Chambana Sun

The village of Thomasboro Board of Trustees met Sept. 6 to purchase new playground equipment.

Here are the meeting's minutes, as provided by the board:

Thomasboro Village Board of Trustees

Regular Board Meeting

September 6, 2016

Thomasboro Village Hall

101 W. Main Street, Thomasboro, Illinois

A Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Thomasboro was held on Tuesday,

September 6, 2016, President Brad Morris presiding. President Morris called the meeting to

order at 7:00pm.

Roll Call

The Village Clerk called the roll, finding the following members physically present: Village

President Brad Morris; and Trustees Jeff Robertson, Anthony Grilo, Kyle Henegar, Anna Martin,

Dustin Rhodes, and Mickey Wilson.

Other Village officials present: Keith Willis, Chief of Police; Leon Albers, Treasurer; Tyler Martin,

Public Works Superintendent; Deanne Wattjes, Office Manager; Laurel Zook, ESDA

Coordinator; and Jeremy Reale, Village Clerk.

Pledge of Allegiance

Following roll call, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Discussion/Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting

Trustee Grilo moved to approve the minutes of the August 1, 2016 regular meeting and the

August 1, 2016 special meeting, as prepared. Trustee Robertson seconded the motion. Motion

carried, all present voting “aye”.

Presentation of Bills

Following review and discussion of the monthly bills, Trustee Wilson moved to approve the

payment of the bills listed and the regular bills yet to be received. Trustee Henegar seconded

the motion.

The Village Clerk called the roll:

YEAS: Robertson, Grilo, Henegar, Martin, Rhodes and Wilson – 6

NAYS: None – 0

ABSENT: None – 0

Motion carried by roll call vote of 6 to 0.

Committee Reports

Civil Defense & Parks: Chair Rhodes acknowledged the receipt of a $2,500.00 donation from

Republic Services to be utilized toward the purchase of new playground equipment at West

Side Park. Paul Cundiff, representing the Thomasboro Celebration and Street Dance

Committee, addressed the Board to present a check in the amount of $500.00 for the

playground improvement project. He added that the committee appreciated all of the assistance

provided by Village personnel during the celebration activities.

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Police & Safety: Chair Martin presented the monthly activity reports. Chief Willis reported that

a newly-enacted state statute would now require each police squad vehicle to be equipped with

Narcan, an agent to prevent opioid overdose.

Personnel: Chair Wilson reported that the Board had interviewed a candidate for the part-time

position of public works assistant, and had unanimously recommended the hiring of Benjamin

Doorn. This position would provide assistance to the Superintendent with mowing,

snowplowing, and systems maintenance on an as-needed basis not to exceed thirty hours per

week.

Trustee Wilson moved to approve the appointment of Benjamin Doorn as part-time Public

Works Assistant. Trustee Grilo seconded the motion.

The Village Clerk called the roll:

YEAS: Robertson, Grilo, Henegar, Martin, Rhodes and Wilson – 6

NAYS: None – 0

ABSENT: None – 0

Motion carried by roll call vote of 6 to 0.

Building Permit & Liquor License: Chair Robertson reported that a building permit had been

issued to Mark Ratts for an addition to an existing outbuilding at 409 W. Park Street.

Health, Sanitation & Public Relations: Chair Grilo reminded those in attendance of the

upcoming community cleanup day on October 15. He stated that he would contact Republic

Services to discuss the possibility of having trucks provided for the event in lieu of roll-off

dumpsters, as this would allow for ease in removing the receptacles from the site quickly. The

Board engaged in discussion on issues that had complicated previous cleanup day events,

including non-residents using the service and individuals hauling large loads of construction

debris and materials that filled the available dumpsters. The consensus of the Board was that

those making deliveries to the cleanup site should be asked to display a current utility bill or

form of identification as proof of Thomasboro residency. It was also determined that residents

should be limited to disposing of a “reasonable” amount of trash, which would be subject to the

judgment of those officials overseeing the event. It was noted that Village personnel would no

longer be able to provide free pickup of unwanted items from residents’ homes on cleanup day.

Waterworks & Sewer: No report.

Streets & Alleys: No report.

Old Business

(A) Main Street Resurfacing Project

President Morris reported that he and Mr. Martin had met with representatives from Premier

Cooperative to discuss the possibility of sharing costs associated with the resurfacing of the

entire length of Main Street. He stated that the Premier officials had expressed an interest

in partnering with the Village on the project due to the long-term effects visible on the

roadway from truck traffic to and from the elevator. At the same time, with an estimated total

of $126,000.00 needed for the resurfacing work, they were cautious about committing a

significant portion of their capital budget. While the board of directors for the cooperative

was to have met the previous week to discuss the funding request, the Village had not yet

received word on the outcome of that meeting.

