On Monday, June 8, 2015, the City of Morrison Council convened at 6:58 p.m. in the Whiteside County Board Room, 400 N. Cherry Street, Morrison, IL.
In attendance were Mayor Everett Pannier, City Clerk Melanie Schroeder, City Administrator Barry Dykhuizen; Aldermen Michael Blean, Scott Connelly, Dale Eizenga, Dave Helms, Vernon Tervelt, Mick Welding, and Harvey Zuidema; Treasurer Evan Haag; Director of Public Works Gary Tresenriter; Chief of Police Brian Melton; City Attorney Tim Zollinger; City Engineer Shawn Ortgiesen.
Jeanette Russell addressed the Council during Public Comment, in regard to a ticket she received Monday, May 11, for off-hours parking on E. Main Street. Although she stated she is not contesting the citation, she “wanted to give” the Council an explanation from someone involved. Mayor Pannier asked if the Aldermen had questions; there were none. Boy Scouts signed the register, but–according to the Mayor–were present”listen and observe for a badge: Shane Adams (adult), Aaron Freeman, Luke Millard, John Taylor, and August Ufkin.
Reports of City Officers and Department Heads—Chief Melton will “probably” complete Everbridge Mass Notification System (emergency contact) training tomorrow; he is “close to introducing it to the public. People can sign up for the new [alert] system online.” Tresenriter reported on notification from Union Pacific Rail Road safety personnel, regarding upcoming replacement of the north track through town. Crossings will be closed sequentially: first Jackson Street; then Orange, Genesee, and Cherry Streets at the same time; Heaton will not be closed. Work should begin Friday, June 12, or Saturday, June 13, and take three days. Flagmen will be here one-to-two days prior, on the east side of town. The State will detour traffic on IL Route 78 and prevent semis coming though town. The railroad will only work on tracks at Orange, not change the grade, he explained.
Alderman Connelly requested item five from the Consent Agenda be removed for discussion; the remaining five items were approved.
- May 26, 2015, Regular Session Minutes
- Bills Payable of $266,060.57
- Ordinance #15-09, Prevailing Wage
- Ordinance #15-10, Disposal of Surplus Property (old water meters, for example)
- Resolution #15-05, Tech Drive/MIT/Sewer Line Easement Agreement
- Request for Street Closure, Morrison Farmers’ Market, Evening Market
Items Removed From Consent Agenda: CA Dykhuizen explained there are tasks to complete to relocate a fire hydrant, address a water main, and another matter, as the last step in the process to meet the easement requirements. Connelly recused himself during the vote to approve the resolution.
Item for Consideration and Possible Action:
- Ordinance #15-11, Depository Services: CA Dykhuizen sought competing bank proposals last fall. “For our need and based on our number of transactions…there is a $100 to $200 savings possibility” with Triumph Community Bank. “We don’t have a lot of checks. [The City office] is across the street. We don’t have a lot of cash deposits. All [the financial institutions he researched] provide great service. We have our line of credit there.” He suggested looking at the depository service issue every three or four years. The Ordinance was approved.
- Resolution #15-04, Accepting Final Plat for Sunrise Addition–The plat must be approved and recorded in order to get access to the permit, stated CA Dykhuizen. We can use the existing driveway until 2017. The Resolution was approved, so the matter can be included in the bid package. It was noted the contractor can submit a change order in the future, regarding the location of the driveway.
Other Items for Consideration, Discussion, and Information
- Orange Street Project Update, Fehr-Graham–Ortgiesen presented a PowerPoint presentation about options on Orange Street. The Council voted earlier in 2015 to expend $160,000 on Orange Street improvements, between W. Wall Street and the area south of Lincolnway. The Mayor advised the Aldermen to “come next time to say yeah or nay.”
Executive Session–The Council adjourned to discuss Resolution #15-03, Release of Monday, January 12, 2015, Executive Session Minutes. E. H. Stralow had mentioned he was interested in selling his buildings. The Council considered them as a new Public Works Department garage, but took no action. There was no interest in purchasing them.