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***
The city will be looking at raising the
pay for aldermen. Benny Huskins raised the issue, saying that the
aldermen's pay has not been raised in many years. The mayor's pay
was raised four years ago.
The mayor receives $12,000 per year.
Aldermen are paid $75 per council
meeting, $50 per committee workshop, $25 for extra meetings (maximum
12 or $300 per year) and $20 per meeting if they are asked to sit on
a negotiating committee.
***
Fire Chief Bucky Washam thanked the
council for their participation at last Saturday's emergency
disaster practice. "It was very successful," he said. "It showed a
lot of our good points and some of our bad points. We'll work on
that."
Mayor Beth Davis agreed. She said it
would be very chaotic if this wasn't practiced, "but they seemed to
know what they were doing." She thanked the fire chief and Police
Chief Richard Montcalm for their participation. Streets
Superintendent Tracy Jackson and his crew also played a supporting
role from the city in the countywide, 12-hour simulated exercise.
Assisting in the Crisis Management Center with strategic operations
from the city were Mayor Beth Davis; Aldermen Buzz Busby, Jonie
Tibbs, the Rev. Glenn Shelton, Marty Neitzel, Derrick Crane, Steve
Fuhrer and Patrick Madigan; Melanie Riggs, city clerk; and Bill
Bates, city attorney.
***
The city is facing a lawsuit by a local
business owner. A South Kickapoo Street business owner contends that
he has developed an illness associated with breathing in bacteria
from raw sewage. He has had problems for the last few years with
sewage backing up into in his place of business with heavy rains.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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***
Logan County Habitat for Humanity
representative Phil Dehner came before the council to invite
everyone to the dedication of the newest Habitat home, at 1409 N.
Kankakee St., on Saturday, May 22, at 2 p.m.
The house was a HUD house purchased by
the Logan County Board for $1. Greg Brinner from ReMax Realty
recommended that the board buy it and Habitat fix it up.
Dehner pointed out some of the ways
that Habitat work has economic impact that benefits the city. To
start with, the group purchases their materials from local
businesses. Then, when a family moves into their new home, they
begin paying property taxes.
For those interested in supporting the
Habitat work there is a fund-raiser dance the same evening,
Saturday, May 22, at 7 p.m. at the American Legion.
***
An insurance claim on a city truck that
was damaged last month is going to benefit the city to the better.
Tracy Jackson said that they will be getting an $18,200 settlement
from Selective Insurance. They have an offer to buy back the truck
without the bucket use (the damaged portion) for $1,500. He says
that the streets department will be able to use the truck for many
other things.
There is a good truck available in
Clinton with only 50,000 miles and "everything we have ever dreamed
of." Jackson recommends buying it for $16,500.
When chided
about those extras, he chuckled and said, "Ya, it's got bucket seats
and AM/FM cassette."
[Jan
Youngquist]
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