Village of Bethalto Board of Trustees met May 1.
Here is the minutes provided by the Board:
The Village Board of Trustees met on the above date in the Council Room at Village Hall in a regular meeting called to order by Mayor Winslow at 7:15 p.m. The meeting opened with the “Pledge of Allegiance”. Roll call was taken by Village Clerk Sue Lowrance. Present: Trustees Bourland, Withers, Mull, Bost, Dugger, McRae, and Mayor Winslow. Also present: Police Chief Gregg Smock, Police Lt. Craig Welch, Public Works Director Rod Cheatham, Village Attorney Ken Balsters, Fire Chief Alex Campbell, Village Treasurer Joe Schoppet, and Zoning Administrator Tim Brown.
Motion made by Withers, seconded by Bost, to approve village board minutes of April 3, 2017 as printed. All members voted aye viva voce. Motion carried 6-0.
Reports from Departmental Supervisors:
Fire Chief Alex Campbell reviewed the statistical report for the month of April, noting 90 total calls with a $20,000 fire loss at High Flyers for lost time and not physical damage. There was one missed call. Total calls year-to-date are 325, which means the department is on pace for over 1000 calls this year. Four firefighters just returned from training in Indianapolis. Dan Bartels has passed his paramedic test, giving the department four paramedics. One volunteer has left the department and two new applications have been received. There were no questions.
Police Chief Smock presented the April activity report. The new electronic fingerprinting system is in and operational. Two of the three AED units are in and in use in the squad cars; the one for the Village Hall lobby will arrive any time. Chief presented Scott Hale, Jordan Lind, and Ryan Dugger with lifesaving pins for a cardiac arrest save at Walgreens a few weeks ago. There were no questions.
Public Works Director Cheatham presented his report: Lift station maintenance continues; round 1 of the liner system has been completed on schedule and on budget; round 2 has been identified and is ready to go. Manhole liners will be installed when weather allows. There was a 6” rain event over the weekend and the system performed well; there were no issues until late Saturday into Sunday and any issues were likely not caused by lift stations but electrical issues at Wood River Avenue that caused pressure on the other lift stations. Those issues are being dealt with. Street department crews are working on cold patching potholes and cleaning catch basins. Cheatham said that a ditching program is needed sometime soon as many of our ditches need attention. Parks crews are busy with mowing. Re-mulching of parks with IDOT approved mulch will begin soon. The Splash Pad plans are ready for approval, and plans for the Arboretum trail should be in-hand within the next few weeks. Concession stands are ready for inspections. Trustee Bost asked if there were any wet basement complaints with this last round of rain; Cheatham replied that there were fewer than a dozen this time as opposed to a hundred last time. Trustee McRae inquired about the brick-lined manholes and how those repairs will work. Cheatham explained that a cement/polymer mix is applied with a rod-type system at the cost of about $225 a vertical foot. No men are actually in the hole during the repair. Mayor Winslow announced that he has received compliments on how nice the entrance corridors to the Village are looking. Cheatham stated he has crews try to work on making a good first impression as folks enter the Village. There were no further questions.
Guests/Public Comment:
There were no guests or public comments.
Resolutions:
Resolution 2017-07 MFT Resolution for Street Maintenance was presented. This is the annual resolution that shows anticipated expenditures for street maintenance out of MFT funds. Salt will not be bid through MFT but through the county instead; concrete for the Arboretum trail is included in this resolution. Motion made by Mull, seconded by McRae, to approve Resolution 2017-07 MFT Resolution for Street Maintenance. Trustees Bourland, Withers, Mull, Bost, Dugger and McRae voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
Ordinances:
Ordinance 2017-06 Salary Ordinance 2017-2018 was presented. This is the annual salary ordinance that reflects the 3% pay increases as negotiated by CBAs. Motion made by Withers, seconded by Dugger, to approve Ordinance 2017-06 Salary Ordinance. Trustees Bourland, Withers, Mull, Bost, Dugger and McRae voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
Mayor Winslow stated that the Board has received a Recommendation from the Plan Commission regarding an update to Zoning Code Chapter 40. This will update the code to replace references to “Plan Commission” in the Zoning code with the “Zoning Board of Appeals”. One solitary board will handle all zoning issues, although the same seven members will serve on both boards effective with the passage of this Ordinance. Ordinance 2017-07 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 40 Zoning Code will make these changes to the code. Motion made by Bost, seconded by Bourland, to approve Ordinance 2017-07 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 40 Zoning Code. Trustees Bourland, Withers, Mull, Bost, Dugger and McRae voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
Reports from the Mayor:
Mayor Winslow announced the Stephenson Scholarships had been awarded at last week’s Senior Celebration. This year’s awardees were Andrew Deckard, Curtis Deckard, Kylee Thoroughman and Rachel Stilwell.
