CUSD 7 News
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On Monday, September 26, school district #7 had their annual budget meeting for the 2011-2012 fiscal school year.
Revenue:
Estimated Revenue for 2011-2012
Revenue broken down by categories:
Local funding would come from taxes, book rental, & lunch fees.
Local funding would come from tax levy & private donations for the track.
Tax levy is determined by debt retirement.
Local funding would come from taxes and interest.
Local Taxes
Comments
Members of the Community Unit School District No. 7 Board of Education on Monday night unanimously approved a $19.2 million budget to govern spending for the fiscal year that began July 1. The action followed a 15-minute public hearing during which Supt. Shane Owsley discussed details of the tentative spending plan. Owsley cautioned that although the budget has to be filed with the Illinois State Board of Education by Oct. 1, the document approved Monday night is likely to change because some areas of revenue of expenditures cannot be known by the time the budget is due.
“There are always projects going on or things that come up and things we have to address,” Owsley said. Additionally, he said it is not possible to accurately predict what grants and the amounts of those grants the district might receive during the course of a year. The fiscal 2024-25 budget is similar to last year’s budget, which projected revenue at $20,699,566, with expenditures estimated at $19,532.378. The current year’s budget projects revenue at $19,143,287, with expenditures projected at $19,207,960. While the new budget technically is in deficit by $94,329, the district will end the fiscal year with positive balances in all funds due to healthy end-of-the-year balances in all funds.
The Education Fund represents the lion’s share of the budget, with revenue projected at $14,173,009 and expenditures estimated at $13,751,769. State funding is expected to provide 69 percent of the Education Fund’s revenue, including evidence-based funding and special education/pre-kindergarten allotments. As a Tier I school, Owsley said, the district will receive supplemental funding under the evidence-based formula, but he warned the amount of that supplemental funding is likely to decline next year if the local district is kicked up to a Tier II school. Tier status is determined by the school’s percentage of full per capita funding for educating students. When evidence-based funding began, Owsley noted, CUSD 7 was at 67 percent. This year, the district is at 76 percent, just two percentage points away of being elevated to Tier II.
“We may bump up to Tier II next year,” Owsley noted. “What that means is the tier money we receive will start to decrease.”
Local funding, which includes property tax and student fees, is expected to contribute $2,215,562, or 16 percent, to the Education Fund’s total revenue. Federal funding, including grant programs for Title I and Title II, is expected to account for $2,202,146, or 15 percent of the total. Owsley said the federal government’s share also includes Elementary and Secondary School Recovery funds (ESSR). Designed to help school districts recover from the impact of COVID-19, ESSR funding will end on Dec. 31, meaning next year’s federal share is likely to be substantially less.
Fifty-nine percent of the Education Fund’s expenditures are earmarked for instruction, with two percent allotted for support services and 12 percent for payments to other districts who cooperatively provide educational services for CUSD 7 students. Owsley said he also built in a one percent line item for contingencies in hopes of precluding the necessity of formally amending the budget if expenditures exceed expectations.
Revenue for the Operations and Maintenance Fund are expected to total $1,278,524, which includes $480,284 in local funding, $300,000 from the state, and $475,240 from federal sources, including ESSR funds that will expire at the end of the calendar year. Expenditures are projected at $1,230,195, which includes general maintenance, supplies, utilities and custodial salaries.
The Transportation Fund is expected to have revenue totaling $860,242, with 75 percent of that revenue coming from the state government. Expenditures, totaling $836,090, will include $651,699 (78 percent) for driver salaries and supplies, and $184,391 earmarked for debt services.
A Capital Projects Fund is expected to receive $390,405, accruing from a state grant and the county’s school facilities sales tax. A total of $225,000 will be transferred from other funds to service a $1.6 million alternative revenue bond issue approved earlier this year. Additionally, there will be a $75,000 abatement to taxpayers, as agreed when the one-cent sales tax was approved by voters. The district plans to spend $872,906 from the Capital Projects fund for various capital improvement projects.
For debt services, the budget expects $1,123,614, which will come entirely from local sources including real estate taxes and a county-wide school facilities sales tax, plus $219,308 for the lllinois Municipal Retirement Fund and Social Security contributions. Expenditures are projected at $1,531,362, including payments of $410,887 for the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and Social Security contributions, and $1,120,475 for debt services.
