City Council meetings

Mayor Spencer said that the city puts enough money in the reserve fund each year so that a new ambulance can be bought every five years. There is enough money in the current fund to buy the new ambulance.

In other news, the new city attorney made a short presentation to the council. Jay Greening of Miller Hall and Triggs said he was impressed with the amount of new activity that the City of Minonk is currently undergoing. He said most towns this size are not as dynamic.

Alderman Dean Barth said that the Westside Park Pavilion Adhoc Committee received an estimate from a local contractor for building the proposed strucuture. The estimate was under $80,000.

A public complaint about bicycles parked on the sidewalks of main street was dismissed. Alderman Cathy McKay said that a complaint from one person did not constitute a problem. She thought that a more organized complaint from several persons would be required to investigate the problem. Alderman Sean Cunningham said that bicycles on the main street sidewalks are indeed a problem but he indicated that he did know any solution to the problem. The issue was tabled.

• $100.00 fee for application to connect to water system
• An installation charge of $100 plus materials/labor for 3/4 inch line
• An installation charge of $125 plus materials/labor for 1 inch line
• All increments above 1 inch shall be at $25 per 1/4 inch increment. Materials shall be charged at cost plus 10%.
• $100.00 fee for an application to connect to the sanitary sewer system
• An installation charge of $100 per sewer connection plus materials and labor

Extra parking space is needed to make up for that loss and one way to do that is to try to eliminate the number of commuter cars parked in the parking lot by enforcing a two hour parking limit. Smith said the commuters should be able to park across from city hall or between Caseys and FS. After much deliberation, the council decided to table the motion for additional study.

Smith said that the surveying of the property for the new Dollar General store has been completed and the project is progressing on schedule. He said that Dollar General plans to have the building completed for business by July 1.

The Farnsworth Group will advertise bids for the storm sewer project in April.

The city council voted to increase the garbage collection fee from $8.80 to $9.00 retroactive to January 1. The fee is necessary in order to pay Tomlinson Disposal a higher rate for garbage collection according to Alderman Matt Fink. He said that Tomlinson has not increased collection rates for two years.

Stalter and Cunningham made a motion to change the hours of enforcement from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m to 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. after alderman Cathy McKay said that enforcing the limit after 4 p.m. would effect customers in the bars and restaurants on Chestnut Street who may stay longer than 2 hours for a meal. Public Works Supervisor Charles Mcguire reminded the council of the expense of putting up new signs for the proposed new parking hours.

Representatives from GreenTree Pharmacy asked the council for guidance on where their employees should park if there is a 2 hour limit in the city parking lot. They said that if they had known that employee parking would be a problem for the city, they might not have decided to locate in downtown Minonk in the first place.

New grocery store owner Del Scheirer of Minonk Foods expressed his concern also about parking for his employees. Scheirer felt that a 2 hour limit would be too long in front of his store because it would reduce the turnover of cars needed to support his customer base. Scheirer recommended a parking limit greater than 30 minutes but less than 2 hours on Chestnut Street. Sheirer also told the council that they should reconsider the location of the proposed Dollar General Store because it may create a shortage of parking spaces for stores on Chestnut Street. He felt that a better location for the Dollar General Store would be on the east side of the former Brackney Drugs parking lot because it would still give them downtown visibility with parking out front on the west side of the city parking lot.

Alderman Sean Cunningham said that a redesign of the city parking lot proposed by Bill Koos would increase the number of parking spaces to make up for that taken up by Dollar General.

Unable to reach a resolution to the parking problem, the council decided to forward the issue to the Public Safety Committee to determine a parking proposal for downtown. Committee Chairman Cathy McKay said she needed guidance from the council on what kind of proposal they wanted. She indicated she would interview downtown businesses to get their input on the subject.

Mayor Mark Spencer said that the Dollar General survey has been completed and that the engineers and lawyers will be meeting this week to finalize the project.

Dave Uphoff, webmaster of the Minonk Talk internet site, presented the findings of a poll taken on the Dollar General Store locating in the city parking lot. Uphoff said that the poll revealed that 85% of the respondents were against Dollar General locating in the city parking lot. He indicated that these polls can provide valuable insight to the council in gauging public sentiment and that future polls will be conducted on other issues to give the council guidance on policy.

City Administrator Trent Smith recommended to the city council that it should consider raising the sewer rates by $1.00 per 100 cubic feet or per 768 gallons to balance the sewer budget. This increase would result in a surplus of $25,000 to be put into the sanitary line replacement fund. There has not been a rate increase since 1991. Smith said the rate increase would add $65,520.00 per year to the sewer revenue and would increase the average sewer portion of the water bill by $6 a month. Increasing the rate by $0.615 per 100 gallons would increase the average water bill by $3.96 a month but will not provide any surplus for the sewer fund.

City Administrator Trent Smith said that the sewer project specs have been completed and notification of bids will be sent out shortly. A deadline of March 21 is set for the bids.

The Minonk City Council voted to give MED-I-Claims a contract for ambulance billing. The company will send out all bills for ambulance services, receive all payments, handle insurance claims, and give the city a monthly report of payments and balances. City Administrator Trent Smith felt that the company will increase the amount of payments and reduce the outstanding balance of unpaid bills. There were over $102,000 in unpaid balances a year ago. MED-I-Claim said that they can go back 18 months for unpaid bills. They also said that they can keep the city abreast of changes in medicare, other rule changes and can even advise the city when it is appropriate to increase the ambulance rates.

The cost of the service will be $15 per claim and a one-time setup fee of $275.

Notes from the Finance Committee Meeting on January 29: Alderman Bill Koos made a motion to give the Fourth of July committee $4,500 to help the committee. $2,000 will come from the 2001 Recreation budget($1000 wil be taken from the 2001 "Tree Planting" program and $1000 from the the "Westside Court Lighting Renovations". The committee recommeded repairing the roof on the street shed housing city equipment. City Administrator Trent Smith said that the city cannot afford the $200,000 needed to build a new shed. The committee recommended purchasing a new backhoe with the city administrator making the final determination on brand and cost. If, after a demonstration, the broom on a skid steer is a suitable alternative to the street sweeper, the administrator proceed with trading the old skid steer for a new model and purchase the broom attachment.

Alderman Cathy McKay, who is chairman of the Fourth of July Committee, thanked the council for their support in the committee's move to Sutton Park for this year's celebration. She said that the committee will be sponsoring a fund raising golf tournament on May 4th at Fairlakes Golf Course near Secor. McKay also mentioned that the committee wants to hold a drawdown (raffle) to raise funds for the committee after the golf outing. The committee wants the council's approval to close either Chestnut Street or the alley behind Chestnut Street to hold the drawdown. The local taverns will be holding the drawdown.

The Fieldcrest South Elementary School requested that Johnson Street between Fifth and Sixth Street be closed to traffic until construction of the new school addition is completed. City Administrator Trent Smith said that the street will be closed for probably six months. During that time the teachers will still be able to park in front of the school but traffic will be closed to everyone else except residents of the street. Barricades will be put up to deter traffic.

The Millenium Committee's grant request from DECCA has been denied according to City Administrator Trent Smith. Smith said that the committee's grant proposal was two points short. He said that a re-application may be made in the future. The committee was seeking a grant to build a recreational park on the site of the proposed community center at the north end of town.

Steve Hill resigned from the police force.

Bob Oncken resigned from the zoning board.

The plan involves removing the traffic islands from the parking lot and moving the four remaining trees in the island to another location. The tentative plan is to transplant the trees along the east side of Chestnut Street running north from Eighth Street. The new design would have a middle diagonal parking strip where the traffic islands are now. In addition, the parking spaces on either side would become diagonal as well. The traffic flow would be one way going north on the east side of the parking lot and one way going south on the west side of the parking lot.

