North Egypt News

City of Benton City Council met Aug. 28.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

Minutes Of The Regularly Scheduled Benton City Council Meeting Held Monday August 28, 2023 At 5 P.M. In The Benton Municipal Building Located At 1403 South Main Street Benton, Illinois.

Mayor Messersmith Called The Meeting To Order, Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays¸ And Mayor Messersmith Were Present For Roll Call.  Commissioner Cockrum Was Absent.

Mayor Messersmith Asked Paul Tart And Tessa Leech With Take Action Today To Come Before The Council.  Mayor Messersmith Presented Them With A Proclamation Declaring September 2023 To Be Overdose Awareness Month In The City Of Benton.

Commissioner Kays Made A Motion To Approve The Minutes Of The Regularly Scheduled Council Meeting Held On Monday August 14, 2023. Seconded By Commissioner Storey. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Storey Made A Motion To Approve Purchase Order #00480 From Menards For An 18 Cubic Foot White Refrigerator For The Wastewater Treatment Plant In The Amount Of $678.00. Seconded By Commissioner Kays. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Storey Made A Motion To Approve Purchase Order #00479 From Marion Glass For Repairs To The Front Door At City Hall In The Amount Of $935.00. Seconded By Commissioner Kays. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Storey Stated That He Had No Lake Lot Lease Transfers For This Meeting.

Commissioner Storey Made A Motion To Approve A Pool Adjustment For Terry And Debbie Mcguire.  Second By Commissioner Garavalia.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Storey Made A Motion To Approve A Pool Adjustment For John Wilson.  Second By Commissioner Garavalia.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Storey Made A Motion To Allow Public Works Director Craig Miles To Begin The Process Of Setting Up A Water Connection Between The Village Of West City And The City Of Benton.  Second By Commissioner Kays.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Storey Made A Motion To Approve Ordinance #2023-10 Amending The Ordinance Requiring Backflow Devices On Sewer Hook Ups To Also Include Commercial And Industrial Properties.  Second By Commissioner Kays.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

In The Absence Of Commissioner Cockrum, Attorney Malkovich Handled The Streets And Improvements Report.  He Stated There Were No Purchase Orders For Streets And Improvements This Evening.

Attorney Malkovich Stated That He Would Need A Motion To Approve Resolution #2023-15 For A Road Closure During The 2023 BCHS Homecoming Parade On September 29, 2023 From 1:30 Pm To 2:15 Pm.  Commissioner Storey Made This Motion.  Seconded By Commissioner Garavalia. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Approve Purchase Order #00396 From Fast For Replacement Of Out-Of-Date Hose With Leaks For The Fire Department In The Amount Of $925.00.  Seconded By Commissioner Storey. Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Table Item (B) Discussion Of Police And Fire Chief (S) Contracts.  Second By Commissioner Kays.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Approve Tinting Of The Squad Cars In The Police Department.  She Stated That There Are 10 Cars And It Is $80.00 Per Vehicle Totaling $800.00 For All Cars To Be Tinted.  Chief Funkhouser Provided Pictures Showing The Damage Caused To The Squad Cars From The Sun And Heat Coming In Through The Tinted Windows.  Chief Funkhouser Also Stated That He Would Be Paying For This From The Impound Fund.  Second By Commissioner Storey.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

 

Commissioner Garavalia Stated A Squad Car Was Damaged During A Call And She Would Like To Get The Dent Fixed.  Second By Commissioner Storey.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Raise Impound Fees By $50.00 Per Step. Currently The Impound Fees Are $200.00, $400.00, And $600.00 And This Would Make The New Fees $250.00 For The First Incident, $450.00 For The Second Incident, And $650.00 For The Third Incident.  Second By Commissioner Storey.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Allow Her To Speak With The Benton Civic Center To Negotiate A Price For Holding The Police And Firemen Ball At The Civic Center.  Second By Commissioner Kays.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 3.  Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith.  Nays: 1.  Commissioner Storey.

Commissioner Garavalia Made A Motion To Approve The Ambulance Agreement With BCHS.  Second By Commissioner Storey.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Fire Chief Shane Cockrum Provided A Department Report To The Council Stating That His Department Had Responded To 70 Calls In July.  Police Chief Chris Funkhouser Stated That His Department Had Run A Car Detail With The County Last Week That Led To 3 Arrests And 2 Impoundments.

Commissioner Kays Stated He Had No Purchase Orders Or Monthly Bills This Evening.

Commissioner Kays Made A Motion To Approve Payroll Totaling $104,063.10 With The General Fund Portion Being $79,209.22 And The Water & Sewer Portion Being $24,853.88. Seconded By Commissioner Storey.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Kays Stated That He Would Like To Provide FMLA Training For Department Heads And Other Employees In The City.  He Stated That He Is Looking Into Specifics For Training And Will Get Back To The Council With The Specifics.

Commissioner Kays Made A Motion To Write Of Bad Debt In The Water Department In The Amount Of $54,399.92.  Second By Commissioner Storey.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Kays Made A Motion To Enter Into A Co-Op With Bchs For A High School Work Program.  He Stated This Is An Unpaid Position.  Second By Commissioner Storey.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Kays Stated That Fire Chief Shane Cockrum Has Been Working On A Cadet Program For The Fire Department And That This Student Worker Program Will Work With This Cadet Program In The Future.

Commissioner Kays Made A Motion To Approve Ordinance #2023-11 Amending The Trash Rate Ordinance.  Second By Commissioner Garavalia.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Kays Made A Motion To Approve Resolution #2023-16 Amending The Trash Rate Schedule.  Second By Commissioner Storey.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

Commissioner Kays Asked About The Creation Of A Bad Debt Write-Off Deposit Ordinance.  Attorney Malkovich Stated That He Did Not Think This Was Necessary At This Point.

No Updates From Attorney Malkovich For This Meeting.

Mayor Messersmith Stated That He Had Been Contacted By The High School Regarding Chalking The Sidewalks From The High School And Through Downtown Area For Homecoming Week.  Mayor Messersmith Stated That He Just Wanted To Make The Council Aware They May See This Happening.

Mayor Messersmith Stated That He Had No Purchase Orders For This Evening.

Mayor Messersmith Stated That He Needed Someone To Make A Motion Approving Trick Or Treating For The City Of Benton On October 28, 2023 From 5 P.M. To 9 P.M.  Commissioner Storey Made This Motion.  Second By Commissioner Garavalia.  Vote Was Taken. Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0.

No Miscellaneous Business.

No Old Business.

No New Business.

In Matters Of From The Public Audience Mr. Tony Lang Addressed The Council.  He Stated That There Is A Tree In The Drainage Ditch Behind His House He Would Like The Council To Look Into.  He Stated The Tree Is About To Fall Into The Ditch And This Will Cause Back Up To Happen Once Again.  Mayor Messersmith Stat5ed That He Would Have Someone Look Into The Matter.

Commissioner Storey Made A Motion To Adjourn. Seconded By Commissioner Kays. Vote Was Taken.  Yeas: 4.  Commissioner Storey, Commissioner Garavalia, Commissioner Kays, And Mayor Messersmith. Nays: 0. 

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