City Council - Regular Meeting

What's going on?

Yeah, I got one minute. 6 o'

I got 6 p.m. All right, I got 6 p.m. Everybody ready? like to call the Oglesby city council meeting to order. Roll call, please. Uh Baldridge here. Pullin here. McDermott here. Moy here. Here. Number three, please stand for the pledge of allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right, number four, mayor's report. Um, we got a lot of stuff to do tonight. I'm going to try to get through as quick as I can here. So, uh, first one, um, we did have a meeting, uh, last week, uh, with the softball board. The softball board was working with trying to bring more tournaments into the city of Oglesby, which they've been relatively successful at doing. Um, to try to support that better, we talked to them about how we can try to maintain some, uh, you know, tree foul lines better. There's some things that we probably can't do this year yet. Uh but we're going to work on uh lights, drainage, and other things, but I'm very excited that they're bringing more people into the town. That's awesome. Uh number two, uh IDNR Mat annex project. I had a conversation with the with IDNR today. Um it has been slow, right? I wanted to get an update because on Thursday I have to talk for the state of the cities and stuff and I wanted to make sure to give an update on this since we talked about it more than a year ago. Um it's really slow. There's lots of debris that's all across the the new area. They are working on trying to get a bid uh for that. The goal is that they're going to get a bid. This is best case scenario. Best case scenario, they get the bid together this fall. They find somebody that's a bidder for it. They would get the cleanup done by spring and the best case scenario would be that zone one could be open as early as next summer. Zone one was that canoe landing that is close to where Jonesville is. So what that would be it'd be a canoe landing, a parking lot, and then a connected trail. All the other stuff, zones two through eight, that's the stuff that's more focused around Ogulby. So earliest, best case scenario be uh next summer be the first thing that we would see open. Uh number three, uh April 23rd, the Oglesby Elks is going to have a taco night for Meals on Wheels. I'm always excited every time a nonprofit is putting

together some kind of event, whether it's whether it's a fundraiser event or or just getting people into town. I think last uh Saturday there was a great uh LP booster club brought people in to Calinino's had a great turnout for that. So anytime we get nonprofits coming bringing events into town, we should be super excited about that. Uh number four, and this is item the irony is here. This is actually one item that I think is actually a good thing that the mayor report got moved up for. I know that we got some people in the crowd today and I think there's people are going to want to talk about the sidewalk grant issue. Um I will say we've had a lot of calls. We've talked to a lot of people uh about that. The next item after this is public comment on agenda items. You are more than free to come up and talk about it if you like. Absolutely. I would highly recommend that you wait until the second public comments. I will say that there's been lots of conversations. Commissioner McDermott's been working really hard with the engineers looking at some of the solutions we can do. So, I think he's planning on talking about that. Uh he's planning on putting something on the board here. Talk through the thing what's been looked at. I say that because we might be able to save ourselves an hour of time. So, so please, uh, again, a lot of great things I think we can possibly do. At the end of the day, it's not like we're not going to do the safe route to school program. I mean, right, we're talking $300,000 worth of upgrades, $250,000 is paid for by the state. We're not going to turn that away, right? But we can look at, we'll work with the engineers to see what we can modify to make to answer some of those concerns. But again, please wait until the second one if you could uh so we can see if we can solve that for you. Uh, and then the last one, um, after last meeting, I did get a lot of calls from people. I talked to a lot of individuals. Um, some even left messages where they said that I didn't have to call them back. And I thought one was funny because he left the message three times where I didn't have to call them back. Um, talking about our meetings being too long and and too problematic. Um, I will tell you that I am going to look at trying to do things a little

differently. I'll try to be better about it. But keep in mind, can can you imagine, and I'll use Hillary as an example because we talked about this over the weekend. Let's say Commissioner uh Commissioner Moy had a topic that she thought was super important for health and safety to talk about, but I think that it doesn't have value for the public to talk about. I can't imagine a world where I interrupt her in the middle of her speaking and say, "I'm sorry. I don't think the public has value knowing about that." I I just can't I can't do that. That's not going to be something I can't make a determination of what parts I think are valuable to the public or not. So that that is problematic. I mean it would just come out as complete rudeness. I will try to be better if I see argument. Again, I don't want to interrupt people because I give them their time to speak or whatever, but if I do see that arguments are starting to go circular, I'll try my best to interrupt and see if I can push something to a closer thing. I I guarantee it's not going to be perfect. Um, but I I because I worry about doing something like that will increase rudeness perception instead of trying to get brevity and get things moving. So, those are the only things I got. Um, next up is number five, public comment on agenda items only. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. We'll definitely have time at the end.

Oh, I believe we do have some

Oh, sorry. Okay. I was here uh Brian Kanish that's [ __ ] I was here last uh council meeting uh unbeknownst to me I guess I didn't double check that I wasn't on the uh agenda for my varian requests um so obviously I'm back uh I kind of let everybody know where we stood the last time um again we've done everything right from the beginning um we try to do everything right this time we were told that uh it wasn't a hardship so it was voted down. Um, I think it's pretty there's no hardship. There's three and a half ft in between the fences by the other homeowner. Uh, I there's no way that I can take care of the 18 in that would be left over that would be aesthetically it wouldn't look right. Um, because clearly they don't make mowers that are 18 in and based on all the signs and ropes and stuff, I can't go on that property. Um, I think I sent I think my wife might have sent a letter to you guys. I think it explained all of that. Um, so I don't want to drag it out. Um, Jason, you called me today. I tried to call you right back. Unfortunately, I was at the doctor uh going back, so we weren't able to discuss it. You had a proposal that you said that you couldn't bring up because you don't have 100% approval. Um, again, this is that they could have corrected this back in 2019. I don't, you know, either way, I mean, I like your idea. Um, but I'm just asking to approve it and be done with it. And if you don't want to approve it, I'd ask that we postpone it to the next meeting only because we filed the FOYA requesting 10 years worth of uh variance requests and denials and what the boards voted on. Um, the VO the FOYA was violated. My wife sent a a message this morning

and we were advised that we wanted that they wanted a extension, which is reasonable, but we should have had that on Friday. So then it makes it sound like, well, maybe I wasn't supposed to have that information for tonight. Um, I don't know that for sure, but we would have liked to have that in hand to say, hey, this is where um there was no hardship in a variance, and I can think of a couple that I'm aware of where there was no hardship and they were still passed. So, uh, there really is no hardship here for anybody except for me and my wife, and we're just asking to, uh, pass this variance and let us put the fence up and be done with it. And I'll take any questions if you have

any question at this. Maybe when we get back to the topic, I might have some questions, but Okay, I'll look I'll I'll tell you what. I'll look into the I don't know what the FOYA issue was. You said something about an extension. I'll look

I'm not blaming anybody. I'm just saying the way it looks then is that we are obviously looking for the information to have it tonight. So, I could present it and say, "Hey, we were told that we couldn't have the variance passed for not having a hardship." Okay, we want to say that's great. We understand that. But, hey, why did you pass this one, this one, and this one? You know, I know every situation is different, you know, and this is obviously a unique situation, too, which I've brought up before. This isn't like we're just randomly trying to, you know, get a variance to upset anybody. It's because we were put in this position because of the city having issues with a ordinance violation to the neighbor to the south of us. That's all. And we're just I mean, we're talking 18 inches, 25 ft of 18 inches. This is kind of frankly I think it's ridiculous, but It is what it is. So if we do get back to it and you have some questions, I I'll come back up. Okay.

Thank you. I will look into the the FOYA extension thing and get back to you on that as well. I'm sorry. So that's I'm not saying that was on purpose. I'm just saying so it appears that way because that's what we wanted. So if it's something that there's that you guys need more information, then I'm asking for you guys to postpone it. I don't think we need to do that. I think it's pretty okay. Pretty clearcut here. But if so, that's fine. Thank you. And it was everybody makes mistakes. We understand. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. All right. Uh number six, approve minutes from April 6th, 2026 regular meeting. If there's no additions, corrections, or modifications, can I get a motion to approve the minutes? Motion to approve the minutes. Second. Roll call, please. Uh Baldrich, I. Cullinin,

I. McDermott, I. Moy, I. Current. I. Number seven. Approved bills presented for payment in the amount of $713,511.90 for Viscerin Construction. $218,37684 regular month monthly bills for a total of $931,88.74. If there's no additions, corrections, or modifications. Can I get a motion to approve the bills? I motion we approve bills presented for payment in the amount of uh total amount of $931,888.74. Second. Second that. Roll call, please. Baldridge. I. Calling in. I McDermott I Moy I Curran

I number eight approve payroll for April 10th 2026 in the amount of $79,73547 if there's no additions corrections or modifications to the payroll. Can I get a motion to approve? A motion we approve payroll for April 10th 2026 in the amount of $79,73547. I'll second. Roll call, please. Baldrich I callin. Hi. McDermott. Hi. Moy. Hi. Currin. Hi. Number nine, old business. A discussion and possible action for purchase of equipment tractor McDermott.

Okay, guys, put it blindly. We've beaten this basically to death. Okay, I'm asking to get approval for the tractor. Um, Rich and I did go to the implement dealer Friday, wasn't it? Uh, Wednesday the 15th.

Wednesday the 15th. Okay, I stand to be corrected. Uh they did say there's a few things that could be done to the tractor that we have now. Um they were saying there's a few things that could be fixed. It's got a strong engine. Okay. To fix it is 26,000 to fix it with we've already spent $5,000 for a radiator. That right there is already the payment for the new tractor. Okay. I if we do keep this tractor, whether it stays with the street department or the electric, you can get a a monitor for the tractor that would regulate how many hours it's on it, when it needs oil changed, and everything else. It's $1,500 to install. Um, there's also I got books got gave them to guys so they can do a check off list every single morning. Um, but like anything else, if you don't keep on track with it and make sure they do it every day, that's one of those things. And I would suggest if somebody misuses a tractor or any of the vehicles in town, whether it be whichever department, and I mean all of them, because everybody works together. Um, we're going to have to start discipline. Okay. I know the guys at the street department don't want to hear that. The electric department or anybody doesn't want to hear it, but they're city employees. They need to take care of the city merchandise.

Okay. Go around the room. Uh Rich, you have anything to add? Yeah, as Commissioner McDermad stated, uh on Wednesday I got rained out, so I asked them to meet me at Martin implement. Um at that point, we talked to uh I believe Neil, who was the branch manager and also the mechanic came to talk and answer some questions we had. uh name was Chad. I think he's here tonight. I don't know if you guys want to ask him the questions or if you want me to read what I believe I remember. There's been some dispute apparently of what I recall and what actually was said. I guess I don't know. Nick, if you want to step up to that, you're perfectly fine if that's okay with everybody. Yeah, we agree. I believe in asking. I'm sorry. Are you Nick or Chad? Chad. Okayad. Sorry. Hi, Chad. Thanks for coming.

No problem. Sorry, Chad. Called you Nick. 10 miles down the road in Tonica. I can't say as I know many of you. So nice to meet you. I'm a service manager at Mark Equipment. Was a mechanic for them for 20 years in the field before I came here. Jeff Ballot was a previous service manager. Uh we these guys came in gave us a little talk about the back coat. We talked over some of the pros and cons of new purchase versus refurbishing some of the problems they have with OG. You have any questions? I've got the quote with me. Got the estimate with me. any details you want to be made aware of? First and foremost, our concern is everyone's safety. These are questions I asked you there, too. But, um, do you believe that there are any concerns with the equipment that could hurt or kill someone?

I don't believe there's anything inherently unsafe about the G- Loader. The G- Loer, the biggest drawback you have on it now, is there some issues on here that need to be taken care of maintenance- wise, uptime wise? It's a machine that's going to need some attention if you choose to keep it. Unsafe? No, I wouldn't say so. I think It's uh it's one of those things where um your operator and your operator conditions are going to create an unsafe condition before the machine itself does. Okay, I'll try to make these quick here, but uh after these repairs are completed, how long do you think this machine will be operable with a proper regular maintenance program implemented?

It was a Davenport, excuse me, Debuke built machine. I don't foresee any problems with parts in the near future. If you're willing to put some money into the machine and keep it updated, you get another 10 years out of it if you choose to. That's just up to the the choice of the village. And like Commissioner McDerman stated, there's a uh device that you guys could put on there to uh alert you to come and maintain it at the proper times. Um do you foresee any concerns beyond the repairs that are being completed now? It was quite the extensive list we put together. Um if you take care of those repairs, you still got an older machine. You're going to have your regular maintenance stuff. You're going to have hoses,

minor repairs, but I think pretty thorough when we put this together. Should cover your major repairs for It's not to say that something could come up anytime. Yeah. Or a new vehicle or sometimes a new vehicle you're driving a 10y old car, 15y old car, occasionally things unfortunately get things just get wore out. Uh in your professional opinion, this is just your opinion. Do you believe this is worth repairing and will be safe or you suggest we purchase a new one? I think that's over and above my face scale.

I think that's decision. Municipality that I've done business with approaches it from a different angle. Some municipalities want a newer machine with warranties so there's no unexpected expenses. If you have a warranty, you have a fixed payment. You don't have any big bills. come through like this. And that's the one thing we got to realize that we won't have a big bill. Well, every year for five years or so. Well, we're Yeah, but we're just with 26,000 to fix this 5,000. I've already spent 5,000 for a radiator.

So, just just so we get this off the table correctly, you're still spending that amount of money. So, that machine will still be within the city's possession. The amount of money will still have to be paid. The question here is if we're going to go on top and beove above that and purchase a new a new tractor. You are correct. But when we go ahead and we take that tractor at the end of five years, we trade it back. We get another government grant. Okay. And we get another tractor to start over. I'm not necessarily saying getting rid of this one. I'm going to be honest with you, Rich. And I think the city needs to understand it's the city's tractor and the one that the electric department is using that's more out.

Well, let's let's let's hold on. Let's try to stop the circular. Not that it's not valuable or something. Let's let Rich finish whatever you wanted to say. Did you have any those are the last questions I had. Thank you, Chad. Thanks. Thank you so much. Appreciate that. Thanks. Go around.

No, my position on uh this still hasn't changed. I think we just buy I I think we should just bite the bullet and uh buy a new uh backhoe. I mean, um obviously I I think I can't say I mean obviously I believe his name is Chad. Um he says every town's different, but I do think most towns have a have a life cycle for their equipment. So um you know, we spent what in the last two years$ 30 some thousand dollars on this. I think it's time to put the issue to bed and purchase a new back hoe. Sure. Thanks, Hillary. I hate to ask you to come back, Chad, but No, it's okay. He's the expert.

I was talking to someone who was a leader in another another town and they mentioned they had recently purchased a new backhoe. It's been nothing but a nightmare because of this and I'm not real familiar with it with this death because it's now a new federal mandate, anything newer than 2015ish. 2012 was the beginning of tier four emissions where you had a particular filter. 2016 was final tier 4 where you started seeing the death. What are some of the complications with extra complexity? Okay,

it's a lot of extra components and no matter what it is, if it's mechanical, eventually it's going to break. So, yeah, deaf emissions, it's it's the way of the world and uh even if temporarily it goes away under one political administration, I think with Europe with Europe being in that final tier four, with America being that final tier four, I think we're okay. So, It's one of those things. It has gotten better, but industrywide, whether it be John Deere or any other competitive manufacturer, a lot of the components are made by one company. So people might tell you, "Oh, I don't never have a problem with a John Deere. I never have problems with brand X, brand Y. All the components are made by the same company, right?

