Meeting Events

Meeting: lhvj6ynnbu4.city_council_meeting_9_25_2023_no_quorum

Meeting date: 2023-09-25

Meeting type: city_council

This is a deterministic derived artifact, not official meeting minutes. Related records may be grouped for review while complete machine provenance remains in the JSON artifact.

Decisions and Votes

• Approval of Agenda Item Number One — Passed

  • Summary: Motion to approve the agenda item number one.
  • Evidence: “Item number one is the approval of the agenda is there such a motion so move second the motion made by Alderman Shadle seconded by Alderman Monroe”
  • Evidence: “all those in favor signify by saying aye aye opposed that motion passes”
  • Source timestamp: 01:30

• Adoption of Ordinance 2023-46 to special meeting

  • Summary: Motion to adopt ordinance 2023-46 and move it to a special meeting.
  • Evidence: “I’m going to make a motion that we adopt. And the board of trustees. I’m going to move the motion that we adopt ordinance 2023-46 and move it to a special meeting.”
  • Source timestamp: 09:34

• Adjournment of meeting due to lack of quorum — Passed

  • Summary: A motion was made to adjourn the meeting because a quorum was not established.
  • Evidence: “So because of that, we actually do not have a quorum for tonight’s meeting, so. I make a motion to adjourn then.”
  • Evidence: “Motion made by Alderman Monroe, seconded by Alderman Shadle. All those in favor? Aye.”
  • Source timestamp: 18:34

Procedural Actions

• Call to Order and Roll Call

  • Summary: The meeting was called to order after the invocation.
  • Attribution: Mayor Miller
  • Evidence: “So now we’ll officially call this special meeting to order.”
  • Source timestamp: 01:20

• Pledge of Allegiance

  • Summary: The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Alderman Shadle.
  • Evidence: “Thank you and if you could please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance led by Alderman Shadle.”
  • Source timestamp: 01:30

• Moving item to next regularly scheduled meeting

  • Summary: Motion by Alderman Monroe, seconded by Alderman Parker, to move ordinance 2023-46 onto the next regularly scheduled meeting.
  • Evidence: “By Alderman Monroe, seconded by Alderman Parker to move ordinance 2023-46 onto the next regularly scheduled meeting.”
  • Source timestamp: 10:24

• Quorum determination based on local code

  • Summary: A speaker stated that the specific local ordinance requires a majority of other persons elected to constitute a quorum, excluding the mayor.
  • Evidence: “Our specific code of ordinance says that all meetings, a majority of other persons elected shall constitute a quorum. So it references a majority of the older men. So it actually doesn’t include the mayor.”
  • Source timestamp: 18:20

Ordinances and Resolutions

• First Reading of Ordinance 2346: Home Rule Sales Tax Increase
  • Summary: The first reading of Ordinance Approving 3.25% Increase in the Home Rule Sales Tax was conducted.
  • Evidence: “item number three, which is the first reading of ordinance 2346. Madam Clerk, could you please read this? Ordinance Approving 3.25% Increase in the Home Rule Sales Tax.”
  • Source timestamp: 05:41

Presentations and Reports

• Ordinance Funding Details and Budget Process
  • Summary: The speaker detailed that a previous struggle involved passing an ordinance for a 1% increase dedicated to salaries/wages, and proposed a revised funding structure of decreasing the ordinance from 1% down to 0.75% to fund road work for two years.
  • Evidence: “So last week, as you heard in some of the public comments, there were some struggles with passing an ordinance that approved a 1% increase with additional revenue being dedicated to funding salaries, wages, and I have been working with the city of New York City to get those types of things along with the roads. That was one of the big holdups to several of the members voting either yay or nay to the agenda item. This year, you know, we are in a position right now that we don’t have set-aside funds for the roadways. And as you heard also in public comments, it’s going to take DeVito, Kirsten, Pat, and the rest of the board. The next item is the budget. The budget is to get a referendum item through all of the process steps if it were to pass in a public vote in 2024. So that would first come up for vote I believe in November of 2024. And then it would have to go through all of the process to get the funds set up to move forward. Fowler. And in an effort to kind of bring people together, and clearly that hasn’t achieved its goal, was to decrease the ordinance from 1% down to. 75%. It would also keep us in line with what Rockford and other large cities across northern Illinois are doing. It would also fund the road work for the next two years. It would then be sunset when those two years were up. And what that means is this is a two year ordinance with a drop dead date at the very end of it and the city will speak and tell us what they want to do.”
  • Source timestamp: 06:07