Proposal for new street shed

A motion to approval the proposed new building was tabled when Alderman Cathy McKay voiced concerns that no site for the new building has yet been determined. She didn't think it appropriate to sign off on the money if there is no determination of site preparation cost. One propsed site was next to the fence at the sewage plant north of town. Alderman Sean Cunningham indicated that he didn't want to have another Morton building in town. City worker Jim Brown mentioned that another potential site was on the old IC railroad property right-of-way north of town. The council voted to table the discussion until the next council session giving more time to determine a site for the new building.

Westside Park pavilion redesign

In conjunction with this resolution, City Administrator Trent Smith told the council that it needs to develop some type of plan for the development of the downtown area and also for outlying areas that could possibly be annexed into the city. The plan would include requirements for facade requirements and types of permissable exterior construction material, the locations for new commercial building, probable parking areas and configuration designs, and green area locations and requirements.

Alderman Mathew Fink agreed that something needs to be done so that potential developers know what their options are and what to expect in the way of development needs. Alderman Dean Barth said that the planned destruction of the parking lot landscaping and design done 8 years ago is a perfect example of why the city council needs to have a plan that can stand the test of time. Mayor Mark Spencer referred the project to the Economic Development Committe for developing a plan.

Other business

In other business, Mayor Spencer appointed Dave Shirley to the zoning board replacing Bob Oncken who resigned last month.

Alderman Bill Koos wants the city to rope off the area near Eighth and Maple Streets where cars have been cutting across the mud where grass was seeded last year after having a new sewer line installed. Public Works Supervisor Charlie McGuire said that the city will put in some poles and chains this spring to protect the new sod.

Meierkord told the council that he expects to start construction of the store at the site within two weeks. He expects the building to be completed by July 1.

Mayor Mark Spencer expressed his thanks to Mr. Meierkord and Richard Voitik of V.P. Circle, the new owner of the former Brackney Drug Store, for working with the city to bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion. He thanked aldermen Bill Koos and Sean Cunningham for their part in helping to bring the new store to Minonk.

The agreement included the city leasing the land between the Brackney building and Chestnut Street from Richard and Peggy Voitik who are owners of the Brackney building. In turn, the city will receive ownership of the land between Voitik's building and Fifth Street which is to be used for the construction of the Dollar General store.

The developer of the Dollar General store will invest $250,000 in the new store. However, since the store is in a TIF district, he will be refunded over $100,000 in development costs over the next 20 years. The 7200 square foot building will be 120 feet long running north from Fifth Street. The entrance will be on the west side of the building.

The Voitiks will have their health care management business, V. P. Circle of Quality, located in the south Brackney building and will open an antique mall called Just Stuff in the north building. Mr. Voitik said that he is shooting for a June 1 opening date for the antique mall.

DTN Speednet, a high speed wireless internet provider, asked the city council for permission to install an antenna at the top of the city water tower so that they can provide high speed internet access to Minonk residents.

The service would require a one time setup fee of $290 to users and a $49.95 monthly fee for internet access. The firm indicated that it will give the city free internet access to 3 city sites or pay the city $450 every quarter for the use of the tower. The lease agreement with the city for the tower access would be for 10 years.

City receives drinking water award

On another note, the city was notified by the Illinois EPA that its infrastructure for water must be updated at some point in the future. The EPA said that the city has many undersized water pipes that must gradually be replaced with at least the minimum size of 6 inch pipe. Most of the city water pipes are 4 inch.

The council deliberated on what to do with its 25 year old Onan generator used at the sewage treatment plant. Alderman Dean Barth suggested that a $1500 minimum be set on the generator for bids. The council approved and then opened the only bid submitted which was for $257. The bid was automatically rejected. The council decided to put the generator up for auction this summer with other excess equipment that can be auctioned off.

Alderman Dean Barth made a motion to table the decision on where to put the new city shed until it can be decided who owns the land of the prospective site for the building. The council agreed.

Alderman Cathy McKay of the Public Safety Committee said that there will be a meeting on Tuesday, March 19 to discuss the downtown parking situation. She said that she has received input from Minonk businessmen and their comments will be the topic of the meeting. It is hoped that a downtown parking ordinance can be developed.

Alderman Shari Stalter of the Parks and Recreation Committee said that summer ball registration will on March 23, 26 and 30 at the high school during the mini basketball games.

Cathy McKay, chairman of the Fourth of July Committee, said that there will be 2 street lights put in the middle of Suttons Park, the site of the next Fourth of July celebration. In addition, a flag pole will be installed and a water fountain near the corner of Oak and Eighth will also be installed for the Fourth of July events. She indicated that because of the city construction going on this summer in the city parking lot and the sewer lines being laid along the old I. C. railroad tracks that the location for some of the events may have to be determined at the last minute. It is not yet known exactly where the beer tent will be located.

The Westside Park Pavilion Committee will meet Thursday night, March 21, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul's Church to discuss ways of coming up with the funds needed to complete the proposed pavilion for the park.

A local resident questioned Mayor Mark Spencer at Monday night's city council meeting about the proposed church site in the 500 block of Chestnut Street. The question was raised as to if this would pose a parking problem for the businesses. Mayor Spencer said that not many businesses are open on Sunday, although it was pointed out that Minonk Foods and Visions Video are open on Sunday.

Mayor Mark Spencer said that the city has already allowed Maxiis Internet of Toluca to install their antennas on the water tower and, therefore, they need to be brought into the discussion as well.

Alderman Dean Barth made a motion to ask Maxiis to come to the next meeting and explain its current status on providing wireless internet for the city.

Alderman Bill Koos said that the city has already given Maxiis a year to get up and running and they still are not operational. He said that the city has an obligation to provide this type of service to the community. He said the city should go with DTN now since Maxiis has failed to deliver.

Alderman Sean Cunningham said that Maxiis deserves the courtesy of given a notice to be up and running within a certain time period since they have invested in equipment and are a local company. He recommended that City Administrator Trent Smith contact Maxiis and tell them that they have 21 days to get their system operational. The council approved the motion with councilmen Matt Fink and Bill Koos voting no.

Public Works Supervisor Charles McGuire said that Maxiis has invested over $20,000 in equipment and will not take kindly to being asked to have their equipment removed. He said that Maxiis also will have cheaper rates for the user. Maxiis will charge $37.50 a month for wireless internet access while DTN will charge $49 a month.

Per a request from Del Scheirer, owner of Minonk Foods, the committee recommends that a 30 minute parking limit be designated for 5 parking spaces on both sides of Chestnut Street across from Minonk Foods. The committee also recommends increasing the parking fine from $5 to $25. Councilman Bill Koos voiced his concern that setting up parking limits will hinder shoppers who want to visit multiple stores that may require more than 30 minutes of shopping.

It was also recommended that a 30 minute parking limit be designated for the last 3 parking spaces going south from Joe's Pizza so as to allow his customers access to his business when there is overflow parking from the Woodford Restaurant.

Mayor Spencer said that the council should consider these requests since they will be on the agenda of the next council meeting for discussion and approval.

Other business

Alderman Sean Cunningham said that the Economic Development Committee has met to discuss setting standards for the facades of downtown buildings and for providing green space.

Alderman Koos said the city should look into hiring a tree service to remove dangling limbs over the right of way in the city streets. The limbs have been hanging since the ice storm last month and pose a danger to motorists and pedestrians alike.

City Administrator Trent Smith said that fire hydrants will be flushed the week of April 8. He also said that the bid opening for the storm sewer project will be April 3. Thirteen bids have been received. The parking lot islands are in the process of being removed so that additional parking spaces can be put in place.

Alderman Bill Koos said that having a parking restriction will give Minonk a bad reputation for parking and could cause people not to come to Minonk to shop. He also added that it gives special consideration to Minonk Foods and, therefore, other business establishments may want the same courtesy.

Minonk Foods owner Del Scheirer told the council that since the Dollar General store will not be located directly on main street that the parking restriction issue is not as great and he would be willing to wait 6 months to see how the parking situation plays out. He also added that he felt that since the council gave Dollar General their land and he had to buy his that the council owes him some consideration.

The council voted to table the parking ordinance proposal for 6 months.