And it's it's extra complexity that I don't Does it require different maintenance? Is it uh it requires a little bit of operator training to make sure that you are putting the correct deaf in, you're putting clean deaf in. I have seen some instances where people have put death in their diesel fuel tank. It's very expensive repair because it will take out fuel system components very quickly. There's a little training involved in it. Um but no, mainly with the uptime extra complexity. Okay.

It's um it's a more complicated machine, more sensors. a little bit higher power controllers. So, yeah, it's it adds some complexity. I'm not going to lie. There's a lot of our service calls are emissions related. Okay. All right. Thank you. Um Mac, you mentioned something grant. What What did you mean? Can you explain? Oh, it's a government when you buy an implement. The U government actually gives you a certain amount. It's like 60 grand. Are you talking about the discount? The government discount? Okay. You should be aware of that. Yeah, when you said grant, right? It's not a grant. Okay. They call it a government grant.

So, I I really appreciate that. I know we've taken a lot of time with this and I know we're kind of getting beat up by by people taking so much time. You know, I I truly believe that open discussion on something, trying to find the best answer is is really the way to go. So, and I think we've answered a lot of questions. I know we talked about the mini uh versions of them. I think the answer we got was they're not feasible for our city. Is that

I love it, but it's not feasible. I I love it too. Um but if if it's not feasible, it's not feasible. So that tells me um and I I I do appreciate the details there about trying to make a judgment call if $30 something,000 is worth the maintenance on it. when I look at it how much we've already put towards it and it's already an aging machine if there is even if it's close to what the other cities have done like Menota when they gave the example of $160,000 machine uh roughly and then five years later you you turn it back in for 75 and get a new one just doing the math on that it has a lower depreciation amount than that than that heavy maintenance cost. So, I would I would recommend that we buy the new backhoe, right? We put something in place to alleviate your concerns about some kind of daily or weekly maintenance log. Maybe we do need to get into a contract with somebody uh to make sure that there is a fee that we're we're maintaining this equipment. So, that way we're not going to have a problem to get us through the five-year period to get a new piece of equipment. I should also mention that with this new tractor, it comes with, you can correct me if I'm wrong, sir, it comes with a tracker that tells you when the maintenance is due and they will know. Well, the we will know. Um, you can get it on our phone. They'll say, "Hey, that's coming up due.

Call down there, Dan. We need you to get that over there and get it serviced right away." So my recommendation that's included in the price and I'd like to make go ahead if you want to do it.

So no I can't make the motion. I'm just saying I'd like to make I'd like to recommend that we purchase the the new backhoe uh with getting some good maintenance on it with the idea that the electric department one even if it's okay for now for all its needs in two or three years that one gets a new one. So each one of these is on its own life cycle of five years and you have an expected amount of depreciation. makes it easier for our uh appropriations of how much we're spending on it each year without these crazy surprises of 30,000 that we're having to spend, having to rent one, all that kind of stuff. That's my two cents. Um, okay. Everybody's had a chance to speak. Is there anybody else that has anything to add on the topic?

I'd just like to make a motion that we buy the tractor from Martin Implement. Do you have a the dollar amount? I did have Let me see. I know. I I say that just so that way that the council knows what they're voting on. Can we make that motion stick with uh the obligation to pay for that um maintenance service where they'll come to us or we bring it to them so that we know for the next 10 years at least it is maintained. Motion gets a little messy, but it's still legitimate. Yeah. You want to

make the purchase contingent upon a maintenance agreement of some sort? We don't really have a maintenance agreement in front of us though. I mean, I I agree with the the create a maintenance law. Whatever they offer, they offer something that goes along with the device that they implement into the machinery. It tells them, I just want to make sure that for the next 10 years, if I can find it,

it's going to they're well, we can pay after that. You can still pay them to come. They can do it with our equipment right now. Um, I believe Verizon, we've asked about that before to put something on the equipment and that was met with much. If you want to do a separate maintenance agreement for something like that, I that I think we purchase it now then and if you need a separate maintenance agreement, I bring that up at the next agenda council meeting and then we can apply that to whatever equipment we want to do. I think it might be difficult to apply if we don't have the number with us today. It might be difficult to apply that maintenance agreement amount to to a motion. Then if that's the case, Mac, do you have

I apologize. I'm trying to find them. We we can table this item for we can just move move to the next item and come back to it. I don't want to wait. I think I have it. Do you have Chad? Do you know how much it is a month for the maintenance module? Is it just not aware? Well, we could also report. Sorry.

Yeah, it's already in. The quote I have here is $169,570. That's it. $169,570. Okay. Would you like to make I'd like to make a motion that we buy the implement from uh Martin and uh keep it going. Do you want to add anything about what uh Rich talked about about at least creating some kind of a maintenance log, anything like that? Or you don't have to if you want to. They got a maintenance log and there's already one attached to this. Um I think I think that's good enough that for now. Okay. So then we'll work on the trucks and everything else later. Motion is motion was to purchase from Martin for 169,570. Correct. Okay. Is there a second? I'll second.

Roll call, please. Baldridge. I uh Cullinin I McDermott I Moy I Curran

I B discussion and possible action on safe routes to school Mcder right off the bat today. Okay um we've had we've had people ask about where everything's supposed to be and there's concerns about it ends at a dead end. um and when this all started um and how much the shared cost is uh joint fundament agreement with ID do was signed by Mayor Curran 917204 ID do share is 249 8.91 75% share is 85,000 which is 25% uh joint funding agreement was resolution approved 91624 at the board meeting. Um if there's any other questions, uh we have Ross and we have the designer of safe route to schools, Jim Clenard. Anybody got any questions? I don't know what else the

Yeah. Yeah. You can come up one at a time or Yeah. Yeah. The only things I'd be curious to know is so a lot of residents have called and had some concerns about an area where the the sidewalk would just kind of end. Um and we tried to explain on the phone to people is when this was being designed, uh Jim had approached me, oh my god, this is like seven years ago. Yeah.

Um about how we want to try to maximize it. There's not enough to cover the entire city. So the goal was let's utilize the grant to the maximum we possibly can. Let's try to get it in the areas that we don't the city doesn't even have a legal means to tell residents that they were supposed to put because these homes were built prior to that period. So the goal was to try to find a way to to maximize the maximum benefit we could because we still have to answer all the other questions about the areas that that don't have it or or or were supposed to have it. That's a question for another day that we have to do. So, so trying to kind of answer that a little bit and I know Mac was working with you guys seeing if we can do something there, but we don't want to jeopardize the grant. Correct. Anything you can add on to that?

Yeah. So, I mean that really boils it down to the key point here that of course it would be ideal to extend every sidewalk through the every block um so that there's continuous routes from every house. That's totally valid. Um, like you mentioned, the kind of the constraints that that we were working under when this was first, you know, talked about planning wise is how do we maximize the dollar amounts to serve as many houses as possible. You know, there's certainly other portions of this area that could have been picked that would have been more expensive per foot per sidewalk. Then we're not maximizing how many houses we can tie in. So, you are kind of picking the easiest areas, but That's we're treating every residents equal to where how do we serve as many as possible. So um that that's really what it boils down to. Um like we both said of course on Clark Street there it would be absolutely ideal to extend it further west and that can still happen in the future now because the the yard start to slope towards the road more steeply as you get west there. Um it does get more expensive per foot. So that once again that's the reason why but um having as many houses both you know for tomorrow and for 10 years 20 years 30 years down the road whoever is living there um once again you're maximizing someone can walk out their front door and get to a sidewalk and not have to go into the road. Now I know one of the other big complaints which which I totally understand is that okay if the sidewalk does dead end somewhere um people are going to be walking on the sidewalk it's going to end. are going to be tempted to walk into the road. Um that that's absolutely true, but we have to have some assumption that people are going to use the sidewalks correctly. Um you know, it is illegal to cross the road, not in the block. That that's the the very literal sense of it. I get it. People use the sidewalk as however

that's most convenient for them. But the intent isn't to um have people in the sidewalk and then steer them out to the road. If these sidewalks weren't here, they'd be in the road anyway.

You know what I mean? So if they're uh riding their bike or walking, there's equal chance of if you're backing down your driveway, someone's walking or riding their bike behind you. Um so, you know, and so that's that's one of the major major things that we've heard. Um we walked we walked the whole neighborhood uh last week and talked to as many people as we could. Um but like you said, Mayor, we don't want to jeopardize this project. As of right now, they are starting on Wednesday. Um we we've delayed that as much as possible. Um if if if it were to be delayed anymore, all of a sudden the contractor has other obligations that they're going to get to and now it's going to take even longer to get the project done. So, obviously, our goal is to make sure the contractor is doing the work as quickly as possible, as efficiently as possible, having the least disruption on people living there, on their yards, all that all that stuff. Um, so, you know, that's that's why we're going to have someone out there, you know, 247 when they're working or all hours of the of the day when they're working to ensure that that's being met. And you know, if for anybody that lives in that neighborhood, if you see something where it's like that doesn't look right or why is there rock still in the road when they're leaving for the day, let somebody know. You know, we we might not catch everything. Our intent is to keep the the contractors honest as possible. Um, so I mean really I I think at some point before we get too far, I think you guys probably should have hear from the residents that came here today and wanted to voice their concerns. Um, so but you know, for for any dollar that was reduced from the project, if anything was pulled from the project, you're going to lose that that grant money um for it. So now it's it's hurting anyone that's further down the block um that would that now is not going to be close to the sidewalk or won't have it connected to their their property. Um I will I will also mention that the entire project is within the rightway or within easements that were

granted by homeowners. So it is 100% in city property. Um the city does have the right um to to do this project as it's laid out right now. Um also the city um we went through I do all of their procedures for environmental review for public comment periods, everything like that. I I understand that it was a while ago. Um there's always environmental delays on these projects and takes years for it to come to fruition. Um but all that paper paperwork was done uh properly. Um, and um, yeah, I mean that's kind of where it stands right now. I think at some point you guys should hear from people um, as I know you guys have the last couple weeks um, before you probably make any final decisions. But but you know at some point it wouldn't take much to where all of a sudden if something were to be pulled from this project now unit prices have to be renegotiated with contractor which is going to make it more expensive and you're losing even more scope. Um, so really I think as it's laid out right now, right now it is in the best interest of the city both short and long term serving as many houses as possible and there's always room to do more work in the future.

So I I think that answers the question well about whether we should do the project yes or no, right? And for the areas it was designed for. There was two other things and I'll ask on behalf of those residents. I'm not sure if they're even in the audience. One of them, I think at least one had asked they're concerned where the marking was that they thought it was too far. I know it's within the legal easement limit. Um, I don't know how much factor that's been gone in talking with the engineers or the construction. Is it possible to shorten that distance to give them a little bit more of their driveway because they had and if the answer is no, then that means we've looked into it more.

Yes. And I I don't I' I've heard of that one as well and I don't know of a of any area where it could possibly move closer to the road. And once again, you know, when when Jim laid it all out, you know, he made every effort to have minimal impact on mailboxes and landscaping and driveways. Um at some point, you are locked into like for driveway removal. Um it has to be once again minimizing cost to serve as many houses as possible. Some driveways have to be cut back deeper into the driveway to make the grades work so that they're all ADA compliant and it's not too steep of a slope for the driveway and everything. Um, so once again, minimal impact was was the idea was the name of the game. Um, so, so that was that's really what leads to every every decision that was done here is how do we maximize this project to give good sidewalks to this area so that kids can walk out of their house, walk on a sidewalk, continuous sidewalk all the way to school.

Once again, understood that there's houses that are not in front of a sidewalk when this project is over, but

Well, I appreciate it comes in phases. I appreciate you looking at that last question uh because it another one came up and I actually thought this one had the most merit uh where there is some sidewall some driveways that have some damage on them and they were interested if we could spend a little bit of money and I know that as far as the contract goes we can't modify that contract. However, um it was actually a former commissioner that brought this up and I thought it made a lot of sense because I know they do it in Peru and stuff like that. if it only cost a few thousand dollars for us to help because again if we're coming in to make an inconvenience I'm all for leaving it better than the way we found it.

So I don't know if that's something I don't think we probably have to vote on that because I think the dollar amount is so small that Mack would have the ability to do that. I tell you as a commissioner I would more than welcome and I think it is something you guys should look at for in case that gets brought up. So I mean it would be your decision you could do you should be able to do a changeover increase for those types of things. Would that affect the the grant though at all? You wouldn't get more grant money. No, it would still be the city's cost, but it could be done via that. The reason is we're not via our portion. Yeah. As long as we're not creating significantly more work for the contractor. Um that would be your guys's decision. We have unit prices from the contractor. So, we would have a build number.

So, right now there's a mechanism to to look into that to see if that's something we can do for a few of those select houses. And you're and you're currently working on that right now. Oh, yeah. I think that's great. Also, are we going to take into consideration or does it have to be the driveways with the pitch you said have to comply to ADH? Have we taken into consideration what the driveway will be after you put the pitch in there? Because what you're going to be doing is leveling it and then the pitch is going to come down. We had that problem down here with Dollar General if you recall that. Yeah. Lasted for quite a while and rip cars apart. So, is that going to be considered in there or waiting until you will have in a few driveways. You will you will have the apron comes up, you have a flat, relatively flat portion for the sidewalk and then it slopes back into the driveway. those grades have all been looked at and they're within they're not going to create some big

I just don't want us helping other people out and then all of a sudden get 15 phone calls and everybody's driveway's got to come out or something. Nope. That that totally um being aware of that totally determines like I said how far back we cut into the driveway. So that was thought of and taken into account with the believe as that question. Well, you probably would. All right, we'll go. Um, you go ahead. I would like to say something else. I I'll give you a second. We need the thing is we got to approve this. Um, if you start refusing a grant, more likely to get grants approvals in the future going to be even harder. Okay.

Senica Square. Yeah. Okay. And I mean, this same deal. This was approved by the council all the way back in 2024. a joint funding agreement. So I mean it was what action are we taking? I don't think there's any action necessarily unless unless there was a change order that we can do and it doesn't jeopardize the grant grant we could but I mean if it's within a small amount I think Commissioner McDermott can do that already. Right.

But well there's nothing else on this. I'll tell you what I really do appreciate any people that wanted to wait till it came up but so to give them an opportunity if they wanted to come up and speak I'd give them that now if they would like. I'd like to also state that even though there's sidewalks that ain't done yet, we can always get more grant, more funding, more capability down the road to extend these other houses with sidewalks. Yes, sir. Thank again. Thank you for delaying so we can keep things moving.

