I'm proud of that.
Hope you had one bad year at Trails.
How was yours?
Oh, my car insurance.
I've got no claims on it.
It was a thousand bucks this year.
I no longer have that Gallagher.
I went to State Farm.
State Farm cut it even below what I paid last year.
Oh, really?
I need to shop around.
Oh, I'll tell you, somebody told me.
Ted Fritz is the one.
He's out there by the McDonald's.
Good evening, Justin, could you give the invocation this evening?
Good evening, Madam Mayor, Council, as I won't see most of you probably until the new year, and Mary Christmas.
I hope you all have a great holiday with your family and friends.
Same to you.
Merry Christmas.
Let me pray for you, please.
Father, we are grateful to you tonight.
Father of spirits in whom we live and move and have our being as the giver of life.
And Lord, even as I look around this chamber tonight and see the way that you've poured you've poured out your blessing upon so many both in terms of physical well-being, life itself, but also gifts and abilities to serve one another.
Lord I pray that you would just continue to bless and help for tonight in terms of the business at hand.
Just pray that you would continue to help this council as well as the directors, the Mayor, and others, Lord, to make decisions that are good for our community, that justice, truth, integrity, humility would mark the work of each one here, and Lord we thank you again that you have poured out your blessing so freely upon all as you are the Father of lights in whom there is no variableness, no shadow of turning, so we ask these things in the name of Christ our Lord amen and I apologize madam clerk I didn't realize you weren't seated anytime okay so now we'll officially call this meeting to order madam clerk would you please take the role mayor Miller here Alderpersons Klemm, Monroe, Simmons is absent, Parker, Stacy, Shadle, Sanders, and Sellers are you present?
Thank you.
Perfect.
Okay next is the Pledge of Allegiance led by Alderman Sanders if you could please stand and join us.
America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, one God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Item number one is approval of the agenda.
However, we will be removing item number 17.
It's not quite ready to go.
Is there a motion to approve?
So moved.
Second.
Moving motion.
Mayor Miller.
Made by Alderman Shadle, seconded by Alderman Klemm.
Alderman, Monroe.
Do we have to vote to remove that item from the agenda?
This would be the vote.
So right.
So if you want to approve it with the amendment there, it could be handled through this because you're approving the agenda as amended.
However, Alderman, Monroe, if you want to have it separated out for a separate vote on specifically to remove that item and whether that's, you know, and May I ask for clarification on the rules?
What does the ordinances say we should do?
It can be specified there, but a motion has been made to approve the agenda with the amendment there, but if you want to make a motion to have it I'll make a motion to have it separated out for a separate vote.
Second.
So we have a motion made by Alderman Monroe, seconded by Alderman Stacy to have a separate roll call on removing item number 17.
With that, Madam Clerk, would you take the roll on that portion of the amendment only?
So does everybody understand that?
If you wanted to just make this one motion the way it was originally stated, then your vote would be no.
If you'd like to We're having a separate vote on only agenda item number 17.
If you would like it left on it's a yes vote if you would like 17 removed it's a no vote did I say that correctly yes for Sanders Sellers no so so let me clarify so the motion that aid initially to approve the agenda was with item 17 removed okay that was a A motion to approve the Agenda with Item 17 removed.
That was motioned by Shadle and seconded by Klemm.
Okay.
Monroe has asked for a, to not have to vote on that amended Agenda.
He wants to vote separately on Item 17.
Whether or not it should be removed from the Agenda or not.
So he's just asking to have a vote on the removal of Item 17.
And Shadle.
That's what we're doing.
Right.
Just whether or not 17 should be removed for a separate vote to determine whether or not you guys are going to discuss it tonight.
Yes.
Okay.
So a yes means there will be.
Right.
So a yes right now is to say that's separated out for a separate vote as to whether or not we're going to talk about it tonight or not.
Klemm?
No.
Monroe?
Yes.
Parker?
No.
Stacy?
Yes.
And Shadle?
I have a tie vote no I don't no I have four yeses and a three motion passes to have a separate vote on 17 was that the separate vote then okay to break it out separately because your your vote James is that you wanted it not voted as a part of approving the agenda you wanted to vote on it separately right so you want to talk about it tonight right is that what your position is right Fowler.
Okay.
That vote was four to three, so it should stay on the agenda.
So then, Madam Clerk, take the roll on the agenda as is.
As is.
As is, including item number 17.
Including?
But I don't have a motion for that.
No.
Your motion was to take it off, sir?
Monroe Your motion was to take it off.
You wanted to talk about it separately as to whether or not it should be removed or not.
No, my motion was to keep it on the agenda.
But if, I mean we voted four to three that Agenda To keep it on the agenda, correct.
I thought the vote four to three and Mr. Hicks.
And the next roll call was to vote on it separately with being removed.
That's what I thought it was.
So.
Okay.
That sounds like we need to hold for it.
Right.
To whether or not to remove it separately or to remove it now.
Right.
So the next roll call will be do you want item number 17 removed for a later date?
Yes.
A later date or a later date no talked about tonight well that's what that's what we were doing in the first place no that was if it would could be if it could be removed.
So what are we voting on?
And what does a yes vote mean?
Whether or not you guys want 17 removed now from the agenda.
Whether we want it removed?
Right, for, right.
To be discussed at some later date.
Some move.
Discussion?
Yep.
No.
Sure, I don't, what do you want to talk about?
And the Council.
Is it going to stay on the agenda or is it not?
That's all this is.
It was asked to be removed by staff, but if you want to talk about it, then put it back on.
The point of this is and the question that I have, there were no roof repairs for Hangar J or Hangar O on the previous vote upon by this Council in a unanimous vote to approve & Me, and the City of San Diego.
And we've been working with them to put money toward roof repairs.
And now it's appeared on here with information said that we had a bid opening and we've received two bids for something that was not authorized for spending of money not by the Council.
So my question is A, there's no discussion, so now we're putting it down the road Adler, Mayor of San Diego, Joe, and a couple of others.
I am very pleased to be here today to address the issues of the health and safety of the community and to address the issues of the health and safety of the community and to address the issues of the for roof repair for J hanger and there was terminal updates of 50,000 that's what's in the software for a hundred and twenty thousand for that line item but that that the money was budgeted for the new hanger not for I am and I'm saying what was discussed and what went through I pulled the video so my My question is, is why is staff going off and spending money that's not been approved or appropriated for that function?
Manager Boyer.
I'd just like to answer your question, Jay Hanger needs a new roof, so does Oh Hanger.
This has been discussed, it's been requested, so we have an issue with the way the bid worked out and we're asking to remove it from the agenda.
That's all.
So that's what's before you.
Are we going to keep it on the agenda or not?
It was asked to be removed, so the vote is, the motion is to leave it on.
Do you want to leave it on?
Darren, do you have some insight?
Just to clarify, so it's the.
Hold up, hold up, hold up.
Wait, I have the floor.
No, you didn't have the floor.
I actually did give him the floor.
Well, I've been pointing, I wanted to follow up on this discussion.
Okay, I'll call on you next.
Well, I wanted to get it on the wall right now.
I'll call on you next.
Darren, you have the floor.
Tonight is the approval, James.
If you guys voted down, then it's not approved.
There's nothing been approved for the bid.
It was just, it's in the budget to get a bid.
That's what we did.
So tonight is the approval, whether you approve it or not.
That's what the vote is.
So if you voted down, it's not approved to spend the money.
So point of clarification.
Just so that way we don't have anyone upset alderman sanders go ahead so the point of clarification is is the money was put forward for hanger upgrades so that we can at some point complete the work that was never done inside of our and others, and that is the former manager of the new main hanger, the one that was repaired for airport operations, for a pilot lounge and other improvements.
And now we are going and we're trying to change what was approved last year to use that money for something else.
And that isn't how this works.
That's not how the manager form of government works.
Attorney Zito?
Ultimately right now it's coming before you if you guys don't want it's for the council to decide do you want to expend the money you got to bid to do these two things there if you don't want to approve it then as Darren said you can vote to say no.
So but clarification again if we vote to approve to spend the money we can't just we would have to vote to change our budget to spend the money differently.
Is that not correct?
No.
Go ahead, Director.
I don't think the budget is specific to which hanger letter there.
I don't think the budget was.
That's what I'm hearing Michelle say, right?
We put in the and May I remind everybody, it's been requested to remove this item from the agenda.
Thank you.
Okay, so again, the vote, Alderman Sanders.
And I'd like to know why that request is being made to pull it off the agenda.
Manager Boyer.
Because we have an issue with the bid.
Okay.
We had two bidders.
That's the clarification that we're looking for.
We didn't hear that part.
Let him finish.
And so this is why we're having this discussion because full details of why we're pulling it off the agenda has not been clarified and we need that clarity as he was requesting or suggesting and we're not getting it and if we've got to get it trickled out to us on meetings after meetings it's something we should be considering how is it that the administration is doing or the staffing is doing business without the.
Well, that was my comment at the very beginning.
We're moving item number 17 because it wasn't ready.
So, so let's take a vote on it.
Do you want to leave 17 on or remove it?
So, Alderman Parker?
Yes or no?
I mean, what if, it's so confusing here.
Yes to keep it on, no to take it off, or what, how do we do this?
No.
Number 17, removed and discussed at a later date.
To remove it.
Okay, so if you want to remove it, then it's a yes vote.
Thank you.
Are we ready to vote?
Sanders?
Alderman Simmons.
Once we remove it though it will come back for discussion not right am I correct correct so if they want to approve any bid it will have to come back to you guys which that's the normal procedure it's a bid you can Darren so we can only hold this bid for 30 days so once if it doesn't pass this meeting you could bring it back up I believe at the first meeting in January otherwise the bid would not be you know it would not be valid any longer unless we got a separate authorization from the low bidder to extend the bid time okay if you want the bit if you want it removed from the item for discussion to a later date Vote Yes.
Ready Madam Mayor?
I'm ready.
Yes.
Your vote is yes.
Yeah, it's confusing that it is.
Sellers?
Yes.
Klemm?
Yes.
Monroe?
No.
Simmons?
Yes.
Parker?
Yes.
Stacy?
Yes to have it removed tonight.
Yes.
Shadle?
Yes.
The motion passes seven to one the item 17 will not be heard tonight so now before you is item number one which is the agenda minus number 17 I believe we can go back to the original of Shadle Klemm please take the vote Sanders, Sellers, Klemm, Monroe, Simmons, Parker, Stacy, and Shadle.
The motion passes seven to one.
Item number two is approval of the minutes from the regular meeting on December 2nd, 2024.
Is there a motion to approve?
Motion made by Shadle, seconded by Parker.
Madam Clerk, would you please take the vote?
Is a voice vote okay on that, Mayor?
All those in favor?
Aye.
Opposed?
That motion passes.
We have some public comments, although I don't know whether they're on agenda items or not.
