MINUTES OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED BENTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD MONDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2021 AT 6:00 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL ROOM AT 1403 SOUTH MAIN STREET BENTON, ILLINOIS, 62812.
MAYOR KONDRITZ CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ WERE PRESENT FOR ROLL CALL. ALL MEMBERS WERE PRESENT IN PERSON AT CITY HALL.
COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER STOREY. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER COCKRUM MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE PURCHASE ORDER #001775 TO LA CROSSE FOOTWEAR FOR FOUR (4) PAIRS OF RUBBER BOOTS FOR THE WATER DEPARTMENT WITH A 6-MONTH WARRANTY IN THE AMOUNT OF $400.00. COMMISSIONER COCKRUM ASKED CITY CLERK BROOK CRAIG TO EXPLAIN THE REQUEST FOR PURCHASE. MRS. CRAIG STATED THAT THE WATER DEPARTMENT REQUESTED A STURDIER PAIR OF BOOTS TO BE PURCHASED TO CUT DOWN ON THE NUMBER OF TIMES THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED. MRS. CRAIG STATED THAT THE BOOTS ARE PERSONAL PROPERTY OF THE CITY OF BENTON AND NOT THE EMPLOYEE AND THEREFORE NOT PART OF THE CLOTHING ALLOWANCE GIVEN TO EACH WATER DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH SECONDED THE MOTION. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH STATED THAT HE HAD NO PURCHASE ORDERS.
COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN APPROACHED REGARDING PLACING A SIGN ON TAYLOR STREET AT THE AREA WHERE THERE IS A “Y” WITH STOTLAR STREET. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH STATED THAT HE HAS SPOKEN WITH MR. TOM CARTER REGARDING THIS AREA AS IT IS NEXT TO MR. CARTER’S HOME. MR. CARTER STATED THAT THERE WERE STOP SIGNS IN THIS AREA IN THE PAST. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH STATED THAT HE WILL CHECK THE ORDINANCES TO SEE IF THERE IS AN EXISTING ORDINANCE FOR A STOP SIGN ON TAYLOR OR STOTLAR AT THIS INTERSECTION AND THAT IF THERE IS NOT, HE WILL HAVE ONE DRAFTED. THIS STOP SIGN IS BEING QUESTIONED DUE TO SAFETY REASONS.
COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE PURCHASE ORDER #00363 TO IAMRESPONDING FOR A YEAR’S SUBSCRIPTION FOR THE ANNUAL ALARM NOTIFICATION SYSTEM IN THE AMOUNT OF $735.00. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE PURCHASE ORDER #00365 TO NOVACOM FOR COMMUNICATION, LIGHT, AND SIREN INSTALLATION ON THE F-150 FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $950.00. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE PURCHASE ORDER #00364 TO THIN LINE PUBLIC SAFETY FOR AN EMERGENCY RESPONDER FOR THE FORD F-150 IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $5,301.80. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER COCKRUM. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE PURCHASE ORDER #00048 TO CONCEPTE OF ILLINOIS FOR 600 GB OF CLOUD BACKUP AND 1 EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE IN THE AMOUNT OF $944.00. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO TABLE ITEM (B) DISCUSSION
AND/OR APPROVAL OF POLICE UNION CONTRACT UNTIL THE DRAFT CONTRACT CAN BE READ. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
NO ACTION TAKEN ON ITEM (D) DISCUSSION AND/OR APPROVAL OF DISPATCH CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.
COMMISSIONER STOREY STATED THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT’S CURRENT RADIO REPEATER IS OLD AND IN NEED OF BEING REPLACED. IT IS ALSO CURRENTLY LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BENTON NEAR BOWLING ALLEY ROAD. ACCORDING TO POLICE CHIEF MIKE ANDREWS THIS MAKES HEARING CALLS FROM DISPATCH VERY DIFFICULT AND SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE. CHIEF ANDREWS IS ASKING THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER PURCHASING A NEW REPEATER AND HOUSING IT IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN IN A CLIMATE-CONTROLLED BUILDING. THE ESTIMATED COST OF THIS PROJECT WOULD BE $19,000.00. COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO TABLE THE PURCHASE OF A NEW RADIO REPEATER UNTIL A FURTHER MEETING. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE BILLS IN THE AMOUNT OF $306.263.92. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE PAYROLL FOR OCTOBER 29, 2021 FOR THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $42,977.96 AND ALL OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $38,482.61 FOR A TOTAL PAYROLL OF $81,460.57. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA PRESENTED A CONTRACT WITH LITTLE EGYPT MOSQUITO COMPANY FOR A TWO-YEAR TERM AT THE COST OF $15,000.00 PER YEAR. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER COCKRUM. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, 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 HAD NO UPDATES FOR THIS MEETING.
MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT HE ATTENDED THE PLAYOFF FOOTBALL GAME AND WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE ATMOSPHERE. MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT HE IS VERY PROUD OF THE EXCELLENT ATHLETES AND SCHOLARS WE HAVE IN BENTON.
MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT HE HAD NO PURCHASE ORDERS FOR THIS MEETING.
MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT HE NEEDED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REAL ESTATE SALES CONTRACT FOR LOT #1 IN THE AIRPORT INDUSTRIAL PARK SUBDIVISION WHICH IS 13.8 ACRES SOUTH OF THE ETHANOL PLANT. THIS CONTRACT WILL BE TO SHIRM USA. COMMISSIONER COCKRUM MADE THIS MOTION. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
MAYOR KONDRITZ STATED THAT WOULD LIKE A MOTION TO REZONE 422 EAST MAIN STREET FROM B1 TO I-1. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH MADE THIS MOTION. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
UNDER MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA THANKED CRAIG MILES FOR POURING THE CONCRETE PADS AT THE AIRPORT FOR THE CHRISTMAS TREE AND THE FLAG POLE. COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA ALSO STATED THAT SOME OF THE MERCHANTS ON THE SQUARE ARE LOOKING INTO HAVING A FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS FOR CHRISTMAS. CITY CLERK BROOK CRAIG ALSO STATED THAT COVID VACCINES AND BOOSTER SHOTS AT THE CITY HALL ON NOVEMBER 17, 2021 AND DECEMBER 1, 2021 FROM 8:30 A.M. TO 3 P.M.
NO OLD BUSINESS.
NO NEW BUSINESS.
IN MATTERS FROM THE PUBLIC AUDIENCE, MR. TOM CARTER ASKED IF THE MOSQUITO COMPANY WOULD BE FOGGING OR TREATING. MR. CARTER ALSO ASKED IF A LETTER HAD EVER BEEN PROVIDED TO THE EPA REGARDING SHANNON TIOGO AS THE LEAD IN THE SEWER PLANT GIVING HIM PERMISSION TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
COMMISSIONER STOREY MADE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER COCKRUM. VOTE WAS TAKEN. YEAS: 5. COMMISSIONER MESSERSMITH, COMMISSIONER COCKRUM, COMMISSIONER STOREY, COMMISSIONER GARAVALIA, AND MAYOR KONDRITZ. NAYS: 0.
6:35 P.M.