The Tort Fund, which covers legal expenses and insurance premiums, is expected to take in $564,684 and have expenditures of $587,500.
The Working Cash Fund, basically a “rainy day” fund that can loan cash to other funds, will have revenue of $105,707 with no anticipated expenditures.
Three of the funds are projected to be in deficit for the fiscal year. Expenditures are expected to exceed revenue by $91,579 in the IMRF/Social Security Fund, $22,816 in the Tort Fund and $482,501 in the Capital Projects Fund. Because each of those funds have surplus balances, however, all district funds are expected to end the fiscal year in the black. The Capital Projects fund, for example, received an injection of $1.6 million last fiscal year due to the alternative revenue bond sale. That revenue was reflected in last year’s budget, while expenditures from those funds are expected to take place over the next three years.
Allowing for existing balances at the beginning of the fiscal year, the district is expected to end the currently fiscal year with $14,655,840.
According to Owsley’s projections, the Education Fund ended the last fiscal year with a balance of $7,532,031 and is expected to end the current fiscal year with $7,953,271. The Operations and Maintenance Fund had $772,872 at the end of last fiscal year, and is expected to have $821,201 at the end of the current year. Starting with a balance of $518,728, the Transportation Fund is expected to have $542,880 at the end of the current fiscal year. Capital Projects had $1,968,901, due in part to the bond sale, and is expected to end the year with $1,486.400. Debt Service is expected to have $398,697 at the end of the year. IMRF/Social Securities started with $597,467 and is expected to end with $405,888. Starting with $173,558, the Tort Fund is expected to end the fiscal year with $150,742. With zero expenditures expected, the Work Cash Fund is likely to grow from $2,791,054 to $2,896,761 at the end of the fiscal year.
Though allowed by the School Code, CUSD 7 does not have a Fire Prevention/Life Safety fund, Owsley noted. That’s because the limitations imposed by the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), the district cannot levy a tax for the fund without exceeding the tax cap. However, Owsley reported, legislation is being proposed that would allow districts subject to tax caps to levy a Fire Prevention/Life Safety tax without it counting against the cap. If that legislation is passed into law, the district would be able to levy a tax for that fund, thereby establishing a new base for future tax levy calculations.
DISTRICT FOCUS
Macoupin County CEO Board Chair Scott Reichmann asked the board to consider making a $1,000 “investment” in the innovative countywide education program that trains high school seniors in entrepreneurship. Launched in 2017 by a group of Carlinville area business leaders headed by Karmak founder Richard Schein, the Macoupin County Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) provides training to equip high school seniors with the tools they need to launch a business later in life. All eight Macoupin County school districts participate.
Reichmann said this year’s CEO class comprises 12 students, three of whom are from CUSD 7.
“You can tell who the leaders in Gillespie are going to be,” Reichmann said, referring to the GHS seniors.
Reichmann said the class meets in a location that is somewhat centrally located for most students. This year’s class has been meeting at the Illinois Coal Mining Museum in Gillespie. With eight districts involved, some students have a half-hour drive to attend the class.
Each student is assigned a “mentor” from among 30 business leaders on the program’s mentor roster. During the course of the year, students will brainstorm a new business from the ground up, developing a product or service, writing a business plan, and exploring how to finance and promote their business start-up. At the end of the year, the students participate in a CEO Trade Show where they showcase their concepts. Some students in the past have gone on to actually establish the business they developed in the CEO Program.
“I’ve been involved with this from the start,” Reichmann said. “I love this program.”
He told the board the CEP Program is approaching all eight districts in the county to ask for a $1,000 investment. The program receives no state or federal funding and is funded entirely by donations, primarily from Macoupin County businesses. Reichmann said the program typically operates on an annual budget of $35,000 to $40,000, which includes the salary paid to the program facilitator. The Macoupin County program also pays a fee to the Effingham CEO program, which is the parent program for the program in Maocupin County and other areas.
Answering a question from board member Amanda Ross, Reichmann said students can earn college credit through the program if the facilitator has a master’s degree. Former facilitator Pete Visintin held a masters degree. The current facilitator does not, but Reichmann said the local board is working with the Effingham parent program to find a way to offer college credit.
Reichmann was accompanied by Josh Ranger who completed the program in 2022.
“I truly believe it is one of the best classes you can take,” Ranger said. “It had a big impact on my life. It teaches you things from how to talk to people to how to run a business.”