In another parking issue, the council voted not to restrict parking to 30 minutes in front of Joe's Pizza on Oak Street. Councilmen Shari Stalter and Cathy McKay were the only ones to support the parking restriction. The parking limits were proposed because of the overflow parking from The Woodford Restaurant north of Joe's Pizza. Customers at Joe's Pizza need a place for short term parking to pick up their pizza. Alderman Bill Koos stated that having a 30 minute parking in front of the pizza place could also affect customers who want to stay longer than 30 minutes to eat their pizza in the restaurant itself.

Mike Gray of Maxiis Internet told the city council that his firm is now installing wireless connections to customers in Minonk. Gray said that there is a one time setup cost of $300 for equipment and installation. The monthly hookup fee will be $37 a month or $90 a quarter.

Maxiis has installed an antenna on the northeast and the southwest side of the Minonk water tower to give the community total coverage. In response to Alderman Bill Koos's question of why it took so long to get the wireless up and running, he stated that the equipment manufacturer did not deliver as promised on the intended equipment. Other equipment then had to be ordered. Gray told the council that it would not be compatible to have another internet installation on the Minonk water tower since they could affect each other's performance. Several local computer installations are now running wireless and the access time appears to be about 6 to 10 times faster than a telephone connection.

The council refused to change a city ordinance that would allow a church to be located at 536 North Chestnut.

Pastor Marvin Davis, who wants to bring his ministry to the main street location, told the council that a church is no different from a business or a lynch group. It is merely a meeting of people and should not have to be singled out as a different group. He indicated that the church would not be a retail establishment but rather would be selling Christ to the people. Davis indicated that he doesn't want to force his acceptance in Minonk but rather would want the city to embrace his goals. He stated that the church would choose to branch out to separate locations when 75 members are reached at the location.

Alderman Sean Cunningham asked why the summer reading program was not included in this year's budget. Mayor Spencer said that the library should be included in next year's budget meetings so that these specific line items can be included.

Alderman Dean Barth asked if it was possible to determine the amount needed for the summer reading program ahead of time. Ms. Podzamsky replied that it is difficult to determine one year ahead how much would be needed for the program since each year the program involves different activities and different types of expenses.

Other business

Approval was given to zoning board recommendations that would include decks that are 3 feet or more in height to require building permits. Also, a zoning term for allowing downtown residency was changed from multi-family residential to residential. The old ordinance would allow only multi-families to live on the ground floor of a business establishment. The new wording allows single families to live in the back of downtown business establishment as long as it doesn't take up more than half of the total space.

Alderman Cathy McKay suggested that the city administrator send courtesy letters of notification of construction to those residences who will have their lawns tore up this summer during the storm sewer project. City Administrator Trent Smith send he would get the letters out.

Alderman Sean Cunningham received a plaque from Mayor Spencer citing his service to the city as alderman. Cunningham is moving to another part of the city and has to give up his seat on the council. Cunningham said he enjoyed being part of Minonk's progress over the past three years and thinks that the city has turned the corner on economic development. He thanked city administrator Trent Smith for a job well done. He does not know yet if he will decide to run for alderman from his new ward.

City Public Works Supervisor Charlie McGuire asked the council to consider changing the laws so that councilmen can be elected at large in the city rather than two from each ward. City Administrator Trent Smith said that would require a referrendum.

Alderman Bill Koos maintained that the city attorney put the council in a difficult position by recommending the city negotiate with Rupe. Instead, the motion approved a motion by Koos to negotiate a price with Stark Construction to do only the storm sewer project. The city does not have the money to do both sewer projects for the amount of the bid from the other bidders. Koos maintained that the storm sewer project was the more important part of the sewer project and should be done as soon as possible. Alderpersons Shari Stalter and Dean Barth did not agree with Koo's assessment in voting no on the motion. Barth maintained that the sanitary sewer project was the more important part of the sewer project because of all of the water backup in basements throughout the city.

City Administrator advised the council that by doing the sanitary and storm sewer projects separately that the cost will be more than if done together.

The Minonk City Council approved an application for a COPS grant which funds 75% of the expense of hiring a full-time policeman. The grant is good for 3 years after which the city must retain the officer on a full time basis.

Alderman Bill Koos voted against the motion stating that the city doesn't know what its needs will be 3 years from now. Koos said that the COPS grants are antiquated and probably will be replaced by better grants in the future. He felt that the city should rely on its own budget for hiring cops. Alderman Shari Stalter disagreed saying that if the city is going to need a third fulltime policeman 3 years from now, why not take advantage of the COPS grant now.

In other action, the council approved the appointments of Tanya Minz and Brian Peterson as part time police officers.

In a related issue Alderman Dean Barth asked why lights for the basketball courts in the Westside Park have not been installed since it was approved to do so over 2 years ago. Parks and Recreation Chairman Shari Stalter replied that the lights will be put in when the city drills the new well in the park this summer.

City Administrator Trent Smith asked the council to use the $15,000 funded for oil and chip work and sidewalk replacement for the grading of berms along streets which have no curbs. Smith said that in many places the berm is higher than the street and it allows water to set on the streets causing deterioration. The council approved Alderman Dean Barth's motion to table the decision until an estimate is received from Dick Davis for doing the berm grading.

The council requested that the zoning board approve in a quorum the Subdivision Regulations submitted to the council.

The council approved the transfer of $600 from the streets department to the water department for the purchase of a trash pump.

The council approved a resolution to be sent to the state legislators objecting to the proposed changes in the income tax formula that would result in the loss of $8.85 per person in revenue to local municipalities. The total loss to the city of Minonk would be $19,186.80.

Mayor Spencer said he is still deliberating over the selection of an alderman to replace the seat vacated by Sean Cunningham who moved from the Second Ward. Spencer said that anyone who is interested in becoming an alderman to contact him.

The city no longer has to do any water testing for synthetic organic compounds and volatile organic compounds until 2004 according to Public Works Supervisor Charles McGuire. McGuire said that past testing has indicated that the past samples indicate that these compunds are under control and much money will be saved by not having to continue these tests. MgGuire emphasized that the city will still have to do its normal monthly water tests for bacteria and other pollutants.

Electric power and light standards have been put in Sutton's Park in preparation for the Fourth of July festivities.

The Minonk City Council approved the appointments to the zoning board at its normal Monday night meeting. The appointments with their corresponding expiration dates are:

• Chairman Ron Redenius, 2004
• Julie May, 2005
• Jim Ford, 2006
• Eldon Folkerts, 2003
• Dee Ragusa, 2005
• David Shirley, 2007
• Lana Ruestman, 2007

After the executive session Alderman Dean Barth made a motion that the city award a contract for putting in a new sanitary sewer system starting at Eighth and Maple Streets. He received no second on his motion. Then alderman Bill Koos made a motion that the city select Colclasure to put in a storm water sewer system instead. The council approved his motion with Barth voting no.

Barth asked an engineer from the Farnsworth Group if 18 inch tile is sufficent to handle the volume of water projected for the sewer. The engineer replied that is was sufficient for the project as planned. It did not take into account any new additions to the water system, however.

Alderman Dean Barth asked Mayor Spencer if he was going to nominate someone fairly soon to replace the aldermanic seat vacated by Sean Cunningham a month ago. Barth complained that the second ward was not being fairly represented without the second councilman. He also stated that he knows that a qualified person has applied for the job. Spencer replied that he was still considering potential applicants and will make an announcement when he feels that he has made the right decision.

Alderman Barth said that the handrails along the curb of Chestnut Street in downtown were not long enough to reach when stepping from the street onto the first curb. Barth asked Public Works Supervisor Charlie McGuire if he could weld on an extension to the rails so that handicapped people can reach the rails more easily. McGuire said he would look into it.

Alderman Cathy McKay said that she was receiving complaints from residents that Minonk water was causing copper water pipes to become corroded and to even burst. City Administrator Trent Smith said that tests have been made on the water and their is no evidence that Minonk water can cause this to happen.

