A special meeting of the Sidney Village Board of Trustees was held on March 26th, 2020 in the Community Building.
President Arrasmith, called the meeting to order at 5:55 p.m. with the following trustees present: Bickers, Laurent, Gadeken, and Catron.  Trustees Schluter and Harris were absent.  Attorney Miller was also absent.   
            Trustee Bickers began the meeting by making a motion to approve and sign the FBI contract with the included addendums from Attorney Miller.  Trustee Gadeken seconded the motion.  The motion passed with all ayes on a roll call vote. 
            Trustee Catron then made a motion to allow Trustees Gadeken and Bickers to have executive power to vote on behalf of the board to make changes to the village hall project with Attorney Miller’s reviewing it beforehand and to allow President Arrasmith to sign the contracts without full board approval.  Trustee Laurent seconded the motion.  The motion passed with all ayes on a roll call vote. 
            Trustee Bickers made a motion to approve Ordinance #2020-3 implementing emergency meeting procedures to allow for electronic meetings.  Trustee Laurent seconded the motion; the motion passed with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Trustee Bickers made a motion to adjourn the meeting; Trustee Laurent seconded the motion. The motion carried on a roll call vote with all ayes.  The meeting was adjourned at 6:05pm.


_______________________________                               _________________________________
Approved, Village Clerk                                                        Date Approved

            A special meeting of the Sidney Village Board of Trustees was held on March 23rd,  2020 in the Community Building.
President Arrasmith, called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. with the following
 trustees present: Bickers, Laurent, Gadeken, and Catron.  Trustees Schluter and Harris were absent.  Attorney Miller was also present.   
            Trustee Bickers began the meeting by stating that the purpose of this meeting was to review the savings being offered in regards to Option 1 of the bid proposals.  Robert Tincher from Hillside Development Group began by stating that if Integrity Concrete and Excavating poured the monolithic curb at the same time the building is poured, it would save the Village $6,600.  It was decided to have them poured at the same time.  For FBI Buildings to change the pitch of the roof and carport ceiling, it would save the Village $15,457.00.  It was decided to change the pitch of the roof, but not do the metal siding for a savings of $14,611.  To have B and D Electric change to a 200 amp service and to replace the steel light pole bases with aluminum would be a savings of $14,800.  It was decided to change to the 200 amp service, but to keep the steel light pole bases for a savings of $14,300.  B and D Electric also bid a fire alarm system for $8,400.  For Weber Plumbing and Heating to change the furnace from a Lennox to a Ducane would be a savings of $3,500.  After much discussion, it was decided to go with the Ducane.  It would also be a savings of $1,000 for Weber to change the waterlines from copper to pex.  It was decided to keep the copper because it will last longer.  For T & T Construction to install drop ceilings instead of drywall ceilings, it would be a savings of $13,440.  It was decided to go with the drop ceiling.  These changes allow for a total savings of $57,060.78 off the proposed bids.  The final cost for the new village hall was brought below the one million dollar mark to a total of $988,416.40.
            Trustee Bickers made a motion to accept the changes to the proposals as discussed.  Trustee Laurent seconded the motion; the motion passed with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Trustee Catron made a motion to adjourn the meeting; Trustee Bickers seconded the motion. The motion carried on a roll call vote with all ayes.  The meeting was adjourned at 6:37pm.


_______________________________                               _________________________________
Approved, Village Clerk                                                        Date Approved

​Public Comments
 
Motion to go into Closed Session
 
Discussion of bids for Village Hall
Discussion of financing for Village Hall
 
 
 
