Alderman Koos said that the money for completing the Maple Street sewer project has been withdrawn by the state and the
city will need to budget for the $55,000 needed to complete the project this year.
The council voted to extend the Med-I-Claims to three years rather than 5 years as previously
approved by the council. Med-I-Claims said that they will not sign a contract beyond three years. The new contract
will be at the rate of $18.00 per claim.
A law enforcement mutual aid agreement was tabled by the council after discussion. The agreement was proposed
by the Illinois Chiefs of Police, the Illinois Sheriff's Association and the Illinois Terrorism Task Force to create
a statewide mutual aid system. The agreement stated that if the city assisted another municipality in the State of
Illinois that has also signed the agreement, the city will not be compensated for their time and must cover their own
liabilities. Alderman Bill Koos asked if this agreement would cover ambulance service as well. City Administrator
Trent Smith said it would not. Koos made a motion to table the agreement until more answers can be provided regarding
the agreement. The council approved the motion.
City Administrator Trent Smith said that the drilling of Well # has been completed and is 2023 feet deep. He said that
a pump test will be done on March 4 and the results given to Farnsworth engineers who will then order the
appropriate pump. It will be two weeks before the pump can be delivered and installed. As soon as that is done, the city
will then level and seed the ground.
Mayor Mark Spencer said that there will be a Meet the Candidates Night on March 19 at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall. Spencer also
said that there will be a meeting of the Millenium Committee on March 20 at City Hall to discuss plans for the
recreational park to be developed at the north edge of town this year.
Alderman Koos said that the Fieldcrest Elementary South students will undertake a project to develop a slogan
for solicting volunteers for the ambulance squad. The Ambulance Committee will select the best slogan and
turn them over to the high school art class where posters can then be made for public display. Koos said that
the slogans will emphasize not just the need for volunteers for the ambulance squad but for other volunteer
activities including the fire department and the Fourth of July celebration.
Alderman Dean Barth said that the opening of bids for construction of the Westside Park Pavilion will delayed until
March 24 at 3:00 p.m. Barth said that the architect who is advertising the bids had an illness in the family and could
not make the February 25 deadline. Barth said that if the bids are too high at the opening, that the committee will
be ready to seek another course of action to get the pavilion built. He emphasized that with the city council's help
the pavilion will be built this summer one way or another.
