Sangamon Sun

Village Board of Pleasant Plains met May 8.

Here is the minutes provided by the Board:

The Village Board of Pleasant Plains met in a regular session on Monday, May 8, 2017, at 7:00 p.m., at the Village Hall. President Darrell Duey Blair called the meeting to order and roll was recorded:

Mike HuberpresentElizabeth Rollinspresent

William Riggins, JrpresentBrad Cowanpresent

Tim Robinson presentWayne Heidemanpresent

President Darrell D. Blair declared a quorum present.

Staff Present:Darrell D. Blair, Mayor

Judy Reiser, Village Clerk

Brett Keyes, Treasurer

Kevin Kesselring, Chief of Police

Dave Stewart, Water Superintendent

Neil McCafferty, Assistant Water Superintendent

Greg Miles, Streets Superintendent

Visitor(s):Greta Myers, Tony & Lisa Reiser, Jeremy Mizeur, Audie Alexander, JR and Adrian Bye, Don Gray

Pledge of Allegiance

Invocation by Reverend Donald Pritchard

Sworn in of the newly elected Trustees to office for a four year term by Attorney Carl Draper: Mike Huber, Tim Robinson, Brad Cowan. Oaths were signed.

Mayor Darrell Duey Blair made a recommendation to the Board to appoint Elizabeth Rollins to the Board of Trustees. Trustee Mike Huber made a motion to appointment Elizabeth Rollins to the board for a two year term. Trustee Tim Robinson seconded this motion. President Blair declared the motion carried by a unanimous aye vote. Attorney Draper swore in Elizabeth Rollins as trustees. Her oath was signed.

Agenda for the Village Board Meeting was reviewed.

Mayor Blair asked that the Board review the reports, minutes, etc., prior to the meeting so the meetings can move along quicker. The clerk has agreed to try and have the minutes out one week prior to the meeting. Mayor Blair has asked the department heads to have their reports, etc. in to the clerk at least ten (10) days prior to the monthly board meeting so they too can be sent out with the minutes and reviewed prior to the board meeting.

Mayor Darrell Duey Blair made a recommendation to reappoint Clerk, Judy Reiser; Treasurer, Brett Keyes; and Attorney, Carl Draper. A motion was made by Trustee Brad Cowan to reappoint Judy Reiser as Clerk, Brett Keyes as Treasurer and Carl Draper as the village’s attorney. Trustee Tim Robinson made a second to that motion. President Blair declared the motion carried by a unanimous aye vote. President Blair swore them into office for another year. Oaths were signed.

Minutes were reviewed for the regular board meeting of April 10, 2017. A motion was made by Trustee Wayne Heideman to approve the minutes as presented. Trustee Tim Robinson seconded this motion. President Blair declared the motion carried by a unanimous aye vote.

Citizen Recognition:

Don Gray, Sangamon County Clerk, was recognized at the meeting. Mr. Gray congratulated the new board members and thanked the community, pole judges, etc. for their services during the past election. Mr. Gray gave a brief description of the services his office offers the county and extended their assistance to the community. For the convenience of the village the County Clerk’s personnel and Vital Records Mobile Unit will be available periodically at village hall to offer mobile services, i.e. birth, death marriage records, FOID card, passport, military ID, business name registration, photo identification, etc. to the residents. The County Clerk’s office is also expanding their on-line services such as marriage licenses.

Treasurer’s Report: Brett Keyes presented the treasurer’s report. accounts. Everything has been cleared out and working towards the new year. Board determined new office computer should be split 60, 20,20. Trustee Bill Riggins, Jr. made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report. Trustee Tim Robinson seconded that motion. President Blair called for a roll call vote.

Ayes: Tim Robinson, Bill Riggins, Jr., Elizabeth Rollins, Mike Huber, Brad Cowan,

Wayne Heideman

Nays: n/a

Abstain: n/a

Absent: n/a

President Blair declared the motion carried by a roll call vote.

Finance Committee Chairperson, Bill Riggins ,Jr., confirmed a Budget scheduled on Wednesday, May 17th, at 6:30 p.m.

Payment of Bills: Payment of the bills was reviewed. Greg Miles, Streets Superintendent, indicated he has 22 stumps that need to be cut. The company he rents the stump cutter from requests payment in advance. It is $900 per week. Trustee Wayne Heideman made a motion to approve the payment of the bills plus the cost up to $1,000 for rental of a stump cutter. Trustee Brad Cowan seconded this motion. Greg will prepare the stumps to be cut prior to renting the equipment.

Ayes: Wayne Heideman, Brad Cowan, Mike Huber, Elizabeth Rollins,

Bill Riggins, Jr., Tim Robinson

Nays: n/a

Abstain: n/a

Absent: n/a

President Blair declared the motion carried by a roll call vote.

Police Department: The Police Department received a thank you card and $200 donation from Russell and Billie Miner to express their gratitude for the department being there in their time of need. Chief Kesselring stated he is continuing to conduct interviews for part time officers however does have two good applicants he is considering. Kevin also gave an update on the list of ordinance violations.

