Jun 20, 2023 City Council Meeting

YES.

MY NAME IS ELLIOT MEDINA.

I KNOW IT'S A HARD ONE.

THEY CALL ME PON.

UH, I JUST BECAME COMMANDER FOR THE VFW POST 99, TRYING TO GET YOUNGER VETS INVOLVED WITH THE, UH, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF POST 99.

ONE OF THE OLDEST OF THE, UH, VFWS IN, UH, THE STATE OF ILLINOIS IS RESIDES HERE IN DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

UH, SO NOT ONLY IS THIS, UM, CHAPTER 52 GONNA HINDER US TO GET OUR MISSION OUT THERE, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, PRETTY MUCH AT RISK OF LOSING OUR BUILDING IF WE HAVE TO PAY A $2,000 FEE FOR EACH GAME THAT WE HAVE, WHICH HAS BEEN A MONEY MAKER FOR US TO ALLOW A SAFE HAVEN FOR US VETERANS.

SO BY DOING THIS, I BELIEVE YOU'RE BEING COUNTERPRODUCTIVE IN ACTUALLY FLOURISHING THE CITY, AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF VETERANS THAT ARE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER SAFE HAVEN IN ANOTHER CITY.

UM, I DID TWO TOURS IN IRAQ, ONE IN AFGHANISTAN, AND THAT'S BEEN MY DREAM IS TO GET VETERANS, UM, MORE INVOLVED.

YOUNGER VETERANS ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, I GOT FRED HERE THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED, UM, TRYING TO ALLEVIATE ALL THAT PRESSURE ON THEM AND TO GET THE YOUNG ONES INVOLVED.

THESE, THESE POLICIES YOU'RE DOING, UH, IT'S IT'S GONNA HINDER, IT'S GONNA MAKE THEM NOT EVEN WANT TO GET INVOLVED.

IF THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGHT THESE BATTLES, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE LESS VETS THAT ARE GONNA BE WANTING TO GET INVOLVED IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

SO, UM, YEAH, LIKE I SAID, I'M NEW.

UM, MOVED HERE SINCE OH EIGHT, WORKED FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD FULL-TIME, RETIRED AFTER 20 YEARS.

STILL WORKED FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD AS A CIVILIAN TECHNICIAN, BUT I'D LIKE TO STAY HERE AND HELP DECATUR

[00:10:01]

FLOURISH.

BUT WITH THESE, UH, POLICIES THAT YOU GUYS, UH, YOU GUYS ARE RENDERING, I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA HAPPEN IF, UH, YOU KEEP THIS COURSE.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU MR. MEDINA, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

GOOD EVENING, DREW JOHNSON.

I AM A DECATUR RESIDENT.

UH, I'VE LIVED HERE PRETTY MUCH MY WHOLE LIFE.

I KNOW MOST OF THE BOARD BOARD AS WELL.

UM, I, I, I HEAR SOME NEGATIVES AND SOME POSITIVES.

WHAT I'D LIKE TO, TO VIEW, GIVE YOU MY OPINION OF IS I'M A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER HERE.

I'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME.

I JUST RECENTLY OPENED A COFFEE SHOP HERE SOUTH OF TOWN.

AND THE, AS FAR AS THE FEE GOES, I MEAN, I, I GET WHERE THE BOARD'S GOING WITH THAT TO TRY TO LIMIT IT.

UM, BUT SOMETIMES A FEE LIKE THAT AT THAT LARGE OF AMOUNT, WITH US ALREADY PAYING A LOT, LOT OF MONEY, IT KIND OF HURTS THE, THE POOR AND HELPS THE RICH.

IN THE CASE THAT SOME OF US SMALL BUSINESSES, A $2,200 FEE IS, IS A LOT.

AND I KNOW THAT I EMPLOY ALMOST 50 EMPLOYEES HERE IN THE DECATUR AREA THROUGH MYLET ORGANIZATIONS.

AND WE GIVE A LOT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, TO KIDS SPORTS.

WE GIVE A LOT OF OUR GAMING DOLLARS BACK IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIVES THAT GAMING DOES DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AND, UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.

I THINK THE CURRENT BUSINESSES THAT HAVE CAME HERE OR BEEN HERE LIKE ME AND WANNA STAY IN OUR COMMUNITY, HAVE INVESTED A LOT IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR PLACES WITH CAPITAL AND WHATNOT, IN ORDER TO GO BACK NOW AND CHANGE WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING, THAT'S A TOUGH ONE TO CHANGE.

SOMEBODY THAT MAY BE COMING IN THEIR COMMUNITY FROM THE OUTSIDE IN THE FUTURE TO TO, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE THINGS AND MAYBE MAKE IT WHERE THEY CAN MAKE THOSE BUSINESS DECISIONS.