Alderman McKay asked Mayor Spencer if the city would consider setting up neighborhood groups to create garden plots throughout the city on vacant lots. She said that El Paso has set up neighborhood garden plots that are maintained by the residents and has added much beauty to the neighborhoods. City Admininstrator Trent Smith said he will contact El Paso officials to see how their program was set up.

There will also be a public hearing at 6:50 p.m. on June 17 for the proposed subdivision ordinance.

Other news

Council approved a request by Laborer's Local 996 to collect money for the Diabetes Research Institute at the corner of Fifth and Chestnut Streets on June 15.

Alderman Matt Fink thanked the volunteers who helped clean the city's streets Saturday, May 18. Mayor Spencer announced that the city appeared to me much cleaner during this cleanup and wanted to thank Minonk residents for their cooperation in helping keep Minonk clean.

Trent Smith announced that Alderman Dean Barth will be the only councilperson who will be attending the special nutrition luncheon at the Woodford on May 30.

The police department will donate their time to put on a teen dance tentatively set for June 22, weather permitting. Chestnut Street will be closed for 3 hours from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

City Administrator Trent Smith announced that the city will know by May 22 if the city will receive a new squad car in a grant from the state. If not received, there is the possibility for another 75%/25% grant.

Mayor Spencer appointed Alderman Bill Koos to look into replacing 4 dead trees in downtown Minonk.

Alderman Shari Stalter said that she and volunteers from the Immanuel Lutheran Church will be painting playground equipment on June 15. She said that volunteers to help paint should contact her.

The mayor then named Eldon Folkerts to replace Redenius as head of the Zoning Board. Finally, the mayor appointed Eric Schultz to the Parks and Recreation Committee.

The city has signed an agreement with Colclasure Excavating for the 2002 Storm Sewer project. The Farnsworth Group will be marking the elevations during the week of June 3-8. Colclasure plans to start work on June 10.

The city has been approved for the 75%/25% (City portion) grant for a new Police Vehicle. The vehicle will cost $21,758. The city will pay $5,439 towards the purchase price.

The Department of Justice has also approved a 50%/50% grant for the body armor for the police department. Eight vests at an approximate total cost of $375.00 will be purchased.

The discussion of the Adopt-A-Flower was deferred until more information becomes available.

Public Works Supervisor Charlie McGuire was appointed to the Public Works Committee.

Council approved a motion that gives the mayor and the city administration the power to make purchases in emergency situations.

Council approved a motion by Alderman Dean Barth to purchase a 2001 1/2 ton truck with 6000 miles from Uftring Automotive for $14,500.

Alderman Barth said that about $7000 in donations have been received for the Westside Park pavilion fund drive.

Alderman Bill Koos commented that the new playground equipment in Veterans Park is being heavily used and is drawing a large number of children and parents to the park.

If the grant is approved, the state will provide the city with one half of the $595,800 grant and the Millennia Committee will give the city the other half. According to the terms of the agreement, the city would then be responsible for any improvements to the recreational park while the Millennia Committee would be responsible for its maintenance and insurance. Aside from this, programs and operations of the city and the Millennia Committee will function as separate entities with no overlap of authority or responsibilities.

In applying for the grant, the Millennia Committee removed the track facilities and added restrooms to the proposal. The DNR grant is good only for outdoor development. The Millennia committee plans to develop an indoor recreational facility with a swimming pool, exercise rooms and meeting rooms after the outdoor facilities have been completed.

City employee Cary Naas discovered that one of the city's pumps at the sewage plant had stopped working. The cost of a new pump was estimated at $16,000 to $20,000 while the repair cost was estimated at $8,500 to $9,000. The council voted to repair the pump.

Mayor Spencer decided it was not appropriate to appoint Public Works Supervisor Charlie McGuire to the Public Safety Committee.

Joe Clark, who is a brother to Roger Clark the owner of the building, has advised the city that he plans to repair the roof with new steel trusses.

Smith said that the attorneys advised him to send the owners a "Notice to Repair" giving them not less than 15 days to repair the building to the city's specifications. If the repairs are not completed, the city can then file for a "Demolition Proceeding" and proceed to demolish the building subsequently placing the costs as a lien on the taxes.

If the taxes are not paid, the city would receive ownership of the property. Smith said that he will get an estimate on demolition costs.

Farnsworth representative Doug Melton told the council that the potential cause for the potting of copper water lines in the city may have been due to the change in the amount of water treated. Melton said that in the period from July of 2001 to March of 2002, the EPA required more water to be treated and less blended water used at the treatment plant. Melton said that pure water dissolves the calcium in the pipe and then starts to dissolve the pipe. He said that if the problem continues, the city should consider adding chemicals to coat the copper pipe in order to reduce corrosion. Mayor Spencer said that if any resident feels that their water pipes have been damaged, that they should file a claim with the City Administrator.

Dick Davis has given the city a bid of $9,400 to do grading on the shoulders of various city streets. The council voted to approve the bid with Alderman Bill Koos voting against the agreement.

Patel said that he paid $23,000 in property taxes this year. He asked the city if it could provide him with some relief in the form of TIF money. This would substantially reduce taxes if the motel could be included in the TIF district.

Patel also is asking the city to landscape the pond fronting the motel.

Mayor Spencer told Patel that he would pass his request to the economic development committee for consideration.

Resident Cleta Moore asked the council if it could eliminate the pond that forms behind her property after heavy rains. She said that the pond becomes almost two feet deep and is deep enough for a child to drown in. Mayor Spencer said that the city will look into correcting the situation.

City Public Works Supervisor Charlie McGuire told the city that he wants to thank John Oncken, Leslie Carls, and Roger Janssen for allowing parking on their property which is located north of the Fourth of July celebration grounds in Sutton's Park.

Advertisement for bids on Well #4 has been run in the June 28 edition of the Peoria Journal. The sealed bids must be received by 2:00 p.m. on August 14, 2002. The project should start in the fall.

Dick Davis advised the City Administrator that he will start berm grading after the Fourth of July.

Colclasure has started the storm sewer project. According to Smith, the crew has run into a field tile running along Maple Street that was not on the maps.

A claim has been filed with the city's insurance company concerning the corrosion to some of the residential copper piping in the city. A determination will be made as to whether the City is responsible for the damage and if it is liable for any damages due to the corrosion.

At a meeting on July 11, the committee discussed placing the pavilion at the north end of the park so that a small parking area for handicapped persons could be put along streetside with a sidewalk leading from the parking area to the pavilion.

Alderman Cathy McKay asked if the committee had considered putting the pavilion in Sutton's Park where it would be more noticeable and where there was more room. Committee member Dave Uphoff replied that the pavilion should remain in the Westside Park since the pavilion is to replace a war memorial in the park. In addition, Uphoff said that people have already donated money with the knowledge that the pavilion would be put in the park.

Architect Fischer is to meet with the Westside Park Pavilion committee on August 1 to review the blueprints and specs for bidding.

Residents from Fourth and Locust and from Johnson Street complained to the city council about backed up water that flooded their basements. Residents at the corner of Fourth and Locust said they had up to 4 feet of water in their basement and wanted to know if the city is ever going to do something about the backup. Kona Taylor said her kids were able to canoe in a makeshift raft on the water in the street.

Glen Mullen of 524 Johnson Street said that his basement had over a foot of water and all of his neighbors had about the same amount. He wanted to know if the roof of the new Grade School addition across the street will create more water runoff that will contribute to more flooded basements.

Public Works Supervisor addressed the complaints by saying that the new storm sewer line being installed along Chestnut street will relieve the backup problem somewhat throughout the city. He also mentioned that all residents should make sure that the drain tile in the basement does not connect to the sewer tile. In addition, he said that sump pumps should be run outside the house rather than back into the sewer tile.

McGuire said that the city received 4.73 inches of rain in less than 3 hours and the sewer system simply could not handle that much water.

Mayor Spencer told the residents that they should submit a claim to City Administrator Trent Smith who will forward the claims to the city's insurance company.

