Sangamon Sun

Village of Divernon Board of Trustees met Aug. 9.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The regular meeting of the Village of Divernon Board of Trustees was held at the Village Hall on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. President Pro Tem Larry Baer called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Trustee Chuck Apgar called roll: Craig Busch “Here”, Joe Bukantos “Here”, Chuck Apgar “Here”, Randy Olson “Here”, and Dianne Brenning “Here”. Also present were Interim Chief Reardon, Superintendent Rhodes, and Acting Treasurer Jessica Hayes. President Copelin and Village Clerk Hedges were absent.

A motion was made by Olson, seconded by Busch, to approve the amended minutes of July 26, 2023. The motion passed 5-0. Busch made a motion, seconded by Apgar, to approve the Executive Session Minutes of July 26, 2023. The motion passed 5-0.

Baer made a motion, seconded by Brenning, to approve the bills with 3 additions of $410.00 to Motorola, $411.00 to Evan Lloyd Architects, and $815.64 to LA Police Gear. The motion passed 5-0.

Visitors 

Alicia Freitag with Eck, Schafer & Punke, LLP was present to present the audit for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2023. Freitag shared the 3 audit documents to the board consisting of the “Required Certification” Letter, the “Other Matters” Letter, and the Annual Financial Report and Independent Auditors Report. Freitag reported no management difficulties with completing the audit, and that only a small number of journal entries were recommended. Acting Treasurer Hayes was commended for her work. The “Other Matters” letter was explained to address a limited amount of Village funds that exceed FDIC coverage. Freitag reviewed the Annual Financial Report with the Board and the notes to the statement. It was reported that the Independent Report shows a clean audit opinion. Bukantos shared an inquiry from the Township, and asked where the Roads and Bridges funds were shown. It was reported that these funds show under MFT, and the breakout is available on the monthly statements. The Board thanked Freitag and Hayes for all their efforts in completing the audit.

Public Works: 

Superintendent Rhodes reported that the 1st Street pump station liquid controller is failing and needs to be replaced at a cost of $4814.00, and that the F-350 truck needs maintenance at a cost of $4800.00. Rhodes reported that the new equipment purchased is working well. The annual road maintenance is expected to begin in late August or early September. When the dates are finalized, they will be sent to Apgar to post on Facebook and the website. The next water main project bid packet is being prepared.

Police: 

Interim Chief Reardon reported that there is a 3-device minimum with the VPShare program, and he believes this will be sufficient for the Department. The cost is $2500.00 plus $180.00 annually. Reardon is still investigating the cost issues with the LERMS system, but believes he is close to a solution. Apgar made a motion, seconded by Bukantos, to approve the purchase of the VPShare system. The motion passed 5-0.

Reardon updated the Board that Officers have been making significant progress on the policy familiarization, and that the purchases for officer training came in below the estimated cost due to wholesale discounts and free shipping. It was also reported that the Explorer is in the shop for brake and air conditioning repairs. The brake repairs are critical, but additional quotes for the AC work were requested. Bukantos made a motion, seconded by Olson, to approve the $1335.20 cost of the brake repairs. The motion passed 5-0. It was also reported that due to the juvenile nature of the offenders in the water tower damage, the insurance company has ended its involvement. The Board discussed a proposal by the involved families regarding volunteer services in lieu of monetary restitution for the damage. Reardon will look at options.

Committee Reports: Economic Dev., Zoning, TIF, Building Permits: 

Busch reported the business districts generated over $1,000,000 in revenue the last fiscal year, based off the Village’s 1% sales tax. He also reported that he has been in communication with Charles Branch of Nextsite about marketing the former gas station locations. Bukantos reported that he has seen reports on economic struggles and hopes this will not impact the Villages efforts.

Public Utilities Water, Gas and Sewer 

It was reported that there is a dispute between the property owner and the owners of the now closed Shorty's Diner regarding overdue utilities payments. Per Village policy the property owner is responsible for payments. The issue has been referred to the Attorney.

Finance, Personnel, GIS: 

Brenning reported that the Village has received a request to sponsor the Auburn After Prom. Since the event is on April 24, discussion was tabled until more details are gathered.

Public Safety, Health and Safety: 

Olson reported that he contacted the IL Commerce Commission and a Senior Manager of Public Works on a possible pedestrian crossing of the railroad at Brown St. A potential cost of $15,000.00 was shared. Discussion was held on the parking situation on the square. More research into the enforceability of signage and options is needed.

Public Works, Streets, Alleys, and Sidewalks: 

Bukantos made a motion, seconded by Olson, to approve the repairs of the pump station in the amount of $4814.00 and the F-350 truck repairs in the amount of $4800.00. The motion passed 5-0.

Village Communication/Building, Grounds & Lights, Parks, Recreation 

Apgar reported that he has been working on the website. The Citizen’s Forum feature is active and can receive messages, but a possible spam filter on the Village email may be blocking delivery. The messages can be checked manually. A review of the last few months of messages only shows receipt of spam. Apgar reported a large archive of Board minutes are hosted in several places on the site, and that some consolidation is needed. It was unclear if a formal window of minutes must be hosted. Apgar shared a proposed reorganization of the main headings to clarify the resources available into Government, Residents, and Businesses. It is the hope of the Board that making the resources more accessible and clearer can boost resident use and make the site a resource for potential business. It was also reported that the newsletter has been delivered and the next edition is scheduled for November.

Old Business:

Apgar shared that the information on the “Stop the Bleed” class only generated two interested parties. Fol low-up with the provider is needed to see if there is a class minimum needed. Bukantos shared that he looked at the pool fill policy and that he recommended making the change to clearly state once per year. Discussion was held on the option to have a meter that residents could check out and self-report. No action was taken. Busch reported that Vital Records had been in touch about digitizing Village records, and he is waiting on a quote but expects it to be affordable.

New Business

There was no new business.

The meeting ended with a motion by Brenning at 8:10 p.m.

https://media.websitecdn.net/sites/219/2023/08/Minutes-8-9-2023-1.pdf