DO I GO OR NOT BECAUSE OF THE FEE STRUCTURE? MAYBE, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD, THE BOARD WOULD LOOK AT.

I DO THINK THAT YOU COULD CLEAN UP THE CITY A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME OF THE GAMING STUFF WITH FLAGS AND STUFF, AND MAYBE LIMIT US AND GET US A LITTLE BIT WHERE WE LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE PROFESSIONAL BECAUSE SOME ORGANIZATIONS DON'T LOOK AS GOOD AS OTHERS.

UM, I DO GAMING AND CONSULTING AND MANAGEMENT AND OWN SOME GAMING, AND I WORK WITH 25 OTHER COMMUNITIES AROUND THE STATE.

AND WITH MY CONSULTING THERE, I I SEE A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT VIEWS AND FLICKER LAWS AND DIFFERENT GAMING RULES AND STUFF ALL AROUND.

AND DECATUR DOES HAVE SOME OF THE STRICTEST AND HIGHEST FEES AND POLICIES OUT THERE.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT GAMING DOES A LOT FOR MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND WE ENJOY GOING OUT AND DOING THE THINGS THAT GAMING PROVIDES IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF POSITIVES THAT, THAT COME FROM IT.

AND, AND NOT TO MENTION THE TAX REVENUE THAT COMES BACK TO THE CITY AND HELPS OUR SCHOOLS AND POLICE AND EVERYBODY THAT, THAT REALLY NEEDS IT AND HELPS KEEP OUR, OUR PROPERTY TAXES DOWN.

SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND I HOPE THAT THE BOARD THINKS OF THE SMALL BUSINESS WHEN THEY MAKE THEIR DECISIONS.

THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON.

YES, I'M ROBERT WALKER AND, UH, JUST WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT A COUPLE THINGS.

I'M THE OLDEST MEMBER OF THE VFW.

I JOINED THERE IN 1970.

I SPENT, SPENT TWO YEARS IN VIETNAM.

BUT ANYWAY, I WANTED TO TALK FIRST OF ALL ABOUT THAT CURFEW.

I TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE FROM NRA AND THEY, WHY THEY BLAMING THEM? THE KIDS.

SH THAT'S HER PARENTS' GUN.

WHY IS THE KID GETTING FINED FOR A $500? CAN'T THEY DO SOMETHING TO THE PARENTS FOR DOING THAT? I MEAN, THAT AIN'T RIGHT THERE.

AND, UH, THE GAMBLING MACHINES NOW, I KNOW, I ADMIT, THEY ARE ALL OVER GAS STATIONS EVERYWHERE.

BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA LIMIT, JUST GO AHEAD AND STOP NOW.

BUT DON'T TAKE THE ONES THAT HAS IT AWAY FROM, YOU KNOW, I COULD SEE TAKING OUT WHO WANTS TO PUT A GAS STATION? THE GUY WANTS TO PAY HIS BILL AND PEOPLE SITTING THERE PLAYING A MACHINE, YOU KNOW? SO, UH, WELL JUST, UH, I WANTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE NRA AND THAT THING, SO, ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS WELL.

I AM ALLIE ROLLINS.

I AM HERE FOR THE SILVA CHAPTER, WHICH WE HAVE NINE MEMBERS HERE IN TOWN.

WE REPRESENT ALL LIQUOR BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF US.

I WILL SAY, IF WE CHANGE THE ORDINANCE AND YOU DO ALL THESE EXTRA FINES THERE, THE STATE OF ILLINOIS GAVE THIS TO OUR LICENSED BEVERAGE ASSOCIATIONS TO HELP THEM KEEP IN BUSINESS AFTER THE SMOKING BAN.

SO IF WE DO ALL THESE EXTRA TAXES AND REGULATIONS AND EVERYTHING ON THAT, YOU'RE GONNA CLOSE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT BRING TAX REVENUE TO YOUR TOWN.

SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU'RE RUNNING BUSINESS OUT OF YOUR TOWN.

[00:15:01]

BLOOMINGTON DID THE SAME THING.

THERE IS A BUSINESS THERE THAT WAS GENERATIONALLY IN BUSINESS.

THEY DID NOT MEET THEIR ORDINANCE.

THEY WERE SHUT DOWN FOR VIDEO GAMING.

AND THEN AFTER A MONTH AFTER LOSING VIDEO GAMING, THEY WERE SHUT DOWN AS A BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT STAY OPEN.

SO HERE YOU HAVE TO LOOK, WHAT IS YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY DOING FOR YOU AS TAX REVENUE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES? THIS IS WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR.

I UNDERSTAND VIDEO GAMING HAS GROWN AND FLOURISHED, AND YOU AS THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ALL GIVEN THOSE LICENSES OUT.

SO HOW ARE YOU IMPACTING THIS SITUATION? HOW ARE YOU CHANGING THE SITUATION? YOU HAVE GIVEN THIS TO THIS CITY.

