The Eureka City Council convened in regular session at the City Building on May 1, 2006 at 7:35 p.m. Mayor Punke called the meeting to order and led The Pledge of Allegiance and then directed the Deputy Clerk to call the roll. Present were Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Eckert, Chambliss, Waters, Meares, and Hangartner. Also in attendance were Lynn Hinnen, Treasurer; Jennifer Davis, Deputy Clerk; and Anne Sandvik, Acting City Administrator.
Moved by Hinnen, second by Meares, to approve the minutes of the April 17, 2006, regular meeting of the City Council. Passed on roll call vote with Hinnen, Meares, Weidner, V. Punke, Eckert, Chambliss, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
The Mayor asked for public comments on any action to be taken on Agenda Items. Sergeant Shoemaker was present and wanted to discuss Item XVIII. Mayor Punke said that he could address the council when they got to that Item. There were no other comments.
Moved by Weidner, second by Meares, to approve and pay the bills for April 30th as the City’s obligation in the amount of $25,481.73 and to back date the checks to keep the expenses in the correct fiscal year and to approve and pay the bills for May as the City’s obligation in the amount of $13,725.64. Passed on roll call vote with Weidner, Meares, Hinnen, V. Punke, Eckert, Chambliss, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
Moved by Waters, second by Hangartner, to consider the recommendation from the Police Selection Committee to hire April Williamson as a part-time police officer starting May 1 and after completion of the PTI training to move her to a full-time police officer. Passed on roll call vote with Waters, Hangartner, Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Eckert, Chambliss, and Meares, all voting Aye. Miss Williamson was then sworn in as a part-time police officer by Mayor Punke.
Moved by Waters, second by Hangartner, to consider Resolution R-06-02 to temporarily close a State maintained roadway for the Fourth of July parade. Passed on roll call vote with Waters, Hangartner, Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Eckert, Chambliss, and Meares, all voting Aye.
Moved by Waters, second by Hinnen, to consider Resolution R-06-03 to request temporary closure of a State maintained roadway for the Memorial Day parade on May 29th. Passed on roll call vote with Waters, Hinnen, Weidner, V. Punke, Eckert, Waters, Meares, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
Moved by Chambliss, second by Meares, to consider Mayor Punke’s consideration of Proclamation P-06-02 proclaiming the week of May 14 through 20, 2006, as Police Officers’ week and to honor Peace Officers’ Memorial Day in Eureka on Monday, May 15. Passed on roll call vote with Chambliss, Meares, Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Eckert, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
Moved by Chambliss, second by Meares, to consider Resolution R-06-04 to appropriate $150,000 in Motor Fuel Tax Funds to perform the Fiscal Year 06-07 street work. Passed on roll call vote with Chambliss, Meares, Weidner, Hinnen, and V. Punke, Eckert, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye. The engineer’s estimate for the street work has been increased by $16,469 over the original estimate of $120,430 due to the increase in the cost of oil. The total is now $136,899.16. There was a question as to why $150,000 was to be appropriated instead of $136,899.16 and Mr. Chambliss explained that the engineer appropriates more money just in case the total cost of the project comes in higher than what he has anticipated due to rising costs.
Moved by Meares, second by Eckert, to move into Executive Session pursuant to State Statute 5/ILCS 120/2. Passed on roll call vote with Meares, Eckert, Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Chambliss, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye. A discussion was held concerning employee benefits salaries, employment and employee contract items.
The Eureka City Council convened back into regular session, Mayor Punke directed the Deputy Clerk to call the roll. Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Eckert, Chambliss, Waters, Meares, and Hangartner, all answering roll call. Let the record show that wage increases and benefit packages for management employees were discussed.
