Breaking News
Benld passes citywide trash service
Tom Hubert expresses his opinion concerning the trash pickup.
After a lengthy, and sometimes heated, discussion Monday evening during the City of Benld’s monthly business meeting, the city council voted 4-2 to approve citywide trash service with Flowers Sanitation. The service is slated to being in April of 2015.
The decision came at the end of the meeting Monday evening and after 40 minutes of both community and council discussion. With opposition from aldermen Brian Frensko and Peyton Bernot, the measure passed with support from Jim Tilashalski, Teresa Tucker, Jim Kelly and Mickey Robinson.
I believe if we went door-to-door, residents would be in favor of the trash service
Other council members didn’t feel the same way. Alderman Bernot said he didn’t believe in guessing what the entire population would have voted, but rather only considers the “black and white” – who turned out to vote that day. “The measure failed on both propositions, the residents voted against the trash pickup,” Bernot explained. “I don’t believe in the city mandate and I do not support this. It’s a good idea and it needs more work, but our residents don’t want to be forced into it.”
Community members in the audience sided with both aldermen. Tom Hubert voiced his concerns and challenged the council members to vote in the direction that would help the city most. “The council is working hard to get the city cleaned up and Central Avenue is looking better already,” Hubert added. “But, this trash service would help considerably.”
Gina Mendenhall agreed with Hubert and suggested many people who voted in the election did not understand the proposition questions concerning the trash pickup. “I worked the election and I had quite a few questions about what the questions meant, but I couldn’t explain it to them. I could only tell them they were ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions.”
The measure failed on both propositions, the residents voted against the trash pickup
Mayor Gloria Sidar said after the meeting she agreed with the alderpeople who favored the decision. During the meeting she said there has been many misunderstandings concerning the citywide trash service. Sidar said residents in the apartments were under the impression each unit would have to pay for trash and residents who own property, but reside in the nursing home were under the impression they would have to pay for trash. “That is not true,” Sidar said.
The rates Benld residents will now pay for trash service.
More details regarding how the trash service will be billed will be announced at the upcoming council meeting in December.
Old Business
Mayor Sidar reported the three bike racks donated to the city from the Route 66 organization have been picked up, but not yet installed. She explained the bike racks will be located at the playground at Veteran’s Park, the ball field and at the city park.
She continued by explaining the city did not receive the ICEO grant they applied for and only 35 of the 160 entries were funded. She questioned if the council wanted to resubmit their application and the council unanimously approved.
Committee Reports
Alderwoman Tucker reported under city property that the city is still waiting on estimates to fix some lighting. Tucker also said the council is looking into chaining the picnic tables together at the city park to protect them during the off-season. Mayor Sidar added that the dumpster in the city park will not be utilized during the off-season and will be padlocked so the city does not occur any expenses during the winter months.
Alderman Bernot, chairman of finance, reported the proposed levy is due in the last week of December, so the council will take action on it next month. He explained the city will approximately receive $100,000 in their extension, which is a $1,300 increase from last year’s extension.
Ordinance Reminder
Alderman Jim Tilashalski, ordinance and judicial chairman, took the opportunity during his committee report to remind residents of the open burning ordinance that can be found in Article 9 in the city’s update codification book. A copy of the codification is available at the Benld Public Library and will be uploaded to the City of Benld’s website.
The opening burning of landscape waste shall be permitted only on the following conditions
27-9-2: It shall be unlawful to cause or allow open burning of agriculture waste, household waste or garbage.
27-9 restrictions of landscape waste: The opening burning of landscape waste shall be permitted only on the following conditions:
- Landscape waste shall be burned on the premises of which the waste was generated
- Landscape waste shall be burned only when atmospheric conditions support
- Waste can only be burned if the burning does not create a visibility hazard on roadways, walk ways or railroad tracks
- Open burning of landscape waste can only take place during daylight hours with a person of 18 years of age in attendance
- No opening burning of landscape waste shall be permitted on any streets, city property or roadways
- No open burning shall occur during times when the fire chief or chief of police have determined atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make fires hazardous and dangerous
- All burning shall occur between 6 o’clock am and 6 o’clock pm provided all fires extinguished by sunset
- No burning shall occur on Sundays
- No burning is permitted in barrels or any other containers
- All burning shall be conducted on the ground
New Business
Mayor Sidar appointed seven residents to a 6-year appointment for the planning/zoning committee. The city is going to do zoning, but the city needs a committee to execute it. Residents appointed to the committee included Jerry Saracco, Terry Wargo, Dustin Fletcher, Peg Allen, Gina Mendenhall, Tricia Cooper and Norm Emmons. The council unanimously approved the residents appointed to the committee.
