Community News
Gillespie Council awards contract for water infrastructure improvement project
The council heard an extensive presentation from Eric Little, representing Illinois Municipal League, regarding 2019 insurance coverage.
Members of the Gillespie City Council voted unanimously on Monday night to award an $8.8 million contract to Haier Plumbing and Heating, Okawville, for a $10 million water infrastructure improvement project expected to get underway in early spring 2019. Haier submitted the lowest of four bids submitted by qualified contractors for the project. Bids were opened Oct. 18.
“The numbers came in a little higher than we had expected,” said Dan Fisher, City Treasurer. “Rural Development wants us to go ahead and award the contract because these bids are only good to Jan. 1.”
The project, which will replace water distribution lines throughout the city, is being financed with a $6,350,000 USDA Rural Development bond issue along with a USDA Water and Waste System grant of $3.65 million. The bonds are expected to be repaid over a period 40 years. Fisher said Haier’s original bid, combined with engineering costs, would have put the project over the $10 million budget ceiling. In conjunction with awarding the contract, the council also approved a change order to reduce the scope of the project by $941,081 to bring the total projected cost of the project within $10 million.
Fisher said the change order eliminates a number of interconnect valves included in the original design.
“What’s that going to do to our project?” Ald. Jan Weidner asked.
“It’s Roger’s (Curry of Curry and Associates) opinion that we had a few more than we needed,” Fisher said. If the city decides the valves are needed, they can be installed at a later date after the project is completed, he said. “It really won’t affect us at all.”
[pullquote]While actions taken by the council Monday night reduced the scope of the project, the council also authorized city officials to apply for additional funds which would allow the city to restore the nearly $1 million worth of work cut from the project.[/pullquote]
While actions taken by the council Monday night reduced the scope of the project, the council also authorized city officials to apply for additional funds which would allow the city to restore the nearly $1 million worth of work cut from the project.
“Rural Development has given us an opportunity to get back that $1 million we just cut,” Fisher reported. “We don’t know how much of that will be grant money and how much would be a grant, but we can’t get it if we don’t apply.”
The council voted unanimously to apply for the funds on a motion by Ald. Frank Barrett, seconded by Ald. Dave Tucker.
“Again,” Fisher emphasized, “it’s just an application. If they give it to us, we don’t have to accept it.”
While taking no formal action, the council briefly discussed the possibility of adding a surcharge of $1 to municipal water and sewer bills to generate additional revenue to help retire the debt the city incurred for the infrastructure improvement project.
“This is something we’re probably going to have to look at,” Mayor John Hicks said, adding that a 10 percent surcharge would increase the $22 minimum bill to $24.20.
“I’d do $1 on the head end,” said Fisher, with a possibility of adding another $1 when the project gets underway. The $1 surcharge would generate about $2,000 per month in additional revenue that could be used to start retiring the debt. “As you know, it’s hard to catch up if you get behind,” Fisher said. He said that even with the surcharge, Gillespie will have one of the lowest water and sewer rates in the area.
The council took several other actions in conjunction with the infrastructure improvement project, including:
- Approved a water project document protocol, basically a technicality to allow city officials to produce and sign documents required by USDA as needed.
- Authorized the assistant city clerk to open “any and all” bank accounts required for the project. “There are several bank accounts that will be needed, some of which need to be opened now.”
- Authorized payment of invoices submitted by Curry and Associates Engineers and City Attorney Kevin Polo for work completed to date in conjunction with the project.
In a related matter, the council approved a $300,000 motor fuel tax resolution to appropriate money for the city’s annual street maintenance program, along with work that will be needed to restore streets and sidewalks disrupted by excavation done during the water project.
PROPERTY TAX LEVY EXCEEDS $320,000
Prior to Monday night’s meeting, the council conducted a required public hearing on the city’s proposed property tax levy and approved a total levy of $324,294 for 2018 property taxes to be collected in 2019. The total levy exceeds last year’s levy by five percent, or $15,491. The Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) that is in effect in Macoupin County restricts municipalities to increase the annual levy by no more than five percent of the previous year’s tax extension or by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is less. Typically, the annual CPI is far less than five percent. The final levy and tax rate is determined by the County Clerk on the basis of the city’s total equalized assessed valuation. Most taxing bodies approve levies asking for a full five percent, although the final levy usually is somewhat less.
