In a marathon three-hour meeting, the Village of Wilsonville’s Board of Trustees on Monday night committed to the purchase of a new emergency siren, provided it receives a USDA Rural Development grant to cover two-thirds of the cost; voted to purchase two property parcels for back taxes; and approved the village’s annual appropriations and tax levy ordinances.

Trustees voted unanimously to approve the purchase of a $29,000 emergency siren from Global Technology Systems, provided the village’s grant application is successful to secure a $20,000 USDA Rural Development grant. Village President Annetta Veres said a grant application filed by the village in July was rejected because the grant administrators determined the $46,000 price tag for the previously proposed siren system was too high. She said village officials submitted a new application that includes financial data from the village’s most recent audit and secured Global Technologies $29,000 bid. USDA historically has approved grant applications from other communities to purchase the siren Wilsonville now wants to buy.

[pullquote]If the grant is approved, the village’s share of the cost would be paid from the General Fund. If the grant is denied, the village will not move forward with the project.[/pullquote]Veres said the new siren would be mounted on a 60-foot pole and will have a range of 1,000 yards, which is similar to current, outdated siren system. In addition to sound, the new siren will have a flashing light that will be activated when the siren is sounded for persons who have hearing disabilities. According to Veres, the proposed siren will be equipped with encoding equipment enabling police officers to activate it from their squad cars. There is a possibility of linking the system with Gillespie emergency services so it could be activated remotely if severe weather is headed toward Wilsonville. The siren will come equipped with batteries to operate the siren in the event of a power outage. The village also may have the option of installing solar panels.

Veres said a similar system recently was installed in Beardstown using Rural Development grant funds. She said she spoke with the Mayor of Beardstown, who told her the community is well satisfied with the equipment.

Board members voted to move forward with the project on a motion by Trustee John Veres, seconded by Trustee Keith Mohr.

If the grant is approved, the village’s share of the cost would be paid from the General Fund. If the grant is denied, the village will not move forward with the project.

PROPERTY PURCHASES

With two separate actions, Wilsonville Trustees voted to purchase for back taxes a vacant lot at 115 Marcia Street and the former Ussery gas station at 138 North Stemme Street. The vote followed a 45-minute executive session during which Trustees discussed property acquisition and personnel issues. To redeem the properties, the city will pay about $690 in unpaid property taxes on each of the parcels.

Trustee Veres said it made sense for the city to acquire the Marcia Street property because a city-owned storm sewer cuts diagonally across the parcel. “It can never be built upon,” he said.

Brought to a vote, however, the measure was approved 4-1 with Trustee Pam Zaksas voting no.

The vote to purchase the Stemme Street property was unanimous. President Veres said the city has a $14,000 mowing lien against the property and noted “no one is going to pay that lien” to redeem the property.

“We’re going to be mowing it,” she said, “we might as well own it.” The parcel is located adjacent to Shady Oak Park, she suggested, and could be graveled to provide additional parking for park users.

Resident Sharon Borgini questioned the wisdom of the city acquiring the property, however, noting there had been an environmental issue with leaking underground fuel tanks in the past. Trustee Veres said the monitoring equipment has been removed and the property has been cleared by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

APPROPRIATIONS AND LEVY

Board members unanimously approved a property tax levy ordinance for fiscal 2017 calling for $16,950 in revenue to be generated from local property taxes, and unanimously approved an appropriations ordinances setting spending ceilings at a total of $87,340 for the fiscal year beginning May 1. Village Clerk Tena Cerantano said the new ordinances are virtually identical to last year’s.

The levy ordinance calls for raising $3,900 in property taxes for General Corporate purposes, $1,370 for Police Protection, $3,800 for Fire Protection, $1,900 for the Audit and $5,900 for the Insurance Fund.

The appropriations ordinance, which sets maximum spending limits from specific funds, sets a spending ceiling of $45,840 from the General Fund, $2,000 from the Audit Fund, $10,000 from the Motor Fuel Tax Fund, $25,000 from the Water Operating Fund, and $4,500 from the Sewer Operating Fund.

