City Council

CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting February 22, 2021 6:30 P.M. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: The Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag was given by those present. CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Gottman called the regularly scheduled meeting of the Vandalia City Council to order at 6:30 P.M. ROLL CALL: Brosman, yea; Stunkel, yea; Hobler, yea; Lester, yea; Hubler, yea; Rebbe, yea at 6:33 pm; Crawford, yea at 6:44 pm; Barker, absent. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: A motion was made by Stunkel and seconded by Brosman approving the minutes from the February 1, 2021 meeting. Motion carried. REGULAR BILLS: A motion was made by Stunkel and seconded by Hobler approving the regular bills as submitted. Motion carried. TREASURER’S REPORT: A motion was made by Hobler and seconded Brosman approving the Treasurer’s Report as submitted for audit. Motion carried. SPECIAL BILLS: A motion was made by Stunkel and seconded by Brosman approving the Special Council Bills as presented: Chase in the amount of $12,193.49 for interest on the long-term debt; Ameren Illinois in the amount of $2,261.52 for street lights; Banner Fire Equipment, Inc. in the amount of $1,847.50 for Posichek testing; Vandalia City Garage in the amount of 1  $2,566.00 for maintenance to equipment; Hawkins, Inc. in the amount of $5,575.68 for activated carbon; Kaskaskia Springs Water in the amount of $2,198.80 for 5.497 million gals water; Ameren Illinois in the amount of $15,195.31 for electric. Motion carried. FIRST READING FOR CLASS J LIQUOR A first reading from PMK, Inc., LICENSE REQUEST FROM PMK, INC – Vandalia requesting a second gaming GAMING PARLOR: parlor license to expand to a second location in the corporate city limits. This is the first reading no action will be taken until the March 1st meeting where the following will be needed: 1. A full application 2. Certificate of Insurance 3. Address & Floor Plan of the Location 4. The total number of full-time & part-time employees. ORDINANCE AMENDING THE VANDALIA Mayor Gottman turned the meeting over MUNICIPAL CODE AT TITLE V to City Attorney Ryan Connor for BUSINESS LICENSES & REGULATIONS further explanation. Connor proceeded AT SECTION 5.08.070 NUMBER OF to say, you have before you another LICENSES (GAMING PARLOR)- FAILED Ordinance Amending The Municipal Code to Add More Gaming Licenses. So, this would increase the number of gaming licenses by one. You are looking at going up one and you have one filled out application. Connor said, you have an issue before you. You previously discussed some limits and made some voting decisions with regards to limitations on these and you need to consider very carefully that if you’re getting down the road and granting more licenses you’re going to have to confront an issue where you previously attempted to put a cap, and Connor realizes that this might have been a different board or composition. You have two issues before you. The first issue is 2 whether or not as a matter legally you have liability and the second issue is whether not fundamentally that’s fair. That’s a matter before the council as to what you’re going to do with the fact as a body you had considered some limitations and made some voting decisions based on that. Connor explained, I guess what I’m saying to you, if you vote on this tonight and you begin to open this flood gate you need to be very prepared to open this flood gate significantly further. When I say “flood gate” you are going to get more and more applications that are going to be completed. If you begin granting this one and denying those I think you put yourself in a potential place to have allegations that other considerations may have impacted you other than simply wither or not more licenses were in the interest of the City of Vandalia or not. Connor suggested I encourage you to keep this discussion to whether or not more licenses as a concept or in fact in the city’s best interest. Hubler asked Attorney Connor, are you talking about legal liability. Connor said, yes. So, when you grant or deny those licenses in the past you will need to later consider whether or not you will have liability for the future grant or denial of those licenses. Crawford said, I know we did discuss it, but did we ever bring it to a vote and did we ever codify it? Attorney Connor said, strangely twice. What was recorded in the minutes at various points the council considered some and not others and no, the council did not codify it or put a limitation in place. 