Sangamon Sun

Village of Jerome Board of Trustees met Sept. 5.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

Call to Order 

President Lopez called the September 5, 2019 meeting of the Village of Jerome Board of

Trustees to order at 6:30 pm.

Pledge of Allegiance 

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

President Lopez then asked for a moment of silence in honor of the State Trooper recently slain on duty and for the victims of senseless crimes throughout the U.S.

Roll Call 

Present: 

President Mike Lopez

Trustees Kathy DeHart, Leigh Irons, Ralph Irons, Dale Lael, Christina Smith, Jake Tripp Clerk Linda Wheeland Treasurer Steve Roth

Attorney Jason Brokaw was not present at the beginning of the meeting but arrived shortly afterward.

Approval of Minutes

August 15, 2019 Regular Meeting Minutes 

A motion was made by Trustee L. Irons to approve the Minutes of the August 15, 2019 Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees. The motion was seconded by Trustee Smith.

Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee De Hart, Trustee R. Irons, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Smith, Trustee L. Irons

The motion carried.

Approval of Warrant List 20-09 

Treasurer Roth noted that Warrant List 20-09 dated September 5, 2019 totaled $14,454.42. He added that of this amount $12,869.42 will be paid from the General Revenue Fund and $1,585.00 will be paid from the Water Fund.

A motion was made by Trustee Lael to approve Warrant List 20-09 dated September 5, 2019 for a total of $14,454.42. The motion was seconded by Trustee L. Irons.

Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee DeHart, Trustee R. Irons, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Smith, Trustee L. Irons

The motion carried.

Visitors Acknowledgement 

President Lopez opened the Visitors Acknowledgement portion of the meeting at 6:33 pm.

Representative Mike Murphy stated that he has been attending various village board meetings to provide his contact information and to encourage people to talk to him. He said President Lopez is doing a good job advocating for the Village. The legislative session was busy. He is glad to see that Jerome has addressed the legalization of cannabis. He had discussions with President Lopez on the Capital Bill and the lles Avenue project is one of Representative Murphy's top projects. The Third Street relocation project is his number one priority. He is meeting with the IDOT Engineer tomorrow for an update. lles Avenue is on his list but there is a process to go through.

President Lopez informed Representative Murphy that he attended a Springfield City Council Committee of the Whole meeting to request support for the lles Avenue project. The City is providing a letter of support. President Lopez is on the agenda of the next School District 186 Board meeting to also ask for their support, particularly in relation to the safety issue of students traveling to Franklin Middle School,

Representative Murphy said that his office is E1 in the Stratton Building, his office phone number is 217-782-0044, and his cell phone number is 217-414-8626. Representative Murphy then left the meeting.

(Attorney Brokaw entered the meeting during Representative Murphy's presentation.)

President Lopez read a statement in response to recent postings on social media related to the West Grand Court road project. He explained that we are experiencing a delay in the project because of an unforeseen need to solidify the road base. Because this was not anticipated the Board needs to approve the additional funding before the work can be undertaken. The Board will vote on this tonight. However, because the bid came in under the estimated cost the additional amount is still within the originally anticipated total expenditures for the project.

Resident Connie Seebok complained about people parking in yards on Maple Street, yard waste in yards, and the need for police patrols in the area because of traffic on Maple Street traveling at high speeds towards MacArthur Boulevard.

This portion of the meeting closed at 6:43 pm.

Reports from Village Departments

A. Public Health Trustee L. Irons reported the following:

The Flu Shot Clinic will be held on September 30th from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

She reminded everyone that dogs have to be on leashes when being walked and owners should pick up dog waste. 

Cats are not to be loose in the Village. 

Please do not have standing water on your property as it is a breeding ground for mosquitos.

She is working on addressing limb piles in yards. 

She reminded people that there is no burning allowed in the Village except wood in a firepit if a permit has been issued by her.

B. Public Works Trustee Tripp reported the following:

Public Works Director Dave Wilken had noticed the problem with the subgrade on West Grand Court and the issue is being discussed tonight to keep it in the public view. Although services have been cut back, the Village is not broke. Everyone on the Board is working in the best interest of the Village. 

