[1:59] Mhm.
[2:42] » Please, Kelsey.
>> Gil Zimmerman?
[2:45] » Here.
>> Mark?
[2:46] » Here.
>> Gil?
[2:47] » Here.
>> S Warner?
[2:48] » Here.
>> Holder?
[2:50] » Here.
>> A Warner?
[2:51] » Here.
>> Rainbow?
[2:52] » Here.
>> Bartock?
[2:53] » Here.
>> Power?
[2:54] » Here.
>> Willis?
[2:56] » Thank you.
>> [clears throat]
[2:58] » As it is the first meeting of the month,
I will call the Civic Center Authority
[3:02] to order and being no business to that
body, I will
[3:06] close that meeting for the night and
move on to any public
[3:11] » Yes.
>> S Warner?
[3:12] » Yes.
>> Holder?
[3:13] » Yes.
>> A Warner?
[3:15] » Yes.
>> Rainbow?
[3:16] » Yes.
>> Bartock?
[3:17] » Yes.
>> Power?
[3:18] » Yes.
>> Item A on the regular regular agenda is
[3:23] the committee report of infrastructure.
Frank?
[3:27] » The infrastructure committee met on
July 21st
[3:32] in these chambers.
The first item discussed
[3:37] was a cap uh
side grant for M&H at 415 West Madison.
[3:46] Consensus was to approve
and send it to the to a regular council
[3:50] meeting for approval.
Second item was a capital improvement
[3:55] presented by Mayor Eckhoff
specifically for park [clears throat]
[4:00] park road
uh route 116 and connections to a
[4:04] sidewalk.
[4:07] Mayor Eckhoff and Alderman Horner will
refine the survey and publish and
[4:11] advertise.
Third here with the capital improvement
[4:15] plan
was proposed by Mayor Eckhoff
[4:20] the city and contracted capabilities.
Additionally, explore the pursuit of
[4:24] larger capital projects
[4:28] bounded by the capital improvement sales
tax.
[4:33] Meeting was adjourned.
>> Thank you, Frank.
[4:38] Item B, approval of the facade grant at
415 West Madison Street, Miller.
[4:43] » Yes, so as we discussed in the uh
committee, which was recommended,
[4:47] uh Mr. Miller has come back. This would
be his uh third facade grant and um
[4:54] for the year, this would be the uh the
second one for this year.
[5:00] The total would be um $7,140.
His proposal on the building is to open
[5:07] up and put an overhead garage door and
do some a facade work and some heading
[5:12] work over on the north side of the
building.
[5:17] And uh
again, that uh
[5:20] when you look at that building, he's
done a pretty nice job with that and
[5:23] that this would then further along their
plan on on being able to get equipment
[5:29] in and out of there.
[5:32] » Any questions or comments?
[5:36] » We do have a $100,000
maximum over 10 years. He's hasn't even
[5:42] made it to 30,000 yet, so.
>> Make the motion to accept.
[5:46] » Okay, motion by Jerry Coser, second by
Frank Jovanini.
[5:50] Roll call, please.
>> Barr?
[5:53] » Yes.
>> Goehring?
[5:54] » Yes. [cough]
>> S. Warner?
[5:56] » Yes.
>> Coser?
[5:57] » Yes.
>> A. Horner?
[5:59] » Yes.
>> Raymond?
[6:00] » Yes.
>> Rocher?
[6:01] » Yes.
>> Power?
[6:03] » Yes.
>> Jovanini?
[6:04] » Yes.
>> Thank you. Item C, Resolution 2026 R006
[6:12] for membership in the North Central
Illinois Council of Governments.
[6:16] Do you want me to take this or do you
want me to?
[6:18] » Um I have been in contact with the N
NCICG as they're otherwise known. Um
[6:24] some of us who maybe have gone to
some of the legislature uh sessions,
[6:30] kind of learning sessions that our
representatives have had, may have met
[6:34] people from NCICG.
And they're a consortium of um cities in
[6:42] a seven-county region, including
Livingston County.
[6:46] And they work for
the governments um to help with grants,
[6:51] um
various other things that I mean you see
[6:55] some of their their stuff they've helped
with. Um and Kevin Lindeman, who is the
[7:00] president or executive director, I'm not
sure really exactly what his title is,
[7:04] he and I have spoken about some of the
benefits that they could do for us. We
[7:09] actually reached out to them a few
months ago about helping us with um a
[7:14] housing a community development block
grant, because that's one of the things
[7:17] they can do.
