The Grayville City Council met for the first time in March Monday night and quickly moved through a lengthy agenda.
The Council approved resolutions for Rural Development Loans for the Water Department for $700,000 and $1,180,000 for the Sewer Department. They also approved unanimously a loan request for $12,000 for RAC’s Fish Market from TIF District #1. The state is requiring the immediate purchase of a hood over the cooking apparatus in order to remain in business.
The Council agreed to advertise bids to mow City parcels and the locations will be posted at City Hall. The City will also advertise for a pool manager and a concession stand lease for the summer.
An application to solicit donations by the Grayville VFW for Poppy Day on June 25th was approved. A rain out date of July 2nd was also announced.
Updates to the City Code book were approved, as Mayor Bisch noted that it had been some time since that had happened.
A salt contract for 60 tons from the Illinois Central Management Services was approved for road use next winter, and the Council approved the purchase of a new Ford dump truck for the Street Department. The City will take possession after May 1.
The Council presented a preliminary budget that will be posted for thirty days at City Hall. As the budget stands now, the City will have an $118,000 deficit in the next fiscal year, but Finance Commissioner Jordan stated that there were several things not figured into this budget, such as the sale of some older city owned vehicles that are still being negotiated. A public hearing was set for April 25 at 6:30pm, and Jordan stated that a more accurate figure would be presented at that time.
Police Chief Mann told the Council his Department answered 132 calls for service in February, and opened sixteen case files. The City Police made ten arrests, issued 16 citations, and issued 17 warnings. They also filed five crash reports and towed six vehicles.
Mayor Bisch noted that he and Commissioner Jordan recently attended a Rural Development meeting in Springfield and came away with some good ideas to consider in the future, and told the Council he and Chief Mann were looking into some surveillance cameras for the brush collection site and the park. Bisch also made note of a customer complaint about the new meter fees, and said he welcomed any feedback from residents about the increases, but did state that they were necessary going forward.