Moved by Meares, second by V. Punke, to consider the recommendation from the Administration and Personnel Committee to approve a 3.2 percent pay increase for all full-time, non-management employees and also for the part-time Public Safety personnel and the crossing guards not to exceed the maximum allowed under the Part-Time Wage Schedule. Passed on roll call vote with Meares, V. Punke, Weidner, Hinnen, Eckert, Chambliss, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
Moved by Meares, second by Eckert, to consider the recommendation from the Negotiation Committee on management employees’ pay increases and benefit package. The recommendation was that the pay increases for the managerial staff would range from 0 to 4 percent and the benefit package would be the same as the other full-time employees. Passed on roll call vote with Meares, Eckert, Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Chambliss, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
Moved by Meares, second by V. Punke, to consider the proposed Ordinance 06-08 from the Administration and Personnel Committee with the stipulation that 5.8, Residency Requirement, needs to be changed to employees hired after May 1, 2006. This Ordinance amends the City of Eureka Standard Policy and Procedure Manual by amending Title 004 – Recruitment and Employment Section – 6.1.5 Employment Procedure by adding an item (F) Employee Job Description Requirement for Employment indicating that there are established job descriptions for each City position and the applicant will be required to sign this job description before being hired showing an understanding of all aspects of the position. Amend Title 004 – “Recruitment and Employment” by the addition to 004 – Recruitment and Employment 5.0 - Resume, Employment Application Forms and Interviews by the addition of (5.8) Notification to an applicant that there is a residency requirement for employment. Employees are required to live in or within a mile and a half of the corporate limits. The Mayor commented that the City has updated the job descriptions because they are outdated and that the new job descriptions were available for review. Passed on roll call vote with Meares, V. Punke, Weidner, Hinnen, Eckert, Chambliss, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
It was moved by Meares, second by Waters, to consider the proposed Ordinance 06-09 amending the shared cost of health insurance premium for employees. The full-time non-management employee will pay thirty percent (30%) of the health insurance cost for their spouse and spouse-plus-family coverage. The City will pay seventy percent (70%) of the premium cost for the employee’s spouse and spouse-plus-family coverage.
Sergeant Shoemaker represented the police department and the five non-management personnel and expressed concern that the health insurance deduction for family coverage will increase by 150 percent as to what the employees are currently paying. Sergeant Shoemaker stated that the employees did not have a problem with paying 30 percent but they would like the council to consider doing it gradually and not all in one year. Mayor Punke expressed that with the rising cost of health care he felt that this was not out of line and that it was more beneficial to the employees because the City was going to ask the employees to pick up all the increase in spouse and family coverage. Passed on roll call vote with Meares, Waters, Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke Eckert, Chambliss, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
It was moved by Meares, second by Chambliss, to consider the proposed shared cost of health insurance premium for management employees. The management employees will pay thirty percent (30%) of the health insurance cost for their spouse and spouse-plus-family coverage. The City will pay seventy percent (70%) of the premium cost for the employee’s spouse and spouse-plus-family coverage. Passed on roll call vote with Meares, Chambliss, Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Eckert, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
Moved by Meares, second by V. Punke, to consider the recommendation of the Administration and Personnel Committee to approved Ordinance 06-10. This Ordinance amends the Policy and Procedure Manual Section 007 – 7.0 – Temporary Appointments to Exempt Employee Positions Section 7.1 to read When an exempt employee due to accident, termination, or leave of absence must be absent from work for a prolonged period of time, the Corporate Authority may temporarily appoint another employee to that position. and to amend Section 7.2 (b) to read During the time of a temporary appointment the employee filling the position shall be compensated at a rate to be determined by the Corporate Authority. Mayor Punke wanted to clarify that currently in the Code Book when an individual left a position, the employee filling that position automatically went to that base pay and to the pay schedule of that individual they were replacing. The Administration Committee felt that this was not a good way to do business and that the person replacing the individual might not be as qualified for the position to receive the same pay. Therefore, they wanted to change it to state that when an employee takes a temporary appointment that the Corporate Authority will determine the wages paid.
