The Sidney Village Board met on the above date for the regular monthly meeting. President White called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. The following trustees were present: Arrasmith, Roberts, Finn, McCloud, and Schluter. Village Clerk Moore, Supervisor of Operations Bennett, Treasurer Reinhart (7:10), and Attorney Hendren were also present. Trustee Cokley was absent.
Trustee Arrasmith moved that the minutes of the February 1, 2016, Board of Trustees meeting be approved. Trustee Finn seconded the motion. The motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Dennis Cummins, Farnsworth engineer, said that the MFT funds were presently $30,725.55 but approximately $56,000 will be available for road projects. He is lloking into the bridge/culvert project and will call Trustee Finn to set up a meeting with Trustees Finn, President White, and Supervisor Bennett.
Sutton property: Nancy Sutton, owner of the property with Joseph Sutton, said that they will enter into a contract with the Bayview Family Clinic contingent upon annexation and zoning approvals from the Village.
Dr. Kimberly Ratts of the Bayview Family Clinic, told about the facility that they want to open and passed out handout material explaining the program. It will be a gated community with a typical stay of 30 days. There will be a maximum of 16 patients with an average of ten. The stays will be voluntary and will not be court mandated. There is no residential place close, only in Chicago and St. Louis. The property would be left as it is with no heavy construction with interior remodeling to meet standards for such a facility. They plan to pay all costs so that the Village will have no costs involved in rezoning or pre-annexation. A benefit to the community would be local hiring and traffic for local businesses.
Charles Dawson, realtor, said that his client was coming to the Village because Champaign County cannot allow a residential facility such as this on the property except if it is on the same grounds as a church or temple.
Attorney Hendren said that a public hearing would have to be held with the Village Board sitting as the plan commission. The steps would be the same as those for the de Pasquali petition. First, the Board needs a formal proposal from the petitioners so the next step would be for the petitioner's lawyers to contact Attorney Hendren.
Stephanie Joos from Champaign County Animal Control was present as she was asked to come by the Village Board. She explained why she had designated two dogs who had attacked another dog as dangerous following the County ordinance. State law gives her that authority and also gives the definition of a dangerous dog. Ed Walker, owner of the dogs, told of the precautions he and his wife are taking to prevent anything happening again, including not letting them out at the same time but just one at a time and putting up a gate to keep them in the back yard. He has done everything that the letters asked him to do. A 15-year-old girl of the household read a statement saying that she has not been made to feel welcome in Sidney and that she loves her dogs.
Stephanie Joos said that Sidney needs to update its animal control ordinance so and will send copies of Royal's and Pesotum's ordinances to Clerk Moore and Attorney Hendren. A local ordinance cannot supercede state law. Attorney Hendren said that Stephanie might have suggestions to streamline the procedure.
No one was here from the library to talk about the sign, but Keith Kropp said that what the Library Board was looking at would cost $1,800.
Mike Roy from the Sidney Improvement Group said that SIG is having an Easter egg hunt on March 19 with March 26 as a rain date for ages 1-10. They are also planning Fun Daze with a car show, bands both Friday and Saturday nights, a parade at 4:30 PM on Saturday, and a kiddie tractor pull. Clay County Amusements will start the rides at noon. Ansar Shriners had called and are seeing if they can come with their little cars.
PRESIDENT WHITE'S COMMENTS
President White had a letter from a resident asking if the library couldn't be named after Dr. Koeck. The Board decided that was a matter for the Library Board.
ATTORNEY HENDREN'S COMMENTS:
Attorney Hendren had nothing to report.
EARL BENNETT'S REPORT
Supervisor Bennett said that Dumpster Day will be March 26 from 7-11 AM. The dumpsters would be from Cap'n Hook and would be $500 a dumpster. Trustee McCloud moved that the Village pay up to $3,500 for dumpsters. Trustee Finn seconded the motion; the motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote. Limb pickup will be March 28-April 1.
The advertisement for summer help was approved with a rate of $10.50 an hour. A committee of Trustees McCloud and Cokley and Supervisor Bennett will interview and hire the person.
FINANCE REPORT
The financial reports were read by Trustee McCloud. After reading them, Trustee McCloud moved that the bills be paid with the addition of $655 to Hendren and Miller. Trustee Finn seconded the motion. The motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Trustee McCloud will continue looking into codification.
STREETS AND ALLEY
Trustee Finn passed out pictures of the proposed crosswalk on West Main Street. No actions was taken. The Corps of Engineers controls the culverts on N. Scarborough.