Butch, Butch, Broughton, you wanted to speak on an agenda item?
To speak on an agenda item.
I was looking forward to move the garage that I want to build.
They have it down at 15 feet.
First they said it was 10.
Now it's 15 feet from the line and I'm requesting a variance for 10 feet for a couple of reasons.
I know 5 feet doesn't sound like very much, but we have several real old oak trees and I'm trying to stay away from the root system of these trees and also it makes the, because we're putting out other, and it makes the yard very narrow.
So if I could get the 10 feet as opposed to the 15 feet.
And the other everybody else voted yes and I had a neighbor that said if I wanted them to come tonight they would come and just by that they were in favor of it.
Okay, Director Duckman are you acceptable for on your end?
No he I think he was just making a comment he's the petitioner for the variation so I didn't Stonyman, Legend, 動 sorry, thriller, Brian Walton.
蒡 정도 Agenda number´5, swearing the new firefighter.
Take you and appreciate my gratitude for the work that you guys do, especially when it came to taking out the fire and I have been taking off the fire that happened on Carroll Street like two weeks ago, seeing you guys in action at 1 AM, like literally kicking down doors to like save people's lives and put out the fire, like I've never had more sense of a community and I appreciate the work that you guys put your lives on the line for, so thank you.
Thank you.
You didn't say whether you were on an agenda item.
Which number?
It's going to be B and C basically.
The finance report does not include capital project funds in a summary format and I know we're spending a lot of money on street repairs and that's and more.
Water, sewer, and stormwater funds include capital items that are not current to nature.
Current to nature is defined as current fiscal year expenditures.
Capital goes over a number of years.
They should be removed and placed in a capital budget for those specific Funds, right underneath each one, so that you can have an idea of your gains and losses in that fund for that particular period in time.
So the capital grant revenue investment earnings, IEPA loans, are capital financing sources.
Capital grant expense, capital outlay, capital principal, are capital financing uses.
Is also missing, so we do not have a clear idea of the true gain and loss.
Depreciation is also a capital financing source as well for the capital budget.
And back on to ordinance 86, I would avoid and change it to rent or rental agreement in all cases.
You do not want to capitalize these places if possible under the new lease GASB pronouncements.
So I would strongly suggest rethinking that.
I would add a CPI indicator to the rental agreement or require a new rental rate for each year as things go up.
Goff.
These agreements should be part of the consent agreement, in my opinion, as the City Manager should have the right to sign these agreements because they're very small in nature and shouldn't be at the board level for discussion over small potatoes in my mind.
But the process S. Should be at the board level and who wants.
Resolution 135, here is a case that encumbrance accounting should be in place and the quote should have been brought to the board in September either through a consent agreement or agenda or as a resolution.
The City Manager should have the ability to approve small capital projects.
Thank you, Mr. McGullough.
Your time is up.
The budgeted level of control.
That's all.
Thank you.
That concludes public comments.
We'll move on to consent agenda.
The consent agenda is considered to be routine in nature and act as one motion unless there's a member of the Council that would like to have something removed for further discussion.
Is there anything, Council?
Not.
Consent agenda consists of approving to receive and place on file the minutes from the appropriation ordinance dated December 2nd, The schedule of the regular meeting of the City of Freeport for 2025, the reports for building permit, fire department and police department for November 2024, the finance report and the cash and investment report for October 2024, the community development block grant housing rehabilitation grant expenditures, as well as the finance bills payable in the total of $6,555,518.96 and payroll for pay period ending November 30th.
May 30, 2024 in the total of $638,596.08.
Is there a motion to approve?
So moved.
Second.
Motion made by Alderman Shadle, seconded by Alderman Sellers.
Madam Clerk, would you please take the roll?
Sanders?
Gotta wake him up.
Yes.
Sellers?
Aye.
Klemm?
Aye.
Monroe?
Aye.
Simmons?
Aye.
Parker?
Aye.
And Shadle.
Motion passes 8 to 0.
For the audience, and also the viewing audience and other fire departments throughout the state.
Our new firefighter, Kelly Barani.
She started last Friday on the 9th of, sorry, last Monday, the 9th of December, and she'll be leaving us to go to the Fire Academy.
January 6th, we'll be turning to March 7th.
We'll be here to have her back to the department in front of all of our members that she'll be returning back to this ship before tonight.
We're here to welcome you to the department.
Thank you everybody.
This evening, Mr. Bush and I are here on behalf of the Police and Fire Commission and we get the opportunity to meet a lot of talented individuals looking to join our Southern Department.
And one of the questions that we consistently ask ourselves is this the kind of person that we would want showing up on our front steps in our time of need and if they don't pass that test they don't make it here and we're pleased to say that you made it here so that means that the entire commission on behalf of the city believes in you and you are supported by an amazing team up there today you heard some well-deserved compliments earlier this morning so thank you for making those a compliment So, on behalf of the Commission, it's my honor to be able to read your Official Commission.
So, Official Commission, City of Freeport, order of Fire and Police Commission, to all community present shall come.
Kelly Berenick, having been duly appointed to the position of firefighter, aimed for the City of Freeport in the County of Stephenson in the State of Illinois, Illinois, for the term from the 9th day of December 2024 until her successor shall have been deemed appointed and qualified, is hereby fully authorized and empowered to assume and perform all the duties of her said office, according to the law and the ordinance of said city, and all persons are required to respect her in discharge of her said duty, by order of the board and fire chief committee.
Congratulations.
And you can just raise your right hand and repeat after me.
I, Kelly A. Berenick, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois and I will faithfully discharge the duties of the Office of Firefighter Firefighter, according to the best of my ability, according to the best of my ability, congratulations, thank you.
I just want to say I'm very excited to be here and I look forward to serving the citizens report.
Thank you very much, it's an honor.
Okay, we'll move on to item number six, which is the second reading of ordinance 2024-83.
Could you please read this?
Fiscal Year 2024, Reappropriation Ordinance.
Thank you.
Director Richter?
Thank you, Your Honor.
The City Manager went over my memo at first reading.
I will hit some of the high points and just go through the memo.
I don't think you want to hear me read the whole thing.
At the end of each fiscal year, the City Council amends the appropriation ordinance for that year to take into account necessary revenue and expense adjustments.
Starting off in the general fund, we've made small changes to some reimbursements that we received for fire and police salaries and training reimbursements.
We've also included some small grant from IPRF, which is our work comp insurance carrier.
You'll see some other references in the memo to items that were purchased with that grant.
They are from our work comp carrier and they need to be for employee safety or ergonomics or, you know, keeping people away from work comp claims.
We also increased right away permit revenues.
We really got into that this year with Aaron's help and streamlined that process better of collecting more funds in that area.
We received additional airport grant revenues and then some insurance proceeds and that kind of thing.
Going to the expense side of the general fund you'll see increase in the city clerk for her to purchase an item from that grant that I was referring to from IPRF our work comp carrier.
In the airport department you'll see offsetting adjustments so we received grant revenue and and now we have grant expense for a wash in that area.
We did have a, let's see, increase to tree assistance of 300 or I'm sorry, 30,000 in forestry due to emergency tree removals.
We did have also in community development and the building department, which also works out of the community development area.
We had a change earlier in the year that was approved by council in the staffing of that department.
So you'll see wages go from one area of the department from community development into the building department because of that staffing change, I'm sorry, opposite.
We had a planner was hired and we did not hire an extra nuisance person that was included in the 24 budget.
That's pretty much general fund.
We did have a change in projects fund, We had a decrease in the amount of fund balance we're going to need to use in neighborhood housing.
That's the fund we use for demolitions.
Small changes in the health care fund.
And then you'll see various changes in grants.
So sometimes we get grants during the middle of the year that we don't know about when we're doing the budget.
Fowler.
So, now is when I'm adding things to the budget for those grants or in a couple of these cases we took them away.
For example, the FEMA BRIC grant and the FEMA HMGP grant, we had projected to receive those this year.
Those grants haven't come through yet.
I believe they're still being worked on or being held up at the other, at the funding agency.
So, like I said, there's various little tweaks to grants.
The Library Fund had a few adjustments and those adjustments were taken to the Library Board and reviewed by them and approved by them.
The MFT Fund, we had a change, we reclassified some expenses to rebuild Illinois funds.
The state of Illinois specifically wanted those accounted for and I believe that was all Pearl City Road, Darren Shakes.
Some adjustments, Fire, Public Safety, and in the TIFF, some changes, Street Improvement Fund, the 1% Home Rule Sales Tax increase that was done at the beginning of this year, those revenues have now begun to flow into that fund, there was nothing budgeted when that was passed because we did not know at the time we did the 2024 budget, so that has been added, we added a $175,000 grant in Street Improvement.
Arpa funds that Stephenson County assisted us with Locust Avenue.
Capital Improvement Fund, small changes there.
That was accounting for the support we received from Freeport Township to purchase the Asphalt Hotbox.
So you'll see the revenue come in and the purchase go out in that fund.
Fire Improvement, you'll see some grant activity that we added in there.
You will see an adjustment, a capital adjustment in the fire improvement fund for the purchase of the fire engine.
I'm just gonna read this directly from my memo.
Increased use of fund balance due to the receipt of the fire engine.
The fire engine was ordered at the same time as an aerial truck, but it took longer to arrive.
The recording of the engine to the vehicle line item occurred when the engine was received earlier this year.
The amount was not budgeted.
That's my error.
It took a couple of years for it to get here.
So by the time we went, when we purchased it in 22 to 24, it was a use of fund balance.
That money is there, that money was there.
The engine is paid for.
Slight changes by police and fire pension, which were approved by those boards.
Also foreign fire, landfill closure.
We had a decrease and increase corresponding in that fund.
So it washes out water, sewer and storm.
We did have, I did decrease the line item for the IEPA and the capital outlay expenses.
Those, the budget that was in there, it's really a capital expense and you'll, you won't see items for capital cause they will be capitalized come in.
That's just a method we're trying to tell you of how much money we're using for capital expenses.
And I think that's all the comments that I had on there but I'd be ready to take any questions anyone might have.
Any questions?
Great job.
Seeing none, Madam Clerk, please take the roll.
Sanders?
Yes.
Sellers?
Aye.
Klemm?
Aye.
Monroe?
Aye.
Simmons?
Stacy and Shadle.
The ordinance passes eight to zero.
Item number seven is the first reading of ordinance 2024-86.
Could you please read this?
Ordinance amending airplane hanger fees at Freeport-Albertus Airport and adopting revised hanger lease form.
Manager Boyer.
Thank you your honor.
We've discussed the hanger lease rates and that they are controlled by ordinance approved and the City Council.
Staff was tasked with looking at the rates and coming back with suggestions or recommendations on what we could do to make sure that those hangar rates are in alignment with the regular, with other airports in our area of a similar size and air traffic.
One change has come, Most of the, almost all of the hangar lease rates are in line with other airports.