STRATEGIC PLAN
Board members received a new Strategic Plan for the district to guide the district in various areas over the next five years. Written over a period of about 18 months, the new plan was drafted by a 24-member committee that included community members, district administrators and teachers, and two school board members, along with the maintenance director and transportation director.
“This is very impressive,” Board President Mark Hayes said, thanking the committee members who worked on the document.
“This isn’t something that’s going to sit on a shelf,” said Supt. Owsley. “This is going to serve as the roadmap for us for the next five years.” He said he was pleased to report that some of the initiatives outlined in the plan are already being implemented in the district.
The last five-year plan was drafted in 2014 and actually expired in 2019. The work on an update was delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The updated plan focuses on five strategic areas:
• Growth and Development: which includes introducing middle school and high school students to college and career opportunities, promoting off-campus certification programs, expanding the fine arts program, expanding advanced learning and college credit opportunities, and increasing parent involvement in district initiatives.
• Student Mental Health and Physical Well-Being: which includes fostering development of social skills, providing additional food options to improve nutrition, and providing more choices for educational and extra-curricular opportunities.
• Community and Culture: which emphasizes educational opportunities to prepare students to manage personal finances and understand financial responsibility, ensures career or college readiness on the part of GHS graduates, creates a sense of community within the district, and increases sponsorship of non-athletic clubs and organizations within the district.
• Campus Environment: which includes improving and maintaining infrastructure, providing for campus safety and emergency protocols, upgrading libraries and media centers, improving campus parking, upgrading district transportation, and upgrading and maintaining playgrounds at the elementary level.
• Financial and Fiscal Responsibility: which directs the district to seek additional revenue through grants and other resources, manage spending for the greatest efficiency, invest funds for maximum returns, and focus on facility upgrades including enhanced safety measures and expanded scholastic opportunities.
SIXTH DAY ENROLLMENT
The board briefly reviewed sixth-day attendance figures, which is the basis on which school aide formulae are calculated. The number of students enrolled and attending on the sixth day of school this year is down from the previous year, continuing a trend for declining enrollment over the past ten years.
School attendance on the sixth day in CUSD 7 totaled 1,073, which included 498 in elementary school, 245 in middle school and 330 in high school. The total attendance is down from a peak of 1,344 in 2017-18, and a ten-year average of 1,225.
“This is the lowest our enrollment has ever been and it’s not even close,” Owsley said. “We are seeing a pretty dramatic decrease.” Declining enrollment is a countywide phenomenon, according to Owsley, but it will have an impact on staffing needs, budgeting, and other areas.
Without taking formal action, the board authorized Owsley to purchase a $5,000 program from Frontline Analytics which will help project enrollment in the future on the basis of live births, compare test scores with districts of similar size, compare financial information with other districts and otherwise analyze available data.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Supt. Owsley reported to the board that CUSD 7 has been selected to receive a $221,635 Stronger Connections grant which will be used to support Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) staff at BenGil Elementary School. Owsley also reported he has been selected to be a presenter, along with superintendents from Mount Olive, Sparta and Marissa, for a session on Social-Emotional Learning at the American Association of School Administrators next March in New Orleans.
STUDENT DISCIPLINE
Upon returning from a 35-minute executive session, the board voted unanimously to “hold in abeyance” the expulsion of an unidentified student, and transfer the student to the Macoupin County Alternative School for no less than the first semester of the current school year. The action essentially allows the student to avoid being expelled by attending Alternative School classes. The action also allows the student to continue to earn credits toward graduation.
PERSONNEL
Also following the brief closed-door session, the board voted unanimously to hire Chris Fenton as a district custodian.
Laurie Price was hired as a special education bus aide, pending verification of certification and a background check. In separate actions, the board accepted the resignation of Bennie Maddox as a full-route bus driver and rehired him as a substitute driver. Billy Bowles was unanimously employed as a full-route bus driver. Mark Smith was hired as a substitute driver, pending verification of certification and a background check.
The board accepted the resignation of Emilie Campbell as a paraprofessional classroom aide, effective Aug. 22, and hired Shelby Maguire as a paraprofessional classroom aide, pending verification of certification and a background check.
Board members unanimously accepted the resignation of Jan Allan as a part-time cafeteria work and posted the position as vacant.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board:
• Voted unanimously to apply for a $6,000 school maintenance grant.