Michael Rice, liasion for Congressmen Jerry Weller from the newly formed eleventh district, addressed the city council. Rice told the council that Weller welcomes the addition of the Minonk area to his district and wishes to hear from his constiuents. Rice said that the congressman's office will be in Joliet. People may come to the office with any of their concerns or they can call the office at 815/740-2028.

Mayor Spencer thanked Rice for his visit and said that he is pleased with the interest that Weller has shown in the Minonk area.

The council approved an agreement with the Rutland Fire Protection District whereby that district will guarantee the payment of $100 to the City of Minonk for use of its ambulance service. The "out of city" rate is $250 for ambulance calls which means the patient will be billed only $150 for the service with the Rutland Fire Protection District paying the remaining $100. This agreement is similiar to the agreement that Rutland already has with Toluca.

The council approved an ordinance that approves the city to borrow up to $500,000 from the Public Water Supply Program Fund for drilling Well #4. Alderman Dean Barth voted against the motion.

In other business, the Mayor, City Administrator, and the councilmen all thanked Alderman and Fourth of July Committee Chairman Cathy McKay and the Fourth of July committee and volunteers for their hardwork and dedication in putting on a great Fourth of July celebration. In turn, McKay thanked the city and the city crew for their support and financial help. She said it would have been impossible to put on the celebration without the city's help.

City Administrator Trent Smith said that the construction of the Dollar General Store should be completed by July 20 according to the contractor. Smith said the store plans to open on August 1. In addition, the Voitik's antique mall in the remodeled Kent Lumber building is schedule to open at the same time.

The city's insurance company is looking into the copper pipe corrosion claims and the sewer backup claims.

Smith said that it appears that repair work continues to be done on the Masonic Lodge roof that collasped a month ago and, therefore, he has not yet carried through with a letter to complete or demolish the building. Alderman Bill Koos told Smith that he was concerned that the building will not be completly repaired by the time school starts. Koos indicated that the council should take action on the building before school starts.

John Morris of John Morris Associates told the city that its finances are in order after completing an audit of the city's finances. Morris reminded the council, however, that the city's enterprise fund, which had a $25,000 loss, must be a profitable fund. Mayor Spencer said that the water rate increase passed this year will help restore that fund to profitability. Alderman Dean Barth's asked Morris if cities like Minonk are vulnerable to the accounting scandals that are rocking the nation's financial markets. Morris replied that unlike many business firms, the city uses cash acccounting rather than accrural accounting which gives a more accurate picture of a company's financial status. Also, Morris added, the city is not a profit oriented organization which removes most incentives for fraud.

The city council approved spending an additional $7,990 to tie in the sewer from Chestnut Street with the new storm sewer being laid between Chestnut and Oak Streets by Colclasure Excavating. City Administrator Trent Smith said now is the time to do it since Colclasure is already working in the area. To do it later will be much more costly. Smith said the money is available in the sewer bond fund. Alderman Dean Barth voted against the measure citing that the sewer pipes are too small to handle the additional water from Chestnut Street.

Smith said that the sewer project is expected to be completely finished in three weeks.

On a request by Police Chief Bill Butler, the council voted to allow full time police to order new uniforms as needed instead of being given an allowance for their purchase. This is presently the procedure used for part-time police.

City Administrator Trent Smith brought up the subject of swimming pool regulations. Smith said that the city has no swimming pool regulations. The original regulations passed in 1972 were repealed in 1997. Some people have requested that fences be required around outdoor pools. However, Smith said that if the city passes such an ordinance it must enforce it. It puts the city at a risk for liability if an accident does happen and the city was found negligent in its enforcement.

Smith noted that he was notified by the city's insurer that it has concluded that the city is not liable for the copper pipe corrosion problem in residental water lines. In other words, the insurer will not pay.

Dollar General announced that it will have a ribbon cutting grand opening next Saturday, August 10 at 8:30 a.m. Smith said the store opened for business on August 2 and that business has been really good.

City Administrator Trent Smith said that he has sent a repair/demolish notice to Cheryl Clark, the owner of the Masonic Temple. The building's roof collasped on June 9 and is in the process of being repaired by Joe Clark of the city. The city has expressed concern that the building is unsafe since the roof has collasped.

Smith said that the city's attorney stated that the city cannot force the owners to provide a structural engineering report. If the owner fails to comply with the notice to repair/demolish, then the city can proceed to have the building demolished through court proceedings. The city can also proceed in this manner if the repairs are completed and the city can demonstrate that the structure is still unsafe. That would have to be done through an inspection by an engineer which the city must hire.

Smith said he gave the Clark's 15 days to comply and that he is working with them. He indicated that it appeared that they were doing an adequate job of repairing. Alderman Ron Redenius said that the walls have been tied together which makes the building much safer at this point. Alderman Dean Barth agreed that the city should give the owners a chance to make the necessary repairs.

The bids for Well #4 are to be received by the Farnsworth Group by 2:00 p.m. on August 14, 2002.

The city crew has completed the installation of the playground equipment in Westside Park. Also, the shelter has been painted to match the color of the playground equipment.

Smith thanked Howard and Jane Harms for donating two flowering crab trees to the city. The trees were transplanted on the north side of the tennis courts in Veterans Park.

In other news, the council approved the naming of Craig Meyer to the city zoning board. Also, Darren Hester was appointed to the Parks and Recreation committee. The city council approved guidelines prepared by the Economic Devlopment Council for beautification of downtown Minonk and for facade repair and replacement. The committee's report stated, "The primary goal of facade design guidelines is to help preserve, enhance, protect and coordinate the external appearance of Minonk's downtown structures."

The overall objective of the guidelines is to insure that any exterior work performed on downtown structures is undertaken with attention and sensitivity to historical and architectural significance, scale and proportion, uniqueness, longevity and visual continuity.

The guidelines covers many facets including the conservation of building features, removal of non-appropriate distractions, building cleaning, usage of signs, windows, doors, awnings and facade revitalization approaches.

The city's TIF coordinator, Kane McKenna, said that he was impressed that a community of the size of Minonk is developing such guidelines.

Also, the council approved the facade repair guidelines for TIF applications. This means that persons who wish to utilize TIF funds for facade repair must meet the requirements set forth in the guidelines.

The council also approved to set aside $10,000 for facade repair work for this year.

Finally, the council approved a motion to give $10,000 from the TIF funds pool to V.P. Circle of Quality for elgible costs they have incurred in their building renovation on the former Brackney building. They have spent over $305,000 in renovation so far. In addition, the council approved a reimbursement of 50% of the real estate taxes paid by V.P. Circle of Quality over the life of the TIF to a maximum of $15,000 based on submission of eligible TIF expenses.

Ambulance rates increased

In addition, the mileage rate will be increased from $2.00 per mile to $5.00. Ms. Vala said that the city is way underpriced for its calls at its current rate. She said some communities charge up to $400 per call. She indicated that the biggest billing problem is for "Refusal" calls. These are calls in which the patient decides not to be taken to the hospital. These people are still billed for the call but many of them will not pay for the bill.

The rate increases are needed to provide the money needed to help fund a permanent daytime personnel for the ambulance squad. Money is also needed to replace the ambulance every six years. The ambulance squad responds to about 20 calls per month.

Other news

The council approved a request by the Ford County Highway Department to use the same radio frequency used by the city. No interference is expected since the location of the radio in Roberts, IL is 67 miles away, outside the 35 mile coverage of the radio.

The council agreed to stop lighting Sutton's Park at night until there is a need for lights for a special event. The council also decided not to fly the flag at night in the park.

A request by John Ryan to put a handicapped parking space in front of Kathy's Kitchen on South Chestnut Street was referred to the Public Safety Committee.

City Administrator Trent Smith is going to meet with the Minonk Businessmen's Association and explain in detail the opportunities for businesses to use TIF funds to help restore the facade in the downtown buildings.

