Sunday, April 23, 2006

Police Chief Butler to retire June 5

Sunday, April 23, 2006 - Posted 8:11:45 AM

City Administrator Trent Smith announced the retirement of Police Chief William Butler at Monday night's city council meeting. Chief Butler is retiring on June 5, 2006 but his last day of work will be May 5, 2006.  Butler has served as Police Chief of Minonk for 22 years.  The Police Chief position has been advertised in the Peoria Journal Star, Bloomington Pantagraph, La Salle News-Tribune, Pontiac Daily Leader, and Pangagraph and Journal Star web sites.  The closing date for the position is April 29, 2006.

Council approves Motor Fuel Tax appropriation

Bob Kohlhase of the Farnsworth Group presented to the City Council the annual MFT program and everything that will be sent to the DOT. Kohlbase said that there are two contracts that will go out. One is for seal coat which is the traditional oil and chip and the other is for the spray patch to fill low areas. Alderman Petersen moved that the City Council appropriate the sum of $52,000 of Motor Fuel Tax funds for the purpose of maintaining streets and highways, seconded by Alderman Fortner.

Mayor's Comments

• Reported that there is a lot of concrete work that the City does throughout the year and the City will be accepting bids for the actual concrete. Bid sheets will be advertised in the newspaper in order to get an estimate of how much we are going to pour in a given year.

 • Announced that the City of Minonk held a public hearing at 6 p.m. before the regular City Council meeting and that there were no public comments written or verbal concerning the proposed 2006/07 budget. He said that he would like to thank Chairman Alderman Cunningham, City Administrator Trent Smith, and the Finance Committee for putting together this budget. Mayor Koos said that we are moving ahead with a lot of infrastructure improvements, sidewalk programs, and things of that nature. We are going to try and do as much as we possibly can.

• Reported that the City is accepting applications for the position of Chief of Police and that all applications will be run through the Public Safety Committee. The committee will screen the process and the final applicants will come before the entire council.

• Announced that anyone living in Ward II who is interested in the open Alderman Position (resignation of Steve Mattox) may send an application addressed to Mayor Koos at 670 Chestnut Street with the envelope marked “alderman application” on the outside.

Other business

Alderman Sean Cunningham said that Fieldcrest Board President Joe Kilpatrick would like to come and talk to the City Council about the City's TIF pass-through for the upcoming referendum.

The Council approved the Mayor’s appointment of Jason Buchanan to the Public Safety Committee.