• Changed the date of the December board meeting from Monday, Dec. 16, to Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Comments
Members of the Community Unit School District 7 voted unanimously Monday night to place the district’s tentative 2024-25 budget on file for public inspection. The document will remain on file for a minimum of 30 days before the board officially adopts a budget during the board’s regular meeting on Monday, Sept. 23.
Board President Mark Hayes emphasized that the budget document on file is “tentative” and likely to change before the final budget is approved. The new budget will govern spending for the fiscal year that began July 1.
Supt. Shane Owsley confirmed the document “will change” over the coming month. Pending grant awards, for example, are likely to alter the tentative budget on the revenue side. During Monday night’s meeting, Owsley confirmed the district has been approved for a $10,000 Breakfast Expansion Grant which will be used to install a salad bar in the high/school middle school cafeteria. During breakfast hours, the bar will be stocked with fresh fruit. He also reported the district has been approved for a Stronger Connections grant that will be used to expand curriculum and teaching opportunities. The amount of the Stronger Connections grant is not yet known but could be as much as $174,985, which is the amount for which the district applied.
Last year’s budget totaled $20 million. At the time last year’s budget was adopted, Owsley indicated the 2025 budget would likely be “less rosy.” Last year’s budget included $2.6 million in Elementary and Secondary School Recovery (ESSR) funds. Those funds will not be available this year, reducing the amount of federal money the district receives by about one-third. Owsley noted last year that the district may have to dip into surplus funds that accumulated as a result of COVID-19 emergency funding in order to balance the 2025 budget.
Approval of the budget will be preceded by a public hearing on Sept., 23 during which Owsley typically provides a PowerPoint presentation illustrating budget details.
PERSONNEL
Following a one-hour executive session, the board hired Tim Wargo as the head middle school baseball coach, and accepted Wargo’s resignation as an assistant middle school baseball coach. Additionally, the board hired Trae Wargo as an assistant middle school baseball coach, filling the vacancy created by Tim Wargo’s resignation.
J.O. Kelly was hired as an assistant football coach, pending verification of certification and a background check.
Board members voted unanimously hire Brandy Ernst as a district paraprofessional, pending verification of certification and a background check.
On a motion by Weye Schmidt, the board hired Terri Rhodes as a special education bus aide, pending a background check. In a separate action, the board voted unanimously to post a vacancy for a special education bus aid.
In other personnel action, the board accepted the resignation of Mike Smith as a full-route bus driver, and reassigned him to a half-route position. In separate actions, the board hired Quinten Heine as a substitute bus driver, pending a background check, and posted a vacancy for a full-route bus driver.
ONGOING PROJECTS
Owsley reported to the board on the status of several life safety projects. He told the board that shatterproof film has been applied to windows and a new intercom system has been installed at the middle school. The intercom system makes it possible for all three schools to communicate with each other in the event of an emergency.
A key card entry system has been installed at the middle school/high school, and workers are in the process of installing secondary locks on classroom doors. The secondary locks provide a means by which teachers can block entry buy an intruder from inside the classroom.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board:
- Voted to enter into an intergovernmental transportation with the Jerseyville School District to provide bus transport for a CUSD 7 student who attends the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville.
- Approved a salary and benefits report for teachers and administrators to be filed with the Illinois State Board of Education. The document also will be available for public review on the CUSD 7 website.
Comments
The City of Gillespie will seek an Open Spaces Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant of up to $600,000 following a unanimous vote by the council Monday night authorizing Mayor John Hicks to sign the application. OSLAD, which is administered by the state Department of Natural Resources, provides matching grants to local governmental units to acquire and/or develop land for outdoor recreation. If the grant application is successful, it would be matched with $600,000 in local funds, resulting in a total project cost of at least $1.2 million.
The action followed a PowerPoint presentation by Austin Burklund of Byrne & Jones Construction, St. Louis, outlining a tentative proposal for improvements to city parks. Byrne & Jones’ proposal includes a $135,000 project to remove and replace playground equipment at Big Brick Park, up to $374,000 to revamp athletic fields at Welfare Park, and $636,400 to install artificial turf on the infields. Possible “add-on” projects include new lighting at Welfare Park at a cost of $640,000, bleachers at a cost of $234,000 and development of a parking area for up to 25 cars at a cost of $99,200. Burklund said his company is still crunching numbers to estimate costs for a three-acre dog park at Welfare and a walking trail around the athletic fields.