Line by line, the newly approved levy seeks $53,188 for corporate purposes, compared with $50,655 levied last year. For Police Protection, $22,900 is levied, compared with $21,810 last year; $31,026 is levied for Streets and Bridges, compared with $29,549 last year; $51,709 is levied for Liability Insurance, compared with $49,247 last year; $8,864 is levied for Emergency Services and Disaster Administration, compared with $8,442 last year; $13,296 is levied for Parks, compared with $12,663 last year; and $2,955 is levied for the Municipal Band, compared with $2,814.
Nearly a third of the levy—$93,078—is earmarked for Social Security, compared with $88,646 last year. A total of $47,278 is levied for the Public Library, compared with $45,883 last year.
Excluding the $10 million the city expects to spend on the water project in 2019, property taxes typically account for about 10 percent of what the city spends annually.
No members of the public asked questions or voiced concerns about the levy during the public hearing.
CITY SWITCHES INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR 2019
Meeting in a brief adjourned session on Wednesday morning, council members voted to award the contract for insurance coverage for 2019 to Illinois Municipal League’s Risk Management Association at a cost of $69,000 for one year of coverage.
The council heard extensive presentations from Eric Little regarding the IML’s proposal, and from Matt Gazda of Gazda Insurance, Carlinville, and Mitch Newell of Dimond Bros. Insurance, Carlinville, on a jointly prepared proposal for coverage offered through the Illinois Counties Risk Management Trust (ICRMT), which also is a shared risk program. Cost of the Gazda/Dimond proposal amounted to $101,000 for 11 months of coverage. Gazda/Dimond has held the contract for insurance coverage for the past several years, though the policy was written through another carrier.
With the current policy set to expire Dec. 31, Mayor Hicks said the council would need time to review both proposals and make a decision at a later date.
“Will we need a special meeting?” asked Ald. Dona Rauzi.
“I think we’ll have to unless we’re willing to make a decision on one of these tonight, so we will have insurance on Jan. 1,” said Polo.
Hicks suggested meeting on Wednesday morning, but Polo noted that would not allow the legally required 48 hours needed to give public notice of a special meeting, Fisher offered the possibility, however, of continuing Monday night’s meeting to Wednesday without adjourning in order to avoid the need for calling a special meeting of the council.
Little noted that the city had purchased insurance through IML’s Risk Management Association for nearly 30 years before switching to Gazda/Dimond several years ago. “We’d like to get you back,” he said.
The policy he offered featured lowered deductibles in most categories than the city’s current policies. The policy provides damage and loss coverage for city property, including vehicles; liability insurance for up to $8 million per occurrence; cyber liability insurance up to $100,000; workers compensation coverage; bonding coverage for city officials and umbrella coverage of up to $5 million for issues not covered by other aspects of the policy.
“I think a big difference is our limits and our deductibles,” said Little. “That’s where we really shine.”
Newell presented the Gazda/Dimond proposal, noting that the ICRMT coverage was largely the same as that offered by IML and that deductibles were significantly lower than the city’s current policy.
“ICRMT has over 50 percent of the counties in Illinois,” Gazda added. “It’s not an ‘accessible’ policy. That’s very important. If another municipality has a big loss, it wouldn’t affect Gillespie. The deductibles with ICRMT are a lot higher, a lot better (than the current policy).”
TOURISM GRANT APPLICATION
With a 4-1 vote, the council agreed to move forward with an application for a $50,000 grant from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Tourism Office to continue improvements to the former United Community Bank building which currently houses the Illinois Coal Museum. The matching grant, if awarded, would have to be leveraged with $50,000 in city funds.
Ald. Tucker said the grant would allow the city to complete work on both the first and second floors of the building, make improvements for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and make improvements to the building’s facade.
Fisher said much of the work is eligible for Tax Increment Financing expenditures, so TIF funds could be used for the city’s match. He said the TIF Fund currently has about $221,644 available.
