Carbondale Reporter

City of Carbondale City Council met Oct. 10.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

Regular City Council Meeting October 10, 2023 (Tuesday, October 10, 2023) Generated by Jennifer R Sorrell on Thursday, October 12, 2023

Councilmembers present

Councilmember LaCaje Hill, Councilmember Clare Killman, Councilmember Adam Loos (arrived at 6:20), Councilmember Nancy Maxwell, Councilmember Ginger Rye Sanders, Councilmember Jeff Doherty, and Mayor Carolin Harvey

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

The citizen who addressed the City Council was James Cooper, Jr.

Procedural: 1.3 Council Comments, General Announcements, and Proclamations Councilmember Hill announced a Fall Festival at Victory Dream Center on October 14.

Councilmember Maxwell announced that October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and that there will be a candlelight vigil observed at the pavilion.

Procedural: 1.4 Proclamations for Fire Prevention Week, National APEX Day, Southern Illinois University Homecoming Week

2. Public Hearings and Special Reports

3. Consent Agenda of the City Council

Action (Consent): 3.1 City Council Meeting Minutes from September 26, 2023 Resolution: Approve the minutes from the regular City Council meeting of September 26, 2023

Action (Consent): 3.2 Approval of Warrant for the Period Ending: 09/29/2023 for the FY 2024 Warrant 1469 in the Total Amount of $2,824,584.48

Resolution: Accept the following report of payments made for the period ended: 09/29/2023 totaling $2,824,584.48 (Exhibit A-10-10-2023)

Action (Consent): 3.3 Acceptance of Approved Meeting Minutes from Boards, Commissions, and Committees

Resolution: Accept the approved meeting minutes from Boards, Commissions, and Committees and place them on file.

Action (Consent): 3.4 Award of Contract for CIP Project SP2402 Superblock Ball Fields Renovations to Prestige Project Management, Inc. of Harrisburg, Illinois, in the Amount of $109,854

Resolution: Award of Contract for CIP Project SP2402 Superblock Ball Fields renovations to Prestige Project Management Inc. of Harrisburg, IL, in the Amount of $109,854

Action (Consent): 3.5 Acceptance of an Easement Along Reed Station Road to Access the Lift Station Built by the Walker's Bluff Resort and Casino Developer

Resolution: Accept the Easement to access the Walker's Bluff Resort and Casino Lift Station

Action (Consent): 3.6 Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Contract with USIC Locating Services, LLC for Water and Sewer Utility Locating Services Resolution: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Contract with USIC Locating Services, LLC for Water and Sewer Utility Locating Services (Resolution 2023-R-72; Exhibit B-10-10-2023)

Action (Consent): 3.7 Resolution Accepting a $484,000 Grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority's Strong Communities Program and; Approve an Ordinance Increasing the FY 2024 Building & Neighborhood Services Budget in the amount of $150,000

Resolution: 1. To Adopt a Resolution Accepting a $484,000 Grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority's Strong Communities Program 2. Approve an ordinance increasing the FY 2024 Building & Neighborhood Services budget by $150,000 for the demolition of unsafe structures (Resolution 2023-R-73; Ordinance 2023-40; Exhibits C- and D-10-10-2023)

Action (Consent): 3.8 Ordinance Authorizing a Budget Adjustment to Increase Support Services Division in the Amount of $60,000 for Additional City-Funded Housing Grants Resolution: The City Council is requested to adopt an Ordinance authorizing approval of a Budget Adjustment to increase the FY24 budget to provide additional funding of $60,000 to fund the Single-Family Home Conversion Program, the Down Payment Assistance Grant, and the Curb Appeal Assistance Program. (Ordinance 2023-41; Exhibit E-10-10-2023)

Action (Consent): 3.9 Approval of Consent Agenda Items

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

Agenda Item 3.7 – There were inquiries about the number of properties that can be demolished, the availability of funds in the budget for said demolition, and whether the funds would include title acquisition.

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

Motion by LaCaje Hill, second by Nancy Maxwell.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: LaCaje Hill, Clare Killman, Nancy Maxwell, Ginger Rye Sanders, Jeff Doherty, Carolin Harvey

4. General Business of the City Council

Action, Discussion: 4.1 Council Discussion Regarding Status of Former Carbondale Community High School Property on North Springer Street to Determine if the City Should Seek Title and Demolish the Property

Gail White noted that he was not able to do an exhaustive study of the building, noted the conditions of the tour which occurred about a year ago, explained that in order to determine the rehabilitation options, it would require a clean-up and temporary lighting to make a more complete assessment of the building, and responded to Council inquiries.

Questions and comments from the City Council included an interest in seeing other rooms in the structure; what the effect would be on the Dentmon Center if it were demolished; an inquiry about the foundation and the possibility of rehabilitation; whether the building condition would have deteriorated more since the last tour in December; asked about the cost-effectiveness of rehabilitation; which option would be more costly; whether either option would be better than leaving the building in its current state; inquiries about what would be done with the vacant lot if demolished; and whether restoration costs would be greater than the cost of demolition. Councilmembers shared their opinions about the next steps, including pursuing additional information about rehabilitation options, discussion about costs, and possible future uses.

Mike Curtis commented on changes in the neighborhood over fifty years, his concerns about the condition of the building, and urged the Council to demolish the building.

After deliberation, the determination was made by consensus to acquire the title and demolish.

Action: 4.2 Approve an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Carbondale Park District for a City-wide Parks Master Plan

MOTION: Approve an intergovernmental agreement with the Carbondale Park District for a city-wide parks master plan.

Motion by Jeff Doherty, second by Clare Killman.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: LaCaje Hill, Clare Killman, Adam Loos, Nancy Maxwell, Ginger Rye Sanders, Jeff Doherty, Carolin Harvey

Action: 4.3 Ordinance Amending an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Carbondale, the City of Murphysboro, and Jackson County, and an Ordinance Authorizing the Addition of Territory to an Enterprise Zone in Jackson County

Donald Monty asked to see the map of the territories to be added.

MOTION: Approve an Ordinance Amending an Intergovernmental Agreement Between the City of Carbondale, the City of Murphysboro and Jackson County, and an Ordinance Authorizing the Addition of Territory to an Enterprise Zone in Jackson County

Motion by Clare Killman, second by Ginger Rye Sanders.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

Yea: LaCaje Hill, Clare Killman, Adam Loos, Nancy Maxwell, Ginger Rye Sanders, Jeff Doherty, Carolin Harvey (Ordinances 2023-42 & 2023-43; Exhibit F- and G-10-10-2023)

5. Adjournment of the City Council Meeting

Procedural: 5.1 Adjourn meeting

There being no further business to come before the City Council, the meeting was declared adjourned at 7:17 p.m.

https://go.boarddocs.com/il/coc/Board.nsf/files/CWJPM7653A99/$file/Regular%20City%20Council%20Meeting%20Minutes%2010%20October%202023.pdf