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03/10/10: Minutes - March 10, 2010 - Regular Monthly Meeting
The Hillcrest Village Board of Trustees met in regular monthly session
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at the Hillcrest Village Hall. President Rich Hicks
called the meeting to order at 7:09 p.m. answering the roll call were Trustees
Jim Mecklenburg, Rich Elliott, Randall Salsbury, Rich Hicks, Jim McMullin and
Trevor Unger. Trustee Vicki Stewart was absent due to illness.
President
Hicks called for a motion to approve the minutes of the February 17, 2010
regular monthly meeting. The minutes of the February 17, 2010 regular monthly
meeting were approved upon a motion made by Trustee Elliott; Trustee McMullin
seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg ¡V yes, Elliott ¡V yes,
Salsbury ¡V yes, McMullin ¡V yes and Unger ¡V yes. The motion passed
unanimously.
President Hicks asked Trustee Mecklenburg to give the
treasurer¡¦s report. Trustee Mecklenburg gave the treasurer¡¦s report, as of
February 28, 2010 the general fund had a balance of $201,000.19; motor fuel tax
fund had a balance of $123,049.86 and the water fund had a balance of
$50,144.72. A motion to approve the treasurer¡¦s report was made by Trustee
Elliott; Trustee Salsbury seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg ¡V
yes, Elliott ¡V yes, Salsbury ¡V yes, McMullin ¡V yes and Unger ¡V yes. The
motion passed unanimously.
Trustee Mecklenburg presented the Board of
Trustees with the claim sheet. A motion to approve the bills as submitted was
made by Trustee McMullin; Trustee Unger seconded the motion. Vote as follows:
Mecklenburg ¡V yes, Elliott ¡V yes, Salsbury ¡V yes, McMullin ¡V yes and Unger
¡V yes. The motion passed unanimously.
DEPARTMENT UPDATES
FINANCE:
Trustee Mecklenburg stated that he is getting ready for next week¡¦s budget
meeting there is a lot to discuss with the state of the economy being what it is
we will start with last year¡¦s budget and start making cuts. Trustee
Mecklenburg stated all government agencies are cutting back and the Village will
have to do the same.
WATER: Trustee Elliott reported there was no new
business to report.
HEALTH & WELFARE: Trustee Salsbury reported there
was no new business to report.
ORDINANCES: Trustee McMullin reported
there was no new business to report.
STREETS: Trustee Unger reported
that he had driven the Village to determine how the winter weather had affected
the streets and he stated that Village maintenance personnel would start
patching the streets as soon as the weather permitted. Trustee Mecklenburg
instructed Trustee Unger get good estimates for street work and stated that the
Board of Trustees would work with him to take care of the
streets.
BUILDINGS & GROUNDS: No report was available due to Trustee
Stewart¡¦s absence.
POLICE DEPARTMENT: No report was
available.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT: No report was available.
ATTORNEY
COMMENTS: No attorney comments at this time.
VISITORS: No visitor
comments at this time.
OLD BUSINESS
President Hicks stated the first
order of business is the comprehensive plan. President Hicks introduced Doug
Nataluk of Cussen Engineering, LLC. Mr. Nataluk stated that he remembered that
there was some good discussion when he met with the Board last August. Mr.
Nataluk explained that he and Mr. Cussen used Hillcrest¡¦s existing maps plus
maps from Ogle County GIS to formulate the base map. Mr. Nataluk explained that
a comprehensive plan is a planning tool that communicates the basic policies
necessary to shape the future growth of the community. Mr. Nataluk stated that a
comprehensive plan is general in nature with a long-range outlook of twenty
years that considers both separately and collectively all the factors that would
affect future growth, development, social issues and economic
prosperity.
Mr. Nataluk outlined the elements of a comprehensive plan as
being:
„« Agricultural, natural resources and cultural resources
elements
o Groundwater, forests, agricultural areas, environmentally
sensitive areas, streams, floodplains, wetlands, mineral areas, wildlife areas,
cultural resource areas, recreational areas, et cetera.
„« Transportation
Elements
o Highways, arterials, locals, mass transit, bicycles, walking,
railroads, trucking, et cetera.
„« Utilities Element
o Sanitary sewer,
storm water, gas, electrical transmission. Telecommunications, solid waste
disposal, recycling facilities, et cetera.
„« Economic Development
Element
o Commercial areas, business areas, industrial areas, downtown, et
cetera.
„« Housing Element
o Differing densities, styles and housing
choices to meet the needs of all residents.
„« Intergovernmental Element
o
School districts, adjacent governmental units, public facilities, et cetera.
„« Community/Public Facilities Element
o Police, fire, rescue, libraries,
schools, health, childcare, et cetera.
„« Land Use Element
o Relationships
between designated land uses: residential, commercial, industrial, natural
downtown, et cetera.
Mr. Nataluk stated the comprehensive plan breaks
down into six areas that are color coded and each color relates to a specific
element in the comprehensive plan: residential areas are blue, commercial areas
are red, mixed use/town center areas are light green, office/research areas are
orange, industrial areas are yellow and park/open space areas are dark green.
