Carbondale Reporter

Village of De Soto Board of Trustees met Feb. 18.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

President John Evans called the second regular monthly meeting of the De Soto Village Board of Trustees to order at 7:00 P.M. Village Clerk Paula Parks was present to record the minutes.

Present: John Evans                    Tony Rushing

              Brian Gleason                Paulette Johnson

             Jennifer Morgan

Absent: Cristy Desormeaux        Eric Schuler

Motion made by Brian Gleason, seconded by Tony Rushing, to dispense with the reading of the minutes of the previous meeting and to approve them. Motion carried.

Motion made by Tony Rushing, seconded by Paulette Johnson, to approve the January revenue report. Motion carried.

Motion made by Tony Rushing, seconded by Brian Gleason, to pay the list of bills as presented. Upon roll call vote: Tony Rushing – Yes; Brian Gleason – Yes; Paulette Johnson – Yes; Jennifer Morgan – Yes. Motion carried.

De Soto Township Fire Chief Chris Shelton expressed his safety concerns about the distance between the fire hydrants on Chestnut Street between West Douglas and Logan Streets. The distance between the fire hydrants is 960 feet. Standard distance requirements for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are 600 feet with 800 feet as the max. Fire Chief Shelton felt the missing fire hydrant would jeopardize the fire department’s ability to effectively fight a house fire. He was also concerned that the excessive distance could result in collapsing the water line. Adding a fire hydrant could cost from $5,000 - $7,000. Board members discussed a couple of options for adding a fire hydrant. The current distance between the fire hydrants does not violate EPA regulations. The Water Committee will meet on Friday, February 21 at 5 PM to discuss the situation.

Board members discussed the fact that the old siren used for the noon whistle needs repairs. Fire Chief Shelton stated that the old siren is also a backup siren in case the newer siren is not working. He said that the siren is so old that it is difficult to get parts and to repair. Ideally, if a new siren is purchased, it would be installed on the east side of town. A new siren would cost $22,812.66. The cost could be paid from the General Fund Savings Account. The Finance Committee will meet Monday, March 9 at 5 PM to discuss the need for the siren and the possibility of purchasing one.

Interviews for the Utilities Clerk were scheduled for Wednesday, February 26 at 6 PM.

A budget planning meeting was scheduled for Monday, March 9 at 6 PM. Each department will plan their budgets for fiscal year 2020-2021 and submit the proposed budgets to Treasurer Dana Smith.

Motion made by Tony Rushing, seconded by Brian Gleason, to approve the water tap on Township Line Road, Tract 3, for Chad and Tabitha Harris. Motion carried.

Trustee Tony Rushing submitted the cost estimate for Phase IV Watermain Replacements Project. Phase IV would include Radio Read Meters and all necessary accessories; completing all pits not done in Phases I, II and III; watermain updates on Smith Drive; and a water line on Reed Station to Williams Drive. The estimate for an EPA loan was $1,064,621.00 with loan debt forgiveness of $638,772.60 leaving a balance of $425,848.40. The annual payment would be $24,803.85. The Water Committee will have to investigate whether or not Phase IV is economically feasible at this time.

Motion made by Brian Gleason, seconded by Paulette Johnson, to allow Dillon Askew to participate in the police ride along program, pending an acceptable background check. Motion carried.

Jana Fann reported that she had checked with United Systems, the current utilities system for the Village, about the possibility of customers making utilities payments online. The cost to be able to split the customer payments between the water, sewer and garbage accounts would include a $1,500.00 set up and training fee and a $1,106.00 per year hosting fee for the online service. Credit card fees would still apply. The Village currently pays the credit card fees that they do not pass on to the customers. The board members felt it was not prudent to add this cost.

The next village board meeting will be held Monday, March 2 at 7 PM at the village hall.

Motion made by Tony Rushing, seconded by Paulette Johnson, to adjourn at 8:24 PM. Motion carried.

http://villageofdesoto.com/uploads/1/2/5/0/125085618/minutes_2-18-20__1_.pdf