The Minonk Businessmen's Association is trying to improve the downtown buildings by repainting the facades to a retro look similar to their original look when they were built in the late 1800's. The Assocation does not want every building to look the same and will provide the labor to the owner at no cost for the painting. The owner is responsible for paying for the paint, portable lifts and any tuckpointing or window repair. The Association volunteers will also do all the preparation work on the facades prior to painting.

Guard against West Nile virus

Westside Park Pavilion

The next meeting for the pavilion committee is August 22 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul's Church to finalize the blueprints prepared by the architect. Barth plans on presenting the final blueprints to the council at its next meeting on September 3 for approval.

City Adminstrator comments

The new John Deere 310G backhoe has been built. Smith said it took 3 hours to build the machine and will take 2 weeks for it to be delivered.

Council approves Westside Park pavilion plans

Alderman Cathy McKay was concerned about the electrical power needed for band equipment. Fischer said that a 200 amp service will be provided to prevent any electrical shorts.

In response to a question by Alderman Bill Koos on how the building would be heated, Fischer replied that electrical boxes will be installed in the ceilings of the bathrooms and the kitchen for portable heating units when needed. As money becomes available permanent heating will be considered.

Fischer said that he plans to advertise bids on the pavilion on September 26 and hopes to select a bidder by the middle of October so that construction can still be started this fall.

Alderman Dean Barth, who is chairman of the Westside Park Adhoc Committee, said that money collected in the fund drive for the pavilion will be turned over to the city for payment of expenses when needed. Barth said that the fund drive will remain open indefinitely so that future monies collected can be earmarked for improvements and maintenance of the pavilion. The collected money from the fund drive is now collecting interest from a CD at Alpha Community Bank and money will be withdrawn as needed.

Telephone tax

Smith said that if the city does nothing it will lose that 1% of tax. Therefore, he recommended to the council that they increase the rate to 5 or 6% since the city can legally collect 6%. Smith cited that it would be a small increase in the local telephone bills but can be a source of revenue for the city.

Aldermen Cathy McKay and Sherry Stalter both felt that people have been taxed enough and were reluctant to increase the rate. Alderman Bill Koos was more vehement in his opposition. He said that the the city is being forced to take the heat for something that the state wants. He said he found this to be insulting.

Upon a motion by McKay, the council decide to table the request for further discussion.

Masonic Hall rehabilitation

Alderman Bill Koos wanted to know if the city is liable if anything happens to fall from the building and hit someone. Mayor Spencer indicated that the city should not be responsible as long as they have judged the building to be safe. Alderman Ron Redenius said that he feels that the building is probably safer now than it was before the roof collasped. Alderman Dean Barth said that Clark has worked very hard at repairing the building and appears to have done a good job.

City Administrator report

The new backhoe was delivered on August 23.

The new 2003 Crowne Victoria police car was delivered on August 30. The radio, striping, and decals need to be installed. The car includes a cage separating the front and rear seats. The Local Law Enforcement Officer Safety program paid 75% of the cost or $16,319.00of the $21,758.00. The City's portion was $5,439.00. Smith said that Representative Dan Rutherford is to be thanked for his letter of support in getting the grant.

The application to the U. S. Department of Justice for the COPS UNIVERSAL HIRING Grant has been approved. The $75,000 grant will be paid to the city over the next three years for the employment of a third full time officer at a rate of $26,000, $25,000 and $24,000 per year respectively.

The "Battle of the Bands" being sponsored by the Minonk Police Department has been rescheduled for October 5 in the Westside Park.

Farnsworth Group have advised the city that when Layne Western supplies the required bond and other paperwork, they will be able to proceed with the Well #4 project sometime in October. The contract stipulates that the project must be completed in 120 days from that date.

Miscellaneous

Alderman Stalter wanted to know who is in charge of locking the gates at the athletic field at Veterans' Park. Mayor Spencer asked that she contact the school superintendent to see if something can be resolved in determining who should control access to the field.

Alderman McKay wanted to know if the city has any plans for further development at the Caroline Development. Mayor Spencer said that lots are for sale but does not have anything else to report. He suggested that the Economic Development Committee look into future development of the area.

City council hears concerns on ambulance staffing

Baron said that daytime staffing is becoming an issue because there is a shortage of available EMT's on call during the daytime hours. He said the situation is becoming worse because fewer people work locally nowdays and can not get off from work to perform as an EMT. He also added that many companies will not give their employees time off to respond to ambulance calls.

Baron said that one of the ways to resolve the shortage problem is to hire a fulltime EMT for daytime calls. He said the fulltime EMT could also take care of ambulance maintenance and supplies and provide educational programs for schools in addition to the normal EMT work.

Minonk currently has 10 squad members. Four are EMTs at the intermediate level and can function individually. One is at the intermediate level and can operate only with another intermediate as an intermediate. There are three basic EMTs and two drivers. The intermediate EMTs are paid $35 a call, the basic EMTs receive $20 and the drivers receive $15 per call. Four of the EMTs reside outside of Minonk.

Current medicare policy will only cover calls that include paramedics, not intermediates or basic. However, Baron said that a new curriculum is being developed for intermediate EMTs. Calls performed by EMTs trained in the new curriculum will result in medicare coverage under the new policy. 250 hours of training is required to upgrade an EMT to the new intermediate level of EMT. With the new intermediate curriculum, 95% of the runs can be handled by intermediate EMTs. If the Minonk squad needs a paramedic they will call Lifeline or call an interceptor from another community to help with the call.

Currently, the Minonk ambulance squad is running under a waiver which allows runs to be made with only basic EMTs if no intermediate EMTs are available. The average number of calls for the Minonk squad is around 22 per month. Ambulance squad members at the meeting said that 3 to 4 people do most of the calls.

Baron was thanked by Mayor Spencer for his input and said that the council will need to determine how to provide additional support to the ambulance squad.

City leaves telephone tax at current rate

The city could have increased the telecommunications tax up to 6% but decided to keep the rate the same. A motion to approve the rate was approved by the council with Aldermen Mat Fink and Bill Koos voting no.

Storm Sewer project finishes $300 in the black

Alderman Cathy McKay said she was totally satisfied with the project and the contractor, mentioning that they were very cooperative during the Fourth of July festivities. Mayor Mark Spencer said that the project went as smooth as any project that he can remember.

Miscellaneous

At a special city council meeting on September 10, Alderman Bill Koos said that the grass mowing at the Filger Library has been sloppy. He said the push mower should be used instead of the Kubota. Alderman Sherry Stalter said that the Kubota is not mowing as neatly and that garbage is not being picked up before mowing.

City Administrator Trent Smith suggested that the city contact a local contractor to put in overhead lights at the basketball court in the Westside Park. Smith said that 4 lights would probably be needed.

Minonk resident Jerry Welch wanted to know if the downtown parking lot will be resurfaced and also if the alley behind Casey's would also be paved because it has become a dust bowl. Mayor Spencer said that the parking lot will be paved with TIF money but that there are no plans presently to pave the alley by Casey's.

Welch also mentioned that the parking lot at the Shell Truck Stop was a mess and wanted to know if the city has any plans on expanding the development there. Mayor Spencer said that he could not comment on development at the truck stop at this time.

Residents complain about berm grading

Alderman Sherry Stalter told the council that she was informed Thursday night by a resident that the city parks had been closed down after dark. Evidently, the resident's son had been sent home from the park by a city official. The Westside Park and the park downtown next to Casey's was closed after dark by Police Chief Bill Butler after vandalism had occured in the parks. Mayor Spencer said that in the future he hopes that this type of action is better coordinated with him and the City Council. He said that communications must improve between the departments so that everyone knows what is going on. Alderman Stalter said that a meeting is to be held Thursday night to discuss the vandalism in the parks and to decide if a closing time should be put on park use.

In a related action, the committee decided to table a request by Minonk Foods for TIF funds to be applied towards a $70,500 business retention/expansion project. The committee decided to forward the application to a TIF advisor for clarification on eligible expenses.

The committee also discussed ways to promote the Carolyn Development. One suggestion was fast food outlets that would benefit the hotel and service station.

