City Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you. Is that all of them?

here look the other hand well

I've been without since Thursday. Thank you so much. Thank you. Hi. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yay! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

All of my books! I gotta go look at the little book.

I'd like you to sit down. I'm going to tell you one thing. I didn't do it. She buried him like that. I had no recollection. I had no recollection. I had no recollection.

I had no recollection. Thank you. And about 15 feet apart on the back, he laid there and was like, that doesn't apply to the guy.

And like three or four days later, Paul's packing was gone.

I wish that he was gone. I wish that he was gone. I wish that he was gone. I wish that he was gone. I wish that he was gone. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yes. I can tell, that's the question. That's true. Can you pick it up? Thank you. Did you get that, folks?

I can see it. I can see it. Thank you.

Thank you. Recording in progress All right.

Thank you. I knew it was gonna happen.

Well, I had it. We did those . Well, that's it. So hopefully it helps. We're all passionate about this.

I got to the airport. Yeah, I'd like mine.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. She's having a good time. Thank you. Is there a break in business? Thank you. Sit. Here. All right. Thank you. Thank you.

I'd like to call the August 3rd, 2026 meeting to order. Please stand for the pledge.

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.

Okay, good evening. Thank you for attending in person tonight. If you're watching online, welcome. This is the August 3rd, 2026 City Council meeting. We have our treasurer, Mr. Hersey, is with us this evening. Good to see you, sir. And we will now move on to roll call. Mr. Mauser.

Rosenberg. Present. Mylord. Here. Lutz.

Here.

Stoffel.

Here.

Carney. Here. Fooney.

Here.

Roach. Here. Newcomb. Hudson. Here. Blackburn. Here. Vorce. Campbell. Here. Parchman. Here. Ford. Here. Second. Mission two.

Okay, thank you. Moving on to 1.4, approval of the minutes from the July 20th, 2026 meeting. Can I get a motion for approval?

So moved. Second.

We have a motion and a second from Mr. Mylert. Do we have any comments or discussion on 1.4? Seeing none, all in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries. Agenda item two, public hearings. We do not have any this evening. Same for agenda item three, city presentations. So we will move on to agenda item four, which is our public comment section, the first of two. This portion of the city council meeting is reserved for any member of the public wishing to address the council. All remarks should be made to the council as a whole, not to individual members or the audience. The Illinois Open Meetings Act 5 ILCS 120 forward slash one mandates no action shall be taken on matters not listed on this agenda, but the council may direct staff to address the topic or refer the matter to a committee. Please provide the city clerk with your name, speak into the microphone, limit your presentation to five minutes, and avoid repetitious comments. Thank you. Would anyone like to make public comments at this time?