He has received complaints on lles Avenue east of Park Street. Patching will be done there once the clogged storm drains are addressed.

Public Works Supervisor Dave Wilken reported the following:

Street patching is on hold while installation of new water meters is being done. The two Public Works staff are rotating weeks working four ten-hour days to coincide with the time the meter installers are working. They are constantly being called on to work with he installers by getting parts, locating water services, and other tasks. The project will reach the three-week mark tomorrow. Next week the west block of Vernon Avenue will be shut down while the installers undertake extra work needed to put in a new meter at the strip mall on Chatham Road. 

He apologized for having to put off other projects. Besides the water meter installation project, a large tree on Village right-of-way split in half and had to be removed and a large limb on another tree came down. Public Works will be addressing rotten trees on Village property.

Trustee Tripp said the Village is lucky to have Dave as Public Works Supervisor as he has experience in all areas the department deals with. A lot of the work he does is not visible to residents.

C. Public Property Trustee DeHart reported the following:

She met with Bill Canham of Graphic Designs before going on vacation to discuss upgrading Village signs. She hasn't heard back from him yet.

D. Building & Zoning Trustee Lael reported the following:

Pizza Hut, Oh Icee, and the Mexican restaurant are doing good business. 

The owner of Hunan is trying to get that restaurant open.

President Lopez said that Niemann Foods has leased the former Shop 'n Save building and has sub-leased it to Green Dodge for a temporary car sales event. He checked with the Illinois

Department of Revenue and confirmed the Village will not receive any taxes from those sales unless the purchaser lives in Jerome.

E. Public Safety 

Trustee Smith reported the following:

There has been no major incident in the Village.

She will take comments to Chief Estill regarding the need for more police patrols.

The Village and Fraternal Order of Police were in mediation on August 30th and will return to mediation on September 25th.

F. Water Department 

Trustee R. Irons reported the following:

Dave Wilken is doing an outstanding job working with the water meter installers. They will be doing needed landscaping and driveway repair work after the project is complete and the ground has settled.

G. Village Treasurer 

Treasurer Roth reported the following:

We have received no revenues for September yet.. Checks for the August 15th warrants were mailed out right after that meeting. Payroll was met for August 29th Checks will be mailed out following this meeting.. The balances of various accounts are approximately as follows:

>> Illinois Funds General Revenue Account - $300,594 

> Motor Fuel Tax Fund - $30,164

INB General Revenue Account -$19,157 

> INB Water Account - $357,648 

> 1% Account - $373,966

H. Village Clerk 

Clerk Wheeland stated she had no report.

I Village Attorney Attorney Brokaw reported the following:

The timeline for a cannabis tax to go into effect may be moved up so the Board should consider adopting a tax. The amount can be up to 3% in any one-quarter percent increment. This item should be on the next agenda.

J. Village President 

President Lopez reported the following:

Southern View approved cannabis business development in their village.

Candy donations are needed for the Halloween party.

On Halloween night Leonard Street in front of the Civic Center will be closed. The Jerome United Methodist Church will have a trunk-or-treat event in their parking lot, the Jerome police will be out front giving out candy and interacting with the children, and a Springfield fire truck will be on hand. 

On September 19th from 4:30 to 6:00 Vachel Lindsay School will have an event for students at the Jerome Park. The school may have tutor sessions in the Village later on.

He thanked everyone for all their work.

Old Business

A. Discussion and Approval of Resolution 20-04 Regarding an Intergovernmental Agreement for Mutual Aid with Woodside Township 

Attorney Brokaw explained that the issues he raised with the intergovernmental agreement initially presented by Woodside Township, along with concerns expressed by attorneys from other municipalities, had been addressed in the revised IGA. He advised that the Board could approve the resolution authorizing the IGA but President Lopez should wait to execute the agreement until Woodside Township adopts and signs it.