Adjourn

            A special meeting of the Sidney Village Board of Trustees was held on March 16th, 2020 in the Community Building.
President Arrasmith, called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. with the following
 trustees present: Bickers, Laurent, Gadeken, and Catron.  Trustees Schluter and Harris were absent.  Attorney Miller was also present.   
Village President Arrasmith asked if there were any public comments and there were none.
Trustee Bickers made a motion to go into executive session at 6:31pm.  Trustee Gadeken seconded the motion.  The motion was approved with all ayes on a roll call vote.  Attorney Miller then advised that there was no cause to go into executive session.  Trustee Bickers made a motion to go back into open session at 6:37pm.  Trustee Gadeken seconded the motion; the motion passed with all ayes on a roll call vote. 
            Trustee Bickers then stated that the purpose of this meeting was to narrow down the list of the proposed bids for the new village hall.  He stated it was best to go with the least amount of contractors needed as opposed to only look at the lowest bidders.  Robert Tincher of Hillside Development Group then read through each company’s proposal.  He advised that not all bidders qualified because they did not fill out the correct paperwork or left details out.  There were no bids for termite/pest control, no fire extinguishers, and no bid for landscaping. The summary of all the proposals are attached.    
            After much discussion, the board decided that Option 1 (attached) would be the best option to go with even though there was no fire alarm system added.  It was suggested that it would still be cheaper to add that under electrical for an estimate of $10,000. 
            Trustee Bickers then made a motion to accept Option 1 with the addition of a fire alarm system and to also authorize Hillside Development to procure final numbers.  Trustee Gadeken seconded the motion; the motion passed with all ayes on a roll call vote.
            Trustee Catron then introduced Jim Chandler from Longview Bank to discuss some financing options for the new village hall.  Mr. Chandler advised to just pay for the building outright instead of financing it.  Trustee Catron stated that he agreed with Mr. Chandler since he is the professional.  Trustee Bickers did not agree with this option because the village will no longer be receiving the revenue from the water system every month.  He would like to explore some different options, such as, paying for half of the building in cash and financing the other half; then investing one million to have that interest pay for the loan payments.  Trustee Gadeken agreed with Trustee Bickers since the board has recently spent so much money on projects lately.  It was decided that more financing options will be discussed at the next regularly scheduled board meeting. 
Trustee Bickers made a motion to adjourn the meeting; Trustee Gadeken seconded the motion. The motion carried on a roll call vote with all ayes.  The meeting was adjourned at 7:32pm.


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Approved, Village Clerk                                                        Date Approved

​CALL TO ORDER
 
ROLL CALL
 
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
 
PUBLIC COMMENTS                                 
 
APPROVE REGULAR SESSION                 *January 22nd, 2020
MINUTES                                                       *February 3rd, 2020
                                                                        *February 12th, 2020
 
APPROVE EXECUTIVE SESSION              *February 3rd, 2020
MINUTES                                                       *February 12th, 2020
 
                                                                                                           
PRESIDENT ARRASMITH’S COMMENTS   *Open sealed bids for the new Village
                                                                               Hall
     *Set a date for Dumpster Days
                                                                             *Discuss upgrading the Sidney tornado
                                                                               siren
                                                                             *Discuss back meeting pay for Village
                                                                               Maintenance Employee Wilsey
                                                                             *Discussion of Village Clerk’s request
      for vacation time off (May 6th, 7th, and
      11th)
                                                                       
 
ATTORNEY'S COMMENTS                       
 
 
REPORTS:                                                                                                                                                                             
Jarin Wilsey’s Comments                                         
 
 
Finance                                                           *Approval of monthly bills
                                                                        *Approve Ordinance #2020-02 to Adopt the
                                                                          Village Employee Policy Manual for the
                                                                          Village of Sidney
                                                                        *Jim Chandler with Longview State Bank to
                                                                         discuss funding options for the new village
                                                                         hall
                                                                       
                                                           
Street and Alley                                             
                                                                                                                                   
 
 
Water and Drainage                                        *Monthly Report
                                                                        *Discussion of drains
                                                                        *Discussion of employee timesheets
                                                                       
 
 
Public Property                                               *Permits
                                                                        *Approve no donation “in memoriam”
                                                                          policy
                                                           
                                                                         
Parks and Recreation                                                                         
 
Community Development                                                                                                                                         
New & Old Business                                     
                                               
Adjourn

​          The Sidney Village Board met on the above date for the regular monthly meeting.  The meeting was opened at 7:00 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.  President Jason Arrasmith called the meeting to order.  The following trustees were present: Harris, Bickers, Gadeken, Catron, and Laurent.  Clerk Fish, Treasurer Reinhart, and Village Maintenance Employee Wilsey were also present.  Trustee Schluter was absent from the meeting.
 
