The Benld City Council on Monday night voted unanimously to approve an appropriations ordinance governing municipal spending for the current fiscal year, approved the sale of a small parcel of city-owned property to Cahokia Township, and debated the merits of temporarily waiving a provision of the city’s building code for a double-wide mobile home on property affected by mine subsidence.

Prior to Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, the council met in special session on Monday, July 7, to approve a new contract with the City of Gillespie to provide police protection service to the City of Benld. Under the new contract the cost of police protection will increase from $240,000 to $350,000 for the first year of the two-year contract. The cost for the second year is subject to negotiations between the two parties, contingent on the City of Gillespie providing documentation of increased cost for providing the service.

The previous three-year contract expired April 30. Both cities agreed to extend the old contract to July 30 while negotiations continued. The new contract is effective Aug. 1.

Also during the special meeting, city aldermen voted to approve a new contract with the Laborers International Union of North America Local 338. The new three-year contract calls for a three percent annual increase, retroactive to March 2025. The base wage for union maintenance and administrative workers increases from $16 per hour to $17 for the first year of the contract. Base pay increases to $17.51 for the second year, and $18.04 in the third year. The contract also provides for a $400 clothing allowance and commits the city to reimbursing up to $1,000 per year for deductibles and co-pays incurred by employees for health care.

The council also agreed to advertise for applicants to fill a maintenance worker position vacated by Tom Turiglatto, who has accepted a position as district custodian for Community Unit School District 7.

The new appropriation ordinance was approved on a motion by Finance Chair Jerry Saracco. The ordinance authorizes expenditures not to exceed $2,042,502 for the fiscal year. Though required by law, the appropriation is not a budgetary document. It simply sets line by line spending ceilings for all funds controlled by the city. Typically, municipalities spend far less than what the appropriation authorizes.

Additionally, the appropriation governs spending of not only local tax revenue but all funds controlled by the city, including grant funds and motor fuel tax funds.

The ordinance authorizes maximum expenditures of $1,225,023 from the General Fund, $860,479 in proprietary funds, and $137,000 from the Motor Fuel Tax fund for a total appropiation of $2,042,502. Proprietary funds are funds generated from sewer, water and trash operations and can be spent only for those programs. MFT funds subsidize the city’s annual oil and chip programs, and other street and sidewalk maintenance.

The new appropriation is $110,500 less than last year’s ordinance. Both are slightly inflated by grant fund expenditures associated with development of the Benld Family Sports Complex.

The $860,479 appropriated for proprietary expenses compares with $638,380 appropriated a year ago. The new ordinance appropriates $299,160 for the Water Department, compared with $318,074.75 last year. Up to $211,319 for Sewer Department expenses, compared with $165,315.50 last year, and up to $170,000 is appropriated for Trash Pickup, compared with $155,000 last year.

Motor Fuel Tax expenditures are capped at $137,000, compared with $111,000 a year ago.

General Fund expenditures are capped at $1,225,023. The ordinance allots a maximum of $353,950 for Police, compared with $272,060 last year, allowing for a $120,000 increase in the cost of Police Protection from the City of Gillespie. The ordinance sets $202,636 as the ceiling for City Property Expenses, compared with $208,394 last year. A total of $195,400 is appropriated for Maintenance, compared with $271,457.50 a year ago. The ordinance appropriates $46,000 for legal expenses, compared with $36,000 last year; $19,000 for the annual Audit, compared with $17,450 a year ago; $10,037 for Parks, compared with $7,859 the previous year; $1,200 for the City Cemetery, down from $1,500 last year.  The document caps expenditures at $1,200 for unemployment, $3,500 for the City Library, and $1,500 for the Municipal Band, all of which are unchanged from the previous year.

Additionally, the ordinance appropriates $350,000, primarily from a $600,000 Open Spaces Land Acquisition and Development grant, to complete work on the Benld Family Sports Complex.