However, staff is recommending making an official J-hanger lease rate from $575 to $800.
This is kind of a legacy of the situation.
This is kind of a legacy of the situation with the previous leasee, and we'd like to make that change permanent in ordinance, so.
Staff request, making the lease rate for J. Hanger $800 per month.
So moved.
Second.
So we have a motion made by Alderman Sellers, seconded by Alderman Klemm to move Ordinance 2024-86 onto the next regularly scheduled meeting discussion.
I believe there's a note to suspend the rules.
I think we have a discussion first and then we'll come back to that.
Alderman, Stacy?
I did not understand what you said, City Manager Boyer, EC, when you said something about the 800 and EC?
Actually, no, I didn't see anything EC.
What I said was we previously had a lease rent of $575 when Jack Hooker owned it and it is currently at a $800 per month rate and we want to make that official in the ordinance.
So we just want to make the change in the ordinance to make J. Hanger $800 per month.
Which is what they're paying right now.
Which is currently what they're being paid, yes.
Alderman Sanders?
We had a lease that was calculated at $575, you say?
Yes, originally when Jack Hooker had it, it was $575.
When was that time period?
I think it was 2020.
Jack passed away, he had it subleased to someone else.
That's the rate that they were paying?
Yes.
And then our airport manager was able to get them moved out and I believe the first person to rent that was Heritage and they rented it for $800 a month and it's currently leased for $800 a month.
We just want to make that official in the ordinance.
That's who's leasing it now?
No.
I don't recall the name of the current leasy, but they are leasing it for $800.
The lease is still open.
We haven't finalized that lease yet.
We haven't signed off on it yet.
Yes, it came before council.
It was approved by council.
Was it?
Yeah.
If there's no further discussion, Alderman Klemm, you had.
Yes, motion to suspend the rules.
Second.
We have a motion made by Alderman Klemm, seconded by Alderman Parker for suspension of the rules only.
Suspension is non-debatable and was passed by two-thirds majority.
Madam Clerk, would you please take the role on the suspension only?
Sanders?
No.
Sellers?
Aye.
Klemm?
Aye.
Monroe?
No.
Simmons?
No.
Parker?
Aye.
Stacy?
No.
And Shadle?
Aye.
We have a tie vote, four to four.
Mayor?
Aye.
And the motion to suspend no no cuz you still need two-thirds oh two-thirds you know it does need two-thirds thank you attorney Zito so it fails four to four okay well then it will be moved on as the original motion was so it'll be on the first meeting in January and the original motion was Klemm Sellers do I have that correctly other way around thank you they will move on to item Fowler.
Thank you, Madam Mayor.
I'm going to start here by saying that staff received a Permanent Application at 66 North Stewart Avenue, submitted by Howard and Lori Broughton to seek relief from Section 1268.07E to allow for a side yard of less than 15 feet.
Director Duckman.
Thank you, Madam Mayor.
I'm going to start here by saying that staff received a permit application to build a garage at 66 North Stewart on October 22nd.
After discussions with the property owner, and right now it's being pulled up on the screen here, it was discussed that the required setback would be 15 feet, and after multiple discussions with the property owner, They had stated that for various reasons, they would like it to be 10 feet, and it was explained to them that that would require variation, and with that being said, staff had a hearing for this matter on December 5th with its owning Board of Appeals, and it was recommended for approval with a vote of 5 to 0 with zero abstentions, and on December 12th, the Planning Commission also recommended approval with a vote of 5 to 0 with zero abstentions.
And in line with this staff is also going to recommend approval.
Staff is recommending approval but I just wanted to show you here what it looks like.
Kind of see here this is what's like but the technical term is a reverse corner but really what it is the front of their house is here along Stewart and so their side yard is actually in line with the front of the people on Heard Street.
I have some pictures I'm going to show as well Well to kind of give you an idea for any of the council members who have not been on site to visit it.
But what you can see here on this street here, there's a privacy fence that runs along pretty much the whole way up until the front of the house.
And there are mature trees, as the property owner stated.
And they're actually going to be 60 feet from their back property line, which is this person's side yard, which is this is treed in here.
And they're going to be well inside of a privacy fence in here as well.
So this is a situation where staff is recommending approval as it has minimal, it's going to have a very minimal effect on the adjoining neighbors.
So if we scroll down, I have some pictures we could show too.
So staff, one last thing I did want to say is that in speaking with the property owner, we're requesting a suspension of the rule so they can get started on construction right away that's this is the side yard that we're talking about and there's the privacy fence that I was speaking of and there's some of the mature trees are We're over here, and here as well, and then this is the road here.
What's the name of, is that a road you say?
Yep, the road's right here.
Is that an alley or a street?
No, that's an actual, it's the name of the street there is Heard Street.
Okay.
It's what?
H-U-R-D. Heard.
Heard.
Yeah, heard of it.
This is almost 3 quarters of an acre, so staff is recommending approval as well as a suspension of the rules.
How tall is it going to be when they replace it?
It's a single story garage.
Okay.
Are they replacing the fence?
No, not as part of this, that's not part of this variation.
Okay.
They might replace it.
Are you done with your presentation?
Yes, if there's any, unless there's any, yes, unless there's any questions.
Any questions?
Alderman Parker?
I went and took a look at this, and it's going to be a huge improvement, and I do believe the fence is coming down, and it is a huge improvement to the neighborhood, to neighbors.
It will really increase their property value.
I think it's a great idea.
Right.
Alderman Monroe?
Thank you, Madam Mayor.
Director Duckman, thank you for adding all of the notes and pictures and everything.
That's very helpful and that's very much needed on all of these types.
It's an awesome job.
Thank you.
Darren?
On the Planning Commission approval of this, the homeowner testified that one of the reasons that they wanted to move the garage was to save some of these mature trees on their property.
To my surprise, I received a phone call on this matter, and that was a good thing.
Director Duckman, to my knowledge and understanding, there's going to be a driveway that they will and the City Council.
I'm not aware of that driveway at this time.
When they came to me, the discussion was a building permit for a garage.
So when we went through that process, that's what we did.
I processed what was brought to me.
Could they build a driveway there and get a permit for it?
Yes, they can.
But I had multiple times to come back and ask them, I don't know if they can do But I had multiple discussions with the property owner and that thing we went back and forth was where he was going to put the actual where they wanted to put the garage.
We didn't have discussions on the driveway and also, to be fair, it would have been a separate ordinance.
Anyways, if there was some sort of variation for this driveway, I would have had a separate variation for the driveway requirements.
I understand and I only say that because we're asking for the rules to be suspended so they can get moving and yay let's do it so I just Stewart.
So I just, that's why I inquired.
Yep.
Understood.
Okay.
I kind of got a little out of order on this.
I didn't get a motion to move it forward.
Is there such a motion?
So move.
Second.
We have a motion made by Alderman Seller, seconded by Alderman Shadle.
And again, further discussion.
If not, I'll entertain a motion to suspend.
Suspension by Alderman Parker and the second by Alderman Alderman, Klemm.
Again, the suspension of the rules is non-debatable and must pass by two-thirds.
Madam Clerk, would you please take the vote?
Sanders.
Aye.
Sellers.
Aye.
Klemm.
Aye.
Monroe.
Aye.
Simmons.
Aye.
Parker.
Aye.
Stacy.
Aye.
And Shadle.
Aye.
The motion passes 8-0 on suspension only.
So now before you is considered to be the second reading to for the final passage on this ordinance.
Is there any further discussion?
Madam Clerk, please take the roll.
Sanders?
Here.
Sellers?
Aye.
Klemm?
Aye.
Monroe?
Aye.
Simmons?
Aye.
Parker?
Aye.
Stacy?
Aye.
And Shadle?
Aye.
And the ordinance passes 8 to 0.
May we have the lights?
And then we'll move on to item number nine which is the adoption of resolution 2024,130 could you please read this resolution approving the city's general liability property and workers compensation insurance policies thank you manager where thank your honor Gallagher is our insurance broker and Gallagher has presented renewal terms for the city of Freeport's insurance policy for 24 25 Despite the difficult market conditions, terms are favorable, reflecting stable trends in the public sector insurance market.
Key cost drivers include, and this is a larger, larger vicinity, our nation as a whole and all the people involved, large destructive weather events, increasing medical expenses and increased litigation.
Total premiums for this year increased by 13%.
And others.
This was largely due to a rise in workman's comp insurance or workman's comp cases excluding this on other end of it is the rest of the line items came in at about 5% over last year in aligning with market trends.
So the total financial impact, the total cost of this insurance program is $1,139,762 and is an increase of $132,716 over last year.
Staff recommends approval of the renewal terms to maintain this coverage.
And so with that, staff requests you to move forward with this resolution.
Is there a motion to adopt?
So moved.
Second.
A motion made by Alderman Shadle, seconded by Alderman Sellers.
Discussion?
Alderman, Monroe, Madam Mayor this is a question for for staff did did the health insurance company actually use the information that destructive weather was the one of the primary drivers for the increase in health insurance rates?
Thank your honor essentially they were just saying the general insurance conditions In general, insurance conditions have been impacted by that.
This is not health insurance, by the way.
This is Illinois Public Risk Fund, that's Workman's Comp, and also general liability, so auto employment, cyber security, et cetera.
There's no further discussion.
Madam Clerk, please take the roll.
Sanders is absent.
Sellers?
Aye.
Klemm?
Aye.
Monroe?
Nope.
Simmons?
Aye.
Parker?
Aye.
Stacy?
No.
And Shadle?
Aye.
The resolution is adopted 5-2.
Item number 10 is the Adoption of Resolution 2024-131.
Could you please read this?
Resolution approving a grant agreement between the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System, also known as ALIAS, and the city regarding less lethal alternatives for law enforcement, less lethal device grant.
Easy for you to say.
Thank you.
Chief Shenberger.
Thank you.
In the summer of 2024, staff applied for the fiscal year 2025, Less Lethal Alternatives for Law Enforcement Grant offered by the State of Illinois.
The grant would allow departments throughout the state to upgrade their conducted energy device programs with TASER 7 or TASER 10 devices.
The Freeport Police Department requires officers to carry a CED as a less lethal use of force option.
The current devices used by the Freeport Police Department are the Axon X26P, which came out in 2013, and the Axon X2, which came out in 2011.
Both devices have been in service for more than 10 years.
Axon has indicated the company will be discontinuing the use of both models in the near future, thus requiring agencies to upgrade to the TASER 7 or TASER 10.
When planning for the initial rollout of the grant, staff was aware that TASER 10 required a four-year certification plan with Axon that included additional costs to cover the certification of TASER 10, as well as training for Freeport Police Department TASER and structures and the certification of the devices.
Staff spoke to the ILEAS representative for the Freeport Police Department and was told at that time that the grant would cover all the costs associated with the devices and suggested applying for the TASER 10 grant.