YOU HAVE PROVIDED THIS TO THIS CITY, SO THESE BUSINESSES CAN FLOURISH, KEEP THEIR LIGHTS ON, KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN.

SO WHY ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE THIS AWAY FROM YOUR COMMUNITY? YOU JUST SHOULD KIND OF LOOK AT THAT FOR A MINUTE.

THANK YOU, MS. ROLLINS.

NO.

DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNSEL AT THIS TIME? RODNEY WALKER.

HELLO TEAM.

A LOT OF FAMILIAR FACES, UH, CEO OF SKY CITY GRILL, AND ALSO EX COUNCILMAN.

AS YOU GUYS REMEMBER WHEN I WAS ON COUNCIL, ONE OF MY MOTTOES WAS DECATUR NEED TO BE A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE ACCESS TO EVERYTHING, BUT EVERYTHING IN MODERATION.

SO UNDERSTAND BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE HERE.

I KNOW WHAT YOUR CHALLENGES ARE, BUT THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES ON THIS SIDE OF THE FENCE AS WELL.

MY MAIN REASON FOR RESIGNING FROM, FROM CITY COUNCIL WAS TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SKY CITY GRILL HAS ONLY BEEN OPEN A YEAR AND A HALF, AND I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH IMPORTANT GAMING WAS TO THE FOOD INDUSTRY.

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG WE COULD ACTUALLY STAY IN BUSINESS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A GAMING DUE TO THE FOOD COSTS AND THE LIQUOR COSTS RISING FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

YOU GO UP TWO OR 3 CENTS ON SOME WINGS, EVERYBODY LOOK AT YOU CRAZY.

SO IT'S, IT'S HARD TO KEEP UP IN THAT INDUSTRY.

SO, UM, I, LIKE I SAID, I DIDN'T KNOW GAMING WAS THAT IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

AND I SAID, AND WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T OPERATE WITHOUT IT.

YOU ALL KNOW THE NUMBERS.

OVER 2 MILLION OF REVENUE HAS COME HERE FROM THE CITY, FROM GAMING.

GAMING IS NOT THE BAD GUY HERE.

WE CANNOT JUST CONTINUE TO JACK UP FEES.

EVERY TIME THERE'S A SHORTAGE, ESPECIALLY ON TRADITIONAL LOCAL RESTAURANTS WHO ACTUALLY INVEST IN OUR, UH, IN OUR CITY.

AS SOMEBODY STATED, DONATE MONEY TO YOUTH TEAMS AND DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, OUTTA STATE INVESTORS, THAT'S A DIFFERENT BALLGAME.

THAT MONEY'S GOING STRAIGHT OUTTA DECATUR NOT STAYING HERE.

SO I'M FIGHTING HERE FOR LOCAL, LOCAL RESTAURANTS HERE.

I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT IT GETS RAISED.

AND GAMING FEES.

IF IT COMES TO A POINT WHERE WE ARE FORCED TO PAY OR FORCED OUT, I SUGGEST A MONTHLY PERCENTAGE BE DEDUCTED IN ORDER TO EASE THE PAIN AT THE END.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING TO TAKE CARE OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AT THE END OF THE DAY.

I KNOW IT'S A BATTLE ON BOTH SIDES, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AT THE END OF THE DAY.

THANK YOU, MR. WALKER.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO ADDRESS COUNSEL? MR. ALLEN, COME ON DOWN.

GOOD EVENING.

UH, MY PARTNERS AND I, I'M SORRY, MARK ALLEN.

MY PARTNERS AND I OPERATE FOUR BUSINESSES IN DECATUR THAT OFFER VIDEO GAMING, TWO RESTAURANTS, ONE PARLOR, AND ONE CLASS A LICENSE TAVERN.

I UNDERSTAND THAT FEES WILL PROBABLY INCREASE THEY HAVE OVER THE YEARS.

MY TRUE CONCERN HERE IS THAT THE CLASS A LICENSES ARE NOW GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO HAVE A 40% OF REVENUE BE FROM NON-GAMING, UH, OPERATIONS.

I VENTURE A GUESS THAT 50% OF THE CLASS A LICENSES IN DECATUR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FULFILL THAT REQUIREMENT.

SO I'D ASK YOU TO RECONSIDER THAT AND NOT PUT THAT, UH, RESTRICTION ON CLASS A LICENSES.

YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT THE GAMING INDUSTRY THAN I DO, AND I'M GONNA BE ALL EARS.

THANK YOU, MR. ALLEN.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE REMARKS AT THIS TIME? OKAY, THEN WE WILL MOVE ON.

OH, I'M SORRY.

OH, RESPONSE FROM COUNSEL? YES, MR. HL.

I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING FORWARD.

EVERYBODY'S GOT THEIR OWN POINT OF VIEW AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO JUST LISTEN TO EVERYBODY.

