The Kewanee City Council will meet on Monday, August 12th, at 7 PM. The meeting will be carried out live on our WKEI RegionalMediaNews.com Facebook page. The agenda and notes from the packet are below. You can find the background information on the agenda items in the Kewanee City Council Packet, linked here.
1. Roll Call
2. Closed Session to discuss Personnel Section 2(c)(1), Sale or Lease of Real Estate Section 2(c)(6) and Discussion of Closed Meeting Minutes Section 2(c)(21)
3. Roll Call
4. Consent Agenda
a. Approval of Minutes
b. Approval of Closed Meeting Minutes from August 12th, 2024
c. Payroll
d. Staff Reports
e. Bock Report
f. Goodfellows Tag Days
g. Wethersfield Homecoming Parade Road Closure Request
h. Wethersfield Touchdown Fireworks Request
5. Payment of the bills
6. Public Comments
7. Swearing in: Matt DeClerq
8. New Business
a) Proclamation: Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Week
b) Bill 24-83 Ordinance granting a request for a variance to Matt Jenkins of 625 Dewey Ave.
c) Bill 24-84 Ordinance granting a request for a variance to Richard Werderman of 420 N Grace Ave.
d) Bill 24-85 Ordinance to amend Section 52.22 Payment of Billing; Procedure; Delinquency of the Kewanee City Code.
e) Bill 24-86 Resolution for maintenance under the Illinois Highway Code.
f) Bill 24-87 Resolution authorizing the Mayor, City Manager, City Clerk and City Attorney to execute documents that are necessary and proper to sell excess real estate located adjacent to 711 Page Street.
g) Bill 24-88 Resolution authorizing the execution of an agreement between the City of Kewanee and Laverdiere Construction Inc. to aid in the replacement, construction, and installation of a watermain along Lyle Street between South Elm Street and Main Street.
9. Council Communications
10. Announcement
11. Adjournment
Also in the Packet
1. Storm Debris Cleanup: We had expected to have a definitive answer by now on whether or not we would be receiving Public Assistance from FEMA to assist with the cost of storm cleanup. There is another call scheduled for next week, at which time we hope to receive approval to move forward with hiring a contractor to help with the process. We continue to appreciate the community’s patience and the support from local businesses.
2. Children’s Safety Expo 2024: Staff participated in Senator Neil Anderson and State Representative Travis Weaver’s Children’s Safety Expo with vehicles at the site. Attendance for the event was good, and we appreciate the opportunity to bond with our customers.
3. Placer AI: The social media reaction to the potential use of AI in our economic development planning efforts was strong. As useful as the software may be, it isn’t worth it at the expense of alienating such a large segment of the population, even to the extent that some of them are just misinformed on what is being collected and the fact that they’ve already given permissions for the information to be collected and sold. With both Peoria and Moline using the service, its likely that the same information is collected and sold each time the complainants travel to either city, which in some cases could even be daily trips for work or shopping. It’s not something staff is looking to pursue at this time unless directed to do so.
4. Station 2 Rehab: MSI has installed the temporary wall inside of the apparatus bay which will allow them to remove the temporary support wall that has been in place since the accident. That will coincide with the demolition of the existing masonry. Once removed, the new masonry will be put in place up to the area where the new I-Beam will be placed. The I-Beam is being manufactured and has a 2-week lead time. Once the I-Beam is in place, the masonry will be completed, and the roof projects will begin. They are still confident in a late September completion date.
5. Outdoor Warning Sirens: Sheboygan Warning Systems (SWS) has informed us that the two new sirens are finished at the manufacturers. They will be in town next Wednesday to remove the siren at College & Tenney, repair the sirens at Emmons/Dwight & Park/5th, and replace the sirens at Church/Bronson & Railroad Ave. They expect to be finished with that work by Friday afternoon. The 3rd Street siren will be disconnected but will not be removed until later due to the Hog Days carnival being set up. Once each siren is repaired or replaced, they will do short bursts of the siren to ensure operability. Normally, they would turn the sirens on and let them run a full circuit, but with Hog Days starting on Friday, we opted not to set the sirens off fully because there will be so many people not from the area who wouldn’t know that the sirens were being tested. We will resume our normal testing on the first Tuesday of the month on Tuesday, September 3rd at 10:00 AM. Fire personnel will be at each of the 4 siren sites to ensure full operability.
6. Heavy Rescue: The old decals have been removed and the new decals have been put in place. The air horn had a bad valve that has been replaced and is now fully operational. The new tires have been put on the truck as well. The only thing we are waiting on are a few LED lights. Once those are installed, all of the supplies will be moved from the HAZMAT trailer to the heavy rescue vehicle and Rescue I will officially be put into service.
7. Solid Waste Transition: The City and LRS met today to continue working together to ensure that information regarding the transition collection and disposal services is as seamless as possible. The company will be delivering recycling carts starting next Monday through the end of the week and will commence their collection services the following week on September 3rd.
8. Public Water Supply Inspection: Every three years, IEPA conducts an inspection of our Public Water Supply System, then provides a report highlighting any deficiencies they have identified. We received the report yesterday. Copies of the report have been placed in your mailboxes at City Hall.
9. Source Water Protection Plan: Staff met with CMT last week to review the plan and provide feedback and information for inclusion in the final report. After CMT edits the document based on feedback from the City, it will be submitted to IEPA for their review.
10. Public Works Training: Brandon Peart and Justin Peterson will be taking the “Beginning Drinking Water Class C and D” course offered through Black Hawk. The course provides advanced training in: well and distribution system operation and maintenance; basic water flow hydraulics; chemical dosage mathematics; Environmental Protection Agency laws; and Chlorination and fluoridation. Upon completion, individuals are prepared to take the ILEPA PWS Operators test to obtain their license.
11. Tourism Bureau: The Tourism Bureau met earlier this week at PhatBoys BBQ to discuss upcoming media and promotional events. The Bureau’s website is being constructed and promotional materials are being prepared in accordance with the adopted tourism plan. The group has started to transition from staff and elected officials to a membership that is more inclusive of those who are not elected or full-time staff, allowing those with interest, expertise, and availability to serve on the board. In the coming months, Kewanee will need to identify a volunteer to serve in that capacity.
12. Phone Application: Next Monday, starting at 6pm and continuing overnight, Access Systems will be upgrading our phone system. Tomorrow, everyone with an account through Access should receive a welcome email with instructions on setting up and accessing your voicemail and account. All users will lose their voicemails during this upgrade, so please save them to a USB stick or email if you need them. If you use the Max UC app, you will also lose text messages and personal contacts unless you save and transfer them to the new system. If you need help with this, we can connect you with our Access Systems representative. For the Police and Fire Departments, Access Systems will prioritize the phones and paging systems. The upgrade will only take a few minutes and will require a factory reset of the phone.
18. Consolidated Election: Election packets are now available at City Hall for the two 4-year term Councilmember seats that will be open in the 2025 Consolidated Election. Anyone interested in running for Councilmember may pick up a packet during normal business hours. Should anyone have questions regarding the packet or the process, they can contact the City Clerk.