[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.

Pontiac City Council Meeting August 3, 2026

Transcript