On Monday, July 27, 2015, the City of Morrison Council Meeting convened with a Public Hearing at 7:00 p.m. in the Whiteside County Board Room, 400 N. Cherry Street, Morrison, IL. The swift meeting adjourned at 7:34.
In attendance were Mayor Everett Pannier, City Clerk Melanie Schroeder, City Administrator Barry Dykhuizen; Aldermen Curt Bender, Michael Blean, Scott Connelly, Dale Eizenga, Dave Helms, Vernon Tervelt, Mick Welding, and Harvey Zuidema; Treasurer Evan Haag; Police Officer Dan Simmons; City City Engineer Shawn Ortgiesen.
Reports of City Officers and Department Heads—CA Dykhuizen reported that IDOT will use the same style of patching on U. S. Highway 30 as in the past, starting “about Monday, August 1,” and ending “mid-October. There will be one-lane traffic and expected back-ups to traffic. Road work will be from Garden Plain Road east to Bartlett Street.”
Consent Agenda items were unanimously approved without discussion.
1. July 13, 2015, Regular Session Minutes
2. Bills Payable of $91,282.84
3. Chris Vanderleest was appointed to the Library Board, to fill the resignation of Nancy Riggen.
Items for Consideration and Possible Action
1. Sharon Pepin addressed the Council during one-of-two Public Hearing Notices, regarding application for grant money from Community Development Block Grant funds. CDBG has $16 billion to dispense from the 2013 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act. Morrison’s grant request qualifies for the State’s portion this year of $26,000,000. This is due to extensive damages in 2011, from nearly 22″ of snowfall in January and February. Data was submitted about damage to the waste water treatment facility; floating digester cover; sludge piping; heating coils; gas piping and supports; concrete cap on the digester tank; resulting structural defects to the digester face brick and sludge storage tank foundation cone; manhole concrete–“all presenting a safety concern to the operations of the facility.” Flooding from a fast snow melt inundated the waste water treatment plant, with the “primary clarifier tanks and chlorine tanks being completely submerged with storm flood waters.” The City’s proposed treatment plant is estimated to cost $15,384,000; the grant request is $1,061,233 (roughly 7% of the total project cost.) This request of “more than the allowed $600,000 maximum grant amount [is] due to the financial hardship the project will have on its residents, in the form of increased sewer water user fees.” Pepin stated only seven applications were on file last week. The public may access the CDBG Disaster Recovery grant application at City Hall. Awards will be made after August 3.
The remaining items passed.
2. Resolution #15-08 Resolution of Council Support, CDBG Grant
3. Resolution #15-09 Meeting Urgent Need national Objective, CDBG Grant
4. Resolution #15-10 Maintenance of Streets and Highways, MFT Project–Ortgiesen stated the 2015 street repairs will cost $137,000 plus engineering costs, for an estimated total of $160,000, contingencies included. Money will come from the Motor Fuel Tax fund.
5. Maintenance Engineering to be Performed by a Consulting Engineer, MFT Project–IDOT has reviewed the City’s forms for a “Group 4 Category, grind and overlay project, in contract with Fehr-Graham.
6. Construction Estimate of Cost, MFT Project–Work will be on Wall Street, from Clinton to Jackson Streets, and down to Pine Street. It includes four ADA compliant ramps at corners. New surfaces will match the residents’ driveways. The contractor will flag drivers and probably use one lane travel.
7. Municipal Estimate of Maintenance Cost, MFT Project–Ortgiesen stated this will be $155,000. He will submit the report to IDOT this week, and expects it to go to bid the second week of August. “The best case” time of completion is “two weeks.”
Other Items for Consideration and Discussion and Information began with designation of a perimeter pet path at the Sports Complex. This would allow pets on lease to be walked away from the public, quad area. CA Dykhuizen included a map in the Council packet. Mayor Pannier stated the Council “will proceed to an enforceable Ordinance.” The CA reported “eight-to-ten bid packets” have been requested, and “a few phone calls” were received, concerning two properties in Sunset Addition. Open Houses will be held Thursday, July 30, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 8, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Citizens also may schedule an appointment by calling City Hall 815-772-7657.