Sangamon Sun

Village of Jerome Village Board met August 17.

Here is the minutes as provided by the board:

Call to Order 

President Lopez called the August 17, 2017 meeting of the Village of Jerome Board of Trustees to order at 7:01 pm.

Pledge of Allegiance 

President Lopez led all those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll Call 

Clerk Wheeland called the roll.

Present:

President Lopez 

Trustees Johnson, Lael, Monnat, Tripp 

Clerk Wheeland

Treasurer Roth

Attorney Brokaw

Trustee Winchester was absent for the roll call but joined the meeting later.

Approval of Minutes 

A motion was made by Trustee Monnat to approve the Minutes of the August 3, 2017 Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees. The motion was seconded by Trustee Johnson.

Rol Call Vote: 

Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Johnson, Trustee Monnat

The motion carried.

Approval of Warrant List 18-08 

President Lopez noted that Warrant List 18-08 dated August 17, 2017 totaled $40,092.36. Treasurer Roth added that of this amount $24,697.77 would be paid from the Water Fund and the remaining $15,394.59 would be paid from the General Revenue Fund.

A motion was made by Trustee Tripp to approve Warrant List 18-08 dated August 17, 2017 for a total of $40,092.36. The motion was seconded by Trustee Monnat.

Rol Call Vote: 

Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Johnson, Trustee Monnat

The motion carried.

Trustee Lael asked if Windstream had been notified that the Village was cancelling its phone system contract. Treasurer Roth stated that the contract with Windstream expires in January and notification that the Village will not renew must be submitted in November; however plans are to send notification in October. He noted that this is the responsibility of the Public Property Trustee.

Trustee Winchester joined the meeting at this point.

Visitors Acknowledgement 

President Lopez opened the Visitors Acknowledgement portion of the meeting at 7:05pm.

Resident Lisa Marcure was concerned about police coverage in the Village and asked if there were only four officers. A week ago on Wednesday at about 4:30 pm a suspicious character seemed to be staking out her neighborhood and taking pictures of houses. She called in a suspicious person complaint and it took 15 minutes for an officer to arrive. She thought that the closest car from any jurisdiction would respond to a call. A Leland Grove officer arrived 45 minutes after she made the Call.

Trustee Monnat stated that the Village has 24-hour police coverage with back-up from Leland Grove, Sangamon County, and the City of Springfield.

Chief Estill noted that the Village currently employees four full-time officers and three part-time officers. Two additional part-time officers were also just recently hired. He explained that if an officer is on a more serious call, such as a domestic dispute, he cannot leave that scene. A suspicious character complaint is a lower priority.

Ms. Marcure also was concerned because she hasn't been seeing as many police cars Cruising the neighborhood as in the past.

Trustee Monnat responded that three of the four police vehicles being used are unmarked so are not as noticeable. She noted that there has been no uptick in crime in the Village since the layoff of fulltime officers.

President Lopez asked Chief Estill to pull up the report on Ms. Marcure's call and to report to the Board on what happened.

This portion of the meeting closed at 7:13 pm.

Reports from Village Departments

A. Building and Zoning 

Trustee Lael reported the following:

o Drawings showing drainage from the back parking lot at the Jerome Mini-mall have been received from Martin Engineering and include a statement that the contractor will grade the ditch to drain to the north. However, there is no ditch and this must be remedied. The plumber has submitted the fee for a water main tap permit. Attorney Brokaw stated that the fines for tapping into the main without a permit have not been resolved. 

o. A home in the 1700 block of Vernon Avenue will be torn down and a new home will be built. 

o A home in the 1700 block of Jerome Avenue will also be torn down and a new home built. 

o A new home is expected to be built on Reed Court.

o Closing on the property at 3032 Chatham Road, at the corner of Jerome Avenue, is scheduled for the next day. Although a demolition permit application has not been submitted and the demolition contractor has not applied for a contractor's permit, it is expected that demolition will begin soon. 

o Trustee Lael emphasized the importance of attracting young families to the Village.

B. Public Property 

Trustee Winchester reported the following:

o He was at the State Fair on the previous day and was approached by several people who told him they thought the Village was moving in the right direction. These people were not residents of the Village. 

o Trustee Winchester stated that he was working on getting directional signage to the Village Hall installed at the intersections of Leonard Street/Wabash Avenue and Reed Avenue/Chatham Road. He will raise money to pay for the signage. Ace Hardware has agreed to donate the sign posts and he will need to raise $300 for the signs. He asked Board Members for their thoughts.

Trustee Lael said that at one time there was a directional sign on Wabash Avenue. He noted that there are certain criteria to be met for such signage.

President Lopez asked Trustee Winchester to coordinate with James Foster, Public Works Superintendent, and Trustee Tripp on the project. He also suggested that Brian Davis, the Sangamon County Engineer, or Gary at Woodside Township could be consulted for guidance on obtaining the signs.

The consensus of the Board was to move forward with this project.

