City Council Meeting Minutes--November 23, 2020

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, NOVEMBER 23, 2020

I. CALL TO ORDER:

Mayor Craig Neuhaus called the Staunton City Council Meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. on Monday, November 23, 2020

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:

Mayor Craig Neuhaus 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, Jeff, Scanzoni, Mayor Craig Neuhaus, City Clerk Dennis Stiegemeier, City Treasurer Cindy Pirok and Public Works Director Mike Kuethe.

ELECTRONIC ATTENDANCE: Aldermen Brooke Wallace, Randy Hanks and Chad Plenske, City Attorney Phil Lading and Police Chief Jeff Doerr.

IV. CONSENT AGENDA

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

Minutes

Regular Meeting – 11/09/2020

Collector’s Report

Staunton Police Department (Ordinance Violations)--$200.00

Staunton Police Department (Reports)--$5.00

MJM Electric Cooperative (Utility Tax)--$203.93

Ameren Illinois (Utility Tax)--$15,888.08

State of Illinois (Sales Tax)--$53,623.07

State of Illinois (MFT Tax)--$9,589.38

State of Illinois (MFT Renewal Fund)--$6,660.83

State of Illinois (State Disaster Coronavirus Relief)--$211,999.00

State of Illinois (Telecommunications Tax)--$5,716.25

State of Illinois (Video Gaming Tax)--$8,219.62

State of Illinois (Cannabis Use Tax)--$287.12

State of Illinois (Use Tax)--$18,598.18

State of Illinois (Income Tax)--$38,629.85

Prairietown Feed Service, Inc. (Jarman Farm Income)--$1,153.47

Staunton Public Library (Insurancee Reimbursement)--$850.00

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

Applications

None

Claims

November 23, 2020 , 2020

Business Licenses Issued

Troeckler Welding & Fabrication

Kelly Susan Photography

Roll Call Vote

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

NAYS: None.

ABSENT: None.

Motion declared carried.

V. GUESTS

Tori Hester and Julie Jarman attended the meeting remotely to present Tori’s Girl Scout Gold Award Project. Tori is hoping to build a “story book walk” through one of the Staunton parks. Plans would be to have stands with 22 to 25 books in them. Each book would be taken apart and laminated and placed in the stands for children to walk through and read. Tori is wanting to promote children’s literacy and she thinks this would be a great opportunity. Books would be replaced monthly. Tori will be getting the project started and the library will be assisting her with the project and eventually the library would take the project over completely. Tori is asking for the City’s support with her project. The Council thought it was a good idea, however, Mayor Neuhaus suggested that this be done at a park with surveillance cameras, just in case of vandalism.

VI. CORRESPONDENCE

Received a letter from Vicki Makler Renner thanking the City Council for their support of her recent Fall Festival. A copy of the letter is included with the agenda packet.

VII. TREASURER’S REPORT

Certificates of Deposit recently purchased at Bank of Hillsboro:

DUI Fund--$10,000.00 for 12 months at 0.45%

Insurance Fund--$10,000.00 for 12 months at 0.45%

MFT Fund--$100,000.00 for 12 months at 0.45%

Civic Improvement Fund--$75,000.00 for 12 months at 0.45%

Depreciation Fund--$75,000.00 for 12 months at 0.45%

Bond/Interest Fund--$100,000.00 for 12 months at 0.45%

Infrastructure Fund--$150,000.00 for 18 months at 0.55%

VIII. CITY CLERK’S REPORT

The City Clerk’s Office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 26th and 27th for the Thanksgiving Holiday. All public works employees, except one water treatment plant employee, will be off those days as well.

All employees of the City of Staunton are to complete the mandatory annual sexual

harassment training required by the State of Illinois. This training is mandated to occur annually and must be completed by the end of the calendar year.

The filing period for petitions for the April 6, 2021 Consolidated Election begins on

December 14th and goes through December 21st.

IX. COMMITTEE REPORTS

PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY -

Alderman Johnson wanted to make the community aware of several scams taking

place as the holidays are approaching. There are phone calls, e-mails and texts

coming through. Johnson highly urged everyone to not respond to the suspicious

contacts being made.

PARK & CIVIC IMPROVEMENT –

Motion by Scanzoni, seconded by Johnson to pay Invoice #34 from Hap Industries, Inc. (Christmas Décor Systems) for Main Street Christmas decorations in the amount of $3,472.00. This is the second payment of a three year agreement that was approved at the June10, 2019 City Council Meeting. At Roll Call – Ayes: Johnson, Hanks, Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

FINANCE–

Motion by Moore, seconded by Bodner to approve spending up to $4,000.00 for tax

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

Wallace, Johnson. Nayes: Hanks. Absent: None. Motion carried 7 Ayes; 1 Naye.

WATER-

Nothing to report.

STREET / SEWER

Motion by Machota, seconded by Moore to approve quote from Metal Culverts for 40’ of 36” - 12 gauge polymer culvert for culvert replacement on Bunker Hill Road near the entrance to Stone Creek Subdivision in the amount of $62.55 per foot. This will be paid from line item 01.41.515.0. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Machota, Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace, Johnson, Hanks. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

PUBLIC GROUNDS-

Nothing to report.

TOURISM –

Nothing to report.

PERSONNEL –

Nothing to report.

ANNEXATION –

Motion by Wallace, seconded by Bodner to pay Invoice #8238 from John H. Crawford & Associates for map preparation for annexations in the amount of $1,286.50. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Plenske, Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace, Johnson, Hanks, Machota. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

SPECIAL COMMITTEES –

Nothing to report.

JUDICIARY—

Motion by Bodner, seconded by Johnson to approve Ordinance #2097 Amending Chapter 27, Article II Of The City Of Staunton Revised Code Of Ordinances. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Moore, Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace, Johnson, Hanks, Machota, Plenske. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

1st reading of Ordinance #2098 An Ordinance Vacating Portion Of Walnut Street, Declaring It Surplus Property And Authorizing Its Sale

1st reading of Ordinance #2099 Authorizing The Levy And Collection Of Taxes For The Corporate And Municipal Purposes Of The City Of Staunton, Macoupin County, Illinois, For The Fiscal Year Beginning May 1, 2020 And Ending April 30, 2021

X. UNFINISHED BUSINESS—

Nothing to report.

XI. NEW BUSINESS-

Mayor Neuhaus wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

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 Scanzoni seconded by Councilmember Bodner to adjourn at 7:20 P.M. At Roll Call Vote – Ayes: Scanzoni, Bodner, Wallace, Johnson, Hanks, Machota, Plenske, Moore. Nayes: None. Absent: None. Motion carried.

Prepared by:

Dennis K. Stiegemeier, City Clerk