City Council - Regular Meeting

Yeah. Okay. Kelly texted me about it a few minutes ago. request. You bet.

What a lady. I can't hear you guys.

Like call the meeting to order. You have roll call. Mayor Crane here. Council member here, here and here.

Are there any additions or corrections to the minutes? Minutes stand approved. This is our second Okra hearing for our waterline replacement. This time I'd like to turn it over to Mike Klein Peter, our colle consultant. Good evening, council and public. My name is Mike Klein Peter with Klein Peter Consulting Group. We are the grant administration firm assisting the city and the grant to the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. This is our second public hearing and the legal notice was advertised on April 23rd in the Fountain County neighborhood. The purpose of this hearing is that we'll be applying for a grant of $750,000 and we'll be contributing a local match of $300,000. We had a proposal that was due to OCR on April 3rd. Okra came out and did a site visit and discussed our project with the mayor. Uh the city was then notified that we met the 95% complete requirement in order to proceed to the full application. So, we now have a full application due on June 5th. We want to make sure that citizens are fully informed and have an opportunity to ask any questions about the project they may have. With that, I'll turn it over to Drew. Talk a little bit about the project.

Thanks, Mike. I'm Drew Wilson. I'm with Eegis. Mike already mentioned all the the things that go along with this, but uh really we're here to help the city pursue a $1,50,000 waterline replacement project. Uh the area that we have zeroed in on is on Second Street. Uh we looked at some various locations on Second Street, Third Street, Fourth Street. Decided that the aging mains uh that break the most often are along Second Street and u we kind of hit the $750,000 Oak grant and the city's contributed $300,000 to a $1,50,000 project at the south end of second between Jefferson and Union Street. The total length of that water man to be replaced is about 1,400 feet. The project would include new 6 inch C900 PVC pipe and all necessary valves, fittings, hydrants, and new service connections to maintain the existing system and to improve its longevity as well. We would maintain the existing services in place until the new line is installed and tested and then reconnect the new service lines to the new main to minimize any downtime. Uh, additionally, within that $1 million budget, we've included uh tapping sleeves at all existing main crossings and line stops for those existing crossings. Uh, old hydrant removal, new meters, uh, maintenance of traffic for the project, erosion control for the project, dewatering, pavement restoration, curb and sidewalk repairs that might be necessary, and grass and planting restoration as well. So with that, mayor, you can elaborate, but based on our meeting with Okra, they that everything looked good in our proposal. We are looking for a couple more resident letters was something they told us we could improve on. Uh we've seen a couple letters from residents if you've been impacted by any breaks on Second Street if you'd be willing to

email the mayor just what's been your experience, how long did it last, how did it impact you. Uh I'd also just remind the public there is a residential survey on the city's website. It's down now. It's down now. Okay. Well, there was one. If anybody's would like to I've got a copy of that as well. If anybody would like to see that, just let me know. And that's really all we have for tonight. Mayor, does a public have any question? Oh, there's a signin sheet. I'm going to pass around to council. I know you normally don't sign that, but Opra asked me to get it signed by council as well. So, I'll pass that around just a minute. There's a signin sheet as well, so don't forget to sign that.

Any questions from the public or council about the project? Thank you, Mike. Thanks, Drew. Casey, I don't have anything.

Just finished up. Uh, two individuals went through our initial fire training. So, that's not help response. Okay. How did your training ago was two weeks ago?

Uh, we've had actually multiple ones there. Uh, it's actually going very well. Um, we are it's going to be being utilized a lot. We got another one set up for June 12th through 14th. Um they're doing another live fire burn train the trainer. Um they really like coming here and doing the training. So they're going to be utilizing for that. It's going very well. We're getting a lot of people through fire instructor trainers through it. But we're also getting individuals that are not becoming instructor. They're taking the classes and they're really enjoying to see a lot of different fire behavior and how it works.

Where would you say how far out would you say some of your guys are coming in from the Uh we had some the other day came clear from Pittsburgh. We had to southern part they've been all over the state basically. It's just going to get bigger. Is there how many different training facilities in the state right now? 12. Was it 12? Yeah, there's 12. There's 12 like ours. Yeah. Each of them a little bit different, but they built 12

and they're strategically placed in areas in the state. What they done is they did a a map of looking at how farfiders had to drive for training. And so what they were looking at is they were finding some were driving way over an hour. Now, even though some of these drove an hour or two here, these were more for when we do like firefighter one, firefighter two classes, what they were trying to do is make sure some of them didn't have to drive a long distance to do a live fire burner. We were we were in the red. So, that's why we got picked. One of the reasons we got meaningfully served.