Other city news

An ordinance to enforce the removal of abandonded vehicles from the streets was tabled because of its wording. Alderman Bill Koos said that the wording of the proposed ordinance include vehicles that were parked in front of body shops that were waiting to be painted or fixed and would be unfair to those businesses.

The Public Works Committee approved the discontinuing of payments to Sauder and Rippel for parking lot lightning since no other business receives similiar payments from the city.

Alderman Dean Barth, head of the Westside Park Pavilion Committee, was told by architect Chuck Fischer that the advertising for bids on the pavilion project will be advertised next week in the Woodford Journal and The Pantagraph. Fischer said that he has already received notice from 3 contractors who are interested in the bidding.

Alderman Cathy McKay asked for volunteers to help in preparing the luminairie lights for the Christmas season. McKay said that the light kits will be put together on December 7, orders will be received on December 14, and the lights will be put out on December 21.

Corey Ruestman was appointed by the City Council to the ambulance squad.

City parks closing set at 11:00 p.m.

Other news

Layne-Western has signed all the required documents and will be proceeding with the construction of Well #4 in the Westside Park. The firm indicated that they will be on-site the first week of December. The project must be completed by February 13.

Mayor Mark Spencer said that he and others are going to Springfield this week to give a presentation on the need for a grant to fund the recreational facilities at the proposed recreation park being developed by the Millenium Committee at the north end of the city.

Alderman Ron Redenius said that he has received complaints from residents who want the city to sweep the dirt from the streets left from the berm grading done a few weeks ago. Public Works Supervisor Charlie McGuire said that the city is sweeping the streets and will eventually get them all done.

Alderman Cathy McKay said that she was asked if Tomlinson Disposal recycles cardboard boxes or puts them in with the other garbage. This website reported this item incorrectly originally saying the cardboard wouldn't be picked up. That is not true. The cardboard is tossed in with the regular garbage. She said that the citizens need to be informed as to what they can put out for the garbage pickup. McKay also mentioned that the library bathroom walls need repair and the elevator doors need to be painted. McKay asked City Administrator Trent Smith to get together with Librarian Karen Podzamsky to determine what items she needs to put in the budget for the needed repairs.

The city will be flushing the hydrants this week. Seeding of the graded berms will start this fall and be finished sometime next spring.

Candidates for the city elections next April can pick up their application starting Wednesday, October 23. All papers must be filed by January 13.

Alderman Cathy McKay said the city should determine if it has the funds to support a fulltime EMT on call during the day. Alderman Redenius asked if the city should seek public input to determine how the public feels about the ambulance squad and its needs. He suggested that perhaps a tax referrendum would be accepted by the public. Alderman Dean Barth, however, said that the public is in no mood for any more tax increases at this time.

Alderman McKay suggested to the mayor that he put out a plea in a mayor's newsletter explaining the problem to the public in hopes of eliciting some feedback. Reverend Harry Sanders stated that if the city hires a full time EMT that it may discourage volunteers to work for little or nothing. He also emphasized the need to advertise more aggressively for volunteers. Dave Uphoff, webmaster for MinonkTalk, told the council that he will offer the city whatever publicity or advertisement they wish to use on his internet site.

Alderman Bill Koos stated that he feels that water, sewer, and ambulance services are the three top priorities for the city. He said that the ambulance squad's needs should be moved up in priority and admitted that this will cause cutbacks in other services for the city. Koos said that the ball is in the city's court and we must handle the ambulance problem. He made a motion that the city meet in the second meeting in November to decide once and for all what to do to solve the ambulance squad shortage. In the meantime, he said the city should do everything possible to advertise the need for more volunteers and to also seek out the feelings of the public on the subject. The council approved the motion.

Alderman Bill Koos said the city needs to be more proactive in preventing vandalism. Koos said that the efforts of local volunteers are being ruined by vandals who have no respect for property. He cited the recent vandalism at Veterans Park as an example. Someone sprayed a chemical from one end of the football field to the other causing the grass to die off. It occurred sometime after the homecoming game and it was a major effort by the culprit(s) who used gallons of chemicals to wreak the damage. Koos feels that the city should help the school remedy the damage because it is something that affects all citizens. Mayor Mark Spencer said that the community depends on local volunteers to help beautify and improve the city because the city does not have the staff to do everything. Spencer said that people will continue to volunteer their time in spite of the recent rash of vandalism. He said that citizens should not be afraid to get involved and should report vandalism when they see it happen.

In a related matter, Public Works Supervisor Charlie McGuire said that vandals broke the lock off of a electrical box in Veterans Park and were able to turn on the lights at night. City Administrator Trent Smith said that he asked Fieldcrest Superintendent Michael Stagliano to lock the big gates at Veterans Park when it is not being used.

Public Works Supervisor Charlie McGuire says he sees kids at the Westside Park after hours all the time and setting a curfew will not stop vandalism. Alderman Dean Barth agreed saying that closing the parks sets a negative tone. He feels that the city should be positive and try to help the kids out by providing them with a place for recreation.

City resident Christie Ruestman said that she favors keeping the parks open and having them lit at night so that residents can see what is going on. She said that she wants a place for her kids to hang out so that she knows where they are at and can be checked up on.

Alderman Mat Fink made a motion that the ordinance to close the city parks at 11:00 pm be rejected. The motion was approved with Aldermen Sherry Stalter and Cathy McKay voting against the motion.

The Minonk City Council decided to table a decision on raising the communications antenna for the ambulance squad until more information is available. The ambulance department was advised by Marvin Smith, an engineering specialist from Supreme Radio, to raise the antenna by 4 feet to increase its power. The cost of doing this would be $2285 which is cheaper than buying a new repeater which would cost $7800. The city had already budgeted $3000 for a new repeater so that money could be used to raise the antenna instead. Alderman Bill Koos asked if it wouldn't be better to raise the antenna ten feet or more since a new coax cable is needed for the entire 125 foot from the antenna to the base commication system. Koos wanted to know if this could save the city the expense of having to raise the antenna again at a later date. Alderman Matt Fink made a motion that the city receive more information on the desired antenna height before a decision is made. The council approved.

The city council discussed an estimate by the public works committee to run city water across Route 251 to the residence of Paul Tjaden. Tjaden offered in exchange a 50 foot wide piece of property that runs 1660 feet long about 70 feet from the front of West Eighth Street. Installation of water lines across Route 251 would be $13,950, a sewer line would be $19,200 and both would be estimated at $32,150. If the total cost the of installation is divided by the 1.9 acres that the city would receive, that would mean that the city would basically pay $16,921 an acre for the land.

Tjaden's property would have to be annexed into the city if water and sewer were to be provided. Mayor Mark Spencer said that the land exchanged to the city could potentially be developed. In addition, running water and sewer across Route 251 would also enable future development across the road. Alderman Ron Redenius asked if the city would be able to sell the land for enough money to cover the costs of putting in the water and sewer.

Alderman Dean Barth made a motion that the city administrator get more information on the possible ramifications of the deal, including determining if existing landowners near the land in question would be willing to buy the land from the city. The issue was tabled for further discussion.

Other city news

The council approved a recommendation by the Economic Development Committee to accept the facade application by Dave Uphoff in the amount of $1,110.00 which is 1/3 of the total cost to install windows and a door in the front of the old IOOF building at Fifth and Walnut. Uphoff plans on rennovating the building for use as an office for his website and for his computer software business. In addition, he plans on using part of the building for displaying historical items and photographs of Minonk for the public.

The EDC Committee recommendation to narrow the south end of the alley behind Casey's by 22 feet was approved by the city council. This should provide an approximate 64 foot uniform green space. The southern 200 feet could then be sold to a potential commercial interest.

The council approved a lease between Waste Management and the city for a site to house the new maintenance storage building at the north end of Minonk. It will be a 100 year lease for $1.00 per year.

Alderman Dean Barth said that the bids for construction of the Westside Park Pavilion will be opened on November 13 at 2:00 p.m. at City Hall.

