North Egypt News

City of Benton City Council Met April 26. 

Here is the minutes provided by the council:

Mayor Kondritz Called The Meeting To Order. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz Were All Present.

Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Approve The Minutes Of The Regularly Scheduled City Council Meeting Of April 12, 2021. Second By Commissioner Storey. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Approve The Minutes Of The Special Called City Council Meeting For Discussion Of The Budget Of April 16, 2021. Second By Commissioner Messersmith. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Perkins Stated That He Would Like To Thank Commissioner Garavalia For The Excellent Job She Did In Preparing Everything For The Airport Terminal Ribbon Cutting. Commissioner Messersmith Stated That There Were Approximately 47 People In Attendance.

Commissioner Perkins Made A Motion To Approve Purchase Order #00627 To Blue Ridge Tractor For A Mini Excavator In The Amount Of $42,390.00. Commissioner Perkins Stated That Half Of This Was To Be Paid From The Water Department And The Other Half Would Come From The Home Rule ($0.02) Gas Tax As It Can Be Used By All Departments In Public Works. This Motion Was Seconded By Commissioner Messersmith. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Perkins Stated That As Rend Lake Conservancy Raises Their Water Rates, The City Has No Choice But To Also Raise Its Rates. Therefore, Commissioner Perkins Made A Motion To Raise All City Water Bills By A Flat $1.00. Commissioner Perkins Stated That There Is No Percentage Increase, Just A Flat $1.00 No Matter What Your Usage Is. He Stated That This Will Increase Every Water Customer’s Bill A Flat $12.00 Per Year. Commissioner Garavalia Seconded This Motion. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 1. Commissioner Storey.

Commissioner Perkins Opened All Sealed Mowing Bids For The Municipal Airport That Had Been Collected By The City Clerk, Brook Craig. Bids Were Received By Britton Tree Care For $200.00 Per Mow, By Cavins Lawn & Tree Llc For $200.00 Per Mow, By Kris Kirkpatrick At $725.00 Per Mow, By Mark Grueninger At $355.00 Per Mow, By Tyler Heinzmann At $355.00 Per Mow, By Lawn Boy At $400.00 Per Mow, And By Booker’s Mowing Service For $200.00 Per Mow. Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Allow Commissioner Perkins And Airport Manager Matthew Harrison To Go Through The Bids And Make A Decision. Second By Commissioner Storey. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Messersmith Made A Motion To Approve Purchase Order #001770 To H&R Agri-Power For A 2020 Case 1h Tractor To Be Paid For From Mft Funds. Second By Commissioner Perkins. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Messersmith Made A Motion To Pay Invoice #13 From Chastain And Associates In The Amount Of $5,331.65 For The I-57 Interchange Project. Second By Commissioner Storey. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Messersmith Made A Motion To Have An Ordinance Prepared Making The West Side Of South Main A No Parking Zone Due To Safety Issues. Commissioner Messersmith Stated That If You Are Coming Off Of Church Street To South Main, The Parked Cars Inhibit Being Able To See. Second By Commissioner Perkins. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Messersmith Stated That He Has Met With The Foreman Of The Construction Crew On The Square To Discuss Parking Issues With The Crews Working On The New Courthouse. Commissioner Messersmith Stated That This Has Been An Ongoing Issue And A Plan Is Being Worked Out To Get This Under Control. Commissioner Messersmith Also Stated That Public Works Director Craig Miles Was Contacted By A Construction Crew Working For Illinois Central Railroad. Commissioner Messersmith Stated That By The End Of May, All Railroad Crossings In The City Of Benton Should Have Been Repaired.

Commissioner Storey Stated That He Would Like To Discuss Item (B) Discussion And/Or Approval Of Union Negotiations With The Police Department In Executive Session.

Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Approve Payroll For The Police And Fire Departments In The Amount Of $55,505.93 And For All Other Departments In The Amount Of $47,608.54 For A Total Payroll Of $103,114.47. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Approve The Fiscal Year 2021/2022 Budget As Presented. Commissioner Storey Stated That He Was Not Happy That $6,000.00 Had Been Removed From The Fire Department Budget For Overtime. Commissioner Garavalia Stated That The Fire Chief And She Had Spoken And That Chief Cockrum Was Agreeable To This Decrease In Overtime As The Council Had Agreed To Add $15,000.00 To The Fire Department Budget Allowing A Paid-On Call Firefighter To Work Shifts If Needed And Thus Reducing The Amount Of Overtime The Fire Department Was Paying. Commissioner Storey Stated That He Still Did Not Agree With Taking $6,000.00 From The Overtime Budget Because He Thinks It May Be Needed. Commissioner Perkins Seconded The Motion That Was On The Table From Commissioner Garavalia. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0

Attorney Malkovich Stated That He Had No Updates For This Council Meeting.

Mayor Kondritz Stated That He Was Very Pleased With The Airport Ribbon Cutting And Thanks All That Were Involved. Mayor Kondritz Asked Airport Manager Matthew Harrison To Update The Council On The Fuel Sales Since January. Mr. Harrison Stated That Since January, Fuel Sales At The Benton Municipal Airport Were In Excess Of $12,000.00.

Mayor Kondritz Stated That He Had No Purchase Orders For This Meeting.

Mayor Kondritz Asked The Council If They Were Happy With The Current Salaries For Elected Officials Of If They Would Like To Think About Increasing The Amount For The Next Elected Officials. Commissioner Garavalia Stated That She Believes Elected Officials Do Their Job Without Expectation Of Payment. That Sentiment Was Echoed By Commissioner Messersmith, Commissioner Perkins, And Commissioner Storey. Mayor Kondritz Stated That He Agreed As Well. Commissioner Storey Made A Motion To Freeze Elected Official Salaries At The Current Rate. Second By Commissioner Garavalia. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

Mayor Kondritz Stated That Item (D) Discussion And/Or Approval Of Commercial Appraiser For Real Estate And Item (E) Discussion And/Or Approval Of Zoning Administrator Contract Were Both To Be Discussed In Executive Session.

No Miscellaneous Business.

No Old Business

No New Business.

In Matters From The Public Audience, Tom Carter Asked If Work For The Grant The City Received On The North 37 Water Line Had Been Completed, He Asked Commissioner Perkins If He Had Done A Study To Evaluate The Plant Costs Of The New Wastewater Treatment Plant, And If The City Has Language In The Ordinance That Would Prevent A Commissioner From Discussing Executive Session. Commissioner Perkins Told Mr. Carter He Would Get Back To Him On The Plant Costs And Stated That All Work For The Grant Has Been Completed. Attorney Malkovich Stated That There Is No Specific City Ordinance Prohibiting Discussion Of Executive Session, But It Is Not To Be Discussed.

Mayor Kondritz Stated That He Would Give 60 Seconds Time For Anyone On The Zoom Call To Speak Under Public Comments. No One Spoke.

Commissioner Storey Made A Motion To Go Into Executive Session For Items (A) Discussion Of Possible Acquisition And/Or Sale Of Real Estate And (C) Discussion Of Possible Appointment, Employment, Compensation, Discipline, Performance, Or Dismissal Of Specific Employees Of The Public Body Or Legal Counsel For The Public Body Including Hearing Testimony On A Complaint Lodged Against An Employee Of The Public Body Or Against Legal Counsel For The Public Body To Determine Its Validity. Second By Commissioner Messersmith. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

6:50 P.M.

Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Return To Regular Session. Second By Commissioner Perkins. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

8:01 P.M.

Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Allow Attorney Malkovich To Continue Union Negotiations With The Police Department. Second By Commissioner Messersmith. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Storey Made A Motion To Approve A One-Year Contract For Zoning Administrator/Code Enforcement Officer David Garavalia Retroactive To January 4, 2021 With A 2% Increase On May 1, 2021 And 3 Weeks’ Vacation. Second By Commissioner Messersmith. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4. Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Messersmith, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0. Commissioner Garavalia Abstained.

Commissioner Storey Made A Motion To Adjourn. Second By Commissioner Messersmith. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 5. Commissioner Messersmith, Commissioner Perkins, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, And Mayor Kondritz. Nays: 0.

Time 8:10 P.M.

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