On October 1st, 2024, the Freeport Police Department was awarded five TASER 10 bundles and the resolution was presented to this council and passed on October 7th, 2024 to accept that grant.
There were 404 departments who applied for this grant throughout the state of Illinois at that time.
When staff made arrangements to order the five Taser 10 bundles from Maxon, staff was made aware the amount of the grant only covered the cost of the bundles and not the certification agreement.
The cost of this agreement would have been $4,208.90 for four years.
Staff spoke to the Alias representative and advised the amount of money initially allocated towards the entire grant was significantly cut by about $16 million.
After staff and other agencies across the state of Illinois submitted their grant application.
Therefore, the funding needed to cover the certification agreement will fall back on the awarded agency.
This issue in funding affected other agencies and not just the Freeport Police Department.
F. Has since reached out to Aileus and Axon and was able to switch from the TASER 10 award to the TASER 7 award.
The TASER 7 award would include five TASER 7 bundles.
The TASER 7 option is cheaper and there would be no four-year certification agreement.
This award will significantly upgrade the Freeport Police Department's CED program and offset future costs of upgrading the program.
United States Department of Justice in conjunction with the Police Executive Research Forum found that CEDs, when used appropriately, with a full understanding of their risks, are a useful tool that can effectively help to resolve serious situations.
CEDs can reduce the need for other force options and can enable officers to subdue actively resisting or aggressive subjects while lowering the rates of injury to law enforcement officers and subjects.
The Freeport Police Department has the most current acceptable lexipole policy outlining the use of CEDs.
The PD also has two certified CED instructors on staff and require annual recertification that involves scenario-based training curriculum that is certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.
On November 27, 2024, staff was informed that the Freeport Police Department could switch the grand award to five TASER 7 bundles.
Elias would reimburse the police department $12,717 towards a purchase of the five Taser 7 bundles.
The police department would still have to contribute $1,248 towards a purchase of the five Taser 7 bundles because the price negotiated by Elias did not include other costs, including warranty coverage.
Tonight, I'm just asking if we could rescind the resolution passed on October 7th, 2024 for the five Taser 10 bundles, and then as I explained before, the cost of this whole thing would be a reimbursement of $12,717 by Elias, and then we would just contribute the remaining $1,248 from our 2025 Police Department budget, line item 101,151, 6-2-10.
Is there a motion to adopt?
Second.
A motion made by Alderman Klemm, seconded by Alderman Sellers, discussion?
I just have one question.
Alderman Stacey.
How many times in this 2024 year have we had to even use tasers?
I don't have those numbers with me.
I don't want to guess.
But it's something that we're required to carry.
Our insurance company asks that we carry them.
By not having them we risk and others.
Any further discussion?
Alderman, Monroe?
Thanks, Chief.
Thank you for the update.
Have we looked at any other companies that manufacture similar devices, or is Axon the only one we've kind of approached?
Axon, they have the market cornered, but this particular and Shadle.
The rest of the grant is giving us funding to purchase devices specifically from Axon.
Anything else?
Madam Clerk, please take the roll.
Sanders?
Aye.
Sellers?
Aye.
Klemm?
Aye.
Monroe?
Abstain.
Simmons?
Aye.
Parker?
Aye.
Stacy?
The resolution is adapted 7-0 with one abstentia.
Item number 11 is the adoption of resolution 2024-132.
Could you please read this?
Resolution approving the payment of an invoice from Timber Industries for leaf disposal services.
Manager Boyer.
Thank you, Your Honor.
The City of Freeport uses Timber Industries to maintain and run the wood lot across from the fairgrounds on Walnut Road.
The City had three years of accumulated leaf recycling waste that needed to be barrel ground and hauled away to an EPA approved area for land recycling.
Timber Industries provided equipment, grinding, semi-trucks, and farmland plowing coordination for 140 semi-loads of leaf waste for disposal and legal recycling reclamation as our contract site manager.
IEPA requested the stored leaves waste be removed and disposed of on the landfill physical Audit in 2024 due to heat generation and breakdown.
The waste removal was completed in early November to make room for the 2024 pickup and city requests, or I'm sorry, staff requests approval of $27,096.71 to Timber Industries for the trucking and disposal fees.
Is there a motion to adopt?
So moved.
Second.
Second the motion made by Alderman Shadle seconded by Alderman Klemm discussion Alderman Monroe thank you madam mayor city manager does this mean that we'll be able to return to dropping off debris at that site and if if so what what things we put in place to kind of protect us from the issues that popped and a few others are wrapped up this year.
Manager Boyer?
Sure.
The answer to that is yes.
Once we are able to take care of timber industries, we had a few things in the contract that we need to correct.
We need to clarify some things in the contract for the future.
Also, we are pursuing a composting permit for the Illinois EPA that's going to allow us to use leaves and other yard waste and grass clippings to turn it into topsoil.
That will take a couple of years for that to generate, but once it's going, we should have topsoil and potting soil for not only site reclamation and other projects that we do, but we can also have it available to residents similar to what we have in terms of mulch.
So did that answer your question?
Yes, thank you.
Alderman Sanders?
Yeah.
Where is this desert-needed area for dropping off?
It is at the Woodlot on Walnut Road directly across from the East Gate at the Fairgrounds.
Any other discussion?
Alderman Stacy?
So this amount is covering three years of where they have been picking up the leaves?
Mayor and Chair Boyer?
This is a portion, they bore the vast majority of the cost, but they requested a cost share on this to make sure that we get it taken care of.
They had a substantial amount of cost involved in hauling it away.
It was something that where the inspection from the EPA came, we needed to get it resolved rapidly so that we would be in compliance.
So the EPA had an issue with it, we had to get it resolved.
Is there anyone else before Alderman Sanders gets his second?
Alderman Sanders?
Yeah.
Could the Council look at the breakdown of this invoice to determine if there's any irregularities where we can determine how this money was spent?
I don't know if it showed up in the budget, but before we pay it, It appears as if we had no idea it was going to cost that much to do this, so now we're We are pursuing a permit with the EPA so we can turn those leaves into potting soil, but we need a different permit to get that done.
And if that is not possible, then what are we going to do?
I think our backup strategy is going to be to land apply them at the airport and on the city owned farm fields there, but I think it would benefit the city more to have access S. To essentially topsoil for site remediation for construction projects.
Thank you.
There's no further discussion?
Madam Clerk, please take the roll.
Sanders?
Aye.
Sellers?
Aye.
Klemm?
Aye.
Monroe?
Aye.
Simmons?
Aye.
Parker?
Aye.
Stacy?
Aye.
Shadle?
Aye.
The resolution is adopted 8-0.
Resolution Approving Engineering Agreement with Fehr Graham for 2025 Freeport Landfill Engineering and Annual Services for Landfills 2 and 3 and 4.
Thank you, Your Honor.
The City of Freeport has annual engineering requirements for the City-owned Landfill 2, 3, and 4 as part of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency closure process.
This contract is required by the EPA for mandatory routine samples, lab analysis, reporting and Uppkeep of the landfill.
The City of Freeport approves a required landfill engineering contract for the annual needs of the three city-owned landfill sites.
Fehr Graham is a licensed Freeport landfill engineer, and their environmental team specializes in landfill monitoring and closures.
This contract requires significant landfill sampling, lab analysis, leachate system upkeep, and reporting, which is an Illinois licensed engineer requirement.
This 2025 contract and the cost of professionally certified lab testing.
Sampling and analysis for this contract is over 50% of the total cost of the scope of work.
Please note, an alternative identified in this contract is the 2025 IEPA requirement for perfluorinated compound testing and pre-treatment planning.
And just a side note there, the EPA is requiring, as we maybe have discussed in the last couple of days, We just discussed the perfluorinated compound issue with the Brick Street water plant that is being expanded to wastewater discharge and also landfill leachate.
So this is becoming more and more complex as the years go on.
IEPA is mandating the landfill PFAS testing and preliminary treatment analysis as part of the permit modifications and this identified fee will only be used for testing if it is mandated in 25.
So funding for this is budgeted in the 2025 budget of two hundred one thousand dollars and staff's recommendation that city council approve the landfill engineering contract with Fehr Graham there's a typo in the memo the contract is actually three hundred and four thousand two fifty two hundred one thousand is just landfill two and three did not I got landfill four so that's my error Thank you.
Is there a motion to adopt?
So moved.
We have a motion made by Alderman Shadle, seconded by Alderman Klemm.
Discussion on the resolution?
Alderman Sanders?
Manager, Boyer, We're having an engineer to be contracted to do this study, because that's all it is, is a study, am I correct?
No.
Okay, so are they involved in the testing and sampling?
Yes.
Because I was going to ask you another question.
Because I was going to ask you another question, if I can continue.
Who's doing the work right now?
Fehr Graham's been doing it for a number of years.
Okay, so when was that part of the city's obligations before Fehr and Graham did this kind of work?
Who was doing it before Fehr and Graham started doing this kind of study of analysis and things of this nature?
And how is it that we got rid of that?
Because I thought it was only personnels of the city, of the city employees that did the sample and analysis.
How did that get taken away and why was it taken away?
I don't believe that's correct.
I don't believe the city's ever done any of the analysis on landfill leachate or any of the compliance monitoring, but I'd have to defer to Darren on that.
That was before my time.
Yeah, the city has not done that before.
We've been the engineer ever since the landfill closed.
We helped with the closure process.
The city doesn't physically have the lab equipment or the technicians to do this type of sampling on wastewater type materials.
Are you serious?
Yeah, I'm absolutely serious.
This all gets sent out to a third party lab.
It's required to be done by a third party.
No, we have been doing that for years.
Water testing we do in-house.
Waste the landfill.
We have been doing, I did a study out there at the landfill so I know I was there.
And we did sampling out there at the landfill.
And we had our waste, we had our lab, our lab technicians do the analysis and the diagnostics for that particular kind of, I'm just wondering where did it go?
I'm not questioning it now.
It's been years ago.
Things change.
I'm pretty sure the testing that you're talking about Mr. Sanders is when the landfills were still active this is after the closure process the closure process has to be monitored they have to be done as EPA regulations for the closure process of the landfills it's all dictated in the landfill permits we I think I know the answer to what you're asking.
We still monitor it internally from the industrial monitoring program.
So we're just checking the leachate as it goes into the collection system for for our wastewater compliance.
As far as monitoring the landfill itself, we've never actually done that.
So we're just checking the leachate as it goes into the collection system.
We've actually monitored all the monitoring wells and that kind of thing, but we have, we do have a sampling manhole there and we do routinely check the leachate for our industrial waste process.
Anyone else?
Alderman Monroe.
Thank you, Madam Mayor.
So, one of the ways that we did a bit of research on this over the last few weeks because of the biosolids that we had discussed.
If we're not allowed to have this leach out of our former landfill, we're spreading biosolids and we're doing other things.
We've got a well that's got high levels of PFAS.
We did.
