Sangamon Sun

Village of Divernon Board of Trustees met Oct. 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 October 9, 2024. Mayor Jim Copelin called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Clerk Gail Hedges called the roll: Craig Busch “Here,” Joe Bukantos “Here,” Chuck Apgar “Here,” Randy Olson “Here,” Dianne Brenning “Here,” and Larry Baer “Here.” Also present were Police Chief Mike Lavin and Superintendent Jeremy Rhodes.

Olson made a motion, seconded by Apgar, to approve the amended September 25, 2024, minutes. The motion passed 5-1 with Baer voting present.

Baer made a motion, seconded by Brenning, to approve the bills for payment with the addition of $101.81 to Paychex for the last bi-weekly payroll invoice in September and $248.15 for the final IMRF payment for Paul Carpenter. The motion passed 6-0.

Visitors:

Jessica DeFreitas, although not present, requested the Board waive the towing fee for a vehicle that was towed and stored. The vehicle was parked in the alley for an extended period; therefore, was identified as an abandoned vehicle and towed. Defreitas said there was a miscommunication with a family member causing the vehicle to be left parked in the alley. There was a consensus of the Board to forgive the Village administrative charge because Jessica Defreitas was not responsible for parking the vehicle in the alley. Defreitas is still responsible for the towing service charge. A release from the Village is necessary before the vehicle can be picked up.

Public Works:

Superintendent Jeremy Rhodes reported a wastewater valve at the 3rd St. pump station needed to be replaced. A bid from Petersburg Plumbing and Excavating was received for $3100.00. The cost includes the new valve and labor. Because this is a confined space entry, Rhodes felt it necessary to hire the work to be done due to safety concerns for the public works staff. Bukantos made a motion, seconded by Olson, to approve the purchase of the new valve and the labor. The motion passed 6-0.

There have been complaints about the excess rock on the sides of the streets due to the oil not setting properly.

Police Department:

Chief Mike Lavin reported a bid of $3023.00 from Avrom Systems to replace the three desktop computers in the police department was received. Apgar made a motion, seconded by Baer, to approve the replacement of the three desk top computers. The motion passed 6-0. Chief Lavin said the police department is short one full-time officer. Two people have been vetted, but neither has declared they are willing to work full-time for the Village. A third person is under consideration. The candidate has already been through the training academy. An interview with Chief Lavin, Mayor Copelin, and the Personnel Committee will take place. If the candidate does well on the interview and has a clean background check, the Board will have an opportunity to meet the candidate to learn more and ask questions. 

While servicing the Explorer, the technician found the radiator was leaking and needed to be replaced. Mayor Copelin approved Chief Lavin to get the vehicle repaired for a cost of $740.00 by O’Dell’s Garage in Springfield. Apgar made a motion, seconded by Bukantos, to ratify the repairs of the Explorer. The motion passed 6-0. Chief Lavin reached out to Third Wave to schedule the installation of the new cameras in Village Hall and around the exterior of the building. Quotes for new keypads to be installed on the evidence room door, the internal foyer police door, and the garages will be gathered. The K-9 vehicle should be ready for pickup with the new decals the week of October 21st.

Economic Dev., Zoning, TIF, Building Permits:

Busch reported that he had not received information from the Village attorney on a possible incentive package for the new gas station. At the last board meeting, there was a brief discussion on creating a new TIF district for contiguous property to the gas station’s properties. The Village attorney is putting information together for the Board to review and discuss. The accounts for both the north and south business districts continue to grow monthly. Currently the account balance in the north business district is $246,330.87 and the account balance for the south business district is $76,825.82. Business district funds plus available TIF monies can be included in the incentive package.

Tom Peters, the realtor for the farm property for sale off I55 and behind Tammi’s Treasures, contacted Busch to see where the Village stands on purchasing the property. After discussion, Busch was asked to contact Peters to discuss options other than purchasing the whole parcel.

The Iron Palm Coffee Truck is parked in the Tammi’s Treasures parking lot. Apgar is looking into whether the business is registered with the Illinois Department of Revenue, and under what address.

The truck is in the north business district and is subject to the 1% business development tax.

Public Utilities Water, Gas and Sewer:

Jamie Lomelino is requesting an adjustment of $12.60 on bulk water for filling their swimming pool. Bukantos made a motion, seconded by Baer, to approve the $12.60 adjustment. The motion passed 6-0. Several residents are claiming they have received no utility bills for a few months, and they have made no attempt to make payments. The matter is being investigated. Stephanie Kaylor requested an adjustment to her water bill due to her shower/bathtub mysteriously turning on by itself. Kaylor submitted evidence that the issue has been corrected. Superintendent Rhodes will investigate to determine the excess water usage and determine the amount owed. Rhodes was given authority to make the adjustment based on his review. Olson made a motion, seconded by Baer, to approve the adjustment if warranted. The motion passed 6-0.

Finance, Personnel, GIS:

Brenning said the carpet in the Village Hall needs to be cleaned. A bid for cleaning will be presented at the next board meeting.

Public Safety, Health & Safety:

Olson reported the repairs on the house at 312 Lincoln St. are still not finished, and more than sufficient time has been allowed. The house has been under repair for years. A recommendation was made to begin the process of issuing an ordinance violation and fine. The house located at 624 S. State St. hasan inactive account and is overgrown with grass and weeds. An ordinance violation letter should be sent identifying the violations, and a date the remediation must be completed. Olson said an abandoned truck is parked by the apartments. Chief Lavin tried to identify the owner to contact them, but was unsuccessful. Lavin thinks he might know who the owner is and will reach out.

Public Works, Streets, Alleys & Sidewalks:

Nothing to Report

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

Apgar reported the next newsletter has been reviewed, and additions and corrections were made. Apgar requested that any more changes be given to him soon. Apgar is adding the Christmas Decoration Contest informing residents that judging will take place on December 12, 2024, and the presentation of awards will take place on December 18, 2024, at the board meeting. Apgar is also adding information on the revised Golf Cart Ordinance. Apgar said he has not heard anything on the Rebuild Downtowns and Main Streets grant application. He will continue to monitor the status of the application.

Old Business:

Mayor Copelin said the revised Golf Cart Ordinance (Title, Chapter 8) was discussed with no recommendations for changes. Olson made a motion, seconded by Apgar, to approve the revised Golf Cart Ordinance. The motion passed 6-0. The revised ordinance states, “If a permit issued pursuant to this Chapter is revoked pursuant to this Chapter, then the revocation shall cause the golf cart identified in the corresponding permit application to be ineligible for registration by any person, for any period outlined in this Chapter.”

New Business:

None.

Apgar made a motion, seconded by Olson, to adjourn the meeting at 8:17 p.m. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote. 

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