BUILDING CODE WAIVER REQUEST

The council reached no conclusion after several minutes of discussion regarding a request from Keith Cadmus to temporarily waive the city’s rule requiring mobile homes and modular homes to be placed on permanent foundations. Cadmus reportedly wants to bring a double-wide mobile home to 301 S. First St. and place it temporary pilings for two years, after which he would build a permanent foundation for home. The property is subject to a mine subsidence event that started in June 2023. Cadmus is tearing down an existing home on the property that was severely damaged by the property.

The subsidence is ongoing. Cadmus apparently hopes two years will be long enough for the ground to stabilize, but City Attorney Rick Verticchio said subsidence events can continue for five years. “We could go two years and have Mines and Minerals tell us it’s still sinking,” Verticchio said.

A council member suggested Cadmus could seek an extension in that event, but Verticchio said the property owner has committed to the city that he will build a foundation in two years regardless of the subsidence status.

“My opinion is we should not do it,” said Ald. John Balzraine. “We’ve had people tell us before that they will do something in two years, and if they don’t do it, what can the city do?”

Verticchio suggested requiring Cadmus to post a $10,000 bond as a condition for granting the waiver. If Cadmus fails to build a foundation for the unit within the two years, the city would be empowered to use that money to remove the double wide from the property. Whether or not the ground has stabilized would be contractually irrelevant because “he will have committed to two years.”

“I want something in writing to protect the city,” Mayor Jim Kelly said, but no one responded when he asked for a motion to direct Verticchio to draft a contract between the city and Cadmus. With no formal action taken, Verticchio said he would write the document, leaving the amount of the bond blank, and present it to the council for further discussion next month.

PROPERTY SOLD TO CAHOKIA TOWNSHIP

On a motion by Ald. Dustin Fletcher, the council voted unanimously to sell a parcel of property behind the Cahokia Township Hall for $5,000. Cahokia Township has agreed to incur the cost of having the parcel surveyed. The township plans to use the property, once occupied by a communications tower, to store rock for its road improvement programs.

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HEALTH INSURANCE RENEWAL

Council members voted unanimously to renew the city’s policy with Blue Cross-Blue Shield to provide health insurance for city employees. The premium is expected to increase by about 12 percent. City Clerk Terri Koyne said she asked the city’s insurance broker to bid other companies but “Blue Cross-Blue Shield was by far the cheapest.”

TORNADO SIREN

Ald. Balzraine reported a new storm siren has been installed and is operational. Gillespie emergency workers will be responsible to activating the siren in the event of a severe storm or tornado. The council also approved an $1,411 expenditure to buy and install a separate electrical meter with a manual shut-off for the new siren.

The city now has two sirens that should be capable of reaching residents throughout the city.

PREVAILING WAGE ORDINANCE

The council approved a routine annual ordinance committing the city to hiring outside contractors who pay their employees prevailing wages as determined by the Department of Labor. Verticchio said the ordinance used to be required by state law but that provision has been rescinded.

“The state has eliminated the requirement,” Verticchio said. “However, almost all municipalities that have union employees are passing it as a show of good faith.”

EXECUTIVE SESSION/LEGAL

No action followed a 10-minute executive session to discuss legal issues. City Attorney Verticchio reported that state statute now outlines procedures for municipalities to remove derelict cars from private property.

“If it’s inoperable and it’s unregistered, you can give notice to the property owner to remove it within seven days,” Verticchio said. If the property owners fails to remove the vehicle, the city can go onto the property after seven days, remove the vehicle and impound it. If no one redeems the vehicle within 30 days, the city can then apply for a title and dispose of the vehicle.

Ald. Balzraine asked Verticchio to cite the owner of 402 S. Kentucky for an ordinance violation for allowing junk to accumulate in the yard and alley.

Council members approved a bid of $1,850 from Emmons Tree Service, Carlinville, to take down three dead or dying trees on city boulevards, and trim a tree in the 200 block of South Main Street. The bid includes stump grinding for the three trees being removed.

Ald. Norm Emmons commented that a number of golf carts operating in the city are unlicensed and have not been inspected. He also mentioned that property owners may need to be reminded that a building permit is needed for improvement projects involving construction, and that back yard pools must be enclosed by a fence at least six feet in height.

City Clerk Koyne reminded water customers to check the back of their bills where information about scheduling for street oil and chip programs will be posted.

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