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(B) Update on Demolition of Properties

Mr. Martin reported that the abandoned homes acquired at 702 Morris and 501 Frederick

had been demolished and the lots cleared. He also informed the Board that the large pile of

brush at the north end of Thomas Street had been cleared from the site and he would be

placing a chain across the entrance to prevent any further dumping.

(C) Discussion on Possible Sale of Properties at 702 Morris and 501 Frederick

With the properties now cleared of the dilapidated homes, President Morris inquired as to

how the Board would like to proceed with seeking prospective buyers. The Board discussed

the possibilities of soliciting bids or listing the properties for sale. The majority of the Board

expressed a preference for the lots to be redeveloped with new single family residences

rather than simply having neighboring homeowners purchase the properties to increase the

size of their yards. Trustee Grilo noted the importance of new residential development in

terms of increasing the tax base not only for the Village, but also for the school district. He

suggested that any agreement for the sale of the properties should stipulate that a new

single family home must be constructed on the site within a specified time period following

the sale. He further stated that the Village could offer additional incentives to entice the

development of the two parcels. The Board directed Trustee Grilo to develop a proposal for

discussion at the next regular meeting.

New Business

(A) Purchase of Power Washer for Public Works Department

Trustee Rhodes moved to authorize the purchase of a 2,700-psi power washer with soap

dispenser unit for a cost not to exceed $650.00. Trustee Robertson seconded the motion.

The Village Clerk called the roll:

YEAS: Robertson, Grilo, Henegar, Martin, Rhodes and Wilson – 6

NAYS: None – 0

ABSENT: None – 0

Motion carried by roll call vote of 6 to 0.

Comments and Questions from the Audience

Barb Maier addressed the Board asking the trustees to consider a reduction in water and sewer

rates for those residents who seasonally leave the area. She stated that she was not opposed

to paying for the services; however, she felt there could be some reprieve from the significant

debt service surcharges attached to the Village’s rates for those residents who leave their

homes for two months or longer. President Morris responded that he would confer with staff on

the matter to develop some type of reduced rate policy.

President Morris publicly thanked Jim Richardson for his assistance with grading the northern

access road from the Schluter subdivision.

Jim Richardson addressed the Board to express his opposition to the Village providing a site for

residents to dispose of brush, limbs, and other landscape waste. He noted that it was unlikely

the Village would ever be able to adequately monitor any site to prevent abuses such as the

dumping of raw garbage, furniture and other household waste.

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Mr. Richardson also inquired about the new regulations for the pickup of trash containers under

the Village’s contract with Republic Services. He noted that several residents had been placing

their containers in the alleyways for pickup by current trash haulers and asked if this practice

could continue. Trustee Grilo responded that Republic would be using specialized trucks which

would not be able to navigate through the narrow alleys in town; therefore, all containers would

need to be placed on the street side for pickup.

Mr. Richardson further raised concerns about possible ordinance violations on the Grilo property

in the 800 block of North Thomas Street. Trustee Grilo responded that he had been working to

resolve the issues with the dirt and concrete that had been dumped on the property. It was

noted that Trustee Grilo was not the owner of the property in question, as it belonged to his

parents. Mr. Richardson stressed the importance of enforcing Village ordinances and having

Village officials observe those same regulations.

Greg Worrell addressed the Board concerning a letter he had received from the Village code

enforcement officer about a vehicle with expired license plates that had been parked on the

street in front of his property.

Harold Kirby stated that he would prefer to see the Village adopt an ordinance placing a

residency requirement upon all Village employees.

Treasurers Report

There were no comments regarding the Treasurer’s Report.

Adjournment

There being no further business to come before the Board, Trustee Grilo moved to adjourn the

meeting. Trustee Robertson seconded the motion. Motion carried viva voce vote.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:54pm.

Respectfully submitted,

_____________________________

Jeremy A. Reale, Village Clerk

The undersigned Village Clerk of the Village of Thomasboro, Illinois, does hereby certify that the

foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the approved minutes of the Regular Meeting

of the Board of Trustees held September 6, 2016, as the same appears on the records of the

Village now in my custody and keeping.

________________________________

Village Clerk