And um while they do some work for
[7:22] outside agencies that don't belong to
them, they were too busy to take on an
[7:28] entity that does not already belong to
their organization. And so could not
[7:33] help us. Um So, but Kevin, you know, he
sent me all the information about how
[7:39] much it would cost, which as you see is
$3,300 a year. It's a per capita based
[7:43] um fee.
And
[7:46] there's a lot of things then that we
could ask them to help us with. For
[7:49] instance, grant writing. Um there would
be a fee associated with the programs
[7:53] that we would use of theirs. However, it
would be at a much less cost than what
[7:57] we might have from another
um organization or entity.
[8:02] The Community Development Block Grant um
Illinois and the federal government
[8:07] actually required that we use a
certified grant organization to submit
[8:11] that. We couldn't try to do it
ourselves. And this is one agency that
[8:16] could do it. Um So that kind of um
you know, further. And so then he sent
[8:22] me back all the stuff. I did reach out
to Morris' mayor who I I have had some
[8:26] conversations with over the last few
months about other things. And Morris is
[8:30] a member and um
Chris Brown who is their mayor, he was
[8:34] like they've they helped them immensely
with things. And so highly recommended
[8:38] um you know, that it would be a good fit
for us. Um they have a lot of a lot of
[8:43] services that we might be able to take
advantage of. So
[8:46] um
may well be worth our $3,300 and then
[8:50] some to get some help because
we all know that we don't really have we
[8:55] don't have enough people to try to do
some of these things for planning
[8:59] particularly. Um so
that's my ask. But we have it requires a
[9:04] a resolution
um by the council to approve the
[9:08] membership.
>> That seems to be a uh
[9:13] a very unique
uh
[9:16] the ability to write grants.
>> It is.
[9:19] » seems to be
>> Mhm.
[9:21] » unique.
Um I don't think I have that ability.
[9:24] » Yeah.
>> [laughter]
[9:25] » I take my hat off to someone who does.
>> You have to be a wordsmith for sure.
[9:30] Tell a good story.
>> Yeah, I think that and and being on that
[9:35] doing it over and over and having that
experience.
[9:37] » Mhm.
>> If if you looked in here one of the ones
[9:40] that they touted was
Illinois Main Street's downtown grants,
[9:45] which would be
perfect timing for for that as well.
[9:50] Um
you know, we went we applied for the one
[9:53] that grant downtown
with Chamlin Associates and we didn't
[9:57] get it. And um
as the mayor said, these guys are one
[10:03] that's one of those certified grants uh
and so the state already knows who they
[10:09] are. So, I think
can't hurt us any. While you don't
[10:12] necessarily need that for the downtown
grant, but
[10:15] it can't hurt when they see the same
companies coming
[10:20] uh to them for the grants.
>> So, we're
[10:23] we're in we're engaging this
organization as a member. And then when
[10:27] they write a grant,
we pay.
[10:30] » Right. There would be other fees. And
the fees [clears throat] I
[10:33] he didn't he didn't send me any kind of
a fee schedule. It's all it's about the
[10:37] grants and you know, there's it may be a
percentage of what you get. Um I didn't
[10:41] get into details with that of him.
>> I think typically it's just going to be
[10:45] an at cost.
>> Yeah.
[10:48] Ironically, one of the gentlemen who I
met
[10:51] at one of the sessions I think when I
went to last um
[10:55] summer,
I met one of the guys on the team, Ryan
[10:58] Hogan. And it turns out Ryan Hogan's
parents are from Pontiac and he grew up
[11:02] in Dwight. And he didn't tell me any of
that. And I saw him at a ballgame this
[11:06] summer. I was like, "I know you from
somewhere." And then it dawned on me
[11:09] that he's one of their grant writers.
>> I see this as really an added resource.
[11:16] So, what we've already done with the
land bank and all the things that we've
[11:19] been trying to do with
>> [clears throat]
[11:20] » housing that this is just a a natural
plus.
[11:25] » So, is that your motion?
>> That'd be my motion to approve.
[11:27] » Okay.
Motion by Barr, second by by Cosgrove.
[11:30] » I just have one thing to ask,
so they have
[11:34] inside on grants that are coming to I
would imagine.
