City of Lexington City Council met April 25.
Here are the minutes provided by the council:
The regular meeting of the Lexington City Council was called to order at 7:00 P. M. by Mayor Spencer Johansen in the City Council Chambers at City Hall.
Mayor Johansen led the council in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Roll call was taken to find the following physically present: Mayor Johansen, Alderman Richard, Alderman Stover, Alderwoman Wilson, Alderman Little and Alderman Mattingly with Alderman Franklin attending remotely. Members of the staff and public present were: Billy Dubois, Bill Elias, Chief Belvery, Chad Weldon and Ken Sours.
It was moved by Alderwoman Wilson and seconded by Alderman Little to approve the minutes of the April 11, 2022 regular city council meeting. Motion carried unanimously.
It was moved by Alderman Stover and seconded by Alderman Little to approve the Treasurer’s Report and paying of the bills in the amount of $34,530.95. Motion carried unanimously.
Public Input: None
New Business:
Discussion/Vote Resolution 2022-3: Maintenance Under the Illinois Highway Code
Bill Elias led this discussion. He wanted to point out that this year’s resolution was higher because they are doing a longer stretch on Orange Street due to anticipated increased traffic that Brandt has brought. The resolution is for $100,000. The government has changed things around and they do not need to list the streets that they are going to do. The hot mix for the streets comes to $23,991. By coming in under $25,000 they do not need to put this work out for bids. This is the first time they are going to do engineering inspections on the work. If they don’t do that we will take that off.
This is a formality that we do every year at this time.
Motion was made by Alderman Mattingly and seconded by Alderman Stover to approve Resolution 2022-3: Maintenance Under the Illinois Highway Code. Motion carried unanimously.
Old Business:
Discussion Only Rental Agreements for Future Ordinance
Alderwoman Wilson led this discussion and had passed out a copy of the International Code Council’s International Property Maintenance Standards. Most states go by this standard of rules for rentals. This would be something that we could go back to the landlord and give a list of safety issues that the landlords need to provide in their rentals such as heat, extermination, screens, etc. If they do not comply, this gives us the ability to write a citation. We may need to have an open meeting to let the landlords know what we expect from them. This list is pretty comprehensive. It is what Normal uses.
The landlords would need to register each unit with City Hall and that would need to be written in the ordinance. That is what other towns do.
Mayor Johansen thinks this is a good starting point. We can take out the first part and add what our requirements are and what will happen if they don’t follow them. Then we can send it to the attorney for her recommendations before we put it up for a vote.
We want to protect the renter but we also want to protect the landlord.
It was felt that there should be some wording about the water billing. Pass something that the landlord is responsible for the bill if the renter fails to pay. Something like a water deposit.
It was felt that knowing who owns the property and who the renter is would be a big help. Discussion/Vote on Water Tower Bids
The Water Tower bids were opened on April 21st, and Farnsworth recommended that we take the low bid from MW Cole in the amount of $246,900.
Arrowsmith also opened their bids and had some concerns with MW Cole and Mayor Johansen asked our attorney to look into it. MW Cole responded to the allegations that were made. All responses that were made were included in the council packet. It was learned that the business is made up of Indiana veterans working together to share resources. They have done a lot of government work and are very reputable.
The bid of $246,900 will not be the total cost of the job, there will be engineering fees on top of that, but we are getting $250,000 from the county to help pay for this. We will watch the $35,000 inspection fee closely.
Motion was made by Alderwoman Wilson and seconded by Alderman Richard to approve the bid of $246,900 for Elevated Tank Rehabilitation from MW Cole. Motion carried unanimously.
There was some discussion about paving and not letting the kids paint the streets around the school because they do it after the sealing because of the cost and drainage around the school. It was thought that in the future they would not be paving those streets.
Vote to go into Closed Session to Discuss Salaries at 7:23 P.M.
Motion was made by AldermanMattingly and seconded by Alderwoman Wilson to go into closed session to discuss salaries at 7:23 P.M. Motion carried unanimously.
Vote to go into Open Session
Motion was made by Alderman Mattingly and seconded by Alderwoman Wilson to go back into open session at 7:45 P.M. Motion carried unanimously.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Mayor’s Report: Mayor Johansen reported on the following items:
The hardware store deal fell through this week but it is back on now. Carl had some things to work through. They are needing nothing from us at this time.
The truck stop is moving forward. They have gotten a permit from the county to expand the service road. They are to have the rest of their plans the first part of May. They have not provided us with a decent plan for the detention basin.
Today was the last day to sign up for the annual picnic. We have 323 reservations. Kemp’s is providing the meat and the other restaurants are providing the sides. There will be a Civil War Band playing in the park during the picnic.
He and Alderman Stover attended a meeting at the school where the school's crowded areas were highlighted. They need more space. Classrooms are crowded and locker rooms are in terrible shape. They need more storage, a bigger art room and the ag shop needs to come down. They have architects looking at the problems and are prioritizing what needs to be done in the next five years.
A thought was the city could vacate a couple of half blocks which would give them some room to expand. If the city pursues the idea of a subdivision that will put a strain on the school giving them more of a need for additional buildings and parking.
Police: Alderman Richard reported the Police Committee will be starting interviews this week. They have six lined up to interview.
Building/Insurance None
Finance /TIF None
Water/Sewer/Sanitation Billy Dubois gave a report on the water plant that a storage tank was leaking. Also, the Water Tower would need to be painted on the outside in about 8-10 years and should be put into next year’s budget.
Street/Alley: None
The school has some paving issues and some other streets have some drainage issues that need to be fixed. The cost is $125,552 per McLean County Asphalt and there is $50,000 in the Road and Bridge Fund. This is for next year’s budget.
There being no further business, a motion was made by Alderwoman Wilson to adjourn at 7:58 P.M. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.
https://www.lexingtonillinois.org/images/Minutes_April_25_2022.pdf
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