WE'RE NOT VOTING ON ANYTHING TONIGHT.

WE'RE JUST HERE TO LISTEN.

AND, UH,

[00:20:01]

I ALSO WANNA THANK THE TWO GENTLEMEN FOR THEIR SERVICE.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL AT THIS TIME? OKAY, THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO

[III. Approval of Minutes]

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JUNE 5TH, 2023.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS? NONE.

MAYOR MOORE WOLF.

AYE.

SEVEN AYES, NO NAYS,

[IV. Unfinished Business]

THEN WE GO INTO NEW

[V.1. Discussion Item - Proposed Amendments to City Code Chapter 52, Alcoholic Liquor]

BUSINESS.

AND THE FIRST ITEM IS A DISCUSSION ITEM.

AGAIN, AS MR. KUHL MENTIONED, THERE WILL BE NO VOTE ON OR DECISION ON THIS ITEM TONIGHT.

WE ARE SIMPLY GIVING STAFF DIRECTION SO THAT THEY CAN COME BACK TO US, UH, WITH SOME POTENTIAL ORDINANCE CHANGES IN THE FUTURE.

IT IS A DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION ITEM, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO CITY CODE CHAPTER 52, ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR, MR. WRIGHTON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

UH, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF THE CHANGES.

I THINK THAT, UM, I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH YOU ONE-ON-ONE AND IT, IT'S BEEN ON THE WEBSITE.

I JUST WANNA MAKE A COUPLE OF INTRODUCTORY REMARKS REALLY JUST TO TEE UP, UH, YOUR DISCUSSION, WHICH IS WHY THIS ITEM IS, IS ON THE AGENDA.

I, I THINK THAT, UH, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER WALKER'S, UH, REMARKS ABOUT EVERYTHING IN MODERATION REALLY IS, IS IS A GOOD INTRODUCTION AT THIS POINT BECAUSE, UH, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS, IS, UH, UH, REDUCE THE, THE INCREASE IN VIDEO GAMING, BUT AT THE SAME TIME MAINTAIN AN ENVIRONMENT, UH, THAT MAYBE HAS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS LESS VIDEO GAMING.

AND HOW DO YOU WALK THAT MIDDLE GROUND IS, IS PART OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO THIS EVENING.

AND SO, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, MAYBE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN BEEN MENTIONED.

THE, UH, THE RATIONALE FOR CHANGES IN FEES IS NOT MOTIVATED.

AND I WANNA SAY THIS PUBLICLY IS NOT MOTIVATED BY SHORTFALLS IN THE CITY'S BUDGET.

OKAY? UM, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME FROM YOUR WORKING COMMITTEE, UH, THAT DEVELOPED THE DRAFT AS A WAY OF USING FEES TO TRY TO DISCOURAGE THE, THE USE OF VIDEO GAMING.

IF IT IS YOUR BELIEF THAT FEES DON'T SERVE THAT PURPOSE, THEN YOU CAN EITHER, UH, REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF THOSE FEES OR, OR ELIMINATE THEM ALTOGETHER.

SO I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, IT'S NOT BECAUSE THE CITY IS, IS HAVING A FISCAL PROBLEM, THAT THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE, ARE BEING PROPOSED.

ONE OF THE SPEAKERS, UH, MENTIONED THE, UM, ONLY ONE OF THEM, THE REQUIREMENT THAT IS IN THE ORDINANCE IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

UH, SHE MENTIONED THAT THE, UM, THAT YOU CAN'T STOP THE FOOD SERVICE, UH, MORE THAN AN HOUR AFTER, WHILE, WHILE YOU'RE STILL SERVING ALCOHOL.

AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A PATTERN THAT RUNS THROUGH THE ORDINANCE, WHICH SAYS THAT THE, UM, IF, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE OPEN, WHATEVER YOUR BUSINESS STRUCTURE IS, WHETHER IT'S A, A RESTAURANT OR WHETHER IT'S A TAVERN, OR WHETHER IT'S A BOWLING ALLEY OR WHATEVER IT IS, THAT, THAT THE BUSINESS SHOULDN'T SAY, WELL, DURING CERTAIN, UH, HOURS OF THE DAY, WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE, UH, VIDEO GAMING.

WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE PARLOR CERTAIN DAYS, OR WE'RE JUST GONNA BE A PARLOR IN A BAR CERTAIN DAYS.

IF YOU, THAT'S YOUR BUSINESS, THEN, THEN LET THAT BE YOUR BUSINESS.

THAT'S REALLY THE CONTEXT OF THAT.

AGAIN, IF YOU WANNA MAKE CHANGES, THAT'S FINE, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE RATIONALE BEHIND THAT.

