Haffey to Assume Role of Mayor Pro Tem for Savanna

By Michael Miller For The Prairie Advocate News

SAVANNA – Ward One Alder-person Peg Haffey has accepted the role as Mayor Pro Tem, per the events of the Tuesday, January 11th meeting of the Savanna City Council.

The meeting was attended by Council members Lois Hunsaker, Jeff Griswold, Bill Grummitt, Haffey, Rosalie Hansen, Merle Long and Bill Robinson, with Robert David absent. Also attending were Mayor Larry Stebbins, City Clerk Paul Hartman, City Comptroller/Treasurer Sheryl Sipe, Police Chief Michael Moon and Fire Chief Shawn Picolotti. City Attorney Phil Jensen and Public Works Superintendent John Lindeman were also absent.

The brief meeting once again saw Robinson delivering the entire slate of committee reports. His Water/Sewer/Refuse/Streets and Alleys report had virtually no news, save that no action was taken in the committee’s most recent meeting.

The Finance report revealed that the committee had heard back from Martin and Company regarding the overcharging for the 4th Street Wall project, with the City being informed that the company had agreed to pay for all but the rebar costs. Robinson said that he and Lindeman had discovered some other items they had questions about regarding billing and that further action had been tabled until they reviewed these items in greater depth.

He also reported a request for funds for the new City building at 333 Chicago Avenue, to be utilized for telecommunications. Moon expanded upon this, saying that the cost of these services will cover moving phone systems for the police and fire departments and City Hall, as well as a radio base so that the police department can transmit information back and forth to the fire department at the old building. Other items requested by the police department include at least six cameras for the new council chambers and the police department as well as a digital video recorder and a computer monitor.

Moon said that the company (Electronics, Incorporated) had priced service costs at prevailing wage, but that it should not exceed his budgeted amount of $12,000.00. He said there may be some additional costs for phone company service. The chief said it was still uncertain whether the City would elect to go with Sand Prairie Wireless or Mediacom for their internet service.

Robinson moved to approve this request, noting that there is a line item in the budget for police equipment for $40,000.00 but added that these expenses were expected to come in at around $12,000.00. Hunsaker seconded and the whole Council voted to approve. Robinson also said that there was a request that the funds from the sale of the City’s Tahoe be donated the the volunteer fireman to help offset the cost of the $10,000.00 Suburban they have recently purchased. Again, the entire Council approved, as it did the payment of Warrant #9, bill for the month of December totaling $354,095.05.

It’s a new year and that means it’s once again time to nominate and elect a new Mayor Pro Tem for the City, and Griswold offered Haffey’s name up for consideration, saying that she was new and should have a chance at it. Haffey was hesitant to accept at first, saying that while she felt she could conduct meetings and represent the City in public, she wasn’t sure she “had a firm enough grasp” of some of the financial workings to function as Mayor Pro Tem. The matter was put to a role call vote, with all members voting in favor, including Haffey, after some encouragement from Griswold and Long.

The City will be purchasing a 2011 4-Wheel Drive police vehicle, and as such went out for bids on the item. Three bids came in; one from Landmark from Springfield, IL, for $26,024.00, one from Miles in Decatur, IL, for $29,805.00 and the third from J.C Carey Motors in Mt. Carroll for $29,288.00. Chief Moon will review these bids and come back to the Council with his recommendation.

Water Meters - ”Need” or “Want”?

Unfinished Business saw the Council considering a Community Funding and Planning Services Agreement and grant application for CDAP Public Facility Grant to finance the purchase of the new radio controlled water meters proposed by Lindeman at the final meeting of 2010.

Griswold asked whether anyone had ever tested one of the old meters in order to project potential savings for the City. Robinson said that the service line on the meters was about 20 years and that some of them currently in use were 60 years old. Griswold said that in a similar discussion in years past, the Council actually took the item out of the budget, and wondered aloud if this was the proper time to be considering further expenditure, given the fact that the City is borrowing money to work on the streets. Grummitt said the City has the funds set up to collect for infrastructure for the water and sewer system, and this money is “allocated for projects of this nature”.

Griswold countered by saying that the City is also looking at possibly building a new sewer plant, which might also make use of those funds, so “of those two, which is a need and which is a want?”

In response to a question from Long, Robinson explained some of the mechanics, saying that the newer meters could just have a radio controlled head placed on them, but the older meters would need to be entirely replaced.

This item would see the City putting up $1,000.00 for grant application services, with an additional $1,000.00 being paid out if the grant was awarded.

The roll call vote saw the measure narrowly passing, with Long, Hunsaker, and Griswold voting “nay”, and Grummitt, Robinson, Haffey and Hansen voting “aye”.

In Final Comments, Grummitt asked Moon if there were any incidents relating to Poopy’s being open on Christmas Day and Moon said there were not. Hunsaker thanked Officer Kevin Dimmick for his aid in slowing traffic down in her area of town, around N. Oakton Road.

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