Good evening, Mr. Mayor. Doug Gaines, Ward 5. I stand before you again as one who believes taxation without full transparency and true service is not governance, it's extortion. I have spoken previously about taxation as theft. I'm here tonight to keep the pressure on because the pattern continues. Look at the numbers. The City Council just adopted a fiscal year 2027 budget totaling over $111 million across all funds. with operating budget of approximately a hundred one million after inter-fund transfers the fiscal year twenty twenty six expenditure already exceeded a hundred eight million including roughly twenty eight million in the general fund and thirty three million in enterprise funds these large and growing numbers are drawn from the same pool of resident equity Our property tax bill is a consolidated collection from a web of entities, city councils, city, county, schools, and various special districts, all drawing from the same well, our equity in our homes. Local governments run classic shell games. Here is the way the game is played. Cup one, valuations. Public servants boast. We held the rate steady. The reality is assessments rise on paper wealth we have not realized. Our homes equalize, assess value climbs with market peaks driven by isolated sales, yet we pay real cash against the phantom gain every year. Illinois law ties assessments to market value. The result is automatic revenue growth that helps fund budgets climbing nearly over $112 million without public consent. Cup two, bonds and long-term debt. Capital projects are sold for kids, for safety, for betterment of the community, but the true cost is compounding interest over 20, 30 years, often nearly double the principal, paid as tax-exempt income, to institutional investors, overlapping districts, layered debt so that one bond matures as the other takes its place, a total racket. Cup 3, joint and intergovernmental arrangements. Under Illinois Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, public agencies can create cooperative structures and agreements that can issue obligations or impose costs with minimal or no voter scrutiny. Cup 4, Tax Increment Financing, TIF. Illinois' Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act authorizes TIF districts for up to 23 years. Sold as revitalization, TIF freezes the base value and diverts the increment, the growth in taxes, to the developer's project instead of general fund that pays for schools, roads, police, and fire. The new development still consumes public services. Existing homeowners make up the shortfall through higher effective burdens elsewhere, driving prices higher and feeding the valuation engine in cup one. The combined effect of this shell game is the taxation of unrealized gains. One never receives the paper increase in cash, yet liquid income is taken from us. For example, I paid 300K for my house, and the county now assesses it at 500,000. I don't get the 200,000 in my pocket, but you tax that 200,000 and take real money from me. Make this make sense. When the market crashes, will we get a refund? Absolutely not. Then, once my mortgage is paid, true ownership is still unattainable because perpetual and escalating levies continue. Local government becomes the permanent landlord. Homeowners are involuntary underwriters of institutional debt and corporate subsidies. And when we can no longer pay, you steal our home and keep all the proceeds from the sale. This shell game is unconstitutional and illegal. It's straight-up theft. This is not abstract. O'Fallon's median effective property tax rate sits above both the state and national medians. Residents feel the squeeze while the city's total spending continues to rise. We demand more evidence that every dollar of these nine- and ten-figure budgets deliver proportional service and infrastructure. Thank God for Vern here. He's the only one who strives for transparency and accountability. We the people are not your ATM. We are the sovereign source of this government's authority and revenue. We demand the full picture on every bill and every budget. Make spending match real current capacity rather than phantom wealth. Restore the principle that local government exists to serve, not suck the people dry and steal their homes. Thank you for your time and God bless.

Thank you for your comments. Would anyone else like to make public comments at this time?

Good evening. My name is Vern Miller. I live in Ward 3. Tonight I always Bring up notes and let you know what I know These items are budgeted, but I'm just letting the people know at home Where there's where the city is spending their money and how much is going out every two weeks for an example this budget coming up for this warrant report is number 588 And it's for $1,447,000 and change. For an example, your Amazon account was only $4,100 this past month, which is not bad compared to what it has been. The Bricken Ridge in Illinois, for the Public Works Department, there was 13 locations. I don't know what they did for you, but... $25,482 in change. You've had another, Brewer Incorporated was with Public Works for their Pine Street estate drainage and they were given a payment of $143,063 in change. The IT department went out and Could have been budgeted, I don't know, but just letting you know. 25 Dell Pro links, $26,324 and change. Horner and Schiffley, continuing budget for them for the public works, for the Green Mount Road and State Street. They turned in a bill this month for $9,870 and change. Landscape Structure Corporation for out at the community park, they did some work on the pavilions for $26,130. A continuous ongoing deal with the water meters that you're replacing in town. From Midwest Meters, you bought another additional $492,400 in meters. Then you also bought supplies at Midwest Supply for $28,151 and change. You put lights on the pickleball court for $22,222 and no change. Site on landscaping for... Deluxe Euro Club and Wheel Kit, whatever that is, $24,722. And then Turbinal Weight and Merchant, you're working on, I guess, still for North Cherry Street project, $5,250. You had warning lights around town for... $34,000 and change. And then the police department, it's probably on budget, okay, for four new police department, for $185,892, which was probably the budget, but we just let the public know that this is where the money is going each month and where it's at. I'll have further comments in the second half.