A motion was made by Trustee Smith to approve Resolution 20-04 regarding an intergovernmental agreement for mutual aid with Woodside Township. The motion was seconded by Trustee DeHart.

Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee DeHart, Trustee R. Irons, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Smith, Trustee L. Irons

The motion carried.

B. Update on Thayer Avenue Rumble Strip Request 

Engineer Kevin Kuhn stated he talked to the City of Springfield and they have no jurisdiction on Thayer Avenue at Wabash Avenue so it is entirely Village jurisdiction. He recommended not putting in a rumble strip since it is not standard in the MUTCD manual.

President Lopez said he would get back with resident Jose Lopez (no relation) on this issue.

C. Discussion and Approval of Terminating Part-Time Police Officer(s) 

Trustee Smith said that this item had been resolved and was no longer needed.

D. Discussion of Fines Related to Obstructions in Ditches 

President Lopez stated that he had not gotten any feedback from the Board and will bring a proposal to the next meeting.

E. Discussion of Allowing Chickens in Village 

President Lopez noted that resident Margaret Herr had written a letter to the Board encouraging the Village to allow chickens.

Attorney Brokaw explained that the prohibition of chickens is uniquely contained in the zoning ordinance which prohibits accessory structures for livestock in all zoning districts. There are a couple of ways a change could be addressed but to start the process someone would have to file a petition with the Zoning Board of Appeals. That Board would hold a public hearing on the petition and then make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

Trustee Lael noted that there are fees associated with filing a zoning petition.

President Lopez said he would contact Margaret Herr and explain the process.

F. Discussion of Restrictions on Issuance of Licenses, Permits, or Certificates for Any Taxes Payable or Debt Owed to the Village 

Attorney Brokaw explained that he had prepared an initial ordinance addressing the issue of imposing restrictions on residents owing the Village money until they are once again in good standing. He asked the Board members to provide feedback before the next meeting.

New Business

A. Discussion and Approval of Additional Cost on West Grand Court Road Project 

Trustee Tripp stated that Dave Wilken had noticed a soft spot after the West Grand Court pavement was removed, indicating a problem with the subgrade. To be sure this project is done right the subgrade needs to be dug down another foot. The project was put on hold until the Board could approve the added expenditure.

Engineer Kevin Kuhn explained that once the subgrade was exposed there were very heavy rains which saturated the material. At this time of year it will not dry out so remediation efforts are needed. This will involve digging another twelve inches to install Geotech fabric and additional rock. If this is not done the roadbed would only last four years. If the Board approves the additional funding, he will text P. H. Broughton tonight to re-start the project immediately.

A motion was made by Trustee Tripp to approve up to $30,000 for subgrade remediation on the West Grand Court project. The motion was seconded by Trustee Smith.

Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee DeHart, Trustee R. Irons, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Smith, Trustee L. Irons

The motion carried.

Trustee Tripp explained that there is also a tree on the southeast quadrant of West Grand Court and Fillmore Street that is in the way of drainage work required for this project. The cheapest option is to remove the tree and the property owner supports the removal.

Trustee Tripp made a motion to approve the removal of the tree on the southeast quadrant of West Grand Court and Fillmore Street. The motion was seconded by Trustee Smith,

Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee DeHart, Trustee R. Irons, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Smith, Trustee L. Irons

The motion carried.

B. Discussion and Approval of Settlement of a Claim Regarding Defective Water Equipment 

This item was not addressed.

C. Discussion and Approval of FY 19 Audit 

Treasurer Roth noted that a representative from Pehlman and Dold gave a presentation at the last meeting on the FY 19 Jerome Audit conducted by that firm.

A motion was made by Trustee Lael to approve the FY 19 Audit. The motion was seconded by Trustee L. Irons.

Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee DeHart, Trustee R. Irons, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Smith, Trustee L. Irons

The motion carried.

D. Discussion and Approval of the Purchase of Body-Worn Cameras for Jerome Police Officers Trustee Smith noted that the total cost to provide body-worn cameras for all officers is $656.