Did we not?
That we shut down in recent years?
Not since 2015.
Okay.
But if we're putting this back out in the environment in other ways, what are we We're doing to limit our risk in our community to both our water and what we're disposing of on fields and disposing of, you know, other ways to protect the citizens of Freeport.
Manager Boyer?
Just to, I think, what you're asking is how are we responsibly handling all these different environmental challenges?
And the reality is the leachate is running through the waste treatment process that the and John.
So, the Wastewater Treatment Plan.
During that process, the whole point of that process is to basically clean the water.
Obviously, we do have a byproduct from that.
It is sludge and the sludge is land applied and the EPA not only permits that, they permit our discharge, they monitor our discharge, our people internally monitor everything that's going on within the plant at every step.
As a matter of fact, they're monitoring everything coming into the Wastewater Plan from significant industrial users.
So essentially the EPA gives us the guidelines, we follow the guidelines and that is why we are in compliance.
Is there anyone else before Alderman Sanders has his second?
Darren?
I'd like to piggyback on City Manager Boyer.
So just as a clarification to last week's discussion about the sludge byproduct, the byproduct that's hauled off to fields is not for human consumption, it only goes to animal Alderman, Stacy, yes for her first.
I voted against that because I didn't have that understanding that it was for fields and Grange for Animals, and if that would have been stated, that's information that's withheld that causes one to vote against something.
Alderman Sanders?
Yeah.
If my understanding is right, there's third parties involved in the sample analysis.
We have an environmental team that is licensed as landfill closure and they do all the sampling then it's sent to a third-party lab so it has an independent result that is independent of the city or the collector it's all done through a chain of custody which is required by EPA those sample results are then sent directly from those labs to Illinois and Biles around the landfill that have to be monitored.
I believe it's quarterly for water samples to make sure the leachate is not leaching off of the landfill property, which it is not.
That's what the collection system is for.
Can we also see the studies that you guys have accumulated?
There's not studies, technically.
There's annual results and they're all public knowledge.
Anybody can see that.
Is it?
Yep.
Okay.
If there's no further discussion, Madam Clerk, please take the roll.
Sanders?
Uh, yeah.
Sellers?
Aye.
Klemm?
Aye.
Monroe?
Aye.
Simmons?
Aye.
Parker?
Aye.
Stacy?
Aye.
Shadle?
Aye.
The resolution is adopted, 8-0.
Item number 13 is the adoption of resolution 24134.
Could you please read this?
Resolution authorizing disposition of surplus city real property to the Northern Illinois Roy, Land Bank Authority.
That property is 521 West Cottonwood Street.
Thank you, Director Duckman.
Thank you, Madam Mayor.
Talked about this last week, so I'm going to put the slide presentation back up, so if there's any questions.
I said our committee, the whole meeting, and essentially what's, what is going on here is that the city staff is recommending disposition of 521 West Cottonwood, which is a property that the city acquired in 2023 from the county via tax deed.
And the city had intentions of demolishing this property.
Periodically, at least once a month, I go over condemned properties, properties that are up for demolition with the Northern Illinois Land Bank.
And this happened to be a property that they were were interested in, thought that they could move with a developer.
So with that being said, staff is recommending disposition of 521 West Cottonwood to the Northern Illinois Land Bank.
Is there a motion to adopt?
So moved.
Miller, Mayor, Mayor, Mayor, Mayor, Mayor, Mayor We have a motion made by Alderman Shadle, seconded by Alderman Klemm.
Discussion?
Alderman Stacy?
Yes.
I like this idea.
However, is there some rule or something that can be added to the ordinance that would say this could not become rental property?
But it will become a home that can be sold.
Sure.
So this is not actually an ordinance.
This is actually the city of Freeport disposing, disposition basically giving the property for a dollar to the Northern Illinois Land Bank so that they can essentially move it on to another, to a developer.
So the short answer to your question is no.
There is no ordinance to that effect.
I do want to state that the City of Rockford has utilized this successfully.
I think I stated here it's added $150,000 back into tax revenue by utilizing this program.
And many of the properties that this has done on in Rockford are actually rental properties.
So Rockford does this with the developers.
Some of them use them for their own property in Rockford.
Some of them actually use them for rentals and some of them are bought and then resold for a higher property value.
So the land bank certainly asks when they go to developers, they ask what their intentions are, but they don't have a rule for holding them accountable for how they're going to actually do with the property.
They only hold them accountable for bringing the property, you know, back up to code so with a time limit correct yes so the typical timeline that they hold is nine months so in nine months if they don't fix it the land bank takes ownership of the property back and then we'll put it back out again for disposition to another responsible contractor thank you madam mayor do we know if the Illinois Land Bank has had any or any of the City Administration staff have had any conversations with Barbara Bortner or Mr. Ryan Weckerly?
No.
Not that I'm aware of.
I can speak to me personally.
I have not.
Okay.
Thank you.
Alderman Sanders.
In this property or any property that the Land Bank is dealing with here in the City and Stacey, Stacey, Stacey, Stacey, Stacey, Stacey.
President of the Dr. O. D.
O. D. U.
Mr. D. O. D. O. D. O. D.
O. I want to make a point that I can't throw a question to the developers because The decision up here today is not whether the City of Freeport can limit a buyer to having a rental.
What is up for decision is, does the City want to put this up for demolition and have another vacant lot?
Or does it want to allow somebody who has experience, funding, to take this property and redevelop it?
That's really what's up here today so the city is not going to have the ability to and I'll stand up and run through this okay so this is a property unfortunately we have many of these we know in in and Freeport.
We took down, my department has taken down 50 of these and we're going to be working on 52 this year.
These turn into vacant grass lots.
So this property here, this company here in Rockford took this property and made it look like this.
So really what's before you today and this is what they're renting.
This person said after discussions with Leo Holmes, his name's Ivan, he's renting this to his brother.
So essentially before Today is, does Freeport want this, or do they want another vacant lot?
Yep.
Actually, is there anybody for their first time?
Other than Alderman Sanders, you can go ahead for your second.
Oh, thank you.
Who does the final inspections for these, these homes for fires infrastructure in?
It's going to be our building inspector would do the final inspection.
And what we're going to be doing is testing whether or not this home is stable all the way around foundation is stable to make sure that there's nothing impeding it or any future problems because I hate to see a property get that type of money and then the next couple of years if it looks like it's falling down yes that'll be inspected all our building inspector will inspect it Okay, okay, thank you.
Deren?
Wayne, didn't the land banks say that the contractors had nine months to turn these properties around?
They get nine months to turn it around and then at that point they start a legal process.
They have deed restrictions when they purchase them, then they would start a legal process to take ownership of the property back.
Alderman Stacy?
So the land, the land bank buys this home from Freeport?
Disposed, we're giving it to them, yes.
So Freeport will give them this home?
Yes.
Why is it given to the land bank?
Why isn't it sold?
Well, because right now we own it and we're going to spend roughly fifteen to twenty thousand dollars to demolish it and no longer receive any potential tax revenue or we can help the community and turn a blighted house into this and then receive future tax dollars moving forward.
So the city selling it doesn't make sense and quite frankly the land bank's not interested in buying it for anything less they want they said we'll take the property but we paid what for the property we paid eight hundred and fifteen dollars from the tax assessor and so that's too much to expect from the land bank I think it Rees, yes, they essentially.
If they say no, tear it down, then you're out of even more.
Yes, so if we tear it down, we spent $815 to remediate blight by demolishing it, because it's owned by the City of Freeport.
We bought it from, got it from a tax deed.
So we're out roughly $15,000, $20,000 if right now, if we move forward with demolition, or we can let the land bank use its resources which it's done successfully and the city would not be we'd be out the $815 which we would recuperate when this was put back on the tax rolls.
Okay there's no further discussion.
Madam Clerk please take the roll.
Sanders.
Oh I'm sorry I didn't see your hand.
So I really want to get behind Hines Program, but it sounds like, because it really sounds like it'll be helpful, but even with this first example, it seems another area in which we take out of these neighborhoods and give them to these people, these properties for literally nothing to developers who have the money to buy properties to invest in versus getting it to the people within that community who need a home not one to rent but one to make home because people put more value in their home than a rental property.
I just feel like this will be an example of that.
So an idea that's a good idea but the City Council would have to create an ordinance that would say we're going to evaluate people by some metric and then invest probably I think this is a contractor doing their own work said they're going to put $50,000 into this so it's a good idea but I think it's a good idea to maybe make an ordinance and look into our our tax funds and how we would pay to you know give somebody a house essentially you know but go ahead and that's, we're not holding up against that.
The land bank's mission is to take properties that have not been in the tax rolls, prevent them from the demolition, and put them back into the hands of a developer willing to do so.
The biggest advantage you're going to have with the land bank is, and I've dealt with this in this community for a long time, many people will buy these saying that they want to live in them, but they don't have the funds to actually develop these houses.
You have to have experience and good funding in the bank in your own bank cash preferably because most banks aren't going to fund a mortgage for you to put into this house when you buy these when you're getting into these houses they take a massive amount of money experience to get them to look like this and quite frankly you're going to put people in a bad position if you say go Go ahead and get started on a remodel project when their first remodel project looks like this.
This is dangerous.
People will buy this, they'll see a low price tag, and then they'll think they can do it.
And what they end up getting is a load of violations, and then they run out of money, they stop fixing it, and then it just turns into a vicious cycle, which is what you see happen oftentimes.
What the land bank does is they evaluate who comes and looks at it, and they say, okay, If you want this property, you have nine months to make it look like this.
And if you don't, we're going to take it back.
So that's a real issue we have here is we don't, you really don't want to put somebody's first home, you don't want to give them this if they don't have experience or money to make it look like this.
Actually, is there anyone else?
Because these same houses are on the county tax bill.
So if they wanted to do what you're saying they wanted to do, they could purchase it before the city got it.
So they could do the same exact thing.
They could pay the 800 and whatever and Wayne with regards to the actual land bank program right this particular they take applications right for who will serve as the developer so you could have a individual property owner Miller, let's say lives in the neighborhood or let's say someone who wants the house for themselves, they can apply to be the developer with the land bank and if they ultimately is, I don't know what their scoring system is, but ultimately if they show the wherewithal to be able to do it and the land bank says it makes sense we'll pick you over all the other people that apply then they could do it that way too.
So there is that opportunity.
Yep, it just is stated that, and actually this, the person purchasing this has stated, I mean, I've talked to them, they said that they'd like to rent it at first, but they also had stated that they are interested in living in it, so, what they end up doing with it, it's, you know, to be determined.
And others.
Alderman Monroe.
Thank you Madam Mayor.
So you said you spoke with the person, the person you spoke with, the owner, and because this is a limited liability corporation and when I'm looking them up there's multiple same names all across the country.
So just trying to understand who are the people behind this, you know, trying to understand Do they have the our best interest as a community at heart?