Yeah. So, that's why we that's why we got it. Uh, one of the nice things too is the state of Illinois, some of the eastern Illinois fire departments are wanting to come here and fight or, you know, train with us on that. Uh, they're having a really challenging time getting to the Illinois Fire Service Institute and train there. And they can train, they can't come across state line. That's good. Thank you, Shannon. Nothing. Jean, nothing. Tyler Henry Jerry and Mariah

Mariah are here behalf of the Fourth of July celebration less than two months away. Um the main one of the reasons we're here is last fall we talked about an incident at the park where some child was almost grabbed and we just want to remind you that we'd like to have a policeman up there around during the festival.

He's looking at you Shannon. Um, if you I mean if you want and whoever's willing to do if they would want to pay the overtime rate to have the you know the officers are off duty on those days to work overtime to get to be down there control that. I have no problem with that. Um, I can't I can't say I can have have them down there all night because you know the calls and stuff, right? We usually, you know, like work usually try to be there and walk around, but I mean calls come out, we can't guarantee, right? I I know that, but at least down there some of the time during each night to walk around. I mean, we'll try our best, but like I said, I mean, if you want somebody down there and like,

you know, you guys, they they pretty much there's been an officer there about all the time during the festival. They always try. I tell them to be down there as much as possible. Okay. Yeah. I mean, officers down there. What would be the rate to have somebody down there full time?

I don't know. I don't do payroll anymore. I had to find it out real quick. I'd have to go in the other room. It's at least I would say at least $45 to $50 an hour. Um we just as much support as we can get. Um the other things just want to go over um entertainment this year. Six days. Carnival will get here probably Saturday night, Sunday morning, Saturday night the 27th for sure on Sunday the 28th. And the celebration runs from Monday the 29th through Saturday July 4th. Monday is our opening ceremony and pageant. Tuesday we have endless summer band. Uh Wednesday on gospel night rockland road band. Uh Thursday is No Fences Darth Brooks tribute band. Friday is Richard Goodall. that night. Just like on the 4th, we do hire people to park cars to try to keep it semi organized because we figure that'll be a big draw that night. And then on Saturday, Cooping Company and Town Gring. So for the 250th anniversary, we're really going out on entertainment side, on fireworks side. We've up the money. we're going to spin. So, the finale is twice the normal size and the number of

1 in cakes, 100 shot cakes are going to be double. Plus, we'll have some kind of uh display for 250 years. So, we're trying to make it a special year. The parade is Saturday the 4th. line up at 3 uh 4 pm. We expect it to hopefully be bigger than normal. We know that the 11 townships for the 200th anniversary are going to have floats in the parade. We're actually going to go out and solicit more participants this year. Is there any couple of things? Again, we're going to give out little more door prizes. So, it equals 250 for the first five nights. We're going to on Mega Bans, we're going to give away two free mega vans to people that buy them. Uh we're going to look at having a little raffle to have special parking spots. three of them. So, we're we're trying to really make it a little special this year. Jessup Amusements, still called Jessups, but Jay has been very ill with liver cancer. So, he's selling the carnival to a group out of Florida. I talked to them. Of course, we have a two-year contract this year next. and he's working with us so far very well like Jay did. So, we hope things will go well. So, any questions or comments? Anybody?

Okay, Casey, you'll take care of the sewer beforehand and as as always. Okay, Bob. I just wanted to see what was going on with the uh electric at the big ball field at the park. So last year when the season got done in July, we had a working scoreboard and a working PA system. Um of course the lines got buried and all that kind of stuff. So this year we go to turn things on and we our PA lines were cut at the concession stand and we don't have working school board and then we had issues over the weekend. The transformer was blowing. Yeah, Jean, you want to

Yeah, the transformer out there was a short out at the stuff on the school board's not new. We did they didn't change that panel. So, the short in there somehow and the transformer burned up. So, there's new up there now. So there's there's a mini transformer I think on the back of that school panel whatever he has electrical but it's they figure that out everything back on as far as so is it the the new stuff being tied into the old stuff

no this is I don't know that's just happened to be in that panel something short direct short so you don't know it's not ground today. He said something about four wires for three and I don't know if plan on changing that or what. Well, I said I just like to sort that out so that the kids got a scoreboard in the PA system. The PA system I was told that pole be gone all the wires be gone.