C. Public Works 

Trustee Tripp reported the following:

o The new Public Works employee, Matt Smith, was in his second week with the Village and is doing a great job so far. 

o Chief Estill had helped Public Works procure a donated 2001 van that is in much better condition than the van they had been using. The old van will be sold and the proceeds will be put in a vehicle fund for future needs.

o The Village-wide Cleanup starts next Monday. 

o The Public Works staff picked up all the large branch piles during the recent limb pickup. They will get back to picking up branches in October,

D. Public Health

Trustee Johnson reported the following:

o There have been several issues with overgrown lots on Wabash Avenue. The Asian Market is taking care of their property now. Trustee Johnson is working with Trustee Lael to address the problems on Wabash Avenue.

o The residential issues are still being worked on. 

o An ordinance change tracking sheet is being developed and will be distributed to the Board at the next meeting. 

o The Village Health Fair will be held on September 30th from 9:00 to noon. Posters and flyers to promote the event are being prepared.

E. Public Safety

Chief Estill reported the following Police Department statistics from the month of June.

o 196 calls for service including traffic stops and traffic accidents

o 132 police reports prepared

o 46 traffic citations/warnings issues

o 4 traffic crashes with no injury

o 65 Vacation Watch Program checks of homes

o 1 report taken for attempted burglary

o 4 reports taken for burglary to a motor vehicle (the vehicles were left unlocked)

o 67 checks of the municipal building, garage, library, and park

o Officers are being trained on the new car computer system. All squad cars except one has been updated. The last one will be done by the end of August.

o The new Toyota Tundra truck has been leased and the installation of emergency lights has begun. New lights, mounting brackets and wire have been purchased although some emergency lights and computer equipment has also been donated from other Police Departments and businesses. Chief Estill has been installing the lights and computer equipment. An estimate received for installation of the lights was $5,000. He hopes to have installation complete by the first part of September.

Trustee Monnat thanked Chief Estill for his work on getting the donations.

Resident Jackie Bordewick asked who was driving the new truck and if all officers could use it.

Chief Estill responded that he was driving the truck although other officers could use it. Each officer has a specific vehicle that they use and are comfortable with.

Trustee Monnat noted that the lease limits the number of miles that can be put on the truck over the three-year lease.

F. Water Department 

President Lopez stated that Merry Riley, the Water Clerk, has been doing a good job as has Debbie Denk, the Village Secretary, in helping out. The meter re-reads will be minimal and the bills will be out on time.

G. Village President 

President Lopez reported the following:

o When the Board has moved forward with updating the Public Health Ordinances a meeting will be held by President Lopez and Trustee Johnson for residents to discuss concerns they have with Public Health issues in the Village. He would like to see the Village beautiful again. 

o The new website created by Ben Story is live. President Lopez had asked for a counter to be installed to document the number of hits the Website receives. He asked Trustees to submit any additional information they would like to see posted. He also mentioned that Village forms will be available online in the near future. 

o The Village Halloween Party will be held the Saturday before Halloween this October. 

o The Sangamon County Leadership Council pressed State Legislators Sara Jiminez and Tim Butler on infrastructure needs. Iles Avenue is on their radar for a grant. A recent IDOT study of MacArthur Boulevard predicts an increase in traffic over the next five to six years.

o The Jerome road projects approved by the Board should be going out for bid on the State's August letting. The Village had approved $210,000 in funding for these projects. Results of the bidding process should be known by September 7th.

H. Village Attorney 

Attorney Brokaw stated he had no report.

I. Village Clerk 

Clerk Wheeland stated she had no report.

J. Willage Treasurer 

Treasurer Roth reported the following:

o Money has come in for the Sales Tax and 1% tax, but the rest of revenues are coming in slower than expected as previously predicted by Treasurer Roth. The Telecom Tax did come in today but normally all State payments are received by now, 

o Checks for the August 3 meeting warrants were mailed out right after that meeting and the Village met payroll for August 15. Checks will be mailed out after this meeting. 

e With all obligations before paying August 17th warrants there is approximately $103,533.84 in the Illinois National Bank General Revenue Funds (GRF) account. There is approximately $500 in the Illinois Fund account. 

o GRF obligations for the August 17th warrants is $15,394.59. 

o Money will be transferred over to the 1% account. 

o. The July monthly report is Complete and, because the audit is done, the back monthly reports are also complete and will be distributed to Trustees this weekend.

Old Business

A. Discussion and Consideration of Public Health Ordinance Updates 

This item was tabled until the next meeting.

B. Discussion and Approval of Sangamon County E-Citation Program DigiTicket 

Trustee Monnat asked for this item to be tabled until the next meeting. She and Chief Estill will be attending a webinar on August 29 to learn more about how E-tickets will work. They need clarification on Some issues. If the Village chooses to sign on to the program it would not become effective until after the first of the year as the County will be working with other communities this fall. The County will provide all the equipment, including printers, paper, and scanners, and training. The E-ticket fees that previously came to the Village will go directly to the County once the Village begins participation.

President Lopez stated that the County has $198,000 to begin this program which is not enough money to include the City of Springfield, consequently, only the smaller communities are being offered the opportunity to participate.

Treasurer Roth noted that there is an E-citation fee tacked on to each ticket written that is supposed to be used to fund participation in the E-citation program; however, from everything he has heard this Cannot generate enough revenue to pay the associated expenses.

