The Taylorville City Council transacted a lot of business in their 42-minute meeting Monday night. Aldermen passed 4 resolutions at the start of their meeting. The first was a public utility easement agreement between the city and the owners of the 29 West Motel on West Spresser; the 2nd was a public utlity easement between the city and land owner Louis Sloan to allow the city to lessen soil erosion; the 3rd was a resolution agreeing to accept a 5-thousand dollar payment from one of the storm sewer project contractors, Ace Contracting of Illinois, in exchange for the city holding the company harmless for work not completed on West Elm Street, with the city to do the repair work on the street as a result; and alderman OK’d a maintenance agreement for F-A-A equipment at Taylorville Municipal Airport.
Taylorville city attorney David Fines reported to aldermen at their Monday night meeting, that it appeared as though the property swap between the city and Doctor Sloan will be closing soon. Doctor Sloan and the city will be trading some property so that the city can get possession of a ravine along Langleyville Road to improve storm water flow.
In comments to Taylorville aldermen Monday night, mayor Greg Brotherton said it was possible that the Tenaska legislation may be voted on in this last week of the Illinois General Assembly veto session; that, as reported on Regional Radio, the city received a grant for solar panels at Taylorville Municipal Airport; and that the recent alcohol sting operation in the city netted several arrests that he intends to fully prosecute. Brotherton also commented on the fire training exercise that got out of control recently at the former Taylorville Country Club.
[audio:BrothertonNov72011.mp3]comment here[/audio]
Taylorville aldermen Monday night passed several motions recommended by various city council committees. They accepted the annual audit from Rich Hooper of Lively, Mathias, and Hooper; they voted 7 to one with alderman Ernie Dorchinez voting no, to retain counsel to sell some 2-point-5 million dollars in bonds for further storm water improvements, with the bonds to be paid by the increase in the city’s sales tax; and they transferred 50-thousand dollars from the general fund to the water fund.
There was some interesting discussion at Monday night’s Taylorville City Council meeting, about an Ordinance Committee recommendation to allow billboards in commercial areas of the city. A request came to the committee from Nicholas Giacomini, owner of WC Media Outdoor Advertising in Springfield, who is proposing to buy just over 4 acres along Illinois Route 48 between the highway and the Christian County YMCA, to erect 2 40-foot poles which will have 4 billboards each. Some Council members felt the 100-dollar permit fee per billboard was too low, but the motion to table the motion allowing the billboards, failed 6 to 2 with aldermen Ernie Dorchinez and Shaun Burtle voting to table. The motion to allow the billboards passed by that same 6 to 2 vote, with Dorchinez and Burtle both voting no.
The Taylorville City Council Monday night voted on several motions brought from the council’s Street and Sewer Committee pertaining to the current storm sewer project. Aldermen voted to pay various contractors some 700-thousand dollars as part of the overall project cost, and OK’d the Taylorville McDonald’s to solicit funds at West Main Cross and Spresser November 19th, for the Ronald McDonald House.
Taylorville aldermen Monday night approved a recommendation made by the council’s public facilities committee, after that committee learned that city hall, which was built in 1972, is in need of brick repair. The council OK’d putting the repairs out for bid. They also voted to sell a property the city condemned and took possession of, at 26 Illini Drive, after the city spent some 21-thousand dollars in demolition and legal fees.
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