Thank you. Okay, thank you for your comments. Does anyone else wish to make public comments at this time? Seeing none, we'll continue on. Agenda item five, report, clerk's report. Thank you, Mayor. I have no report tonight. Okay, thank you. Agenda item six is the Mayor's report. 6.1, Downtown District Nights, August 6th, 2026. That will be our last one for the summer. So please come out and join us for that. 6.2, we have the Watermelon Festival at Vine Street Market, August 8th, 2026. 6.3, the O'Fallon Fire Department Blood Drive, and that's on August 14th, 2026. And 6.4, we have Movie Night at the Community Park. That'll be August 28th, 2026. Moving on to resolutions. I need a motion to approve a resolution providing for the requiring the subdivision of an advisory question to the voters of the city of O'Fallon, Illinois, St. Clair County, Illinois, regarding the constructing and equipping of a new public library for the city at the general election to be held on the third day of November 2026.

So moved. Second.

We have a motion from Mr. Parchman and a second from Mr. Carney. Do we have any questions or discussions on 7.1?

Please, Mr. Mayor. I'll be voting against this resolution. I just want to explain why. I have no problem with the resolution. I'm asking the residents or constituents how they feel about something. It's the type of resolution it is, and I understand its unique circumstance as non-binding. I think if we ask them, we should be required to vote or go the way that they vote. So I'm going to vote no, just because I don't like the type of resolution. I don't agree with the type of non-binding resolution that it is.

Okay. Thank you for your comments. Does anyone else have any comments?

I was just going to say the particular language where it adds like the per... Oh, I lost my thing here. Where it breaks it down to the per month charge seems a little still like your... What's the word I'm looking for? Oh, my... Leading but I was just gonna say that's more like a marketing type thing that I would Think that you would use when you're trying to get people to vote for it It's not like a hill that I'm gonna die on or anything, but just my own feedback I would have preferred that it just kind of stopped after the amount of money that they're requesting the bond be for Okay, thank you for your comments any additional comments

Curtis has joined online, Mr. Clerk. Okay.

That was just my question. I just wanted to make sure if I needed to be recognized to get in this vote or not. Sorry, I apologize for being a few minutes late.

No, thanks for bringing that to our attention. We're all on the same page. Okay, I believe we're ready for a roll call, Mr. Mouser.

Okay.

My Lord.

No. Glatz.

Yes.

Stoffel.

Yes.

Carney. Yes. Phoney.

Yes.

Roach.

Yes.

Newcomb. Yes. Hudson. Yes. Blackburn. Yes. Campbell.

Yes.

Parchman.

Yes.

Ford. Yes.

Rosenberg.

Affirmative.

Okay, thank you. Motion carries. Moving on to 7.2. I need a motion to approve a resolution authorizing the transfer from reserves and budget amendments for funds with expenditures in excess of budgeted amounts at the end of fiscal year 26. So moved.

Second. Parchman. Okay, thank you.

We have a motion. We have a second. Do we have any comments or discussion on 7.2? Seeing none, roll call, please.

Latt.

Yes.

Stoffel.

Yes.

Carney. Yes. Foley.

Yes.

Roach.

Yes.

Newcomb. Yes. Hudson.

Yes.

Blackburn. Yes. Campbell. Yes. Parchman.

Yes.

Ford. Yes. Rosenberg. Affirmative. Mallard. Yes.

Okay, thank you. Motion carries. We do not have any additional resolutions tonight. We'll move on to agenda item eight, ordinances. First reading, 8.1. Mrs. Lotz, please.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Before I move for the motion, I do want to mention that during the committee meeting, there was an amendment that was proposed by the committee. And the way things work is things that happen in committee are advisory only. And so when they come before the full council, if the council wants to consider that same amendment, it has to be made again in full council. So before I do the motion for the full amendment, I do make a motion that we... make an amendment to add the condition where public safety personnel will have access to the facility during operational hours.

Second. OK, we have a motion and a second from Mr. Rosenberg. Any questions or comments on the discussion or the amendment?

And I do just want to clarify. So in committee, the discussion was because the facility is to be accessible 24-7 by the public and or customers, Administratively, the police always reserve the right to have a professional code, but the amendment came out of committee that it be codified and actually specified in writing. So it's something that generally would happen regardless, but we're asking it to be put in writing.

Just one other additional clarification. I think that was based off the bring your own beer kind of liquor license that they're going to be applying for, right?

They have applied for it, yes.