3  There is no ordinance that put a limitation in place. After discussion from the council and the audience a motion was made by Brosman and seconded by Crawford to amend The Vandalia Municipal Code At Title Business Licenses And Regulations At Section 5.08.070 Number Of Licenses from six to five. Motion carried. Hobler was a nay vote. Mayor Gottman said the next order of business was to vote on the Ordinance which was just amended on the floor to allow another Class J liquor license to take from four to five. A motion was made by Brosman and seconded by Crawford. Roll call Taken: Stunkel, nay; Brosman, yea; Hobler, nay; Rebbe, yea; Lester, nay; Hubler, nay; Crawford, yea. Motion failed. 3 yea & 4 nay. Crawford left the council meeting at 7:15 pm. With the understanding that she would only be able to be in attendance for one hour due to her work. ORDINANCE #2021-2-22-A: A motion was made by Hobler and AMENDING SALARIES FOR FISCAL seconded by Hubler Approving YEAR MAY 1, 2020-APRIL 30, 2021 Ordinance #2021-2-22-A, Amending (PART-TIME DISPATCH) Salaries for Fiscal Year May 1, 2020- April 30, 2021 (Part-time Dispatch) Roll call Vote: Hubler, yea; Stunkel, yea; Brosman, yea; Hobler, yea; Rebbe, yea; Lester, yea. Motion carried. 4 ORDINANCE #2021-2-22-B: A motion was made by Stunkel and AUTHORIZING SALE OF PERSONAL seconded by Hobler Approving PROPERTY AT PUBLIC AUCTION Ordinance #2021-2-22-B, Authorizing Sale Of Personal Property At Public Auction. Roll call: Hobler, yea; Hubler, yea; Lester, yea; Rebbe, yea; Stunkel, yea; Brosman, yea; Lester, yea. Motion carried. APPROVAL OF TOURISM COMMISSION A motion was made by Stunkel and MEETING MINUTES FROM seconded by Hobler approving the NOVEMBER 10, 2020 & Tourism Commission Meeting Minutes JANUARY 12,2021 from November 10, 2020 & January 12, 2021 as submitted. Motion carried. RESOLUTION #2021-2-22-C: FAYETTE A motion was made by Brosman and COUNTY MUSEUM SPONSORING A seconded by Stunkel Adopting PARADE FOR FAYETTE COUNTY Resolution #2021-2-22-C, Fayette BICENTENNIAL ON SATURDAY, MAY 8, County Museum is requesting a 2021: temporary closure of Old Rt 140, A State Highway in the City of Vandalia from Third Street to Seventh Street on Saturday, May 8, 2021 from 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. for a parade for the Fayette County Bicentennial. Motion carried. RESOLUTION #2021-2-22-D: A motion was made by Stunkel and AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF SURPLUS seconded by Brosman Adopting REAL ESTATE Resolution #2021-2-22-D, Authorizing The Sale Of Surplus Real Estate of the City of Vandalia. Roll call Vote: Hubler, yea; Stunkel, yea; Hobler, yea; Rebbe, yea; Brosman, yea; Lester, yea. Motion carried. MAYOR’S REPORT: Mayor Gottman public thanked the Street Department for clearing the city roadways following the snow storm last week. 5  The City Wide Clean-Up Week will be held May 10-14, 2021. This is for Doty Sanitation Customers Only. A joint Committee Meeting with the Public Safety and Finance will meet on March 2nd at 12 noon to review the bids on the fire truck. Mayor Gottman stated that Gov. Pritzker signed a Criminal Justice Reform Bill into law today. The new law ends cash bail in many cases, sets statewide standards on police use of force, requires police to wear body cams and many other provisions. The City of Vandalia received a check from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) in the amount of $290,504.00. The city is still to receive $181.54. The money will reimburse the departments where the money came from, such as payroll for the Police Department. Mayor Gottman mentioned that a large group of downtown Vandalia Business and property owners were on hand for a meeting at Kaskaskia College’s Vandalia campus Monday afternoon. They plan on having this meeting quarterly to continue with the revitalization of the downtown area. A copy of the Animal Control Log for January 2021 was included in your packet. We will be releasing some money to the animal control shortly. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS: Hobler asked about revisiting the budget for the Police Department in reference to squad cars. 6  Stunkel reported that the Lake Committee met this afternoon in reference to the lake study that is probably twenty years old. Stunkel said they were looking at ways to get grants and funding. JOHN BROUX, EDITOR FOR VANDALIA Mayor Gottman introduced John Broux, LEADER UNION: who is succeeding Rich Bauer at the Vandalia Leader union. Broux is from Pana, IL He is the new general manager and editor for the Vandalia Leader-Union and will also serve as the general manager for the Altamont News-Banner. He is a thirty-year vet with the paper. The elected officials welcome you to Vandalia. ADJOURNMENT: There being nothing further to discuss a motion was made by Stunkel & seconded by Hubler to adjourn. Motion carried. ___________________ CITY CLERK 7 8 9