City of Waterloo Utility Committee met Nov. 14.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
Mayor – Tom Smith
Alderman Ward I Steve Notheisen & Matt Buettner
Aldermen Ward II Jim Trantham & Jim Hopkins
Aldermen Ward III Stan Darter & Kyle Buettner
Aldermen Ward IV Clyde Heller & Russ Row
Shawn Kennedy – Collector / Finance, Tim Birk – Director of Public Works, Nathan Krebel – Subdivision / Zoning Administrator, Brad Yearian – Building Inspector / Code Administrator, Jeffrey Prosise – Chief of Police, Sarah Deutch – Community Relations Coordinator, Natalie Steppig – City Attorney.
Petitions by Citizens on Non-Agenda Items. None.
City Clerk – Mechelle Childers
Motion to approve the Utility Minutes dated October 10, 2022 was made by Alderman Kyle Buettner and seconded by Alderman Heller. Motion passed unanimously to approve the Utility Minutes dated October 10, 2022 with Aldermen Kyle Buettner, Row, Heller, Notheisen, Matt Buettner, Hopkins, Trantham and Darter voting ‘yea’.
Subdivision & Zoning Administrator – Nathan Krebel
a. Monthly Report – The October monthly zoning report was distributed.
b. Monthly Building Permits – The October monthly permit report was provided.
c. Casa Romero – Jose Romero would like to expand his business into the area that once was the drive-through portion of the old Dairy Queen. Utilizing the old drive-through space would allow for the expansion of the kitchen and the dining area. A letter has been sent to Mr. Romero summarizing past requests that were granted. Mr. Romero was also informed that per code he would then need to enlarge the restrooms and add a sprinkler system.
d. Subdivision/Development:
∙ Natalie Estates Phase 2 – The storm sewer is being installed and should be completed in the next couple of days.
∙ Silver Creek 1st Addition Phase 2 – A video was shown of the construction process. Multiple street “lifts” will need to be performed in order to achieve the correct height of the street. After each street lift, the area is tested with the nuclear density test.
e. Planning Commission – meeting tonight (November 14, 2022) to review:
∙ Map Amendment Request at 502 Walnut (Bill Ebeler Property) – the commission will review and comment on a map amendment to rezone the property from R-3 (Single Family Residential) to I-1 (Light Industrial) as requested by Bill Ebeler.
∙ Special Use Permit for a Residential Greenhouse at 610 Paula Drive – Matthew Schweizer is petitioning for a residential greenhouse on his property.
f. Zoning Board of Appeals – Meeting scheduled for November 17, 2022 to review: ∙ Map Amendment Request at 502 Walnut (Bill Ebeler Property) – the commission will review and comment on a map amendment to rezone the property from R-3 (Single Family Residential) to I-1 (Light Industrial) as requested by Bill Ebeler.
∙ Special Use Permit for a Residential Greenhouse at 610 Paula Drive – Matthew Schweizer is petitioning for a residential greenhouse on his property.
∙ Special Sign Permit (Gallagher’s Restaurant) – Gallagher has a wall-mounted sign that projects 30 inches from the building. The City code limits the distance to 24 inches.
g. Ordinance Violation at 104 Osterhage Drive – A ticket was issued for a vehicle parked on the grass.
h. Pre-annexation Agreement – David Debourge, who lives east of the City limits on Illinois State Route 156, is interested in a pre-annexation agreement with the City.
Community Relations Coordinator – Sarah Deutch
a. Veteran Day Program – Twenty-three women veterans were honored at the Veterans Day Program on November 10, 2022 at Waterloo High School.
b. 3D Lettering – The 3D Lettering “Love the Loo” was installed and it looks great.
c. Battery Box – The battery box has been re-wrapped with some additional wording to inform people that the box is for batteries only and not for utility payments.
d. Heritage Wall – The Heritage Wall has begun on the side of Federico’s, and the silver text should be installed on November 15, 2022. All text and pictures have been sent to the graphic designers.
e. Upcoming Events:
∙ November 20-27 – Explore Waterloo’s Christmas Walk. Although this is a week-long event the biggest focus will be on the weekend after Thanksgiving.
∙ November 26 – GLOW Parade with a 5:30 PM start. A signup sheet will be passed around for anyone who would like to walk with Santa’s Float (the City’s entry).