WCO AND COMMUNITY CENTER

On a motion by Mohr, seconded by Trustee David Day, the Board unanimously granted permission for the Wilsonville Community Outreach group to use the Wilsonville Community Center for one event per month throughout 2017. Those events include a movie night coming up on Feb. 18, a Mouse Race fund raising event on May 6 and a Brat Bash in October, along with a Summer Lunch Program for school children running from June 5 to Aug. 8. The board also voted unanimously to sponsor one of the mouse races for the May 6 event at a cost of $100.

Responding to a question, WCO spokesperson Chris Harbaugh said the organization could move the dates for some of their events if someone else wanted to rent the facility on a specific date. The center occasionally is used to serve dinner for mourners following local funerals and Harbaugh said those uses would not conflict with WCO events, which are usually scheduled in the evening rather than afternoon.

[pullquote]We do everything we can to help this community.[/pullquote]Earlier in the meeting, several WCO members appeared before the board to counter complaints about the amount of money the village has spent on renovating the Community Center and the Board of Trustees’ willingness to let the WCO use the facility rent-free.

“I’ve heard we’re being criticized,” said Paul Reed. “We as the Wilsonville Community Outreach put our money and our efforts into this. We do everything we can to help this community.”

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“We have raised money for the town,” Harbaugh added, noting the WCO gave the Village $1,000 after last year’s Mouse Races event. “We don’t just take, we give back.” He said WCO events promote the community, bring in visitors from out of town who patronize local businesses and generally contribute to the quality of life in Wilsonville.

Trustee Veres, who also serves with the WCO, said the organization has reached out to other communities to help them organize movie nights and other local activities. Recently, he said, the group established a $1,000 scholarship program that will be awarded annually to a local graduating senior.

“WCO is investing in this community,” Veres said.

Gillespie resident Nadine Garwood told the board she brought her children to the Summer Lunch program last year, primarily for the activities and to give her children a chance to socialize with other children their age during the summer. She said her family also attended several of the events sponsored by WCO last year.

“I think it brings other people into Wilsonville,” Garwood said. “I’ve brought several people with me (for events). Even though I’m from out of town, it has done a lot for me and my children.” She said she works in the local school district and has had experience with some of the disadvantaged children who participate in the Summer Lunch program. “For some of those kids, that may be the only meal they have that day,” she said. “It helps a lot of people.”

The board took no action on a request from a family who wanted to rent tables and chairs from the Community Center for a wedding reception. Trustee Veres said the board decided earlier that the tables and chairs would not be removed from the building for any reason. “We made that decision when we bought them,” he said.

In a related matter, the board accepted a bid of $16,494.30 to do plumbing work needed to bring restrooms at the Community Center into compliance with provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Five thousand dollars of the cost will come from the Civic Improvement Fund with the balance coming from the General Fund. Trustee Veres said there would be additional work required on the restrooms, such as replacing the floor covering and building stalls.

MOTOR FUEL TAX PLAN

President Veres asked trustees to check streets in the community and report to Trustee Mohr on areas they feel should be included in this year’s Motor Fuel Tax oil and chip program. She said she met with the city engineer earlier to go over preliminary plans for the program. Together, they determined that streets that were scheduled for resurfacing last year but were omitted should be priorities this year, with additional streets to be determined. Portions of Liberty Street and Nettie Street have been recommended for scarification prior to oiling and the village has a bid of $5,975 for that work. Veres said she is recommending using other funds for that work to conserve Motor Fuel Tax funds for actual oiling and chipping.

Veres said she emphasized to the engineer that the village wants to move forward more quickly than last year. “I do not want to be sitting here in October wanting our streets to oiled,” she said.

Trustee Veres said he had concerns about the damaged area on Liberty Street, saying the deterioration could be caused by run-off from the old Earthline site. He said the issue should be investigated and resolved before committing money for scarification and repair.

