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Chillicothe, Ill. —
With a lighthearted mood, the Chillicothe City Council said goodbye to six-year alderman Rich Underwood Monday night and hello to new Ward 3 alderman Mike Hughes.
Underwood, who did not seek re-election, said he enjoyed his years of service.
“We have, as a council, been very responsible, I feel. I believe that we have been especially fiscally responsible. When you look around at some of the other cities around the state, we are by no means rich but we are by no means broke either,” said Underwood.
Mayor Troy Childers Sr. said, “We are sad to see you go, but I’m sure you’ll be back sometime, I hope.”
Aldermen Denny Gould, Danny Colwell, Hughes and Mel Witte all were given the oath of office and the new council took its seats.
While Hughes took his seat at the Chillicothe City Council, it was not the first time he had done so.
The 59-year-old Caterpillar retiree served the council as a Ward 4 alderman years ago.
He wasted little time asking questions about how the city does things now or ideas for how to do things.
In other items, the council:
• approved hiring Joshua Cooper as Superintendendent of Public Works with a salary of $50,000, effective May 10 and authorized the mayor to sign a letter of understanding between the city and Teamsters Local Union 627. Hughes abstained, saying he had only attended one meeting on the topic.
• approved the council’s regularly scheduled meetings at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at City Hall in council chambers.
• concurred with the annual mayoral appointments of supervisors and officers, boards and commissions and council committees. See www.chillicothetimesbulletin.com for the complete list.
• approved an ordinance authorizing a redevelopment agreement between the city and Irvin Latta for 80 percent of reimbursement costs not to exceed $5,000 for the demolition of the house in disrepair at 512 N. Fourth St. Alderwoman Sandi Levell cast the only dissenting vote.
• approved paying Bauernhof K-9 Inc. $2,880 for the annual K-9 maintenance training fee. Chillicothe Police Chief Steve Maurer said K-9 Gosh has a 94 percent accuracy for detecting narcotics and was recently used in tracking a man hiding in Moffitt Nature Park.
Alderwoman Judy Cantwell said other cities are asking for his services through mutual aid, including Lacon, Peoria County and East Peoria. Hughes asked if those cities are assisting in paying his bills. Cantwell explained that the city assists others who ask for help through mutual aid at no cost, and Maurer said that if Chillicothe needs help, they in turn would assist the city.
With a lighthearted mood, the Chillicothe City Council said goodbye to six-year alderman Rich Underwood Monday night and hello to new Ward 3 alderman Mike Hughes.
Underwood, who did not seek re-election, said he enjoyed his years of service.
“We have, as a council, been very responsible, I feel. I believe that we have been especially fiscally responsible. When you look around at some of the other cities around the state, we are by no means rich but we are by no means broke either,” said Underwood.
Mayor Troy Childers Sr. said, “We are sad to see you go, but I’m sure you’ll be back sometime, I hope.”
Aldermen Denny Gould, Danny Colwell, Hughes and Mel Witte all were given the oath of office and the new council took its seats.
While Hughes took his seat at the Chillicothe City Council, it was not the first time he had done so.
The 59-year-old Caterpillar retiree served the council as a Ward 4 alderman years ago.
He wasted little time asking questions about how the city does things now or ideas for how to do things.
In other items, the council:
• approved hiring Joshua Cooper as Superintendendent of Public Works with a salary of $50,000, effective May 10 and authorized the mayor to sign a letter of understanding between the city and Teamsters Local Union 627. Hughes abstained, saying he had only attended one meeting on the topic.
• approved the council’s regularly scheduled meetings at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at City Hall in council chambers.
• concurred with the annual mayoral appointments of supervisors and officers, boards and commissions and council committees. See www.chillicothetimesbulletin.com for the complete list.
• approved an ordinance authorizing a redevelopment agreement between the city and Irvin Latta for 80 percent of reimbursement costs not to exceed $5,000 for the demolition of the house in disrepair at 512 N. Fourth St. Alderwoman Sandi Levell cast the only dissenting vote.
• approved paying Bauernhof K-9 Inc. $2,880 for the annual K-9 maintenance training fee. Chillicothe Police Chief Steve Maurer said K-9 Gosh has a 94 percent accuracy for detecting narcotics and was recently used in tracking a man hiding in Moffitt Nature Park.
Alderwoman Judy Cantwell said other cities are asking for his services through mutual aid, including Lacon, Peoria County and East Peoria. Hughes asked if those cities are assisting in paying his bills. Cantwell explained that the city assists others who ask for help through mutual aid at no cost, and Maurer said that if Chillicothe needs help, they in turn would assist the city.
• approved a Priority 1 project for a new truck from Riverside Chevrolet for the cemetery/parks group. The 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 two wheel drive regular cab truck will cost $16,348, the state bid. “I just wish Art (Jackson) was alive to see it,” said Cantwell of the late cemetery supervisor, who argued in a recent meeting that the group needed a new truck instead of getting the old trucks from public works, calling them “falling apart.”
• approved a Priority 1 project, the 2011 residential sidewalk participation program, which assists homeowners in either fixing or building new sidewalks. The program received its usual $20,000, and if not enough homeowners use the program, the money is opened up to commercial property owners. Gould said last year close to $5,000 was left in the program. Hughes asked if the money can be used to build up a sunken sidewalk. Gould said that is not included in the wording, but the public works committee could discuss it. Sidewalk applications may be picked up at City Hall.
• approved non-contract employee pay increases effective today as follows, hourly: part-time dispatcher, $10.75 to $11; part-time officer, $10.75 to $11; animal control, $9.50 to $9.75; part-time public works, $10 to $10.25; building maintenance — tier 1, $10 to $10.25; building maintenance — tier 2, $11.85 to $12.10; cemetery leadman, $10.75 to $11; biweekly: collector, $750 to $770; and zoning officer, $310 to $325. Each represent about a 3 percent raise, Underwood said.
• approved paying N.E. Finch $11,958 to construct a drywell on McDowell.
• approved a Priority 1 project of roof repairs at the public works facility at Santa Fe Avenue and Wilmot Street. AA&L Roofing will receive $10,958 to repair and reshingle the roof.
• approved paying $15,990 to Deere Credit Inc. for the lease agreement for the city’s backhoes. The city has a contract until 2013, and the mayor said the city is looking into the measure once the contract is up. Hughes asked if the city still owned any backhoes, which it does not.
• authorized City Attorney Mike Seghetti to prepare an ordinance to amend the city’s traffic schedule to make a no-parking area near Chillicothe Skate Park, including the south side of Moffitt Street from Sixth Street east 195 feet. Gould explained park district officials came to the city looking for assistance with the measure. Children were darting in between cars and making the area dangerous. Park district officials are looking into a parking area on the east side of Sixth Street.
• rejected the application from SLG Cohen Foundation Inc. for the installation of a well at Three Sisters Park. Gould said the city’s regulations for wells is that they may only be installed for agricultural use. In this case, Three Sisters Park officials wanted the well to use during large gatherings of people, such as Summer Camp.