[pullquote]“It’s a good opportunity for us,” Fisher said. “It’s a way to get some money in and make some improvements to that building.”[/pullquote]
“It’s a good opportunity for us,” Fisher said. “It’s a way to get some money in and make some improvements to that building.”
Brought to a vote on a motion by Tucker, the measure passed with Ald. Barrett, Tucker, Rauzi and Jerry Dolliger voting “yes.” Ald. Weidner cast the sole dissenting vote.
POLICE CONTRACT
Council members voted unanimously to accept a newly negotiated contract with the Fraternal Order of Police, the union representing local police officers. The three-year contract calls for salary increases of five percent in the first year and one percent in each of the remaining two years, and it sets starting wages for new officers at $17.03 per hour.
On a motion by Tucker, seconded by Rauzi, the council also approved a two-year contract to provide police protection services to the Village of Mount Clare, which recently terminated its contract with the City of Benld. Under terms of the contract, Gillespie police will provide 26 hours of patrol at a cost of $1,500.
Acting on the recommendation of Police Chief Jared DePoppe, the council voted to hire Ellen Kuhlman as a full-time police dispatcher. DePoppe said Kuhlman has been a part-time dispatcher for the department for about one year. “She’s done a good job for us,” DePoppe said.
The council also gave the mayor authority to hire a full-time police officer when DePoppe is able to recommend a candidate to replace an officer recently assigned to serve as a School Resource Officer under an agreement with Community Unit School District 7. Council members met briefly with a presumed candidate during an hour-long executive session convened to discuss collective bargaining and personnel.
457 PLAN ADJUSTMENT
Council members voted unanimously to adjust the 457 Retirement Plan offered to city employees which will allow employees to borrow from their accumulated funds in lieu of cashing out their plans for emergency expenses. Polo said the revision should cut down on redemptions, which ultimately negatively impacts employee retirement plans.
Polo said the current plan currently has no provision for employees to borrow from their funds. Under the new provisions, an employee can borrow up to 50 percent of the vested amount and pay it back via payroll deduction at 5.25 percent interest. Since the employees basically will be borrowing funds from themselves, the interest payments will accrue to their 457 Retirement Fund.
“It provides an opportunity for them to borrow from their fund without hurting their retirement plan,” Polo said.
CHLORINE COMPLAINT
The council heard brief from Gayla Crites, who complained about chlorine levels in water entering her home. She said she complained about excessive chlorine when Steve Kluthe was serving as alderman for her ward. She said Kluthe arranged to have the water tested and later told her that the chlorine level was acceptable under state standards.
“I’m telling you, I take a shower and I can’t breathe and my eyes burn,” she said. “What really worries me is babies—putting them in that water for a bath and them breathing it into their little lungs.”
Mayor Hicks said he would have someone come to her home to take water samples as well as samples from neighboring residences.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the council:
- Approved the transfer of a lease for lake lot 439B Lakeview Lane to Kenneth and Deborah Hanner of Bunker Hill, and the transfer of a lease for lake lot 370 to Melissa Loftis.
- Approved Christmas bonuses of $100 for full-time city employees and $50 for part-time employees.
- Approved the release of a $6,200 TIF grant to Adam Tallman for exterior work done to the exterior of the former Drew Ford building contingent upon him certifying completion of the project.
- Amended the city’s liquor license ordinance to limit the number of gambling establishments. The city has 13 available licenses, two of which are available. The amendment limits the number of Class A licenses to seven and the number of Class B or C licenses to six.
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Gillespie 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, May 11 at 900 Broadway, inside Gillespie Methodist Church Gym.
To donate, please contact Brenda Lowe at (217) 7101336 or visit www.bloodcenter.org and use code 60020 to locate the drive. Appointments are requested. You may also call ImpactLife at 800-747-5401 to schedule.
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) 7475401. Donors who last gave blood on or before March 16, 2026, are eligible to give at this drive.
Blood donation is a safe, simple procedure that takes about 45 minutes to one hour. Individuals with diabetes or controlled high blood pressure may be accepted as eligible donors.
