After 37 years serving the citizens of Grayville, JoEllen Seil will enjoy retirement. City leaders, in good humor, reluctantly agreed to accept Seil’s intent to retire effective October 1st. She started with the city back in August of 1987 and will be sorely missed according to council members.
Commissioner Browning: Regretfully, second.
Seil: Thank you
City Attorney Jay Walden: And as city attorney, just so you know, if I could find a way I would recommend you not accept it, but I don’t think that changes the outcome.
Seil: Commissioner Baldwin…
Commissioner Baldwin: With reservations, yes.
That was the first news after a 24 minute executive session Monday night.
Other details revealed at the gathering include the city’s continued financial support of Grayville Days. The city will invest another $25,000 into the festival this year.
Librarian Kathleen Rister gave the board the annual Groff Memorial Library fiscal year overview. For the year, Groff enjoyed 5,359 physical visits to the library and currently has 308 registered patrons including 31 non residents.
They also held 63 programs over the last year, 50 of them directed toward the youth which brought in 848 youngster attendees. You can find more information and all the details in the annual report at the library.
Commissioner Don Baldwin suggested the city take action on automated lift station alarms.
Last weekend, we had a situation out at Road Ranger, the lift station backed up into the KOA. That’s why we’re wanting to put in a warning system. What the warning systems will do…it’ll measure each lift station. If it goes down, it’ll automatically call one of the workers to let them know the station’s down, you need to get out there and look at it.
Before moving forward, a site survey will need to be done. Council agreed to move forward with the study at a cost of $8,600. Baldwin says after that’s done, he’d like to look at putting in the budget to arm with city’s lift stations with a couple per year. The investment for each lift station alarm would be about $10,000 each.
The city also is advancing efforts to establish a Business District in addition to it’s two TIF Districts which Mayor Travis Thompson says will benefit existing and help build business in the area for decades to come. The initial cost to enter into an agreement with Moran Economic Development is $27,500. Thompson says the conservative estimate for funds that Business District would create is $150,000 over the first year. The current TIF Districts are set to expire in 2030 and 2031.
Finally, council agreed to enter an application through MG Engineers that could potentially help build a sidewalk that would connect the I-64 Plaza to downtown Grayville.
Council adjourned just a couple minutes before 8pm and will next convene in regular session on August 12th at 7pm.
