MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CALLED BENTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD MONDAY APRIL 19, 2021 AT 6:00 P.M. AT THE BENTON CITY HALL LOCATED AT 1403 SOUTH MAIN STREET, BENTON, ILLINOIS 62812.
MAYOR KONDRITZ CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER PERKINS, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ WERE PRESENT FOR ROLL CALL.
MAYOR KONDRITZ EXPRESSED HIS DISAPPROVAL OF THIS MEETING AS HE BELIEVES THE ITEMS FOR THE BUDGET SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED LONG BEFORE THIS DATE. MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT HE BELIEVES ANYONE ON THE COUNCIL WHO HAS A QUESTION SHOULD BE ABLE TO CALL ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER AND HAVE A DISCUSSION WITHOUT CALLING A SPECIAL MEETING FOR EVERYONE TO DISCUSS THESE ITEMS TOGETHER. COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA STATED THAT SHE CALLED THE MEETING BECAUSE SHE WAS ASKED BY ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER TO HAVE THE MEETING SO THAT ALL MEMBERS COULD GO OVER THE BUDGET TOGETHER. MAYOR KONDRITZ ASKED COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER REQUESTED THE MEETING AND SHE STATED THAT IT WAS COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, BUT THAT SHE ALSO FELT THE MEETING WAS A GOOD IDEA.
COMMISSIONER STOREY WENT OVER THE BUDGET FOR BOTH OF HIS DEPARTMENTS. FIRE CHIEF SHANE COCKRUM WAS PRESENT, BUT POLICE CHIEF MIKE ANDREWS WAS NOT PRESENT. AFTER PRESENTING HIS BUDGETS, COMMISSIONER STOREY ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH ASKED CHIEF COCKRUM TO EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS TO ALLOWING HIM TO HAVE $15,000.00 MORE BUDGETED THIS YEAR FOR PAID ON CALL FIREFIGHTERS. CHIEF COCKRUM EXPLAINED HOW HAVING TWO FIREFIGHTERS ON SHIFT IS IDEAL AND THE SAFEST WAY TO OPERATE. CHIEF COCKRUM STATED THAT BEING ABLE TO SCHEDULE A PAID ON-CALL FIREFIGHTER TO THE SHIFTS WHERE HE HAS ONLY ONE CAREER FIREFIGHTER ON DUTY WOULD BE A HUGE HELP IN HIS DEPARTMENT. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH ALSO QUESTIONED WHY THE BUDGETED TRUCK IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THE ONE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CANNOT REUSE EQUIPMENT IN THEIR VEHICLES AS IT WILL NOT FIT IN THE NEW TRUCKS, BUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN.
AT 6:35 P.M. MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT HE HAD A MEETING TO ATTEND AND WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE.
COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA STATED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE ITEMS THAT STILL NEEDED TO BE DISCUSSED FOR THE BUDGET AND WHERE THESE ITEMS NEEDED TO BE PLACED. THE BUDGET WAS GONE THROUGH BY EACH COMMISSIONER. CITY CLERK BROOK CRAIG STATED THAT ANY ITEM THAT DID NOT HAVE AN AMOUNT NEXT TO IT WOULD NEED TO BE DECIDED ON BEFORE THE FINAL BUDGET WAS PUT TOGETHER. CITY CLERK BROOK CRAIG ALSO REMINDED THE AUDIENCE THAT THE DRAFT BUDGET WILL BE ON DISPLAY IN HER OFFICE UNTIL MEETING TIME ON MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2021.
COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH MADE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER PERKINS, COMMISSIONER STOREY, AND COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA. NAYS: 0
7:05 P.M.