EARTHLINE PROPERTY

President Veres briefly reported on the outcome of a recent court case to modify court-ordered environmental monitoring at the former site of the Earthline toxic waste facility. The court allowed the defendants to abandon two monitoring wells on the site and drill two new ones to monitor water quality. The new order also allows the defendants to dispose of tested water on the site. Previously, samples were sent off site for testing and were disposed of off site.

SEWER AND WATER ISSUES

Board members voted unanimously to waive a $300 tap-on fee for Kevin and Sharon Wernle to connect their home to the village’s sewer system in exchange for the couple providing an easement on their property. Sharon Wernle appeared before the board to request the fee waiver, noting they can no longer farm over the easement because of aboveground structures.

“I say we waive the $300 for the land they gave up for us,” said Trustee Veres. He asked, however, that the city attorney draft agreement specifying the village will make no further concessions or assumer further liability.

Trustees also agreed to seek a bid to realign a sewer line connection the David Chapman home with the Liberty Lift Station. Trustee Veres said the line does not properly slope toward the lift station, resulting in frequent back-ups and necessitating frequent clean-outs.

“It’s definitely our fault,” Veres said. “We talked about this before but at the time we were going to wait and see if we got a grant.” He said the possibility of getting a grant at this time is remote and he recommended securing a bid to excavate and properly reinstall about 30 feet of sewer line.

Reporting on the Liberty Lift Station project, Veres said the village is waiting to hear from IEPA regarding the replacement of pumps. In the meantime, he said, the village can move forward with getting bids to elevate manholes associated with the lift station.

“The first thing we have to do is raise the manholes,” he said, “Let’s get a bid from (Mike) Ranger.”

AUDIT ISSUES

President Veres reported the city auditor had informed her that the most recent audit of village finances was delayed primarily because of a large number of account expenditures that had not been classified. She said she and newly appointed Village Treasurer Julie Jackson had reviewed accounts for the current fiscal year and found about $13,000 in expenditures that had not been classified for the current fiscal year.

“We are going back through and classifying all those accounts,” Veres said, with an eye toward facilitating a timelier audit next year.

HILL STREET ISSUE

On the recommendation of Trustee Veres, the board delayed action on vacating Hill Street—an unimproved street adjacent to the home of Olga Massa. Bill Molinar recently asked the city to reopen the street to give him access to allow him to develop property he owns behind the Massa residence. Massa’s attorney appeared to the board last month, asking the trustees to vacate the street. At that time, it was noted that Massa’s garage actually encroaches upon the Hill Street right-of-way.

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Molinar reiterated his desire to reopen the street Monday night, noting that the garage will not interfere with his use of the street and countering Massa’s request to keep it closed.

“It’s on the plat,” Molinar said. “A street is a street.”

Veres said the board should table the issue because attorneys from both sides are attempting to negotiate a resolution to the issue. In the meantime, Veres said, Molinar could access his property via Elm Street, which also is currently undeveloped and barricaded.

HOUSING ISSUES

Board members voted unanimously to add a provision to the village’s building permit forms to require persons building or renovating homes in Wilsonville to include the name, phone number and license number of a plumber they will use for plumbing work on their projects. The provision will ensure that construction projects are in compliance with state plumbing codes.

President Veres also presented a list of 10 residences that have been deemed unsafe or abandoned. The list was developed by local police as a tool to require housing inspections on the properties at the expense of the village. She asked trustees to contact her if they have other residences they feel should be added to the list.

At least one of the homes in the 400 block of North Sawyer Street has already been inspected as a first step toward possible condemnation.

OTHER ACTION

In other action, the board:

• Voted to hire Mike Campagna as a city maintenance worker at a wage of $12 per hour. Campagna, who has previously held the position, was one of three applicants for the job.
• Voted to pay $50 per officer for three part-time police officers for the village to rejoin the West Central Illinois Criminal Justice Commission. President Veres said the local police chief had donated $50 to the city to cover his share of the cost.
• Heard a report from Trustee Veres that the newly installed master water meter is functioning as expected resulting in a reduction of about $1,000 per month that the city is paying for treated water from the Gillespie Water System.

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