Metro East Sun

Village of Bethalto Village Board met Aug. 26

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

Members Present:

Gary Bost

Brady Dugger

Maria Perkhiser

Terri Keister

Jeff Mull

Rachel Sontag

Also Present:

Village Clerk Sue Lowrance

Police Chief Jason Lamb

Village Attorney Ken Balsters

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Gary Bost at 6:01pm in the Council Chambers of Village Hall.

Dairy Fresh Liquor License request

Priyan Patel, owner of Dairy Fresh, was in attendance to inform the board that he has installed two Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations at the store—the first EV charging stations in town. These chargers are open 24/7, 365 days a year and involve no human contact for operation. Patel has also added six parking spaces to the lot. Photos were passed around so trustees could see the improvements. Patel is now requesting that the store be considered as a gas station so that he can obtain a class B liquor license and bring in video gaming. Trustee Mull asked if any signage would be outside to promote gaming; Patel replied no. Trustee Keister asked about fees for EV charging; Patel stated the current fee is 30 cents per kilowatt. Trustee Dugger asked how the Village code would need to be updated to reflect this change should the board move in that direction; an updated Liquor ordinance would be required to increase the number of available Class B licenses, then that license issued to Dairy Fresh. Mayor Bost asked if there is interest in considering making this change; Trustees Keister and Mull stated they would be interested. Bost stated that an ordinance will be presented at the September meeting and encouraged Patel to attend.

Warty Toad/Klein Hall Liquor License request

The owner of the Warty Toad was not in attendance, but Mayor Bost stated that she is seeking a license to allow renters of the Klein Hall event venue to bring in their own alcoholic beverages for private events. Bost explained that the state allows municipalities to issue a “brown bag license” for this purpose, if alcohol isn’t sold on the premises. Attorney Balsters reviewed the state statue regarding this and added that this venue would qualify. The Village would be able  to design the regulations for said license, and dram shop insurance would be required. Trustees questioned who would be responsible for serving the alcohol, who would monitor for underage drinking, etc. Chief Lamb stated that there would be a lot to work out, but he would not be opposed to offering such licenses if it was for private events only. Mayor Bost asked if there was interest in doing further research on this proposal; Trustees were interested in pursuing this to help the business. Bost stated he will work with Balsters on some basic guidelines, and we will discuss this further at the next committee meeting.

Building & Zoning Update

Mayor updated the board on the staffing & processes of the building & zoning department, since a lot of the duties have now been absorbed by the public works department. The village no longer has a Zoning Administrator; Marc Ressler is now the lead inspector, with public works staff handing out permit applications and accepting payments. Phone calls go directly to the zoning office, with any overflow of calls going to public works staff. The Police Department is handling code enforcement, with violation letters being sent out by public works. Zoning emails go to Marc, Mayor Bost, and Rod so that nothing is missed. Former Administrator Randy Reddick will act as a consultant in the future, as needed, for larger projects. Trustee Perkhiser asked how often Reddick works now; Bost replied he’s been working 1-2 days a week while training Ressler, but that August 31 is his last day. Reddick has assisted with the façade ordinance and other larger projects in the works. Mayor will represent the building & zoning department at meetings and stated we are taking more of a team approach with the department. There were no further questions.

Façade Requirements for new construction/remodels in GC Zoning Districts

Mayor Bost stated that the Planning & Zoning board has recommended approval of a new façade ordinance for new and reconstructed businesses in the GC General Commercial zoning district. The draft ordinance was presented to the board tonight for their review, and the final version will be presented at the September meeting. Bost stated this essentially gives the Village some say in how new businesses are constructed, along with any remodels of existing businesses. No pole barns or vinyl siding will be allowed, but the ordinance is not too restrictive. Bost stated that one proposed business would already meet these standards so he doesn’t believe any issues would arise if passed. This would create an entirely new section of code and is necessary as currently a pole barn or similar building could be constructed in the GC district. Bost asked the board to review and contact him with any questions prior to the September meeting.

Fall Yard Waste Program

Republic Services has provided their quote for the 4th quarter yard waste pickup program. This year’s pricing increases by 2% over last year, but Bost recommends we continue with the Village paying for pickup for the months of Oct-Dec, 2024. There is currently a surplus in the garbage fund. To move forward, the board will need to pass an updated ordinance at the September meeting.

Having no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned by Mayor Bost at 6:25pm.

https://bethalto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/committee-minutes-082624.pdf