Byrne & Jones started in 1976 as an asphalt paving company. In 1997, the company started building all-weather tracks for high schools and universities, which later evolved into developing athletic fields and park facilities. Clients currently include Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, St. Louis University and Washington University. The company was retained to build a new baseball field at Northwestern High School, Palmyra.
Later in the meeting, the council authorized Hicks to apply for the grant on a motion by Ald. Wendy Rolando, seconded by Ald. Dave Link.
In other action, the council discussed rerouted bus traffic for Community Unit School District 7, briefly discussed the status of a proposal to move the Police Department, purchased radio equipment for Gillespie Lake and declared surplus property for sale.
REROUTED BUS TRAFFIC
Mayor Hicks reported to the council that CUSD 7 will reroute bus traffic in order to start classes and dismiss students at the same times every day in all schools. Until this year, the starting and ending times for the elementary school and middle school/high school were staggered to relieve traffic congestion. Hicks said the school asked the Illinois Department of Transportation to install a stop light on Broadway at LJ Avenue but abandoned the idea when the state told the school the project would cost $3 million. CUSD 7 Transportation Director Tim Besserman told the council the school also dismissed the idea of building a road between LJ Avenue and Kelly Street when the cost estimate came back at $6 million.
Hicks told the council the school district now plans to route buses west on Broadway to Kelly Street, south on Kelly to deliver or pick up students at BenGil Elementary School. East on Plum Street for one block, then north on LJ Avenue to deliver and pick up students at the middle school/ high school.
Ald. Landon Pettit said the increased traffic will require the city to tear out and rebuild LJ Avenue. He said the bus traffic will push the current asphalt paving to the shoulder and break up. Making the street a one-way street during the times buses will be using it would encourage buses to straddle the crown and cause even more damage. Pettit also expressed concerns about buses making short turns at the intersection with Broadway, causing the edges of paving material to break off. He suggested a possibility of widening and paving the intersection with concrete to stand up to the increased wear and tear.
Earlier this year, the council approved an ordinance to restrict parking on LJ Avenue.
Besserman told the council some bus drivers tend to clip the intersection when making right turns. To mitigate against that possibility, he said he designed the route to include only left turns, which should be less likely to cause damage. To accommodate simultaneous start and finish times, Besserman said the number of buses has been increased from eight to 10.
Ald. Bill Hayes said the city or school should notify homeowners on Plum Street about increased bus traffic. Some homeowners in the area have already complained about surface damage from heavy traffic, he said.
The council took no action on the issue.
“It’s going to happen Wednesday,” Hicks commented
The council may consider making LJ Avenue, Kelly Street and one block of Plum Street one-way streets from 7-8 a.m. and 3-4 p.m. if it appears such action is necessary.
“I don’t think we have a choice,” Ald. Rolando concluded.
In a related matter, the council directed City Attorney Rick Verticchio to write an ordinance to enable the city to erect School Zone signs on Kelly Street from Broadway to Plum. Ald. Dona Rauzi said School Resource Officer Wade Hendricks asked for the signs and Gillespie Police Chief Jared DePoppe concurred.
CAMERAS AND CARS
The council voted unanimously to authorize Chief DePoppe to buy body cameras for Gillespie police officers, contingent upon the Police Department receiving a grant to help offset the cost. DePoppe told the council he can buy 12 cameras for $50,000. He said final approval for the Department’s grant application is pending, though the Department has received Phase I approval. If the grant application is successful, the city will be awarded $34,000 to put toward purchasing the body cams.
A new Illinois law requires all police officers to be equipped with body-cams as of January 1, 2025.
Council members also authorized DePoppe to apply for a USDA grant to cover up to 55 percent of the cost of a new squad car. DePoppe said he secured a price of $52,940 from Morrow Brothers Ford, Greenfield, for a 2025 Interceptor fully equipped for police patrol. Morrow Brothers holds the state contract for vehicles, meaning municipalities can buy from them without bidding.
City Treasurer Dan Fisher said the grant award will be based on the average household income for Gillespie, meaning the city is unlikely to get the maximum 55 percent of the purchase price. “The most we’ll be likely to get will be $15,000 to $17,000,” he said.
Ald. Pettit asked DePoppe if he would consider buying a truck for patrol work, with an eye toward transferring it to Public Works when the vehicle is retired.
