Grundy Reporter

Village of Diamond Board met March 13.

Here is the minutes provided by the Board:

The scheduled meeting of the Diamond Village Board was held on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. with Mayor Teresa Kernc presiding. Upon roll call Commissioners present were Mark Adair, Jeff Kasher, Dave Warner and Carolyn Wilson.

Approval of Minutes:

Motion was made by Commissioner Kasher, Second by Commissioner Warner to approve the 2/27/2018 meeting minutes and place on file. All Ayes; Motion Carried.

Approval of the March 13, 2018 Bill List:

Motion was made by Commissioner Wilson, Second by Commissioner Adair to approve the bill list and place it on file. All Ayes; Motion Carried.

Public Comment:

Resident Greg Wix and his son were present. Mr. Wix addressed the board regarding the condition of the baseball field at the village park. Wix presented pictures of the ball field, backstop and benches and asked the board if the village could improve the conditions of the area. Commissioner Adair addressed his concerns. After discussion, decision was made to move forward to improve the field condition. Commissioner Kasher recommended Adair to contact John Cullick who maintains the athletic fields at the Coal City High School for improvement suggestions to the infield.

New Business:

Utility Bills for: 2245 E. Clark St.; 72 Oregon Trail; 2045 E. Hugh St.:

Lynn Nicoletti, owner of 2245 E. Clark St., was present. Nicoletti addressed the board regarding the utility bill. Nicoletti described numerous incidents which took place in January with her tenant and the frozen pipe which produced a water leak. Village Clerk Lori Holmes discussed the other water leaks at 72 Oregon Trail and 2045 E. Hugh St. Both leaks were located under the houses and were ground water leaks. After discussion, decision was made to charge each resident for the base sewer charge only and credit each account accordingly since the leaked water did not go into the sewer system and was not processed at the waste water treatment plant. Motion was made by Commissioner Warner, Second by Commissioner Kasher to reduce the sewer charge to the minimum sewer charge for locations at 2245 E. Clark St., 72 Oregon Trail and 2045 E. Hugh St. All Ayes; Motion Carried.

Backflow Solutions Inc. (BSI Online):

Public Works Director Austin Vining stated under the EPA regulations, the village must implement a cross-connection control program. Backflow Solutions Inc. presented their program to Zoning and Planning Cindy Haywood, Operations Jeff James and Vining. Vining stated Backflow Solutions Inc. has a program to ensure all existing backflow assemblies are tested on an annual basis, in accordance with ILEPA regulations. Village Engineer Mike Perry was not aware of this company and inquired if Test Inc. could assist with this requirement. Village Attorney John Gallo stated the village does have an ordinance for this however, the current ordinance needs to be amended. After discussion, decision was made to table this item until the March 27, 2018 meeting giving Vining ability to contact Test Inc. and Gallo to make the necessary changes to amend the current ordinance.

Old Business:

Grundy and Will County Sheriff’s Monthly Update:

Grundy County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Clampitt was in attendance. Clampitt stated the past month has been uneventful in the village.

Approve Atlas Companies Phased Market Study Proposal:

Passed

Sales Tax Referendum:

Mayor Kernc stated she was incorrect that a gasoline tax referendum could be an option for the village. Therefore, Kernc would like input from the board for a possible sales tax referendum. Kernc stated the additional tax cannot be applied to food, drugs or real estate. Village Attorney John Gallo stated sales tax cannot exceed 1% and must be in increments of 1⁄4%. The referendum would be used for infrastructure with upgrading roads and improving the community. Kernc stated she has asked Treasurer Sheryl McDaneil to obtain the revenue figures from last year and calculate what a sales tax increase of 1⁄4% - 1⁄2% would produce. Kernc stated without dedicated funds for roads, the village would have to piece together roadways and not be able to upgrade the town as necessary. Commissioner Kasher stated he was opposed to this. Commissioner Wilson stated she would like to see what the revenue figures are therefore she would like more time for consideration. Commissioner Adair stated with the state of the current economic conditions the timing is not good for a referendum. Commissioner Warner stated by placing this on a ballot, this will allow the residents voices to be heard. As a voter, Warner stated he would vote yes. This item will be passed until further information has been collected.

Legal Counsel:

Village Attorney John Gallo stated the settlement agreement with Glendall Partners and Scaggs Development Corp. has been signed by Scaggs Development however, 2 authorization signatures were omitted and have been resent for authorization.

Engineer Updates:

No Report

Maintenance Updates:

Public Works Director Austin Vining stated the maintenance department repaired a service line leak at 1395 E. Division and there is an issue with the drainage ditch located behind Burt Estates. Vining stated the Coal City Maintenance Department will work with our maintenance department addressing the drainage issues.

Clerk Updates:

No Report

Commissioner Comments:

Commissioner Kasher:

Commissioner Kasher stated road salt was ordered through Grundy County so the village has plenty of salt for the remainder of the season. Kasher is concerned for pedestrians utilizing the sidewalk on Division St., therefore, he recommends the maintenance department place dirt on both sides of the new sidewalk on Division Street.

Commissioner Wilson:

Commissioner Wilson stated Village Treasurer Sheryl McDaniel is starting to collect the budget information and will be working on the fiscal budget starting in April.

Commissioner Adair:

No Comment

Commissioner Warner:

No Report

Mayor Kernc: Mayor Kernc stated she has a meeting scheduled with Burt Estates tomorrow.

Adjournment:

Motion was made to adjourn the meeting at 7:23 p.m. by Commissioner Warner, Second by Commissioner Kasher. All Ayes; Motion Carried.

https://www.villageofdiamond.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/03-13-18-1.pdf