CALL TO ORDER
 
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
 
PUBLIC COMMENTS                                 
 
APPROVE MINUTES                                   *October 4th, 2021
OPEN AND CLOSED SESSIONS                                                                                                                                           
 
PRESIDENT ARRASMITH’S                      *Discuss adding an unsafe structure
                                                                          Ordinance
                                                                        *Approve Tax Levy Ordinance
COMMENTS                                                   
  
ATTORNEY'S COMMENTS                       
 
REPORTS:                                                                                                                                                                             
Jeff Wyant’s Comments                                
 
Finance                                                           *Approval of monthly bills
                                                                         
Street and Alley                                              *Discussion of purchasing tractor for
                                                                      maintaining ditches
                                            
Water and Drainage                                       
                                                                       
Public Property                                               *Permits
                                                                        *Discuss amending Chapter 241 of the Code
                                                                         of Ordinances to include stricter penalties
                                                                        *Discussion of abandoned properties
 
Parks and Recreation                                    
 
Community Development                             
 
New & Old Business
 
Executive Session                                           *For the limited purposes of discussing the
                                                                     employment, performance and/or
                                                                     compensation of one or more village
                                                                     employees pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(1)
 
Adjourn

​          The Sidney Village Board met on the above date for the regular monthly meeting.  The meeting was opened at 7:00p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance by President Arrasmith.  The following trustees were present: Harris, Bickers, Schluter, Gadeken and Laurent. Trustee Hooker was absent.  Clerk Fish, Attorney Miller, Treasurer Reinhart and Village Maintenance Supervisor Wyant were also present.  
 
          PUBLIC COMMENTS:
         
          Resident Kurt Foster asked that his sidewalk be repaired after there was some damage from the tree that had to be cut down.  Village Maintenance Supervisor Wyant said he will repair it on Friday. 
 
          PRESIDENT ARRASMITH’S COMMENTS
 
          President Arrasmith asked for a motion to approve the minutes for the October 4th and 7th 2021 open and closed sessions of the Board of Trustees regular meeting. Trustee Harris moved that the minutes of the October 4th and 7th, 2021 open and closed sessions of the Board of Trustees regular meeting be approved. Trustee Laurent seconded the motion; the motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote. 
          President Arrasmith then began by stating that the state’s unsafe building statute does not address abandoned houses unless they are in danger of falling down.  President Arrasmith handed out a similar ordinance that he uses in his job at the City of Urbana and asked the board members to look it over so that they could get ideas of what they would like included in our Village ordinance.  Attorney Miller asked the board members to come up with a wish list of what they would like included in the ordinance.
          President Arrasmith then began the discussion of the need to amend Chapter 241 (Weeds) of the Village Ordinance to include stricter penalties.  Attorney Miller stated that there is no clear fine structure to the ordinance; a judge would have to be the one to decide what the fine is as it stands.  The board agreed that we need to move ahead with making the ordinance stricter.  Attorney Miller asked the board to devise a wish list of what they would like included. 
          President Arrasmith then asked for a motion to approve Ordinance #2021-04 “Village of Sidney 2021-2022 Annual Tax Levy Ordinance”.  Trustee Schluter made a motion to approve Ordinance #2021-04. Trustee Harris seconded the motion; the motion passed with all ayes on a roll call vote.   
         
ATTORNEY MILLER’S COMMENTS
 
          Attorney Miller didn’t have any comments.
 
JEFF WYANT’S COMMENTS
 
          Village Maintenance Supervisor Wyant reported that he had spoken to a Champaign County Sheriff’s Deputy regarding the abandoned Dodge Caravan at 313 East Byron Street to see if he would red tag it so that we can have it towed.  The Sheriff’s Deputy stated that they will not red tag it and that they only thing we can do as a Village is to take the matter to court. 
          Village Maintenance Supervisor Wyant then stated that the new lawnmower is here and will be delivered in the next couple of days, the damaged tree on Harrison has been taken down and Little Bear has ground the stump down and that he has been busy cleaning the shop and taking old file boxes to store at the Community Building.  He also reported that the stop sign at Main and Wilsey was run down over the weekend and that he put a new one up today. 
          Village Maintenance Supervisor Wyant then asked the board members if they would like benches to be put in the bus shelters that were put in by the Community Building; the board members stated that they would.  He concluded by reporting that he had taken down all the flowerpots for the summer and put them into storage. 
 
FINANCE REPORT
 
          The financial reports were read by President Arrasmith since Trustee Hooker was absent.  Trustee Laurent made a motion to pay the bills with the following additions: $1200 to Miller and Hendren, $1,532.50 to Sunbelt, $35.42 to Don’s Auto Shop and Casey’s for $223.92.  Trustee Bickers seconded the motion; the motion carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.  
         
            STREETS AND ALLEY
 
          Trustee Gadeken reported that 39,038 cars had been reported as coming through last month for the speed radar sign by Casey’s and that the top speed was 67mph.  Trustee Gadeken also asked Supervisor Wyant to make a list of the sidewalks around the Village that need to be repaired.  Trustee Gadeken then stated that he was going to hold off on looking into purchasing a tractor for maintaining the creek beds and ditches until we can see if the Township would like to share the cost and use of one.
 
          WATER/SEWER/UTILITY
 
          Trustee Harris just wanted to make Village Maintenance Supervisor Wyant aware that USIC is very far behind on their locates so please make sure you know what is in the ground before you dig.
 
 
 
 
          PUBLIC PROPERTY
 
          Trustee Bickers reported that we had permit #739 issued for a fence at 202 East Main Street and permit #740 for a fence issued to Winston’s Old Bank at 219 South David Street.
Trustee Bickers then stated that he would like to begin the process of winterizing the concession stand out at Witt Park.
 
PARKS AND RECREATION
 
          Trustee Laurent did not have any comments.
 
          COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
 
          Trustee Schluter reported that he will have the audit posted to the website as soon as Martin Hood and Associates can give us a copy that is not password protected.  He also stated that there will be a Christmas parade on Saturday December 4th approximately 30 minutes after dark.
 
          Trustee Harris made a motion at 7:40pm that the board go into executive session for the limited purpose of discussing the employment, performance and/or compensation of one or more Village employees pursuant to 5ILCS 120/2 (c)(1).  Trustee Gadeken seconded the motion; the motion passed with all ayes on a roll call vote.
 
Trustee Bickers made a motion to adjourn the meeting.  Trustee Harris seconded the motion; the motion passed with all ayes on a roll call vote.  The meeting was adjourned at 7:57pm.
 
 
         
 
__________________________            __________________________
Maggie Fish, Village Clerk                      Date approved