ImpactLife is a nonprofit community organization providing blood products and services to more than 100 hospitals and emergency medical service providers in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin, as well as researchers and resource sharing partners across the country.
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Members of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education on Wednesday night approved a package of four capital improvement projects totaling more than $160,000 in value. Work will start on the projects after the end of the current school year and is expected to be completed before the start of the 2026-27 academic year in August.
The board met on Wednesday night after Monday’s inclement weather forced the district to reschedule the board’s regular monthly meeting.
The board approved entering into a contract with Fisher Tracks, Boone, Iowa, to resurface the district’s all-weather track at a cost of $105,209. Supt. Shane Owsley told the board the district will use about $50,000 from an all-weather track activity fund, with the remainder to be paid with proceeds from an alternate revenue bond issue approved last year for capital improvements.
Great Western Abatement, Jerseyville, was retained to remove flooring containing asbestos from the choir room floor and middle school gymnasium school at a cost of $40,700. Great Western’s bid was the lowest of seven bids, ranging up to $65,000, submitted for the work. Additionally, the district is paying $8,900 to Reliable Environmental Services, Springfield, for engineering and design work associated with the asbestos removal.
All-purpose rubberized flooring material will be installed on the middle school gym floor by Dynamic Sports Construction, Leander, Texas, at a cost of $51,424.
For the first time in a number of years, the high school gymnasium floor will be sanded and refinished with new artwork. Blast Technologies, St. Louis, was hired to sand the 4,200-square-foot floor at a cost of $5,250. Designs Unlimited, Pinckneyville, will paint game lines and logos on the floor before sealing it with a clear stain at a cost not to exceed $18,738.
The board also accepted a bid of $33,890 from DeLaurent Construction, Wilsonville, to resurface the 118,700-square-foot parking lot at Benld Elementary School.
Though no action was taken, Board President Mark Hayes reported that the Building and Grounds Committee had directed Owsley to investigate the cost of replacing the CUSD 7 administrative building.
“This building is very much in need of replacement,” Hayes said. “It’s beyond its time.” During Monday’s torrential rainfall, Hayes said water came in through windows and water seeped in under the sill plate, bringing displaced nightcrawlers into the building. Staff members ran fans after the storm in an effort to dry out the interior.
According to Hayes, the school has been in contact with the local Baptist Church to investigate the possibility of acquiring the former Trinity Baptist Church for use as an administrative building. Church officials, however, have not yet made a decision about the fate of the former sanctuary after Gillespie’s two Baptist churches merged.
Owsley said the current administrative building comprises about 6,000 square feet. Current estimates are $400 per square foot for new construction which would translate into about $2.5 million to replace the administrative facility. The district might be able to shave some dollars off that estimate by reducing the size of the building.
“There’s a lot of unusable space in this building,” Owsley said, suggesting a more efficient floorpan could reduce cost. He also mentioned the possibility of a basement to provide storage space for outdated documents.
In addition to construction costs, Owsley noted, the district would be responsible for tearing down the existing building.
“I have no idea what’s in this building,” Owsley said, raising abatement concerns. “I’m guessing disposal of this building is going to be expensive.”
Hayes said Kevin Wills, the district’s bond issue advisor, will attend the June board meeting to discuss the possibility of refinancing some existing bonds to free up enough revenue to build a new administrative building. The administration currently is housed in a “temporary” structure that has served as the administration building for several decades.
MINE SUBSIDENCE STUDY
After several minutes of discussion, the board took no action in relation to entering into a contract with Marino Engineering and Associates to assess the district’s risk for incurring damage from a mine subsidence event. Owsley said existing maps show that portions of Gillespie Middle School are undermined. While the high school is not undermined, a major subsidence would likely damage the high school as well as the middle school. In recent months, more than one residential home on Elm Street near the school property has experienced damage from mine subsidence.
Marino’s $94,000 Phase I proposal would “determine the likelihood of something happening to one of our buildings,” Owsley said. The problem is that too much information could negatively impact the district’s ability to purchase subsidence insurance. “Information is great until it’s not.”