And, you know, you're saying they've got the capital, you know, just kind of give us more insight into who it is that we're talking to.
Sure.
So I met Ivan, I know his first name is Ivan.
I apologize.
I don't remember his last name.
I met Ivan at this house.
And I walked through this house in Rockford.
And essentially saw the before pictures and saw what it looked like.
Or there's also some broken windows in here and on the other side.
Any basic, yeah, sorry.
And so essentially representing that organization and work in, I had the land bank was there as well.
So they could testify to, hey, this was who Ivan is with Leo Holmes LLC.
And they said, you know, he had his nine months and he turned the project around into this.
So the idea was for me as a member of staff to present to you saying I've personally witnessed and saw a property with Region 1 staff and Leo Holmes, Ivan, and showed that he can do it so that's one of the better ways I would state to look at somebody to say you know they could put on an application out of the Capitol but look they've done it here I've seen what they can do with a property is my best answer to Gtensey, very few people, I think, have ever met a person who's willing to do that, the best, to even make you feel better, this person potentially will be willing to do a nine month term to turn a house around that's really in bad shape, the house that, this 521 Cottonwood's in bad shape and he's willing to say, look, I could do this in nine months.
So, I don't see an argument where you can say, you know, going, every house we demolish we have a vacant site.
Didn't Joel from R1 say that the Cottonwood Street they probably put some Feelers out on it and this gentleman was the only one that was interested at all.
He's the only one that submitted the an application at their at the deadline which was November 15th.
I'm sorry Alderman Stacey you Alderman Sanders and Alderman Monroe have also had their floor twice so it would have to be an approval.
I thought I only said something once.
Okay so if I wanted to make a I can't.
You could ask for, you could ask for that if you'd like.
She can if she wants to be able to ask if she can speak out of that ordinance.
No, she's asking to make a motion.
I said she can.
I can make a motion.
Okay, I make a motion that we move this to the first meeting in January and take the next couple of weeks and try to become even more educated on this process okay that that I was confused what you were asking attorney zito you've got she can she can always she can make a motion procedurally I mean that's not discussed there so there's a motion in a second to approve this this resolution so you want to not vote on it tonight you're basically making a motion to postpone this to the next city council Don, County Mayor, Chair, Council Meeting, yes, to allow for more time to look into this.
Yes, okay.
Yes.
So that's what her motion.
Just to lay this over for two weeks to the next City Council, or however many weeks it is to the next.
The first meeting in January.
Yeah.
Yes.
Okay, so we have a motion on the floor made by Alderman Stacy, seconded by Alderman Sanders to lay this over to the first meeting in January.
Is there any discussion on that?
Alderman Klemm?
I just have a question, is there a time element on this property?
That's what I was going to ask.
Essentially, well I know that Leo Holmes LLC wants to get going right away and so I talked with Region 1 and they said the sooner the better.
You know I told them I said I can't guarantee this is gonna go through the council and they said well you know we have an interested developer and hopefully it moves through quickly so so basically yeah that would be three weeks out Alderman Merrill so the question I have relating to this about pushing it out one number one is this hasn't come before council ever before and correct We did sorry we I brought this this was this presentations from a COW meeting last week, okay So we did yeah, so we I did and the reason I did it was the last the land bank has done these Projects in Freeport before and I've been working the past two years to get them back in here to do a project So But yeah, the question I've got is Last week was the first time it was brought up Where did the November 15th deadline come from?
Sure.
So let's go back to here.
Let's go back to here to discuss the timeline.
This was talked about at the COWL 521, West Cottonwood.
If you go to the first bullet.
City of Freeport initially preparing for demolition, but the House Anderson, but the house was salvageable.
So I work with the land bank at least on a monthly basis, if not more.
I was appointed as the board member for the city of Freeport, so I have to work with them about properties that could potentially be of interest to them.
So that's how this bullet point one came up.
So they tested the market's interest by taking open applications through the land bank portal.
So that was through their own marketing.
They have their own marketing portal.
They have a list of developers.
This is an established program, mostly in Rockford.
So that's where this point here came up.
And then we, I already kind of talked about this.
I wanted a tight restriction on the buyer.
And so they used a nine month deed restriction with a clawback option, which basically means if this isn't done in a timely manner, the land bank will legally work to take it back.
Pack, and then there was an open house held on November 8th and kind of showing this is what was put on all of their, this is what was kind of talked about through the land banks advertising here, Friday the 8th, November 15th, and that was all part of this discussion here saying, hey, land bank Joel, who is here, he wanted to test the market to see if this and others.
This could be something that would possibly drum up interest for their land bank.
So that's how that part started.
Ivan from Leo Holmes attended and expressed a strong interest in rehabbing the property.
Leo Holmes submitted an application with a bid of $8,000.
Freeport will click claim the property to Northern Illinois Land Bank who will sell it to the owner and Northern Illinois Land Bank will continually follow up the buyer and the Mayor to ensure the progress is being made.
And that is what was explained at the Committee of the Whole meeting.
And that's the same story that you're going to hear for the next three weeks if you guys put this off.
You're going to hear the same story from me.
Nothing changes.
Nothing's going to change in three weeks.
Alderman Shadle, you had your hand up.
Yes, I did.
A lot of times these contractors that are in this business bid this work.
In this case, they put a bid in to get this house because they've got a crew of guys that they don't have any or much work for right now.
So they want to get this job to keep their guys on staff, keep them working, get the project going.
That's what makes this work.
It's a nine month turnaround, he has got to be clicking to get that kind of work done in nine months.
You've got to be moving.
You have to have your ducks in a row.
You've got to have cash.
You can't be chasing financing.
There's no time for that.
If this is something that you're looking at that you want to try to help somebody destitute to get a leg up in life, we need to find a different project for that.
This is not it.
This is something that's going to take and alleviate us from having to spend $15,000 to $20,000 to tear the building down and end up with another lot that we have to mow and maintain.
It's going to turn that in nine months into a house and a property that's back on the real estate tax rolls.
We need to get this done.
We need to cut it down to simplicity that this is a good thing.
He may not be the perfect individual.
He may end up making this rental property, but we need to look at it that that property is no longer money spent out of the city budget, but into money coming into the Stephenson County tax rolls that we get a cut of, and we have have no lasting expense.
Agree.
So what's before you right now is whether or not the council chooses to lay it over for three weeks.
So if there's any discussion on the layover itself, if not, Madam Clerk, would you please take the role on the layover?
Sanders?
Aye.
Sellers?
No.
Klemm?
No.
Monroe, Simmons, Parker, Stacy, Shadle, I have three to five.
The motion fails.
OK, so now before you is the adoption of this agreement.
And the motion was Shadle, Klemm.
If there's no further discussion, Madam Clerk, please take the roll.
Sanders?
Aye.
Sellers?
Aye.
Klemm?
Aye.
Monroe?
Aye.
Simmons?
Aye.
Parker?
Aye.
Stacy?
No.
Shadle?
Aye.
The resolution is adopted seven to one.
Item number 14 is adoption of resolution 2024-135.
Resolution Approving Emergency Purchase of a Sluice Gate Amma Atuator from Dorner Co.
Manager, Boyer.
Thank you, Your Honor.
The wastewater treatment plant has several sluice gates that control the inflow to the plant.
Recently, one of those sluice gates failed and staff made the decision on emergency authorization and moved forward with the repair.
So as far as the sluice gate is concerned, it's been ordered and installed Staff Request Ratification of the $13,385 for the Alma Actuator to repair the sluice key at the wastewater plant.
Is there a motion to adopt?
So moved.
Second.
We have a motion made by Alderman Shadle, seconded by Alderman Parker.
Discussion on the resolution?
Alderman Sanders.
Manager, Boyer.
At first, when I saw that word, I didn't know what the brand was, but I understood what the gait was.
I'm like, okay, I never heard of this brand, but okay, let's roll with it.
But my thing is, it's already installed.
It's already installed.
City Council approved it.
We had not approved it.
I know it's an emergency kind of thing that sometimes council don't get in get there fast enough to give you an approval.
My question is these are the same gates and the fact that they are the same gates and if one breaks down like the one that you're referring to Does that gate have a guarantee or replacement?
Because I understand the gate that is coming out of there is going to be moved to another designated area.
Am I correct on that?
Actually, it's going to be fixed and then put in inventory so if we ever have a problem in the future, we have a replacement on hand.
Okay, got you.
And and I just wanted to understand the guys over at the lab technicians and people who control these gates and everything, preventing flooding, that's what the gate is for, isn't it?
For the backflow?
For backflowing?
It has nothing to do with that?
For flooding out the plant itself?
It could involve that.
However, you would never get to that point.
Essentially, you're modulating the flow into the plan.
Oh, okay.
Okay.
Well, that's the question that I wanted to find out whether or not we're going to have episodes, you know, I mean, throughout the city, because I know we're controlling those gates.
And the fact that we're controlling them, that means we can determine at our own discretion without going out into the public of the city to determine how much rainfall or, well, I guess it goes by the river to determine that, or is it the rainfall?
We're putting in a chemically enhanced primary treatment right now.
The purpose of that is to handle the additional flow we receive during rainstorms.
And then that we can handle it to run it back to the plant, but the inflow sluice gates have nothing, you know, we basically can handle so much flow and that's what we regulate it with is the sluice gate.
Okay.
Darren?
Just to be clear, this is just the actuator, this is not the gate.
This is the motor operator that runs the influent gates.
The gates are about 25, 30 feet below the surface, so this is the motor operator that operates the gate from the operator station.
Anyone else?
Alderman, Monroe.
Do we have pricing from other vendors that with respect to that type of electric motor?
No, we don't, because this is an AMA actuator.
That's a brand, and that's what it was in there.
And we replaced it with any kind so our guys could do it, because it's the exact same model.
It's also the same gates that are throughout the plant.
So when the head works is replaced this can go into another location within the plant.
So that's why right Anyone else?
So this is part of our preventive measures am I correct is this part Correct.
Is this part of a preventive measure?
We're being proactive or we're trying to prevent this type of flow?
We had a failure of the actuator.
We bought a new one.
We put the new one in.
We're taking the old one.
We're fixing the old one.
We're going to keep it in inventory if we have any more issues.
Okay, that's proactive.
Okay, thank you.
If there's nothing further, Madam Clerk, please take the roll.
Sanders?
Aye.
Sellers?
Aye.
Klemm, Monroe, Simmons, Parker, Stacy, and Shadle.
The resolution is adopted 8-0.
Item 15 is the adoption of Resolution 2024-136.
Could you please read this?
Resolution authorizing a proposal from Morse Electric regarding installation of variable frequency drives at Lynn Street lift station.
Thank you, Manager Boyer.
Thank you, Your Honor.
The City of Freeport uses a series of lift stations to convey waste through the elevation changes within the city to go from low areas to other areas where the waste can be gravity fed through the main sewer gravity lines.
