Carbondale Reporter

City of Carbondale City Council met April 28.

Here is the minutes provided by the council:

Councilmembers present

Councilmember Jessica Bradshaw, Councilmember Jeff Doherty, Councilmember Lee Fronabarger, Councilmember Tom Grant, Councilmember Carolin Harvey, Councilmember Adam Loos, and Mayor John M Henry

Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM

1. Preliminaries to the City Council Meeting

Procedural: 1.1 Roll Call

Procedural: 1.2 Citizens' Comments and Questions

Procedural: 1.3 Council Comments, General Announcements, and Proclamations

Councilmember Fronabarger reminded citizens that starting on Friday, May 1, a statewide mandate to wear a face covering in public begins; he inquired about whether this would be publicized, noting many people are not wearing coverings.

Mayor Henry agreed that he noticed employees and many customers were not wearing face coverings; he stated that he would be recording a video to be posted on the City’s website and social media encouraging citizens to wear face covering.

2. Public Hearings and Special Reports

3. Consent Agenda of the City Council

Action (Consent): 3.1 Approval of Meeting Minutes from the Regular City Council and Public Hearing on the FY2021 Budget Meeting of April 14, 2020

Resolution: Approve the minutes from the Regular City Council Meeting and the Public Hearing on the FY2021 Budget of April 14, 2020

Action (Consent): 3.2 Approval of Warrant for the Period Ending: 04/03/2020 for the FY 2020 Warrant 1378 in the Total Amount of $791,461.96

Resolution: Accept the following report of payments made for the period ended: 04/03/2020 totaling $791,461.96 (Exhibit A-04-28-2020)

Action (Consent): 3.3 Approval of Warrant for the Period Ending: 04/17/2020 for the FY 2020 Warrant 1379 in the Total Amount of $883,514.79

Resolution: Accept the following report of payments made for the period ended: 04/17/2020 totaling $883,514.79 (Exhibit B-04-28-2020)

Action (Consent): 3.4 Approval of an Ordinance Adjusting the FY2020 Northwest Wastewater Treatment Plant (NWWWTP) Budget by $25,000 to Purchase a Replacement Pump)

Resolution: Approve an Ordinance Adjusting the FY2020 Northwest Wastewater Treatment Plant (NWWWTP) Budget by $25,000 to Purchase a Replacement Pump (Ordinance 2020-17; Exhibit C-04-28-2020)

Action (Consent): 3.5 Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for the Construction and Maintenance of a Multiuse Path from Reed Station Road to the County Line along State Route 13; and a Resolution Dedicating $30,000 in Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) Funds to pay for the City's Portion of the Project

Resolution: Approve a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for the Construction and Maintenance of a Multiuse Path from Reed Station Road to the County Line along State Route 13; and a Resolution Dedicating $30,000 in Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) Funds to pay for the City's Portion of the Project (Resolutions 2020-R-15 and -16; Exhibits D- and E-04-28-2020)

Action (Consent): 3.6 Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Engagement Letter with Kerber, Eck, & Braeckel for the City's FY 2020 Audit

Resolution: Adopt the Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the Engagement Letters with Kerber, Eck, & Braeckel for FY 2020 audit services (Resolution 2020-R-17; Exhibit F-04-28-2020)

Action (Consent): 3.7 Approval of Consent Agenda Items

Resolution: Approve all Consent Agenda items not pulled for separate consideration

MOTION: Approve all Consent Agenda items not pulled for separate consideration

Motion by Adam Loos, second by Lee Fronabarger.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Adam Loos, Jessica Bradshaw, Jeff Doherty, Lee Fronabarger, Tom Grant, Carolin Harvey, John M Henry

4. General Business of the City Council

Action: 4.1 Resolution Suspending the Provisions of Section Eight of Chapter Twelve and Thirteen of Title Seven of the Carbondale Revised Code as it Relates to the Use of Funds Generated From the Food and Beverage Tax and the Package Liquor Tax

Council questions and comments included a desire to change this action should things turn around and it becomes unnecessary to divert the funds.

Scott Thorne asked when this action would sunset.

MOTION: Adopt a Resolution Suspending the Provisions of Section Eight of Chapter Twelve and Thirteen of Title Seven of the Carbondale Revised Code as it Relates to the Use of Funds Generated From the Food and Beverage Tax and the Package Liquor Tax

Motion by Jeff Doherty, second by Carolin Harvey. Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Adam Loos, Jessica Bradshaw, Jeff Doherty, Lee Fronabarger, Tom Grant, Carolin Harvey, John M Henry (Resolution 2020-R-18; Exhibit G-04-28-2020)

Action: 4.2 Resolution Redirecting the Portion of the Home Rule Municipal Retailers' Occupation Tax and Municipal Motor Fuel Tax From the Local Improvement Fund to the General Fund

Scott Thorne asked how much a portion is and the usage of the different terms portion and proceeds was noted.

