South West Illinois News

City of Waterloo Beautification and Economic Development Committee met June 17.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

Minutes from Joint Waterloo Beautification and Economic Development Committee Meeting June 17, 2024, 6:30pm

Upstairs Meeting Room, City Hall

In Attendance: Chairman-Tina Charron Committee Members-Jim Hopkins, : Chairman-Joel Vogt, Gary Most, Kyle Buettner, Russ Row, Joel Vogt, Nathan Krebel, Sarah Duetch, Mayor Stan Darter, Bob and Renee Gonzalez, Tony and Melissa Groves

Agenda Item #1: Petitions by Citizens on Non-Agenda Items: None

Agenda Item #2a: Application for Beautification grant for 401 W. Third Street-Three Tails Parlor & Pantry. Project will include changing the green façade to black and grey. All green metal will be changing to black and adding faux stack rock in the front. Changing out the awning as well. Jim Hopkins did ask the applicant if they are familiar with prevailing wage. They are. Kyle Buettner made a motion to accept the application as is. Gary Most seconded. All in favor to accept the application. 6-0.

Agenda Item #2b: Application for Beautification grant for 101 N. Market Street-Ja Bowl. Nathan Krebel shared pictures of the property. Gary Most did ask if there are any plans for the back of the building lot where potholes are present. Tony said they are aware of the issues and looking into it all. Project will include painting 3 sides of the building, including the roof line, door and metal in the front. Jim Hopkins did ask the applicant if they are familiar with prevailing wage. They are. Kyle Buettner made a motion to accept the application as is. Jim Hopkins seconded. All in favor of accepting the application. 6-0

Agenda Item #2c: Application for Beautification grant for 120 N. Main Street-Rooted Flower Bar. Nathan Krebel shared pictures of the property. Project will include finishing painting the building, replacing all soffit, facia, and gutter in black color. Jim Hopkins did ask the applicant if they are familiar with prevailing wage. They are. Jim Hopkins made a motion to accept the application as is. Gary Most seconded. All in favor of accepting the application. 6-0

Agenda Item #3: Mural Contest-Submissions of artwork have been submitted to the City of Waterloo. Sarah Deutch provided samples and narrative of each submission. Sarah Deutch also shared which businesses in town would like to have a mural on their building. The businesses are Waterloo Chamber, K&D Printing, the old firehouse, Human Support Services, Masonic Lodge, and JoAnn Meiers Blue Shed. The council voted on the murals and discussed what building they would be best on. Since Tony and Melissa Groves were in attendance at the meeting, they chose submission 2B for K&D Printing (Groves owns the building). Submission #3 was chosen for Human Support Services. Submission #8 was chosen for the Masonic Lodge. The Masonic Lodge will vote on their submission and if they would like it on their building. Sarah Deutch will let the committee know what the lodge voted.

After voting on the submissions and buildings to place the murals on, Kyle Buettner stated we need to talk about an end to the mural program. The committee will have this on an upcoming Beautification committee meeting.

Agenda Item #4: Joel Vogt conducted the discussion on Song 4 Soldiers Sponsorship for the Economic Development committee portion. Discussion was had over the virtues of the event, even though it is outside of the City. The event has raised over $1.3M and helped over 860 combat veterans. Event has also benefitted the House of Neighborly Service in years past. Kyle Buettner expressed some concern about setting a precedent for future sponsorship requests residing outside of the City. Discussion of the Hotel/Motel Tax fund requirements was had, with Shawn Kennedy reading the ordinance. Sarah Deutch said historically if you can reasonably state that the expenditure would “put a head in a bed”, then it would qualify. The committee determined that it was likely that a hotel room(s) would be filled by this event in neighboring Columbia. Shawn Kennedy provided that the Hotel/Motel tax fund has around $164,000 in it. A motion to provide a $4,000 sponsorship level that comes with t-shirt ad placement and a short professionally-produced video commercial that will run a few times during the event was made by Gary Most and seconded by Jim Hopkins. All in favor to accept the application, 5-0. Russ Row abstains.

Agenda Item #5: Comments:

• Nathan Krebel shared the O Sugar facade grant is complete.

• Nathan Krebel also shared Tequilas has asked for a Beautification grant. The committee discussed it and since Tequilas is a chain the committee decided to deny their application. Nathan Krebel said he will let Tequilas know.

Meeting was adjourned at 7:14.

https://www.waterloo.il.us/wp-content/uploads/JOINT-Beautification-Econ-Dev-Cmte-Mtg-Minutes-06-17-24.pdf