Metro East Sun

Village of Bethalto Committee met March 24

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

Members Present:

Gary Bost Terri Keister

Brady Dugger Tim Tweedy

Maria Perkhiser Jeff Mull

Rachel Sontag

Also Present:

Village Clerk Sue Lowrance PW Director Rod Cheatham

Police Chief Jason Lamb Village Attorney Ken Balsters

Representatives from Cloud 9 and Wolves youth soccer programs

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Gary Bost at 6:00pm in the Council Chambers of Village Hall.

Republic Services-Rhonda Breslin

Ms. Breslin, our representative of Republic Services, was in attendance to introduce herself to the board and give an update on the things going on in the waste management industry. Our current contract expires in September 2026, and Breslin noted that renewal rates have been running in the 4-5% increase range, based on the level of services provided to residents. She distributed a comparison rate sheet, showing other municipalities and their services and renewals. Breslin noted that Bethalto offers some services that other municipalities do not offer, including door-to-door Village-wide cleanup twice annually and fully paid fall yard waste pickup. Breslin reviewed their fleet of over 90 trucks, the status of the Roxana Landfill, Republic’s recycling centers, and the future of the industry, including cameras on trucks to monitor pickups and dumps, a track my truck app feature so residents can monitor their weekly pickups, and future electric trucks in some metro areas. Breslin stated that Republic is a solid company to work for, too, with paid CDL training and technician training for those interested in a career in the industry. Breslin encouraged trustees to come and tour their facilities and asked them to reach out to her at any time with questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Parking Violations Ordinance

Police Chief Lamb addressed the board, asking them to consider updating our current parking violations ordinance to increase the fine(s) related to parking tickets. The current fine is $5, which Lamb stated is not worth officers’ time, especially with the arguments and feedback that they receive when issuing the tickets. Lamb asked the board to review the ordinance and establish enforceable fines that are more meaningful. Lamb suggested a minimum $50 fine, which would increase with penalties if unpaid. Fines are collected by the Village Clerk and revenue deposited into the General Fund. Attorney Balsters noted that in Section 1-1-20 of our  code, fines for basic code violations range from $75-$750 and keeping things consistent may be the best option. Lamb said he would support whatever amount the board decides upon.

Mayor Bost suggested $75-100-125. Trustee Keister asked what other municipalities’ fines are; Lamb stated that most go with state charges which equate to a $160 fine. Mayor Bost said we will do further research and review and come back to the board in April committee with our findings before voting to update the code.

Salary Ordinance

The 2025-2026 Salary Ordinance will need to be passed prior to the May board meeting, and Finance Administrator Randolph has prepared a sample ordinance with full-time employees not bound by union contract to receive 3% pay increases. There were no comments or questions, so the ordinance will be presented at the April board meeting.

Park Rental Fees

Our field rental fees have not been updated in approximately ten years, and Mayor Bost and PW Director Cheatham believe they need to be reviewed as labor costs and materials have increased. The Cloud 9 youth recreation league uses Sports Complex 2 on a regular basis now, and that heavy use means a lot more work for our crews. On any given Saturday during their season, 16 games are played on the fields, along with several team practices throughout the week. Cheatham has researched what other local municipalities charge for field rentals and suggests that we look at $40 per rental regardless of use for practice or game. Cheatham added that field prep is approximately $2000 per week, with $1500 of that just for paint/materials. It was noted that the fields are open for first-come, first-served use at no cost as well. Several questions came from the soccer representatives, including whether field conditions would improve with increased fees. Cheatham noted that the fields have taken a beating with drought conditions and heavy use, and it will take time for the fields to bounce back from that. There is also an issue with moles tearing up the turf. Cheatham added that increased fees will allow for some improvements, but that dry conditions will take their toll no matter what. Concerns were expressed that increased fees will not be affordable for the soccer programs, and questions were asked about what the fields would be if they weren’t being used, to which Cheatham replied we would still maintain them as park property. Everyone agreed that we want to see the fields used. Mayor Bost suggested we look at a weekday/weekend rental fee structure, and Cloud 9’s Adam Jones mentioned he would consider an annual rental agreement at one set cost for the year. It was again stated that the clubs that are using the facilities are all not-for-profit organizations and that increased fees would be detrimental to the programs they offer. Jones noted that in the past year Cloud 9 saw 1900 registrations at approximately $50 per participant. Some participants are on a scholarship basis and don’t pay club fees due to affordability; corporate sponsorships help fund the programs along with registration fees. Jones stated that any way to keep costs down would be beneficial. Mayor Bost stated that the Village spends many man hours and covers the materials costs throughout the season, which runs April through October, and that costs need to be met, and a fair compromise reached for everyone. Trustee Mull said we want to see the fields used but that costs need to be covered as well, adding “we’re with you, not against you”. Trustee Tweedy agreed. It was argued that increased costs should mean that field concerns will be addressed;  Cheatham responded that he believes the Village has been responsive to all requests, again stating that field condition can vary with heavy use, weather conditions, etc. There is no irrigation system in place at the facility. Bost ended the discussion by stating we will review any options and try to come up with a fee structure that is fair for everyone.

Live Streaming Meetings

Riverbender.com is interested in live streaming our monthly board meetings and we are in discussion with them to determine equipment compatibility and logistics to make this happen. They currently stream Wood River, Alton, and Godfrey’s meetings and are eager to include Bethalto on their list. There would be no cost to the Village; Riverbender would seek advertisers/sponsors of the streams to cover their costs. As the streaming would come through Riverbender, there would be no records retention concerns for the Village.

Having no further items for discussion, the meeting was adjourned by Mayor Bost at 6:58pm.

https://bethalto.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/committee-minutes-032425.pdf