A new Minonk City Council was sworn in at the council's normal Monday night meeting. David Jenkins, who replaces Jason Buchanan, and encumbments Sean Cunningham and Corey Ruestman were sworn in by CIty Clerk James Liner. In addition, Mayor Bill Koos reappointed James Liner as City Clerk, Nick Cavera as Chief of Police, Deb West as Ambulance Chief and Sean Cunningham as Mayor Pro-Tem. All appointments were approved by the new City Council.
Contract awarded for upgrades to Ambulance Shed
City Administrator Trent Smith reported that the City had received five bids for the renovation project on the Jefferson Street Building that is to be converted into the Ambulance Shed. The low bid was from Town and Country Construction of Minonk for the sum of $77,374.46. The council approved a $15,000 increase in the Ambulance Operating Fund expenditure for the Jefferson Street Building and also approved the the low bid of $77,374.46 from Town and Country Construction for the Jefferson Street Building renovation.
City Administrator Comments
• Thanked the National Honor Society from Fieldcrest High School for picking up trash along the ditch of Route 251 between Chestnut Street and base line road.
• Thanked Mark Weers and American Buildings for the metal roofing for the four dugouts at the baseball diamonds and reported that the Public Works crew is now making the upgrades.
• Reported that the tractor budgeted for dragging the infields has been purchased.
• Reported that the new scoreboards have been purchased and installed.
• Reported that our Public Works crew has removed the ridges that had developed between the infield and outfield on both diamonds and also have spread two semi loads of Ag lime (infield top dressing) on the baseball diamond and another load on the T-ball diamond.
• Two new bleachers have been purchased and will be installed on the softball diamond on new concrete pads.
• Purchased a new mower from Stoller International in Minonk to cut the grass in our parks.
• Police Department has purchased a new Ford Explorer XLT through a State Bid and that the radios and lights are being installed and it will then be in use.
• Town wide garage sales were a success.
• Spring Clean Up, although taking longer than anticipated, went well and over 89 tons of junk was picked up.
• Thanked Titan Environmental Services for a job well done.
• Reported that the Illinois Municipal League will be holding a 2007 Newly Elected Officials Conference in Peoria on June 22 and 23 at the Holiday Inn City Centre.
• City Attorney (Miller, Hall, and Triggs) will be holding an elected and appointed officials Municipal Law Seminar on Saturday May 12, 2007 at Illinois Central College in East Peoria, Illinois.
Councilmen Comments
Alderman Buchanan thanked the previous and present Councils for "putting up with him" for four years and said that he enjoyed it and learned a lot. He wished David Jenkins good luck with everything.
Mayor's Comments
• Thanked Alderman Buchanan for his four years of service to the City of Minonk.
• Said that it does take, as Mr. Jenkins is about to find out, a lot of time as everybody up here well knows. "It takes a lot of your personal time and a commitment to do the job. There are issues that sometimes you have to get involved in that you do not want to, but you have a responsibility and duty to this community once you become an elected official to serve to the best of your ability."
• Welcomed David Jenkins and thanked him for coming on to the City Council.
• Reported that Clean Up Days went well and that the town looks good.
• Reported that the Summer Recreation Programs are going fine.
• Reported that the City is getting ever closer to the numbers on repairing the ball fields and should have them by the second meeting in May so we will know what all of this is going to cost. We have to get these numbers to the school board for their meeting in June.
• Announced that committee appointments will probably be made at the next meeting.
• Read portions of a “Letter to the Editor” that appeared in the Lincoln Courier on Saturday April 7, 2007 from the Schonauer family praising the Minonk EMTs and Ambulance Squad for the phenomenal job taking care of our family and the Young family. Mayor Koos thanked the Minonk Ambulance Squad for a job well done and said that it is a pleasure to read these kind of letters.
Public Comments
John Oncken asked if the school board voted to bring the high school baseball back to Minonk.
Mayor Koos responded, "No, not yet and that is why we have to get these numbers together on the cost to fix the fields. We have been told that is going to be on their agenda at their June meeting and they are going to bring that to a vote. In the event that the City cannot pay for all of this by ourselves, we are going to be asking for money to help pay for some of this."