Mayor Mark Spencer said that the presentation of the proposed recreation park at the north end of the city went well at Springfield last week. The Millenium Committee is seeking a grant from the state to fund the construction of outdoor recreational facilities at the site.

City Administrator Trent Smith said that 28 applications have been received for the position of a new police officer for the city.

Alderman Cathy McKay said that she has received a request by residents to put speed limit signs at the corner of Sixth and Mary Streets. She said that high school kids are speeding in that area when school is out.

Christie Ruestman requested help from area youths who want to earn some community service hours. She is seeking 35 volunteers to help her distribute flyers to Minonk residents informing them of the Christmas luminary sales. She said that each student is required to serve 20 hours of community service before they graduate and this would be applied toward that goal.

Ruestman also suggested that the city set up work hours after school in which the kids can come to City Hall and be assigned a work task such as picking up litter, painting fire hydrants, etc.

Currently, the city only takes in $92,000 per year to fund the ambulance squad's current budget of $90,000 per year. To apply this revenue to fund a fulltime staff would require the city to post a $104,000 deficit each year.

Koos added that even by hiring a full time staff, there is no guarantee that the city can still meet the new requirements for intermediate EMTs. He said that if the city could get 12 volunteers, the city may not need a fulltime staff. Alderman Matt Fink agreed saying that without enough volunteers, the city may have to drop its ambulance squad. He said that the city needs to step up efforts to get enough volunteers for the ambulance squad since few governmental units have the money to invest in additional funding. He suggested that the high school be contacted to see if students can be used as volunteers which would help them fulfill their community service hours. Fink also suggested that the Minonk Businessmen Association be contacted to see if they could provide employees as volunteers for the ambulance squad.

City Administrator Trent Smith said that only one application for an ambulance volunteer has been received so far. Mayor Mark Spencer appealed to the public to volunteer or offer suggestions to help with the ambulance crisis. He said that the suggestion mentioned on MinonkTalk to share the hiring of a fulltime EMT with Heritage Manor Nursing Home is being considered.

Alderman Dean Barth suggested that a local citizens committee be formed to help come up with a solution to solving the ambulance squad shortage.

New equipment

Water lines will not cross Route 251

Installation of downtown Christmas lights

Other news

Alderman Cathy McKay said that there will be a meeting of the Fourth of July committee on Tuesday, November 19, at 6:30 at City Hall. She said that the committee is looking for more volunteers and invite those interested to attend the meeting.

City Administrator Trent Smith said that interviews for the new policeman for the city has been completed. He said the mayor will be making an appointment next month. After listening to a proposal by Martin Smith of Supreme Radio Communication, the city council decided to buy a new 5.2 DB gain antenna for the city's radio communications. The council previously was considering raising the antenna in order to gain more power with its communications. However, Smith said that you have to raise the tower twice as high in order to double the power. The city wants to be able to have a 10-12 mile range with their radio. Currently, only 18 watts of power are being generated from the antenna.

Smith it is more economical to get a stronger antenna and a better cable. He said that the new antenna with a 120 foot 1/2 inch heliax cable should substantially improve the power and allow communications beyond the 12 mile range. Smith also suggested that the city apply for an increase in wattage from 45 to 100 with the FCC to allow for future expansion. The proposed cost of installing the new antenna and cable and applying for the FCC license would be $2685 with $400 of that cost for the FCC license. The city had previously budgeted $3000 for a new repeater. The council voted to accept the proposal.

Armentrout said that the nutrition dinner program is funded by the government through the Old Americans Act and is a nonprofit organization. The Minonk nutrition employs 3 people to run the operation. It prepared 10,191 meals last year. Each day the center delivers anywhere from 41 to 48 meals to homes in Minonk, Wenona and Washburn. In Minonk an average of 15 meals are delivered to homes each day and an average of 9 people come to the nutrition center at the Woodford for a noon meal.

The meals are free and donations are accepted from those who can pay. The costs have been going up. When the nutrition center was at St. Paul's Church, the monthly rent was $182 plus $4 per day. At the Woodford, the monthly rent was $250 plus $5 per day.

Armentrout wants a committment from the city council to try to keep the nutrition center in Minonk. She said it is one of the best kept secrets in town. Anyone age 60 or older can attend the dinners. She said people passing through town will often stop for a meal. Armentrout said that she has contacted the local ministerial association for help in locating a new site. Alderman Dean Barth suggested that someone look into using the former WigWam restaurant at the south edge of Minonk as a site for the nutrition center as well as for the food pantry.

Mayor Mark Spencer said that he appreciated the benefits of the nutrition center and hopes that something can be done to keep the center operating in the city.

Other city council news

The council approved a request to have the property at the corner of First and Chestnut Streets rezoned residential from commercial so that the house on the lot can be sold.

The EPA was called in last Saturday to investigate for possible hazardous waste in the basement of the Hewitt building on Chestnut Street. The EPA will be returning to remove the hazardous material at a later date.

City Administrator Trent Smith said that the waterway graded in a field south of First Street will probably cause more drainage problems for the city in the event of a heavy rain. Smith was told by the county that there is nothing they can do about the situation.

Public Works Supervisor Charlie McGuire thanked Wayne Tucker for replacing a damaged electrical switch at Veterans Park free of charge. The Minonk City Council approved a recommendation by the Parks and Recreation Committee to officially name the land north of Eighth Street along Chestnut Street as Sutton's Park. Alderman Dean Barth felt that the park should be named Miners Park in recognition of those who lived on that land, who took care of the land and whose labor provided the money for Sutton to own the land. However, Alderman Cathy McKay wanted to keep the name as Sutton's Park since it is the name most people associate with the park. Alderman Ron Redenius agreed saying that the oldtimers all remember it as Sutton's Park and remember that Mr. Sutton had a popular flower garden on the property.

Alderman Bill Koos felt that the miners can be recognized in the future by naming the new walking trail as Miners Trail when the rest of that area is developed for recreational use. Barth voted no on the motion while Alderman Matt Fink abstained.

Mayor Mark Spencer announced the members of the newly formed Ambulance Staffing Committee. The adhoc citizens committee is being formed to help the city find volunteers for the ambulance squad. The members of the committee will be guided by Steve Barrons who is the EMS System Coordinator from Pontiac. Mayor Spencer emphasized that even though there is a shortage of ambulance volunteers, the city still has ambulance service and that the current staff is providing the necessary support for ambulance needs. Spencer asked those who wish to serve as an EMT on the ambulance squad to contact any of the following committee members.

The members of the Ambulance Staffing Committee are: Bill Koos, Chairman - 432-2318, Cathy McKay - 432-2605, Reverend Harry Sanders - 432-2662, Joe Schmillen 432-2226, Pastor Swenson - 432-2100, Bob Hakes - 432-2146, Jack Jochums - 432-2180, Jim DeMay - 432-2465, Craig Kalkwarf - 432-2890, Jerry Welch - 432-3524, Rob Frederick 432-3833.

The grant was one of 57 local outdoor recreational projects, representing $17.65 million in funding assistance approved by the DNR. Mayor Spencer said that the award is great news for Minonk and thanked Ned Leiken, president of the Millenium Committee, for his efforts in getting the grant approved. Spencer also said that much political support was given by State Senator Dan Rutherford and State Representative Keith Sommer.

The grant is a matching grant which means that the Millenium Committee will match the $302,500 grant from the State in providing the revenue to complete the recreational park. Millenium Committee member Bob Hakes said that the committee is going to meet shortly to plan the next step in the project. To view the plans for the recreational park, click here.

The renovations include a new front office, upgrading of exterior and interior lighting and also painting of murals on the walls that will show pictures of meat and produce.

Other news

Finance Chairman and Alderman Bill Koos told the council that it will have to mind the nickels and dimes in this year's budget as money is getting tighter and the State is reducing the amount of its normal share in helping to fund certain items.

The City has finalized an arrangement with Waste Management to lease 0.448 acres situated between Burrough's Ag Service and the city salt shed. The lease is good for 100 years at $1 per year. $100 was paid up front to cover the entire period.