My name is Thomas Trump. I live at 818 Clark Street Home. I have separate vehicles in my driveway. Um years when I first bought the home and there no sidewalk was required. One of the reasons why I bought that area really love uh born and raised here. We started parking on a street for the trailer because I had work. So the work trailer and then the police didn't want me to park next to the corners because it was blocking somebody's views. They were coming around the corners. They asked me to put reflectors on. I put reflectors on. Then when I would disconnect the trailer because my driveway is only so big, like I said, I have multiple vehicles on there. I would start getting the police coming to the door telling I can't leave the trailer parked on the street. So then I would leave it hooked up on the street. Now as I'm doing that again, they start complaining. They can't see around the corners there. So now I'm required to pull in my driveway with trucks, my multiple trucks, my vehicles, and my boats. And I'm running out of room. Okay. Now you guys are going to be moving the sidewalk into the properties and now I'm going to lose seven feet of my driveway. And on a general rule, I try to leave my trailers and everything else at home or at the job site during the weekend. I only bring them home on the weekend. Okay, now I'm going to lose that. Now I've gone from putting reflectors on, pulling my stuff off the street to parking in my driveway. And now I'm going to have a hard time parking in my driveway without blocking the site.

I got a question. Did anybody ever ask the homeowners what they thought anybody's property? They sent a letter whether they wanted to approve or not. comments. Okay. So, did how many people comment about they didn't want it and the reason why

Okay, so you got 20 letters.

Not necessarily. People who approve things will also send some people, some people don't. Okay? Just like some people don't want complain about it either. If you send out 50 letters and how many people does this affect how many houses

How many kids walk to school? I see I see two kids that go to school. Two kids every morning. I believe within a mile of the school. I see two kids go to school in the morning. Two. And they go to the holy family there. My next door neighbor. That is the only two kids I've seen in the entire block ever walking through there in the morning. I'm not Yeah. No. Every day. No. Today. Five years from now. True. That it's an older neighborhood. age.

They went off to college and gone that house now has five kids. That's how things change. You can't look at how many kids are there today. You have to look at how many kids could be there next week, next year, next. So would you say typically people have more kids now or less? Okay. But you're just saying you don't know. I don't know what it's going to be in the future, but statistically there's going to be a lot less kids. The birth rate has dropped the last three four years. Am I not correct? So about being killed,

sir. So I I want to let you up here because I I respected the ability that you didn't take it during the public comment time. So I I didn't start a timer for you necessarily, but I know we got to be really close to 5 minutes. So if you have any quick summary things you'd like to add the line across from me, there is nothing at Dennis Yora's I think it was his father's. It is an empty lot and there why was there no adjustment to jump on the other side of the street go across? Is it because we don't want to cross the street and there is that the problem? Because the best place.

Correct. But the whole lot on the next to me would solve my problem. It would be wide open. There's nothing there. There's no no mailboxes to go around. There's no nothing to worry about. There's nobody's yards getting tore up. That one's pretty deep. So on the side of the street, his house are relatively flat. The slopes are steeper sidewalk. So the cost sidewalk goes up. So you're saying that there's there's no slope on the side of So there's not I'm a contract.

Keep in mind this is this this would be like your public comment time. So we're not trying to get into a debate with that. I'm asking for a field adjustment. If if we can move the sidewalk across the street, I'm good with it. So

I don't mind having the kids. Your question was the specific one that I asked at the thing to see if it's been looked at if there was adjustments that could be made and then I think the answer I got was there really isn't an adjustment be made because I wanted to make sure that at least your your concern concerns were answered. Now keep in mind when all this stuff was put up like five years ago, five, six years ago if we don't do the entire scope of the project we don't get the 250,000. So, I understand any of the hardship stuff that it might have caused and that's why I'm trying to find ways that we can work around to either make adjustments or what kind of things we can in every situation is not going to be perfect for every resident. But the the greater good is like what Mr. Kleiner was talking about is that it is going to create more opportunities for more kids to be out of street or in in mud uh with with using sidewalks whether it's today, tomorrow, or next decade.

I can understand Is there may I ask? Yep. Is your main concern the sidewalk or the fact that it goes across your The fact is that now I'm going to end up parking back in the street again. Now, if I'm in the street again, now am I going to get the police stand? You can't park a truck and trailer. I've resorted to leaving it hooked up because the law doesn't say or the ordinance whatever doesn't say that you if you leave it unconnected, you can't do that. If you leave it connected to your truck, you can't. Now I'm worried about people not being able to see around the corner again and I'm gonna have to go through all that again and I don't want to mail block mailboxes. So

there's it's it's really irrelevant though because the scope can't change is the is you said you were going to do a change order change order to add something more but we can't take away is that do I have that correct that we can't take away from the scope. small parts away. At some point, it jeopardizes the project to price the contract that's already, you know, we already have contract with the contractor. They're starting this week. Didn't you say any dollar $1 amount would change it? Didn't you say that 15 minutes ago? I thought you said any dollar amount said that wasn't it would change it. That would get rid of your grant. I thought you said that earlier. No.

Okay. So, there's a certain percentage you can do. I'm not asking to change it. If you move it across the street, then what? Is that a change order? You're significantly changing the scope of the project. We already have a contract with the contractor building sidewalks in the public right away, not on private property. Well, I'm a contractor. If I move something 30t over to the side, it's really going to cost anything to turn around, go 30 ft, and then start doing. It's not it's not unless it's all with a survey to put a mid block crosswalk. It's not okay.

You don't do that unless you have a very long block. There is a long block that would be less than but once again this this is the scope of the project. Could you make very small changes? I think I would have to approve them. But at some point, like I said, you're jeopardizing the grant. jeopardizing the contractor's time to perform the other obligations. That's where we sit today. Wish we had more time as well and change things. It doesn't exist right now.

That lot did not receive cultural clearances. It wasn't part of the study. So, you can't Okay. So, no alternative were ever done anywhere.

So, I appreciate your voice and your concerns. I I think we asked the questions. I I do wish there was a better solution for that. Um, I know that we do a lot of uh work with community policing to try to to work with um situations that people might have, whether it be a parking issue or something like that. If it is going to continue to make a I'm just out of curiosity, are we talking about this side of the street, the side on the other side on the north side, and that's causing the north side is causing the the corner issue of being able to see stuff

coming around from front of your borders from the south. And there I've had probably at least a half a dozen to a dozen stops by the police asking me. Okay. All right. Thank you. Thank you, sir. I appreciate All right. Is there any any other comments from the council that want to talk about this? I mean, I I appreciate what he had to say, but I mean, I I do think we're kind of

too late into the process uh to to be making those changes. I mean, like Jim said, there was there was a process. People were informed. People submitted feedback. Maybe somebody didn't, but I mean, at the end of the day, I mean, the ship's ready to sail. So, yeah, that's Hillary. No, I had nothing to add. Sorry, Rich. Oh, I skipped over. I think there were some other people in the audience that wanted to we'll we'll do that. I I appreciate that we delayed it so we could get through the material. You're fine. Go ahead. Thank you for allowing time to speak tonight. My name is Jody Mahoney and I live at a 24.

We have lived there um actually built the house 30 years ago. Owned the property prior to that. Again, it is an older subdivision. Part of the appeal of the property was that it um did not have the sidewalks. It was allowed to sit back. Um and that was a big conversation we had two years ago when the plan originally um was proposed to be had um of adding the sidewalks to it. there were there's a lot of um decisions that are made going into building a home and um setback is one of the biggest decisions especially when you're buying property out in that area. Um it's wooded, it's large lots and um you would have approached the design of the home much differently. So, um that I concur with with our neighbors of how that impacts um a homeowner. There's other components that impact a homeowner too that are not being talked about as well as um the cost of maintaining the expectation expectation of maintaining that sidewalk from a liability standpoint as a homeowner. the capability of maintaining that sidewalk as a homeowner all fits into um challenges um and liability concerns that that we would have living in that particular neighborhood. The it drifts. Um there's it the wind comes in and it drifts significantly. And so right now when they when it's plowed, it's nothing to have two feet two and a half feet of snow at the end of the driveway, let alone then having to try to take care of a sidewalk. So um all of that aside, what I really wanted to try to talk about tonight was um the the whole design of the project. Two two

years ago, it seems like it was longer ago than that. Two years ago, um there was a letter from Chland about um trying to build out the this sidewalk because of the public safety act and um always that there's we got a grant, we got a grant, we got a grant. Um I can appreciate grant dollars. I work with grant dollars myself, but to um to implement a project because you have grant funding for a partial phase of it is not good. my in my opinion how um so and and we're in a big hurry to maximize these dollars maximize what's covering as a result of that urgency to do this I think that we've missed the whole planning part of it and the conversation and the transparency of doing a project like this for example um as stated the sidewalks are hopping all over the place if you walk and you go and you look, we've got sidewalks on one side in front of our house. It would end mid mid block. Mid block. It ends right there. The That does not help any child, any pedestrian who's coming down the street from the house next to me and the house is going up. That that it just has no sense. So what's being risked then? Say that we don't get another grant. How do we pay for extending that sidewalk all the way up the rest of the hill on Clark Street? That is where that would be the plan to do. So um just it's just not all kind of connecting the dots for me. So I'm here

my neighbor across the street to the south. They do not have sidewalks. You go to across the street to the south to the next neighbor up to the east. They're having sidewalks. You go to the west, no sidewalks past the middle of my of of our property where our property and right in the middle of the block. So it it the concern is the whole planning of it and retrofitting an older subdivision with sidewalks is is concerning to me. Um and because of the plan, how can it really be purposeful and functional to prevent um kids from getting hurt, prevent pedestrians from being hurt? there's no continuity, there's no consistency with it. So, those were my concerns. Those are my comments. Um it I would really appreciate um deferring it until we can have a better plan, a comprehensive plan that would um really get the neighbors, all the neighborhood on board. I mean, this should not be a fight. It's usually very good.

Your five minutes has Do you have anything you'd like to summarize real quick though? Um, I've just been requesting that we defer the project until we can further assess um the entire plan for consistency and continuity and not have abandoned infrastructure potential available. Thank you.

Was there any other customers that wanted to talk on this subject before we move to the next one at all? Anything? As far as the continuity thing is concerned, I would just say regarding the safe rounds to school grant, I believe the maximum grant is $250,000. Correct. And so, I mean, if we don't want to I mean, I believe the city I don't know specifically for for these houses, but I do believe the city has the ability to compel certain homeowners to put sidewalks in at cost for them. Um, so I mean, if we're going to do this, uh, you know, we can't get more than $250,000 in one swoop. Um, and so, you know, in order to, unless we want to compel people to pay for the sidewalks or we want to pay for them out of, uh, uh, you know, out of the taxpayers's pocket, um, one way or the the pocket of all taxpayers, I mean, ultimately, you know, the grants are the best way to go. And I I I think the safe routes to school grant is the best way to go here. I mean, it's unfortunate kind of uh um that it will be kind of peacemail uh for the time being, but I I certainly think uh that it should be a priority to uh put sidewalks in the entirety of that neighborhood. So, that's

So, with that, I'll I'll jump on because six years ago, I think, when this conversation started, I I do take a little bit I there's been a lot of transparency with this. Now whether or not people realize that because I get it, this stuff is very boring and there's nobody that's tuning in week to week, year to year about these subjects. Uh but this was talked about many many years ago. We have really different categories of stuff. We have we have houses that were built inside the city that were built prior to any kind of sidewalk requirement. Then we have houses that were built during a sidewalk requirement and they actually put sidewalks in. There's about 30 houses that put that was built when sidewalks were a requirement and didn't put sidewalks in. So we have different categories of stuff. This safe route to school grant is trying to solve the areas that where sidewalks were never a requirement first because we don't have a way to go back to doing that. And it wasn't that we're trying to just peacemail it. It's trying that we didn't know how to necessarily approach that. It's still going to be a challenge and that's a political struggle that this well that this board takes. We were thinking it was going to be the last administration. Um, and I do believe after the safe route, the school grant is done and that sidewalk's in, then it's on whoseever the administration is to talk about what is that next phase. What is it we're going to do? Are we going to come out with taxpayer funds to fill the rest of them? Are we going to do something and talk about the situation for the 30 homes that we're supposed to do it? Because you can subdivide that group. There's people that still live here that maybe they were part of the violation 20, you know, 15, 20 years ago. And those people might have been moved on. There might have been somebody that bought a house 20 years ago that never built it and that house was required to put a sidewalk in and they never did. Is it is it their fault? Are we really going to do I mean these are the questions that this board is going to have to to talk about to see how we're going to get to that next phase to get everywhere. And as far as it doesn't help kids I don't know if I agree with that. Um right now if there's no even even here any kids that would be using utilizing that it makes it now

connected for them. I understand it's not all the way through. I get that. That's still a problem for another day. But the problem with government, things move slow and it's it's a step process at a time. I I would agree though. I I do think it would be good for us to be regularly having conversations or have some sort of a master plan in place for, you know, to to the extent that we can put something like that in place. I mean, there's a lot of uh kind of background work you have to do on that. But I would certainly say I'd like to discuss additional phases. What is the next phase as soon as possible? because I I I don't think that we should just do this now and then have it sit like that for 20 years. Um I agree. Absolutely not. Um I'd just like to say if I may I don't mean to cut in but

No, I'm done. Letters were sent out to the homeowners 103122. Um I just recently got the approval for the grant. Just what was it last year? Wasn't it? We finally got the approval for this one. Yeah. 24. Yeah. Okay.

So, um I'm working I'll work with everybody I can see what I can do. Um I've already got I wrote down your complaints and I got few ideas. I'll talk it over with the engineers. Um, as far as going forward, I've already started looking at the others and we got, like Jason said, we got places that should have put sidewalks in but didn't. People that didn't necessarily need to put sidewalks in but did. And now after a certain time, you're now required to have a sidewalk in front of your yard, in front of your house.

Nope. I appreciate that. I appreciate you're looking into it and I do agree. But I think after we get through this construction phase, um, we're responsible for the next tough conversation of how we're going to get to that next piece. So, and I understand anytime you're doing something that tries to benefit the totality of the public good, not everybody is going to be satisfied with what that answer is going to be. I get that. I I get that. I I don't have a perfect answer for that. But the good is it's creating more public good than not. So, um, any other council member have any topic on this? Well, I would like to thank everybody for coming to the podium and talking about it. I really do appreciate

appreciate I appreciate a good candid a good positive discussion. All right. C discussion and possible action on events and budget current. Um okay. So we talked about last time everybody saw the the sheet of how much we spend on on some of our uh items. We got Bark in the Park, Summerfest, uh Boots, Cruise, and Barbecue, and Harvest Fest. Um, I posed the idea of creating three other minor events. Um, and so the ladies in the office, they came up with a couple of them. I I'll go through the first two. First two are pretty easy. Um, they're basically just schools out one and a schools back in one. Super simple. I want to say the amount is around, yeah, like four grand or something. And that might be on the high side. I thought it was really only going to be around 2500 or so. Um, the third item here's here's where the irony is. Um, I'm not a super huge fan of the the Martyra one, but here and here here's the reason. The reason is it's in February that I I'm I'm so nervous that it is a going to be highly subjected to weather. Um, because keep in mind our first one officially starts at Bark in the Park in May. I was hoping we'd be talking about April or March. So, jumping back to February makes me concerned. However, the one I really wanted to do, and this might be a surprise, I wanted to try to create Oglesby Summer Nightfest. That might have solved the problem. I know Rich is trying to get more things down into uh um um Lehi Park. My thought was, what if we created an event like because we brought it up not too long ago about the Boots, Bruce, and Barbecue that maybe we don't sell alcohol at that event. We just keep the street closed for longer uh for the car show and then let people get across. And I'm like, hey, maybe that's the solution. And then we move our second drinking alcohol I shouldn't say drinking event alcohol event uh for a two-day thing that's for the adults in the middle of summer. But a couple things changed. We didn't we couldn't find a week that works because again we don't want to be taken away

from major events. I think the first week in August was uh uh the corn festival in in Mod and then the big summer festival Peru had the week before that. There just wasn't a great time for it. And then with the change of where the car show is modifying, I I think we still need to provide alcohol. Otherwise, it's we otherwise it' just be boots and barbecue. So, so I I'm all for uh supporting the idea of Marty Gro to give it a try. Uh if it if it does seem if we have good weather and it's a great event, uh then it can continue for every year. But I'm I'm for those adding those three events and I'll open it up to go around. Um is Udica permanently done doing their Marty GR parade? I don't know. I don't think I've ever gone to theirs.