Trustee Winchester asked how much money comes to the Village when a ticket is written.

Attorney Brokaw explained that ticket money is split between the Circuit Clerk, State's Attorney, and the Law Enforcement Agency that writes the ticket. When someone pleads guilty or is convicted a $2 fee is tacked onto the ticket to pay for the E-citation program. The plan, as initially presented to the Village, was that the E-citation fees would be retained by the County, rather than turning them over to the Village, and the County would consider that satisfactory payment for participating in the program. However, they also presented a cost per unit and when you do the math there is no way that Jerome's fee generation would cover the cost of being part of the program. The question arose as to whether the County would be willing to cover the shortfalls and hold the Village harmless because there is no way the Willage would want to get into a program where the fees would not cover the costs.

C. Discussion of Jerome Health Fair 

President Lopez noted that this item had been covered by Trustee Johnson under her report.

New Business

A. Discussion of 2018 Regular Board Meeting Start Times President Lopez expressed an interest in moving the Board Meeting start time to 6:00pm in 2018. He cited some of the late end times of some previous meetings. Trustee Tripp stated that he would have a problem with starting at 6:00, particularly in the Spring due to the nature of his business. President Lopez said that the thought process could continue on this issue.

B. Discussion and Approval of Pay Raise for a Part-time Police Officer Trustee Monnat stated that currently part-time Police Officers are paid $17 an hour whether they have been with the Village one month or 30 years. Brian Brewer has been a part-time Police Officer since 2001 and also serves as the Evidence Officer. The two new part-time officers being hired will also make $17 an hour. She suggested an increase for Officer Brewer to $20 an hour would be appropriate. He is the only part-time officer who is readily available and works two-thirds of the parttime shifts. Recently, when no part-time officers were available, a full-time officer was paid overtime to cover a shift at $40 an hour.

Trustee Monnat provided the Trustees with an analysis prepared by the Village Clerk showing a breakdown of total payroll costs for a part-time Police Officer working an annual maximum of 999 hours at both $17 an hour and $20 an hour. The difference is $3,200.

Trustee Winchester said that $3 an hour is a big jump in pay. He is also concerned with the costs of bringing on the new part-time officers, such as new uniforms and equipment. He suggested giving Officer Brewer half the requested amount and then bringing it back to the Board in six to nine months.

Trustee Monnat made a motion to increase Brian Brewer's salary from $17 an hour to $20 an hour on September 1st. Trustee Lael seconded the motion.

Roll Call Vote: 

Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Johnson, Trustee Monnat 

Nays: Trustee Winchester,

The motion carried.

C. Discussion and Approval of Hiring Part-time, Temporary Public Works Laborer 

Trustee Tripp stated that James Foster has requested a temporary employee for 75 days to help with the Willage Cleanup. He noted that there isn't money in the budget for this length of time and proposed hiring someone for 14 eight-hour days during the four-week cleanup and potentially 6 days, if needed, as backup for snow removal in the Winter. Last year there were three employees in the Public Works Department. The temporary employee would be paid $15 an hour. A resident of the Village who is retired from Woodside Township, has a CDL license, and has operated a backhoe would be hired for this temporary position.

Trustee Tripp said that the cost of the Village Cleanup will be analyzed this year to see if a different process might be more efficient for next year.

President Lopez noted that the Village receives Dump Tickets from Sangamon County so there is no cost for taking the materials to the landfill. The number of loads picked up each year averages between 25 and 30.

Trustee Winchester made a motion to hire a temporary employee for the Public Works Department for 20 days, 14 days working on the Village Cleanup and 6 days for snowplowing backup, not to exceed $2,400 and starting August 21 at the earliest. The motion was seconded by Trustee Tripp.

Rol Call Vote: 

Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee Winchester, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Johnson, Trustee Monnat

The motion carried.

D. Presentation and Discussion of the Draft Fiscal Year 2017 Annual Audit 

Treasurer Roth provided the Board with copies of the Draft FY 2017 Audit for review. It will be considered a draft until the Board votes to accept it. He will walk through it at the next meeting. In the meantime if anyone has any questions they can let him know,

President Lopez noted that the next meeting will be in three weeks and with Labor Day falling in the week of that meeting the deadlines for warrants and other items will be different than normal.

Executive Session 

A motion was made by Trustee Monnat to go into Executive Session to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of a specific employee or legal counsel for the public body (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1)), minutes of meetings lawfully closed under the Open Meetings Act for purposes of approval by the Body (5ILCS 120/2(c)(21)); and meetings between internal or external auditors and governmental audit committees, finance committees, and their equivalents (5 LCS 120/2(c)(29)). Trustee Johnson seconded the motion.

Rol|| Call Vote: 

Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee Winchester, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Johnson, Trustee Monnat

The motion carried.

The Board went into Executive Session at 8:03 pm.

The Board returned from Executive Session at 8:52 pm.

Adjournment 

A motion was made by Trustee Johnson to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Trustee Monnat.

Roll Call Vote: 

Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee Winchester, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Johnson, Trustee Monnat

The motion carried and the meeting adjourned at 8:53 pm.

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