∙ November 30 – Candy Bar Wrapping for the Santa Float. A signup sheet will be passed around for anyone who would like to participate in this event. We will start wrapping candy at 6:30 PM.
∙ December 1 – Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6:30 PM.
∙ December 9 & 10 – Extreme Leaf Pickup Weekend. Life Church X will be providing leaf pickup for the community. Residents must sign up for leaf pickup.
∙ December 14 to December 24 – Santa’s Float. A signup sheet will be passed around for anyone who would like to participate in this event. We need drivers, co-drivers and Santas.
∙ December 24 – Golden Ticket Prize Giveaway. This event will start at 9 AM at City Hall.
∙ December 30 – Windows of Waterloo Winner Presentation. Businesses will be encouraged to decorate their storefronts for the holidays. Votes will be collected and the business with the most votes will be announced on the 30th.
f. Good Neighbor Award – Chuck Green has been nominated for the Good Neighbor Award for all the work he has done for the WSA facility. All Aldermen agreed to the nomination.
g. 2023 Visitor’s Guide – Need to decide if we want an ad in the 2023 Visitor’s Guide. This year the Tourism Bureau is offering a 10% savings if you commit to an ad in the Visitor’s Guide and the seasonal Tourism Times editions. The number of printed copies is 75,000 and there will be a digital campaign. Events for 2023 will be listed and modified as needed. All aldermen agreed with renewing our yearly participation and committing to the bundle package that is being offered.
Collector/Finance Officer – Shawn Kennedy
a. Insurance Renewal – Eric File from CBIZ gave a presentation to the Insurance Committee on our renewal rates for medical, dental and life insurance. Medical insurance rates will decrease by approximately 2%. There is no change in dental or life insurance rates. An open enrollment date will need to be determined for employees. This is typically scheduled for the first week of December.
b. Cost of HRA (Health Reimbursement Account) Insurance – We are trending about $23,000 more this year when compared to last year.
c. Tax Levy – The proposed tax levy is over 5%, therefore, a truth-in-taxation hearing will be required. We will need to set a public hearing date for the proposed tax levy. The Municipal Band is requesting an increase in their tax monies for payroll. The aldermen agreed to increase the Municipal Band tax monies.
d. Invoice Cloud – Invoice Cloud is a software payment platform that would provide a portal that will allow customers to pay their utility bill online using multiple payment methods. City Attorney Gilbreth has been in discussion with the attorney at Invoice Cloud over some concerns regarding the indemnification portion of the contract agreement. We are concerned about the possibility of a data breach and the compromise of our clients and/or payment information. Although the risk of something happening is very low, we are progressing into a cyber world. Invoice Cloud does not indemnify us for the full amount of any damages. All aldermen agreed to continue working with Invoice Cloud on an indemnification resolution that would satisfy both parties.
e. Audit – The audit report is near completion.
f. Human Resource:
∙ Sexual Anti-Harassment Training – All employees and aldermen need to complete the mandatory training by the end of 2022. Free training is available from IML, and it was suggested to have several training sessions available.
∙ Drug and Substance Abuse Training – This is a two-hour program for supervisors and any safety-sensitive industry. This training needs to be completed by the end of the year.
City Building Inspector –Brad Yearian
a. Monthly Report – The October monthly report was distributed.
b. Dollar General – The aisles of Dollar General are cluttered. According to the State Fire Code, there should be at least 36 feet of clearance. Also, aisles and exits must be kept clear at all times. The Fire Marshal and Dollar General District Manager have been contacted. Tickets have also been issued for tall grass in the waterways. It was suggested that we research to determine if the City has the authority to shut down the store until it meets the code.
c. Ahne’s Bakery – A video of the cleanup process at Ahne’s was shown. The fire investigator stated the fire started in the alcove where the electric meter was located. A camera however showed that the lights were still on in the building as flames were coming through the roof. This indicated that the electric meter did not cause the fire. It is suspected that a leaf blower might have been involved in the original ignition. Servpro is still in the process of cleaning up the area.
d. Mr. BBQ at Mystic Oaks Golf Course – Final inspection of the first floor has been completed. Work is still in process on the second floor.
e. The 411 Park Street Property – This is the property that caught on fire and contained a printing and dog grooming business. Michael Harvey, the owner of the property, is talking to the City on what is required to either rebuild or tear down the building.
f. Gallagher’s Restaurant – The sidewalk and the alley need to be completed. An opening date is still unknown.