Yeah, because they did have one. They didn't do it this year. I don't know if they'll do it in the future, but that they do have a Marty GR parade, but um I I don't know. I mean, I uh we had kind of talked last time about events and we had talked about um setting a line item appropriation for each event, I believe, is the thing we came to. And so I'm fine with setting a line item for three additional events or whatever, but I don't know if we have to necessarily get into the specifics at the council level as to what exactly it consists of. I think it's kind of beyond our purview. Um, but I I like the idea. I'm very I'm a big Marty GR guy, but that's besides the point. Um, I just really like the king's cake, actually. Uh, but um, but anyway, uh, you know, uh, with that being said, uh, you know, I I uh,

a joke Uh, I'm fine with setting a line out of appropriations for it, but I I don't know if we need to get into the details at time. No. And I I won't because I don't even know like how much of how much of the event is parade. I think they're still working out the details. Same with the kids events. They don't even know if like they're thinking it maybe it's more of like a a bar crawl thing with the events are in each location or is it more of the parade thing? I don't know. I I do have questions about that because when you have a weather heavily weather influenced event, how that's going to work out, but I'm all for expanding something. It gets more people into the downtown for a reason. So, especially in the time of year that there's not a lot of activity. So, Hillary, do you have any thoughts? So, who does get to determine what the events are then?

Well, we would set So, the we would set like the total, again, not getting into the granular details, but we would set the line item budget for um and then the the clerk's office, the the ladies that work the events like that, they'd be the ones that would kind of set that stuff. And if we as the council don't like it, we offer our suggestions to change it. And if they don't want to change, if they won't change it, then we would cut it from the wine budget is what that's the authority we would have over the the thing, I think. But as long as they keep bringing good events, then I don't think it's an issue. Any thoughts on that? Okay, Matt.

Well, I think events are always good if you can bring them in. Um, I would wondering how they would do the uh migra as well. And Austin did get a good point if they still I would want to know too if they still have the muddy growth parade in here. I'd love to steal it though. Well, we we should have it anyway. Rich,

how did we come down to this being our options? They're the ones that they recommended the I mean I was hoping we would be talking about summer nightfest but it just the timing did not work out unfortunately. The the rest of the summer is pretty much packed between events everywhere and we wanted to make sure we had at least a little bit of separation from FunFest. We didn't want to have it within like a month of Funfest. I think this is it. There's no Well, we can always add more

question. No, I don't want to add more. I'm just saying basically that you threw these out here and this is what we either eat it or don't. No, this is what this is what was recommended by them and I'm I mean I wanted something different but it didn't didn't pan out. So these are the three that they recommend. We can always add more. I thought this would be again I want to get into the points where we're having more events and then maybe more organizations take them over to where we don't have to do them anymore. Um is there something you'd like rather do instead? No.

Okay. Did anybody have an issue? Now, the good news is since we're not doing the a nightfest thing, it's that would be in the summer. It's really not a big deal. Um, the Marty Gro one would go into the line item appropriation budget if anybody has any issues with that. But the big thing I'd like to at least get concurrence on is if anybody has any issues with the summer uh out and the summer start ones uh because I can we can get them started with those at least this year to make that happen. Probably not the school out because it's happening. I mean, it's school's out in like two weeks or three weeks, month maybe at the most, but definitely the back to school one. Okay. So, we'd be looking at for this year possibly only the

the back to school one and then if everybody's good with the line item budget, maybe the Marty Gro. Is that a relatively accurate assumption? Anybody have a major issue with that? because I'll have them start we'll have them start planning at least for the school back in one for now and then we'll get everything into Do we have a budget for these or that is the that is the rough budget. I mean we would just approve the right there. Yeah, it was sent that should be in your should be in the drive that was sent out to everybody. So So basically the bottom numbers is what we would approve in the line item thing. Same thing with the other ones as well.

Any concerns? Yeah, helped. I don't know if we've got amnesia or what happened here, but we had problems here with the four that we do have. I'm confused as to how you just start throwing these out here when we had no help. And I I'm quite confident that the employees at this point don't really still want to uh give up their Saturday nights and Sundays any more than they wanted to six months ago. Oh, a year ago, I guess it was when we hired the two assistants in there. So, are you saying for volunteers for everything? Yeah. Putting on these parties. You didn't have enough before. So, we had to hire the two clerks, the assistant clerks, event coordinators.

That was to help us get through summer funfest last year because we were afraid we weren't going to get through that with no help. That's good. So, now we skidded through that and now here we are going to throw more on. I'm just wondering if anybody's thinking ahead here because I don't see all this help rushing in. Well, I haven't seen to my knowledge we haven't been short. I mean, it's been sometimes it's a challenge to get them, but I think we haven't had to cancel the event due to the lack of volunteers yet as far as my knowledge. I mean, if that does have to happen, I'd say we cross that bridge when it comes to it. Right. If there's nothing else on the topic, we can move on. I'm not trying to strong arm. Does anybody have anything else they want to add to it? Okay. Um,

number 10, new business eight, discussion and possible action on Cordelino's drive-in show request. Uh, they put a request letter. I don't think I have it print off here. I have it right up here. They put a request letter in. And when I have an event out there, uh, in the grass lot, anytime somebody wants to put an event out there, I think it's great. Uh, he even put a mention in there how no alcohol will be allowed uh, there. So, I think even putting that in there, I think that's I think that's wonderful. uh go around the room if anybody has any concerns or something like that. Believe we did the same thing last year. All for it. Y no problem. I'm all for it. Rich, same thing. All right. Well, let's uh if I can get a mo if I can get someone to get a motion to approve it. I'll make a motion that we approve Cardolino's drivein show request. Second.

Roll call, please. Baldridge. Colin. I. McDermott. I. Moy. I. Currin. Hi. B. Discussion and possible action on commish variance. Cullinin. Okay. So, it was just on there. I don't I'm not the expert on this. Uh so, it was just on there because Jen needed to attribute it to somebody. So, um I I this is kind of a a complex issue. I know obviously Brian had sent us a letter, but

I don't know Pat, would you be able to kind of recap what the zoning board of appeals ultimately determined? Dan, the chairman of the zoning board is here, but uh essentially there was an extended conversation about it and both parties were here that night and the conclusion of the board was that um there was not a hardship to the commishes by denying their request for variance. And so their recommendation to the board to the council was to deny the request for variance to allow him to build that 25 foot extension of the fence. Um not 18 in off the property line which was the nature of the variance request.

Okay. Um so I I guess my question on this is um Brian had said or um I believe his wife wrote the letter, but she had said in the letter that um a number of years ago, Brian, what year did you put up that fence in that shed? I believe the shed was built in 2021 along with the same time. Okay. So in 2021 you uh so I know the is the setback is it correct that the setback for the fence is 5T is that or not the fence the shed the shed? Yeah the shed's 5t and so the fence is 18 inches back and the fence is over is it not the

fence is nearly on the proper I think the fence is nearly on the propert. Yeah. Yeah. Please please. Yeah please. Sorry.

So, the originally the fence was 18 inches off the property line based on the pins that both houses and were built on. Uh my neighbor had the contractor make sure that the markings were marked by our survey prior to them buying the lot and which uh made my rear neighbor uh moved his shed back which is like it's about a foot off the property line now uh before they would buy the lot. So in short, both houses were built off of the the pins. So they're both 6 and 1/2 ft off of it. uh he built his fence uh right after he built his house 22 inches off of it um for his lawnmower. I built mine 18 inches off of it and I also put 18 in of CA6 which was in my permit along the 18 in down the line. So obviously I didn't have to mow it. It's no maintenance. Our our plan was to finish the rest of the fence, but if anybody knows how much vinyl fence costs, it's not very cheap. We didn't have the money at the time and we were going to do it in segments. Um, what happened was our neighbor built the fence which was clearly built in violation of city ordinance for a corner lot. It was approved by our former building inspector and put up and then along with various but we're not going to get into it. But anyways, the city it's clearly on city property. So the city wanted them to move it. They refused to move it. Um, in this fight, both the city and the homeowner had the lot uh reserveyed and the pin in my front was approximately 10 in off. In the back, I don't remember the exact amount, but instead of being 18 inches off, it's about 4 in at the front of my fence. It slants backwards to the corner of my shed, which is right on the property line. So, instead of being 18

in off, it's right on the property line. So, in short, it's still on my property. Keep in mind that there's been no complaints about this since this was done, I believe, in 22. We're in 26. Um, last year, just to recap, my neighbor to the north approached me about putting up a fence. He asked me if he could put it on the property line. I said, "Yeah, no problem. There's appropriate paperwork to do that." Uh, we would be okay with that. And then he didn't he said he didn't have the money at the time. This year we had enough money to do it. We approached him, did the proper paperwork. Yes, we didn't have it notorized yet, but we sent it in with our various requests to show that they had agreed to it. Um, which we plan on having it notorized. We went through all the processes to do it the proper way. Our neighbor to the north also wants it on the property line, has agreed to, has done the proper paperwork. Um, all we were asking for is we went through the paying to have our own survey done, the go through the cost to have the uh variance done. We're just looking for 25 ft aesthetically, put it off there to finish it. We're not moving the shed. We're not moving the fence. All we want to do is is put it straight down the line. It seems pretty simple. I I I think that there's just an issue just because of a neighborhood dispute.

Sure. Uh not caused by us. We're trying to do everything the right way, which we have done since we built our house. The opposite on the other side, but again, I'm not going to get into that. Sure. So, uh, with the with the with the shed, uh, from what I'm understanding with the fence, there's not really an issue with where the fence is at. Initially, there wasn't an issue with where the fence was at, but there is an issue because of where the pins were placed or misplaced. Um, but there is an issue with where the shed is at because No, there isn't. Well, there's a five foot setback and it's not five feet set back, but correct. You were told, but you were told differently.

Please keep in mind that we approached the city in 21. We have all the emails asking the process for a variance to be able to put our shed within 18 in. Sure. And we were told we didn't need to have that, that we could put it within 18 in. And I don't know if that's because it's not considered a permanent structure because it can be moved. I don't know the reasoning. Mr. Kleiner is here. He's the one that we were told said that we had to make sure that it was just 18 inches back from the line. We have all that documentation. Even though we approached the city multiple times to ask how we could do a variance, at least request a variance for that.

So again, we were trying to do everything the right way. We knew what the ordinance was. We were asking for a variance. It's not that we tried to trick the building inspector and did it. We went through the whole process of doing everything the right way, just like we're doing now, too. We're just trying to do everything the right way. Yeah, of course. Jim, I mean, is is that the case? I mean, I don't have a recollection of saying I just going to say the building isn't the issue, is it? Well, and we could produce the We have the emails. I think she actually might have included them. I I don't My wife said I think she said maybe upon request or something like that. Yeah, we can produce that. So yeah, and I'm not putting Jim on this course back five years ago, but it's not something we're just making up.

Okay. Yeah. No, I'm I'm not saying you are. Um, but I mean, yeah. I mean, I what I'll say is I mean, just if I was your neighbor, I wouldn't have an issue with it. I I I don't know why why it's been made to be the issue that it is. Um, but with that being said, I it still presents a legal issue. I I suppose uh and and I I suppose that's probably why the zoning board of appeals ultimately uh didn't find that there's a hardship. I I I would agree with you. I think what you were saying about how ridiculous it would look to have, you know, your your actual fence set back. Well, I think Mr. Fitzgerald also agreed with

Yeah. Yeah. Of I I think it would look ridiculous, but I it's just, you know, keep not to cut you off, but keep in mind, not only does it look ridiculous, it's somewhat of a hardship, but then again, how am I going to care for that property? Yeah. Now, that brings in a hardship because if my neighbor completes this fence all the way to the back, how do I access that 18 in? Yeah. I I just want to move this along because now I feel like we're getting into the public comment section, which which you did have already. um this is your time to to talk though if you but if you want to ask I'm only answer is this question I get it I can't I mean if I want to get into some ordinances were granted to be violated I guess we could do that too you're fine

but I don't know like what what I would say is I just kind of

it it's just kind of an issue of we either follow the ordinances or we don't and I mean obviously as you said the property to the south of you uh there's a few ordinances uh that need to be addressed there. Uh, and so, you know, I I'm kind of I I don't know, um, on these type of matters, I mean, how much I how how advisable uh, you know, it is to kind of I guess peacemail would be the word I would use here, too. You know, these different uh these different things and make cutouts for people here because of this, because of that. I mean, certainly on a civil level, you know, I think if you and your neighbor could reach some sort of a resolution, which I I think would ultimately be ideal. I don't know how open they are to that. Of course,

and we haven't had a good relationship. I mean, they've got keep outlines and robots and everywhere else. We we we would have no problem presenting them with the paperwork that our other neighbors did. Yeah. I mean, they could have at the variance said that that they would be fine with that if they signed the cr, you know, signed the same paperwork. We have no issue with that. It's just that we anticipated and clearly we were right that they were not interested in being cordial with that.

Yeah. So I I don't know instinctively and I I'm not saying my mind can't be changed on this, but I would I would kind of air towards the side of making sure the ordinances are enforced. And I mean that would obviously um that would present a maybe some probably wouldn't be a popular answer uh among you or your neighbor. If you can't if something couldn't be sorted out at a civil level, I would say we would have to I I would think we should make sure the ordinances are being enforced. The ordinances haven't been in effect since 2019 house. So now all of a sudden we're going to that's part of the issue. We're going to pick and choose where somebody's throwing stones that lives on a glass house just to make problems.

Sure. No, no, I get it. This is this is this is a unique situation. It's not like just a random I mean and and city in part is part of this issue. Okay. where they move forward with this and then didn't follow through. So now I'm left with doing everything the right way and then reaping the benefits of doing things the right way.