          PUBLIC COMMENTS:
         
          Bill McLane from the Sidney American Legion spoke to the board members addressing his concerns for the future location of the American Legion.  He asked the board if they would consider creating a permanent space or some kind of secure space where they would be able to hang all of their memorabilia and for them to meet in the new village hall building.  The board assured him that they will not be forgotten and that something will be worked out.  Mr. McLane also reported that Sidney American Legion Post was celebrating it’s 100th anniversary and that they will host an open house on Flag Day, June 14th to celebrate. 
          Sidney resident Kurt Foster then approached the board stating that he was concerned about the height of a catch basin on North Harrison street and if that could be looked into. 
 
          PRESIDENT ARRASMITH’S COMMENTS
 
          President Arrasmith asked for a motion to approve the minutes for the regular sessions of the January 22nd, February 3rd, and February 12th, meetings.  Trustee Catron moved that the minutes of the January 22nd, February 3rd, and February 12th, 2020 regular sessions of the Board of Trustees meetings be approved.  Trustee Bickers seconded the motion; the motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.  President Arrasmith then asked for a motion to approve the minutes for the executive sessions of the February 3rd and February 12th meetings.  Trustee Catron moved that the minutes of the February 3rd and February 12th  executive sessions of the Board of Trustees be approved.  Trustee Bickers seconded the motion; the motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
          President Arrasmith then directed Robert Tincher from Hillside Development Group to open the sealed bids for the new village hall building.  Mr. Tincher stated that they had received a total of 36 sealed bids.  He proceeded to open each one stating who they were from and for what portion of the project they were bidding on.  He stated to everyone present that since they had received so many bids that it would take approximately a week to qualify all of the bidders so no amounts were read at this time.  Attached is a list of all of the bidders. 
          Pete Mantell with ESDA then began to discuss the need for updating Sidney’s tornado system.  He stated that Champaign, Urbana and Savoy have all switched over to this particular system.  With the new system, as soon as the National Weather Service issues a warning, it will automatically activate the tornado sirens to sound.  As of now, a person has to receive the warning and activate the sirens themselves.  The new system will also have real time updates as to whether or not the sirens are working properly; they will not have to wait on the monthly tests to determine this.  Trustee Bickers made a motion to approve the $18,492 to upgrade Sidney’s ESDA Warning System.  Trustee Gadeken seconded the motion.  The motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
          Matthew White from Illinois American Water then stated that representatives from Illinois American Water will be here before the next Village Board meeting from 4:30-6:30 for any residents to come talk to them about any concerns they have.  They will also be here from 7am-7pm on Saturday, April 18th and Sunday, April 19th to also answer any questions from the public and to also change out everyone’s meters.  He also stated that mailers with information about the changes and a welcome packet will be mailed to residents in the next two weeks.  He was asked if residents would still be able to pay their bills at Longview Bank here in Sidney.  Mr. White stated that he had spoken to someone at Longview who had told him that it wouldn’t be possible because residents would have to pay an additional fee; however, Jim Chandler, President of Longview State Bank was present at this meeting and said that he would talk to Mr. White about looking into that.   
          Longview State Bank President Jim Chandler then spoke to the board members about possible financing options for the Village to fund the new village hall.  Trustee Bickers requested that Mr. Chandler put together some financing options with figures for the Board of Trustees to look over.  Mr. Chandler said he would email those to Clerk Fish for her to email to the board.
          President Arrasmith then stated that a date for Dumpster Days needed to be set.  It was then decided to have Dumpster Days on May 2nd from 7-11am at Witt Park.  Clerk Fish will work that day to check ID’s to make sure that people are residents of Sidney and to charge for any additional loads. 
          President Arrasmith then asked for the board to approve vacation days off for Clerk Fish.  The board approved May 6th, 7th, and 11th, 2020 for Clerk Fish to take her vacation time. 
          President Arrasmith then stated that Village Maintenance Employee Wilsey needed to be paid retro-actively for all of the board meetings he has attended since it would be considered overtime.  Trustee Laurent made a motion to back pay Village Maintenance Employee Wilsey for the meetings he has attended.  Trustee Bickers seconded the motion; the motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.  The board then decided that for all future board meetings that he is to attend, that he leave work at 1:30pm on those days to compensate for the 2 hours of pay for the board meeting. 
                   