Mr. Nataluk explained the importance of the close proximity of Hwy 251 to the
Village and the importance of the interchange at Interstate 39 and Hwy 64 in
addition to the significance of the traffic patterns that those roads have for
the Village. Mr. Nataluk stated that by creating a downtown that would
distinguish Hillcrest as its own entity and create a sense of community, a place
to belong. Mr. Nataluk explained the importance of the Village working with
County and State officials concerning the transportation system.
Overall
the Board of Trustees was very pleased with the comprehensive plan and they
shared some information with Mr. Nataluk that needs to be incorporated into the
plan such as the purchase of the Hickerson property by Rochelle Community
Hospital, Illinois Department of Transportation¡¦s plans for Hwy 251 and the
fact that Dement Road has been rezoned for industrial use. Mr. Nataluk pointed
out that once the comprehensive plan has been finalized and adopted the next
step is to change the zoning to reflect the projected future growth of the
Village and he also explained how a comprehensive plan helps communities plan
their utilities infrastructure.
President Hicks asked Mr. Nataluk if it
was possible for him to incorporate the issues that were discussed into the
comprehensive plan in time for the April meeting. Mr. Nataluk stated that he
would have those changes available for the April meeting.
NEW
BUSINESS
President Hicks stated the next order of business is the 2010
census; the United States Census Bureau is asking the Village of Hillcrest to
partner with them to ensure a full and accurate count in 2010. Trustee
Mecklenburg made a motion to partner with the United States Census Bureau in an
effort to ensure a full and accurate count in 2010; Trustee Elliott seconded the
motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg ¡V yes, Elliott ¡V yes, Salsbury ¡V yes,
McMullin ¡V yes and Unger ¡V yes. The motion passed
unanimously.
President Hicks stated the next order of business is audit
for fiscal year 2008 ¡V 2009. Clerk Adams informed the Board of Trustees that
the audit was not completed as was expected. President Hicks asked for a motion
to table the audit until the April meeting. Trustee Mecklenburg made a motion to
table the audit for fiscal year 2008 ¡V 2009 until the April meeting; Trustee
Unger seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg ¡V yes, Elliott ¡V yes,
Salsbury ¡V yes, McMullin ¡V yes and Unger ¡V yes. The motion passed
unanimously.
President Hicks stated the next order of business is the
parking ordinance and he asked Attorney Temple to explain. Attorney Temple
stated that there has been an issue with residents bringing their semi tractors
home and there is no semi parking on residential lots within the Village.
Attorney Temple stated that the fee structure still needs to be worked out
however; that should be available at next month¡¦s meeting. Trustee Mecklenburg
made a motion to table the parking ordinance until the April meeting; Trustee
McMullin seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg ¡V yes, Elliott ¡V
yes, Salsbury ¡V yes, McMullin ¡V yes and Unger ¡V yes. The motion passed
unanimously.
President Hicks stated the next order of business is the
police department. President Hicks stated that former Sheriff Mel Messer has
been helping the Village the last month or so to get the police department back
in order there were issues with the way the equipment was left and the computers
were locked and Mr. Messer has taken care of those issues for us. President
Hicks stated he would like to hire former Sheriff Mel Messer as our Chief of
Police he has been with the Ogle County Sheriff¡¦s Department for over forty
years and he has been a tremendous help to us and I think he is exactly what we
need here. President Hicks stated he would like to hire Mr. Messer for no more
than twenty-five hours per week however; in talking with Mr. Messer this week
twenty-five hours probably won¡¦t be necessary. President Hicks stated that the
Village needs an experienced, trained and qualified individual that is certified
to handle the administrative paperwork that is involved in operating a police
department and he is more than qualified to handle the
position.
President Hicks asked Mr. Messer to introduce himself to the
Board of Trustees and the public. Mr. Messer addressed President Hicks and
informed him that he had done a little investigation into the situation with the
police radios and he had a new state wide radio system installed in the squad
car which was purchased with a grant from an organization called Prairie Shield.
Mr. Messer stated that the organization Prairie Shield was organized in 2005 -
2006 and is comprised of a number of counties here in Northern Illinois at the
time the organization was initiated Mr. Messer being Sheriff at the time put
Hillcrest into the program. Mr. Messer stated for a onetime fee of $5,000 paid
by Ogle County all the police departments in the County were covered under this
program and because of that initial investment the Village was able to pick up
almost $20,000 in radio equipment, installation and user license for two years
for free. Mr. Messer stated this is a new state wide system called StarCom that
allows you to travel from here to Carroll and never be out of touch with your
dispatch even with a handheld radio. Mr. Messer stated with the current system
in the squad car police officers will have the capability to communicate with
any officer in the area such as the State Police or other officers passing
through from outside agencies; it is a nice system and the best part is it is
free.
