Chambana Sun

Rantoul Village Board of Trustees met June 13.

Here is the minutes as provided by the board:

A regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Rantoul was held at

6:00 P.M. Mayor Charles Smith called the proceeding to order.

Invocation & Pledge of Allegiance

The Invocation was given by Neil White, American Lutheran Church, opening the

meeting with a prayer. Following the invocation, Trustee Fox led the audience in

recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roll Call

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

Mayor Charles Smith and Trustees, Hank Gamel, Sam Hall, Terry Workman,

Jennifer Fox, Rich Medlen and Chad Smith.-7.

The following representatives of Village Departments were also present:

Jeffrey Fiegenschuh, Village Administrator; Scot Brandon, Comptroller; Kenneth

Beth, Attorney; David Silver, Inspection Department; Greg Hazel, Public Works

Director; Luke Humphrey, Recreation Department; Ken Waters, Fire Chief, and

Mike Graham, Village Clerk.

Approval of Agenda

Trustee Medlen moved to approve the agenda for the meeting. Trustee Fox

seconded the motion. Motion carried, 6 - 0.

Public Participation

Eldon Quick, Retired Chief of Police Village of Rantoul, spoke in favor of hiring

Tony Brown as the next Chief of Police for the Village of Rantoul.

Debra Sweat spoke about her Freedom of Information request given to Mike

Graham, Rantoul Village Clerk, on Thursday June 8, 2017 which was given to

Janet Gray, Deputy Clerk and then passed on to Lt. Wooten, the Freedom of

Information Officer for the Rantoul Police Department. Ms. Sweat indicated that

Lt. Wooten had come to her residence on Monday, June 12, 2017 to attempt to

satisfy her request for the demographics of all of the applicants for the position of

Chief of Police. Ms. Sweat indicated that she was not at all satisfied with Lt.

Wooten’s presentation. Trustee Fox indicated that the Village of Rantoul could

not release this sensitive information legally. Ms. Sweat said that she was retired

from the University of Illinois and had worked for the Chancellor of Human

Resources and that Trustee Fox was wrong. Ms. Sweat also took issue with the

fact that Trustee Gamel and Trustee Fox served on the selection committee

maintaining that this was a conflict of interest and local Citizens should have

been on the selection committee, with the Village Board interviewing the final

selected applicants. Trustee Fox responded that she disagreed with Ms. Sweat

as she was an elected Public Official representing all of the interests of the

Citizens of Rantoul.

Wendell Golston then continued to speak about the lack of transparency in the

new Police Chief Selection process. Mr. Golston indicated that Village of Rantoul

Website said there would be four finalists for the position of Chief when of Police

when in fact there were only two. Mr. Golston indicated that this was a failure to

communicate the true intentions of the Village of Rantoul.

Celina Buford spoke about Citizens of Rantoul who owed as little as $7.00 on

their Utility Bills being disconnected. Scott Brandon, Village of Rantoul

Comptroller said that this was not true and the Utility Billing Department made

every effort to work with needy Citizens before disconnecting their Utilities.

Presentation of Certificates of Recognition

Mayor Smith then called up to the front Breeze Espinosa and Colton Hesterberg,

recognizing these two Walmart Associate Employees for coming to the aid of

another Walmart employee who had stopped breathing. These two immediately

began administering CPR prior the Emergency Personnel arriving, thereby

saving the person’s life. They received a standing ovation from the audience at

the meeting.

“Note from the Rantoul Village of Clerk. All of the Agenda

Items Listed Below Carried by Roll Call Vote of 6 to 0.

Unless Otherwise Noted Below.”

 Approval of the Consent Agenda. Trustee Workmen moved for

approval of the Consent Agenda and Trustee Hall seconded the motion.

 Motion to authorize and approve purchase Electric Division Vehicle

from Shields Auto Group - $34,694.00. Trustee Fox moved for approval

and Trustee Workmen seconded the motion.

 Motion to authorize and approve purchase of Sewer Division Vehicle

from Shields Auto Group - $34,566.00. Trustee Fox moved for approval

and Trustee Medlen seconded the motion.

 Motion to authorize and approve purchase of Water Service Vehicle

from Shield Auto Group - $28,127.00. Trustee Hall moved for approval

and Trustee Workman seconded the motion.

 Motion to authorize and approve Public Works Administrative Vehicle

from Shields Auto Group - $28,904.00. Trustee Medlen moved for

approval and Trustee Fox seconded the motion.

Motion to approve purchase of two Police Vehicles; a Ford Taurus from

Shields Auto Group $18,762.00 and a Ford Interceptor from Morrow Brother’s

Ford - $27,490.00. Trustee Hall moved for approval and Trustee Fox

seconded the motion.

