During a brief regular meeting Monday night, the Benld City Council approved up to $4,000 in repair to the city’s jetter truck and voted to cap an unused water line at Clark Street. Council members also voted to approve the installation of insulation at the city maintenance shed and voted to transition the city’s financial accounts to United Community Bank.
Mayor Jim Kelly opened the meeting with a moment of silence in honor of former City Clerk and City Treasurer Mary Ann Scopel, who died last week.
On a motion by Ald. Jerry Saracco, seconded by Ald. John Balzraine, the council voted unanimously to spend up to $4,000 for repairs to the city’s jetter truck. The repairs, which will be done by Clark Welding, Staunton, involves welding and painting the truck’s water tank. Mayor Kelly said additional repair work will be done by city workers.
On Kelly’s recommendation, the council also voted to cap the Clark Street water line on the city’s north side. The line was originally installed to feed a subdivision planned by the late Ned Newingham. Kelly said the line was never turned on. Moreover the lines laid to service the planned subdivision were undersized and never issued a permit by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. According to Kelly, IEPA had told the city its choices were to cap the line or dig up the undersized lines installed for the subdivision that was never realized.
On a motion by Balzraine, the council voted to have City Attorney Rick Verticchio contact the Newingham family and to cap the line.
Council members voted unanimously to declare the former Leone Lumber Yard building at 100 W. Central Avenue a public nuisance. The space was most recently used by Charlie McGrady’s CM Studios to produce life-sized dinosaur sculptures but has since fallen into disrepair and had been subject to vandalism.
In other property-related matters, the council voted to offer for sale a parcel at 301 W. Central Avenue, the former site of Doggie’s Tavern, which was destroyed by fire several years ago. The city acquired the property through condemnation proceedings.
The council unanimously accepted a bid of $3,300 from R-Factor Insulation, Carlinville, to insulate the city’s maintenance shed, and a bid of $1,960 from Young Roofing to install new gutters with covers on the east side of the Civic Center to address an issue with leaking in the northeast corner of the building.
On a motion by Finance Committee Chair Saracco, the council voted unanimously to transition city accounts to United Community Bank following the closure of Associated Bank’s, formerly First National Bank, Benld branch. City Clerk Terri Koyne said it will take some time to transfer accounts to UCB and that financial reports to council members will be somewhat complicated until the transition is complete. An account associated with the recently completed sewer improvement project will remain with Associated Bank until the project is closed out.
In other action, the council voted unanimously to contract with CorrPro, Chesterfield, Mo., to perform a routine annual inspection of the city’s water tower at a cost of $880. The inspection will include replacing bulbs in warning lights atop the tower. CorrPro has performed the annual inspection for the past several years.