Yeah, we're we're kind of in the same situation in that you know this was kind of the hand that was dealt to us and now we're in the we have to make you know the difficult decision one way or another. Um but um yeah, it's uh you know, but with that being said, I even just because something you know, it's it's been that way since 2019 or even earlier. Um you know, one of the things I'll mention in my commissioner's report tonight is we've been um you know, making an emphasis to focus on property management and there's been houses that have not been compliant with city ordinance for, you know, decades. Um, and so we're making an effort to crack on crack down on those and I'll provide an update on that in my commissioner's report. But I I just, you know, even, you know, if something, you know, if it's just the way that it's been, I don't necessarily think that's the way it should be because that's how we kind of get ourselves into these situations. So, it's it's a it's a a messy thing. I don't want to keep talking, though. I mean, I'll pass it off to, you know, Commissioner Moy, but um, it is a it is a tricky situation. Obviously, very unique. I agree with you, Hillary. So ultimately I did listen to the hearing and it is such a small part of a fence really. It's like what 25 ft.

It's 25 ft 18 in and already a majority of the fence is on the property line. So 25 ft is less from it's like from here to like that wall and from what I understand the only reason he was against your your neighbor was against I was hoping he would be here was that he wasn't asked. Right. I mean is that I don't know. Am I summarizing that correctly? That my shed was moving and there was which is irrelevant. We're talking there's just some I don't I don't understand. And again, I would extend this same exact paperwork to them that I did to if if you were my neighbor and I didn't get along with you. I would love to put a giant fence up to never look at you again. I'm going to be honest. Like so. But it's almost right on the property line.

Keep in mind, too, it's like a a no man's land because of our ordinance in Oglesby. There's nothing in between those fences that it's not affecting anything, right? I mean, it's not like they're growing flowers or I'm have a garden on 18. I mean, it's just a no man's land. And but I understand also telling him that, you know, we're going to do this even though you're against it, which is why I wish he was here to give me a little bit more information of what he's really against here. They should be here actually, but he's not. So, I don't have a problem. It doesn't affect me. It doesn't affect anybody besides the two of you. And ideally, it sounds like you guys really don't get along. Put up the biggest fence possible. It's only six feet now. Come on. We got to stay within the ordinance.

I get along with everyone else in my neighborhood. I don't I I would get along with them fine, too. I think there's just some kind of ongoing. I don't know. I I can't explain. Long take too long. All right. So, anyways, it doesn't affect anyone except for my neighbor to the rear would have to look at the ridiculousness or if he finishes it, I can't access that. And Pat, maybe this is a good question to you is the fence is not in co line with the ordinance now, but he has an approved building permit. We can't for the building because well for the fence too though. Well, I don't think it specifies a footprint.

The I think what he's referring to and correct me if I'm wrong on there was there was a mistake that was made that the city did. The city approved the building being that close to the fence. It's not supposed to be, but it is approved because the city made that mistake. The part that's not the city's mistake is where the location of the fence is, though. Is that is that pretty accurate? No. Okay. What do I have wrong? Because you approved it that it was 18 in off at the time and it was it it's now not 18 in off, but it's already there. It's on my property as well. Therefore, a public agent has already approved it. So, if you want, we could litigate it. I've already because even after the completion of

again Pat one at a time I don't want to get into one at a time one at a time I don't know if I agree with that because the the the building permit didn't specify that it said this is exactly where it gave the rules and then the fence goes up in a spot that's not supposed to be so that the city was in good faith everybody thought that was measure the pins wrong or where anything I mean did we do we weren't responsible for that we didn't do that part you approved it we But no. Okay. But I'm not gonna agree to it. Okay. Just for litigation purposes, I'm not gonna agree to it. Sounds good. All right. Hillary, do you have anything else?

I guess my question was quit talking about his property since he's going to argue. But even the neighbors property here with this fence outside on the city property. We approved that. No. So they don't have a permit to put a fence out. Okay. Holy [ __ ] How can we force him to fix it? We've done two two. So, Commissioner Stephanelli did okay. I've said this so many times though and so one more thing to add. So, Commissioner Augbrite started the whole thing trying to solve the thing going forward so we wouldn't have a sidewalk problem like that. That's not true. Hold on. Evidence was already effect. Does anybody have any other questions for Mr. Kameish?

Well, I'm just not going to let you say that because I built my house in 2018. there was an escrow for me to put a sidewalk in as there was in 2019 and somebody I don't know who was let them not do it along with covering up a pothole or a a thing what's what there was an escrow requirements but there was not a specific escrow requirement for sidewalk Tommy Augbrite created that right again going to disagree with it

okay the part I created was because the fence was in the wrong spot and it was just because of words everybody was on the thing I put something in the the new thing that anytime time that a fence is supposed to go up, there's supposed to be markings on the ground. So that way when the building inspector gets there, there's not this problem of, hey, this is where we're going with the fence. Absolutely. That sounds like that should be the plan. And then all of a sudden comes back later and be like, that's not where it was supposed to go. That's where you told me it was going to go. So that's why there's markings now. That is because I think if our buildings inspector at a time read the ordinance at all, you would realize that's not even close to being within the ordinance. I I it's it's 5t off. It's because there was a disagreement. ft off the corner is like 25 ft off at 4T.

There was a disagreement with uh where they thought that that 5 foot uh the easement right away all that stuff was supposed to start. So that's what caused some of the issues with that. And then the question is how do you enforce that? And it's a whole mess. It's a whole mess. Can we agree on that? Is that property a mess? Yes. Okay. All right. Did you have anything else? I guess legally can we enforce anybody to move anything that's out there now? Yeah, that's my question. Well, that's the question I was going to ask. Well, so that's that's that's the thing. Yeah. I don't Yeah, we we've sent plenty of Believe me,

Mayor Ravara has has attacked this pretty pretty strongly. Uh and and very upset that we couldn't get a lot of motion on that. The the the the thing was we were going to have to like take like litigation or or take a lean against the property. And then the argument that they had was there's 29 other properties in the city that did not put their sidewalks in and technically they should have been held accountable to do so. So why are we not doing litigation against everybody? Can we not do anything about the fence? Well, so that's the thing. The fence is going to have to move the walk. Well, I mean the fence could be the fence put on. That's why they're going to have to take a panel out and move it back. There you go. I there's your answer.

As I said, we were talking about safe route to school. I think when the safe route school thing's in that next phase that we need to talk about is what are we doing about the rest of the sidewalks throughout the city that we said we were going to have a plan for and that is definitely going to be one of those properties. I can tell you that that's been brought up here before previous Yep. So I don't want to keep going round and round and that's what I said I didn't want to do. Okay, I'm done. Okay, Matt, did you have anything? Well, she asked my question. I agree. Doesn't make much sense. We got somebody to put a fence where it doesn't belong. It's going to affect the sidewalk. We're going to have to do something about that. Okay. Bridge. And they should have been here.

No. Personally, I feel we could have went out there and put the fence up by now. Yep. It's time here. But you got it. Yeah. Well, and I could have done that, too, and then just said, so, you know, I tried to do everything the right way. I should say we Okay. Was there going to sit down for you, Jason? Okay. Wait one second. Yeah. Wasn't there some argument or something about an easement that goes through there for the electrical between the two property lines or the propert went through the whole entire city? There's I think it was I think we were talking about in the back in the back. So back there was

the line runs there's electrical line that runs down the line and then cuts through my yard briefly and then goes under his fence into his thing. So my fence is wide open. It's not locked. His is not. I mean if there was an issue of electrical there's issues that can be able to be or access that can be uh addressed at any point. I mean we you that doesn't even is not reasonable if you look at all the fences throughout the city. I mean it's okay just a grasp to make a reason. When was when was Sienza's or I should maybe say name but when was the property to the south constructed? 2019. 2019. So there should have been sidewalk funds and escrow and there weren't or

should the the way it was written it was not specific for so there was an escro but it wasn't taken for sidewalks that's why Tommy I thought we said Tommy did that in 2019 though or he did that after this because of this oh okay I I put the part in about the making sure that the ground gets marked for fences and all this stuff like that I don't want to make this go any longer Jason but I'm pretty sure that it says in You have to put a sidewalk in before the occupancy permit sign that a sidewalk needs. And there was an escrow in place, too. It wasn't the tommy augurate ordinance that made everything right. Okay. Well, it didn't because Stephanelli came back to polish off the rest of the That's not my problem. Okay. I know it's not. All right. Richard, do you have anything else?

No. Okay. So, okay. Appreciate it.

I completely agree with what Austin's merit is what he's saying here. um that it's it's anytime we start making special rules and stuff so we we we create problems for later on. I get that. I get that and I completely agree with uh I appreciate Dan Fitzgerald and all of the board uh that they look at that black and white because that's what they're supposed to do, right? They're supposed to look at what is the rules, what is this supposed to be for a variance, a not and so it doesn't qualify. It just doesn't. So, however, I completely empathize with the idea that you have attempted to do everything right and everything that has gone wrong in this situation has been to your disadvantage. Um, and I recognize that I really wish this would just be a civil issue between two neighbors. Just sign off on the division fence and call it good. Take us out of it. We don't have to be involved, right?

They don't want to do that. So, then it picks it on to the city. I don't like the idea of the city overriding that because they have a right to say I want my neighbors to be to code. They have that right. I do think it becomes hypo, you know, hypocritical though when they say that and they have this issue here. So it puts us in a in a situation. Um I I want to just handwave the situation and say go ahead and do it right and and and approve the variance. But then we put ourselves in the situation like like Austin was talking about. Um, so I don't know. So I'm I'm willing to go with what the majority is here. I had a different suggestion, but it might not be as popular. Did you say something?

Well, I was just going to say the issue is even with what I'm suggesting. I mean, if we and what the zoning board of appeals suggested, I mean, is if you strictly follow the ordinance as it is, I mean, again, we're going to have to compel your neighbor to your south to move that fence. We're going to have to compel them to put in a sidewalk. And then I mean as far as your fence is concerned and your shed is concerned. I mean uh I understand you were told one thing obviously but technically uh by ordinance right you were told one thing from what from by ordinance? Yes. Yeah. Yes. Well yeah but by ordinance yeah they're they're not where they're supposed to be. Uh and so you know are we if not by my fault either.

Well I sure I I don't definitively know the facts on that. I would have to look at, you know, the records and you I'd very much appreciate the records. Um, but I mean, if we're going to tell them to move that fence, we're going to tell them to put in a sidewalk, then I feel at that point we have to tell you to move your shed and move your fence. And so, you know, that's the issue with following the ordinance, the letter of the law, but I just I don't know how much I like making these carveouts, you know, uh, especially when one party doesn't consent. I mean, if it was a civil issue, I'd be totally all for it. Uh, no questions asked. I mean, if you two could sort that out between yourselves, totally on board. Uh but I I think it presents an issue. U so do we need an arbitrator and I and I think that they would have a I think that they would have a valid complaint and I mean they could you know potentially you know litigate it. So I mean I I think it's a I think it's a messy messy messy messy issue.

Yes. For 18 in at 25. Okay. So everybody's had an opportunity to weigh in. Now the question is we need an action. Right. The action is either to deny the variance, uh, approve the variance, or some other combination of something. Can I just ask what was your idea? I appreciate you asking that. I want to know. So, my idea um is I want to respect the board of what the zoning board put together.

Um, and and because they looked at as the black and white and they said the the it the variant should be denied. So, I think today we should sustain that. However, I do believe there's extenduating circumstances and some of the stuff that's happened that's caused the situation for his property is because of the situation down south. So, since we want everybody to be in code, my thoughts were that um I'll give we give 60 days for that property to be be 100% in code, which is they have their sidewalk in, they have their fence moved back, and they are 100% to code. If they are, I say the variance stays denied and therefore they have a requirement. Since they're staying within code, that means you should have a requirement to make whatever modifications you have to be to also be in code. However, if 60 days go by and they have chose not to do that,

then I would say we approve the variance. And that's that's a little unconventional, but to me it it's one way that we're trying because we're trying to put pressure to create the public good. But then he fixes those, the neighbor to the south fixes those two things, puts in the sidewalk and puts in the fence. And then we're telling Brian to move his fence and move a shed. So I mean, the variance is already approved then. So that gives them 60 days to make that happen. If they haven't moved their fence or put their sidewalk in since 2019, what makes you think they're going to do it in 60 days? Right. And why is that fair to me that I have to wait another 60 days to finish my fence? It was an idea. I I understand that, but I'm just I'm trying to find the best way to compromise to get everybody in

co again this is a very unique situation that I think we're spending too much time on. I think business to be done 25 ft 18 in. All I ask you to do is approve it. It's not something that is going to come up probably ever again in Oglesby's history with that situation. And I think we're we're we're spending way too much time on this. There there's a there's a lot of little errors like that throughout the city. So, I would definitely say it's not. I've lived here for a long time, longer than you. So, Dan Field, Brian, if we could, I'd love to have Dan Field come up and speak, please. Thanks, Brian. Thank you, Brian. Appreciate it. Thank you, Dan. Thanks. I appreciate uh all the work that you do with all these things.

Thanking you after this, this is pretty fast so far. Come on. We're doing pretty good.