But that's their intention, so I just wanted to call that out, too. Yes.

Any other comments? Okay, we have a motion and a second on the amendment language. Roll call, please.

We have a motion.

Do the motion first. Then amend first. Gotcha.

Then do the amendment. Motion and second.

And if that passes, then we vote on the amendment.

Roger that. Okay. All right. Mrs. Lotz, please. So I will strike the fake amendment motion that I made, and I will move that we consider on first reading an ordinance amending ordinance 623, zoning of the city of O'Fallon, Illinois, development known as O'Fallon Golf Studio, located at 715 Lake Point Center, suite 119. Second.

We have a motion and we have a second from Mr. Blackburn. Do we have any additional questions or discussion?

Now I would like to make an amendment to your motion. So I move that we make an amendment to add a condition where the O'Fallon public safety personnel will have access to the facility during operational hours. Second.

We have a second. Motion and a second from Mr. Rosenberg. Do we have any questions or comments?

So now we're voting on amending the motion. The original motion. And then if the amendment passes, then we vote another time for the amended motion, correct? That's correct.

Yes, yes.

So right now we're voting on the amendment. Yes. We're voting to add the amendment.

Correct.

Got it. Your vote right now is to amend the language as stated.

That's what we do.

And then once that passes, we vote on the amended motion.

Right.

Yes.

We got it. We're all good.

So let's roll.

There'll be a quiz later.

Okay. Lots.

Yes.

Stoffel.

Yes.

Carney. No. Phony.

Yes.

Roach. No. Newcomb. Yes. Hudson. Yes. Blackburn. Yes. Campbell. No. Parchman.

Yes.

Ford. Yes. Rosenberg. Affirmative. Mylord.

Yes.

One, two, three, noes.

Okay.

The motion carries. So it passes. Now we're going to do the amended one.

Okay. Any additional comments before we go into the next roll call?

I'm just preparing for my desk.

Seeing none, roll call, please. Okay. You ready?

Carney.

Oh, you skipped me. I start first this time. I start first this time.

No, I start when I want to start.

Okay.

Carney.

Are you there? No. No. Phony.

Yes.

My pen broke. Phony. Roach. No. Newcomb. Yes. Hudson. No. Blackburn. Yes. Campbell.

No.

Parchman.

Yes.

Ford. Yes. Rosenberg. Affirmative. Mylord.

Yes.

Lutz.

Yes.

Stoffel.

Yes.

Four nos, so the motion carries nine to four. Okay, we do not have any other ordinances for first reading, and we'll move on to agenda item nine, which is ordinances second reading. We do not have any. We will now move on to the second agenda item 10, the additional public comments. I'm not going to reread the instructions I read before the first public comments, but those rules still do apply. Would anyone like to make public comments at this time?

Good afternoon. Good evening. My apologies if I missed the first time. My name is Alan Long. I'm with Ward 2. I just had a general question with regard to the advisory about the library. And with all due respect, to the extent that the ballot shows in detail why it's being financed or how it's being financed, I should say, there's no... clarification as to why it's needed. Is this the highest and best use of $22 million? Is the other eye library outgrown its use? There's nothing there to which to make what I'd call a good decision to. So I'd just like to at least put that forward to say I'm not obviously opposing it. I'd just like to understand why this particular facility and there's no, excuse me, points to what the operating costs are going to be for a larger facility, assuming it's going to be larger, and so forth. So I'd just at least like to put that forward and say, if you're going to put something like this, can we have some transparency as to why other solutions that have been looked at that apparently weren't there on the ballot or information available? And that would be very much appreciated.

Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Would anyone else like to make public comments at this time?