Ordinance 06-10 also amends Section 005 – Holiday Policy Section 4.0 – Holidays Section 4.1 to add Good Friday and Labor Day so the total holidays equal nine. The list will be—
New Year’s Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Friday after Thanksgiving
Christmas Eve Day
Christmas Day
Mayor Punke stated that the City has observed for some time Good Friday and Labor Day as Holidays and the problem is that when going through records, it has gone to committee, but has not been approved by council. This amendment to the ordinance will make the Good Friday and Labor Day holidays official. Passed on roll call vote with Meares, V. Punke, Weidner, Hinnen, Eckert, Chambliss, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
Moved by Eckert, second by Hinnen, to approve the proposed consideration of the agreement with Melrose Pyrotechnics, Inc. to provide the fireworks and the public liability and property damage coverage for the 4th of July fireworks display for an amount not to exceed the $10,000 budgeted. After discussion about the contract, it was recommended by Chambliss to table this to see if the additional 15 percent fee for shooting off on a different day can be deleted from the contract before they sign. Moved by Chambliss, second by Meares, to table this. Passed on roll call vote with Chambliss, Meares, Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Eckert, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
Moved by Meares, second by Eckert, to approve Mayor Punke’s recommendation to appoint Stan Wertz to the Eureka Planning and Zoning Commission for a term from May 1, 2006 through April 30, 2007. Passed on roll call vote with Meares, Eckert, Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Chambliss, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye. Mr. Wertz was then sworn in by Mayor Punke as a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Moved by Meares, second by Eckert, to approve the recommendation of the Liquor Commission to issue a Class F liquor license to Rocco’s Italian Restaurant. Passed on roll call vote with Meares, Eckert, Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Chambliss, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
Moved by Weidner, second by Chambliss to approve the recommendation from the Enterprise Committee to approve the design and construction of a sanitary sewer on Hill Street to serve three properties at an estimated cost of $16,500. Passed on roll call vote with Weidner, Chambliss, Hinnen, V. Punke, Eckert, Waters, Meares, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
Moved by Weidner, second by Meares, to approve the recommendation from the Enterprise Committee to approve Resolution R-06-05. This resolution states that as revenues become available the Enterprise Committee shall recommend to the City Council an amount to be repaid to the General Fund to cover prior loans. This will begin in 2009 and the availability of funds shall be determined each year thereafter for up to five years. The total amount to be repaid to the General Fund is not to exceed $250,000. Passed on roll call vote with Weidner, Meares, Hinnen, V. Punke Eckert, Chambliss, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
Moved by Weidner, second by Meares, to move into Executive Session pursuant to State Statute 5/ILCS 120/2. Passed on roll call vote with Weidner, Meares, Hinnen, V. Punke Eckert, Chambliss, Waters, and Hangartner, all voting Aye. A review of closed session minutes was held.
The Eureka City Council convened back into regular session, Mayor Punke directed the Deputy Clerk to call the roll. Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Eckert, Chambliss, Waters, Meares, and Hangartner, all answering roll call. Let the record be show that the
Executive Session was Tabled until the next council meeting. The closed session minutes were not available. Moved by Chambliss, second by Weidner, to table the review of closed session minutes. Passed on roll call vote with Chambliss, Weidner, Hinnen, V. Punke, Eckert, Waters, Meares, and Hangartner, all voting Aye.
Committee Reports:
Chairman Chambliss of the Maintenance Committee: Chairman Chambliss reported that the sidewalk was complete at Lake Road and the maintenance crew did a terrific job on it.
Chairman Waters of the Public Safety Committee: Chief Misener reported that he filed paperwork for the bullet proof vests lawsuit and we received a settlement of $2920.00. This settlement money can be used to purchase vests that need to be replaced or vests for new hires. Chairman Waters thanked everyone in welcoming the new police officer.
Chairman Eckert of the Park and Recreation Committee: Eckert reported that there was going to be a ground breaking ceremony for the Skateboard Park on Saturday, May 6, 2006. He also reported that they have raised enough money to start the concrete work and will be able to put some small jumps down.
Chairman Mayor Punke of the Liquor Committee: Mayor Punke reported that there will be a town meeting on Tuesday, May 9
th at the Cerf Center. The meeting is on under-aged drinking. Mayor Punke will be speaking at this function.
New Business:
Mayor Punke reported that Marilyn Walter was doing a very good job at trying to save the City money by running things double sided.
Public Comments:
None.
There being no further business to come before the Council the meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jennifer Davis
Deputy City Clerk
