MINUTES OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED BENTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD MONDAY JUNE 28, 2021 AT 6:00 P.M. PURSUANT TO THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE ORDER IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 ISSUED MARCH 16, 2020, THIS MEETING WAS HELD BY TELEPHONE CONFERENCE AND COMPUTER ATTENDANCE AS WELL AS IN PERSON.
MAYOR KONDRITZ CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER PERKINS, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ WERE PRESENT FOR ROLL CALL.
COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER PERKINS, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER PERKINS MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE PURCHASE ORDER #00657 TO ASCENT AVIATION GROUP FOR 8,000 GALLONS OF AVIATION FUEL IN THE AMOUNT OF $28,696.45. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER PERKINS, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. ATTORNEY MALKOVICH STATED THAT NO BIDS WERE NEEDED ON THIS PURCHASE AS LONG AS THERE WAS A 4/5 VOTE.
COMMISSIONER PERKINS MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LAKE LOT LEASE TRANSFER OF LOT #26 FROM LEE AND ANGIE MESSERSMITH TO JACK AND JANET STILLEY. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 4. COMMISSIONER PERKINS, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH ABSTAINED.
COMMISSIONER PERKINS MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LAKE LOT LEASE TRANSFER OF LOTS #1, 2, AND 3 TO FROM JAMES. NEAL TO TIMOTHY AND ABBY KATHALYNAS. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER PERKINS, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER PERKINS MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LAKE LOT TRANSFER OF LOTS #143 AND #144 FROM M.J. GRAHAM TO CLESTINA EGGERTSEN. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER PERKINS, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER PERKINS STATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT HAD RECENTLY WON THE AWARD OF PLANT OF THE YEAR FROM THE RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION. COMMISSIONER PERKINS STATED THAT THE ONLY OTHER PLANT IN OUR REGION TO WIN THIS WAS CARBONDALE AND THEY WON THE AWARD LAST YEAR. COMMISSIONER PERKINS STATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE COUNCIL AND ALL THE WORKERS FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE.
COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH STATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THE SUMMER ROAD PROGRAM WILL BE STARTING SOON AND WILL BE IN THE NORTHWEST SECTION OF TOWN. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH ALSO STATED THAT HE HAS INITIATED TALKS WITH A FEW POSSIBLE INTERESTED PARTIES IN REGARDS TO OPENING A FEW COMMUNITY PARKS. MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT HE HAD ALSO DONE SOME RESEARCH AND THERE ARE GRANTS AVAILABLE TO HELP WITH A PROJECT LIKE THIS.
COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA PRESENTED PURCHASE ORDER #00658 TO CONCEPTE OF ILLINOIS FOR AN UPDATED SERVER FOR THE PAYROLL PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $5,950.00. COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA STATED THAT THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING THE CITY HAD PLANNED ON, BUT IT IS A NECESSITY IN ORDER TO RETAIN OUR PAST PAYROLL RECORDS. COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS PURCHASE ORDER. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER PERKINS, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE PAYROLL FOR THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $47,125.44 AND ALL OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $51,478.78 FOR A TOTAL PAYROLL OF $98,604.22. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER PERKINS, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
ATTORNEY MALKOVICH STATED THAT HE HAD NO UPDATES FOR THIS MEETING.
MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO COMPLIMENT THE STREET AND WATER DEPARTMENTS FOR THEIR WORK IN MOWING THE CITY. MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT HE RECOGNIZES THEIR EFFORTS TO KEEP THIS MOWED THIS YEAR.
MAYOR KONDRITZ ASKED ATTORNEY MALKOVICH TO PRESENT CORPORATE RESOLUTION #21-04. ATTORNEY MALKOVICH STATED THAT THIS IS A CORPORATE RESOLUTION ACCEPTING A GRANT FROM THE ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY’S ABANDONED RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MUNICIPAL RELIEF PROGRAM. ATTORNEY MALKOVICH STATED THAT THIS IS A RESOLUTION IN RESPONSE TO THE GRANT ZONING ADMINISTRATOR DAVID GARAVALIA PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL FOR DEMOLITION OF HOUSES IN THE AMOUNT OF $65,000.00. COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION #21-04. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER PERKINS, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
UNDER MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS AIRPORT MANAGER MATTHEW HARRISON STATED THAT THE BORING UNDER THE APRON AT THE AIRPORT HAS BEEN DONE. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE COUNCIL MAY NEED TO LOOK INTO A POSSIBLE “SAPPLING DRIVE” TO REPLACE THE TREES THAT WILL HAVE TO BE REMOVED FOR AIRPORT WORK. APPROXIMATELY 300 TREES WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. MR. HARRISON ALSO STATED THAT HE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN CREATING A PLAYGROUND AREA AT THE AIRPORT AND THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE STREET DEPARTMENT FOR PLACING AN AIRPORT STREET SIGN.
UNDER OLD BUSINESS, COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED THAT IN A PREVIOUS MEETING THE COUNCIL DISCUSSED MOVING TO ONE MEETING A MONTH AND HE WOULD LIKE AN UPDATE ON THIS POSSIBILITY. ATTORNEY MALKOVICH STATED THAT UNDER A COMMISSION FORM OF GOVERNMENT, THE STATE STATUTE STATES YOU MUST MEET TWICE A MONTH. ATTORNEY MALKOVICH STATED THAT THESE MEETINGS CAN HAPPEN BACK-TO-BACK, TWO WEEKS APART, OR HOWEVER THE COUNCIL MAY WANT IN THE FUTURE.
NO NEW BUSINESS.
IN MATTERS FROM THE PUBLIC AUDIENCE, MR. TOM’S CARTER STATED THAT THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OF THE YEAR AWARD IS AN AWARD TECHNICALLY FRO CITIZENS AND THE COUNCIL, NOT FOR THE EMPLOYEES. MR. CARTER STATED THAT THE ONLY REAL CRITERIA TO WIN THIS AWARD IS TO BUILD A NEW PLANT.
COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA STATED THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A FINAL STATEMENT FOR THE MEETING. SHE STATED THAT THE MIAMI BUILDING DISASTER WAS WEIGHING HEAVY ON HER HEART. SHE STATED THAT THIS DISASTER BROUGHT TO LIGHT HOW IMPORTANT TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS IS. COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA STATED THAT SHE WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE CITY OF BENTON’S PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS FOR ALL OF THEIR HARD WORK.
COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER PERKINS, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
6:35 P.M.
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MAYOR
ATTEST:
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CITY CLERK
