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12/15/09: Minutes - November 11, 2009 - Regular Monthly Meeting
The Hillcrest Village Board of Trustees met in regular monthly session
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at the Hillcrest Village Hall. Clerk Adams informed
the Board of Trustees that President Hicks and Trustee McMullin were unable to
attend the meeting due to conflicts with their work schedules and Trustee
Mecklenburg is on vacation. Clerk Adams informed the Board of Trustees that they
needed to select a member of the Board to serve as President Pro Tem for the
meeting and asked for nominations. Trustee Elliott made a motion to nominate
Trustee Vicki Stewart as President Pro Tem; Trustee Salsbury seconded the
motion. Vote as follows: Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and Stewart
– yes. The motion passed unanimously. President Pro Tem Stewart asked all in
attendance to stand and recite the pledge of allegiance. President Pro Tem
Stewart called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. answering the roll call were
Trustees Rich Elliott, Randy Salsbury, Trevor Unger and Vicki
Stewart.
President Pro Tem Stewart called for a motion to approve the
minutes of the October 14, 2009 regular monthly meeting and the minutes for the
October 28, 2009 special meeting. The minutes of the October 14, 2009 regular
monthly meeting and the minutes October 28, 2009 special meeting were approved
upon a motion made by Trustee Elliott; Trustee Salsbury seconded the motion.
Vote as follows: Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and Stewart - yes.
The motion passed unanimously.
President Pro Tem Stewart stated that due
to Trustee Mecklenburg’s absence no treasurer’s report was
available.
President Pro Tem Stewart asked for a motion to approve the
bills for the month of October. Trustee Elliott made a motion to pay October’s
bills; Trustee Salsbury seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Elliott – yes,
Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and Stewart - yes. The motion passed
unanimously.
DEPARTMENT UPDATES
FINANCE: No report was available due
to Trustee Mecklenburg’s absence.
WATER: Trustee Elliott reported a
buffalo box repair at 204 Windmill Court and a water main break repair at the
intersection of Wayne Road and Ramona Avenue.
HEALTH & WELFARE:
Trustee Salsbury reported there was no new business to
report.
ORDINANCES: No report was available due to Trustee McMullin’s
absence.
STREETS: Trustee Unger reported that five trees had been removed
and disposed of properly.
BUILDINGS & GROUNDS: Trustee Stewart
reported there was no new business to report.
POLICE DEPARTMENT: No
report was available.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT: No new business to report.
ATTORNEY COMMENTS : No attorney comments at this time.
VISITORS:
No visitor comments at this time.
OLD BUSINESS
President Pro Tem
Stewart asked Jim Sparber of Baxter & Woodman Consulting Engineers to
explain the water rate study. Mr. Sparber stated that at the previous meeting he
was asked to incorporate a commercial and an industrial rate into the water rate
study and had done so, in the form of a non-residential rate with the addition
of an availability fee to cover the additional costs of servicing large usage
customers. Mr. Sparber stated the availability fee is based on the size of the
water meter for example, a customer using a one inch water meter would be
charged an additional $5 per month, a customer using a two inch water meter
would be charged an additional $16 per month, a customer using a ten inch water
meter would be charged an additional $200 per month and so on according to the
chart.
Trustee Elliott stated that he had included a study that Jerry
Bever of Baxter & Woodman Consulting Engineers had compiled showing water
rates of other communities in Northern Illinois. Trustee Elliott shared the
minimum charges for some of the surrounding communities: Rochelle has a minimum
of $25, Malta has a minimum of $26 and Steward has a minimum of $33 and
Hillcrest has a minimum of $8 which is very low compared to surrounding
communities.
President Pro Tem Stewart asked if the residential rate in
the water rate study would remain the same. Mr. Sparber responded that the
residential rate would remain the same and the bulk of the rate increase is
phased in over a four year period after that the water rate increases by small
inflationary increases each year as was discussed in a previous meeting.
President Pro Tem Stewart asked if the residential water rate was comparable to
other communities in the area. Mr. Sparber stated that he believed that the
residential rate would be comparable to other communities at the end of the
stepped approach in four years however; at that time if some of the engineering
assumptions prove to be inaccurate they can always be adjusted. In the absence
of a full Board President Pro Tem Stewart asked for a motion to table the water
rate study until the December meeting. Trustee Elliott made a motion to table
the water rate study; Trustee Unger seconded the motion. Vote as follows:
Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and Stewart - yes. The motion passed
unanimously.
NEW BUSINESS
President Pro Tem Stewart stated the first
item under new business is the resolution authorizing the destruction of audio
recordings of open meetings. President Pro Tem Stewart asked Attorney Temple to
address the resolution authorizing the destruction of audio recordings of open
meetings. Attorney Temple stated that the Village makes an audio recording of
all of its open meetings even though the Village is not statutorily required to
do so. Attorney Temple stated that Clerk Adams records the open meetings as an
aid in helping her prepare the minutes, it has reached a point where the Village
is out of space to continue to store these recordings and essentially what this
resolution does is allow for the destruction of the recordings of open meetings
once the minutes of the meeting have been approved by the Board of Trustees.
President Pro Tem Stewart asked for a motion to approve the resolution
authorizing the destruction of audio recordings of open meetings. Trustee Unger
made a motion to approve the resolution authorizing the destruction of audio
recordings of open meetings; Trustee Salsbury seconded the motion. Vote as
follows: Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and Stewart - yes. The
motion passed unanimously.
President Pro Tem Stewart stated the next
order of business is the Ogle County Sheriff’s motorcycle fund. President Pro
Tem Stewart explained that three years ago the Village made a very generous
donation of $1,000 so the Sheriff’s department could use the motorcycle for
public relations events and then she asked for a motion not to participate.
Attorney Temple stated that he has some concerns based on research he has done
for another community in Ogle County that wanted to make a donation to some
other worthy cause and the law states that monies that are spent by a
municipality should benefit the community as a whole. Attorney Temple stated
there are arguments to be made on both sides however; he suggested that the
Board of Trustees table the issue until he has an opportunity to research the
matter further. President Pro Tem Stewart asked for a motion not to participate
(donate) in the Ogle County Sheriff’s motorcycle fund. Trustee Salsbury made a
motion not to participate (donate) in the Ogle County Sheriff’s motorcycle fund;
Trustee Elliott seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Elliott – yes, Salsbury –
yes, Unger – yes and Stewart - yes. The motion passed
unanimously.
President Pro Tem Stewart called for a motion to enter into
executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel, pending litigation
and to review executive session minutes. Trustee Elliott made a motion to enter
into executive session to discuss personnel and pending litigation and to review
executive session minutes; Trustee Unger seconded the motion. Vote as follows:
Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and Stewart – yes. The motion passed
unanimously. The Board of Trustees entered into executive session 7:23
p.m.
President Pro Tem Stewart called for a motion to return to open
session. Trustee Elliott made a motion to return to open session; Trustee Unger
seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes
and Stewart – yes. The motion passed unanimously. The Board of Trustees returned
to open session at 8:19 p.m. President Pro Tem Stewart stated no action
taken.
PUBLIC COMMENT
No public comment.
There being no further
business to transact a motion to adjourn was made by Trustee Elliott; Trustee
Unger seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger
– yes and Stewart – yes. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at
8:20 p.m. The next regular monthly meeting will be held December 9, 2009 at 7:00
p.m. at the Hillcrest Village Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Teresa
J. Adams,
Village Clerk
Posted: 12/15/2009 |
Updated: 12/15/2009