Alderman Frank Barrett points to the location of the newly approved lake lots signified by orange dots.

After several minutes of debate, Gillespie City Council members unanimously approved the donation of $5,264.91 to the Illinois Coal Mining Museum, Gillespie, on Monday night. The donation matches private donations the Museum has received since the last time the city committed money to the facility and is in keeping with a pledge the city made to financially support the museum for three years.

[pullquote]City Treasurer Dan Fisher reminded council members that the city had pledged to match donations up to $8,000 per year for a period of three years[/pullquote]

Ald. Dave Tucker, who also chairs the Coal Mining Museum Board, brought up the issue last month, but action was deferred to Monday night because the item was not included on the previously published February agenda. On Monday, he provided aldermen with copies of a spreadsheet detailing cash donations to the Museum in the amount of $5,264.91, which the city earlier had pledged to match. City Treasurer Dan Fisher reminded council members that the city had pledged to match donations up to $8,000 per year for a period of three years. The council initially approved $4,000 in seed money and later matched slightly more than $1,700 in donations. Fisher said Monday night’s action would represent the second payment by the city for the current fiscal year and that the museum would be eligible for up to $8,000 in matching funds with the start of the new fiscal year starting May 1.

“There were questions about where our donations were coming from, and this was to clear that up,” Tucker said, referring to the spreadsheet. In addition to major donations of cash, he said the spreadsheet also included cash donations that were dropped into a donations box at the museum. Responding to a question from Ald. Steve Kluthe, Tucker said the donations the museum receives are used exclusively for developing exhibits and curating the collection. The city continues to foot the bill for heating and cooling the building, the former United Community Bank building on Macoupin Street, which is owned by the city.

Last month, Kluthe had voiced concerns over the city’s obligation to pay for heating and cooling while the museum contributes nothing toward those costs. On Monday night, however, he indicated a change of heart about the issue.

“I brought it up last month,” he said. “But we have to pay for heat and upkeep because it is our building. Even if the museum wasn’t in there, we’d have to keep the water and electricity on. Whatever we do with that building, we have to maintain it in the meantime.”

The city has aspirations of someday selling the property if a suitable buyer can be found. To that end, it has spent significant amounts in Tax Increment Financing funds to abate mold and asbestos in the building. If and when the building is sold, the Coal Museum would likely be required to move into a new location.

Kluthe praised the museum’s position as a part of tourism development for the community, particularly in conjunction with Route 66 tourism.

“There are things coming into the community that the museum will be a part of,” he said. “It’s like a spider web” where projects are connected to one another. In addition, he noted that Tucker’s spreadsheet documented that the Museum Board is appropriately “using their donations for exhibits.”

[pullquote]This is a good kick off place for Gillespie on Route 66[/pullquote]

“This is a good kick off place for Gillespie on Route 66,” said Mayor John Hicks. “It gives people a place to stop and spend time here.”

He also urged city aldermen to visit the museum and see what it has to offer.  “If you go in there and see what they’ve done, I think you’ll have a better appreciation for it,” he said. “It is our building. Even if it was empty, we’d be paying for heating and electricity.” He said having the museum in the building actually is an advantage for the city because it means people are in the building to monitor conditions and guard against deterioration.

On a motion by Ald. Dianna Brickey, seconded by Ald. Frank Barrett, the council voted unanimously to approve the funding. Tucker and Ald. Jim Anderson, who also serves on the Museum Board, abstained from the vote.

LAKE LOTS

On a motion by Ald. Barrett, the council approved the creation of 26 new lake lots on New Gillespie Lake. The new lots include 11 locations on the northeast side of the lake off Bishop Drive, 12 on the west side of the lake off Spanish Needle Road, two lots east of the dam and spillway and one lot, and one lot on an arm of the lake lying to the south of the main channel. All of the new lots can be accessed by road, Barrett said, and will be likely to replace some lots that currently are accessible only by boat.

“If we pass this tonight,” Barrett said as he pointed out the locations on a map of the lake, “I’ve already got five of them leased.”

Ald. Kluthe seconded Barrett’s motion to create the new lots.

City Treasurer Fisher, however, voiced some concerns about the measure.

“I think the idea of adding these lots is probably fine, but somewhere we have to think about where we stand in regard to how many people we can have out there,” he said. “I know we are talking about picnic lots, but these things have a tendency to change classification.” Recreational uses at the lake, he suggested, have to be balanced against potential impacts on the city’s water supply. Among other issues, he said, the additional lots are likely to create a greater demand for water.

Barrett said recreational usage at the lake is “nowhere near” what it was in the 1970s.

“That doesn’t mean things were good then,” Fisher responded.

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[pullquote]We’ve vacated a number of lots on the Old Lake. These are really just equally out what we vacated.[/pullquote]

“We’ve vacated a number of lots on the Old Lake,” Kluthe pointed out. “These are really just equally out what we vacated.”