The district currently pays about $300,000 for mine subsidence insurance on the middle school, high school and vocational arts building. The school carries no subsidence insurance on BenGil Elementary because mine shafts under the building were grouted before the school was built.
“If we find out there’s not a major concern,” Owsley noted, it could reduce the district’s subsidence insurance costs.
On the other hand, if the study reveals a high risk of experiencing mine subsidence, the insurer could drop the district at the end of the current policy’s term. With only two companies in the country offering subsidence insurance, the district could end up with no insurance at all to cover damage from mine subsidence.
The only way to avoid that scenario would be to implement whatever options Marino might recommend to reduce risk. Those recommendations would likely include grouting (backfilling) mine shafts under the middle school. Grouting for the elementary school cost $4 million. To grout under the middle school would likely run as much as $6 million or more.
The only way the study would make sense, Owsley suggested, would be if the district was “comfortable making the corrections the study is going to make.”
Moreover, $94,000 would cover only a preliminary assessment.
“To get a full understanding of what’s going on underground, we’d be looking at a half million dollars,” said Owsley.
The issue was allowed to die when no board member moved to consider the contract.
COMMUNITY SOLAR PARTICIPATION
On a motion by Bill Carter, seconded by Weye Schmidt, the board voted unanimously to enter into a contract with Summit Ridge Solar to participate in a community solar project. Under terms of the 15-year contract, the district will realize a 13 percent savings on electrical power bills. The contract is automatically renewable for five years unless the district chooses to withdraw.
“Illinois provides a number of incentives for using solar,” Owsley said. “However, not everyone likes the look of having solar panels on their property. This will get us the benefits without putting up solar panels on our property.”
Summit Ridge’s proposal was the most lucrative of the proposals the district received. Other companies offered shorter terms with savings of five percent.
After 20 years, it’s likely the savings would drop to five percent. Owsley said he was told the district was better off going with the longer contract to get 13 percent in savings for as long as possible.
The school district was able to secure such favorable rates, according to Owsley is because there is an issue with solar fields storing the power they generate. “Our main usage time is during their maximum production time.”
DISTRICT FOCUS
During a District Focus segment, the board recognized sophomore Matrix Wright, whose art was the only entry from the United States included in the 2026 TOLI International Student Art Exhibition. The exhibition is a project of The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies in New York. The exhibit includes student art relating to themes associated with the Holocaust.
Wright’s work, entitled “An Immortal Continuum,” attempts to portray “the constant entrapment a Holocaust survivor might feel.”
Exhibition organizers received more than 250 entries from around the globe.
BUDGET PROCESS
On a motion by Peyton Bernot, seconded by Board President Hayes, board members voted unanimously to begin work on developing a district budget for fiscal 2027. Board members also approved a routine measure to permit expenditure of fiscal 2027 funds after July 1, pending approval of a new budget.
The school district’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30 but new budgets typically are approved two to four months after the start of the fiscal year.
The current fiscal year’s $19 million budget was approved in September last year.
PERSONNEL
Following a one-hour executive session to discuss personnel and other issues, the board voted unanimously to approve the request of long-time middle school English and language arts teacher Kim Henderson, effective at the end of the 2028-29 school year.
Board members also voted unanimously to hire Andrew Crook as a first-year, non-tenured high school English teacher for the 2026-27 school year, pending documentation of certification and a routine background check. A graduate of Gillespie High School, Crook earned his teaching certificate at Illinois College, Jacksonville and for the past two years, he taught English at North Mac High School.
In separate actions, the board made multiple assignments to staff the district’s summer school program. Those hired include: Jessica Kelly as a middle school teacher, Ashlee Gibbs as a high school math teacher, and Jennifer Brown and Rob Macias as high school drivers’ education instructors. Each of the positions are contingent upon adequate student enrollment to offer the classes. In addition to academic staff, the board hired Andy Hirstein as a summer school food service worker.
The board voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Foli Seferi as high school paraprofessional and as assisted football coach. Both resignations are effective immediately.