Street Department: Greg Miles, Street Superintendent asked that the Jefferson and Third Street Drainage Proposal with Benton & Associates be put on hold. There may be a less costly option to resolve this issue. There is a 30 inch drain behind the Jefferson houses on the west side that drains to the creek. Changing the flow to run back to the north then drop in may help alleviate the problem. He will need to meet with the water department to see if this would affect the water mains and/or lines in the area. Greg states the driveway at the bus barn will be cut this summer and another type drain will be inserted. Greg will get with the Street Committee to schedule a meeting. The street department is gearing up for the patch work on the streets. Broom and sweep will be used in both subdivisions and highway gutters. A roller, broom and sweep will need to be rented. Hopefully any additional equipment can be borrowed. We have received approval from the Federal Surplus that will allow up to purchase from their supplies.

The FY18 Committee Listing had been passed out. Mayor Blair the encouraged the committee chairperson to meet at least twice a year to review any issues that need to be brought before the board.

Water Department/Issues: Water Superintendent Dave Stewart states things have been running smoothly. A water meter had been sent to Midwest Meter Inc. for testing. The meter was returned with a meter test certification of 99.5 accuracy. The testing itself was $15 plus the shipping. Mayor Blair did bring to the board’s attention that our present meter reading equipment is obsolete and parts are no longer available. If the equipment breaks down we can only obtain a loaner. He asked that the board keep this in mind when working on the budget. If the equipment is changed the software will also need to be compatible.

Water Issue: There was a water leak (rotted yolk) at LC Brockman’s however it was on the village’s side. Brockman’s paid the bill in full, however should be reimbursed for the amount over and above their normal usage. Trustee Bill Riggins, Jr. made a motion that the village credit the customer’s account for the amount over and above their normal usage. Trustee Elizabeth Rollins seconded the motion. President Blair called for a roll call vote.

Ayes: Tim Robinson, Bill Riggins, Jr., Elizabeth Rollins, Mike Huber, Brad Cowan,

Wayne Heideman

Nays: n/a

Abstain: n/a

Absent: n/a

President Blair declared the motion carried by a roll call vote.

Inoperable Vehicles: Attorney Carl Draper has spoken with Mr. Hagen’s attorney. He received a counter proposal willing to pay $2,000. Extent of what they offered. Mr. Hagen has indicated he will willing to pay his attorney to fight this in court. Ms. Oliver is willing to pay something on a monthly buy budget. Will discuss further in executive session.

Switching Out Meters: Mayor Blair has encouraged the board to implement a policy and fee for requests made by a customer to switch out their meter water due to their suspicion of inaccuracy. Water Superintendent, Dave Stewart, indicated we have never sent over two meters a year in for certification and those have all come back at 99.5 accuracy. At this point it costs us $15 per meter and $17 for round trip postage. Trustee Bill Riggins, Jr. felt we should leave things as they are for now. Attorney Draper advised if any trustee is interested in adopting an ordinance to cover this issue to let him know and he would draft an ordinance for the next meeting.

Request to Extend Business Hours: Linda’s owner, Jeremy Mizeur addressed the board requesting extended business hours 9:3 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night and would like to open at 8:00 a.m. instead of 10:00 a.m. when donuts and coffee would be served. Mr. Mizeur reminded the board even though their alcohol sales is minimal state law requires his business sell alcohol during business hours. Attorney Draper presented two ordinance drafts to the board to review. Trustee Bill Riggins, Jr. made a motion to accept Ordinance 17-01 allowing Class E License businsses to open at 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Monday thru Thursday; the hours of 8:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and from 1:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday. Trustee Mike Huber seconded this motion. President Blair called for a roll call vote.

Ayes: Wayne Heideman, Brad Cowan, Mike Huber, Elizabeth Rollins,

Bill Riggins, Jr., Tim Robinson

Nays: n/a

Abstain: n/a

Absent: n/a

President Blair declared the motion carried by a roll call vote.

Lisa Reiser of Salvage Big Barn has requested permission to put an 8’ by 4’ temporary sign up on an empty lot on the south side of Rt. 125 that her family owns. She indicated it would be up from Memorial Day until Labor Day. This area is zoned residential and this type of sign is restricted; therefore the request was denied. Trustee Bill Riggins, Jr., asked if they could put it on the west end of town that is owned by their family and is zoned business. Attorney Draper indicated our current ordinances are not conducive to what we are discussing however he will reviewed the regulations for a limited industrial area. After a brief search Carl feels as long as the sign itself is at least 100 feet away from a residential boundary line it would be permissible. However Attorney Draper will review this further before a definite answer is made. Carl will contact us with a decision after his research. Carl did state Lisa could start her sign application process.

Changing Meeting Date: Due to conflicts with village and fire department meetings Mayor Blair has suggested the village board meetings be changed. Trustee Bill Riggins, Jr., made a motion to change the board meetings to the second Tuesday of the month. Trustee Wayne Heideman seconded this motion. President Blair declared the motion carried by a unanimous aye vote.

Beginning June the Village Board Meetings will be on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m.