Uh, Berman Lawyer of Ward 3. Along the line to note with the library, just a thought. Uh, I don't know what your situation is for about the field house, but you're missing a perfectly good opportunity to put all your eggs into one basket and combine your field house with a library and nice civic center and everything else. I know what's going on. Just a thought, but, you know, whatever. I don't know. We're still, I mean, we're a year or so in. You still haven't put a light for protection for down there at the ice cream shop so the lights are on so people can see across the street walking back and forth. You know, Ameri can come across there, stick a light pole onto one pole across the street and solve the problem, but evidently not. And then the old Scott Troy situation. Statistically, if something isn't done soon, something is going to really happen bad out there. Now moving on, I noticed quite recently the street department, if it's still called that, has been out painting the curbs around town yellow. They've also evidently contracted out to paint the stripes, notate stripes, in the parking lots, but still no striping of the streets. It's difficult at night for, I would believe, some people to drive, and it really makes it difficult when it has wet pavement. So just some food for thought. And I know there's a contractor working to finish the State Street and stripe that. You might talk to him and maybe do a change order with him or something and have him stripe the streets in town for you. Just a thought. Thank you.

Okay, thank you for your comments. Does anyone else wish to make public comments at this time? Okay, seeing none, we will close that and we will move on to agenda item 11, which is staff and council member comments. We'll start with our city administrator, Mr. Grant Littiken.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So regarding the library advisory question, there was Together with Fallon held a number of informational seminars and surveys went out and other materials basically saying why the new library is being pursued by the library board. We did have a committee of the meeting, committee of the whole meeting at the end of June that went over the very first draft of the advisory question. It was quite lengthy and had a lot more information about the library's goals. The question that's produced today and was voted and approved upon was feedback from this council to the library board and vice versa and so that's the result we had. Other than that, Mr. Mayor, I thought the warrant was read very well today and I think everything was answered and was described.

Okay, anybody on the leadership team have any comments? Okay, seeing none, city council. Okay, we will close agenda item 11 and move on to 12, which are committee reports. We'll start with 12.1, and that is the Community Development Committee report. Ms. Lotz, please.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We last met on July 27th. The draft minutes are attached for review. Everything requiring council action was taken care of earlier. I apologize for the confusion with my amendment stuff. I know how it goes. I just got overly excited about a golf facility and I don't even golf. So our next meeting, we do meet twice a month, so we are scheduled to meet on August 10th. We normally meet at 6 p.m., but check the website because sometimes we meet a little bit earlier. depending on the other committees. So that's all I have.

Thank you. Moving on to agenda item 13, which is public works report. Mr. Rosenberg, please.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We have not met since the last full city council meeting. Our next scheduled meeting is for 24 August at 7 p.m., but the times often do change, so please check the website.

Thank you. Agenda item 14 is public safety. Mr. Blackburn.

Thank you, Mayor. Public safety has not met since the last council meeting. Our meeting for August 10th has been canceled, so our next meeting will be September 14th at 6.30 p.m.

Thank you. Agenda item 15 is parks and environment. Mr. Carney, please.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Parks and environment have not met since the last full council meeting. Our next meeting is August 10th.

Thank you. Agenda item 16 is Finance and Administration. Mr. Parchman, please.

Thanks, sir. We took care of the items we had on the agenda, and the minutes are attached from the July 27th meeting. Our next meeting will be August 24th at 530, unless we don't have items for business, but we won't know that just yet. Then we do have 16.2, which is the warrant approval, and I'd like to make a motion to approve warrant number 588 in the amount of $1,447,755.70. Second. Campbell. We have a motion and a second from Mr. Campbell. Do we have any discussion or comments on 16.2?

Yes, Mr. Mayor. As an Ameren employee, I do consent to all items listed with the exception of the multiple payments listed on page two. And for this reason, I am abstaining from this vote.

OK, thank you. Any other questions or comments? Seeing none, roll call, please. Tony.

Abstain.

Roach. Yes. Newcomb. Yes. Hudson. Yes. Blackburn. Yes. Campbell. Yes. Parchman.

Yes.

Ford? Yes. Rosenberg? Affirmative. Miller?

Yes.

Lutz?

Yes.

Stoffel?

Yes.

Carney?

Yes.

Thank you. Motion carries. Executive session is agenda item 17. We do not have executive session tonight, so moving on to agenda item 18. Can I get a motion for adjournment?

Make a motion. Second.

We have a motion and we have a second. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries. Thank you. Everybody have a good evening.