I am masked up and actually at the board meeting.
At the meeting in person is Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges, Trustees Max Painter, Terri Cummings, Dan Davis and Art Rapp. Trustee Jim Wagner is here via zoom and Trustee Jeff Van Buskirk is absent. Clerk Tiffany McElroy-Smetzer is here as is Treasurer Debbie Routh.
Just doing cd and investments stuff right now.
Discussing Abbeyfield. And the drainage saga involving Abbeyfield property, Barry Fisher, Trinity Acres and the village.
The abbeyfield basement has flooded twice and it has to be fixed before the bank will finish the loan process. So the purchase is on hold until it’s fixed but Julie is coming out to mark the utilities soon. #itwilleventuallybeadaycare
Discussing civil defense siren. It means to take shelter and turn on your radio for instructions. (Local news for info so probably check facebook. 🙂 )
Dan Davis says it is more of an alert, than a defense siren.
Discussing downtown resteraunts and their outdoor seating. Mayor says it has been very successful. The one way street is working and it seems like lots of people are taking advantage of the outdoor seating.
“A few people have said ‘Hey, they are actually stopping at the stop sign.'”- Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges. #truefacts
Ameren rates have dropped starting with the June meter reading and is lower than Constellation. I will do a separate story on how you can get the lower rate!
Sewer!!!!!! Clark Dietz revised their proposal for the sewer plant because the village is postponing the sewer rate increase until October. So their plans need to be modified a teeny tiny bit.
Sidenote: it is pouring and I can hear people at the restaurants screaming as they try to avoid being drenched.
Rapp wants to table the agreement with Clark Dietz because there is no page 1. Page 1 is a signature page at the back.
“I have some concerns if we pass this do you know what the total cost will be to the city,” Rapp said. “Does this authorize us to spend the seven million and something.”
“No, that will be in the next phase. This is just in the design,” Fruhling-Voges said.
Okay, look…. they gotta update the sewer plant. The EPA says so. This has to happen so even if they table it is is happening eventually.
Rapp is questioning if the mayor went over it with the sewer chairman.
“IF we do not agree to the additional services we sit here and do nothing,” Fruhling-Voges said.
“My concern is it talks about the client,” Rapp said. “It gives Tami the sole authority on that.”
“This is normal procedure stuff to do any kind of facility plans,” Fruhling-Voges said.
This is a basic contract saying Clark Dietz can move forward with the engineering, ect.
Dan Davis is saying they need a contact person and that person is the mayor. Davis saying its normal to have a contact person for the project.
“I am the one that signs the paperwork,” Fruhling-Voges said.
Now Rapp saying they didn’t have the contract until June 8. Which is the date Tami got the contract from Clark Dietz. He has brought this up before. He doesn’t want to vote on things unless he has had them for a certain amount of time. Tami is pointing out nothing will change and it is a standard contract. “He had the majority of this memo document minus the timeline change a month ago.”
Terri Cummings is saying they had this information at the last meeting.
Honestly, this whole exchange is why I came in person tonight because they had a similar discussion last night but I couldn’t hear them very well. 🙂
The contract has been reviewed by the village attorney which is #whatourtaxdollarspayhimfor
This board, with various members, has had this conversation multiple times regarding the mayor being the contact person for projects. In every village I cover, the mayor is the contact person for major projects unless there is a village administrator. It’s like anything else… if you have 14 contact people nothing gets done.
Tami is expressing her frustration with delays on “technicalities”
“We are not here to pretend to be lawyers or engineers,” she said.
Honestly, they do this a lot. That large zoning project they eventually voted down, the proposed residential TIF, ect. They kept postponing stuff and asking questions that were really “technicalities.”
Rapp made a motion to table it. No one second it. That motion is dead.
Wagner made a motion to approve the contract. Davis seconded.
Cummings, Painter, Davis, Wagner voted yes. Rapp voted no.
It passes.
Davis is discussing the parks. They are looking at the fall work that needs to be done.
Davis just asked if they are having the fall festival.
Fruhling-Voges said it is up to the community council. They are going to ask the council to give them an update. THE VILLAGE DOES NOT RUN THE FESTIVAL but VILLAGE EMPLOYEES ARE ON THE COUNCIL. #dontgetittwisted
Fruhling-Voges said she could see it not being a full fledge festival. “I think by August we will be into Phase 4.” Said they could maybe just do the fireworks and a few other events. #pleaseletithappen Fruhling-Voges doesn’t think vendors will be approved.
I wouldn’t hold out hope for a festival. Ogden has been told by CUPH they can’t have theirs which is very close to the Fall Festival, Homer canceled Krazy Daze and their fireworks on July 4. But I will maintain a shred of hope because I want to take photos of the parade. #candyfordays Surely, we could have the parade and fireworks with social distancing right?
Discussing COVID and cleaning now. #googleit
Playgrounds are still not open but the bathrooms at the park are open.
The tennis courts are open.
Discussing portapotties at parks, events. #gross
People are apparently taking the caution tape down off the playgrounds. #comeoneguys #dontdothat
The point of this convo is should village workers waste their time and our tax dollars cleaning the bathrooms at the parks as much as the governors order requires? They are going to talk to a porta-potty company and the Illinois Municipal League for guidance. The park bathrooms are closed until they get more information. #gobeforeyougo
Streets and alleys- the rain illustrated where there are drainage issues. #remembertherewasalotofrain #theyhavedonedrainagework #itfloodslessthanwhenIstartedhere
Rapp is discussing how they need supporting documents for items on the agenda sooner. Basically, he is going to motion to table or vote no on items when he doesn’t think they have had the supporting documentation for enough time. Rapp saying his votes will not be rubber stamps.
To be fair, Fruhling-Voges has also asked them to ask questions when they don’t understand anything BEFORE the meeting so they don’t have to spend 45 minutes discussing things that are fairly simple.
Joe, the lawyer, is discussing the fence ordinance around pools. 4 feet high. They are discussing how you can regulate personal responsibilities. I mean… I guess. aren’t most laws just doing that though?
They aren’t voting on it because the HOA has different regulations and the ordinance is messy. Do people really have inground or above ground pools and don’t put fences around it? That gives me anxiety. And no I am not talking about wading pools.
Don’t block or restrict the storm sewer with your pools.
Discussing outdated zoning. Tami just threw in there that it wouldn’t be an issue if they passed the towncenter zoning.
If you are putting stuff up like a fence, a shed, a pool- just give the village a call.
CALL THE VILLAGE BEFORE YOU BUILD STUFF.
Discussing fences, property lines and the like. They are kicking it back to committee. I would just recommend if you are putting up a fence or a shed or a pool you call the village hall until they get this sorted out.
I think we may be done. #ALMOST #SOCLOSE #MYCOMPUTERISALMOSTDEAD
We are done.
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