AND THE LAST THING I WANNA MENTION, AND MAYOR, YOU WERE, UH, PARTICULARLY INSISTENT ON THIS DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DRAFT, IS THAT CLASS CS, WHICH ARE THE CLUBS, AND WE'VE HEARD FROM A COUPLE OF CLUBS THIS EVENING THAT BECAUSE THEY DO, AS WAS SAID THIS EVENING, GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, YOU WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THAT THE FEE STRUCTURE, WHATEVER IS INCREASED WAS, WAS DEALING, WELL, I GUESS LESS SEVERELY IS THE BEST WAY TO SAY IT.

AND SINCE THE V HAS TO BE THE SAME TO EVERYBODY, SO WE REDUCED THEIR, THEIR BASE FEE FOR THE C SO THAT THEIR NET COST OF THE INCREASE WOULD BE MUCH LESS THAN IT IS FOR ALL THE OTHER, UH, CATEGORIES.

AND SO, AND, AND, UH, AND THAT THE 40% THRESHOLD THAT MR. ALLEN MENTIONED HERE RECENTLY DOESN'T APPLY TO CS.

AND SO IN FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT WAYS, WE HAVE A, I THINK, TRIED TO ACCOMMODATE THE SPECIAL PLACE THAT CS HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT-FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES.

THEY, THEY GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN, IN A LOT OF WAYS, WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S ENOUGH IS UP TO YOU TO DECIDE, BUT THAT, THAT WAS PUT IN THERE ON, ON PURPOSE TO, TO UNDERSTAND THE UNIQUE ROLE THAT, THAT THE CLUBS PLAY.

SO I, I WOULD SAY, JUST BY ASKING NOW, TURNING IT BACK TO YOU MAYOR, IS THAT WHAT STAFF IS REALLY DESIROUS OF THIS EVENING IS NOT ANY PARTICULAR OUTCOME OTHER THAN CLARITY ABOUT HOW YOU WANT THE ORDINANCE CHANGED.

IT'S NOT SCHEDULED FOR FINAL ACTION UNTIL THE JULY MEETING.

IF YOU WANNA TAKE LONGER, THAT'S FINE, IT'S UP TO YOU.

UH, BUT IT CERTAINLY WON'T BE HAPPENING.

ANY FINAL ACTION ON IT, UH, ANY EARLIER THAN THE 17TH OF JULY.

AND SO, BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, AND ESPECIALLY TONIGHT, SINCE THIS IS OUR LAST MEETING UNTIL THE 17TH OF JULY, UH, IF, IF WE END THIS DISCUSSION WITH CLARITY ON STAFF'S PART OF EXACTLY HOW YOU WANT US TO CHANGE THE ORDINANCE, THAT'S SUCCESS FOR ME THIS EVENING.

UH, BEFORE I OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL FOR REMARKS, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COUPLE OF NOTES.

THIS IS A MUCH MORE COMPLICATED ISSUE THAN I THINK ANY OF US REALLY

[00:25:01]

UNDERSTOOD UNTIL GETTING INTO, UH, THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF IT.

YOU KNOW, JUST SITTING UP HERE, WE'RE, WE'RE LAYPEOPLE, WE ARE REGULAR CITIZENS.

THIS IS NOT OUR PROFESSION.

UH, BUT HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE EITHER PRO GAMING, ANTI GAMMING, YOU KNOW, MR. WALKER, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW, UH, DIFFICULT IT IS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF WE HAD THE ABILITY, WE'D SAY, OKAY, LOCAL BUSINESSES GET THIS BREAK AND WE'RE GONNA CHARGE OUT OF TOWN, UH, PARLORS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

THOSE FRANCHISES, WE'LL PUT THEM AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL BUSINESSES.

WE CAN'T DO THAT BY LAW.

WE CAN'T.

WE HAVE TO TREAT EVERYBODY THE SAME.

I MEAN, THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN THE VARIOUS TYPES OF LICENSES, BUT WE CAN'T DIFFERENTIATE AND JUST SHOW FAVORITISM TO OUR LOCAL OWNERS.

WHEN COUNSEL WA ENACTED THIS AND, AND MADE IT LEGAL, WE WERE DOING IT TO HELP THE TAVERNS AND THE RESTAURANTS THAT WERE STRUGGLING, NOT JUST WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO SMOKE INSIDE ANYMORE, BUT WE WERE COMING OUT OF A RECESSION.

THERE, THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON THAT WE WERE TRYING TO HELP THOSE BUSINESSES FLOURISH.

WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN, OR WE PROBABLY WOULD'VE HAD DIFFERENT RULES IN THE BEGINNING NOT TO ALLOW THE PARLER TYPE THINGS TO HAPPEN.

AND, UM, WE MADE MISTAKES.

WE DID, WE SCREWED UP AND TRYING TO GET THE HORSE BACK IN THE BARN, PEOPLE ARE STILL GONNA GAMBLE.

