Sangamon Sun

Village of Divernon Board of Trustees met Jan. 25.

Here is the minutes provided by the Board:

The regular meeting of the Village of Divernon Board of Trustees was held on Wednesday, January 25, 2017 at the Divernon Village Hall. Village President Randy Rhodes called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. After the Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all in attendance, Clerk Rod Molnar called roll: Randy Rhodes "Here", Wayne Jones “Here”, Melissa Layton “Here”, Larry Baer “Here”, Derek Hedges “Here”, Dianne Brenning “Here”. Also in attendance were Police Chief Barclay Harris and Superintendent Jeremy Rhodes. Jim Copelin arrived at 6:34 p.m.

A motion was made by Hedges and seconded by Jones to approve the minutes of January 11, 2017. The motion passed 4-0. Layton voting present.

A motion was made by Brenning and seconded by Baer to approve the executive session minutes of January 11, 2017. The motion passed 4-0. Layton voting present.

Brenning presented the bills with a motion that they be approved. After Baer seconded the motion it was approved 6-0.

Jake Rettberg and Dennis Ross of the Otter Lake Water Commission were in attendance to discuss the proposed new contract between the Village and the Commission. They entertained questions from the Board regarding the contract. They said they had received questions from some of the other communities also. They just want to make sure that the same contract is used for all of the communities on the system. Ross will facilitate between the commission and the other Villages and Cities. He hopes to have a new contract in place within six months.

Steve Curry, the Village’s website coordinator was present to discuss the Village’s website. He first put in in place in 2003. He said it has become somewhat antiquated and it no longer is supported by some software. He proposes putting together a new site at an estimated cost of $1000.00 to $1600.00. The Board will discuss and when a decision is made get back in touch with Curry.

Supervisors Reports:

Public Works:

Jeremy Rhodes reported that on January 19th, the level transmitter on the 3rd Street lift station broke down. The repairs have been made at a cost of $600.00. In addition, the emergency pump at the 3rd Street lift station was clogged and had to be monitored around the clock until repairs could be made. Beginning immediately, the yard waste dump at the lift station will be open on all Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. for Divernon residents only. Beginning in March, yard waste will be picked up two Mondays each month. Residents should check the Village website for the dates. A motion was made by Jones to increase the cost of yard waste stickers to $1.00 each. Layton seconded and the motion carried 6-0.

Police:

Chief Harris reported that Officer Price had completed classes in Juvenile Law and Search and Seizure. Officer Hayes recently issued the first ticket under the new Cannabis Ordinance. Harris has purchased the narcan kits as required by statute. He will check on how the reimbursement policy works. He announced that part time officer Paul Morgan had submitted his resignation.

Committee Reports:

Economic Development, Zoning, TIF, Building Permits:

Hedges reported that the Village had received an invoice from the architectural firm of Evan Loyd for work done regarding Maddy’s Tavern. Hedges suggested that permit fees be raised in the future to make sure they cover the Village’s expenses. He will meet with the architect regarding this issue.

Public Utilities, Water, Sewer and Gas:

Nothing to report.

Finance, Personnel, Technology, GIS:

Nothing to report.

Public Safety, Police, Health and Safety:

A motion was made by Jones and seconded by Layton to accept the resignation of part time Police Officer Paul Morgan. The motion carried 6-0.

Public Works, Streets, Alleys and Sidewalks:

Copelin distributed a draft of an Employee Reimbursement Agreement for the Board to consider and asked that a copy be sent to the Village Attorney.

Building Grounds and Lights, Parks, Recreation:

Layton brought up that if the Village was going to have a cleanup day, that it was time to start looking at a date. There was no cleanup day last year. She said several residents had said they would be willing to pay to have items hauled away. After a short discussion, it was decided that residents could contact Flowers directly for cleanup.

Old Business:

None.

New Business:

A new franchise agreement was received from Comcast Communications. The current 10 year contract is scheduled to expire in 2018. Molnar will get copies of both the old and new contract to the Board for examination.

The Board will hold a special meeting on Wednesday February 1, 2017 for the purpose of interviewing candidates for the open public works position. An executive session will be held for the interviews, followed by an open session for hiring.

Motion by Copelin to adjourn at 8:37 p.m.

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