Sidar also announced the health care bids came in and they were only a few dollars higher than last year. “They were supposed to be in on December 1 and our policy runs the 15th through the 15th, so they are making an exception and they are covering us from the 15th on,” Sidar closed.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
There are plenty of ways to keep up on BenGil news:
Sign up for our weekly email newsletter
Follow us on Twitter for the fastest breaking news updates and score updates
Like us on Facebook for a slightly different take
Comments
Another major winter storm is forecasted to blanket the BenGil area in heavy rains, flooding and snowfall starting Wednesday night through Thursday.
The mixture of precipitation and rapidly changing weather likely will produce the potential for sudden icing on roads, with high winds leading to blowing snow and reduced visibility.
“The Illinois Department of Transportation’s snow-and-ice teams will be prepared and out in force, but the public needs to be ready for conditions to change quickly and worsen if they are out on the roads,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “As always during periods of extreme weather, the safest option is to postpone any unnecessary trips and stay home. If you must travel, prepare for very slow and potentially hazardous conditions. And please slow down around our plows and other emergency vehicles, giving them plenty of room to do their jobs.”
The National Weather Service is predicting a wintry mix of precipitation to start with thunderstorms and heavy rain in much of the state this evening, converting to freezing rain overnight before turning to snow Thursday morning. In addition to localized flooding, ice and sleet accumulations are likely, creating extremely slippery surfaces and slick conditions.
Due to the rainy conditions ahead of temperatures falling overnight, the effectiveness of pretreating and salting surfaces in advance of significant snowfall will be limited. The public should anticipate icy conditions even when roads appear clear and greatly reduce speeds.
“As the Illinois State Police plans to take on the unpredictable Illinois weather, we would like to remind motorists to do their part in keeping the roads a safe place,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP, alongside IDOT and other agencies, will be working in hazardous weather conditions. Please remember to slow down, stay vigilant and move over for ANY vehicle on the side of the road.”
Statewide, IDOT has available more than 1,800 trucks and equipment to plow, treat roads and respond to weather emergencies. If you encounter a plow or any maintenance vehicle during your travels, please slow down, increase your following distance and remain patient. Do not attempt to pass – conditions in front of the plow will be worse than behind it.
Comments
Police are investigating the death of a Bunker Hill woman who was found dead at the end of her driveway near the roadway on Monday morning, January 31.
Nancy Blycker, 91, had multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call to the 2900 block of Wood Hill Lane around 7:40 a.m. on Monday.
The initial suspicion was homicide, according to a release by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis who said approximately 20 investigators were working the investigation, but the autopsy contradicted that suspicion.
The Major Case Squad said on Tuesday it is “highly unlikely” Blycker’s death was the “result of homicidal means.”
The Major Case Squad turned the case back over to the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department. The official cause of death is pending further lab analysis.
Comments
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the BenGil area, southwestern Illinois, and the St. Louis area.
The warning was issued early Tuesday taking effect at midnight tonight until noon on Thursday, February 3 calling for a “wet, heavy” snow. The forecast also calls for ice prompting a warning about possible power outages.
“All indications continue to point to a disruptive, impactful, and dangerous winter storm impacting the region starting late tonight and lasting through Thursday night,” the National Weather Service said in its Area Forecast Discussion.
The BenGil area is expected to receive heavy mixed precipitation including snow accumulations between 6 and 10 inches, sleet accumulations around three-quarters of an inch, and ice accumulations around two-tenths of an inch. Wind gusts will be as high as 35 mph on Thursday.
The storm is expected to start with rain most of the day today before transitioning into a mixture of freezing rain and/or sleet Tuesday night, then all snow Wednesday morning or as late as Wednesday afternoon continuing until about noon on Thursday.