Use of Village Hall Closet for Legion “Burial Detail”: Audie Alexander was present to represent the Legion in finding an alternative location for the Legion’s Burial Detail if the firehouse can no longer support them. It is important to them that they have everything in one spot in case someone is on vacation they would still have access to the equipment for someone filling in. The fire station has been ideal. The Village Hall has a closet in the mayor’s office that could store their gun safe, flags and equipment in a locked environment. They would have access thru a rear entrance. Audie will be meeting with fire personnel this week and will find out if they can continue to be housed there. If not, the topic will be returned to our agenda in June.

Water/Sewer Hookups: The Bye’s have bought 6 acres of property off Main Street from Darrel Patrick. The property is actually within the city limits and zoned agriculture. Their question is regarding water and sewer hookups. Based on EPA regulations they are restricted from hooking up to the current main. The property that does have a utility access is also restricted by EPA to just one access. Mayor Blair advised Mr. Bye that via several meetings we shared with Mr. Patrick that the water mains were not sufficient for him to sell that property for homes. Trustee Bill Riggins, Jr. suggested the Byes get with the other connecting landowners and possible pay to have a main brought in there. It does appear they are within EPA limits of having a well and a septic tank. Mayor Blair encouraged them to work with the county on this.

Codification of Ordinances: Ordinance book needs to be codified. It has been seventeen years since the last codification and it will take a year for completion. Current proposal from one company is $6,150. Will discuss further at the budget meeting. However Carl suggested we keep negotiating to bring the price down and eventually it will need to be done.

Pehlman & Dold Audit Proposal: Attorney Draper sates audit requirements of law say the auditors need to review our water and sewer rates to ensure we are recapturing the annual expense. If they feel we do not look good for the future then they should recommend we raise our rates. Trustee Wayne Heideman made a motion to accept the audit proposal of $7,930 received from Pehlman & Dold. Trustee Mike Huber seconded this motion. President Blair declared the motion carried by a unanimous aye vote.

Intergovernmetnal Cooperation Agreement Between Sangamon County and PP Police Dept for Electronic Citations:

The Circuit Clerk is advancing towards electronic citations. They are trying to get all the agencies within the county software company, DigiTICKET. Under this agreement the equipment is provided for each unit by DigiTICKET Software Solution. Under this contract there is no monthly charge to the village. It is supported through the county by the electronic citation fees we already pay. For instance, out of a $5 fee the county now keeps $3 and sends us $2. This agreement would allow the county to keep the $5. It is felt it will save the village money in the long run. This agreement is for one year. Sixty days notice must be given to terminate. Trustee Brad Cowan made a motion to accept the Intergovernmetnal Cooperation Agreement Between Sangamon County and PP Police Dept for Electronic Citations.

Trustee Tim Robinson seconded that motion. President Blair declared the motion carried by a unanimous aye vote.

Kevin Heideman was present to discuss traffic sign issues. Kevin asked if the speed limit sign between Forest View and his house be moved further north to where the Pleasant Plains welcome sign is located. Street Superintendent Greg Miles advised the county has jurisdiction over the signs along North Cartwright and he would have to contact the county.

In the new fiscal year, new board members, new mayor, it is felt we should look into the future as far as the water department, wells, water processing, etc. and possible look at different engineering companies, at least for the water department. We must keep in mind that the existing engineers require a 30 days notice for termination of their contract. Trustee Bill Riggins, Jr., states the work that has been done by MECO Engineering seems to be quite a bit cheaper than our current engineers. It is his opinion that someday we are going to have to merger with Curran Gardner or someone other water department. We currently have an emergency hookup with Curran Gardner which would make sense that we would go towards their engineer, Max Middendorf of MECO. Mayor Blair would like to have two people, Bill and someone else, on a committee to research a new water engineer. It was determined that Mayor Blair and Trustee Bill Riggins, Jr., will meet with MECO and other engineers in the surrounding area.

Trustee Wayne Heideman made a motion to go into executive session at 9:18 p.m. for the purpose of discussing litigation that we expect to happen. Trustee Brad Cowan seconded this motion. President Blair declared the motion carried by a unanimous aye vote.

Regular meeting was reconvened at 9:39 p.m.

Trustee Mike Huber made a motion to offer Nancy Oliver a settlement of $1,000 due in ten months of $100 payments. If she fails the fine will go to $2,000 and if not we will litigate for the full amount of the fine she owes. Motion seconded by Trustee Brad Cowan seconded the motion. President Blair declared the motion carried by a unanimous aye vote.

Trustee Brad Cowan made a motion to fine Frank Hagen $3,400. If he is not in agreement we will litigate for the full amount of the fine he owes. Trustee Tim Robinson seconded the motion. President Blair declared the motion carried by a unanimous aye vote.

Announcement:

Mayor Blair thanked the board for their support. He states as the new mayor his job is to see that the ordinances are applied, completed and followed and the board makes all the decisions. He encourages the committees to meet at least two times per year. He would also like for all to follow the Roberts Rule of Order, with only one speaking at a time so everyone is able to hear what is going on.

There being no further business, Trustee Wayne Heideman made a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion was second by Trustee Elizabeth Rollins. The motion was passed by voice vote. President Blair declared the meeting adjourned by a unanimous vote at 9:45 p.m.

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