WATER/SEWER/UTILITY
2,630,968 gallons of water were pumped in February with a daily average of 92,447 gallons.
$30,499.31 was received in February with $9,469.65 in sewer planning money. 122 penalty bills were sent.
Bids for the water tower project came in higher than expected so none were accepted. Quality Assured Industrial Coatings had a bid of $275,000 but did not meet requirements. Seven Brothers was $357,000. The engineer's estimate had been $200,000. The engineer wants to talk to some contractors and then rebid at a later time.
Illinois American Water has asked the Illinois Commerce Commission for over a 19.6% increase in its water rates. (The company received a 6% increase the last time.) The City of Champaign is forming a coalition of municipalities to fight the increase and has asked the Village of Sidney to join. The water bill for an average Sidney user would increase $9.10 if IAW's request is granted. Trustee Roberts moved that the Village join the coalition with a proposed cost of $239.51. Trustee Arrasmith seconded the motion; motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Trustee Roberts said there would need to be an increase in the water rates with the water tower project and the proposed increase in the Village's cost to purchase water.
PUBLIC PROPERTY
No building permits were issued in February.
Trustee Arrasmith moved that Kevin Sanderson be hired to trim limbs at 201 W. Byron up to $350. Trustee Finn seconded the motion. Motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
PARKS AND RECREATION
Todd Bickers said that there is not going to be a gun raffle now to support the ball program so no ordinance is needed. He reported that there were bigger numbers this year for ball signups and that they would be able to field more teams.
Keith Kropp said that he would be sending out letters for the Witt Park signs soon.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Nothing to report
OLD AND NEW BUSINESS
President White requested that people who need something done in the Village to call him or another trustee. Nothing can be done if no one knows about it.
Trustee Arrasmith moved that the Board go into closed session for the purpose of discussing the sale or trade of property with Supervisor Bennett and Attorney Hendren included. Trustee McCloud seconded the motion. The motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote. Time is 9:03 pm.
The Board came out of closed session at 9:55 PM. President White announced that he and Trustee Arrasmith would be looking at the Village for cars that are inoperable or not currently licensed, and letters would be sent to their owners.
Trustee Arrasmith moved that the meeting be adjourned. Trustee Schluter seconded the motion; motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote. Meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
__________________________ _________________________
Carol Moore, Village Clerk Date Approved
Trustee Arrasmith moved that the minutes of the February 1, 2016, Board of Trustees meeting be approved. Trustee Finn seconded the motion. The motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Dennis Cummins, Farnsworth engineer, said that the MFT funds were presently $30,725.55 but approximately $56,000 will be available for road projects. He is lloking into the bridge/culvert project and will call Trustee Finn to set up a meeting with Trustees Finn, President White, and Supervisor Bennett.
Sutton property: Nancy Sutton, owner of the property with Joseph Sutton, said that they will enter into a contract with the Bayview Family Clinic contingent upon annexation and zoning approvals from the Village.
Dr. Kimberly Ratts of the Bayview Family Clinic, told about the facility that they want to open and passed out handout material explaining the program. It will be a gated community with a typical stay of 30 days. There will be a maximum of 16 patients with an average of ten. The stays will be voluntary and will not be court mandated. There is no residential place close, only in Chicago and St. Louis. The property would be left as it is with no heavy construction with interior remodeling to meet standards for such a facility. They plan to pay all costs so that the Village will have no costs involved in rezoning or pre-annexation. A benefit to the community would be local hiring and traffic for local businesses.
Charles Dawson, realtor, said that his client was coming to the Village because Champaign County cannot allow a residential facility such as this on the property except if it is on the same grounds as a church or temple.
Attorney Hendren said that a public hearing would have to be held with the Village Board sitting as the plan commission. The steps would be the same as those for the de Pasquali petition. First, the Board needs a formal proposal from the petitioners so the next step would be for the petitioner's lawyers to contact Attorney Hendren.
Stephanie Joos from Champaign County Animal Control was present as she was asked to come by the Village Board. She explained why she had designated two dogs who had attacked another dog as dangerous following the County ordinance. State law gives her that authority and also gives the definition of a dangerous dog. Ed Walker, owner of the dogs, told of the precautions he and his wife are taking to prevent anything happening again, including not letting them out at the same time but just one at a time and putting up a gate to keep them in the back yard. He has done everything that the letters asked him to do. A 15-year-old girl of the household read a statement saying that she has not been made to feel welcome in Sidney and that she loves her dogs.
