City of Mt. Vernon, Illinois

Special City Council Meeting

August 30, 2010

 

 

 

The Mt. Vernon City Council met in Special Session on Monday, August 30, 2010 at 3:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1100 Main Street, Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

 

Mayor Mary Jane Chesley called the Special Meeting to order.

 

Roll call showed present: Council Member Mary Burgan, Council Member Dennis McEnaney, Council Member Todd Piper, Council Member David Wood and Mayor Mary Jane Chesley.

 

City Manager Ron Neibert gave the invocation. The Pledge of Allegiance was given.

 

City Clerk Jackie Sharp read the “Notice of Special City Council Meeting” the notice read as follows:

“I, Mayor Mary Jane Chesley, hereby call a Special Meeting of the Mt. Vernon City Council to be held in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 1100 Main Street, Mt. Vernon, Illinois on Monday, August 30, 2010 at 3:30 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is for such action as Council may desire on the following matter:

 

1.    A RESOLUTION FOR AUTHORITY TO APPLY FOR AN ILLINOIS TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM GRANT FOR STREETSCAPE DESIGN FROM THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR DOWNTOWN MT. VENON DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

 

2.    QUARTERLY BUDGET REVIEW.

 

Dated in Mt. Vernon, Illinois on this 16th day of August 2010. /s/ Mayor Mary Jane Chesley.”

 

City Manager Ron Neibert stated that at the City Council Workshop held on August 9, 2010, Council heard from two groups regarding submitting applications to the Department of Transportation Enhancement Program for Grants.  The two entities were DMDC and the Bike Trails Program. Mr. Neibert stated that Council had decided that the DMDC Request for Phase II of the Streetscape would be the most likely candidate for the grant.  The total cost of the project will be $ 862,886.63 with the City’s match of $172,577.33. Mr. Neibert stated that the City’s match can be partially in in-kind funds.  The City has decided to use some of the engineering as a part of the in-kind match for $46,021.00. Not the design engineering, but the actual engineering of the project.

 

The city’s funding will come from Capital funds or the TIF Funding.

 

City Manager Ron Neibert stated that the Grant Application would need to be submitted tomorrow. He asked Brian Edmison of DMDC how long it would be before they would know if they were successful in the grant funding.  Mr. Edmison stated that it would be six to eight months before they announced the grants.

 

Motion by Council Member Todd Piper to Approve the Resolution for the Application of the DMDC to the Illinois Department of Transportation Enhancement Program for the Grant for Streetscape as presented.  Second by Council Member David Wood.  Yeas: Burgan, McEnaney, Piper, Wood and Chesley.

 

Council continued with the Workshop part of the Council Meeting. The Workshop portion of the meeting was for the Quarterly Budget Review. Finance Director Merle Hollmann spoke regarding the three month review. He spoke about the two major funds, General Corporate and Public Utilities. Mr. Hollmann spoke about the Operating Cash and the Working Fund Balance. He explained the extra payrolls the fall two times a year and how that lessens our Operating Cash. Mr. Hollmann explained the health insurance payments that were due May 30.

 

Mr. Hollmann stated that the Working Fund Balance was up on April 30 and that the revenues are in higher than estimated.

 

Mr. Hollmann went over the Annual Budget Summary and compared figures with last years funds. Council discussed the Public Utilities Fund summary.  Council held discussion of the 1% Sales Tax Revenue and discussed how the State is holding back some $600,000.00 funds that we will eventually get. This makes us five months behind in Sales Tax Revenue. Mr. Hollmann stated that we can see what we should have.  Council discussed the Food & Beverage Tax and the 2 cents Diesel Tax. There are 8 months of these taxes in now. Mr. Hollmann stated that all in all, the City is doing pretty well at this time.

 

Council Member David Wood stated that he had received his tax bill for the Rex in the Downtown TIF and on the bill it has a fee for TIF District. He stated that people had asked him about the charges. He explained the charges and how the money comes back to the owner of a TIF property to be spent on a TIF Project if you are a property owner in a TIF District.

 

Council Member Dennis McEnaney asked about the Working Fund Balance and asked Finance Director Merle Hollmann to prepare a Fiscal Policy for Council and send it to them.

 

Motion by Council Member Todd Piper to adjourn this Special City Council Meeting.  Second by Council Member Mary Burgan.  Yeas: Burgan, McEnaney, Piper, Wood and Chesley.