City Council Meeting Minutes--April 26, 2021

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE STAUNTON CITY COUNCIL, HELD IN THE RALPH & JOSEPHINE OLTMANN COMMUNITY CENTER, 101 W. PEARL ST., STAUNTON, ILLINOIS ON MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2021

I. CALL TO ORDER:

Mayor Pro-Tem Maria Bodner called the Staunton City Council Meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. on Monday, April 26, 2021

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:

Mayor Pro-Tem Maria Bodner led the Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.

III. ROLL CALL:

Prior to roll call being taken, City Clerk Stiegemeier announced that tonight’s City Council Meeting was being conducted remotely and was being recorded due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

City Clerk Stiegemeier called roll with the following persons:

ATTENDING: Aldermen Maria Bodner, Rick Johnson, Ryan Machota, John Moore, City Clerk Dennis Stiegemeier, City Treasurer Cindy Pirok, City Attorney Phil Lading and Police Chief Jeff Doerr.

ELECTRONIC ATTENDANCE: Aldermen Brooke Wallace, Randy Hanks, Chad Plenske and Jeff Scanzoni.

NOT ATTENDING: Mayor Craig Neuhaus and Public Works Director Mike Kuethe.

IV. CONSENT AGENDA

Johnson moved, seconded by Moore to approve Consent Agenda with the following items:

Minutes

Regular Meeting – 04/12/2021

Collector’s Report

Staunton Police Department (Ordinance Violations)--$200.00

Staunton Police Department (Reports)--$5.00

MJM Electric Cooperative (Utility Tax)--$202.16

Ameren Illinois (Utility Tax)--$28,444.17

State of Illinois (Cannabis Use Tax)--$582.31

State of Illinois (Video Gaming Tax)--$10,006.35

State of Illinois (Telecommunications Tax)--$5,468.98

State of Illinois (Use Tax)--$14,988.71

State of Illinois (Income Tax)--$63,304.36

Staunton Area Ambulance Service (Dispatch Fee)--$500.00

Max B. Mullins Salvage (Scrap Metal from City Wide Clean-up)--$945.60

Cash and Checks (For Tires from City Wide Clean-up)--$430.00

Staunton Super 8 Motel (Hotel/Motel Tax)--$2,169.54

Applications

None

Claims

April 26, 2021

Business Licenses Issued

Delicious Bites

Roll Call Vote

AYES: Wallace, Johnson, Hanks, Machota, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner.

NAYS: None.

ABSENT: None.

ABSTAIN: Plenske.

Motion declared carried.

V. GUESTS

No guests, attending physically or remotely, requested to speak.

VI. CORRESPONDENCE

Received an email from Sarah Drury-Dothager, Scout Leader, requesting to use the South Water Tower Park on May 23, 2021 (rain date of May 27, 2021) for a Girl Scout Bridging event. She is requesting to have the park rental fee waived.

Received a letter from Zion Early Childhood Education Center requesting to block the streets and intersections that border Zion Lutheran School (Wood, Henry, Hoxsey and Panhorst) from 10:00 to 11:00 A.M. on Friday, June 11, 2021, to allow daycare students to ride their bicycles around the school. They are also asking City workers to set up barricades that morning for the event.

VII. TREASURER’S REPORT

Nothing to report.

VIII. CITY CLERK’S REPORT

Please make sure all signed Economic Interest Statements are turned in to me as soon as possible. Macoupin County Clerk Pete Duncan is asking for all forms to be returned to him by April 30, 2021.

Received confirmation from the Staunton Chamber of Commerce that the City Wide Yard Sales will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 11 and 12, 2021.

IX. COMMITTEE REPORTS

PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY -

Motion by Johnson, seconded by Machota to grant request from Zion Early Childhood Education Center to block streets and intersections bordering Zion Lutheran School (Wood, Henry, Hoxsey and Panhorst) on Friday, June 11, 2021 from 10:00 to 11:00 A.M. They are also asking City workers to set up barricades that morning. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Johnson, Hanks, Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

PARK & CIVIC IMPROVEMENT –

Motion by Machota, seconded by Johnson to accept Estimate #1369 from Laughlin Electric, Inc. for labor, materials and equipment to remove old wood poles, replace with new wood poles and install new LED lights at the Fireman’s Park in the amount of $3,800.00. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Hanks, Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace, Johnson. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

Motion by Machota, seconded by Moore to pay Invoice #7499 from American Legal Publishing Corporation for Codification Services in the amount of $2,014.00. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace, Johnson, Hanks. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

Motion by Machota, seconded by Moore to grant request from the Girl Scouts to use the South Water Tower Park on May 23, 2021 (rain date of May 27, 2021) for a Girl Scout Bridging Event, with the park rental fee being waive. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace, Johnson, Hanks, Machota. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

FINANCE–

Motion by Moore, seconded by Johnson to approve Tom Dunham as Grant Writer for the Housing Rehabilitation Program. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace, Johnson, Hanks, Machota, Plenske. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

WATER-

Nothing to report.