Stephanie Joos said that Sidney needs to update its animal control ordinance so and will send copies of Royal's and Pesotum's ordinances to Clerk Moore and Attorney Hendren. A local ordinance cannot supercede state law. Attorney Hendren said that Stephanie might have suggestions to streamline the procedure.
No one was here from the library to talk about the sign, but Keith Kropp said that what the Library Board was looking at would cost $1,800.
Mike Roy from the Sidney Improvement Group said that SIG is having an Easter egg hunt on March 19 with March 26 as a rain date for ages 1-10. They are also planning Fun Daze with a car show, bands both Friday and Saturday nights, a parade at 4:30 PM on Saturday, and a kiddie tractor pull. Clay County Amusements will start the rides at noon. Ansar Shriners had called and are seeing if they can come with their little cars.
PRESIDENT WHITE'S COMMENTS
President White had a letter from a resident asking if the library couldn't be named after Dr. Koeck. The Board decided that was a matter for the Library Board.
ATTORNEY HENDREN'S COMMENTS:
Attorney Hendren had nothing to report.
EARL BENNETT'S REPORT
Supervisor Bennett said that Dumpster Day will be March 26 from 7-11 AM. The dumpsters would be from Cap'n Hook and would be $500 a dumpster. Trustee McCloud moved that the Village pay up to $3,500 for dumpsters. Trustee Finn seconded the motion; the motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote. Limb pickup will be March 28-April 1.
The advertisement for summer help was approved with a rate of $10.50 an hour. A committee of Trustees McCloud and Cokley and Supervisor Bennett will interview and hire the person.
FINANCE REPORT
The financial reports were read by Trustee McCloud. After reading them, Trustee McCloud moved that the bills be paid with the addition of $655 to Hendren and Miller. Trustee Finn seconded the motion. The motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Trustee McCloud will continue looking into codification.
STREETS AND ALLEY
Trustee Finn passed out pictures of the proposed crosswalk on West Main Street. No actions was taken. The Corps of Engineers controls the culverts on N. Scarborough.
WATER/SEWER/UTILITY
2,630,968 gallons of water were pumped in February with a daily average of 92,447 gallons.
$30,499.31 was received in February with $9,469.65 in sewer planning money. 122 penalty bills were sent.
Bids for the water tower project came in higher than expected so none were accepted. Quality Assured Industrial Coatings had a bid of $275,000 but did not meet requirements. Seven Brothers was $357,000. The engineer's estimate had been $200,000. The engineer wants to talk to some contractors and then rebid at a later time.
Illinois American Water has asked the Illinois Commerce Commission for over a 19.6% increase in its water rates. (The company received a 6% increase the last time.) The City of Champaign is forming a coalition of municipalities to fight the increase and has asked the Village of Sidney to join. The water bill for an average Sidney user would increase $9.10 if IAW's request is granted. Trustee Roberts moved that the Village join the coalition with a proposed cost of $239.51. Trustee Arrasmith seconded the motion; motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Trustee Roberts said there would need to be an increase in the water rates with the water tower project and the proposed increase in the Village's cost to purchase water.
PUBLIC PROPERTY
No building permits were issued in February.
Trustee Arrasmith moved that Kevin Sanderson be hired to trim limbs at 201 W. Byron up to $350. Trustee Finn seconded the motion. Motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
PARKS AND RECREATION
Todd Bickers said that there is not going to be a gun raffle now to support the ball program so no ordinance is needed. He reported that there were bigger numbers this year for ball signups and that they would be able to field more teams.
Keith Kropp said that he would be sending out letters for the Witt Park signs soon.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Nothing to report
OLD AND NEW BUSINESS
President White requested that people who need something done in the Village to call him or another trustee. Nothing can be done if no one knows about it.
Trustee Arrasmith moved that the Board go into closed session for the purpose of discussing the sale or trade of property with Supervisor Bennett and Attorney Hendren included. Trustee McCloud seconded the motion. The motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote. Time is 9:03 pm.
The Board came out of closed session at 9:55 PM. President White announced that he and Trustee Arrasmith would be looking at the Village for cars that are inoperable or not currently licensed, and letters would be sent to their owners.
Trustee Arrasmith moved that the meeting be adjourned. Trustee Schluter seconded the motion; motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote. Meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
__________________________ _________________________
Carol Moore, Village Clerk Date Approved
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