AND ONE OF MY CONCERNS WITH THE REALLY, REALLY HIGH FEES IS THESE FRANCHISES FROM OUT OF TOWN, THEY CAN AFFORD IT.

THEY, IT DOES, IT MEANS NOTHING TO THEM, BUT A SMALLER ESTABLISHMENT, IT'LL HURT IF WE CHARGE A LARGE FEE.

SO, COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY, I KNOW YOU WERE, UH, HAD SOME REMARKS.

I, I DO.

BUT THE FIRST ONE THAT I WANNA MAKE, I THINK IS CLARITY ON CLASS C, WHICH WE HEARD FROM THE VFW TONIGHT.

AND I THINK THAT THERE IS A MISUNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WILL BE MULTIPLE CLASS C FEES, AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

WE'RE DISCUSSING A CLASS C LIQUOR LICENSE, ONE FOR A V F W AT THE RATE, CURRENT RATE, I THINK OF $2,200.

I THINK MAYBE WHAT THE, UH, THE V F W MIGHT HAVE BEEN REFERRING TO WAS, THERE ARE TERMINAL FEES ON EACH TERMINAL, BUT IN ORDER BEFORE YOU EVEN PAY A TERMINAL FEE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LIQUOR LICENSE.

AND SO THAT'S A CLASS C LIQUOR LICENSE, AND IT'S ONLY ONE TIME FEE.

SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT JUST CLEAR.

THE OTHER THING THAT I HEARD, I THINK WERE, AND I WISH I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN THEM DOWN, THERE WERE A LOT OF THESE RULES SURROUNDING GAMING THAT DID NOT COME TO COUNCIL, UH, TO BE CONSIDERED.

SO THEY WERE ALL FRAMED IN THE STATE STATUTE.

AND SO WE ARE CONFINED, AS THE MAYOR JUST SAID, IN MANY WAYS BY THAT STATE STATUTE.

SO WHEN YOU THINK OF THOSE BROADER THINGS, THERE'S NOTHING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN DO ABOUT THAT.

I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR KNOWS THAT, AND THE CITY MANAGER KNOWS THAT.

BUT I'VE HEARD SOME COMMENTS TONIGHT.

UM, THAT MAY SUGGEST THAT WE CAN MAKE CHANGES TO THE STATE STATUTE, WHICH WE CANNOT.

THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PURVIEW IS THE NUMBER OF LIQUOR LICENSES MADE AVAILABLE AND THE LIQUOR LICENSE FEE.

UM, WE CAN SET RULES AROUND, UH, PERCENTAGE OF GROSS REVENUE FOR MEALS LIKE WE ARE DOING, AND WE CAN SET LIQUOR SALE TIMES.

SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE THE PURVIEW OVER.

UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THOSE CLARIFYING REMARKS, AND I'LL SIT BACK FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

MR. COOPER, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, MAYOR, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO HEAR FROM THOSE ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS THAT ARE ON THE LIST TO SPEAK BEFORE WE GIVE CUMMINS? IF THAT'S THE WILL OF COUNSEL, WE CAN DO THAT.

UH, SURE.

UH, WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE INITIALLY HEARD FROM, UH, THE THREE PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, AND I'LL JUST CALL THEM BACK AGAIN.

MR. JACKSON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME BACK TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE? AGAIN, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES ON THIS.

AGAIN, MY NAME IS ALAN JACKSON.

I WANNA APPLAUD THE CITY FOR RECOGNIZING AN ERROR IN THE CURRENT CLASS C LICENSE.

AND IN THE PROPOSAL IS SPLITTING OUT THE FOR-PROFIT AND THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT CLUBS.

UM, THERE SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN, UH, BOTH OF THOSE IN THE SAME THERE.

AND YOU'VE ALSO REDUCED OR PROPOSING TO REDUCE OUR LICENSE FEE FROM $2,200 DOWN TO 725.

THAT'S GREAT.

NONPROFITS ALSO NEED TO HAVE A WAY OF CONDUCTING BUSINESS TO BUILD THEARY REVENUE TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE AND MEET THEIR NICHE MISSION OF GIVING BACK

[00:30:01]

TO THE COMMUNITY.

VIDEO GAMING IS ONE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO BUILD THEIR REVENUE, WHICH DOES NOT GO INTO ANY OF OUR POCKETS.

NONE OF OUR MEMBERS GET THAT MONEY, BUT IT GOES BACK INTO MAINTAINING OUR FACILITY AND BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.

BUT ONLY WHEN WE GET TO KEEP THAT REVENUE INSTEAD OF HAVING TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL CITY LICENSE FEE.

CAN WE DO THIS? THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE OF CLASS V LICENSE IS NOTHING MORE THAN A TAX.

THIS PROPOSAL IS TARGETING ONLY THOSE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE VIDEO GAMING.

