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MINUTES OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED BENTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2024 AT 5:00 P.M. IN THE CAMPBELL BUILDING LOCATED AT 901 PUBLIC SQUARE BENTON, ILLINOIS.

MAYOR MESSERSMITH CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND DIRECTED ROLL TO BE CALLED. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH WERE PRESENT FOR THE ROLL CALL. COMMISSIONER COCKRUM WAS ABSENT.

COMMISSIONER KAYS MADE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON MONDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2024 AT 5 P.M. IN THE CAMPBELL BUILDING LOCATED AT 901 PUBLIC SQUARE IN BENTON, ILLINOIS WITH THE ONE CHANGE NEEDING MADE ON A VOTE TOTAL NOT BEING RECORDED. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH. NAYS: 0.

COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA STATED SHE HAD NO PURCHASE ORDERS FOR THIS MEETING.

COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA UPDATED THE COUNCIL ON THE SUCCESS OF THE EVENT HELD AT CAPITOL PARK. SHE ALSO STATED THAT THE VOLUNTEER GROUPS WILL BE WORKING TOGETHER TO GET THE STORAGE SPACE FOR THE DECORATIONS CLEANED UP AND ORGANIZED FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION WHEN THE TIME COMES.

MAYOR MESSERSMITH ADDRESSED THE ITEMS UNDER WATER, SEWER, STREETS & IMPROVEMENTS ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER COCKRUM.

MAYOR MESSERSMITH STATED THAT THERE WERE NO PURCHASE ORDERS FOR THIS MEETING.

MAYOR MESSERSMITH STATED THAT THERE WERE NO POOL ADJUSTMENTS FOR THIS MEETING.

MAYOR MESSERSMITH STATED THAT THERE WERE NO LAKE LOT LEASE TRANSFERS FOR THIS MEETING.

MAYOR MESSERSMITH INFORMED THE COUNCIL THAT THE WATER DEPARTMENT IS WANTING TO LOOK INTO MOVING THE DROP BOX FROM 1403 S MAIN TO SOMEWHERE AT 901 PUBLIC SQUARE AND THAT THERE IS NO ACTION TO TAKE ON THIS ITEM AT THIS TIME.

MAYOR MESSERSMITH ASKED FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDED SEWER BILL ADJUSTMENT ORDINANCE. COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE THE MOTION. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER KAYS. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH. NAYS: 0.

COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED HE HAD TWO PURCHASE ORDERS FOR TONIGHT’S MEETING. PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER 858 IS TO BUY 14 GIFT CARDS FOR $25.00 EACH. THESE GIFT CARDS ARE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT’S POC PERSONNEL. THE TOTAL OF THE PURCHASE ORDER IS $350.00, COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THIS PURCHASE ORDER. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH. NAYS: 0.

COMMISSIONER STOREY PRESENTED PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER 425 TO BUY EXTRICATION TOOLS, TOTALING $11,585.00, FOR UNIT 806. UNIT 806 IS THE ONLY FIRST RESPONSE VEHICLE TO NOT HAVE THESE TOOLS AND IT CURRENTLY CANNOT RESPONSE TO CAR RELATED INCIDENTS. THE PURCHASE VALUE OF $11,585.00 WILL COME OUT OF THE AMBULANCE FUND. COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS PURCHASE ORDER. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER KAYS. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH. NAYS: 0.

COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO TABLE ITEM 6B, THE FLOCK SAFETY PRESENTATION, UNTIL A LATER DATE. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER KAYS. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH. NAYS: 0.

COMMISSIONER STOREY GAVE AN UPDATE REGARDING THE BENTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY HAD ANSWERED 550 CALLS IN THE FROM NOVEMBER 1 TO NOVEMBER 30 OF 2024.

COMMISSIONER KAYS MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE PAYROLL, FOR DECEMBER 6, 2024, AS PRESENTED. PAYROLL TOTALS FOR THE GENERAL FUND WERE $63,881.25 AND FOR WATER AND SEWER WERE $21,448.03 FOR A COMBINED TOTAL OF $85,329.28. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH. NAYS: 0.

COMMISSIONER KAYS PRESENTED BILL TOTALS OF $29,114.86 FROM MTF, $136,524.16 FROM TIF, $586.46 FROM COMMUNITY EVENTS, $115,325.70 FROM WATER AND SEWER, AND $190.819.60 FROM GENERAL FUND. COMMISSIONER KAYS MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BILLS IN A TOTAL OF $472,370.78. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH. NAYS: 0.

COMMISSIONER KAYS HAD ONE PURCHASE ORDER FOR THE EVENING. PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER 859 FOR ADP WORKFORCE NOW. THIS IS A PAYROLL SYSTEM TO HELP STREAMLINE THE TIMEKEEPING AND TIME TRACKING IN THE TREASURE’S OFFICE. THE TOTAL FOR A ONE-YEAR AGREEMENT IS $3,498.00. COMMISSIONER KAYS MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS PURCHASE ORDER. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH. NAYS: 0.