ATTORNEY MILLER’S COMMENTS
 
          Attorney Miller did not have any comments.
 
JARIN WILSEY’S COMMENTS
 
          Village Maintenance Employee Wilsey stated that there was a smashed culvert at 15 Southview Drive that is the resident’s responsibility to repair.  Clerk Fish will send them a letter stating that that it needs to be fixed within 60 days.  He also requested more shelving be put up at the shed at Witt Park for baseball equipment.  He also stated there was a problem with a catch basin at 205 Washington Street and that Ameren Illinois was making progress locating mains. 
 
          FINANCE REPORT
 
          The financial reports were read by Trustee Catron.  Trustee Catron moved that the bills be paid with the additions of Miller and Hendren for $2050 and Casey’s fuel card for $244.03; Trustee Bickers seconded the motion.  The motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
          Trustee Catron then made a motion to approve Ordinance #2020-02 to adopt the Village of Sidney Employee Policy Manual with the additions in 5.6 regarding Health Coverage: “The Village provides an option for health insurance to qualified full time employees only” and in 6.7 After Duty Emergency Call Out/Village Board Meetings: “The Village Maintenance Employee shall attend each regular monthly Village Board meeting working a split shift that day to result in an 8 hour workday unless there is an unexpected emergency” and in 9.1 Separation From Employment: “The Village Board of Trustees, by majority vote, may terminate an employee”.  Trustee Gadeken seconded the motion.  The motion passed with all ayes on a roll call vote. 
 
            STREETS AND ALLEY
 
          Trustee Gadeken reported that he and Trustee Bickers had met with representatives from the Sidney American Legion Post 433 to discuss options for housing them.  He also reported that all the signs have almost been repaired or replaced.  He will also direct Employee Maintenance Wilsey to start purchasing pallets of salt for the roads in the winter instead of individual bags.  Trustee Gadeken will also look into possibly purchasing some sort of speed radar sign to be placed by the Sidney Dairy Barn to reduce traffic speed coming into town.  He also stated that the alley by Pleasant Drive had holes in it that needed to be filled with rock; Village Maintenace Employee Wilsey said that he had fixed it already. 
 
          WATER/SEWER/UTILITY
Trustee Harris was not able to read the monthly usage reports since we have no one who is licensed to do so.  $23,510.62 was received in February.  108 penalty bills were sent.  $20,914.14 was billed in February to 535 customers.
          Trustee Harris then reported that he will have answers regarding drains at 107 North Harrison and 15 Southview by the next meeting.  He also was confused about Village Maintenance Employee Wilsey’s last timesheet.  Village Maintenance Employee Wilsey does not have any vacation time to use until his one year anniversary on April 15th, 2020; once that has passed he will have to use any vacation time for any time taken off. 
                   
          PUBLIC PROPERTY
 
          Trustee Bickers reported that there were no permits issued.  He also made a motion to approve the “No donation in memoriam” policy.  The motion was seconded by Trustee Harris; the motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
 
          PARKS AND RECREATION
 
          Trustee Laurent reported that not enough kids had signed up for summer ball and that he is working with other towns to fill the gap.  He also reported that the Witt Park sign had been fixed and looks good.  He also reported that it will be approximately $1500 to level the new T-ball field.  Trustee Catron also stated that Village Maintenance Employee Wilsey will need to learn how to use all the Village’s equipment within six month’s time. 
 
          COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
 
          Trustee Schluter was absent.
 
          NEW & OLD BUSINESS
 
          Clerk Fish reported that the time clock software that was purchased would not work for the Village.  Clerk Fish stated that she called Dan Moisson to ask his advice and he advised to look at web based software programs.  Clerk Fish looked into a few websites and it was determined to be too cost prohibitive to use those.  Trustee Catron stated just to purchase wall time clocks. 
          The board also advised that Village Maintenance Employee Wilsey needed to contact Logan Jones, last year’s summer help, to see if he wanted the position this summer.  If not, Clerk Fish will add hiring summer help to next month’s agenda.
         
          Trustee Bickers moved that the meeting be adjourned at 9:35pm.  Trustee Gadeken seconded the motion. The motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote. 
         
 
__________________________            __________________________
Maggie Fish, Village Clerk                      Date approved