Mr. Messer stated if he is hired there is a lot of free money out
there in the form of grants especially on the emergency services side especially
if Hillcrest gets a community disaster plan implemented which the Village can do
by taking the County¡¦s plan and making it your own. Mr. Messer stated that he
knows how and where to find the money to implement new programs. Mr. Messer
stated that the last grant that he secured for Ogle Count Sheriff¡¦s Department
was almost $750,000; some of these programs are still available and all you have
to know is how to reach into them and the Village might as well have some of
those funds. Mr. Messer explained the qualifications that are necessary for the
position of chief and that he is currently certified in all of those aspects and
he continues to keep his continuing education hours up to date.
President
Hicks asked the Board of Trustees if they had any questions for Mr. Messer.
Trustee Mecklenburg stated that he appreciated all of the service Mr. Messer
gave Hillcrest during his forty-one years of service you have quite an
impressive career and we don¡¦t doubt your expertise and your experience they
would benefit the Village; there is a need for it as the economy gets worse the
crime rate goes up and that means that we have more problems however; no matter
how much we want things sometimes we just can¡¦t afford them. Trustee
Mecklenburg stated in doing a quick calculation twenty-five hours a week at $20
per hour for fifty weeks is roughly $25,000 a year; you can see that I am
approaching this very practically here, this is nothing personal. Mr. Messer
stated that he is not looking for twenty-five hours per week; he is just looking
to help President Hicks get the police department back on its feet. Trustee
Mecklenburg stated the Governor of this great state has announced possible
reduction in the income tax revenue that the Village receives that amounts to
approximately $28,000 less in operating fees. Trustee Mecklenburg stated the
point is that the Board of Trustees will have to find a way to scrap $28,000 out
of the budget that we passed last year and our revenues are not holding steady
they are going down. Trustee Mecklenburg stated to wrap up this conversation I
think this is pre-mature to propose this before we go through the budget
process; we need to replace the treasurer and the clerk needs help because she
is over loaded due to the new FOIA changes; there are a lot of things that need
to be discussed during the budget process before we can see if this piece of the
puzzle will fit in. President Hicks stated that from now until June the money
has already been allocated and budgeted for police department salaries, this is
something to look at for next year¡¦s budget, correct. Trustee Mecklenburg
stated yes, but if we don¡¦t spend the money now it stays in the bank account.
President Hicks stated I understand that but, for Mr. Messer to come on board
now between now and June there are still a lot of things that need to be
straightened out that we need a qualified person to do. Trustee Mecklenburg
stated are you proposing a temporary hiring. Trustee Elliott asked how much work
needs to be done to straighten out the police department. President Hicks
responded a lot. Trustee McMullin stated the police department is a mess.
Trustee Mecklenburg stated that he would vote for temporary hiring until the
budget gets hammered out. President Hicks called for a motion to hire Mr. Messer
on a temporary basis until the June 30, 2010 and then we will review it again.
Trustee Mecklenburg made a motion to hire Mr. Mel Messer as Chief of Police on a
temporary basis starting April 1, 2010 to June 30, 2010 at $20 per hour for no
more than 25 hours per week; Trustee McMullin seconded the motion. Vote as
follows: Mecklenburg ¡V yes, Elliott ¡V yes, Salsbury ¡V yes, McMullin ¡V yes
and Unger ¡V yes. The motion passed unanimously. President Hicks swore Mr. Mel
Messer in as the Hillcrest Chief of Police. Mr. Messer thanked the Board of
Trustees for their faith in him.
President Hicks called for a motion to
enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel, pending
litigation and to review executive session minutes. Trustee Mecklenburg 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: Mecklenburg ¡V yes, Elliott ¡V yes, Salsbury ¡V yes,
Unger ¡V yes and Stewart ¡V yes. The motion passed unanimously. The Board of
Trustees entered into executive session 8:09 p.m.
President Hicks called
for a motion to return to open session. Trustee Mecklenburg made a motion to
return to open session; Trustee Unger seconded the motion. Vote as follows:
Mecklenburg ¡V yes, Elliott ¡V yes, Salsbury ¡V yes, Unger ¡V yes and Stewart ¡V
yes. The motion passed unanimously. The Board of Trustees returned to open
session at 8:39 p.m. President Hicks stated the action being taken is to accept
the executive session minutes. Trustee Elliott made a motion to accept the
minutes of the February 17, 2010 executive session minutes; Trustee Mecklenburg
seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg ¡V yes, Elliott ¡V yes,
Salsbury ¡V yes, Unger ¡V yes and Stewart ¡V yes. The motion passed
unanimously.
President Hicks announced the first budget meeting will be
held March 17, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Hillcrest Village Hall. President Hicks
also announced that spring clean-up will be held May 15, 2010 from 7:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m.
PUBLIC COMMENT
No public comment.
There being no
further business to transact a motion to adjourn was made by Trustee
Mecklenburg; Trustee McMullin seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg
¡V yes, Elliott ¡V yes, Salsbury ¡V yes, McMullin ¡V yes and Unger ¡V yes. The
motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m. The next regular
monthly meeting will be held April 14, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Hillcrest
Village Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Teresa J. Adams,
Village
Clerk
Posted: 3/10/2010 |
Updated: 3/10/2010