COMMISSIONER KAYS WAS HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THE TAX LEVY WAS A 4% INCREASE INSTEAD OF THE 5% THAT IT HAD BEEN FOR IN YEARS PREVIOUSLY. COMMISSIONER KAYS MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE TAX LEVY ORDINANCE AS ORDINANCE NO. #2024-15. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH. NAYS: 0.

CITY ATTORNEY MALKOVICH HAD NO UPDATES

MAYOR MESSERSMITH ADDRESSED THE ELKS’ LIGHTS PARADE ON SUNDAY DECEMBER 8, 2024 SAYING IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS EVEN WITH THE WEATHER. MAYOR MESSERSMITH GAVE THANKS TO EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS FOR THEIR CONTINUED HARD WORK IN KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE AND THEIR HOSPITALITY. MAYOR MESSERSMITH ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE ZONING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATOR WOULD BE TRAVELING TO ALABAMA TO RETRIEVE THE DEPARTMENTS CAR THAT WAS WRECK ON A PREVIOUS TRIP BUSINESS.

MAYOR MESSERSMITH STATED HE HAD NO PURCHASE ORDERS FOR THE MEETING.

MAYOR MESSERSMITH TURNED THE FLOOR OVER TO ZONING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATOR, BRIAN CALCATERRA, TO ADDRESS ITEM 9C. MR. CALCATERRA EXPLAINED THAT THE TRUSTEES OF NORTH BENTON BAPTIST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH HAVE PETITIONED TO CLOSE THEIR PORTION OF THE ALLEY. MR. CALCATERRA EXPLAINED THE PORTION OF THE ALLEY RESIDENTS ARE USING TO ENTER THEIR HOMES WILL NOT BE CLOSED, AND A RIGHT OF WAY EASEMENT HAS BEEN SIGNED BY THE PETITIONERS TO ALLOW ACCESS TO THE WATER MAIN LOCATED IN THAT ALLEY. MR. CALCATERRA SAYS IT IS HIS RECOMMENDATION THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVES THIS ALLEY CLOSING AS ORDINANCE #2024-16. COMMISSIONER KAYS MADE THE MOTION TO APPROVE ORDINANCE #2024-16. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH. NAYS: 0.

MAYOR MESSERSMITH PRESENTED THE MEETING TIMES FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 2025 TO BE GIVEN TO NEWS MEDIA THAT ARE REQUESTING NOTIFICATION. COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MEETING SCHEDULE. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER KAYS. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH. NAYS: 0.

NO MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS.

NO OLD BUSINESS.

NO NEW BUSINESS.

IN MATTERS FROM THE PUBLIC AUDIENCE, BENTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT MANAGER MATT HARRISON GAVE A YEAR END SUMMARY OF H96. H96 WAS ABLE TO HAVE 4 OF ITS 5 SCHEDULED “FOOD TRUCK FLY INS” AND HAD 13 STATES AND ROUGHLY 45 PLANES COME IN FOR THE ECLIPSE EVENT. HE STATED THAT THERE WERE 677 FUEL TRANSACTIONS, TOTALING OVER $53,000 IN SALES. THE HANGERS ARE FULL, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 12 OPERATIONS OUT OF THE AIRPORT DAILY. THE H96 FLYING CLUB HAS 6 MEMBERS AND 2 OF THEM EARNED THEIR PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATES. H96 HAS HAD ITS SECOND BIT LETTING TO UPDATE THE RUNWAY LIGHTING, AND HAS AN ESTIMATED START DATE OF MAY 1, 2025. MR. HARRISON SAYS WITH THE RUNWAY UPDATE COMING H96 WILL BE AT OR ABOVE THE MARK TO SECURE MORE FUNDING AND GRANTS THROUGH THE FAA AND HE HOPES TO BE ABLE TO STEER THE AIRPORT TOWARDS A COMMUNITY HANGER TO HOUSE SERVICES NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, AND TO EXPAND THE RUNWAY AND ADD A PARTIAL PARALLEL TAXIWAY. WITH THESE IN PLACE MR. HARRISSON FEELS THAT JET FUEL SERVICES COULD START TO BE OFFERED AT A LATER DATE.

REPRESENTATIVES FROM BENTON KOA WERE IN ATTENDANCE TO ASK ABOUT AN UPDATE FOR THEIR CROSSWALK SITUATION. MAYRO MESSERSMITH INFORMED THEM THAT HE NEW COMMISSIONER COCKRUM AND PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR CRAIG MILES HAD BEEN IN TALKS ABOUT WHAT TO DO, HOWEVER WITH COMMISSIONER COCKRUM ABSENT HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT HAD BEEN DISCUSSED. MAYOR MESSERSMITH TOLD THE REPRESENTATIVES THAT HE WOULD ASK COMMISSIONER COCKRUM TO REACH OUT AND GIVE THE UPDATE DIRECTLY. COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED HE HAS SEEN MORE POLICE RADAR PRESENCE IN THE AREA.

COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER KAYS. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER KAYS, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA AND MAYOR MESSERSMITH. NAYS: 0.