After listening to a plea from Fieldcrest Superintendent Dr. Michael Stagliano, the Minonk
City Council agreed to give the school district TIF elgible funds equivalent to the amount
of the tax increase should the school tax referendum pass in November. The Fieldcrest
School District placed a referendum on next month's ballot seeking a $0.55 increase in school
taxes. Minonk's two schools are located in a TIF district. Normally, any tax increases in a TIF district are not passed on to the taxing bodies
until the life of the TIF is finished. Stagliano asked the city council to allow the increase
taxes to pass through to the school rather than remain in the TIF. The amount of the tax revenue
generated would be $9,637.98. He said that the City of
Wenona will be passing a similar resolution tonight to allow the tax increase from Wenona's
TIF to pass through to the school if the referendum passes.
Alderman Bill Koos said that the city has to make sure that the reimbursement given to the
school district be in the form of TIF eligible expenses. Dr. Stagliano said that money is needed
in the Education Fund. However, Mayor Spencer said that the Education Fund would not be a TIF
eligible expense. Dr. Stagliano said that hurdle could be surmounted by receiving the TIF funds
into the Building Fund and then applying more money from the state into the Education Fund and less
in the Building Fund by the TIF fund amount.
Alderman Ron Redenius asked Dr. Stagliano why the school district has not applied for TIF funds
before now. He said that since the inception of the TIF district the school could have received
TIF funds for capital development each year. However, it was later noted that per the TIF agreement
Fieldcrest cannot apply for TIF funds until the TIF is solvent.
Alderman Sean Cunningham made a motion to allow the Fieldcrest School District to apply for and
receive TIF eligible expenses up to a maximum amount of $.055 multiplied by the accessed valuation
of the property within the TIF district if the referendum is passed. The motion was unanimously passed.
Lease on old Kent Lumber building
The council debated on what to do with the old Kent Lumber building located at Sixth and Oak
streets when the current lease expires on July 31, 2005. On that date the city receives control
of the property that runs from Sxith to Seventh street along Oak street. The council debated on
whether the building is worth keeping. If not, who is responsible for tearing it down? Alderman Bill
Koos suggested that the city contact the current lessee to see what he plans to do with it. Mayor
Spencer asked Alderman Matt Fink to have the Public Works Committee inspect the building to determine
its condition and also to determine how much it would cost to tear it down. Spencer said that the city
must decide first if they want to keep the building before making any further decisions.
Maple Avenue Parking
The council discussed the congestion created by parking on both sides of Maple Avenue in front
of the high school. Mayor Spencer said that Principal Steve Wallick asked students to park only
on the west side of the street. Alderman Sean Cunningham said that the council will be discussing
a solution for this problem at the next council meeting because the parking problem still exists.
Mayor Spencer said he would speak with Principal Wallick again about the problem.
Water tower maintenance
CIty Administrator Trent Smith told the council that routine maintenance will be done on the water tower.
Smith said it has been 10 years since the tower has been clean and that it should be done every 5-6 years
to clean out any sediment and to check for interior deterioration. Utility Service Company has agreed to
undertake the project at a cost of $2400 which Smith said is a very good price. Once the work
is completed, a boil order must be issued for the entire city until the lab is given two water
samples. The samples must be taken 24 hours apart so the boil order will last at least 24 hours.
Small Communities Grant
City Administrator Trent Smith will be going to Eureka on Tuesday to receive a grant awarded by
Woodford County under the Small Communities Grant. The grant is for $6,000.
The city will match 1/2 of the amount and the other 1/2 is provided by work in kind from
the receivor of the grant. The grant will be applied to an upgrade of the MinonkTalk website.
Upgrades will include an economic opportunities section for the city on the website as well as
a detailed coverage of the current businesses in the city. Improvements to make the city's
business opportunites more visible to the internet will also be made.
More trees donated
Jason Gerdes of Gerdes Wholesale Nursery in Harvard will be delivering approximately 50 trees
sometime during the week of October 3rd. This is the second year in which he has graciously
donated trees to the City of Minonk. Alderman Bill Koos suggested that the Public Works Department
drive around town to see where trees can be planted to replace those that have died or been cut down.
City Administrator comments
Members of the police department will now be paid to ride along with departments in other cities
to gain added experience. Officer Jenkins will be working with the Normal police department on October
6th and 13th. Officer Pedersen will be working with the same department on October 23rd and 30th. The
cities of Bloomington, Pontiac and Peru have also agreed to take the officers in a ride along program.
The Minonk Ambulance Squad gets busier and busier. They set a new single month record in September for
handling 43 ambulance calls.
The city has been in contact with a company concerning the city's water since a change to an
orthophosphate chemical feed to combat corrosion problems. The city water is of such high quality
that excessive heat causes a scaling problem that could plug pipes, faucets and hot water heaters.
To combat this problem it is necessary to turn down the temperature in the hot water heaters. In general,
if you turn on the your hot water tap and can't hold your hand underneath the stream without
burning your hand, it is too hot.
