Justin Vonder Haar, an engineer with HMG Engineers, Breese, updated the council on the completion of the sewer project.
Members of the Benld City Council on Monday night approved an appropriation ordinance of nearly $2.4 million to govern spending for the fiscal year that began May 1, and approved final payouts to Haier Plumbing and Heating, Okawville, totaling $229,948.89 for a recently completed sewer improvement project.
The appropriation ordinance, approved unanimously without discussion on a motion by Finance Chair Ald. Jerry Saracco, is nearly double the city’s typical annual appropriation but exceeds last year’s appropriation by only about $214,000. Last year’s appropriation was inflated by the anticipated expenditure of $640,000, including grant funds, for the sewer improvement project. This year’s spending limit includes the potential expenditure of $600,000 in grant funds to develop the Benld Community Sports Complex on land once occupied by Benld Elementary School.
Though required by law, the appropriation is not necessarily a budgetary device. The ordinance simply sets spending ceilings for various line items.
The newly approved ordinance sets a limit of $1,018,820 for proprietary funds (funds that can be spent only for the specific purpose for which they were collected). The ordinance sets a spending limit of $382,320 for the Sewer Department, compared with last year’s appropriation of $757,420, which included anticipated expenditures for the sewer project. The new ordinance sets a spending ceiling of $501,500 for the Water Department, compared with $528,700 last year, and $135,000 for trash pick-up, compared with $128,000 last year. The appropriation for Motor Fuel Tax Funds stands at $105,000, compared with $96,342 last year.
The General Fund appropriation is $1,274,753, attributed primarily to $600,000 in grant funds for the Sports Complex project. Broken down by specific purposes, the appropriation sets a spending limit of 257,260 for Police Protection, compared with $260,895 last year; $171,075 for Maintenance, compared with $138,275 a year ago; $144,059 for City Property, compared with last year’s appropriation of $144,895; $36,300 for Administration, compared with $34,762 last year; $35,000 for Legal Fees, compared with $30,000 last year; $15,900 for the annual city audit, compared with $5,000 a year ago; $1,200 for Unemployment Insurance; and $7,859 for City Parks, $3,500 for the City Library, $1,300 for the Municipal Band and $1,400 for the City Cemetery, all of which are identical to last year.
SEWER PROJECT PAYOUT
After approving more than $35,000 in change orders, the council voted unanimously to make final payments totaling $229,948.89 to Haier Plumbing and Heating for work completed on an extensive project to improve or replace sewers on the city’s east side. Justin Vonder Haar, an engineer with HMG Engineers, Breese, told council members the change orders include more than $10,000 for additional expenses incurred when workers hit a previously unknown water leak on the south side of the city park, and nearly $20,000 for final quantity adjustments, including an additional half block of sewer line added to the project as a result of the water leak.
On a motion by Ald. John Balzraine, the council voted unanimously to approve the change orders. Council members then voted unanimously, also on a motion by Balzraine, to approve the final payments to Haier Plumbing and Heating. The amount includes a third pay request of $164,473.14 (which includes the change orders), plus a $65,475.75 final payment.
Vonder Haar told the council there will be some paperwork to complete in order to close out the grant. With the grant closeout, Vonder Haar said the council could consider applying for additional grant money to address sewer issues when the application period opens for the next round of grants.
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Vonder Haar also reported briefly on the status of a project to repaint the city’s water tower. The engineer said the tower has been drained and is being prepped for painting. Once the painting is complete, he said, the finish will need to cure a minimum of seven days before the tower is refilled. In the meantime, city residents are relying on water pressure from Gillespie.
Ald. Dustin Fletcher told Vonder Haar that the city experienced something of “a perfect storm” recently when power was interrupted during a thunderstorm. “We ran out of water,” Fletcher said. He asked about the feasibility of installing a generator to ensure such an interruption cannot happen again.
Mayor Jim Kelly, however, said the pump was not the critical component. “EPA doesn’t even want us to have a pump down there,” he said. He explained that a valve controlling the flow of water from Gillespie to Benld automatically closed when the power failed. The city’s water operator has been advised to monitor the valve and determine how to override the closure in the event of a power failure.
MOTOR FUEL TAX PROGRAM
Following a presentation by Doug Ratermann of HMG Engineers, the council voted to accept low bids for materials to be used for this summer’s street maintenance program.
Illiana Construction Co., Urbana, submitted low bids to provide 8,600 gallons of HFE-150 road oil at a cost of $2.87 per gallon, and 4,000 gallons of HFE-300 road oil at a cost of $2.97 per gallon. Ratermann said the HFE-300 is a higher grade of road oil that will be used on street surfaces that were disturbed during the sewer renovation project.