A motion was made by Trustee Smith to approve the purchase of body-worn cameras for all Jerome police officers at a cost of $656. The motion was seconded by Trustee L, Irons.

Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee DeHart, Trustee R. Irons, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Smith, Trustee L. Irons

The motion carried.

E. Discussion and Approval of Resolution 20-06 Authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement for Animal Control Services 

Trustee L. Irons explained that each year the Village enters into an intergovernmental agreement with the Sangamon County Department of Public Health for the provision of animal control services. At the same time, we pay the cost for these services provided over the past year. That cost is $330.29.

A motion was made by Trustee L. Irons to approve Resolution 20-6 authorizing an intergovernmental agreement for animal control services. The motion was seconded by Trustee Smith.

Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee DeHart, Trustee R. Irons, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Smith, Trustee L. Irons

The motion carried.

F. Discussion and Approval of the Purchase of Three Water Meters 

During installation of the new water meters it was discovered that three additional meters were needed for 1641 Homewood Avenue, 1501 Wabash Avenue, and the Civic Center.

A motion was made by Trustee R. Irons to approve the purchase of three water meters at a cost of $1,500. The motion was seconded by Trustee DeHart.

The motion carried.

G. Discussion and Approval of Ordinance 20-07 Amending Section 600.1-5 Related to Water Department Hours 

Trustee R. Irons explained that the Village office hours had been changed on Friday to 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. when there was a change in personnel in the Water Department.

A motion was made by Trustee R. Irons to approve Ordinance 20-07 amending Section 600.1-5 related to Water Department hours. The motion was seconded by Trustee Lael

The motion carried.

H. Discussion and Approval of Clearing Storm Drains on lles Avenue 

President Lopez said he had contacted the Sangamon County Water Reclamation District for assistance in clearing the storm drains on les Avenue. He is waiting to hear back from the director. This item was tabled,

1. Discussion and Approval of Amending Body-Worn Cameras Policy for Jerome Police Department 

Trustee Smith explained that the body-worn camera policy for Jerome Police Department was approved at the last meeting but had included a provision that if another police department requested the cameras to be turned off, they would be. This provision is removed from the amended version.

A motion was made by Trustee Smith to approve the amended body-worn camera policy for Jerome Police Department. The motion was seconded by Trustee L. Irons.

The motion carried.

J. Discussion and Approval of Purchasing a Vest for Brian Brewer 

Trustee Smith stated that the cost to purchase a vest for Brian Brewer was $325.

A motion was made by Trustee Smith to approve the purchase of a vest for Brian Brewer at a cost of $325. The motion was seconded by Trustee De Hart.

The motion carried.

Executive Session 

A motion was made by Trustee Lael 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)); collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2)); minutes of meetings lawfully closed under the Open Meetings Act for purposes of approval by the Body (5 LCS 20/2(c)(21)); meetings between internal or external auditors and governmental audit committees, finance committees, and their equivalents (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(29)); and the establishment of reserves or settlement of claims as provided in the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act, if otherwise the disposition of a claim or potential claim might be prejudiced, or the review or discussion of claims, loss or risk management information, records, data, advice or communications from or with respect to any insurer of the public body or any intergovernmental risk management association or self insurance pool of which the public body is a member (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(12)); Trustee R. Irons seconded the motion.

Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee De Hart, Trustee R. Irons, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Smith, Trustee L. Irons

The motion carried.

The Board went into Executive Session at 7:26 pm.

The Board returned from Executive Session at 9:25 pm.

Clerk Wheeland called the roll. Present: President Mike Lopez

Trustees Kathy DeHart, Leigh Irons, Ralph Irons, Dale Lael, Christina Smith, Jake Tripp Clerk Linda Wheeland Attorney Jason Brokaw

Adjournment

A motion was made by Trustee Lael to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Trustee DeHart.

Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Trustee Lael, Trustee DeHart, Trustee R. Irons, Trustee Tripp, Trustee Smith, Trustee L. Trons

The motion carried and the meeting adjourned at 9:25 pm.

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