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Created on Tuesday, 26 February 2013 18:08

Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 February 2013 00:33

Published on Tuesday, 26 February 2013 18:08

Written by Stephanie Vavra

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The City of Morrison Council Meeting was held on Monday, February 25, 2013, beginning at 7:00 p.m., in the Whiteside County Board Room, 400 N. Cherry Street, Morrison, IL. 

Mayor Roger Drey called the meeting to order at 7:04;  Aldermen Dave Rose and Pat Zuidema were excused.

Dale Usterbowski was the lone citizen signed in to make Public Comment.  Mayor Drey stated he would speak on behalf of the American Legion later in the meeting, under Items for Consideration and Possible Action.

During Reports of City OfficersCity Administrator Jim Wise reported the City has received its first State of Illinois gaming tax revenue, for January 2013, in the amount of $305.

The only Report of Department Heads was by Jim DuBois, Sports Complex Director.  He noted equipment cost savings:  $1150 reimbursement on preowned bleachers, picnic tables, and uniforms with an equivalent value of $13,000; purchase of a slide from Prophetstown, IL, for $250, valued at $1000.  It will be installed at the Sports Complex "in the spring with a couple swing sets from the City parks."  Using a PowerPoint presentation, he stressed "the financial report [for the Complex] does not give you the economic impact of the program," the returned money to taxpayers, the attraction of business, sales tax revenues, the attraction of families, and people's lessened health care costs from choosiing a healthy lifestyle.  Houses near a park sell for about $2262 more than homes without a nearby park; that increases property tax revenues.  Our parks are strategically placed, and kids use them.  60,000 visitors came to the Complex last year; he said if 80% of them spent $10 in town, that would generate $480,000 per day, with an additional estimated 5% sales tax revenue of $24,000.  Returning 35% of that to the City equals $8400.  Expenses and revenues will increase he predicted this year, but there still would be a deficit of $136,000.  In 2012 the fees to the Park District were increased, and tax revenue was decreased.  He suggested options to generate more income, including having the concessions stand open every night; increasing recreational opportunities and lessons; refinancing bonds to free up money; expanding the taxed area inside a Park District.  "All programs must be self-sufficient," he concluded.

Five Consent Agenda items were approved as presented without questions.

Five Items for Consideration and Possible Action were discussed.

• Request to insure domestic partners, health and dental insurance coverage:  Blue Cross/Blue Shield representative Todd Lohman began his presentation saying this change in coverage would be a cost to the City:  half the premium cost.  He cited six criteria an employee must meet and necessary documents to support that a committed relationship exists between two domestic partners.  Should the relationship end, the employee would notify the insurance company; one could not reenter the domestic partner program for at least six months.  If the employee chooses, dependents would be covered up to age 26, per new  health care legislation.  During discussion Mayor Drey stated an employee asked about this coverage.  Alderman Michael Blean opined the issue should be negotiated as a wage/benefit package, not a "stand-alone item."  City Attorney Tim Zollinger clarified that "there is a huge difference between those in a civil union...'blessed by the State'" and domestic partnerships.  The City is required to offer insurance coverage to the first couple, but is not required to do so for the second.  ( Editor's note:   A civil union is a form of relationship recognition that gives same-sex couples access to State-created rights and obligations of civil marriage--which are automatically guaranteed to heterosexual couples by civil marriage.  Domestic Partnership Certificates do not automatically qualify employees or their partner for employer-sponsored benefits, nor do they confer survivorship or ownership rights.)  It was decided the City has no authority--and no desire--to take action on the insurance coverage. 

• Ordinance #13-06, amend Drug Paraphernalia Control Act and Cannabis Control Act:  Chief of Police Brian Melton requested "a more significant fine" than the current $50.  The Council unanimously agreed to raise the limit to $500. 

• Response to Odell Library letter regarding agreement with the City of Morrison:  CA Wise stated the 1994 agreement with the Odell Public Library Board was to be revised.  This letter, through the Board's legal counsel, cites the Library Board's disagreement with Clause 9, establishing a written intent to terminate the contract with a 90-day deadline.  The new contract is for five years.  Blean proposed taking out the clause, and it was the Council's concensus to remove it.  Zollinger will meet with the Board's attorney to see if they will agree to a shorter contract without Clause 9. 

• Review and acceptance of 101/103 W. Main Street engineering audit:  Mayor Drey reminded the Council that three reviews of the bills associated with these buildings have been done previously.  The questions then and now were 1. what did we pay?; 2. what did we get?; 3. was anything taken away from the site that we paid for?  Noah Carmichael, Fehr Graham Project Manager, said the Council received his report last month after he reviewed engineering and archtctural plans and the checks paid to Key Builders.  Alderman Marti Wood told Carmichael that change orders one through five were missing in his report.  He explained that change order 3.1 eliminated a lot of original items.  She asked about Addendum 1and the storefront door and windows.  Carmichael said the Addendum was part of  the bid, but was not awarded to contractors for construction.  Only "a handful of bids" were awarded to Key Builders.  While $14,540 was awarded for gutters and downspouts, the final cost was only $7100 for what was delivered.  Changes to the roofing award were made during construction.  The final cost was $341,684. 10, including the deduction of $49,544 from the previous owner.  Mayor Drey asked Carmichael if there was anything out of the ordinary in the bid , construction, or what the City paid for; he said, "No."  The Mayor asked if there was anything the City paid for but did not get; Carmichael answered, "No."  Mayor Drey said this report will "put an end to this issue" and called for a vote to accept the audit.  The review was approved, 5 to 1, with Alderman Wood the dissenting vote.  She said, "No, because there were change orders missing."  (Editor's note:  CA Wise reported on Tuesday, February 26, this audit cost the City $7172.  It took Fehr Graham staff multiple trips to Morrison, over several weeks, to review 1000's of pages of documents and to conduct personal interviews.)
  
• American Legion request to opt out of Historic District:  Mayor Drey summarized problems with a missing letter from the Legion and his diligent but unsuccessful search for it at the Post Office and inside City Hall.  Dale Usterbowski stated the letter was signed by four officers and mailed Monday, December 17, 2012.  The envelope was stamped, included a return address, and was taken to the mailbox by him.  However, the original application never reached City Hall and, thus, failed to meet the Monday, December 31, deadline.   A copy of an unsigned letter and the building's deed were hand-delivered to City Hall for the Historic Preservation Commission on Tuesday, January 29, 2013.  However, the lack of any signature, this letter did not state the Legion was requesting to opt out; it was addressed to EAST Main Street.  This deadline had been in effect for 11 months, as Alderman Sarah Thorndike noted.  Considerable discussion followed, and the matter was tabled until the next meeting.

Other Items for Consideration, Discussion, and Information yielded one topic, introduced by Alderman Thorndike and acknowledged by Aldermen Leo Sullivan and Marti Wood.  A request was made that dogs be allowed to walk in Grove Hill Cemetery; the topic will be on the next agenda.

 

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