Beelman Logistics, LLC, of East St. Louis, provided the low bid of $25.58 per ton for 500 tons of CA15 rock.
Following a presentation by Doug Ratermann of HMG Engineers, the council voted to accept low bids for materials to be used for this summer’s street maintenance program.
DeLaurent Construction, Wilsonville, narrowly won the bid to spread and roll rock on freshly oiled surfaces with a bid of $21.75 per ton. Illiana Construction provided a bid of $22.50 per ton for the same item.
The total project cost, based on accepted bids, totals $60,662, compared with the engineer’s original estimate of $72,000.
Last November, the council approved a motor fuel tax resolution appropriating $90,000 for the street maintenance program. The appropriation was up $16,000 from the previous year and included $34,547 in Rebuild Illinois grant funds which must be spent before the end of 2023.
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In other action, the council voted to spend up to $3,200 to have Water Treat Technologies chemically eradicate duckweed at the sewage lagoon, and to seek applicants for a cleaning position for the Civic Center. Mayor Kelly said the current cleaning person has taken a full-time job and is no longer available for cleaning after events at the Civic Center.
Wins $2,000 Prize and Video She Created will Air on 160 TV Stations Nationwide
CHICAGO – Emily Bergen, 16, a student at Gillespie High School in Gillespie, has won the annualDrive Safe Chicago public service announcement contest. Antonio Knott, 15, of Merrillville High School in Merrillville IN, placed second in the voting, and Noelani Elizalde, 17, also from Merrillville High School, was third.
Sponsored by the National Road Safety Foundation in partnership with the Chicago Auto Show, teens from Illinois and surrounding states were invited to submit ideas for a 30-second PSA about sharing the road with other passenger vehicles, trucks, motorcycles and pedestrians.
Three finalists were selected and each worked with an Emmy Award-winning producer to transform their PSA submissions into 30-second TV public service announcements. The public was then able to vote for their favorite online. More than 1,400 online votes were cast.
The winner received $2,000 and will be featured on nationally-syndicated Teen Kids News, reaching more than 160 TV stations across the country. The first runner-up got $1,000 and the second runner-up won $500. All three finalists’ teachers received $100 gift cards.
“The carnage on our roads can be reduced if drivers remain aware of others who share the road,” said Michelle Anderson of The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes safe driving. “We think the creative ideas about sharing the road from our Drive Safe Chicago winner and runners-up convey that message effectively.”
“Although today’s new cars are safer than ever, with technological advances that are proven to help avoid crashes,” said Chicago Auto Show Chairwoman Kelly Webb Roberts, “drivers must still be aware of others they are sharing the road with, whether it’s a car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrians.”
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The National Road Safety Foundation says driver error accounts for 94 percent of all fatal crashes, with speeding and driver distraction among the leading factors. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 40,990 people died on U.S. roads and highways in 2023, with hundreds of thousands of injuries and an estimated annual cost of more than $340 billion.
View Bergen’s winning video below:
Bergen’s video is also featured center on the National Road Safety Foundation’s website with the runners-up videos to the right and to the left: https://m.shortstack.page/NLxMqT
Students earning a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher out of a possible 4.0 are named to the President’s List. Those students earning a grade point average between 3.25 and 3.74 are recognized each semester on the Dean’s List.
Further requirements are listed in the college’s online catalog at http://catalog.lc.edu. All questions should be directed to the Enrollment Center at (618) 468-2222. Below is an excerpt containing students residing in Macoupin County.
