Carbondale Reporter

City of Carbondale City Council met Feb. 8.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

Council Members present

Councilmember Ginger Rye Sanders, 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 6:01 PM

1. Preliminaries to the City Council Meeting

Procedural: 1.1 Roll Call

Procedural: 1.2 Citizens' Comments and Questions

Elius Reed inquired about whether a City job posting would be posted internally or to the public; he inquired about the treatment and transportation of SIU Student Keeshanna Jackson. Mr. Reed further asked about how juveniles had acquired guns that were displayed in a video.

Sandy Litecky, on behalf of Keep Carbondale Beautiful, announced the Love Our Earth Litter Pick-up on Saturday.

Procedural: 1.3 Council Comments, General Announcements, and Proclamations

Mayor Henry commended Public Works' response in clearing the roads during the recent ice and snowstorm.

Councilmember Rye Sanders announced a Narcan drive February 21 - 23, noting the impact of the opioid epidemic on the community, and the value of the information being made during presentations at SIU. She proposed the establishment of an oversight committee for the ARPA Consultant. Mayor Henry remarked on the qualifications of the ARPA Consultant.

Procedural: 1.4 Black History Month Proclamation

Mayor Henry proclaimed the month of February at National Black History Month in the City of Carbondale, with the theme of Black Health and Wellness for 2022, and encouraged citizens to respectfully celebrate our diverse heritage and cultures.

2. Public Hearings and Special Reports

3. Consent Agenda of the City Council

Action (Consent): 3.1 Minutes from the Regular City Council Meeting of January 25, 2022 Resolution: Approve the minutes from the regular City Council meeting of January 25, 2022

Action (Consent): 3.2 Approval of Warrant for the Period Ending: 01/21/2022 for the FY 2022 Warrant 1425 in the Total Amount of $1,353,069.87

Resolution: Accept the following report of payments made for the period ended: 01/21/2022 totaling $1,353,069.87 (Exhibit A-02-08-2022)

Action (Consent): 3.3 Approval of Wells Fargo Warrant for the Period Ending 12/31/2021 FY 2022 Warrant # WF 12/2021 in the amount of $150,109.44

Resolution: Accept the following report of payments made for the period ended: 12/31/2021 totaling $150,109.44 (Exhibit B-02-08-2022)

Action: 3.4 Resolution to Enter Into an Intergovernmental Agreement with Blairsville Water District to Provide Sanitary Sewer Service to Walker's Bluff

Pulled by A. Loos

Action (Consent): 3.5 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 Lee Fronabarger, second by Carolin Harvey.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Ginger Rye Sanders, Jeff Doherty, Lee Fronabarger, Tom Grant, Carolin Harvey, Adam Loos, John M Henry

Action: 3.4 Resolution to Enter Into an Intergovernmental Agreement with Blairsville Water District to Provide Sanitary Sewer Service to Walker's Bluff

Council inquired about the number of years on the term, a provision for the renewal of the agreement, about the benefits to providing the service to the Walkers Bluff Casino, noted opposition to providing the service without an annexation agreement for the casino, inquired about annexation for residents along the road who seek to tap into the sewer line, distance requirements for tapping into the sewer for properties within the city, and asked for an estimate for the maintenance costs during the twenty-year agreement. City Manager Williams stated that the term would be for twenty years, that a renewal term could be added, and that this would provide annexation opportunities for the City; further, he noted that Staff could develop a cost estimate.

MOTION: Approve a Resolution to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with Blairsville Water District to provide sewer service to Walker's Bluff, provided that the initial term be twenty years, with a provision for renewing the agreement on ten-year increments for whatever term can be agreed upon.

Motion by Jeff Doherty, second by Tom Grant.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Jeff Doherty, Lee Fronabarger, Tom Grant, Carolin Harvey, John M Henry

Nay: Ginger Rye Sanders, Adam Loos (Resolution 2022-R-05; Exhibit C-02-08-2022)

4. General Business of the City Council

Action: 4.1 City Council Discussion and Proposed Response to a Carbondale Park District Letter Regarding City's Merger Proposal

Note from Clerk: the Councilmembers’ comments during this item extended over 40 minutes. A brief summary of the topics covered follows, but the full verbatim video is available at the City’s website for review.

Councilmember comments included frustration and disappointment about the process and the District’s decision not to pursue the exploration of a merger, per the advisory referendum; a suggestion to offer one final joint meeting; the view that the District’s finances were not sustainable; writing a letter to the editor to explain to the public the timeline of actions; allowing the District time to place an Executive Director and organize; a request of an explanation of what had occurred prior to this point; discussion about what the Park District’s role had been in the application for grant funds and the renovations occurring at Evergreen Park; termination of the leases for the parks properties owned by the City; an inquiry about what would occur if the debts were paid off through a merger and the process of dissolution; and an inquiry about the nature of the referendum.

Action: 4.2 Review of Community Investment Program (CIP) Checklist Items for Proposed New Projects

Council proposals included Pleasant Hill Road maintenance added to projects; asking IDOT to address the length of the lights at the intersection of Mill Street and 51; repairs to concrete roads, particularly Tower Road, Giant City Road from 13 all the way to Grand Avenue, and the intersection of South Wall and Pleasant Hill Road, disagreement with IDOT’s response to the request for a pedestrian refuge island at 13 and Glenview, noting the number of projects relating to parks under the Park District’s control; inquired about the usage of the Infrastructure Bill funding which should be coming; noting that the needs for improvements to roadways are city wide; inquired about the proposal to extend Archie Jones; discussion about a timeline for the installation of sidewalks, filling in sidewalk gaps, who was responsible for the cost of sidewalk installation, and a sidewalk policy made by the Council some time ago.

William Lo, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, urged the City to improve the City-owned basketball courts across from the Dentmon Center.

Discussion: 4.3 City Council Discussion in Regards to Various Housing Proposals

Comments relating to this and the next agenda item from Mary O'Hara were read into the record; they are included with Agenda packet.

City Council remarks and questions included support for the proposal to establish a community land trust, a desire to see programming to educate and inform the community, utilizing ARPA funding to seed the community land trust program, general remarks and an explanation on the purpose and goals of community land trusts, noting that lease addendums had been required in the past, cautioning to keep an eye on the vacant, boarded buildings, asking staff to further develop these proposals, noting unease about establishing a landlord report card, a recommendation to budget and staff appropriately for these proposals, concern that these proposals be enacted and enforced in legitimate, non-discriminatory ways, a suggestion to require training for the landlords, and including language that provides for supply chair/manufacturing timelines when codifying time limits for repairs.

Brian Swoboda inquired about whether a long-term resident who purchased the house could have the trust held property deeded over to them or if it would instead revert back to the trust upon the end of ownership.

Sandy Litecky thanked City Staff for the development of these proposals.

Action: 4.4 Resolution Authorizing City Staff to Initiate a Text Amendment to Title 15 of the Carbondale Revised Code Relative to Overlay Districts

It was suggested that the TIF might not be passable without a traditional neighborhood overlay district.

MOTION: Approve A Resolution Authorizing City Staff to Initiate a Text Amendment to Title 15 of the Carbondale Revised Code Relative to Overlay Districts

Motion by Adam Loos, second by Tom Grant.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: Ginger Rye Sanders, Jeff Doherty, Lee Fronabarger, Tom Grant, Carolin Harvey, Adam Loos, John M Henry (Resolution 2022-R-06; Exhibit D-02-08-2022)

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 8:06 p.m.

https://explorecarbondale.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_02082022-1562