Regular Meeting

City Council

April 3, 2007

Mayor Pro Tem Joe Hermes, presiding

The meeting was called to order with the pledge to the flag.

Alderman Hoppe made a motion and Alderman Combes seconded to appoint Joe Hermes as Mayor Pro Tem. All yes. Motion passed.

Alderman Orr made a motion and Alderman Combes seconded to appoint Sheryl Puracchio as Acting Clerk. All yes. Motion passed.

The clerk called the roll finding the following Aldermen physically present: Mietzner, Orr, Combes, Hermes, Hoppe, Strong, and Gilmour.

Alderman Plese was not present.

Minutes were not approved due to the fact that the Water, Sewer, Streets & Alleys Committee as well as the Finance Committee information was not included on the minutes. Minutes will be approved at the next meeting.

Mayor’s Report: Hermes stated that the City is offering early voting until April 13.

City Administrator McIntyre explained that a group of business people had gotten together to form the Local Employer Anti-Drug (LEAD) Consortium. Local businesses in town will be given the opportunities to utilize drug testing and educate their employees on drug issues. The Consortium would like to have the City recognize them as an entity of the Police & ESDA Committee to lend legitimacy to the group. The Mayor will have to make that committee recommendation to the Council.

Citizen’s Comments: None at this time.

Planning and Zoning Committee: The joint meeting between the Council and Planning & Zoning Commission to update the comprehensive plan will take place on April 19 at 6 p.m.

Next scheduled meeting is Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.

Health, Safety, Buildings, Grounds & Parks Committee: Alderman Orr announced there will be a meeting on Tuesday, April 10 at 7 pm, directly following the Ordinance & License Committee meeting to talk about the budget.

Water, Sewer, Streets & Alleys Committee:

Alderman Gilmour made a motion and Alderman Hoppe seconded to Approve Ordinance #07-04-03-01, an Ordinance Authorizing the City of Wilmington, Will County, Illinois to Borrow Funds from the State of Illinois Water Pollution Control Loan Program. Aldermen Gilmour, Hoppe, Combes, Hermes, Mietzner, Strong, Orr voted yes. Motion passed.

Alderman Gilmour made a motion and Alderman Strong seconded to have the Board reject the bid of Gaskill & Walton Construction Co. as being non-responsive to the bidding documents and to award the contract to Williams Brothers Construction, Inc. in the amount of $13,760,000.00 (thirteen million seven hundred sixty thousand dollars) subject to and conditioned upon the City of Wilmington receiving a loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in the amount of $15,000,000.00 (fifteen million dollars).

Aldermen Gilmour, Hoppe, Combes, Hermes, Mietzner, Strong, Orr voted yes. Motion passed.

Alderman Gilmour made a motion and Alderman Hoppe seconded to Approve Ordinance #07-04-03-01, an Ordinance Authorizing the City of Wilmington, will County, Illinois to Borrow Funds from the State of Illinois Water Pollution Control Loan Program. Aldermen Gilmour, Hoppe, Combes, Hermes, Mietzner, Strong, Orr voted yes. Motion passed.

Alderman Mietzner made a motion and Alderman Gilmour seconded to Approve Resolution #2007-06, a Resolution allowing the City of Wilmington to apply to the NIPC for a 2007 Facilities Planning Area Amendment. All yes. Motion passed.

McIntyre explained that this will increase our facility planning area to the Lorenzo and I-55 area.

Next scheduled meeting is on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 at 5:30 p.m.

Police and ESDA Committee:

Alderman Gilmour made a motion and Alderman Mietzner seconded to hire Robert Emmett as a Wilmington part-time officer at $15.00 an hour, pending a successful physical and drug test. All yes. Motion passed.

Next scheduled meeting is Monday, April 9, 2007 at 5:30 p.m.

Finance/Administration/Land Acquisition Committee: Alderman Mietzner made a motion and Alderman Gilmour seconded to Approve the March Payables in the amount of $106,848.10. All yes. Motion passed.

Alderman Mietzner made a motion and Alderman Hoppe seconded to Approve the First Amendment to Annexation Agreement Between the City of Wilmington, Will County, Illinois and Oakwest Development Company, LLC. All yes. Motion passed.

The Public Hearing for this Annexation Amendment was held on March 20, 2007.

Next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, April 16, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.

Ordinance and License Committee: The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, April 10, 2007, at 6:00 p.m.

Personnel and Insurance Committee: Alderman Mietzner stated that he would like to speak to the new sewer plant bid issue, while Bob Rogina from Rogina Engineering was in the audience. Mietzner felt that Rogina had let the city down and did not give 100% to the city. He also asked how they could be off six million dollars on the sewer bid on top of not getting the project completed when he original stated it would be done in 2003. Alderman Gilmour also stated he had a trust issue with him and asked if the City was going to receive anymore surprises as the plant gets built. Rogina stated that this is a very complex project and the reason for the delay lies with the EPA’s changing regulations, that his company has the facility plan completed in 2001, and the cost of the plant bids reflects the rate of increase in construction costs.

Mayor Pro Tem Hermes stated for the record that the Illinois EPA has been more than accommodating to the City and have bent over backwards to assist and support the City in its request for a new sewer plant.

JADA: Nothing to report at this time.

City Administrator Report: John McIntyre stated that Water & Sewer Superintendent Ken Jeffries, Finance Director Robin Theobald and Assistant City Administrator Sheryl Puracchio have worked very hard on the sewer plant project.

He also noted the “LaSalle Factors” as the City moves into updated its comprehensive plan.

Attorney’s Report: Attorney George Mahoney had nothing to report at this time.

Executive Session: Nothing.

Alderman Mietzner made a motion and Alderman Gilmour seconded to Adjourn the Meeting at 7:35 p.m. All yes. Motion passed.

Sheryl L. Puracchio,

Acting City Clerk