Taylorville aldermen Monday night debated but took no action, on whether to pass a motion to allow Taylorville businesses to re-open despite the Governor's Emergency Order.

Alderwoman Megan Bryant said the city needed to stay out of that decision.

Alderwoman Kathy Driskell told the meeting businesses and residents have to make their own choices.

Mayor Bruce Barry says it's up to the Christian County Health Board to allow businesses to re-open or close.  

Several other Taylorville aldermen agreed for various reasons, that the city could not re-open businesses itself.  And, after advice from city attorney Rocci Romano, the issue died for lack of a motion.

The Taylorville City Council Monday night voted to pay the Taylorville Optimist Club the 75-hundred dollar annual contribution from the hotel-motel tax fund, but this year it'll go as part of the 10-thousand dollar cancellation fee instead of for fireworks.

With the 4th of July fireworks in Taylorville cancelled due to the uncertainty of the Governor's Executive Order, the club was forced by the fireworks company to pay a 10-thousand dollar cancellation fee, with 75-hundred coming from the city.  The fireworks company agreed to credit that amount towards the Taylorville 4th of July fireworks in 2021.

The decision wasn't without a lot of discussion.  Alderwoman Megan Bryant said due to the city's tight financial situation, she asked if the Optimist Club could pay the 75-hundred dollars on their own.

Alderman Shawn Burtle told Council members the reason the Optimist Club came to the city several years ago asking for the 75-hundred dollar contribution, was that the club couldn't do its non-profit projects for children in the community and pay for the fireworks on its own.

The Council voted 8 to nothing to honor their agreement with the Optimist Club and pay the 75-hundred dollars, from the hotel-motel tax fund.

Some 115 businesses inside the Taylorville Business Development District, can now apply for one month's rent or mortgage payment up to 15-hundred dollars, as a result of action by the Taylorville City Council Monday night.

Aldermen approved this one-time grant to those businesses on a 7 to one vote.

Mayor Bruce Barry met with the B-D-D committee and its consultant Steve Kline, and came up with this one-time grant to present to the Council, that oversees the fund.

The city will come up with an application for those businesses to complete.  The B-D-D committee and the Council will then approve or disapprove each grant.  

Skultety was concerned that some businesses that apply and get the money, may close if the Governor extends his Executive Order for a long period of time.

Skultety voted no, but the proposal passed 7 to one.

The City of Taylorville will spend some 44-thousand dollars to hire eleven summer help workers, from funds designated for each ward from the city's utility tax, as well as the city's water fund.  That action came at Monday night's Council meeting.

Alderwoman Kathy Driskell and Finance Committee chair Larry Budd, had a discussion with Driskell wanting the money paid back to the ward funds since typically the summer hires are paid for by other funds of the city.

There was further discussion among Council members about paying the ward fund back, and Mayor Bruce Barry suggested looking at the issue in a year when general revenue will hopefully be up.

The motion to take the monies from the ward and water funds passed unanimously.

Taylorvillle aldermen Monday night:

--heard Mayor Bruce Barry tell the Council that he and several other area mayors, delivered a letter to Governor J-B Pritzker asking that the local area move to Phase 3 in the Governor's "Restore Illinois" plan 

--OK'd extending the city's water mains to the 1600 East Road Davis property

--they rescinded the ordinance against burning leaves, vegetation, weeds, grass clippings and tree limbs

--passed an Intergovernmental agreement with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency

--appointed Matthew Yard to the Planning Commission

--reappointed John Blakeman to the Fire Pension Board

--reappointed Kerry Ward, Greg Hager, Julio Monge, and Judy Rodden to the Cemetery Board of Managers

--reappointed Jim Hahn to the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners

--reappointed Pat Kretzer and Rich Shaw to the Board of Appeals

--reappointed Terry Rainey and Don Farrimond to the Library Board

--reappointed Terri France to the Police Pension Board

--authorized several bills in the ongoing construction of the new Water Treatment Planting

--accepted the low bid from Midwest Meter for service line materials at a total cost not to exeed $14,131

--changed the current application for fire hydrant meter rental to increase the current deposit for a garden hose meter to $300 and assess a $100 fee if readings are not called in within 72 hours of the requesting

--approved the price of $275 for an additional camper on a lake lot, with no security deposit

--paid bills totaling $150,712.89