[11:38] » get all the
>> Because they're used to the grants.
[11:40] » Yeah, and and we I mean we I get a
weekly email of all the grants that are
[11:44] out for the for the state programs, but
yeah, they would have an inside as well.
[11:50] So they know what's coming and
I would suspect, although I can't be
[11:53] 100% certain that they probably send
some kind of a newsletter out to to all
[11:58] their agencies.
>> Recommendations that we
[12:00] » Like I things that are happening that
they could help with, so.
[12:04] » I think having one more avenue where we
can say, "Hey, we're interested in this.
[12:10] Help us get to that point." And they can
say yes or no.
[12:14] » Well, and as it turns out the community
development block grant that I was
[12:17] wanting us to pursue, um
there had been a deadline and now the
[12:22] state has changed it to on a rolling
basis
[12:25] um as funding is available, so perhaps
we might still be able to get in on
[12:29] that. Um
>> Every asset helps.
[12:31] » Yep.
>> Step in the right direction.
[12:35] » Okay, we have a first and a second, so
roll call, please.
[12:39] » Gill?
>> Yes.
[12:41] » S. Warner?
>> Yes.
[12:42] » Cosgrove?
>> Yes.
[12:44] » A. Warner?
>> Yes.
[12:45] » Reifschneider?
>> Yes.
[12:47] » Brotschol?
>> Yes.
[12:48] » Power?
>> Yes.
[12:50] » Giovanini?
>> Yes.
[12:51] » Barr?
>> Yes.
[12:53] » Thank you.
Mayor's comments, I just have a couple
[12:57] follow-up items kind of in relation to
just give you an update on the
[13:02] survey
that we talked about in the
[13:05] infrastructure committee. Sarah and I
completed the survey and sent it out to
[13:10] everybody for a test and we made a
couple revisions. I got it republished
[13:15] today in the
revised format. Thank you everybody who
[13:19] did fill out one.
Um so now it's a matter of getting out
[13:23] our publicity to get our residents to
complete the survey.
[13:27] Um Brian and I went on a field trip
today out to the sites that we were
[13:32] proposing and um I spent about 45
minutes on the phone last week with the
[13:37] IDOT engineer
for our region about the piece on 116
[13:43] and to find out
what we have to do to get their
[13:46] permission and um
well, I'm not going to
[13:51] I'm not going to lose hope. I think it's
going to be a really big hurdle to jump
[13:54] through with we have to send them a
letter of allowance request of what we
[13:59] want to do out there and they have to
approve that before we can even submit
[14:04] it to the grant. And um
[14:08] » And where is that? That's on what?
>> The 116
[14:10] » 116 section.
>> section.
[14:12] » That's pretty understandable.
>> Um but Steve didn't I mean the engineer,
[14:17] he didn't he didn't sway me from not
doing it. He's like, you know, there's
[14:21] just a lot of things that we're going to
have to consider before we're going to
[14:23] tell you it's okay.
And um
[14:26] but Brian, we just decided that, you
know, let's let's go with the letter.
[14:31] All they can do is tell us no at this
point. It's a start in the planning of
[14:35] getting a sidewalk out there because we
all know that we need access and so
[14:40] maybe we can't submit the grant for that
piece, but it will start the ball
[14:44] rolling. Um the ditches are very
problematic. Um they're going to create
[14:49] a lot of
a situation with more expenditure and to
[14:54] examine the hydraulics of the water
moving and because we'll have to have
[14:58] fill. We can
we it's going to require at least a
[15:01] 15-ft area um
and so um
[15:06] you know, I'm so we'll we're going to
get the letter ready and send it off to
[15:09] them and keep progressing with what we
want, but it might And Deerfield Road is
[15:14] really the same. It's the ditches are
going to be um
[15:18] so, but
we have to plan no matter what, and so
[15:23] this starts the planning.
>> Do we submit a plan?
[15:28] A graphic plan
>> [clears throat]
[15:30] » to them?
>> With the grant or to IDOT?
[15:32] » To IDOT.
>> No, uh the letter we have to send is
[15:35] just telling them what we would like to
do to install the multi-use path, have
[15:41] crosswalks that people can um so it
would require, you know, some different
[15:46] lights at those intersections. It would
require a push button. Um we'll have to
[15:51] say that we believe there's going to
have to be some fill and change made to
[15:55] the ditches. And so that, you know, it's
they'll say whether or not the
[16:00] the flow of the water if, you know, is
impacted, they may say, you know, we
[16:05] have to do more. And um so but at least
it no matter what, we get the process
[16:11] started. And it shows our want of that.