Director of Public Works – Tim Birk
a. IMEA Strategic Planning Meetings – Attended the IMEA Strategic Planning Meetings. The meetings are designed for future planning. Discussions at the meetings also included the need for the negotiation of power sales contracts. Electric costs continue to rise, and Prairie State will eventually be shut down. There is a lot of money being poured into ‘green power’.
b. Well Testing – Testing is taking place at the well in Valmeyer. Each day, eight samples are taken and sent to the lab to assess the quality and softness of the water.
c. J & J Septic & Sewer – Our sludge-hauling contract with J & J Septic & Sewer will expire at the end of this year. J & J has agreed to a new two-year contract with no increase in cost.
d. Power Pole Fire – The top of a power pole near the Amoco Service Station caught on fire due to a squirrel that was electrocuted on the line.
e. Mill Street Sidewalk – The Mill Street sidewalk project is 95% complete, only the handrails still need to be installed. Final cost figures are not yet available.
f. Snow Removal – The snow on Saturday, November 12th, caught everyone off guard. A total of 55 tons of salt were spread throughout the city. Salt prices have increased to $86.00 per ton, which is approximately $12.00 over last year’s cost.
g. Christmas Decorations – We are currently putting up Christmas decorations.
h. Gas Survey – Please remember to complete and send in your gas survey.
Chief of Police – Jeff Prosise
a. Morrison Avenue – The speed trailer stats were presented. The trailer was set up on both the north and south sides of the street. No vehicles were clocked at or above 40 mph, less than 1% were clocked at about 31 mph traveling northbound and 2% were clocked over 31 mph heading southbound.
b. Osterhage Drive – Residents are now reporting speeding issues on Osterhage.
c. Queen of Hearts Street Closing - RuAnna Stumpf stated that IDOT will have issues cleaning Market Street if the street is blocked for the drawing during inclement weather. The City has agreed to clear the area if the need arises.
d. New Hire Testing – Testing for the new hires was completed and unfortunately, no one passed the tests. Because of this, it is suggested that we advertise for a lateral police officer.
e. Big Rod’s Roadhouse - Mr. Thomas Nitzsche has expressed concern over excessive noise at the new bar “Big Rod’s Roadhouse’. Mr. Nitzsche requested a sign regarding excessive noise be posted on the property.
City Attorney – Natalie Steppig
No report.
Mayor’s Report
The Mayor thanked Sarah Deutch, Clyde Heller, Tim Birk, Shawn Kennedy, the City Street Department and the Electric Department for all the work that was done with the installation of the Military Statues at the Veterans Memorial in Lakeview Park and in the preparation for the Veteran’s Day programs.
Committee Reports and Minutes Approval
a. 09-06-22 Planning Cmte Mtg. Minutes. Notheisen-1st, Row-2nd. Passed.
b. 10-17-22 Personnel Cmte Mtg. Minutes. Heller -1st, Matt Buettner-2nd. Passed. c. 11-02-22 Finance Cmte Mtg. Minutes. Row-1st, Darter-2nd. Passed.
d. 11-07-22 Street Cmte Mtg. Minutes. Kyle Buettner-1st, Heller-2nd. Passed.
e. 11-10-22 Insurance Cmte Mtg. Minutes. Darter-1st, Notheisen-2nd. Passed.
Comments
Alderman Hopkins inquired into the status of filling the Human Resource Coordinator position. The Mayor stated that they are still working on filling the position.
Alderman Heller stated that constituents have been asking that the City stop leaf burning and establish a contract for curbside leaf pickup.
Executive Session for the Discussion of Personnel as Provided for by 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1). Motion to move into Executive Session made by Alderman Notheisen and seconded by Alderman Heller. Motion passed unanimously by voice vote
Entered into Executive Session at 8:32 p.m.
Adjourned Executive Session at 8:58 p.m.
Motion to Resume Session made by Alderman Notheisen and seconded by Alderman Darter. Motion passed with unanimous voice vote.
Mayor Smith resumed the regular Utility Meeting at 8:59 p.m.
Adjournment – A motion to adjourn was made by Alderman Kyle Buettner and seconded by Alderman Matt Buettner. Motion passed by unanimous voice vote. Mayor Smith adjourned the meeting at 8:59 p.m
https://www.waterloo.il.us/wp-content/uploads/UM-11-14-22-Minutes.pdf
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