The Zoning Board of Appeals forwarded a recommendation to the Village Board to approve a setback variance for property located at 604 Briarwood Drive. Motion made by Mull, seconded by Withers, to accept the recommendation of the Zoning Board of Appeals and grant the setback variance for 604 Briarwood Drive as requested. Trustees Bourland, Withers, Mull, Bost, Dugger and McRae voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
Two responses were received for the Splash Pad RFQ, with one being an engineering-only proposal and the other a design and build by Capri Pools. Capri is the company that constructed Edwardsville’s splash park as well. PW Director Cheatham noted that this is a very specialized process and not many companies do this sort of work, but that he is comfortable with what he has seen from this company and, in fact, one of their engineers is a Bethalto resident. Funding for the project is through the Madison County Community Development Grant program; the Village has currently “banked” $180,000 towards the $280,000 project and has the ability to utilize the next two years’ worth of grants to complete the project. Once the proposal is approved by the Board, plans must be OK’d by the State and then construction can begin. Cheatham stated that, weather permitting, the park could be open by July 4. He also noted that the pricing on the proposal is a “worst case scenario” and that the project will likely come in under budget. Motion made by Withers, seconded by Bourland, to accept the proposal of Capri Pools for the Bethalto Splash Pad Project as presented. Trustees Bourland, Withers, Mull, Bost, Dugger and McRae voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
There has been a request for a Class B liquor license for Patty’s Place, which will be located at 402 N. Prairie Street (the old Zippy’s location). This request was presented last month for a Class A license but was denied, with the requestor stating she believed the trustees misunderstood her intentions. The requestor now would like to serve beer & wine at her deli-type establishment, which will also serve as a convenience store. Video gaming may be an option down the road, but she stated it is not her main focus. Discussion ensued regarding the types of Liquor Licenses and what would be the best fit for her business plan. It was determined that she does not want to deal with hard liquor, so a class C or D would be appropriate. Mayor Winslow stated that since this request is for a Class B, the request would be tabled for tonight and further discussion can occur at committee meetings to clarify what route the requestor wants to take.
Zoning Administrator’s Report:
Zoning Administrator Brown presented his monthly report, noting 6 permits issued with a year-to-date valuation of $6.9 million. 123 occupancy permits have been issued year-to-date. The Edwards property on MacArthur is set for demolition by June 1. There were no questions.
Monthly Treasurer’s Report:
Treasurer Joe Schoppet presented the March, 2017 Treasurer’s Report, reviewing fund balances and noting that the Village should end the fiscal year with a positive cash balance. The TIF payment will affect some of the cash-on-hand but is unavoidable. Trustee McRae noted a negative balance in the IMRF fund, which was explained by Treasurer Schoppet as fully anticipated since FICA contributions have not been transferred from one account to the other. Schoppet further reviewed the capital improvement fund, reserved accounts and loan balances. Schoppet summarized by stating that the Village should end this fiscal year with over $200,000 is cash reserves, which is much improved over last year. There were no questions. Motion made by Bourland, seconded by McRae, to approve the March, 2017 Treasurer’s Report. Trustees Bourland, Withers, Mull, Bost, Dugger and McRae voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
Water Department Bills:
Motion by Withers, seconded by Mull, authorizing payment of the Water Department bills in the amount of $276,085.28. Trustees Bourland, Withers, Mull, Bost, Dugger and McRae voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
General Fund :
Motion by Bost, seconded by Dugger, authorizing payment of bills in the amount of $134,315.98. Trustees Bourland, Withers, Mull, Bost, Dugger and McRae voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
Liability Fund:
Motion by Mull, seconded by Withers, authorizing payment of bills in the amount of $9,004.00. Trustees Bourland, Withers, Mull, Bost, Dugger and McRae voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
MFT Fund:
Motion by Bourland, seconded by Withers, authorizing payment of bills in the amount of $11,584.39. Trustees Bourland, Withers, Mull, Bost, Dugger and McRae voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
Garbage Fund:
Motion by Mull, seconded by Bost, authorizing payment of bills in the amount of $48,530.02. Trustees Bourland, Withers, Mull, Bost, Dugger and McRae voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
Having no further business for the current board, a Motion to adjourn the meeting sine-die was made by Withers, seconded by Bourland. All voted aye viva voce. Sine-die at 7:50pm. Mayor Winslow thanked Trustees Bourland and Withers for their years of service to the residents of Bethalto, and invited all in attendance to stay following the meeting for refreshments.
