Carbondale Reporter

City of Carbondale City Council met April 9.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

Councilmembers present

Councilmember LaCaje Hill, Councilmember Clare Killman, Councilmember Adam Loos, Councilmember Ginger Rye Sanders (remote attendance), Councilmember Nancy Maxwell, and Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Doherty

Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM

1. Preliminaries to the City Council Meeting

1.1 Roll Call

Following roll call, the City Council held a vote to permit Councilmember Rye Sanders to attend the meeting remotely pursuant to the Illinois Open Meetings Act and the Carbondale Revised Code Section 1-2B-13.B.

MOTION: Permit Councilmember Rye-Sanders to attend remotely

Motion: Clare Killman, Second: Adam Loos

Yea: LeCaje Hill, Clare Killman, Adam Loos, Nancy Maxwell and Jeff Doherty Motion Declared Carried.

1.2 Citizens' Comments and Questions

Citizens addressing the City Council during Citizens’ Comments included Sandy Litecky, Nathan Colombo, Gage McField, Dawn Roberts, James Cooper, Jr., Chastity Mays, Yara Hindi, Candace Neal, Connor Sullivan, Elius Reed, and Lawrence Ryder.

1.3 Council Comments, General Announcements, and Proclamations

Council Comments:

Councilmember Killman shared the views regarding the conflict in Gaza from a close friend who lives in Israel and thanked City Staff for their work on the eclipse.

Councilmember Rye-Sanders thanked everyone for their condolences in the loss of her grandson and for everyone who took part in the search.

Councilmember Loos expressed his concern with the recent surge in anti-Semitism, protesters that are disruptive to the public as well as during City Council meetings, and persons being removed from City Council meetings because of conflicting views. Councilmember Loos also commented and corrected some of the information that was recited earlier in the meeting by one of the speakers during citizens’ comments.

Mayor Pro Tem Doherty thanked everyone involved with the eclipse planning and making it a great success.

Proclamation: Black Maternal Health Week

Mayor Pro Tem Doherty proclaimed the week of April 11th – 17th, 2024 as Black Maternal Health Week and encouraged citizens to raise awareness of the state of Black maternal health.

2. Public Hearings and Special Reports

2.1 Public Hearing on the Proposed FY 2025 City Budget

The public hearing was declared open at 6:54 p.m.

Elius Reed asked how many years are remaining on the City’s contribution to the Saluki Way project. Finance Director Jeff Davis responded saying that there should be five or six years left, but will contact him to let him know exactly how many years are remaining.

Connor Sullivan gave suggestions to Council on how the City can utilize the increased revenue funds from the weekend’s eclipse events.

The public hearing was declared closed at 7:01 p.m.

3. Consent Agenda of the City Council

3.1 Minutes from the Regular City Council Meeting of March 26, 2024 Resolution: Approve the minutes from the regular City Council meeting of March 26, 2024

3.2 Approval of Warrant for the Period Ending: 03/29/2024 for the FY 2024 Warrant 1482 in the Total Amount of $1,372,895.04

Resolution: Accept the following report of payments made for the period ended: 03/29/2024 totaling $1,372,895.04 (Exhibit A-04-09-2024)

3.3 Resolution Declaring a 1982 IME Truck-Diesel Jet Liquid Haul Sludge Truck and a 1982 Ag-Chem Body Int. Dry-Haul Sludge Truck as Surplus

Resolution: Adopt a Resolution Declaring a 1982 IME Truck-Diesel Jet Liquid Haul Sludge Truck and a 1982 Ag-Chem Body Int. Dry-Haul Sludge Truck as Surplus (Resolution 2024-R 16; Exhibit B-04-09-2024)

3.4 Resolution Authorizing the Interim City Manager to Enter into a Lease with Mediacom for Property on Helen Street

Resolution: Adopt a Resolution authorizing the Interim City Manager to enter into a lease agreement with Mediacom for property on Helen Street (Resolution 2024-R-17; Exhibit C-04- 09-2024)

3.5 Approval of Consent Agenda Items

MOTION: Approve all Consent Agenda items not pulled for separate consideration Motion by LaCaje Hill, second by Clare Killman.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

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

4. General Business of the City Council

4.1 Review and Discussion of the Proposed FY 2025 Budget and Five-Year Community Investment Program

Questions or comments from Council regarding the FY 2025 City Budget included projected expenditures and revenues, Community Investment Programs and what determines the order in which those will be implemented, reiterated request to rename Community Investment Programs to Capital Improvement Programs, police department staffing and salaries compared to other municipalities of different sizes, the downward trend of the water and sewer fund and the possibility of increasing water and sewer billing rates, the budget deficit and how it will be funded, and addressing the earlier public comment regarding revenue from the weekend’s eclipse events.

5. Executive Session

5.1 Executive Session to Discuss the Purchase or Lease of Real Property for Use by the Public Body, to Discuss the Setting of a Price for the Sale or Lease of Property Owned by the Public Body, and to Conduct the Semi-Annual Review of Closed Meeting Minutes

MOTION: Enter into Executive Session to discuss the purchase or lease of property for the public body's use, the setting of a price for the sale or lease of property owned by the public body, and to conduct the semi-annual review of executive session minutes as permitted by the Illinois Open Meetings Act 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5) c)(6) and (c)(21).

Motion by Clare Killman, second by Adam Loos

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

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

Open session recessed at 7:20 p.m.

5.2 Return to Open Session

MOTION: Return to Open Session

Motion by Adam Loos, second by Clare Killman.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

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

Open session resumed at 8:08 p.m.

5.3 Approve Executive Session Meeting Minutes, Declare the Need for Confidentiality Still Exists in Whole or in Part for Executive Session Meeting Minutes, Authorize the Destruction of Audio Recordings for Meetings Conducted More Than 18 Months Ago

MOTION: Approve the minutes from the Executive Session meetings of December 12, 2023, January 23, 2024, and March 12, 2024; Declare that need for confidentiality exists, in whole or in part for all of the unreleased executive session minutes except for May 24, 2022; and approve the destruction of the verbatim records older than 18 months for those meetings where minutes have been approved and no appeal has been filed.

Motion by Adam Loos, second by Clare Killman.

Final Resolution: Motion Carries

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

6. Adjournment of the City Council Meeting

6.1 Adjourn meeting

There being no further business to come before the City Council, the meeting was declared adjourned at 8:10 p.m.

https://go.boarddocs.com/il/coc/Board.nsf/files/D4EPUU65CE89/$file/2024-04-09%20Regular%20City%20Council%20Meeting%20Minutes.pdf