Okay. I just want to give Dan Ferrell, Shirley, the zoning board of appeals. Uh, I just want to give the zoning board's perspective on this. You know, the land development code, call it a code, code or an ordinance, whatever you want to call it, it's a law. Okay? And when someone comes to the zoning board of appeals requesting a variance, they're asking for an exception for them to the law. They are asking asking to be excused from a provision of the law that applies to everyone. There should be a high standard for that. We set kind of a high standard and there are criteria within the zoning ordinance within the land development code that we apply to making the decision as to whether a variant should be granted in this case. Um, you know, I black and white. Yeah, I like being black and white, but you know, I worked in an organization for many years where I had to make many decisions and I know that there most times there really isn't black and white. There's a lot of gray. And in this case, it was like this was overwhelmed with gray. I and and it was uh division fences to the west and to the north. Um it was uh uh easements and it was uh um the fence the property to the to the south wasn't in compliance and pins were moved and it was just it went on and on and we had to clear that up. You know, we had just set that aside because it just got like what is what is the what is the point here? The point is is that you have an ordinance that says that your fences are supposed to be 18 in off of the property line unless there are criteria unless petitioner meets this criteria for a variance and all of these other issues. Although I understand why

Brian and his wife are like, "How is this fair?" Uh, I I understand that, but it's it's pretty difficult to apply a standard to say, well, because this happened, because someone else got away with something, well, you can, too. And we don't do that in law enforcement. If three cars are going down a road,

that's true. you know, three cars are going down a road and they're all going, you know, about the same amount of speed and a police officer catches them with a radar gun and he goes out and he pulls one person over because he only got one on the gun and he gives that guy a speeding ticket and that guy shows up in court and says, "Well, uh, you're hunter. There are two other cars. One guy actually passed me. He was going faster than me. How's that fair to me to get this ticket?" Well, I think we know that the story ends there. We know what the judge is going to say. Because one person got away because two people got away with it does not mean you do. And I do mean to imply here that Mr. and Mrs. Commission are trying to get away with something. I truly appreciate the fact that you have taken all the steps you have to do this in the proper manner because the city is replete with people who were unaware of the law or chose to ignore it. you actually chose to follow the law and I appreciate that very much. But I also appreciate the fact that there is a family that borders that property who has a right to the enjoyment of their property too. And they expressed an objection to this. Whether people around gave permission, they agree to a division fence. The family of the south does not. Does it have to do with a relationship? Well, probably get it. But the fact is clearing out all the other reasons that we have here from the division fences and the and the the prior misplacement of pins and the prior, you know, the fence and the lack of sidewalk. The question is, should we compound this problem by granting a variance to put a fence uh to to enforce to put a division fence to

require that family to the south to accept a division fence when they don't want to because that's what the effect of this will be. The family to the west, the family to the north, they agree to a division fence. The family to the south does not. and we will be requiring them to have a division fence. The fact that they don't comply with the zoning ordinance, the zoning land development code is irrelevant to me. What what what the board determined was there was that and and this may be in the eye of the beholder. Members of the council may view this differently, but unanimously the board of appeals did not feel that requiring that fence to be 18 in off the property line, albeit only 25 ft. The fact that the unanimously agreed it was not a hardship. Is it going to be the most aesthetically appealing? Well, I I don't know. Again, that may be in the eye of the beholder, but that was the decision. Does that fence being 18 in off requiring it to be 18 in off the property line for 25 ft present a hardship? And the board unanimously believed it did not. So, at what point when we get down to all of these issues that we have all over the city with zoning ordinances not enforced or exceptions that people chose to ignore or just were unaware of, do we compound that by by handing out variances that do not comply with the code? Now, that's up to you to decide. All right. I say, you know, the board I was one of four votes there. One member chose to abstain because of a personal relationship, a working relationship

with Mr. Commission. And there's nothing personal about this. I I don't know the family to the south. Brian, I slightly know. We served on a commission city committee together years ago. Thought he was an honorable guy in his in his role there. So, it's not anything like that. It's just, you know, unanimously we just didn't think it presented hardship. So all those other things, I get it. It's confusing, but it's not. I don't think it is. Dan, I appreciate you so much for everything. No, seriously, because you you go you you're cutting through the gray to try to make the black and white out of it and letting us know. I really do appreciate that. Well, that no you can't.

I can. No, sir. No, sir. There is a public comment for any topic afterwards that you can if somebody from the council invites you out that's a different story any questions before I before I get to join Brian. Does anybody have any questions for Mr. Fitz? I got a statement. If the ordinance is the ordinance and we should abide by the ordinance. If they don't wish to have it moved over, I understand that. But we're also going to have to look into the sidewalk issue and their fence issue on the other side. I think that would be the plan. That is the only way to justify it. I agree with you.

And I would suggest that uh both parties come forward at the same night if we do decide postpone the decision. A motion. I understand you like that promotion. Does anybody have anything else to talk about? I just think that's what we should do. Um, we need both parties here, make a cut decision. The other party needs to understand if you're going to enforce this, we have now become aware that the sidewalks will the the fence will have to be moved for the sidewalks. So, are we tableabling this? Is that what we're getting? Let's Could we move on? Are deny, approve, something else or table? I suggest

I suggest that we we table it and let them try and work something out with with that neighbor knowing that that's the repercussions if they want to force this to go any further and we move on right now. Absolutely. I second that. I agree with that. All right. Is there any other discussion? Got first second right here. Is there any other discussion? We're going to table the only thing I would say with that is that we should Thanks. I just don't want to table it indefinitely. Right. Maybe maybe maybe next week we start our conversation about the greater I I wanted to wait until the the sidewalks were done with the safe route, but maybe we started even sooner with starting that conversation up.

I I will say though I I do think at some point though there's going to have to be a conversation about that fence and their sidewalk. But that's the thing like I don't I don't want I don't necessarily know how I I mean it would be it'd be kind of great you know if you know it was like hey you know in exchange for you know uh you allowing me to put this fence up. I won't complain about your your fence and your sidewalk and have you you know move your fence and put in a sidewalk. Um but that's that's not the way it's going to be able to work. We I think we do need to enforce the ordinances as they are. And so ultimately, I mean, what that might end up resulting in is, you know, them moving their fence, putting on a sidewalk. And I mean, Brian's uh, you know, fence and shed are would uh also be out of code, but I don't know the exact history behind that. And I would ask Brian to make that make a competing motion.

No, I'm not. So then that means the motion has been made it that is a thing. I just want to be clear have two people make a motion on one thing and two other people make a motion on something completely different. Yeah. But we don't I just want to be clear that my what I'm suggesting is that we enforce the ordinances. So Okay. So the motion in the second on the table is is to is to table it. Can I get a roll call, please? Baldridge. Hi. Colin. Hi. McDermott. I Moy I

sir I I really would re-emphasize that you'd try to talk with your neighbors again to see if they can solve it via the divi division fence issue because I think this is going to go into the greater conversation about all the sidewalks throughout the city. Okay. C discussion and possible action on tri county opportunities request current. So this was a letter that we got in I sent out to the council. Uh they're looking for just basically support. uh they want a signed support letter for whatever reason um that they want to be able to try to help with opportunities on dilapitated homes and things like that. So, anybody have any questions, concerns about this and go around the table room telling them after all they're doing is signing something? No. No. Well, there's no money or anything involved with anything. Just that we're supporting. Nope. I have no problem with it,

Rich. I'd be happy to support a good cause. All right, sounds good. Can I get a motion and a second to approve it? make a motion to uh Tri County Opportunities uh request. Yeah, it's a weird word. Yeah. To to approve the uh the recommendation that they have. Okay. Uh first motion and second roll. Oh, I'm sorry. Who who did the second? Oh, Mac. Sorry about that. Mac. Uh Baldrich. Let me just change this. Colin. Hi. McDermott. Hi. Moy. Hi. Current.

Hi. D. Discussion of possible action to fix and upgrade Malik road stop lightss. Baldridge. I'd like to express my gratitude to our electric department superintendent Morinsk. Although I admit there have been times waiting at those stop lightss when I may have mentioned a few curse words, I have come to realize that there's much more behind the proper operation. I won't go into detail, but I've learned that he has gone as far as searching and purchasing from eBay to obtain the obsolete parts the past few years. This 30-year-old system is done. The loops in the road have been broken for a very long time. The camera fix bought us a few years. Now even more has deteriorated and cannot be repaired in any way. The stop light company electricians Kle Perkins has informed us that we do have to upgrade now. I would like to pass something up to $65,000 to replace the stoplight set.

Is that what it would cost or Wow. Is it both lights? You don't know. That's Yeah, that'll be for that section there. Okay. So, we still have others that are probably that same age. Whatever. 39's been built since 19. Well, I know that one had particularly bad because I remember telling me that it has a bad design. If you see water, when we get water, if you ever seen the guys have to do maintenance on that, that box that controls all the equipment, it is all 100% underwater. Oh, that's pretty crazy. Keep going around the room. Do you have anything? Figure we have to do it. So, Mac, well, we definitely have to do it. You say how much? Up to $65,000, I believe.

265. Wow. That's more than the I'm trying to think. That's quite a lot. It's bad. Yeah. I didn't know it was going to be quite that high. I I remember when we did the ones at Lewis Avenue, they went to a new system that used a camera thing and I can't remember how much they tried that already. I can't remember when that was shot there. That wasn't an op. So they they looked at multiple options. Out of options. That's They're out of options. Um stop sign there. And we are one, if I'm correct, we are 100% responsible for this light. Is that correct? I think a few of or is that split

because I know there's something split with the state is 251 supins and this one's us that All right. Do you feel confident that you've looked into all the options we have? If Clay Berkens says it, they know a hell of a lot more than I'm ever going to know. So, yes. All right. And they gave us a quote. I mean, if you ask the questions, I don't know what else there is to do. And all right. Anybody else have any other topic on there? I'd just like to see an actual dollar amount, but I understand. Uh, I guess that that's that's a fair question. When you say up to 65, what do they they're pushing somewhere right around 62 right now? Do they have a quote for a system to come in?

I believe that's what the system was like 61 389 I believe, but I'm not positive on that number. I don't have that with me right now. So, I understand we can go to 62,000 and hope that the taxes don't go over or something. I don't know. I don't want to approve a motion where we hope something, but uh anybody have anything else? And that's at the recommendation of the people who service our stop lightss, not Yep. That's not us. We're just Okay. So, you So, you don't have the quote on you. So, you're basically just saying you want to go up to 65,000 for it. Okay. You want to make if Nobody has anything else. If you want to make a motion. Make a motion to purchase new stop lightss up to $65,000 for Marquette Avenue. I don't I think it's the Marquette Avenue one, isn't it?

I think so. Yeah. On the agenda is Mal. Oh, we just purchased a new stop for whatever. Well, so because the Malik's the ones that's the underwater one next to where the Loves is. So Marquette Marquette is Beex. That's the one that's the one the one right after that is the one that they did the special camera system with. So is there a reason they can't do the camera system on the the other one? They've already done it. All the wires are rotted out now. I assume they're all the same age, so they're all going to be going here soon. Pick your choice. Whatever. Okay. Want to fix the one that's flashing or you want to do the other one now or they're all going to need to be done.

Okay. So, it's just administrative error that says Malagon there. So, you're saying the the motion is to for for Marquette? Marquette, I believe so. Okay. I will second. Okay. I got a motion in a second. Second. Roll call, please. Baldrich. Hi. Colin. Hi. McDermott. I moy I. Current. Abstain. Uh E. Discuss and act on trucket buck issue. Baldridge. is uh another issue is that uh they say it's been a long we're not even 8:00 yet.

We have a letter from Altech. Dear Altech owner, the useful service life of your Altech unit is defined as 25 years from the date of manufacturer. After 25 years of service life, the following conditions apply. Alt service will no longer service or maintain your unit. We will continue to provide parts as long as the parts are still available for purchase. parts are not available. We will not retrofit solutions. Technical support will be limited. Alt tech's promise is to set the standard of excellence in design, manufacturing, and service. Alt tech service backs up this promise with the most complete and comprehensive service and support organization in the industry. We offer the most complete line of parts for equipment repair and maintenance along with a technical support and training organization to train, educate, and problem solve throughout the useful life of the equipment. So that's that's their uh biggest truck or the one that extends the the farthest and that's probably the most useful.

And uh at this point it's not safe because the grounding on it I guess is uh the grounding for the bucket is what is affected at that after 25 years. That's why they won't do anymore. Okay. Did it just age out of being serviced serviceable? I'm not positive on the age exactly. Who services it? Is it all tech? Okay. So, they won't service it anymore. No more. Okay. So, yeah, that's that's an issue. This was a What is What do you mean by grounding? Like the insulated bucket part like I think I'm not electrician, but probably Hillary that it's not grounding to a dead source, you know, to keep them from getting zapped up there. That sounds like a big deal.

Yeah, it's a pretty big deal. It's not grounding through. So, Matt No, we're going to need it. Okay. Um, couple things. So, it the equipment handler is the biggest one we have. That's the one with the double bucket on. That's the That's the big one, isn't it? He said it's the the one that they could use uh goes the farthest or something.

So, the last administration we bought a brand new equipment handler. That's the one that's got the two buckets on the end. That's that's the really big one from my understanding. That should only be like five years old. Um the the small bucket truck we did during this administration. Um there's only one other bucket truck I have. I thought it was the medium-sized one. Do I do I have that somehow wrong? I don't I down there I have not.

Plus so every year they do they have to certify that the buckets are safe or whatever. So al all techer they come uh and they do an inspection report uh on everything. They they do the inspection report on the hydraulics, the safety, all these things like that. Um, and and as far as I know, now granted, I'm I'm not the commissioner anymore, but they would get those reports and I'd see them that they're all check check. So maybe something happened in the last three years. Has it have they fallen out of service where they say it's not safe anymore? That's what I just read. Is that the report? Yes, that's that's the report. That's they're no longer taking they're no longer service.

They're not going to service it. So that's not insp so so there is a sheet that has all it has the stuff on it right and that they'll check off what parts all that stuff. So I don't this looks like some kind of summary thing that was that was done up. Um also the thing that they're talking about for 25 years I do know about this uh because there's only three places in America that do it and I got to witness one of them uh where they test the grounding for it. So, chances are we did not take this out to Virginia, uh, California, or the other third one is in Lraange, Texas. Uh, the one I got to see. So, that is how they te they put this massive amount of power. It's look like this massive Tesla coil. Looks like something crazy. And they generate to see how much grounding is protected from that bucket. So, chances are it has fallen out of code. It necessarily hasn't been tested or failed the test because I guarantee you they didn't test it to one of those things. Um, I I don't I feel like this needs to be some more information before we buy another thing because I thought the really really big one was the equipment handler and that's brand new. So, if I have that wrong, I' i'd like more information on that. And I'd love to see the inspection reports for the last three years for these devices. I mean, if it has fallen out of code or it's unsafe in any way, shape, or form, then we need to take an action on it. Uh, but my understanding is you have the small bucket truck and you have the really really big one that are practically brand new. I I would think you'd be okay for a little bit. Is that relatively accurate?

I don't work down there. I guess I we got to do what we got to do. I mean, they have to make do with what they have. Uh, I I prefer more information. Um, I mean, because I remember the equipment handler was I want to say it was like a $200,000 piece of equipment. So that's why I I don't know the the details on the rest. So I for me I'd like more information but it's up to what everybody else wants. Anybody have anything else on the topic? If we need it we need it but I mean we waited on the backhoe. I mean we can wait a meeting on this and get more information. But if we need it we need it. We have

here's one thing here. It says aged unit notifications indicate a unit over 25 years old and Altech will no longer service it. We will continue to provide parts if they're available for purchase. If parts are not available, we will not engineer retrofit solutions, but we'll provide technical support. It's got the customer vehicle number. So, it's it's basically aged out to where they're saying they're not going to provide parts for it. I'd be curious to know what the inspection reports still say on the model D880. So, if you know that, that's what it is. I thought from Rich, Rich, I know the aged unit is the model AM855. Yeah. Does that So, does that mean they don't even come and do the test on it where they test the hydroxy? I think I think it said that they'll do parts if they have them, but they won't retrofit parts. And uh not only that, but they won't service it.

So, I mean, if they're not going to service it, I mean, that's it's a big issue. I I for me, I'd like more information, but it's up to you. Okay. Pretty clear. Altech will no longer service it. Well, does service mean come and test it to make sure it's safe? Because it for the yearly I don't know. I think it's probably a pretty comprehensive term. So, we probably need quotes for new That's what the option we're doing. That's what their point is. So that I I guess get us some quotes. Get us the what did you call the the inspection report? They check they check to make sure that it's safe for people to go up and down that it's not going to strand them. It's not going to collapse on them. All that kind of stuff. I don't want them to be working unsafe. Do we need to rent? Can you rent them?

