On Monday, March 23, 2015, Mayor Everett Pannier called the City of Morrison Council Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Whiteside County Board Room, 400 N. Cherry Street, Morrison, IL. Attending were City Clerk Melanie Schroeder, City Administrator Barry Dykhuizen; Aldermen Curt Bender, Michael Blean, Scott Connelly, Dale Eizenga, Dave Helms, Marti Wood, and Harvey Zuidema; Treasurer Evan Haag; Director of Public Works Gary Tresenriter; Police Chief Brian Melton; Sports Complex Director Jim DuBois; City Attorney Tim Zollinger; Fehr-Graham City Engineer Shawn Ortgieson.
Rhonda McKee, Morrison, addressed the Council during Public Comment, regard no City ordinance for how many animals are allowed in a home. She area stated Illinois towns of Sterling (3), Rock Falls (3), Fulton (4), and Prophetstown (4) set limits. She brought copies of ordinances from Prophetstown, which allows dogs, cats, and domesticated animals, and Rock Falls, listing dogs, cats, or rabbits. McKee would like to see a way to control the number. The Mayor stated, “We’ll take that under consideration.”
Reports of Department Heads—Tresenriter stated, “We have been experiencing iron on Well #5…and took it offline awhile ago.” He is pumping the well to waste to clean it and took samples last week and this for testing. He wonders why we are encountering iron now. He reported only one water leak in one-or-two, or several, weeks.
The Consent Agenda was approved.
- March 9, 2015, Regular Session Minutes
- March 18, 2015 Special Session (Budget) Minutes
- Bills Payable of $59,175.63
- February 2015 Treasurer’s Report
Items for Consideration and Possible Action included six items. Item four was information only; no vote on the estimate was taken. The remaining items passed unanimously, with numbers five and six combined into one resolution.
- CDAP Grant submittal: sewer main lining–Sharon Pepin owns Community Funding & Planning Services and assists with municipal planning and grant and loan applications. She stated lining, rather than replacing, decaying water mains is less intrusive and cheaper, with good long-term benefits. For a $450,000 project, the application limit, the City would pay 25% ($125,000.) She will evaluate previous surveys relating to the percentage of low-to-moderate income residents, so the City remains eligible for additional funding. CA Dykhuizen remarked, “We submitted [a grant request] twice, and [it] was not awarded.” He recommended Pepin doing the next application. Mayor Pannier said he has met with Pepin for a year; people call her “The Money Tree,” based on her success rate. “You can do no wrong if you work with her,” he concluded.
- Approval of easements for utilities–The Mayor stated Ortgiesen and Zollinger have worked months on obtaining utility easements for the new Wastewater Treatment Plant. Tresenriter developed a relationship and communication with an owner. Zollinger reported owners and the school district have signed, but these must be accepted by the City. “There are five now; there’ll be more coming.”
- Morrison Fire Department agreements–Zollinger stated because a previous agreement expired some time ago, new Articles of Agreement and a formal Lease Agreement (for the use of the City’s building) were designed. Those documents were submitted to, and approved by, Morrison Fire Department.
- Estimate of cost, 2015 Street Project: Orange Street from W. Wall Street to Route 30–Ortgiesen discussed 2015 tentative repairs to Orange Street between Wall Street and U. S. Route 30, estimating costs to be $155,000. He made a resolution of using up to $160,000 from Motor Fuel Tax funds. “After July 1[, 2015], [ new 1%] sales tax money will come.”
- Resolution #15-02, Appropriating Motor Fuel Tax funds for Orange Street Repairs–Approved
- Preliminary/Construction Engineering Services agreement for Motor Fuel Tax funds–Approved
Other Items for Consideration, Discussion, and Information
- Over-sized loads–Route 30–Chief Melton reported on eight escort and assistance requests from International Supply trucks, as they require law enforcement blocking traffic while trucks make “four critical turns. Length is the problem. Officers get 15 minutes of warning before [the over-sized trucks] arrive.” He has to block Route 30 traffic at City Hall to stop semi’s; the long trucks weave into both lanes to avoid utility lines. “There [are] many, many more [trucks] to come [through Morrison], he said. The Council suggested Chief Melton talk to the trucking company and seek reimbursement for these assistance calls.
- Wastewater Treatment Plant updates–Mayor Pannier reported, “The lending news from the IEPA isn’t good[, as to the Wastewater Treatment Plant]. Policymakers in Springfield are not going to put the 30-year loan agreement into effect.” He added accepting a 20-year loan will be “very, very difficult” for constituents. Do we want to consider another delay?” Morrison had qualified for a 1.5% interest rate on a 30-year loan, due to being classified “a hardship area.” The costs of the project have been reduced by $1.5 million due to engineering redesigns. A Public Hearing is set for Monday, April 13, for comments to be received.
The Council moved to Executive Session for discussion of 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(5)–The purchase or lease of real property for the use of the public body. No action was taken.