On Monday, August 29, 2016, Mayor Everett Pannier called the City of Morrison Special City Council Meeting to order at 5:00 p.m., in the lower-level Conference Room, 200 W. Main Street, Morrison, IL. He called for adjournment at 5:17. In attendance were City Clerk Melanie Schroeder, City Administrator Barry Dykhuizen; Chief of Police Brian Melton; Aldermen Curt Bender, Arlyn Deets, Dale Eizenga, Dave Helms, Kenneth Mahaffey, Vernon Tervelt, Mick Welding, and Harvey Zuidema.
There was a single Item for Consideration and Possible Action:
- Resolution #16-08–Authorizing Withdrawal of the Prior Submission to the Electors of the City of Morrison, Whiteside County, of a Question Whether the City Should Have Authority to Levy an Additional Police Protection Tax. This Resolution was unanimously approved earlier this month.
Aldermen shared comments from their Ward residents, which had a common thread.
- “We trust this Council” to not asses the top allowable amount.
- “We don’t know what a new Council [might levy].”
- “We support the Police Department.”
Welding‘s constituents “have no problem supporting the Police Department. [We should] let the public know we would never go for the [high] number in the motion. What number we intend to cap it at” is the issue.
Helms said he was told, “If you could get the Ordinance limited to 0.225, we [could support it]. He suggested waiting to see if the Council can put a cap on the assessment.
Deets suggested putting the Referendum back on a future ballot, “changing the number,” and setting a cap.
Mayor Pannier said, “If it were defeated at 0.6 now, [we could] look at it with a different number. We might pass it.”
Eizenga is “more comfortable with a number lower than 0.6” percent.
Zuidema stated, “The problem with taking on this new levy is the ball park. We’re still saving the ball park.”
The consensus was to pull the Referendum that states a limit up to 0.6%. The Whiteside County Clerk will remove it from the November ballot. Any future Referendum would include a specific, capped amount for voters to consider.
CA Dykhuizen reminded Aldermen the Annual Audit is in their City mailboxes awaiting their perusal.
The Mayor offered information about the Enterprise Zone status. “We have [to submit] a new application in December.” He noted “Betty Steinert is gathering information about the City’s growth, investments, and sites, ie., the Waste Water Treatment Plant,” to prepare her writing the application. “She may come to the Council,” he added.
He shared approval of a second EPA loan to finance the “Pumping Station and piping.” The amount is $4,010,868.72, repayable over 20 years at 1.75% interest. After the meeting he told the Editor, “The 30-year loan is still on the table and might be a possibility. [It is] possible we could get a lower interest rate. The State is reviewing [that option.]
In addition, on Friday, August 19, he received notice of “grant forgiveness” of $4,500,000. This was through the EPA on the original Waste Water Treatment Plant loan. Morrison qualified due to population and income levels.