Mayor Alan Winslow and Trustees Brady Dugger and Dave Gibbons were sworn in by Village Clerk Sue Lowrance.
Roll call was taken at 7:58 pm with Mayor Alan Winslow and Trustees Mull, Bost, Dugger, McRae and Gibbons in attendance.
Resolutions:
Resolution 2017-08 A Resolution Acknowledging the Vacancy of Trustee Position was presented. Jeff Pickering was elected as a Trustee at the April election but is unable to accept the position and has signed documentation accordingly. This allows the Village President and Village Board to appoint someone to the vacancy for a two-year term until the next municipal election. Motion made by Mull, seconded by Bost, to approve Resolution 2017-08 A Resolution Acknowledging the Vacancy of Trustee Position. Trustees Mull, Bost, Dugger, McRae and Gibbons voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 5-0.
Reports from the Mayor:
To fill the vacancy in the Trustee position, Mayor Winslow presented Brian Buhs. Motion made by McRae, seconded by Mull, to approve the appointment of Brian Buhs as Village Trustee for a two-year term until the next municipal election. Trustees Mull, Bost, Dugger, McRae and Gibbons voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 5-0. Trustee Buhs was sworn in by Village Clerk Sue Lowrance.
Mayor Winslow presented his appointments for Departmental Supervisors: Public Works Director Rod Cheatham, Fire Chief Alex Campbell, Assistant Fire Chief Jimmy Schulte, Assistant Fire Chief Tim Brown, Police Chief Gregory Smock, and Zoning Administrator Tim Brown. Motion made by Mull, seconded by Bost, to approve the Departmental Supervisors as appointed. Trustees Mull, Bost, Dugger, McRae, Gibbons and Buhs voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
Winslow presented his appointments for Village Inspectors: Plumbing Inspector Greg Fowler, Electrical Inspector Tim Henson, Building Inspector Lee Friedel, and Fire Inspector Alex Campbell. Motion made by McRae, seconded by Gibbons, to approve the Village Inspector appointments. Trustees Mull, Bost, Dugger, McRae, Gibbons and Buhs voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
Mayor Winslow presented his selection as Professional & Legal Appointees: Village Attorney Kenneth Balsters and Village Treasurer Joseph Schoppet. Motion made by Mull, seconded by Dugger, to approve the appointments of Village Legal and Professional personnel. Trustees Mull, Bost, Dugger, McRae, Gibbons and Buhs voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
Winslow presented his appointments for Committees and Boards: Police Pension Board (2-year term) Greg Schumacher, Fire & Police Commission Board (3-year term) Kris Tharp, ESDA Director (1-year term) Tim Brown, Assistant ESDA Director (1-year term) Brad Myers, and Plan Commission/Zoning Board of Appeals: Ed Slayden, Chairman, Craig Welch, Kathi Cooper, Woodrow Jordan, Ken Gobble, Kurt Brown, and Brad Myers. Motion made by Bost, seconded by McRae, to approve the appointments to committees and boards. Trustees Mull, Bost, Dugger, McRae, Gibbons and Buhs voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
Mayor Winslow presented his committee assignments. Motion made by Mull, seconded by Dugger, to accept these assignments as presented. Trustees Mull, Bost, Dugger, McRae, Gibbons and Buhs voted aye, nays none. Motion carried 6-0.
The Memorial Day Parade will be held on May 29 beginning at 10:15 at the Water Department. Trustees are encouraged to attend the parade and following service.
The Village, along with the Bank of Edwardsville, is hosting a free Movie in the Park on Friday, May 5, weather permitting. With the amount of rain over the weekend and more in the forecast, the event is currently in question but, if canceled, a rain date will be set.
Proclamations:
Mayor Winslow declared May as Motorcycle Awareness Month within the Village of Bethalto.
Winslow further proclaimed May 7-13, 2017 as Municipal Clerks Week and thanked Village Clerk Sue Lowrance for her service to the residents of Bethalto.
Committee Meetings:
The Finance Committee will be meeting May 2 at 10:00 am and May 4 at 9:00 am for continued work on the budget. A full committee meeting will be held on May 15 a 6:00 pm for all committees.
The next regular board meeting will be on Monday, June 5, 2017 with the Water Board meeting at 7:00 pm, followed by the Village Board at 7:15 pm.
Having no further business, a motion to adjourn was made by Bost, seconded by Buhs. All voted aye viva voce. Meeting adjourned at 8:07 pm.
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