Grundy Reporter

Village of Diamond Village Board of Commission met July 25.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

Proceedings, transactions, and resolutions made and order of said record of said Board in the Village of Diamond, IL on the 25th of July 2023.

The scheduled meeting of the Diamond Village Board was held on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. with Mayor Teresa Kernc presiding. Upon roll call Commissioners present were Dean Johnson, Jeff Kasher, Mark Adair and Dave Warner.

Approval of 07-11-2023 Minutes

MOTION was made by Commissioner Warner, SECOND by Commissioner Kasher to approve the 07/11/2023 regular meeting minutes and place on file. 4 Ayes, 1 Abstaining: Motion Carried.

Approval of July 25, 2023, Bill List

MOTION was made by Commissioner Kasher, SECOND by Commissioner Johnson to approve the July 25, 2023, bill list and place on file. All Ayes: Motion Carried.

Public Comment

None

New Business

Update Solar/Municipal Detention

Mayor advised that Cenergy reached out to the Village again stating they had contacted the property owner of the Calcaterra 25-acre parcel on the southwest corner of Valerio Road and N. Will Road. If their solar farm is awarded by the State, 5 acres will be donated to the Village for municipal detention, and the remainder will be solar farm. Commissioner Kasher said he is not in favor of the detention primarily due to the cost and felt the Village should reach out and work with Claypool to dredge the ditches. It was noted that would not help the detention in this area; however, working with Claypool to help prevent flooding in other areas would be helpful. After much discussion the majority consensus was to move forward with this plan, if Cenergy is awarded the project.

Updates: Open Meeting Act and Email Accessibility

Mayor Kernc stated that Board Members and certain employees are required to complete Open Meeting Act training which is available through the IML.

STP 3 Will Road Update

STP3 Will Road Update. Mayor advised that the Village was not successful with the most recent STP- Shared Grant Application to reconstruct Will Road. CMAP has changed their methodology and the Will Road Project was not eligible because according to the most recent available pavement condition data CMAP had, the pavement was in good condition. The Mayor advised that she went through the Will County Governmental League to contest the finding, with negative results. The next grant opportunity will be October 2024, at which time the Village will submit an STP-Local Grant Application to reconstruct Will Road (modified version).

The Mayor further explained, that based on engineers' estimates, the Village had set aside $200,000 to acquire necessary ROW, easements, and temporary construction easements. Unfortunately, the four furthest south property owners countered the negotiators offers in amounts that resulted in the total cost being approximately $500,000. The Village is not able to pay this amount and as a result, the mayor had the negotiators send letters rescinding the original offer letters. The project will be modified to reflect this change.

The Mayor requested permission to have village engineer Jim Clinard amend the plans accordingly, hopefully at a minimal cost. The board agreed to the request. The mayor explained that the new modified plan would, when a grant was awarded, complete the west side of the road where Jewel had improved the east side. It would then improve south to just past Girot, enclose the Claypool Ditch to a location just north of the Phillips property, and grind and resurface the remaining roadway south to Spring Road. In the future if the property owners that did not participate in providing ROW, easements, and temporary construction easements, wish to develop their land, they will be required to do what Jewel and TBS are doing, improve the roadway adjacent to their property and if the Claypool Ditch is on their side, enclose it with 4'X8" concrete box culvert.

Waive Competitive Bid Process for Fast Signs

This item was passed with no action taken.

Approve Proposal from Fast Signs for Mayor Kernc said that she and staff met with Fast Signs regarding new marquee sign. Commissioner Kasher said he opposed the purchase especially due to the cost. Commissioner Adair agreed and added that he did not feel that, based on the size of the community, the sign is warranted. Commissioners Warner and Johnson were in favor of the purchase and stated the sign would enhance the Village's ability to communicate with the public. After much discussion, the majority consensus was to proceed with placing this item out for bid.

Approve Mayor Kernc to attend IML Conference September 21-24, 2023

MOTION was made by Commissioner Adair, SECOND by Commissioner Warner to approve Mayor Kernc attendance at the IML Conference September 21-24, 2023. All Ayes. Motion Carried.

Will County ARPA Agreement

MOTION was made by Commissioner Kasher and SECOND by Commissioner Johnson to authorize signature of the Subrecipient Grant Agreement. All Ayes. Motion Carried.

Intergovenmental Agreement-CMAP Technical Assistance, Pavement Management MOTION was made by Commissioner Johnson, SECOND by Commissioner Adair to authorize signature of the Intergovernmental Agreement CMAP Technical Assistance, Pavement Management. All Ayes. Motion Carried.

Old Business

Grundy and Will County Sheriff's Monthly Update No Report

Legal Counsel

No Report

Engineer Updates

Village Engineer Mike Perry announced that the annual Chamlin dinner held during the IML Conference will be held on Saturday, September 23.

Perry stated that the Village still needs to provide a lead service line inventory to the IEPA. This also includes the lines extending from the water main to the b-box.

He referred to the Synagro project and said there is more sludge that originally anticipated. They will have a survey crew provide elevations in order to better determine the approximate amount of sludge. Any additional sludge exceeding 1,000,000 gallons will be subject to a change order. The board agreed this change order can be presented at the next board meeting. Mayor Kernc said she would like public works to track the number of loads as the trucks take the sludge.

Public Works Department Updates

Public Works Department Supervisor Jim Dunning said the screens for the sludge pumps were installed including the screen for raw sewage pumps. Also a new outflow meter was needed due to a possible power surge at sewer plant. Mayor Kernc said insurance will cover without raising our rates. Dunning said he anticipates renting a trailer vac to repair b-boxes which will cost $1800.00 per week, and he plans to rent a boom mower to clean up the lagoons in September. Lastly, Dunning said he and staff met with the IEPA and the inspection went well. The inspector did inquire about valve exercising and Dunning said he hopes to implement a plan to do so.

Clerk Updates

Deputy Clerk Cindy Haywood said she received an inquiry from Jeff Lee for the vacant property located south of 60 S. Will Road. He is proposing a fenced, gravel storage area for impounded, inoperable and towed vehicles. He anticipates the use to be temporary and later developed with a more suitable use once the east side of Will Road is developed. Haywood informed the board that the proposed use would not be permitted in the B1 district and gravel is also not allowed. The board was not in favor of the proposal.

Commissioner Comments

Commissioner Adair

No Report

Commissioner Johnson

No Report

Commissioner Kasher

Commissioner Kasher inquired about the inoperable meter that services Burt Estates and Dunning explained that it is a 4” meter and will not be in stock until February, 2024. The board discussed the matter and asked Dunning to investigate alternatives, including a mag meter and even reach out to other vendors.

Commissioner Warner

No Report

Mayor Kernc

Mayor Kernc said that Mike Jenke asked about Tyler from Coal City regarding the water/sewer operations training that was previously contemplated. She said she would like to discuss further at the upcoming board meeting. In the meantime, it was suggested that a meeting be coordinated with Tyler to outline the specifics of the training.

Adjournment

MOTION was made to adjourn at 7:40 p.m. by Commissioner Kasher, SECOND by Commissioner Adair. All Ayes: Motion Carried.

https://www.villageofdiamond.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/07-25-23-1.pdf