The Lynn Street facility is one of the main connection facilities that can handle a significant flow of variable frequency drives were purchased with ARPA funds to run the new pumps at the facility.
Is now time to install these drives as flows are reduced.
Due to the importance of this facility, the VFDs need to be installed one at a time to keep the plant active and running during low flows.
Electrical upgrades will be done at the same time as needed.
VFDs allow the pump system to last longer and protect the expensive motor replacements on those pumps.
Staff or our utility maintenance team worked with Morris Electric to develop a cost for the installing of the VFDs.
The city has already purchased.
Morris has done a number of installs at our lift stations and we feel comfortable with the scope and quality of work for the retrofit to install the new drives and city staff.
The financial impact is approximately $15,390.63 for the installation and city staff recommends moving forward with the installation.
Sir motion to adopt.
So moved.
Second.
A motion made by Alderman Klemm, seconded by Alderman Sellers.
On the resolution, Alderman Sanders.
Do we have these VFDs, that's what you call them, right, do we have them scheduled during certain seasons of the year or do we still have what they call the secondary VFDs to maintain the Flow Action where nothing is hindered at these lift stations and they're able to continuously be monitored.
Who does the service work to keep maintaining, you know, like putting oil, changing gaskets and all of these kinds of things?
Do we have people on staff, in our personnel that goes around and look at these things or is it more electric that's doing these kinds of things?
Just to answer your question, I believe there's three pumps there.
The purpose of the VFDs are to kind of ramp up and ramp down the pumps to modulate flow depending on the amount of waste that's coming into the lift station.
And yes, our staff maintains all the pumps and does all the oil changes and checks on them and that, yeah.
Okay.
There's no further discussion.
Madam Clerk, please take the role.
Sanders, Seller, Klemm, Monroe, Simmons, Parker, Stacy, and Shadle.
The resolution is adopted 8-0.
Item number 16 is approval of bid.
Can you please read this?
Bid opening on December 9th for three black four-door police pursuit interceptor utility vehicles.
Chief Shenberger.
Thank you.
Police Department has a need to annually replace older vehicles with new vehicles.
Freeport Police Department budgeted to replace and upfit three marked squad cars in 2025.
On December 9th, 2024, Freeport Police Department held a squad bid opening for new police squad cars and to trade in four older squad cars from the police fleet.
Prior to the opening, the bid opening was posted on the City of Freeport website.
At the time of the bid opening, staff received two bids.
Bid one from Stivers Ford Lincoln in Waukee, Iowa, and bid two, which has been deemed to be unresponsive from Bob Maxey Ford in Detroit, Michigan.
Bid one was Stivers Ford quoted the price for a 2025 Ford police interceptor at $48,190.
Stivers Ford also gave a trade-in value of $19,000 for the four older squad cars that would be traded in.
The total cost for the three new squad cars minus the four trade-ins would be $125,570.
Bob Maxey quoted the price for a 2025 Ford Interceptor at $46,560.
Bob Maxey Ford did not give trade-in values for the four older squads that need to be traded in.
The cost for the three new squad cars would be $139,680.
So staff recommends the acceptance of the Stivers forward squad bid proposal.
Is there a motion to adopt?
Second.
We have a motion made by Alderman Parker, seconded by Alderman Sellers.
Discussion on the bid.
Madam Clerk, Alderman Stacy.
The 19,000 is for the old vehicles?
Correct.
Total or each?
Total.
Yes, total.
Alderman, Monroe?
Chief, have we ever looked at purchasing vehicles that are not the interceptor version since we tend not to pursue in most instances?
Well, I think the thing that we need to consider is our squad Car's Run 24-7-365.
So there's a lot of wear and tear with them.
And the police interceptor model, it's geared for that type of usage, I guess you could say.
We also wanna have a uniform fleet so we don't have mix and match vehicles.
So then it's cheaper to, you know, when you trade them in, you can use old equipment.
We also have very capable mechanics down at the city yards We've saved us a lot of money this year working on our Fords.
We have two Dodges that have been giving us a lot of problems and costing a lot of money to get them fixed because they have proprietary software and just even from my personal life I have a Dodge Durango.
I can't even buy parts at Napa for it.
You have to go through the dealership.
So the goal is to have all Fords that seem to work well for us and it's also easier We're here to have our mechanics down at the yards take care of our vehicles.
Sounds good.
And I think the pricing that you're getting back for the other vehicles is pretty good.
Yeah, these are older cars, you know, with a lot of miles.
Again, they've been, they were in service for three or four years, so they've just mostly been travel cars except for one of them was the auxiliary's vehicle.
And that thing hasn't, we haven't used that in a long time.
And if we do, it's and others.
It's very, very rare that we use it.
Alderman Sanders?
Yeah.
Chief, I'm looking at the total for the three vehicles, but what we're not doing is talking about the modification cost for these vehicles and the upgrades and everything else, and we should be looking at that as well in this package.
This is just.
I'm sorry, sir.
Go ahead.
Just the bid opening but you know when I come to the council for approval I'll have that.
I can tell you right now if we do if we're if we are able to get three squad cards it's going to be around fourteen thousand dollars for all three of them to be updated.
To be updated okay yeah thank you.
Anyone else before Alderman Stacey's second, Alderman Stacey.
So I'm trusting that your department have this money, that you budget it for three.
We budgeted $170,000.
Okay.
So it should come way under budget.
Thank you.
Very good.
There's no further discussion.
Madam Clerk, please take the roll.
Sanders?
Aye.
Sellers is absent.
Klemm?
Aye.
Simmons, Parker, Stacey, and Shadle.
The motion passes 7 to 0.
Item number 18 is another bid approval.
Could you please read this?
This bid opening was held on December 10th 2024 for roof repairs for hangar J. Am I the wrong one?
We removed This bid opening was held on December 10th, 2024 for historical storm windows for City Hall.
Thank you.
Manager Boyer.
Thank you, Your Honor.
So each year here at City Hall, we have a historic building and part of that historic building is Golding.
And part of that historic building and part of its charm is that it has single pane windows throughout.
Single pane windows are terrible at, have no real insulating value whenever the building warms up but it is conducted directly outside through those single pane windows.
Also the freeze and thaw and the expansion and contraction of the wood windows also leads to more maintenance.
This year we had all the window sashes and all the windows repainted and we would like to order and install new storm windows here in the building.
One of the challenges we have is the HVAC system here in City Hall on cold days barely keeps up because it's all on a heat pump.
So we really need to conserve as much heat as possible and we have about 106 windows here in City Hall all of which are conducting that heat right outside so staff inquired as to what it would take to get some storm windows put in because of our historic building category they have to be done with oversight from I believe the Historic Building Commission we have been in contact with them and they've recommended a specific style of storm window and so we're We're coming to Council tonight to ask for a resolution to approve and manufacture and install of those windows.
With that being said, the total amount of the, the total financial ask is $123,900.
This is a lot of money.
However, we will be in this building for many, many years.
And we just got done spending about $100,000 fixing all the windows.
I'm sorry, more than $100,000.
So in the long term it's going to be most more cost-effective than paying somebody every five to seven years to repaint all the windows and Then repair all the rotted boards and that kind of thing in the meantime.
We will save some energy cost and make it more Comfortable for staff to get the work done I will remind everyone on the coldest day of the year in this building You can see your own breath and you have to sit and wear a coat the entire day So with that, I don't know if Darren has anything.
Would you like to carry on with that?
So this was planned as a phase two project from the upgrades that we did with the windows and sashes like Rob mentioned.
Just some background, there's only two companies that make historical storm windows that have good reputations.
We researched both of them.
We landed on this product because it's custom fit to each window.
City Hall is old here and most of the exterior windows have irregularity.
We did some preliminary measurements, and the windows are not all even, so also the state of Illinois requires a historical storm.
We actually, a few years ago, had a storm that was installed as a sample back here that was just a standard fit one that we just went and got from a hardware store and took a picture of it and asked them if they had accepted it.
They rejected it.
Who rejected that and said due to the historical nature of this building, they have to be done that way.
So, which this is a very thin frame, so they won't be very noticeable.
And forgive me, I don't remember the amount, but I believe there's 106 windows.
And these have to be, if you do one window, you have to do them all.
That is the requirement.
So that is the plan, including the half scaped windows, if you will, the stained glass ones that are out front.
So is there a motion to approve the bid?
So moved.
Second.
A motion made by Alderman Shadle, seconded by Alderman Klemm.
Discussion, Alderman Stacy.
I understand that we need windows.
I understand that they have to be historic windows that require certain requirements.
However, I don't understand how or why we would even think we have to pay $112 times 106 windows.
I don't know where you're looking at to say there's only two companies out there.
But I just think that's just over the top and that that's extremely too high 106 windows at a hundred and twelve dollars per window Alderman Sellers?
Yeah I think it's a thousand isn't per window a thousand Johnson, John, John, John, John, and two companies that the state of Illinois would approve for these type of windows on a historical building.
Again, you can't just go get them from Menards or something like that.
And based on cost, because we did cost to just purchase the windows outright, this is not an unreasonable cost to install them.
They're very expensive.
We thought that this system of the brand that we picked was superior to the other manufacturer that was there.
We've done a lot of research on this over the last two years.
Unfortunately, if we want to add storm windows, this is the cost.
We solicited bids.
We could only get NICAM to bid, which they're the ones that were the GC on fixing the windows to start with.
So there's more work involved here than what you think.
And again, I agree with Joy's assessment.
We did take their liberty to make sure and others.
I want to make sure that if we were ordering them, we did put low-E glass on them, which will save some of the heat in here in the summer.
They will seal better, so we'll be saving some energy efficiencies within the building that we currently don't have on heat and AC.
But ultimately, it's your decision whether you want to move forward.
Alderman Sanders.
In your research, did we look into the fact that the products that we're seeking are the We have some products that we actually need or want, and then did we also ask, are there discounts to consider?
This is the discounted rate.
If we delay, which we can, the price will go up in January because there is a price increase in January.
We've talked to the manufacturer before the bid opened.
Okay.
Thank you.
This is the product that we want there is again we had to submit these to the State Historical Society and they approve them to go on this building because it's registered and I want to step back this goes all the way back to remodeling this building way back when when we purchased it we knew that that historical items were going to apply because this building was registered and the council at that time decided decided not to build a new facility which would not have all these requirements but anything that's done down to the painting of the windows we had to paint them the identically same color because of the historical value of the building we couldn't change the color if we wanted it it's no different with these storm items it wouldn't be any different with anything that we replaced on this building it will have to be done to the historical value and it has to be approved we couldn't even do tuck pointing on the building without getting the state to approve it also so wait a take a second time Alderman Sanders.
Okay, okay Mayor, yes I do.
See I forgot, I got too old.
It will come back to you if you need to.
Alderman Monroe.
Thank you Madam Mayor.