Fisher continued to question the need for additional lots, noting that about a third of the available lots on the lake currently are not leased.

“I think that between our water and recreation, the two of them can live together,” Barrett commented.

Brought to a vote, the measure was unanimously approved.

In other action related to the lake, the council agreed to increase the allowable length for pontoon boats on the lake from 24 to 28 feet. Barrett said pontoon boats do not pose a wake risk that could contribute to erosion and increasing the length will have no impact on the lake. “I’ve had people go to Litchfield because that can’t put their boat on our lake,” he said.

Council members also agreed to a plan that will allow the lake office to sell state fishing licenses and operate a propane canister exchange, and they voted unanimously to approve the purchase of a brush hog at a cost of $1,950 from Nail Equipment.

City Attorney Kevin Polo was directed to check with the city’s insurance carrier to see if it is financially feasible for the lake to offer a public swimming area this year. Barrett said the measure was under consideration previously and that lake personnel have signage and other amenities available to establish a swimming area if the underwriter will approve liability coverage.

WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

The council took under advisement a proposal presented by Treasurer Fisher to lay the groundwork for financing an estimated $5 million project to replace water lines by paying off an existing EPA loan early. Fisher proposed dipping into $1.8 million in the Water Fund to pay off $482,511 in principal owed to EPA. That loan, with an interest rate of 2.5 percent, is costing the city $127,609 annually to service. Freeing up that money, he said, would put the city in a position to borrow the money it needs for the water infrastructure project, construction on which is anticipated in about 18 months to two years.

“If we act quickly enough, we would be replacing that money with USDA money at less than 2.5 percent,” Fisher said. He said he was looking for authorization to pay off the loan and lay the groundwork for borrowing money for the water improvement project. “We can stop at any time if it doesn’t look like its going to be a good idea.”

[pullquote]I think the priority has to be the spillway.[/pullquote]

Mayor Hicks and Ald. Collin Mussatto both objected, however, citing a project to repair the dam and spillway at Gillespie Lake as a top priority.

“Are you going to fix the spillway first?” Mussatto asked, adding that it would be impractical to invest in improving water infrastructure if the dam is in danger of failing.

“I think the priority has to be the spillway,” Mayor Hicks agreed. “Then we can go forward with your other projects.”

EXECUTIVE SESSION AND MEMORIAM

No action followed a brief executive session requested by City Attorney Polo to discuss collective bargaining and possible litigation.

Mayor Hicks opened the meeting by asking aldermen and visitors to observe of moment of silence for the late Millie Stewart who served in the City Clerk’s office for more than 30 years.

NEW SPEED LIMIT ON WALNUT STREET

On a motion by Ald. Kluthe, the council directed City Attorney Polo to draft an ordinance imposing a 15 mile per hour speed limit on Walnut Street between Montgomery and Clinton streets. Kluthe said the speed limit is a safety measure requested by the Illinois Valley Rehabilitation Center.

“There are a lot of young people and people who work at Illinois Valley who criss-cross that street every day,” Kluthe said. “I think we’re getting ahead of the problem by doing something before something happens.”

The ordinance will be formally presented for adoption in April.

CULVERT ORDINANCE

Council members unanimously approved an ordinance that will allow the city to replace culverts over the objection of property owners and add the cost of the culvert to the resident’s water bill. Mayor Hicks discussed the measure in February, noting that city has a program to provide labor to replace culverts with the property owner assuming the cost of materials. He said that if several residents in a block replace their culverts and one resident refuses, water will still back up behind the old culvert and basically nullify the advantages of replacing the others. The new ordinance will allow city workers to replace an inadequate or deteriorated culvert regardless of whether the landowner agrees.

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Also approved was a resolution calling for the closure of a portion of Illinois Route 4 for the annual Black Diamond Days festival in June. Ald. Jerry Dolliger, who serves on the Black Diamond Days committee, reported the committee is considering rerouting the parade route this year, with the parade lining up on Macoupin Street south of Pine Street and ending at the High School.

OTHER ACTION

In other action, the council:

• Agreed to install a six-foot fence around the communications tower at the Police Department at a cost of $1,680, and a six-foot fence around a lift station at the sewage treatment plant at a cost of $2,900.
• Agreed to purchase an ammonia scale for the Water Plant at a cost not to exceed $2,000.
• Referred to committee a resolution to reimburse city employees and officials for travel and meals while traveling. The resolution is required by law as of this year. The committee will discuss rates of reimbursement to be included in the document.
• Approved a modification to employee’s wage rates to bring non-union wages commensurate with wages paid to union employees. The resolution essentially calls for a three percent raise retroactive to Jan. 1 and a three percent increase effective on Jan. 1, 2018.
• Tabled a resolution to authorize the expenditure of Tax Increment Finance funds pending receipt of bids to move a generator from the former Police Department location to the Civic Center.

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