hydrant and valve replacements and to loop the remaining ten to twelve dead- end lines.
21 Commissioner Chuck Woodworth' s long term ideas for the Water and Sewer Departments include replacing old water mains, purchasing land for sludge disposal, rehabbing lift stations, sewer main slip lining to reduce infiltration, rehabbing manhole repair to reduce infiltration, the possibility of selling water to Bethany or Lovington, and building a water plant. He explained the benefit of having land is the ability to apply sludge year-round. His short term goal includes cost- sharing with Rural Water to supply Sullivan water to South Shores.
22. Long term goals for Commissioner Peggy Hargis include repairing and replacing sidewalks, tiling Eastview, new drainage on West Harrison Street, better drainage on Parkway Drive and Cottontail Lane, and an improved program for oiling and chipping roads. She would like to set up a six- year rotation for the oiling and chipping program. Her short term goals for the Street Department include the purchase of a bucket truck. Speed limit signage also needs to be updated and reevaluated. Commissioner Hargis expressed her personal goals for the City, which are to move out of the city building,, address infrastructure needs, and the addition of a hotel/ motel and a nice restaurant.
Mayor Richard Glazebrook shared that the City will be working on the Jefferson Street sidewalk project. The Street Department will be helping with the project, which will reduce costs. He stated that the Street Department has done a tremendous job on the Corey Avenue project.
23 The Gas Department Superintendent Rick Barnes would like to replace nine regulator stations as preventative maintenance due to their age. He would also like to look at updating gas meters at local churches He explained that some security updates could be helpful, as the Police Department will be utilizing the gas plant shop Mr Barnes would like to install a new fence, resurface the parking lot, add lighting, and install security cameras. He would also like to update their equipment by purchasing a trencher and backhoe at some point.
24. Police Chief Andy Pistorius would like to see security cameras installed city-wide, with the footage directed to the Police Department for monitoring. He explained the challenges of maintaining a full staff, as he believes the department has become a stepping stone to other agencies. Officers are completing their training and moving on to higher- paying jobs. Chief Pistorius would like to explore more variables to remedy this issue.
25 Library Board Secretary, Mike McLaughlin appreciates the support the library has received from the Council. He discussed the 3. 25% increase in their budget, which was used to cover day-to-day operating costs. As far as maintenance, there are some items they would like to look at, he gave examples like the doors, resurfacing the parking lot and looking into some leaks. They would like to concentrate on implementing more technology and community engagement.
26. Herb Bricker, Cemetery Superintendent, is expecting the granite base for the Grand Army monument to be arriving from Europe The cemetery turf is in good shape due to the spraying they have completed. However, there is some tree trimming that need to be completed. He would like to update the front fence by replacing it with something more-up to date, at an estimated cost of$ 8,000 The equipment and trucks are in good condition and he doesn' t feel that they need anything at this time.
27 A motion was made by Commissioner Hargis and seconded by Commissioner Sherwood to adjourn the meeting. Upon roll call being taken, the results were as follows
Commissioner Peggy Hargis yea
Commissioner Abbey Sherwood yea
Commissioner Mike Fowler yea
Commissioner Chuck Woodworth yea
Mayor Richard Glazebrook yea
and the motion was declared carried and the meeting was adjourned at 8 06 p.m.
http://cms6.revize.com/revize/sullivanil/document_center/Minutes/November%205,%202019.pdf
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