Sangamon Sun

Village of Divernon Board of Trustees met May 8

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 May 8, 2024. President Pro Tem Larry Baer called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Clerk Gail Hedges called roll: Craig Busch “Here,” Joe Bukantos “Here,” Chuck Apgar “Here,” Randy Olson “Here,” and Dianne Brenning “Here.” Also present was Superintendent Jeremy Rhodes. Mayor Copelin and Chief Paul Carpenter were absent.

A motion was made by Olson, seconded by Apgar, to approve the amended minutes of April 24, 2024. The motion passed 5-0. 

Brenning made a motion, seconded by Apgar, to approve the bills.  The motion passed 5-0.

Visitors:

There were no visitors present.

Public Works: 

Superintendent Rhodes reported the staff have been replacing sidewalks on 1st St. Public works staff will continue to work on sidewalks and crosswalks around the park. A new sidewalk was put in on S. State St. leading to the golf cart/walking trail in McMurray Park and a crosswalk across Brown St. was painted. A crosswalk sign will be placed in the location to alert motorists to slow down for pedestrians. The curbing around the park has been painted. Staff will be patching holes throughout the Village. Ameren is installing a new electrical line on Towle Road which should prevent power outages in the future. Due to all the rain, the water main replacement north of Divernon is on hold. Olson reported he has heard complaints about yard waste, overgrowth of weeds and brush, and trash in the alleys.    

Police:

Busch asked why police officers were not called about a suspicious person present at the Clean-up Day, and Apgar indicated that when he called dispatch, he was told they were called out on an accident, and he opted to wait until they were off the call to contact the department. The individual was driving around the area and sitting in a car just watching, which made those running the events uncomfortable. The person was also seen bumping the vehicle into a shed. By the time Officers had returned to the Village the individual had departed. Apgar reported the incident to Chief Carpenter.   

Economic Dev., Zoning, TIF, Building Permits:

Baer reported the contract for the sale of the 100 N. Henrietta property is with Prairie Title Company. The sale should be finalized soon. Apgar shared with the Board that grant funding is available through the Rebuild Downtown and Main Streets opportunity.  Awards will range from $250,000 to $2,000,000 for projects that pass a merit review. A 25% match would be required for projects only occurring on public property. If any private property is involved the match is 50%.

Public Utilities Water, Gas and Sewer

The MuniBilling software issue with the April utility bills was discussed. The Village received several calls of concern regarding errors in the email notices. Heather White, the Office Manager, spent many hours working with the software company to identify and correct the issue. Correct bills were finally mailed.

Finance, Personnel, GIS:

Brenning made a motion, seconded by Bukantos, to approve the notary fee for Heather White to apply to become a Notary.  The motion passed 5-0. Brenning reported there is an issue with the payment for the new public works truck. The check was dated May 1, 2024, and was not to be cashed until May 1, 2024. Unfortunately, the dealership cashed the check on April 30, 2024.  By cashing the check on April 30, 2024, it created a $50,077.00 shortfall in Capital Expense. The Sangamon County Recorder was contacted asking about the 2024 Appropriations and was told to make a note on FY 2024 Appropriations. Apparently, this is not unusual. If the Village must expense it in FY 2024, the charge will be made towards the gas fund as sufficient funds are available. A recommendation was made that the Village no longer postdate checks.   

Public Safety, Health & Safety:

Olson reported he and Chief Carpenter are close to getting the ordinance violation notices out. The initial notice will be a warning. The letters will be sent certified. Olson asked if he was able to ride with the Chief to identify ordinance violations. The Board is very serious about making the Village more inviting. Busch reported that Masten will begin spraying mosquitos this week.

Public Works, Streets, Alleys, and Sidewalks:

Nothing to report.

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

Apgar reported he had more discussions with MuniBilling regarding a renewal agreement. Discussion followed. Apgar will request MuniBilling create two contracts – one for the basic software, and another for the basic software plus additional services.  

Old Business: 

Apgar reported the Clean-up Day was a success. The Village collected $1120.00. The dumpsters cost $1980.00 so it cost the Village an estimated $680.00 for a service to residents.  

New Business:

The Divernon Fire Department is having a training session on May 30, 2024, in McMurray Park. The training will involve a helicopter landing in the park at 6:30 p.m. The Village insurance company will be contacted to see if there is sufficient liability insurance coverage since it is on Village property.  Bukantos made a motion, seconded by Olson, to approve the 2024 liquor and gaming licenses for Circle K and Toni’s Gaming. The licenses are effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. The motion passed 5-0. 

Bukantos made a motion to go into Executive Session at 8:13 p.m. to discuss personnel and review executive session minutes. Bukantos made a motion to return to regular session at 8:35 p.m. Brenning made a motion, seconded by Apgar, to hire Julie Rhodes as a substitute on an as needed basis at a $17.00 an hour rate effective immediately. The motion passed 5-0.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:36 p.m. with a motion from Apgar.

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