In other personnel action, the board appointed Cate Plovich as the BenGil Elementary School yearbook sponsor, and appointed Josh Ross as a volunteer assistant football coach, pending documentation of certification and a routine background check.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board:
• Approved a mens highs school soccer coop with the Carlinville School District, with the provision Carlinville will dissolve the agreement if it pushes its program into a higher competitive classification.
• Approved an intergovernmental agreement with Lewis and Clark Community College under which the college will recognize some high school courses as college level credits.
• Approved early graduation requests for an undisclosed number of students, provided all graduation requirements are met.
• Approved renewing the district’s membership in the Illinois Elementary Schools Association.
• Approved the final calendar for the 2025-26 school year pending no further emergency days. Barring the use of emergency days, Monday, May 18 will be the last day of student attendance, with graduation ceremonies set at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 17.
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One of the greatest annual events in American sports is the Saturday is the Kentucky Derby, which will be run for the 152nd time this Saturday. One past champion was bred in Macoupin County.
This week marks 137 years since the victory of Spokane, who captured the 1889 Kentucky Derby during the infancy of the event. The horse was bred at “The Meadows,” the farm of Gen. Richard Rowett one mile north of Carlinville.
Rowett horses, and their jockey colors of orange jacket and blue cap, were on tracks throughout the west and south. But Spokane was the greatest production of The Meadows, a nationally recognized breeding ground for thoroughbreds.
In 1885, a prized dark brown horse named Hyder Ali was standing at The Meadows when Rowett bred him to one of his top mares, Interpose. This pairing had produced favorable offspring in the past, including Grey Cloud, a fine racer owned by Noah Armstrong of the Doncaster Ranch near Twin Bridges in the Montana Territory.
Armstrong’s famous stable included such horses as Lord Raglan, the third-place finisher in the 1883 Kentucky Derby. When Rowett offered Interpose for sale late in 1885, Armstrong, familiar with the high quality of Rowett stock, purchased the pregnant mare and her suckling filly, Madelin, for the price of $1,000 and shipped the brood to Montana.
The Doncaster Ranch was known for its spectacular, three-story round barn that featured an indoor track. While in Spokane in the Washington Territory on business, Armstrong received word of the birth of Interpose’s colt. In honor of the city, he named the colt Spokane.
Spokane showed great promise as a two-year-old, winning two of five starts in 1888, and Armstrong entered him in the 1889 Kentucky Derby. Although a premier race, the Derby had not achieved the monumental status it enjoys today.
The race was run on May 9, 1889–a Thursday–in front of a crowd of 25,000, a fraction of the throngs that fill Churchill Downs today.
Home state favorite Proctor Knott was the overwhelming favorite at 1-to-2, while the relatively unknown Spokane was listed at 10-to-1 odds. That was enough for Frank James, brother of outlaw Jessie and a regular at countless tracks.
James, flush with a windfall of $2,400 from an earlier race that day, asked a bookmaker of the odds on Spokane. The reply was “Ten-to-one and the sky’s the limit.” James threw down $5,000 on Spokane, causing the bookmaker to reply, “As far as I’m concerned, that’s the sky!”
Under jockey Thomas Kiley, Spokane edged Proctor Knott by a head, setting a record at 2:34 ½ over the mile-and-a-half layout (it was changed to a mile and a quarter in 1896). He remains the only Kentucky Derby winner ever born in Montana.
Proving the win was no fluke, Spokane again beat Proctor Knott five days later at the Clark Stakes in Louisville. On June 22, Spokane won another key race of the era, the American Derby at Washington Park in Chicago, to become the first horse to win both races in the same season.
Back in Illinois, Rowett did not live to see the triumph of Spokane, as he died on July 13, 1887. His death was covered on page one of the New York Times the following day.
In addition to breeding, Rowett is also remembered as the first to introduce the true-bred beagle hound to this country from his native England. Prior to that, he was a Civil War officer and state politician.
The only horse actually born in Illinois to win the Kentucky Derby was the 1970 champion, Dust Commander.
Tom Emery of Carlinville, who wrote the award-winning biography Richard Rowett: Thoroughbreds, Beagles, and the Civil War, may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
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