“We have three departments that use vehicles,” Pettit noted. “I notice a lot of places that buy a truck for their police and transfer to another department when the police are done with it.”
While no action was taken, Pettit presented information on pricing for a new Street Department dump truck later in the meeting. He said the pricing he secured from Morrow Brothers exceeded $100,000. However, he obtained pricing of $86,000 to $105,000 from other vendors depending upon the size of the truck. All pricing included attachments such as a snow plow and spreader. Purchasing from a vendor other than Morrow Brothers would require advertising for bids.
The issue was referred back to committee and no formal action was taken.
LAKE RADIOS
Alderman voted unanimously to spend more than $2,500 for communication radios at Gillespie Lake. The new radios will ensure radios used by lake personnel are compatible with radios used by the police and emergency services. Council members approved spending $1,019.50 for an office radio, $788 for a truck radio and $743 for a radio to be installed on the lake department’s boat.
POLICE STATION OPTIONS
Upon returning to open session after a 30-minute executive session to discuss personnel, Mayor Hicks announced that the city will postpone or abandon a proposal to convert the Civic Center space formerly used by the Fire Department to offices and facilities for the Gillespie Police Department. Hicks said initial estimates for the project totaled $600,000.
“So we pared things down and rebid, and the rebid was higher than the original,” he said. “I think, as a council, we should delay this until, hopefully, we have another revenue source.”
Ald. Pettit said an option for the city could be purchasing the building that formerly housed Gillespie Chiropractic located directly across the street from the Civic Center. The building which currently houses the Police Department, Pettit said, comprises 1,500 square feet of space. It’s located on a 9,000 square foot lot, leaving only 6,000 square feet for expansion and/or parking.
The building across the street has nearly double the square footage at 2,270 square feet, and is located on a lot comprising nearly 15,000 square feet.
Brick and Welfare parks.
“We’d have room to build on if the need to, we’d have room for parking, or we could build a sally port,” Pettit said. “I think we’d be crazy not to look into that facility.”
SURPLUS PROPERTY
On a motion by Ald. Frank Barrett, the council voted unanimously to approve the Mayor’s recommendation to declare as surplus a vacuum truck, a street sweeper and a dump truck as surplus property and offer them for sale to the highest qualified bidder. Hicks said two of the vehicles are unusable. The street sweeper malfunctioned earlier this summer, causing extensive damage to the city garage.
PUBLIC ART PROPOSAL
The council heard briefly from Ben Marcacci, Benld, about his vision for installing public art along the Benld-Gillespie Bike Trail. Marcacci presented a similar proposal to the Benld City Council last month. He told council members Monday night that he was asking permission to install public art pieces along the Gillespie end of the trail at this time.
“This is something that is in the works,” he said. ‘It’s very early in the process. If we had something up in 2026, I’d be happy.”
Marcacci said he has been in contact with art teachers and welding instructors at Gillespie High School in an effort to involve students in the project. The sculptures would be constructed of quarter-inch steel and concrete to be vandal resistant. Some of the pieces, he said, will commemorate local flora and fauna, coal mining heritage and Route 66. But some pieces would be “art for the sake of art.”
With his own background in construction, Marcacci said he would be responsible for installing the pieces. “I’m always interested in doing something for the community,” he said.
The project would not involve city funds, according to Marcacci. He plans to subsidize the project solely with donations.
Public art is not a unique concept, Marcacci noted. Several communities and organizations have undertaken public art projects in other areas. If the bike trail concept is successful, Marcacci said the city might want to consider expanding it to other public spaces such as Gillespie Lake.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the council:
- Approved a facade grant of up to $8,000 from Tax Increment Finance Funds to DeeDee’s Designs. The grant will cover one-half of the cost of improving the business’ facade. The grant is a reimbursement grant, meaning the owner must complete the work and then submit documentation of the cost.
- Agreed to place two “Deaf Children Playing” signs on LJ Avenue between Plum Street and Oregon Street.
- Agreed to donate $100 to sponsor a hole during the upcoming Gillespie Fire Department fund-raising golf tournament.
- Ratified the Zoning Board’s decision to approve a variance at 203 East Oak Street, which will allow the resident to produce cookies for sale in her home.
- Accepted a bid of $40 from Jeff Feeley to take down two dead trees on Pine Street.