IT APPEARS THE CITY OF DECATUR IS ATTEMPTING TO GRAB FROM OTHERS THE GAMING REVENUE THAT AN ESTABLISHMENT RECEIVES WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS OVERHEAD.

AND THE BOTTOM LINE, THE CITY MANAGER MADE A COMMENT TO ME BY EMAIL THAT THE DECATUR AMERICAN LEGION POST MADE OVER $49,000 IN 2022.

SO WHAT, DO YOU KNOW WHAT MY OVERHEAD IS? DO YOU KNOW WHAT OUR EXPENSES ARE JUST TO OPERATE? DO YOU KNOW THAT WE LOST ALMOST $15,000 LAST YEAR? DO YOU KNOW, WE NEARLY CLOSED OUR DOORS DURING COVID.

WE RECEIVED NO HELP FROM THE CITY TO OPERATE, YET THE CITY, AGAIN IS PROPOSING TO REACH INTO OUR POCKETS.

I OFFER NO SUPPORT FOR EITHER A CLASS V FEE OR EVEN THE REQUIREMENT FOR A CLASS V LICENSE.

THE PROPOSED ADDITIONAL VERBIAGE THAT IS AMENDED IN 52 SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO SLOW THE GROWTH OF VIDEO GAMING WITHOUT AN ADDITIONAL LICENSE CATEGORY.

THE CITY COUNCIL CREATED THIS SITUATION AND NOW IS TRYING TO TAX ITS WAY OUT OF THE PROBLEM.

AGAIN, I WILL REPEAT THE WORDS OF A COUNCIL MEMBER.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

MR. WALKER.

HE MAY HAVE HAD TO LEAVE.

UM, MARK ALLEN.

I LIKE WHAT HE SAID.

HE'S A LOT BETTER SPEAKER THAN I AM.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO ONCE AGAIN REITERATE THAT CLASS A LICENSES ARE A REAL PROBLEM IF WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS 40% THRESHOLD OF OUTSIDE REVENUE BEYOND GAMING.

UM, PEOPLE ARE NOT DRINKING IN BARS.

THEY JUST AREN'T, UH, EVERYBODY'S SCARED TO DEATH OF GETTING DUIS.

SO THAT HAS MADE OUR BAR REVENUE DECLINE SUBSTANTIALLY.

WE CANNOT STAY OPEN IF THAT 40% THRESHOLD IS MAINTAINED.

THANK YOU, MR. ALLEN.

ADDITIONAL, UH, SHEEN OVER DECATUR AND DECATUR, UH, WAGERS ALMOST AS MUCH AS WAGERED IN SPRINGFIELD.

THAT BRINGS US BACK TO COUNCIL PAT.

UH, PER MR. ALLEN, THAT'S ONE OF OUR ISSUES.

A LOT OF OUR BARS ARE JUST PARLORS AND WE WANT TO, WE'D LIKE, UH, WISH IF, IF WE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE MAYOR WHEN I WAS ON THE ACCOUNTS BEFORE.

UM, WE DISCUSSED THAT.

AND, UH, IT'S, THEY, THEY GREW FASTER.

AND LET YOU KNOW, NOT ALL THE PARLORS ARE OWNED BY OUTSIDE, UH, BUSINESS PEOPLE.

THERE'S A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT THAT ARE OWNED BY LOCAL BUSINESS PEOPLE RIGHT, IN THIS COMMUNITY.

UH, BUT THAT, THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH, AS THAT A LOT OF 'EM HAVE JUST BECOME PARLORS AND NOT IN, IN BUSINESS.

AND AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND I WAS IN BUSINESS, UH, MOST OF MY LIFE AND DIFFERENT, UH, UH, UH, CAPACITIES IN THAT.

AND YOU GO INTO A RESTAURANT BUSINESS TO BE A RESTAURANT, NOT TO BE, UH, UH, SOMETHING ELSE.

AGAIN, THE MONEY IS GREAT COMING IN FROM, FROM THE VIDEO GAMING, I UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT YOUR MAIN PURPOSE IS EITHER A BAR OR YOU'RE A RESTAURANT AND THAT.

SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA LISTEN TONIGHT.

UH, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN OURSELVES ON DIFFERENT THINGS, AND WE UNDERSTAND, UH, HOW BUSINESS PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT A LOT OF THESE.

BUT WE'LL JUST SEE WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH AND, AND, UH, DO BE A, DO A COMPROMISE IF WE HAVE TO DO THAT.

BUT WE NEED THE SLOWDOWN.

UH, DECATUR IS NUMBER TWO IN THE STATE WITH THE MOST, UH, VIDEO GAMING MACHINES.

NO, IT'S NOT.

OUTSIDE OF NOT COUNTING CASINOS.

SPRINGFIELD IS NUMBER ONE.

WE'RE NUMBER TWO.

UH, ROCKFORD'S NUMBER TWO, UNLESS IT'S CHANGED.