Metrics

• Expenditure comparison: Freeport School District vs. City of Freeport

  • Summary: The Freeport School District saw an eighty-six percent increase in annual expenditures, while the city of Freeport increased by forty-four percent.
  • Evidence: “Eighty-six percent increase in this Freeport School District annual expenditures. Meanwhile, the city of Freeport up only forty-four percent.”
  • Source timestamp: 15:52

• Freeport School District per student expenditure and school rating

  • Summary: The cost is $23,000 Per student, which is stated as the highest in Northern Illinois, despite the local school being rated the lowest in all of North Central and Northwest Illinois.
  • Evidence: “$23,000 Per student. The highest of anybody in Northern Illinois. The highest. And we have the lowest rated school in all of North Central and Northwest Illinois”
  • Source timestamp: 16:09

Discussion

• Quorum Requirements for Meeting

  • Summary: A discussion occurred regarding whether the Mayor could be counted toward establishing a quorum.
  • Evidence: “I’m looking at the rules here. It says that the majority of alder persons have to be present. There are nine and five are present. It specifically says alder persons.”
  • Source timestamp: 04:06

• Ordinance funding and future planning

  • Summary: The ordinance could be decreased from 1% down to 0.75%, align with Rockford and other large northern Illinois cities, fund road work for two years, and then sunset.
  • Evidence: “And in an effort to kind of bring people together, and clearly that hasn’t achieved its goal, was to decrease the ordinance from 1% down to. 75%. It would also keep us in line with what Rockford and other large cities across northern Illinois are doing. It would also fund the road work for the next two years. It would then be sunset when those two years were up.”
  • Source timestamp: 07:25

• Road infrastructure necessity

  • Summary: The speaker stated that continuing to move forward on roads is necessary because good equipment was bought and crews are trained.
  • Evidence: “I, you know, from my standpoint, we have to continue to move forward on the road. We bought a lot of good equipment in the last two years. We’ve got our crews trained. The Public Works Department is doing a much better job. They’re doing a great job.”
  • Source timestamp: 08:02

• Taxation impact on local economy

  • Summary: The speaker stated they are against new taxes for the City of Freeport because it puts a wet blanket on the economy and that roads themselves are hurting businesses.
  • Evidence: “And I will say out loud, I really am against new taxes. I think new taxes for the City of Freeport put a wet blanket on our economy and I really think it hurts some of our businesses but right now the roads themselves are hurting our businesses.”
  • Source timestamp: 09:10

• Council quorum and process concerns

  • Summary: The speaker expressed concern about the lack of a full array of aldermen present for an important vote.
  • Evidence: “Alderman Klemm. Now that it’s made a motion and seconded on the floor, my intentions are to vote against this and I’ll tell you why when I do the vote. Don’t need no whole debate. But if we’re talking about what we’re seeing here we basically have four people absent okay we have a couple people one of those persons I know has got a husband that’s very ill one of them I know had a meeting that that they couldn’t attend to be at this one I asked at the last meeting that we delayed the vote of this because everybody was not here mr. Parker was not here so we We didn’t have a full array of aldermen and I believe something that’s this important should be.”
  • Source timestamp: 10:44

