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MINUTES OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED BENTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD MONDAY AUGUST 8, 2022 AT 6:00 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL ROOM OF THE BENTON CITY HALL LOCATED AT 1403 SOUTH MAIN STREET, BENTON, ILLINOIS.

MAYOR KONDRITZ CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER.  COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ WERE PRESENT FOR ROLL CALL. 

COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF JULY 25, 2022.  SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH.  VOTE WAS TAKEN.   YEAS:  4.  COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ.  COMMISSIONER COCKRUM ABSTAINED.  NAYS:  0.

COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF JULY 14, 2022.  SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH.  VOTE WAS TAKEN.  YEAS:  5.  COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ.  NAYS:  0. 

COMMISSIONER COCKRUM STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ANY PURCHASE ORDERS FOR THIS MEETING. 

COMMISSIONER COCKRUM MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LAKE LOT LEASE TRANSFER FOR GRETCHEN BENNETT FOR LOTS 119A AND 119B.  SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY.  VOTE WAS TAKEN.  YEAS:  5.  COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ.  NAYS:  0. 

FOR A DEPARTMENT REPORT, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM STATED THAT HE WOULD PRESENT IT VERBALLY AS PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR CRAIG MILES HAS BEEN VERY BUSY.  COMMISSIONER COCKRUM STATED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK UNDER THE INTERSTATE THAT WAS TEMPORARILY FIXED, BUT A NEW 8” LINE WOULD NEED TO BE INSTALLED.  COMMISSIONER COCKRUM SAID THAT AN EMERGENCY PERMIT FROM THE EPA FOR THIS REPAIR HAS ALREADY BEEN OBTAINED.  COMMISSIONER COCKRUM ALSO STATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A WATER MAIN BREAK ON EAST MAIN STREET. 

COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH STATED THAT HE HAD NO PURCHASE ORDERS FOR THIS MEETING. 

COMMISSIONER MESSERMITH STATED THAT HE ALSO WOULD BE GIVING HIS DEPARTMENT REPORT VERBALLY AS PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR CRAIG MILES HAS BEEN VERY BUSY.  COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH STATED THAT THE OIL AND CHIP PROGRAM HAS MOSTLY BEEN COMPLETED INCLUDING THE WORK AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.  COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH STATED THAT PATCHING AT THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN STARTED AS WELL.  COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH STATED THAT PEOPLE’S NATIONAL BANK HAS DONATED $10,000.00 TO THE PLAYGROUND BEING INSTALLED ON GRAND STREET, EARTH SERVICES HAS DONATED THE UNDERLAY, AND THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT BEING PROVIDED BY THE REALITY SHOW SHOULD ARRIVE THIS WEEK. 

COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED THAT HE HAD NO PURCHASE ORDERS FOR THIS MEETING. 

COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED THAT THE COUNCIL HAD RECEIVED THE DEPARTMENT REPORT FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THEIR PACKETS.  THE REPORT WAS FOR JUNE 1, 2022 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2022.  THERE WERE 74 CALLS WHICH INCLUDED 7 FIRES, 37 RESCUE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE, 14 HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS (NO FIRE), 2 SERVICE CALLS, 5 GOOD INTENT CALLS, 3 FALSE ALARM & FALSE CALLS, AND 6 SEVERE WEATHER & NATIONAL DISASTER CALLS. 

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

COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA STATED THAT BECAUSE OF THE DATE OF THE MEETING AND THE DATE OF THE DUE DATE ON BILLS TO BE TURNED IN TO THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE DEPARTMENT, THE MEETING WOULD NEED TO BE EXTENDED TO FRIDAY IN ORDER TO PAY THE BILLS. 

COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE PAYROLL DATED AUGUST 5, 2022 FOR THE GENERAL FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $63,502.32 AND WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $25,550.41 FOR A TOTAL PAYROLL OF $89,052.73.  SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY.  VOTE WAS TAKEN.   YEAS:  5.  COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ.  NAYS:  0.

COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA PRESENTED PRICES FOR MULTIPLE SHEDS TO HOUSE THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS THAT WERE RECENTLY DONATED TO THE CITY OF BENTON FROM THE REALITY SHOW.  COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF A PREOWNED 16’ X 24’ SHED TO HOUSE THE DECORATIONS.  SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY.  TOM CARTER INTERJECTED THAT THE AGENDA ONLY CALLS FOR DISCUSSION ON THIS MATTER AND THEREFORE APPROVAL COULD NOT BE COMPLETED AT THIS TIME.  ATTORNEY MALKOVICH STATED THAT MR. CARTER WAS CORRECT AND THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE COMPLETED AT ANOTHER MEETING. 

CITY ATTORNEY TOM MALKOVICH STATED THAT HE HAD NO UPDATES FOR THIS MEETING. 

MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT HE HAD NO UPDATES OR PURCHASE ORDERS FOR THIS MEETING. 

NO MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS.

NO OLD BUSINESS. 

IN NEW BUSINESS, COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED THAT HE WILL BE PUTTING ON THE NEXT AGENDA THE MATTER OF HIRING ANOTHER OFFICER FOR THE POSITION OF SRO.  COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED THAT THE GRADE SCHOOL IS PUSHING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN.  COMMISSIONER STOREY ALSO STATED THAT THE POLICE AND FIRE MERIT BOARD WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE HIRING OF A NEW POLICE OFFICER FROM THE ELIGIBILITY LIST.  COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED THAT THE MERIT BOARD WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE HIRING OF JUSTICE PURDIE.  COMMISSIONER STOREY ALSO STATED THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEGUN RESEARCH ON HIRING A NEW DRUG DOG THAT WILL BE EITHER A LABRADOR OR AN IRISH SETTER. 

IN MATTERS FROM THE PUBLIC AUDIENCE, TOM CARTER ASKED WHERE THE DECORATION STORAGE SHED WOULD BE PLACED.  COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH STATED THAT IT WILL BE PLACED AT THE STREET DEPARTMENT. 

COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA MADE A MOTON TO EXTEND THE MEETING TO FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2022, AT 8:45 A.M. TO PAY BILLS.  SECOND BY COMMISSIONER COCKRUM.  VOTE WAS TAKEN.  YEAS:  5.  COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ.  NAYS:  0