My point is we have two there's three there's three pieces of equipment down there and two of them are are super new. Well, I mean, one's this administration. If they don't need it right now, then that's fine. I don't know the needs of the department. Do they need all of them? Well, that's what has me concerned. He says it's the really large one. And my understanding is the really really large one is called the equipment handler. It's the AM8 855. If that's if you know all so much about it, that's what it is. Get more information on it. Come back to All right. So, do we want to table it for now or are you willing to make a motion on something? We'll table it for now. And can I get a motion table? Make a motion to table the bucket truck. I'll second it. Roll call, please. Baldridge, I. Colin, I. McDermott, hi. Moy, I. Currin, hi.

F. Discussion and possible action on amending the agenda ordinance. Baldridge. Uh here we have under our current newly established ordinance states that the mayor and any commissioner of the city of shall have the authority to place an item on agenda for any upcoming city council meeting but said request must be made at least 48 hours prior to the meeting so as to allow the city clerk to place said item on the written agenda to be posted for said meeting. Anybody that's paid attention has understood here that we've had quite the problem here with uh somebody throwing something on there seven or eight times in a row. Now, my my my suggestion here tonight is to amend that part of that ordinance and add in after place an item on an agenda under old or new business to be added. That's it.

So, you four four five words. Five words under old or new business. To be added and amended. We'll go around the room. Go ahead. Um yeah, I mean I think that kind of gets to what what uh Rich was saying about uh structural changes, I suppose. Um so I mean I have a lot more if we want to talk about structural changes.

I mean I don't necessarily have a problem with it. I do think the structure of the agenda should be should be pretty set. I mean if you want to add a discussion item Yeah. If you want to add a discussion item, I'm totally game for it. But I I I would generally concur uh with kind of what he's putting out there. So I would agree. I mean I don't feel like I have the right to put anything on the agenda and then dictate where the placement is. But also um the agenda by whole isn't anybody one person's control. If I want to take something off, we have to vote on it at the beginning of the meeting. Same thing I would say if it doesn't fall under new or old business then yeah it should be up for a council vote.

Matt, I agree. It should be up to a council bold. I do like the wording that Rich was talking about. You know when you keep adding it on seven or eight times and certain individual keeps raising his hand right before the American pledge of the allegiance that's gets a little monotonous. Okay. make a decision on it and go from there. Okay. Um, so a couple things is that provision was added because council members felt that they Do you have something you'd like to also add or second? Carry on.

Oh, thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. Um, that that item was added because council members wanted to make sure that they had the right to make sure that they could add things to the agenda. Um, which I fully support. I think that's great. Um, matter of fact, I even said today, I don't want to shut anybody down. If they're talking about something that they felt was important. So, I believe if anybody feels that they have something that's important that they want to talk about, they should be able to add that to the agenda. This whole stuff with structural change or whatever sounds like a like a chat GPT thing because I don't know why anything would have to fit under old business or new business. Matter of fact, uh those categories did not necessarily exist before I created them last uh during the last administration. Um matter of fact, there's other categories that we have on there as well. We have presentations. Somebody might want to come to make a presentation that would go before old business. Um I I don't think trying to limit something that has to be into old business or new business doesn't seem to make sense to me. Plus, I think there's a lot of value in there. I mean, the council can do what they want. I truly believe there's value because there's a lot of things that can come up that's crazy during a council meeting and if the council members wanted to talk about something at the end of a council meeting I think there's nothing wrong with that in my opinion. I think any other action to do so is an attempt to try to silence people which is ridiculous. But that's my thoughts open floor.

I would say I kind of I you do I mean you could theoretically put the mayor's report under old or new business and it wouldn't really make a difference. So, I mean, I don't I I I I guess that is kind of kind of the caveat. So, I mean, I I don't really know if there is a good solution. I mean, I don't think we should be adding the same thing to the agenda every single time when people consistently voted off the agenda. Um, you know, any sort of discussion item, of course, specific discussion item. I don't think anybody should be censored, but um I I I don't really know if there is a good answer to this uh honestly other than

so ordinance number 2.03.12 is members rules, Jason, and uh it doesn't quite have exactly how you said it here. The council of the city, the governing body thereof, consisting of the mayor and four commissioners as set forth in this chapter, shall be governed in its deliberations by the following rules. To save time, I'll go down to D. The order of business shall be as follows. One, roll call. Two, reading of minutes. Three, reports. Four, communication from board of local improvements. Five, petitions of communications. Six, unfinished business. Seven, new business. Eight, adjournment. Robert's rules of order to be followed unless laws shall govern overall questions of parliamentary procedure. These rules may be altered, amended, or temporarily suspended at any time by vote of the council. That is correct. Yes. Well, that's not what you've done.

Well, now you guys voted to remove an item. I'm not done, but you carry on. What's that? I wasn't done here.

Oh, please go ahead. I'm sorry. So the other part of my uh amendment to ordinance is that I would like to add an inclusion due to the recent events and that is any time any item that has been rejected by a majority vote of the city council including any substantially similar item shall not be reconsidered or placed on a subsequent agenda for a period of 6 months from the date of such vote unless a majority of the council members who voted against the original item approve its reintroduction during that period. For purposes of this section, substantially similar item means any proposal that involves the same or closely related subject, matter, purpose, or effect as the previously rejected item, regardless of any minor modifications, renaming, or reformatting intended to circumvent this provision.

Now, I got to admit I like that better than your first comment. I got to admit, Rich, I like that one better than your one. Well, I would like to make a motion on both of them. So, okay, we button that up. I just guessed my question would be I mean do you think that's uh waterproof, Pat? I mean I mean do you Oh my god. Waterproof in terms of it being litigated. Uh in terms say the mayor's report not being allowed to be on the next agenda. There's no reason you could reasonably put put that on there without violating the ordinance.

The mayor's report's on there. So, first of all, you're not following the order of business that's in your ordinance. It doesn't talk about commissioner's reports. It doesn't talk about mayor's reports. It just says reports and it's out of order. I if you look at the bottom, it's not the order you're following. So, if you're going to start to amend these, I think you ought to have a set agenda and and put that for that's correct in what you're utilizing now.

So, the things that we've updated, you can see on the bottom of that, it'll have a thing for this year. Other than that, it is the original. I think the the original hasn't been modified since what 1923. So that's why it reads like that. Um we could put it in there for our current structure. I don't think there's anything wrong with that because technically the structure is wrong now. It is it is it I mean my attention

we haven't followed that probably for at least the last 25 years of of minutes I've seen uh in in there. I don't know what happened prior to 1970, but so we could I mean I'm all for that putting a better structure together. Um I do not like any wording that says if something's been rejected, we're not going to bring it back for 6 months. So that means somebody just a sec. I said if the majority party that that voted it down accepts that. So if there is an emergency or anything, there is a provision that would allow you to bring it back if if need be. But for for a game like this that you've played for three, four months now, that's not uh

So Rich, let me ask you let me ask you this. Let me ask you this and and I'll give you I'll give you a real live example. Okay, so somebody puts something on there. They want to talk about whatever. Is it old or new business? Is there anything that can be productive by that? Irrelevant. Irrelevance not. We're here to be productive. So somebody puts something on there and the whole council goes, you know what? I don't think we want to talk about this. So they vote it off. How does it get back on? You tabled because you tabled it then. Hold on. Hold on. How does it how does it get back on? Because you just said if the majority of everybody says, you know what, we can bring it back on. If it can't go back on the agenda, how does the majority vote to put it back on then? Because you'd asked them and they would agree with you. Something stupid what you're doing here.

Under what I to ask for a motion to re uh No, we don't. I can't. But you're specifically being suggested that you can't put something on the agenda. So if we take a vote that makes me nervous for a long discussion and we all agree that no motion to reconsider is what it's called. So yes, you could but you're not going to put the exact same item that has failed, you're going to put the motion to reconsider on there and reconsider it from the council. And if those three people that that the majority ruled and said to get it off, if they say at that time, yes, we hey, we better get this back on here, then it goes back on. I'd have to look into that. I think the motion to reconsider is something that happened in the current meeting. I don't know if you can say motion to reconsider something that's on the previous agenda that you've not added to this agenda.

I don't know. We have to look at that. And I think Robert's rules of order talks about a threemonth pause, not a six-month pause from my reading of it in the past. I happen to have some of it right here because I looked at it for this meeting. But um thanks Pat. Appreciate it. Um, so I would probably suggest three months as opposed to six, but um I I think recurring votes can be controlled. Recurring uh agenda items, right? Okay. Well, I would recommend that we would at least start with we probably do need to update our structure since it's been probably something that was put up in 1923 and it has not been followed in our current format.

I think that's an easy fix. I think that is then everybody would agree. But um so I I guess there would have to be a majority vote taken at a city council meeting to put it on the agenda for the next meeting because you wouldn't be able to send like an email and say, "Hey, is everybody okay with me putting this on the agenda?" Correct. Okay. I like what you did there. The public the public will become aware of that hopefully in the next couple weeks as well. If you like Let's focus on this for now. Yes. Right here. So, okay. Well, I mean, is there So, I I made the motion once. Uh, would we like to do it again? I I had the two things there that I gave to Pat. Um, the one motion was for to add

I think you should take them separately, Rich. So, because people might want to vote differently. First one is to amend the ordinance to add in uh under old or new business after that would fit in after you put to place an item on an agenda under old or new business for any upcoming council meeting. So that's amending the ordinance 1233 that was adopted on August 21st of 2023. So then I'll I'll ask the question. Let's say Hillary, you you have somebody here that you want to do a presentation for and you want to get them on the agenda. According to that new ordinance, you're not allowed to put that on the agenda. Why? It could be due business. You could put under old.

Well, we've we've always put them We've always put the presentations up for the first item before any business items because it gives them the opportunity to to leave. You still have the option to I need to I need to correct something. Rich, I'm gonna ask you to stop talking with I was in the middle of making my motion, Jason, and you just buted in and started talking about hypotheticals. No, I didn't. I had the other one, too. So, we didn't take care of the first one, and you're still you're still having a debate. You got to take them one at a time. So, you finish your first motion. Why are you debating when I called for the motion? Cuz I don't think you understand. I don't think you understand. You can't keep debating after the motion. When a motion is made, you don't need to take and there's no table indefinitely either, right, Jason? Yeah. I don't think we have a second yet, do we?

No second yet. I do have a I I will say though, I I do if I could vote to exclude Jason's mayor report or something substantially similar from the agenda, I would be okay with that. But what I will say though is I don't necessarily know if I like the idea of uh excluding something from being uh included on the agenda for a period of three months if it's a discussion item, which I think this would do. Um, I think that makes things a little bit different because that is effectively censoring somebody. Um, so I mean, if I could if we could find some way to remove the mayor's report, I' I'd be I'd be okay with that. Is there something that you can offer as an alternative to prevent the same topic from being added to be litigated and discussed and debated every single meeting?

Well, that would be to three months, wouldn't it? Well, yeah. I Yeah, I guess if if the substantially similar language is in there, I guess that would that would count. So yes, and those are two se those will be two separate. Okay, then I'm fine with that. But we also need to redo the agenda items. Yeah, I will I will make a second to redo the ordinance to modify the structure of the agenda. Must be done by council vote. I'll second that. Did I hit that correctly? Yes, you did. I believe you did. That's already Yeah, we already have that ordinance. That's already in the ordinance, Hillary. Well, that's paragraph. We have to these rules may be altered, amended, or temporarily suspended at any time by

update the but you need to update the order of business or what we refer to as an agenda. You're you're trying to stop something from going on. Rich has a motion on the floor and until that one's resolved, we can't take a new motion from you, Hillary. So, I want to make sure I understand Rich's motion. Mo Rich's motion is to add that line to where anybody can add anything to the agenda under old business or new business. Is that correct, Rich? Yes. Okay, that's a motion. Is there a second to that? I I think we need to second it, but I I'm I guess we also need to modify the order in our ordinance does not match what we're doing anyway.

Does she have it there? I'll read it again for you. Okay, one at a time, Hillary. Okay. So, the current give the current one here. Path one. Here's the current one right here. Okay. The current one is the mayor and commissioner of the city of Oakish shall have the authority to place an item on the agenda for an upcoming city council meeting, but said request must be made at least 48 hours prior to meeting as to allow the city clerk time to place that item agenda post meeting. He wants to simply change it to where it says um have the authority to place the item on the agenda under old or new business for any upcoming city council meeting. So basically it's it makes it specific to say if you want to add something you have to add it there. Okay. Is that correct? Yes,

I'll second that. Okay. Mo there's a motion in a second. Can I get a roll call for that? Baldridge. Hi. Colin. Hi. McDermott. No. Uh Moy I and Curran. No, but it So that means you have direction to create one to put on the next for the next agenda. I like the second and then there's a second motion. Then there's a second motion. What's what's the next motion? Who's or who's making it? Second one.

Any item that has been rejected by a majority vote of the city council, including any substantially similar items, shall not be reconsidered or place on a subsequent agenda for a period of 3 months from the date of such vote unless a majority of the sub council members who voted against the original item approved its reintroduction during that period. For purposes of this section, substantially similar item means any proposal that involves the same or closely related subject matter, purpose, or effect as the previously rejected item regardless of any minor modifications, renaming or reformatting intended to circumvent this provision.

Okay, that is incredibly messy and it's highly subjective. I don't know how you say it's close to related to this that why don't you start with adding our actual structure into the ordinance the one that we actually have that we've been doing for the last the most part I think that's a office issue we'll sort that out no it's no in the ordinance it specifically says something that's different that well I know but I mean we could just follow what's in the ordinance that'd be a nightmare I'd rather just go with but we already voted to put the mayor's report in front I mean that is a they did that. But what we what I'm saying is I think you need to redo this table. I do.

What what he's referring to is back in 1923 it basically says comes with reports like comes with a report from the building improvement committee. I mean all these kinds of things that don't exist anymore. Right. I think if anything we we restructure that to to show our current format that we have. Well, I'd like to second that. You want to second that long? That long one. That way it ain't on a new or old business. All right. Well, there's a first and second. I'm supposed to restate it. Does everybody understand it? Can I get it back here? I don't have it. It's right here, Jason. This one.

Okay. The motion was any Where do you want this at too, by the way? You want this added as another item? That's what we're making a whole new motion. Okay. You want to add motion is to add another item to the provision. Uh any item that has been rejected and substantially similar item means any proposal that involves the same or closely related subject matter purpose or effect as the previously rejected item regardless of any minor modifications renaming or reformatted intended to circumvent this provision. Okay. I find that incredibly subjective. Yeah.

Um, but there's a motion and a second. Does everybody understand what the motion was at least? Yes. Yes. Yes. Well, hopefully the people that said they motion. Okay. Motion to second. Roll call then. Baldri. I. Colin. No. McDermott. I. Moy. I. And Curran. No. All right. We got some work doing it. Do we want to, since we're on this topic, do we want to restructure the actual correct format, the thing our attorney recommended? Sure, let's talk about it. Don't need to talk about it. I think we I don't know if we need to talk about it. I would just re make the recommendation. Can I see your agenda, Jason? I would just make make a motion that we

So the order would be unless somebody objects opening of meeting roll call pledge of allegiance mayor's report public comment agenda items only approved minutes of prior meetings approved bills presented for payment approved payroll business new business public comment on any topic commissioner reports period in the executive session Yes. Yes. I would love that. That would be great. So, oh, just something off the top of my head. So, I guess after we're done with the pledge of allegiance, if somebody had passed away that I wouldn't be able to put We can make things. Oh, we can do that then. You're making the rules.