>> It Can you
[16:20] So it sounds like now that you take a
look at some of that looks like it's a
[16:24] bigger hurdle than expected.
So it may make this particular grant
[16:29] less chance.
So can you have a Can you put two grants
[16:34] in? Can you have a
>> We can put two grants in.
[16:36] » Can you
>> We can put five grants in.
[16:38] » Right.
>> It's just having the time to get them
[16:40] all ready.
>> Yeah, the other parts of the trail
[16:42] structure that we were looking at.
>> Yeah, that that's that's
[16:47] » has none of those problems.
>> As long as we have connections. It's got
[16:51] to be providing a connection. So, I
mean, that's that's definitely worth
[16:56] looking at.
Um because, yeah, it'd be too bad to
[17:01] pass up an opportunity for a grant if we
can get it submitted and get it done.
[17:06] » Yeah.
>> And get it get get it back.
[17:08] » Well, we were
>> Steve, yeah, the engineer, even he was
[17:10] like, I want my region to get money, so
>> Yeah.
[17:14] » I mean, he was really he was beneficial
on the phone. So.
[17:18] Anyway.
That's my report on that piece. Um, just
[17:22] a teaser. I'm working on a scarecrow
decorating contest for downtown. Um,
[17:26] more to come at later in this month, but
um
[17:29] I will be looking for artists who want
to
[17:32] to do that. So.
That's all I have. Any city council
[17:36] comments?
>> When the survey goes out please fill it
[17:40] out as soon as you can cuz it's a very
tight turnaround to get this grant.
[17:44] There's a lot of people that work out
there that may not have cars or good
[17:48] vehicles to get out there and it's very
it's not safe right now the way it's
[17:53] going on and that's a state road and we
need state help to do it. So, when we
[17:56] start advertising for this survey,
please share. It takes 5 minutes to do.
[18:02] And just fill it out honestly so that we
have some good feedback to put into the
[18:06] grant proposal.
>> So, when we did it recently and then you
[18:10] guys made revisions, can we then do it
again or is that like voting twice or is
[18:14] » We're going to probably reset it cuz the
question they
[18:16] » to I had to reset it, but it did not
erase the answers that were had already
[18:20] been submitted. So.
>> We'll look at that after Jamie cuz it's
[18:23] only like how many of us? 10 or
something like that.
[18:26] » 13 responses is what I had. I don't know
who did
[18:29] » yeah.
But it's important that especially if
[18:31] you live out there in those areas or if
you use you
[18:34] » [cough and clears throat]
>> go out there on your bike or whatever,
[18:36] you work out there.
Please answer. Yeah.
[18:39] » I'm not sure the revisions really would
make like doing it again would be an
[18:44] impact.
>> Did you change any of the answers?
[18:47] » Uh, just slightly.
>> Okay.
[18:49] » I mean it wasn't, you know, it was from
somewhat likely to likely. I mean it was
[18:53] it was more yeah, it was
>> Yeah.
[18:56] But it is a tight turnaround.
>> Yes.
[18:57] » Between getting the survey back
looking at the results of the survey and
[19:01] then putting it into words into the
grant proposal and all has to be done by
[19:06] like September
>> October 5th.
[19:08] » October 5th. That's a
very short timeline.
[19:13] You you have something?
>> Uh I've been approached by a couple of
[19:15] people from the concert uh last Thursday
of some of the golf carts going ahead
[19:21] and parking back behind the band shell
again
[19:25] or by the band shell and then others
parking
[19:29] head in
to the road with their tail end sticking
[19:33] out in the road and obstructing
traffic. It's kind of a safety thing
[19:38] because people had to slow down and had
to go down to one lane because they were
[19:41] kind of
[19:44] jagged uh
one foot further into the curb, one
[19:48] further back out so that the traffic
that was going both ways it impeded
[19:52] their progress.
And then there was a couple
[19:56] riding their bicycles with their babies
on the front of them
[20:01] riding full bore through the crowd.
So, I don't know what we can do about
[20:06] that, but
if we I don't know. But I just want to
[20:11] put it out there that I've been
approached.