So, we took those down. So, if you wanted the only thing is I mean it was a working PA and when you guys buried the wires then the wires for the PA got cut. It was never put back up. So gone it was gone. So we had to have bury everything for the or whatever. So whatever on that pole had to be gone. And are the uh are the lines pull the pole out. So this whole work going to be buried or they just stay like they are. I think they're staying like they are. Pull the pole. Yeah. Pull the pole is going to stay like it is for now.

Yeah. And then the only other thing is is uh it'd be nice to get some grass seed on the hill where the lines were buried under the ground. I I thought, huh? Who I thought Darren Burke was going to do that. He he used his soil uh conditioner on his Harley break. So, we'll we'll check that out. So, Randy, you got any grass seed over there? I'd have to look. Okay. Wouldn't take much to sprinkle a little bit on. There may be a bag or so.

Yeah, we'll put some on it. Yeah, that's all we had. That's it. Okay, Terry, got anything? Not just want to familiarize myself. Okay, girls. Brent Hammy. Well, we were just curious about the drainage at our house there at 12 in Washington because that we still have that drains deadheaded in our yard. Every time that rain heavy comes heavy, it comes out of there. Oh yeah. I don't And like last month, we still have an issue with the sewer. We had our sewer line replaced last year.

That's what I thought. And but every time the rain gets high like last month, we have a backflow pre. Sure. And that works, but then our our sewer can't go out until the rain subsides and goes down because there's downspouts going into the sewer line at where at your house. Not from our house, but houses uphill from ours. And I spoke to Casey some time ago talking about that, you know, they could do a smoke test and find out who's putting their down spouts into the sewer line and have them properly. Yeah, they need to they need to remove them cuz we were up there.

Um Casey and I were up there the other day and went up and down Lewis Lane there and and up to the end, you know. Yeah, it's it's bold, you know, when it when we get a two or three incher like the other day. That's what happens. We couldn't, you know, we took off the what manhole wasn't running that much. Did 10th Street, we did by Masonic Dodge Lewis and by Washington by the church.

Yeah. Yeah. Why can't they remove the cement that put the drain under the road that blocks all the water back from our yard? Talking about the front drain in the front. Yeah. And Casey had told me that when you guys dug it up a year and a half ago, maybe. Yes. That there's only a fireplace across the road. Yeah. What it needs is a lift station. Yeah. Because that's so low it needs to be pumped through the hill toward the river. And that's that's storm water, isn't it? Yeah. In front. Yeah. So, she's across to the church that goes to Jefferson. It gets to her front yard and stops because the city, you told me they said you put cement in that drain.

They stopped it. We Yeah, they they stopped it up at one time. We didn't. I mean, that years ago. Well, you said you didn't personally, but did Yeah. Why did they do that? Just because we found them. We started digging. Yeah. They There was whole park used to flood over the Nazarene church and on down has always had a but it should back in our yard. That's our largest investment and the city is backing up all the water into it is going to erode the land. So is it backing up in that drain? Yes. It doesn't go anywhere coming down to their front yard.

Yeah. When we've had heavy rains, the brakes in that line, we used to get spouts in the front yard everywhere a joint was just taking a path of least resistance. Usually I get gravel and whatever's been in the drain come up in the yard. What do you think the fix is? I'm putting the storm grade in and running somewhere. I don't Is the Is the concrete plug not in it now? Well, it's in it. We couldn't get through it. Then how does it back up? It doesn't go anywhere. So it's all coming down the front yard. Oh, from Washington. It won't drain under.

Yeah. It won't go anywhere. So we won't get the heavy downpours. It's just collecting. And it's block. I'm sure it is. But ultimately it needs a lift station someplace in the lowest part to get it toward Jefferson.

We'll look into that. Okay. We'll see what we can find out. Eric, Marty, I want to thank everybody that participated Saturday. They did a fantastic. They did. It was a nice celebration.

Paul Butch my name. I know what your name is. No, I I've got nothing today. Chad, nothing. Got a thank you note from the Triappa. Says to Mayor Brad Crane and the city of Cington employees, we want to thank you for installing the pool shade bill again for our city pool. We very much appreciate your hard work. Thank you. Is that what you had, Brad? Nothing new this week, Randy.

