At their May 4th meeting, the Minonk City Council voted to deny seating Bill Butler as City Treasurer since he did not meet the residency requirement of a candidate. Butler received votes as a write-in candidate and was elected since no other candidates were on the ballot for the position. However, City Attorney Jay Greening told the council that he has documented evidence that proves that Butler did not satisfy the requirement to be a resident of MInonk one year prior to the election in April.
Greening's research showed that Butler moved to Minonk on August 1, 2008 which is less than one year prior to the election in April. Greening told the Council that he mailed out a notice to Mr. Butler last week via first class and certified mail; return receipt requested indicating that this hearing would occur tonight. Greening received a phone call from Butler and indicated that he would not be attending tonight because of work related issues and would be occupied.
Greening said he had another telephone conversation with Butler and admitted that he had not lived here in Minonk a year. Greening said he specifically asked him what position he was going to take at this hearing and he asked me what his options are. Greening said he told Butler that he could withdraw his candidacy and he said no, he was not going to do that.
Mayor Koos said that he would like to appoint Paul Vallow as temporary City Treasurer for the City of Minonk. His appointment was unanimously approved by the City Council.
Alternative vehicles on city streets discussed
Minonk resident Larry Hill presented the Mayor with a list of 5 questions regarding the use of alternative vehicles on city streets.
• He would like a clarification of a status of an ordinance that was proposed on alternative vehicles on City Streets.
• Since it is not legal to drive unlicensed vehicles such as an ATV, golf cart, motorized gas powered skate boards and that type stuff on City streets why is it being permitted at this time Mr. Mayor?
• Was it certain types of vehicles that are being targeted by our police department, certain colors of vehicles, certain people operating the vehicles, and certain times in the day and night that they are enforcing this law or is it everybody?
• Can people come from outside the City of Minonk and use these pieces of equipment?
• How the City, Mayor, or Police Department can make it OK to break the law at certain times of the year for certain types of events, but not at other times of the year?
Mayor Bill Koos told Hill that the alternative vehicles ordinance went through the entire committee process and then it came to a vote at the second meeting in February and it failed.
Koos told Hill he is free to do whatever he would like to do at any given time as a resident of this community. He added, "If you see a law being broken you are totally in your rights to report that crime. You are totally within your rights to sign a complaint. You are totally within your rights to call your aldermen and the mayor about what you saw."
He told Hill that he was at his expense free to seek legal counsel, but as Mayor of this City he was not going to respond to those other questions as this will basically be through a legal process.
Public comments
Wilbur Charlier asked Mayor Koos if he saw any of the Opperman contractor vehicles operating on the streets of Minonk and said that he asked the Police Chief if he witnessed any of their utility vehicles operating on our street.
Mayor Koos responded no and said we are not going to get into that tonight and I am not going to have our Police Chief respond to that kind of a question if I know there is pending litigation or could be possible pending litigation.
Rodney Ruestman said that when you tell a citizen that he has a right to turn in a complaint that is absolutely true Mayor, but what happens so many times is that when they do call the police and turn in a complaint their name gets mentioned and as a result citizens are reluctant to get involved because of possible retaliation. Ruestman also reported that he continues to witness golf carts on the streets and illegal exhaust systems on vehicles and questions why the police do not see them.
Gene Oncken congratulated Mayor Koos on his victory as second term as Mayor and all the new City Council members.
Dave Harsted reported that he has a major water issue at his house and it may be on the end of a sewer line and may be a problem with the pumping station on west 6th Street. He said that every time we get ½ inch or more of rain the sewer comes into his basement and he cannot use his sewer from 10 to 12 hours.
Charlie McGuire said the pumping station is operating fine and we have an alarm system that is tied into it and alerts us when it is not working. He added that due to the saturation in the ground on the infiltration into the combined sewers it just overloads and not only at the west 6th Street station, but at the sewage treatment plant as well.
Alderman Cunningham addressed the issue from a financial point of view and said the last bond issued to finish up the current project is a 10 year bond to the tune of $450,000 and he hopes that it can be retired in half of the time. He said we are well aware of our sewer problems and they are going to be our priorities, but was not aware of his situation.
City Council comments
Alderwoman Carls reported receiving an anonymous letter in the mail from a concerned citizen about the loud vehicles and motorcycles around town during the day. She said that she is home during the day and works uptown on main street and has not encountered any of them and suggested the party call the police, but said the comment from Rodney Ruestman just threw her for a loop. She reported calling the police with problems and having success and thanked them.
Alderman Ruestman reported receiving an anonymous letter from a concerned citizen about the sidewalk in front of Minonk Foods with all the fertilizer, flowers, pop machines, and grilling of food and wanted to know who owned the sidewalk and if they had the right to do those things.
Alderman Ruestman also inquired about the ball diamonds and who is in charge of taking care of the girl’s field and is it the City or the school and why is the school using the City’s equipment.
Alderman Ruestman reported that a concerned citizen asked him last Saturday about the bags tournament that went on across from Paulie’s Pub in the park and they are wanting to know if that was legitimate to have open alcohol.
Mayor Koos responded that he gave them permission as liquor commissioner to do that.
Alderman Cunningham extended congratulation to the newly elected and re-elected officials and also thanked Brian Petersen for his four years of service.
Alderman Jenkins extended his congratulation to the newly elected aldermen.
Alderman Hill thanked Mr. Oncken for his complement and thanked the people of Ward II for giving him this wonderful opportunity and said he will do his best not to disappoint for the next four years.
Alderman Fortner said he also got an anonymous letter and read the letter and since there was no return address he threw it away since there was no way to answer this person.
Alderwoman Carls said that she had another comment to make and said she understood the perspective on the golf carts and understood why should it be legal for the 4th of July and Christmas Parades and then you get this about the grilling on Saturdays uptown. Carls said, "You know it is little things like that, that make Minonk the small town. It is little things like that I thoroughly enjoy and love walking uptown when it is nice and grabbing a hot dog or pork chop sandwich. And about the flowers, when I saw the truck unloading the flowers I was so excited and I went home and got the kids and said lets go. If everybody continues to nit pick, we are really not getting anywhere with the important things that as Councilmen we have to do. We need to come together instead of continuing to divide. So that is my comment."
Alderman Hill added that he agreed 100% with Alderwoman Carls and said we need to think about if there is a problem or if it is illegal about the stuff uptown. "We need to check into that and work through that, but a the same time I think there are a lot of people in Minonk that like to buy up there and it is another way of supporting our local businesses and help keeping our grocery store open."
Mayor's Comments
Mayor Koos said, "This will be going on my ninth year up here and it has been my honor and my privilege to serve this community. I hope to extend another four years of the commitment to the infrastructure that is basically the backbone of this community. I also hope that we can put forth an agenda here that will prioritize the infrastructure needs of this community. We are making a conscience effort to address each one of these, but there are still the day to day activities."
Mayor Koos also thanked the following:
• All department heads who work diligently everyday to make the City work.
• Bobbie Evans for stepping up during the absence of a city administrator.
• Nick Cavera and his police department who he has full confidence in.
• Ambulance Department members for their outstanding work.
• Ambulance Chief Deb Stewart who is so passionate about what she does.
• All the volunteers in this community who really make this community work from the 4th of July Committee to the Parade of Lights Committee.
• Recreation Board for the countless hours spent working to make sure we have a summer recreation program.
• City Council who have created an environment where we can discuss the issues openly, although not always agreeing.
• The residents of Minonk and I respect the outcome of what happened in the election. It humbles you that people put their trust into you with that vote. And it is respect that I do not take lightly and I hope to continue to keep that respect and keep that trust as we go through the process of local government.