[20:14] And I said I'd bring it up. So.
[20:18] » I was driving on Water Street with a
cart that you're talking about, but I
[20:21] didn't realize it had been parked there
very long. It looked to me like they'd
[20:24] just But they
>> Yeah, well there was a couple that were
[20:26] parked the way they were supposed to on
the street.
[20:30] » [clears throat]
>> You know, they were parked, you know,
[20:32] parallel, but the other ones were parked
the way they wanted to.
[20:37] » Is this something new because we
changed the rule for parking?
[20:42] I mean
have they been parking like that before?
[20:44] » No.
>> No.
[20:46] So, might be new because now we're
saying
[20:49] » Because we don't want them parking in
the grass by the band shell. That's why
[20:52] it's happening, I think.
[20:58] » Okay.
>> But maybe a step up a patrol because
[21:01] there was no cruisers at all during the
two hours.
[21:05] So.
[21:11] Anybody else, Jerry?
>> Yeah, someone asked about uh
[21:14] the bike path going out to the Rec Plex
from like alongside the prison there.
[21:19] Um when was the last time that had
any care done to it? It's that thing's
[21:23] getting pretty rough.
>> Yeah, it's really bad. You can't
[21:26] » if you you can't ride a bicycle on it.
It
[21:29] » Probably not since it's been installed.
>> Yeah.
[21:32] » I mean, if it was just like had one of
those brush things run over to reserve,
[21:36] just a
smooth surface would be better than what
[21:39] » It's the tree roots and stuff that are
growing up and
[21:42] cause all kinds of expansion to it.
>> Mhm.
[21:45] » So, you can't ride I've ridden on it,
but it's
[21:50] » But, it's probably nothing it's probably
nothing that we can do in-house, is it?
[21:54] » I'll have to work that out.
>> Okay.
[21:56] » [clears throat]
>> The cracks filled it.
[21:59] » Yeah.
>> 6 7 years ago.
[22:03] A lot of cracks.
>> It's getting a lot of golf cart traffic
[22:05] now, too.
>> Mhm. And it's probably the
[22:07] » It is?
>> Yeah.
[22:11] » Anybody else?
>> So, I just have a question. Where is the
[22:15] the duplexes being
built?
[22:18] Two duplexes, it says are
>> [clears throat]
[22:19] » One
um
[22:21] » Water and Bradford is one of them.
>> And then on Deerfield
[22:25] is the second set.
>> Yeah.
[22:27] » And who's doing those?
>> Um Doug Maxon is the doing Water and
[22:31] Bradford and um
Sullivan is doing the
[22:35] » Oh, Mike McCoy is doing Adding another
one to his.
[22:38] » Okay. Nice.
>> And that one's got three on the original
[22:41] plan. So, this is two of three.
>> Nice.
[22:45] » The one on Bradford and Water was a
house that was torn down.
[22:49] Right. And he's putting a duplex there.
[22:54] Anybody else?
City manager, administrator.
[22:59] » Great.
Um just a couple quick updates.
[23:01] Centennial Plaza. Um,
they're they're working on the concrete
[23:05] right now.
Uh, they were pushed back the painting
[23:09] of the structure was pushed back a week
by the subcontractor.
[23:13] And they decided they're going to start
working on the roof structure. They
[23:17] wanted to get it all painted without the
roof structure, but they may start doing
[23:21] that and then paint around that and just
tape it off.
[23:25] And then, um,
ambulance substation, that continues to
[23:30] uh go. We uh
we
[23:34] uh just had some discussions on fire
department's looking at some interior
[23:39] color stuff and so
uh that's progressing pretty well. I
[23:43] mean, we already have a building up, but
they're ahead of the game, which is
[23:46] nice.
[23:49] And being as we're heading back to
school time, uh just a reminder a lot of
[23:54] our summer help goes back, so um
downtown and and our departments will
[24:00] have less uh part-time staff out there
doing different things, so.
[24:08] » Public comment. Kent, you got anything?
Okay.
[24:12] » [laughter]
>> With that, I have we have need for
[24:14] adjournment. Anybody want to make a
motion? Jerry?
[24:17] Seconded by Jamie. All in favor?
>> Aye.
[24:20] » Thank you very much.
I did not set a record.
[24:23] » No.
>> I guess not.
[24:25] Just thanks.