City of Oglesby City Council met May 15
Here are the minutes provided by the council:
A regular meeting of the Oglesby City Council was held on Monday, May 15, 2023. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm by Mayor Jason Curran.
PRESENT: Mayor Jason Curran, Commissioners Richard Baldridge, Terry Eutis, Gregory McDermott, Tony Stefanelli, City Clerk Becky Clinard and Attorney Pat Barry.
There was no public comment on agenda items.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY Baldridge, SECONDED by Stefanelli to approve the minutes from the May 1, 2023, meeting. AYES: Baldridge, Eutis, McDermott, Stefanelli, Curran. NAYS: None MOTION CARRIED.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY Stefanelli, SECONDED by Baldridge to approve bills in the amount of $381,002.57 as presented for payment. AYES: Baldridge, Eutis, McDermott, Stefanelli, Curran. NAYS: None MOTION CARRIED.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY Eutis, SECONDED by Baldridge to approve ORDINANCE NO. 1225-051523 (date corrected to reflect date of passage), which sets the wages and benefits for the Chief of Police. AYES: Baldridge, Eutis, McDermott, Stefanelli, Curran. NAYS: None MOTION CARRIED.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY Stefanelli, SECONDED by Eutis to approve ORDINANCE NO. 1224-051523 (date corrected to reflect date of passage), which sets the wages and benefits for the City Clerk. AYES: Baldridge, Eutis, McDermott, Stefanelli, Curran. NAYS: None MOTION CARRIED.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY Eutis, SECONDED by McDermott to approve ORDINANCE NO. 1226-051523 which amends the liquor ordinance to delete the ambiguous language that required a resident manager. Curran noted that the requirement was an outdated requirement and questioned its usefulness today. Barry explained that the ordinance language was unclear. AYES: Eutis, McDermott, Stefanelli, Curran. ABSTAIN: Baldridge NAYS: None MOTION CARRIED.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY Stefanelli, SECONDED by Baldridge, to sign a letter of engagement with Attorneys Ottosen, Hasenblag & Castaldo, LTD, for labor and employment counsel. AYES: Baldridge, Eutis, McDermott, Stefanelli, Curran. NAYS: None MOTION CARRIED.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY Baldridge, SECONDED by McDermott to approve Resolution R-051523, which enters into an agreement with North Central Illinois Council of Governments for the Hydrant Grant Administration. Curran noted that NCICG had already been handling the paperwork and the fee, $2,500, was relatively small. Eutis asked about the grant amount and Ross Baker, Chamlin and Associates, confirmed that it was $135,000. AYES: Baldridge, Eutis, McDermott, Stefanelli, Curran. NAYS: None MOTION CARRIED.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY Stefanelli, SECONDED BY Baldridge to approve a list of credit card holders. Curran explained that by each department foreman having a card the ability to track spending would be easier. The individual employee cards will have a credit limit of $5,000, with the card issued to the City Clerk would have a $25,000 credit limit to allow for larger, emergency purchases. AYES: Baldridge, Eutis, McDermott, Stefanelli, Curran. NAYS: None MOTION CARRIED.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY Eutis, SECONDED by McDermott to grant the raffle license application from We Are Oglesby, a not-for-profit group. AYES: Baldridge, Eutis, McDermott, Stefanelli, Curran. NAYS: None MOTION CARRIED.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY Stefanelli, SECONDED by Eutis to approve the request from Bulldogs Bard to close a portion of Glen St.on Saturday, June 3. The street will be closed from Walnut St. south to the first alley. Commissioner Baldridge owns Bulldogs. AYES: Eutis, McDermott, Stefanelli, Curran. ABSTAIN: Baldridge NAYS: None MOTION CARRIED.
Mayor Curran then talked about scheduling the new council’s first working meeting. Curran hopes having regular “working meetings” will allow for more discussion about matters the council hopes to address in the future. He cited examples like a nuisance ordinance, the search for an economic developer and event coordinator, the formation of an event committee, etc. After much discussion about a date, Thursday, May 16, at 6 pm was chosen. He noted that an agenda would need to be put together quickly to meet the Open Meetings Act posting requirement.
Public Comment:
Greg Stein, resident, commented on the design and construction of the parking lot on Walnut Street. Commissioners’ Reports
• Stefanelli (Accounts & Finance)
❖ Reminded residents that all annual licenses were due May 1.
❖ Has met with the clerk office’s staff and inspectors and has shared his goals and vision for the department.
❖ Mentioned the need to look into options to ensure a better return on the city’s money.
• Eutis (Public Health &Safety)
❖ updated residents on the recent gas line break in the area N. Columbia to Kenosha and Porter to Jordan Streets which required the evacuation of the area.
❖ Eutis also told the council that the car and body camera grant that his department is seeking requires that the equipment is purchased in advance of the grant application, which is due June 30th. Eutis expects the cost of 8 car and 11 body cameras will be about $150,000. He noted that the department would use money from the Money Laundering Fund to purchase the equipment initially.
• McDermott (Streets, Sewer & Water) did not have any updates to share.
• Baldridge (Electric & Parks)
❖ Thanked the Park Department for their work on the Mayor’s Baseball Parade
❖ Announced that Oglesby would be hosting the LP quarterfinal regional on Monday, May 22.
❖ Encouraged parents to sign their children up for summer camps before the June 1 deadline
❖ Mentioned that the sand volleyball court would be ready for play soon and that a league would be forming.
❖ Announced the upgrade to the electric system along W. Clark Street was about halfway completed.
❖ Said he had received phone calls concerning storm damage to residents’ trees and said that because of liability issues, the city was unable to cut, remove or trim trees damaged in the storm. Residents should call the city if a tree falls on a power line or creates an emergency situation.
❖ Announced the return of the IMEA Energy Efficiency grant for local businesses.
Mayor’s Report:
❖ Told residents that he was excited about the work being done behind the scenes by the new council, noting that the small, organizational tasks being undertaken by the new council “have to be done …. to get to the big things.”
❖ Mentioned the need for volunteers and donations for this year’s Summer Fun Fest, mentioning that both “keep it going.”
❖ Congratulated Holy Family School 8th grader Aubrey Duttlinger for her accomplishments at the state track meet recently, including a record-setting performance in the Class 1A hurdles.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY McDermott, SECONDED by Stefanelli to adjourn the meeting at 7:35 p.m. AYES: Baldridge, Eutis, McDermott, Stefanelli, Curran. NAYS: None MEETING ADJOURNED.
https://oglesby.il.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/051523MINUTES-2.pdf
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