Motion to pass Ordinance No. 2526, An Ordinance Amending the

Official Zoning Map (221 West Chandler Road). Trustee Workmen

moved for approval and Trustee Fox seconded the motion.

Motion to pass Ordinance No. 2527, An Ordinance Authorizing the

Issuance of Taxable General Obligation (Limited Tax) Notes

to Finance the Acqusition of Two Police Vehicles for the

Village of Rantoul, Champaign County, Illinois, and

Providing the Details of Such Notes, and Related Matters.

Trustee Medlen made the motion to approve and Trustee Fox seconded the

motion.

Motion to pass Ordinance No. 2528, An Ordinance Ascertaining the

Prevailing Rate of Wages for Public Works of the Village

of Rantoul, Champaign County, Illinois, as of June 5, 2017.

Trustee Hall moved for approval and Trustee Workmen seconded the motion.

Motion to pass Ordinance No. 2529, An Ordinance Authorizing a New

Employment Position and Related Matters. Trustee Fox moved

for approval and Trustee Hall seconded the motion.

Motion to pass Ordinance No. 2530, An Ordinance Adopting a

Residential Housing Incentive Program. Trustee Fox moved for

approval and Trustee Hall. The Trustees then began a discussion as to the

relevancy of this Ordinance if the High School and City School District had not

approved this program. Ken Beth, Attorney, indicated that the Ordinance

would be null and void. Some of the Trustees wanted to delay the passage of

this Ordinance until the School Districts had approved the program while other

Trustees wanted to press on. The Clerk Called the Roll and the Motion

Carried by a vote of 5 – 1, with Trustee Hall voting No.

Motion to pass Ordinance No. 2531, An Ordinance Amending the

Schedule of Charges, Fees and Rates for Wastewater

Utility Services as Provided for in Chapter 40 of the

Rantoul Code. Trustee Medlen moved for approval and Trustee Workmen

seconded the motion.

Public Announcements

Trustee Workmen read a speech from three by five cards in which he indicated

a refutation of previous Public Participation by Wendell Golston that the Village

of Rantoul should be operated by the chief elected Public Official Charles R.

Smith Mayor/President of the Village Board of Trustees rather than the

appointed Administrator. Trustee Workmen indicated that after the April

Consolidated Election he visited every Department in the Village of Rantoul

and he felt that the Village of Rantoul had outstanding dedicated Employees

and Department Heads. Trustee Workmen, in conclusion further said that the

Village of Rantoul was operated by the Elected Public Officials the

Mayor/President of the Board of Trustees and the Village of Rantoul Board of

Trustees.

Mayor Smith indicated that he had been asked to read a statement refuting the

assertions of Jasmyne Boyce on June 6, 2017 with respect to the cancellation

of the Farmer’s Market in Downtown Rantoul. The Mayor indicated that the

Village of Rantoul Staff was dissatisfied with Rantoul Area Chamber of

Commerce and the Not for Profit set up to run the Farmer’s Market. The

Mayor further indicated that Rebecca Motley, Economic Development Director

Consultant and Eric Barnes worked diligently to fix the Farmer’s Market for

2017 in downtown Rantoul but in the end could not attract enough fresh food

vendors to participate. Mayor Smith said that pursuant to United States

Treasury Regulations that any excess funds in the Farmer’s Market Checking

Account could in fact be transferred legally to the Village of Rantoul. These

funds are now located in a special fund dedicated to the Farmer’s Market for

future years assuming that this can be accomplished. Further complicating the

2017 Farmer’s Market in Downtown Rantoul, was the fact that Mr. Fox, the

Agricultural Teacher at the Rantoul Township High School who coordinated

the Rantoul Township High School’s FFA Club in Planting and Harvesting

Fresh Produce on the South Rantoul Farm plot, had taken a new position in

the Saint Louis area and the FFA Club did not plant nor harvest any Fresh

Produce in June of 2017 like they had done in the past. Hopefully, the

Farmer’s Market in Rantoul can be continued in the spring of 2018.

Motion to enter into Closed Executive Session pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2

(C) 1, to consider the appointment, employment, compensation,

discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public

body or legal counsel for the public body, including hearing testimony

on a complaint lodged against an employee of the public body or against

legal counsel of the public body to determine its validity.

Trustee Hall move to approve the motion and Trustee Medlen seconded the

motion. The Clerk Called the Roll and the motion passed 6-0.

The Rantoul Village Board entered into Closed Executive Session at 7:16 p.m

The Rantoul Village Board of Trustees returned into Open Session at 7:55 p.m.

Trustee Hall moved to adjourn the Regular Village Board Meeting and Trustee

Foxl seconded the motion. The Motion carried 6 – 0.

The Rantoul Village Board of Trustee adjourned at 7:57 p.m.

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