President’s List
BENLD – Ryleigh L. Phillips; Zander E. Rieffer; Emily R. Schoen; Tristen B. Wargo;
BRIGHTON – Brandon M. Adams; Ike D. Austin; Lainie L. Behrends; Reagan Beilsmith; Ian C. Brantley; Tina M. Brass; Lane Cox; Madison P. Fenstermaker; Hunter D. Gillis; Hailey Gula; Alexis R. Harrop; Gavin Humm; Thomas D. Kunz; Nicholas O. McGee; Audrey A. Perkins; Ava J. Pulley; Alyssa J. Schuchman; Addison Strohbeck; Sydney A. Valdes; Abby Van Doren; Piper L. Voorhees; Madelyn E. Zarges;
BUNKER HILL – Alex Betts; Grant J. Burch; Kayleigh K. Butler; Abigayle L. Collins; Denise Deias; Braden T. Fulton; Dillon M. Guess; Maya R. Henfling; Hannah J. Herrmann; Madalynn Hilyard; Madelyn Landreth; William Manar; Kaylee L. Richert; Andrew Sanner; Abby N. Spraggs; Noah A. Thyer;
CARLINVILLE – Jack E. Beard; Matthew J. Eldred; Jack Goby; Stephanie K. Harding; Gabriel R. Henson; Alexsis A. Kalaher; Weston E. Kuykendall; Lillian McCurley; Emerald Ondrey; Joanna M. Roemer; Jessica N. Strubbe; Karleina J. Tipps; Samuel L. Wilson;
GILLESPIE – Lauren E. Bertagnolli; Ean L. Davis; Lanie G. Doty; Kennedy G. Helmkamp;
MEDORA – Aubrey M. Reno; Anneliese M. Shatley; Haleigh Sinclair;
SHIPMAN – Alyssa L. Beck; Gracie B. Darr; Addison A. Jeffers; Tyson Kahl; Josiah A. Schuette; Bailee A. Sorgea;
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SOUTH ROXANA – Lyndsey M. Johansen; Caden O. Lara; Savanah M. Stogsdill;
STAUNTON – Julie A. Aloisi; Samantha R. Anderson; Zane P. Anderson; Shane Baker; Lilly M. Bandy; Grace Bekeske; Gianna Bianco; Carson G. Buffington; Kiersten L. Carlson; Karla J. Castillo; Izabella Claussen; Lillian Dothager; Olivia M. Favre; Eli J. Henke; Alexis A. Hester; Samantha D. Hoffman; Harold I. Irvin, III; Dylan Jarden; Korryn O. Keehner; Nicholas L. Raphael; Alexis P. Schaaf; Brady Seelbach; Carli L. Skinner; Cole Sternickle; Tyler J. Thompson; Lilly Trettenero; Lillyan S. Troeckler;
Dean’s List
BENLD – Ridge A. Braundmeier; Kaitlynn E. Conner; Elizabeth M. King; Alyssa S. McCollum; Marria D. Middleton; Alyssa F. Schuette;
BRIGHTON – Garrett R. Beuttel; Troy J. Brooks; Emily Y. Cambron; Jacob G. Carpenter; Lucy Childress; Olivia Cody; Logan T. Crane; Tristyn N. Ditterline; Kaylin G. Gerard; Cooper J. Hagen; Ashlyn K. Hall; Evan Hanold; Samuel J. Harshbarger; Amelia R. Hines-Pattan; Ella J. Kadell; Daylin M. King; Kayla A. Lemarr; Tucker Mayhew; Elizabeth L. Milford; Stacey M. Mynatt; Blythe E. Roloff; Jordan R. Short; Shiann Vinson; Grace A. Wylde;
BUNKER HILL – Cole T. Burch; Hanna N. Heeren; Madelynne K. Heflin; Taylor Miklavic; Katelyn J. Miller; Abigail G. Scott;
CARLINVILLE – Boedy E. Baker; Emily A. Barbre; Zachary Chapman; Ella R. Clevenger; Alana N. Dixon; Alison J. Dixon; Nathan Dyer; Addison Eldred; Saralynn I. Joiner; Henry S. Kalaher; William G. Meyer; Chloe A. Payne; Amy L. Pocklington; Jack Rives; Lanna P. Vanderpoel; Ella C. Wise; Braley M. Wiser;
GILLESPIE – Reese E. Bussmann; Regan E. Bussmann; Addie M. Hayes; Karter Mix; Adrianne B. Niemeyer; Grace J. Vandoren; Shannon L. Wright;
MOUNT OLIVE – Libbie M. Nowell;
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PIASA – Anna C. Fink;
SHIPMAN – Kaden G. Cottingham; Rocky Darr; Kathryn M. Mueller; Sayuri Owada; Rocky J. Rose;
STAUNTON – Rylee K. Baugh; David S. Dann; Belle M. Darte; Jacob A. Dillon; Vivienne Dothager; Sean T. Fleming; Kennedy L. Legendre; Zander MacHota; Savannah M. Missey; Nicholas Monahan; Nicole M. Narup; Kelley Perrine; Christopher S. Pritchett; Alivia Royer; Katie N. Schalk; Lakesi Settles; Priya E. Siegfried; Justin A. Smith; Kylie A. Tomso; Whitney Weller;
Gillespie Community will host a Community Blood Drive with ImpactLife, the provider of blood components for local hospitals. The blood drive will be from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Monday, February 17 at 900 Broadway, inside Gillespie Methodist Church Gym.
To donate, please contact Brenda Lowe at (217) 710-1336 or visit www.bloodcenter.org and use code 60020 to locate the drive. You may also call ImpactLife to schedule at 800-747-5401. Appointments are requested.
Potential donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission form available through www.bloodcenter.org) and weigh more than 110 pounds. A photo I.D. is required to donate. For questions about eligibility, please call ImpactLife at (800) 747 5401. Donors who last gave blood on or before 12/23/24 are eligible to give at this drive.