Yeah. I was wondering who uh who's responsible for hatching the over there by the fourway stop that uh the water man blew up and now it's Is that state? Is that us? It should be should be the state. What? No one's ever got or it it should be it should be state told us it's their responsibility to fix it. Who what did you say? The state supervisor that day was on the phone with one of the contractors. I don't know which one that one was. There's four of them, but they're responsible for fixing.

They have a timeline on that like, you know, cuz it's it's a mess. We keep it on. Yeah, I know last month when we talked the asphalt plants hadn't fired up yet. Yeah, we've already been through four times. So, they are working there. Yeah,

they need to fix that whole intersection because the whole intersection was bad before that happened and they haven't repaid for a long time. Yeah, there's and there's several um places that I mean that you guys just patched patched over and then we're going to go dig out all of our other water holes.

Can you use the hot box for that or you have to have like a major like a dump truck on Elm Street that whole road? That's all I Thank you, David. Nothing. Thanks. You have anything? I had something there. Cool. Keith, yeah, I just want if you could someone could quickly explain to me I I was doing some researching on Gateway and I came across uh that your salary was supposed to be $27,600.

That's correct. And Mrs. Kenneth said that's all you receive except for $83 a month for your cell phone because you have your own Medicare. But when I was looking further on page five, it says for the mayor for 2025, it says salary and wages $57,600, not 276. Employee benefits 4,467. I answered that. You're looking You're looking at the mayor's budget, not the mayor's salary. You're looking at the mayor's all of us. I'm ask Okay, so that's for all for every that's the mayor and for

No, I I did answer the answer. That's why I don't understand why answer that. Well, no, I did. It was on your page. Well, I haven't seen it anyways because that's the the whole budget for the city. And if you go down further on that same page, it says total mayor 73,7947. So what that's the whole encompass the whole budget for the mayor. That's for bonds, insurance, um not health insurance, but any insurance we have. Um office supplies,

office supplies, equip office equipment. Um, that's for the whole council. Okay. Yeah, it says mayor for it as the department, but it's really for council, not in in the general fund. There's the there's the clerk treasures budget, the mayor's budget, park and recreation, um, general fund. So, sanitation, police, and fire. That's simple enough.

Yep. One other question that I had because because I was at the ballpark on Saturday and I noticed the electrical issues and I know that we decided not to hire an electrical supervisor quite some time ago and we have if now correct me if I'm wrong don't we have some fellow from Crawford'sville we do on on call we do so what is Brandon Ricketts I mean what is his company's involvement it seems like they're doing a lot he was he was he was doing the actual electrical work for to the consensation stand and some of that work. Okay. Yeah. I was just curious.

And that was within the grant. We got a grant to bury all the lines. We did all the I went as far as like making the repairs on Saturday. We did all the primary work. Um because it appeared that these two guys were waiting on Scott Grub to show up to make the repair. Well, my question. It was over and above the the transformer and the primary what what he what Scott was doing. But we don't have people in our electrical department that can do those.

We don't we don't do outside electric work past the past the meters and the mains. I I was just curious because I mean if that came up part there was a lot of people talking and it was paid for in the grant. Okay. So yeah, but are we saving money by not having a supervisor? No, we couldn't find it one and and these two gentlemen are are very I mean I don't mean

No, they're very capable. Yeah, they're very capable and uh what they're doing. You know what we had several years ago? We had four people that they're they're doing the work of really four. We paid the one gentleman uh and he's with him. Uh we he replaced a pole with them on Pearl Street the other day. Right. I was just curious if it, you know, I didn't know if it was a matter that was saving us money, but if it was actually

very for 2020 26 we set the wages the manager which will be reining kite last year it was 5,000 I think it should be 5250 anybody have any comments on that n I think it's fair and I make a motion to approve it

sorry now I have we'll do them all Lucy Howard's the assistant will be the assistant assistant manager. Um, it's been $11. I think we should raise it 12. Um, and but this is based on Petersburg and what Williamsport. So, we're kind of hitting a happy me medium there. Lifeguards have been 1010 to 1050. Uh, I think $11 on that. Anybody have any comments? Those kind of increases are consistent with so not what we did with other city employees a few months ago.

Yes. I make the motion to approve it. Okay. Second. Randy. Yes. Brad. Yes. Yes. Chad. Yes. Paul. Yes. Motion passes. I go. Okay. Thank you very much. Meetings journ. the matter. Where's concentrate.