MOTION: Adopt a Resolution Redirecting the Portion of the Home Rule Municipal Retailers' Occupation Tax and Municipal Motor Fuel Tax From the Local Improvement Fund to the General Fund

Motion by Carolin Harvey, second by Tom Grant.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Adam Loos, Jessica Bradshaw, Jeff Doherty, Lee Fronabarger, Tom Grant, Carolin Harvey, John M Henry (Resolution 2020-R-19; Exhibit H-04-28-2020)

Action: 4.3 Resolution Approving the Five-Year Community Investment Program for Fiscal Years 2021 through 2025

No discussion, comments, or questions.

MOTION: Adopt a Resolution approving the Five-Year Community Investment Program for Fiscal Years 2021 through 2025 in the amount of $51,120,619

Motion by Tom Grant, second by Jeff Doherty.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Adam Loos, Jessica Bradshaw, Jeff Doherty, Lee Fronabarger, Tom Grant, Carolin Harvey, John M Henry (Resolution 2020-R-20; Exhibit I-04-28-2020)

Action: 4.4 Ordinance Adopting the Operating Budget for the City of Carbondale and the Carbondale Public Library for FY 2021 and an Ordinance Adopting a Pay Plan for Non- Bargaining Unit Employees for FY 2021

Pay Plan:

City Manager Williams noted that the four bargaining units were asked if they would forgo the contracted pay increase for this year in exchange for an extension of one year to the contracts. Without reopening the contracts for negotiations, it would not be agreed to. In order to keep parity with the Contracted Employees, it was recommended that a 2.5% increase be approved for the Non-bargaining unit employees, but with the caveat that employees across all departments would be furloughed a number of days equivalent to the 2.5% increase and may require layoffs.

Community Agency Funding:

City Manager Williams noted that the applications received for funding requests were divided into essential, nonessential, and new applicants. Essential were identified as Attucks Community Service Board, Boys and Girls Club, Women’s Center, Senior Adult Services, I Can Read, Good Samaritan Ministries, and Jackson County Mass Transit. Nonessential were identified as Carbondale Main Street, Carbondale Community Arts, RBF Dome, Women For Change, Carbondale Tourism, and WDBX. New applicants included Carbondale Care Works, Y’all Rock, Varsity Center for the Arts, and For Kids Sake.

Comments and Questions from the City Council included inquiries regarding the restricted funds for the Police Department, questions about specific applications for community funding, insofar as the services they provide per their funding contracts, areas where reductions could be achieved, whether curb appeal and homebuyer assistance programs would be funded, funding CCA, Tourism, and Carbondale Main Street at 50% and revisiting the subject down the road, ensuring that pass-through grants included in CCA’s funding continued, receiving detailed financial information from the funded organizations to ensure sufficient information for the Council in making decisions later in the year, encouraging applicants to seek additional funding opportunities and assistance from the library in seeking out those sources, at what point the decision to mandate furloughs would occur, who would coordinate the furloughs, and when sales tax figures are reported, seeking Council approval for all budget transfers, a request to seek a better online meeting platform,

Scott Thorne asked when the Saluki Way portion of the sales tax expires.

MOTION:

1. Approve an Ordinance for the City of Carbondale and Carbondale Public Library Annual Operating Budget in the amount of $53,747,176 for the Fiscal Year 2021, which includes the period from May 1, 2020, through April 30, 2021.

2. Approve an Ordinance adopting the pay plan for non-bargaining unit employees with a 2.5% pay increase for FY 2021, which includes the period from May 1, 2020, and ends April 30, 2021.

Motion by Jeff Doherty, second by Carolin Harvey.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Adam Loos, Jessica Bradshaw, Jeff Doherty, Lee Fronabarger, Tom Grant, Carolin Harvey, John M Henry (Ordinances 2020-15 and 2020-16; Exhibits J- and K-04-28-2020)

There followed discussion about the increased availability of COVID 19 tests, the quicker turnaround of those tests, local drive-up testing availability, concern about the enforcement of the Governor’s Executive Order to wear face masks in public places where social distancing is not possible, an update on the DCEO Downstate Business Funding program, noting that many businesses and organizations who are doing things the right way, regional statements which indicate they do not intend to enforce the executive orders, and encouraging the wearing of masks in public.

5. Adjournment of the City Council Meeting Procedural: 5.1 Adjourn meeting

There being no further business to come before the public body, the meeting was declared adjourned at 7:12 p.m.

https://www.explorecarbondale.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_04282020-1170