• Infrastructure condition and council performance criticism

  • Summary: The speaker criticized the lack of road repair over 16 years and highlighted recent improvements while warning about future risks like the Hancock Bridge failing.
  • Evidence: “I’ve seen very little in the way of roads getting repaired. What we’ve done in the last two and a half to three years is incredible. We’ve cleaned up Chicago street. We’ve done major construction. We’re seeing that now on some of our streets that support some of the biggest businesses in our town. And now we run the risk of going to referendum two years from now, being able to put money towards something, the Hancock Bridge could fail.”
  • Source timestamp: 13:39

• Accountability regarding Freeport School District and election interference

  • Summary: A speaker criticized the council for failing to hold the Freeport School District accountable, referencing 33,391 pages of emails concerning election interference.
  • Evidence: “But I did a FOIA request, 16 years, Alderman Klemm, you’ve sat on this council, nobody has held the Freeport School District accountable, 33,391 pages of emails between two people who are gym teachers, one member of this council, and another member of the Freeport School District about election interference and election stuff going on.”
  • Source timestamp: 15:10

• Infrastructure funding disparity

  • Summary: A speaker noted that despite the high spending on the Freeport School District, $3.5 million is insufficient to fix the road into the city.
  • Evidence: “And we can’t get $3.5 million to fix the road into this city.”
  • Source timestamp: 16:27

• Freeport School District funding allocation criticism

  • Summary: A speaker questioned the council arguing about a 3.15% increase for roads while $85 million goes to the Freeport School District.
  • Evidence: “We sit here. We argue about a 3.15% increase to get the roads fixed. Meanwhile, 86%, $85 million goes to the Freeport School District”
  • Source timestamp: 16:51

• Infrastructure failure and lack of solutions

  • Summary: A speaker expressed concern over failing water and sewer systems and the inability of the council to come together on a solution.
  • Evidence: “Our fire department will be able to fight fires. We’ve got water and sewer that is failing. How many times do we go and put a tanker truck or hit to run water out of the Peck River? And I can’t believe that we can’t come together to come up with a solution for this”
  • Source timestamp: 17:25

Public Comment

• Public Comment regarding Home Rule Funding

  • Summary: A citizen presented concerns about putting road funding to referendum, predicting it would cause a 12 to 18 month delay and likely fail.
  • Evidence: “I watched Monday September 18th in caps oh my goodness make a motion get a second talk rescind the motion make a motion no second hot potato hot potato who has the hot potato I’m lost and so we’re most people trying to follow this discussion 60% of citizens in the city of Freeport in November 2022 voted home rule in not and Keeley. I am your referendum proponent. Everyone gets a voice. But I feel if you put this to referendum two situations will happen. One, road work won’t be done for 12 to 18 months. And two, I think it will fail. You have the authority. 60% Of the voters in the last election say you do. My suggestion is a motion to continue talks through details of possible road funding sources”
  • Source timestamp: 01:30

• Public Comment supporting previous citizen concerns

  • Summary: A member of the public seconded sentiments expressed by a previous citizen regarding road funding.
  • Evidence: “Hello, I had in mind what I was going to say, but the letter from Lynette that was read was so articulate and so echoed my sentiments that I’m just going to second what she said.”
  • Source timestamp: 05:27

Follow-ups

• Accountability regarding Freeport School District spending
  • Summary: The speaker noted that nobody has held the Freeport School District accountable for 33,391 pages of emails concerning election interference.
  • Evidence: “I did a FOIA request, 16 years, Alderman Klemm, you’ve sat on this council, nobody has held the Freeport School District accountable, 33,391 pages of emails between two people who are gym teachers, one member of this council, and another member of the Freeport School District about election interference and election stuff going on.”
  • Source timestamp: 15:10

Attendance

• Roll Call Attendance
  • Summary: Klemm, Monroe, and Parker were present; Simmons and Stacy were absent. A quorum was established.
  • Evidence: “Mayor Miller? Here. Alderpersons, Klemm? Here. Monroe? Here. Simmons is absent. Parker? Here. Stacy is absent. Shadle? Here. Sanders and Sellers are absent but we do have a quorum.”
  • Source timestamp: 01:20