STREET / SEWER

Nothing to report.

PUBLIC GROUNDS-

Nothing to report.

TOURISM –

Nothing to report.

PERSONNEL –

Motion by Johnson, seconded by Moore to approve a 2.5% pay increase for the following employees effective May 1, 2021:

Jeff Doerr, Dennis Stiegemeier, Lori Grandone, Natalie Floyd, Tracy Curtis,

Clyde Bradford, Roy Fritz and Gene Lotter.

Prior to the vote, Aldermen Plenske asked why other employees were not getting a

2.5% pay increase. Alderman Johnson explained that on January 1, 2021, those

employees would have received a 11% pay increase due to the increase in the state

minimum wage and will also receive a 9% pay increase on January 1, 2022, for the

same reason. Plenske and Alderman Hanks both felt that the pay increase should be

for all employees.

At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Scanzoni, Bodner, Johnson, Machota, Plenske, Moore.

Nayes: Wallace, Hanks. Absent: None. Motion carried 6 Ayes; 2 Nayes.

Motion by Johnson, seconded by Moore to approve giving Public Works Director Mike Kuethe one additional week of vacation time per year, in lieu of a wage increase, effective May 1, 2021. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Bodner, Wallace, Johnson, Hanks, Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

Motion by Johnson, seconded by Moore to approve a $2.00 per hour wage increase for Zoning Administrator Ailee Taylor, effective May 1, 2021. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Wallace (and would have supported a larger increase), Hanks (and would have supported a larger increase), Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner. Nayes: Johnson. Absent: None. Motion carried 7 Ayes; 1 Naye.

Motion by Johnson, seconded by Moore to approve a $1.00 per hour wage increase for Code Enforcement Officer Brad Miller, effective May 1, 2021. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Hanks, Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace. Nayes: Johnson. Absent: None. Motion carried.

ANNEXATION –

Nothing to report.

SPECIAL COMMITTEES –

Nothing to report.

JUDICIARY—

Motion by Bodner, seconded by Moore to approve Ordinance #2113 Approving A Charity Roadblock By The Lions Club To Conduct Their Tootsie Pop Sale Drive At The Intersection Of Main And Route 4 And Main And Union. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Hanks, Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace, Johnson. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

Motion by Bodner, seconded by Machota to approve Ordinance #2114 Granting A Zoning Variance For Real Property Located At 201 South Union Street, Staunton, Illinois. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Bodner, Wallace, Johnson, Hanks, Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

Motion by Bodner, seconded by Johnson to approve Ordinance #2115 An Ordinance Making Appropriations For The Fiscal Year Beginning May 1, 2021 And Ending April 30, 2022. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Wallace, Johnson, Hanks, Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

1st reading of Ordinance #2116 Adopting Recommendations And Findings Of Fact Of The Zoning Hearing Officer Granting A Special Use Permit For Property Located At 303 South Madison Street, Staunton, Illinois

Motion by Bodner, seconded by Johnson to approve Resolution #2021-12 Approving Release Of Closed Session Minutes And Authorizing Continuing Retention Of Non-Released Minutes. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Johnson, Hanks, Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

X. UNFINISHED BUSINESS—

Alderman Bodner stated that the Girl Scouts have been in contact with her and Public

Works Director Kuethe regarding their list of trees for a City tree. The list will be

sent on to the student body for their survey and vote.

XI. NEW BUSINESS-

Alderman Bodner felt that the City Wide Cleanup was a huge success and she wanted

to send out a big thanks to all of the public works employees for all of their hard work

at the event.

Bodner also stated that the E-Cycling Event that was held at NET Community Church

was a very successful event as well.

XII. EXECUTIVE SESSION—

No Executive Session was held.

XIII. MOTIONS FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION –

.

No motions were made from Executive Session.

XIV. ADJOURNMENT

With no further business to discuss, Councilmember Johnson seconded by Councilmember Moore to adjourn at 7:18 P.M. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Hanks, Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace, Johnson. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

Prepared by:

Dennis K. Stiegemeier, City Clerk