How much money do we spend on the windows this year in 2024?
I don't remember on top of my head.
Look it up, it's right there.
Like 171.1000?
Yes.
This, this is the mind boggling tax and spend.
We don't care.
We're going to say yes.
I got several older people up here who clearly love to spend the taxpayers money.
I got a mayor that loves to do it.
And this is now we're back up to 200 over 200 and something thousand dollars and we could have replaced them this year.
This is insanity.
It's complete insanity.
Manager Boyer.
Boyer.
Alderman Morell, we needed to get the painting done first and then we wanted to see where we were going to be and now that we have we have a little bit extra here we could order the materials and get that going this year.
Staff is just asking for us to not only maintain the building and create an environment where everybody's comfortable and on the coldest day of the year we don't have to wear coats but it should have been done before now okay.
It should have been done with 132,000 it was spent Go ahead.
You know and I appreciate your comment but that's actually not true we have to do the paint and the maintenance of the windows before we put storm windows on top of them.
Or we can just neglect maintenance and end up like the old City Hall.
Alderman Stacy would you like your second time?
According to Darren you all have been looking at this for a couple years now so it's just liegt because he would like us to do this.
This is-I will lay the order.
These are all rights that we have.
Let me know, correct me if I'm scratching your Public Columns goodbye, Alderman, Monroe.
Thank you, Madam Mayor.
Yeah, I agree with you.
And the fact that we're to believe that there's only two vendors in the entire state of Illinois, or in Wisconsin or anywhere else.
There's only two, and one of them happens to be in Freeport, Illinois.
I will tell you, when I look up NICAM, General Contractor.
So we're subcontracting this is, is basically what we're doing.
Or is Nikam putting the windows in and we're buying the windows from somewhere else?
Correct.
Because that's not the way this reads.
They're buying the windows that we specified and they're installing them.
So you know, I guess Yeah, I guess, you know, the question really becomes, you know, we put once before needs and that's what this boils down to.
This is why I got upset about the fire engine when we've got a water line that needs to go out to Open Bible when we've got windows that need to be replaced on a building so that our staff can stay warm and cool it's having a plan that we execute upon that puts our needs before our wants because we've only got so much money we can take continue to take from the citizens of Freeport and these windows while I'll agree they're needed there's a lot of improvements to this building that are needed but we have to quit just spending nonstop and once again tonight we come back with additional spend workers comp that goes way up because we raise salaries and it'll go up again and we just say okay but this all keeps coming back to the spending habits of this and others.
So, we have to go back to the constituents and the people that we were elected to represent and tell them why we continuously don't do projects to completion, we partially do them and then come back and it's an emergency and we want to do things, always suspend the rules and we've got to order it by next week or the price is going up.
It's always something and it's gotten to the point that it's unbelievable that we go to that point.
I appreciate the Chief saving money with his vehicles.
Very much well appreciated.
But this is insanity.
Tichet.
Darren.
Yeah.
So again, this is not emergent.
And if you choose not to approve the bid, we can re-bid it later.
That's totally fine with me or it can be canned.
This was requested to be bid.
I bet if we go back in the minutes, the window approvals were made to paint the windows.
And at that time, we said it was expensive, and we were going to have to split to do the windows and then see where we were at for the storm windows.
We couldn't do the storm windows at the same time because A, it was budgeted, but we didn't have enough budget to do both.
So that's why it's been pushed to this end of the year so it can be moved into the 2025 budget.
Again, there's no pressure from me to approve or not approve this.
They are custom.
You guys can do the research if you want.
There is only two manufacturers that we could come up with that the state would approve.
We feel that we've picked the best one.
We feel that this will be the best longevity of project.
And I will state, all of these discussions, while you guys were not on the board, I think Mr. Klemm was, this was the discussion of the processes that would happen when we chose to move City Hall to this building, that there would be exorbitant costs that would come in the future to upkeep a historical building.
That's not on the people that are sitting here, that's on the people that made the decisions to move here and we're bound by those choices now or we just don't maintain it, which that's your choice and I'm fine with that, but that is a decision that was made when we made, when the city chose to move to this building.
One other thing I wanted to point out, we couldn't do the storm windows till we fixed the windows because we had to replace quite a few of the sashes because they were rotting.
And so we couldn't do them at the same time.
But again, is City Hall going to fail tomorrow if we don't replace these windows?
No, but our investment in the paint may not make it as long as we were hoping.
That's the only truth here.
I'm sorry, Alderman Sanders, you've spoken twice already.
I had alderman Sellers twice.
Yes, so I do understand that we do need new windows and if we do continue to constantly wait and wait and wait, the prices will go up because like I said, we were looking at windows at our church and that was like three, four years ago so I know when we look at them again, they're going to be up a little higher so we're either going to take care of the building so we don't have a dilapidated city hall or we're going to continue to go round and round and round Brown on issues that we know we've got to do it either now or later.
It has to be done.
So either we're going to do it now at $1,000 a window, or we're going to do it later at $1,500 a window.
So, you know, it's our decision.
I mean, we've got to do it now and get it over with and move on.
So vote to approve or deny it.
Let me get clarity on this, ma'am.
Clarity is Sellers, Sanders, Stacy, and Monroe have all spoken a few times.
I wasn't ready so you moved to Monroe.
He started the second round.
I didn't get a chance because I wasn't ready to start it because I had not thought about what Mr. Darin was talking about.
So I passed that, you passed it.
I didn't pass it.
And then you put Monroe right there.
So, can you wrap it up?
What are we doing?
You have spoken twice, but if you're insistent, go ahead.
No, it wasn't that I'm insisting.
I just didn't speak because you passed me.
Go ahead and speak.
Well, I forgot it now.
Okay, so if there's no further discussion, Madam Clerk, would you please take the role?
Sanders, Sellers, Klemm, Monroe, Simmons, Parker, Stacy, and Shadle.
The motion passes 6 to 2.
And item number 19 is reports from Department Heads, Finance.
Thank you.
Nothing tonight, Madam Mayor.
Thank you.
Public Works?
Just a quick update on Adams Avenue.
You should see the traffic controls start to be removed tomorrow.
The vast majority of it's done.
Some restoration may leak over to spring, but otherwise the vast majority is done.
We also have had quite a few comments about the remaining portion of Adams, and we are working on a plan, which when I say that, that's from Float to Exchange.
We're working on a plan to try to address that for next season.
But it was not currently in the Adams plan.
So more to come on that.
And lastly, I'd like to tell you guys that we had some damage done by Comcast here in town and staff was able to negotiate with Comcast and we will be receiving an insurance claim check for I believe it's about $18,000 in lieu of those repairs.
Boyer?
Nothing this evening.
Thank you.
Police?
I have no report.
Thank you.
IT?
Nothing in action.
I just want to say thank you to the staff and also council for getting this aggressive agenda done at the end of the year.
Unfortunately, we tried to not have so much on here, but we didn't do so well.
But I thank you very much for all your support.
And all I would like to say is Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, see you after the first.
Alderman Sanders would be up first, but he's not here, so we'll move on to Alderman Sellers.
Yes, I would just like to say thank you all, so to everybody that has done the work that we've done this year and the accomplishments and the beautifications and the upgrades we've done and just seeing the progress we have done together as a team.
I just feel so proud to be a part of everything that we have done and wish everybody a Merry Christmas and God bless you in the New Year.
I agree.
Alderman Klemm?
I'd just like to thank all the city workers for the time that they've put in and the success they've had with projects they've done this year.
It's been extremely important, the total picture of what's been done by the Council and not by the Council, but by the managers and everybody involved.
I'd just like to wish everybody Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Alderman Monroe.
Same, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.
Alderman Simmons.
The only thing is that we do not have a Neighborhood Watch meeting next Monday.
They all decided that it's too close to Christmas, so we will not have one.
And Merry Christmas to everybody.
Alderman Stacy?
I would just like to say, Happy Holidays.
Alderman Shadle?
I'm sorry.
Alderman Shadle?
I reiterate the Merry Christmas to everybody.
Keep in mind that if it happens to snow, our street department's gonna be working.
There's gonna be a shift of police officers working.
There's gonna be a shift of firemen working.
And keep your thoughts with them.
Move on to item number 23, is public comment.
Is there any public comment?
Bernie?
I just couldn't help but kind of chuckle on one comment that was being made.
When we were talking about composting at the landfill, I recall me and Mr. Mooring and Mr. Gill was sitting there with Mr. Gullman composting yard waste.
And apparently we had a permit at that point in time what we were doing back then was ahead of the time now we're going back and trying to get this start started again I guess I was ahead of my time at that time and we've lost our vision of moving forward I do appreciate what you did on the discussion of the and the Land Bank.
I think the Land Bank is kind of a good idea.
One thing that was never discussed on the Land Bank was the fact that $8,000 was the bid.
Was that $8,000 to fix the property or just a down payment?
How much was going to be invested in that property?
If it's just 8,000, we're going to be back in the same old boat as we did before, just a different owner.
And I just want to say one thing.
Strategic planning is the process of accumulating or articulating where and what an organization wants to be in the future.
During the strategic planning process, stakeholders review and define the organization's mission, values, vision, statements including the identification of goals, objectives, strategies, tactics, and conduct priority service assessments.
The mission is the organization's statement of purpose and reason for existing.
The values are the ethical and cultural principles that guide its behavior and actions.
The vision represents the future that the organization aims to achieve.
Goals are desired outcomes that the organization aims to accomplish.
Objectives are the actionable targets that must be reached to meet the specific goals.
And others.
These are plans or approaches designed to accomplish objectives and tactics are the small actionable items.
I think we're spending way too much time on the tactics, the small actual items, and not enough on the vision of where we want to be.
As we, you know, the future, I just happened was listening to Notre Dominus talking about the future.
We probably don't have a future, a future vision.
Most people just repeat the past.
Mr. McGulley, your time is up.
We need to be the future and move on.
So I hope we find a way to define where we want to be instead of argue about it.
Angie, I apologize.
I overlooked you.
Did you have a report?
No.
Good.
Okay.
I apologize.
Any other public comments?
Go ahead you have three minutes.
Can you state your name?
My name is David Coverson.
I have a question for him.
I used to be a landlord and I sold my properties for like less than highly enough and so if you put on a land Contract for them and it's given like ten years paid off or they might it might work out because it did for me and my homes are almost paid off and they're almost sold and I only charge them three hundred dollars a month it's a really and the Chief Payment, so you just think about it.
Any other public comments?
Tommy?
Police Chief, you do a good job working in that police department.
And Darian Dickerman, you find out about that Jersey Mike Mr. I don't have a report on Jersey Mikes, but I'm hungry for it, so hopefully next week.
In the world, you do a good job speaking.
Are there any other public comments?
Seeing none, I'll entertain a motion for adjournment.
So moved.
Second.
The motion made by Alderman Sellers, seconded by Alderman Shadle.
All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
Opposed?