Oh, you made them. The agenda and we can move on and maybe go home before 9:00 tonight. That would be direct Pat to get get it done. To revise the section of the code. Yes. I believe the I believe the motion is to direct Pat to to revise the section of the code to match to our current structure relating to the order of business relating to the order of business. Motion a second. Okay. I'm sorry. Who did the second? Everyone's I will. I don't. Okay. I did. Okay. Baldridge. I uh Colin abstain. McDermott. Hi. Moy and Curran. Hi. That's a good one. All right. I like that.

Number 11. public comment on any topic speaker, treasurer, we are old. Uh just here actually to announce our first responder of the month. Um I'm very happy to announce that is our chief of police, Mike Margus. Chief of Police Mike Margus was born and raised in Oglesby and is a graduate of Lelp High School. He worked a variety of jobs growing up from auto body technician, warehouse forklift operator, chemical plant operator and owning his own construction company. It wasn't until the year 2000 when he found his true calling and was hired by the Oglesby police department when he graduated from the state police academy. Marcus was chosen to lead a specialized multi-juris jurisdiction unit called crime reduction unit back in 2006 by the local area chiefs. He rose through the ranks with being appointed sergeant in 2007, then assisted chief of police in 2010, where he served until his appointment as chief of police in 20123. If asked, Chief Margus would say his most rewarding achievement was creating Oglesby shop with a cop program back in 2010. The program the program has become a huge success, helping hundreds of children and their families. In his spare time, Chief Margus enjoys spending time with his wife, dog, family, and friends. He is also an avid outdoorsman and looks forward to every hunting season. Commissioner Moy submitted that his leadership goes far beyond managing a department. It is rooted in integrity, accountability, and a genuine commitment

to both of his officers and community he serves. Under his guidance, the police department has become more than just a workplace. It has grown into a supportive, unified family. Chief Margus fosters an environment built on trust and respect where officers feel valued and motivated to perform at their highest level. He leads by example in every sense, never asking his officers to take a task he would not willingly do himself. That level of accountability and humility has earned him deep respect within his department. He encourages growth and professional development for all his officers on the department. Chief Margus has also been instrumental in strengthening community relationships. His efforts in creating and supporting programs like Shop with a Cop have made a meaningful impact on local families, especially youth. He consistently works to develop and promote community focused initiatives that build trust, connection, and positive engagement between law enforcement and residents. Beyond his official duties, Chief Marcus is a constant presence in city events, volunteering his time and showing unwavering dedication to the community. His visibility and involvement reinforced the idea that law enforcement law enforcement is not separate from the community but an integral part of it. Through his leadership, compassion, and hands-on approach, Chief Margus has set a standard that others strive to follow. His contributions have strengthened both his department and the community, making him truly deserving of recognition as first responder of the month. On behalf of we are Oglesby, we also want to thank him for his service and continued support of our organization. Chief Margus and his department are all instrumental in supporting community involvement. We are fortunate to have

Chief Margus and such a great police department and behalf and also the Garzeneellis was there to sponsor a gift certificate and appreciation. So thank you chief for everything that you do and all that. Excellent. Um, any other public comments on any topic?

Well, I'm Pat.

Yeah, I'm Pat Rzinski and I uh Oglesby resident for 25 years. And uh picture me with a bouquet of flowers and a big box of cookies for you all because um in October uh my neighbor told me that a utility bo pole had sagged to where it was already touching my house. And uh that scared me to no end. And so uh I pictured my roof going and my garage and all that. And so, uh, my first thought was city hall. And sure enough, that was the thing to do because, uh, the ladies in the clerk's office knew who to call. And so, uh, they told me that it's, uh, Rich Baldrich. And, uh, the person I was talking to face to face was Mark Moransik. And, uh, you should see that utility post looked like spaghetti up there. That's how many wires and utilities were coming from it. So, um uh he just said, "Well, no, you don't have to do anything, Pat." I thought I would be given a whole handful of phone numbers to call and I would be doing all of this myself. But from that moment on, I just watched a miracle happen. And this started in October and it finished April 9th because uh this was the end of the year and winter was coming and there was one last utility that wouldn't come. They just let it happen and I was watching that post but so was Mark and I knew that he every time he would pass my house he was looking at it and making a

phone call. So, I wanted to be here because um all I can do is throw flowers and cookies at you guys and come and tell you thank you very much. Because for 25 years, anything that I had a problem with, I could come to the city and feel like I was being taken care of. And this I can't tell you how many Well, I've got gray hairs, but this would have been a heart attack for me if I had to call all of these people and deal with them and listen to their delays and everything. And you should see the post used to be so close to my house that when they planted a vine, the vine actually left the post and went onto my roof. So, uh, now they it was so you talk about 18 inches on a lot line. My not in my yard, you know, my neighbor owned all of the properties and so they put the fence wherever they wanted. And um, the fence that fell and hit my house was right on the lot line and my backyard was only six feet wide. So, the fence just made it. So, um, ordinances are important, but, uh, the fact that I can depend on the city to help when I have things that I can't do myself. So, uh, here's the roses and there's the cookies. Thank you very much. I appreciate you all.

Thank you. Thank you.

Can we see you next week? Thank you. She don't want to stay for a long game. Number 12, Commissioner reports. Commissioner C. Thank you.

Uh yeah, so I only have one thing tonight. Uh the one thing that I do have uh is kind of it goes back to what we were talking about when we were talking about Mr. uh Kamanisha's property and enforcing ordinances. uh we've had an issue uh I guess for the last decade or a few decades uh when it comes to actually enforcing uh well I know obviously things have probably changed ordinance-wise but we've had an issue when it comes to um actually enforcing uh some of our ordinances and so um in my case we had talked about this as it relates to um uh property maintenance uh and building code and what I guess property maintenance is more the police department's jurisdiction but uh building code. Uh and so uh we have uh been working on addressing some of the complaints that have come in uh to our online uh form. Uh and uh basically what we kind of have is we have a multi-step process. Uh we receive the complaint. Um our building electrical inspector uh Burton reaches out to them or if it's a property maintenance thing, the police uh department reaches out to the person in question. Uh gives them a fix by date. um if they do not fix it by that date, um we did pass an ordinance uh earlier in this administration that allows us to levy a fine. Uh so we levy the fine and we give them a final fix by date and if they don't fix it by that date, we're the plan is to turn pass it off to the city attorney. Um but with that being said, um we've had a number of submissions already and um as of now we have some that we're still kind of uh especially zoning issues that we're still kind of playing around with. But as far as actual um building um electrical code stuff, we've had four complaints uh that they were given their final fixed by date um well they they were just recently given their final fix by date. Um the first fix by date was um

April 15th. Uh and we sent them we gave them two weeks to to fix definitively or at least I guess ideally fixed definitively, but we're willing to work with them as well. uh but to start work uh start progress on fixing those things uh for which they were cited. So um the fines have been leveled and uh or whatever and we'll see kind of uh how that proceeds. So um you know I I will say I I kind of take ownership and responsibility for um on the form um I had made the form up and on the form it does say you can expect a follow-up response within two weeks. Um I did not indicate to um any of the people actually going through and investigating this and sending letters out that I wanted them to follow up within two weeks. So uh that's my fault, but we'll work on the communication aspect of it a little bit more as we go. Um but I I do want people to know because there have been some questions. I do want people to know that um these uh these issues when it comes to building codes specifically um and on the police departments on property maintenance um are being taken care of. So um that's all I have for tonight.

Commissioner Mor,

when I chose to serve on this council, it was with the intention of asking questions, doing the work, and representing our community with integrity. What I did not expect was that serving in this role would include being intimidated, dismissed, and personally targeted for doing exactly that. I want to be very clear about what that has looked like. I have been yelled at across the table during official proceedings with a colleague leaning into me in a physically aggressive manner. I've been told directly that I do not understand issues, probably because of my gender. I have been criticized for making a big deal out of things when raising questions about compliance with state statutes. questions that are quite literally part of my responsibility as an elected official. I was placed in a situation where I was confronted and screamed at for nearly two hours over an accusation that I had legally recorded someone. An accusation that was not only unfounded, but a commissioner later acknowledged that he may have started the rumor that contributed to the situation. When I brought that situation to forward to my peers, I was too old I deserved it because of the current political climate. I was told I had misrepresented what had happened despite documentation confirming my account. I have been the subject of personal and inappropriate speculation, including claims that I am in bed with or being coerced by another commissioner rather than being recognized as an independent elected official. I have been excluded from important city business and and even given the opportunity to discuss economic development opportunities for the city of Oglesby. This is not a disagreement. This is not healthy debate. This is a pattern of behavior designed to undermine, discredit, and silence. And it's not just happening to me. We're now hearing from members of our community, including volunteers and nonprofit leaders, who are describing similar experiences of intimidation and bullying. That should concern every one of us because when people are treated this way, they don't lean in. They step back. They disengage. And our community is worse for it. Public service should not require anyone to endure hostility in order to participate. It should not

require people to diminish themselves just to be heard. So, let me be clear about this. I will continue to ask questions. I will continue to speak up and I will not be intimidated into silence. And to anyone in this community who has felt dismissed, targeted, or pushed aside, do not let anyone convince you to shrink your voice. Your voice is needed here. It always has been. Thank you. Thank you,

Commissioner McDerman. First of all, thanks Hillary. I like that. It's good. Okay. April 27th to March 1st, branch shipping. Put your branches on the BM and the guys will come by and pick it up. The dry bridge should be completed sometime this month. I still haven't been informed on the actual date. Um, the wastewater treatment plan is on schedule and let's see, as far as the safe route to schools, I'll look into everybody's concern and I'll see what I can do and we'll see how much the city can afford to maybe fix a little bit of this things that are wrong. Um, I do want to appreciate uh Jim Clenard for coming to the meeting today and Ross for speaking on behalf of the Safe Route to Schools. And um, thanks Hillary. I like that speech. If anybody feels that way, let me know. I don't like that either.

Commissioner Bald, go ahead. Good job, Commissioner Moy and Commissioner McDermott. I do want to apologize. Uh these meetings are very very long. Um I I acted out of line there. Uh I shouldn't have. I do apologize for that. What are you doing, dude?

Um my report today, JP and I met with Riley Hinch, I think is his last name. Can't spell it. H I N T Z C H E from the LPFA agriculture department to discuss an exciting partnership that will bring new life to our downtown planters. We are proud to announce that we will be working alongside Laselpru High School's agriculture program to plant our downtown planters this spring. Even more exciting, we are establishing a long-term agreement for the students to continue this effort throughout the remainder of the year. Looking ahead with the completion of the new agriculture building anticipated next year, this partnership will grow even stronger. Our very own local students will not only be planting the flowers, they will be growing them from the start. This creates a full circle hands-on learning experience while directly beautifying our community. This is exactly the kind of collaboration that makes Oglesby special. Investing in our youth while enhancing our city. We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to We Are Oglesby for stepping up last year offering to sponsor the costs and the planters in the downtown planters and for helping organize and foster this new relationship. Your commitment to our community continues to make a lasting impact. Together, we're not just planting flowers. We're planting pride, opportunity, and the future of Old Lisby. That's all I have. Okay, thank you. Uh, number 13, council final comments. Um, go around if anybody has anything they'd like to add to anything. Um, all I'll say is I think, uh, I think Commissioner Moy's commissioner report, uh, first of all, I I believe we all agreed up here that we weren't going to use the mayor's report or commissioner's report to throw political barbs. Um, you can go back and watch that. And second, there's a there's I guess a two sides to every story. So take that with a grain of salt. That's all I have.

Okay. I think that just illustrates exactly what I was talking about. But okay. Okay. M. Well, I personally I'm just going to say this. I personally feel that any elected official does not have the right to be bewildered, demeanored, or anything. And if you got a question, always ask. That's the biggest thing. People don't ask enough questions. There's no such thing as a dumb question. Only a question. It's only dumb if you don't ask. If that makes any sense.

I didn't really have anything. The funny thing is you guys are wanting to remove this item and there's evidence today that there's value to have it. So, which is ironic. I guess it's probably chances are help people. Chances are it's only going to be on here for this one and next one. If you guys get your way and then it gets gets added to the next thing, uh, then it would be changed. So, my only thing is, Commissioner Mo, and again, I'm not trying to ask a question though, but it sounds to me like you were making an accusation of something like that. Is that something that we need to investigate? I don't know what it is you're referring to. I did report it to HR. Okay. Who was HR then? You when did you report something to me? January 2nd. Oh, yeah.

Did you send an email or a text or Oh my god. It's fine. The only thing I remember you telling me something about was there was an issue with an inappropriate God, I really don't want this is this is a lie. I agree. This should not be done public. I agree. You But it was with somebody that that made a thing that they just supported your thing of what you just said at the IML conference. So what I think she's referring to um I don't know what she's referring to. I think she's referring to an incident. The glasses. Yeah. Glasses. Yeah. What does that have to do?

How peculiar it was. The glasses. Okay. Oh, so I I mean people can say what they do do what they want. if somebody feels intimidated by something like that. Um yeah, I mean we'll have to we'll have to look into it. I I don't I don't know of anything that was pending uh an action. I believe Jason, we have talked about it and we had asked them to consult um legal counsel about it and there's been no response. So is this the thing that somebody made an accusation that somebody was being recorded?

Yes, that is correct. And there's been no followup from the people that were upset about it about any any legal implications of anything. Well, that's why I thought that was all handled because it was referred to attorney and everything like that. Well, we haven't heard anything back from that attorney yet. So, Okay. Oh, okay. Please share. Okay. Okay. Um All right. I don't have any just ironically that there is, you know, again, this this was designed to be an item in case something were to come up in a council meeting that somebody has a means to talk about something if they wanted to. So I I I don't have anything any other comments. So um but again I'm not the final word. Anybody have anything else they like to add? Nothing.

No. Okay. Number 14. Executive session for collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees. Yeah. I don't think we have there is not a need for any of those items. No.

What did I get in the mail today? That was just uh Oh, that was something different. I mean, we could go into executive session to discuss what Rich just mentioned, but do we need to I I don't know. They they if there's a personal item, I think it's imperative. So, I think I think if it's something imperative, I What is that that item? Uh employment compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees. Five LCS120C1. Someone's talking about something I think is important. I think there's value intimidation. So, I I think if it's that big of an issue, we've heard back from the attorney.

Call for it. Do the motion. Get your second. Let's do that. Well, that's executive session. Do I have a motion to go in for that particular item I just read? Is there a motion? So, it was strong enough to make a mention of it, but not enough for us to talk about when we have a legal representative to solves. Okay. No motion died. Nothing. So, therefore, number 15, adjournment. Can we get a motion? I'll make a motion to adjurnn. I'll set roll call, please. Baldrich. Hi. Colin. Hi McDermott. Hi Moy. Hi Curran. Hi. We are adjourned

almost. Got like 15 minutes.