WHEN I STUDIED IT, UH, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS, WE WERE NUMBER TWO AND WE'RE BETWEEN, UH, WHAT, UH, SPRINGFIELD HAS, THEY HAVE 125

[00:35:01]

AND THAT, THAT, THAT BOTHERS A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.

MR. HORN TH THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THE RESIDENTS OF DECATUR HAVE SPOKEN LOUDLY AND CLEARLY THERE ARE TOO MANY GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE CITY.

THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO ENSURE THAT THE NUMBER OF GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS GOES DOWN IN DECATUR, AND THAT IS TO CAP THE NUMBER OF GAMBLING LICENSES THAT ARE ISSUED IN THE CITY.

DOING THIS WILL PROHIBIT THE ISSUING OF ANY NEW GAMBLING LICENSES UNTIL THE TOTAL NUMBER OF GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS IS LESS THAN THE CAP, WHILE GRANDFATHERING IN ALL CURRENT GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS, GIVEN THAT THERE WERE 100 GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE CITY FROM MAY, 2022 TO APRIL, 2023, SETTING A CAP OF 80 ESTABLISHMENTS IS A GOOD FIRST STEP IN HEATING RESIDENTS CONCERNS THAT THERE ARE TOO MANY GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS.

THE SECOND STEP THE CITY COUNCIL CAN TAKE IS TO REQUIRE THAT GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS HAVE AT LEAST 50%, NOT 40% AS PROPOSED OF THEIR BUSINESS REVENUES DERIVED FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN GAMBLING.

IS AN ESTABLISHMENT A COFFEE SHOP OR A CASINO? IS IT A CONVENIENCE STORE OR A CASINO? IS IT A LAUNDROMAT OR A CASINO? AGAIN, THE RESIDENTS OF DECATUR HAVE SPOKEN LOUDLY AND CLEARLY, THE CITY SHOULD NOT ISSUE MORE LICENSES TO LIQUOR SELLING BUSINESSES BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STAY OPEN UNLESS THEY HAVE GAMBLING REVENUES.

THE CITY COUNCIL MUST PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM GAMBLING AND ITS NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.

FINALLY, I WANT TO ADDRESS THE CITY STAFF'S CLAIM THAT DECATUR IS RELIANT ON GAMBLING REVENUE.

THE 2.3 MILLION IN GAMBLING REVENUE REPRESENTS LESS THAN 3% OF GENERAL FUND RESERVES.

DESPITE REPEATED REQUESTS OVER MANY YEARS, THE THE CITY HAS NEVER CALCULATED THE SOCIETAL COSTS OF GAMBLING, INCLUDING ADDICTION, BANKRUPTCY, AND CRIME.

OBVIOUSLY, NET GAMBLING REVENUE TO THE CITY NEEDS TO SUBTRACT FROM THE 2.3 MILLION, THE SOCIETAL COST OF GAMBLING, AS WELL AS THE REVENUE THE CITY WOULD EARN IF THE 46.9 MILLION LOST TO GAMBLING WAS SPENT IN OTHER WAYS.

HERE IN DECATUR, DECATUR RESIDENTS HAVE SPOKEN LOUDLY AND CLEAR.

A, A STRONG MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS HAVE CONCLUDED THAT GAMBLING DISRUPTS OR DISTRACTS ONE'S EXPERIENCE AT THE ESTABLISHMENT.

THUS, IT IS ENTIRELY PLAUSIBLE, CONTRARY TO THE CITY'S CLAIM, AND LIKELY THAT GAMBLING IS A NET NEGATIVE FOR CITY REVENUE IN THE IMAGE OF OUR CITY.

THE STATE OF GAMBLING IN DECATUR CAN PERHAPS BEST BE SUMMED UP BY THE DEVELOPER OF A WASH AND WIN AN ESTABLISHMENT WHERE ONE CAN DO LAUNDRY, GAMBLE, AND DRINK ALCOHOL AT A BAR COCKTAIL LOUNGE IN A DISTRESSED NEIGHBORHOOD.

ACCORDING TO THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE DEVELOPER, QUOTE, POPULATION DECLINES IN THE CITY AND AREA REQUIRE REACTION FROM RETAILERS AND GOES ON TO STATE QUOTE, UNDER DIFFICULT POPULATION CIRCUMSTANCES, WE HAVE BEEN WILLING TO STAY ENGAGED AND RESPOND TO CHANGING NEEDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT.

WELL, SLOT MACHINES ARE NOT AN INVESTMENT FOR CITIZENS.

AND GIVEN THAT DECATUR IS ONE OF THE POOREST CITIES IN ILLINOIS, IT IS REASONABLE TO ASSUME THAT A LARGE AMOUNT OF GAMBLING REVENUE IS FROM POOR INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY LIVE IN BLIGHTED NEIGHBORHOODS.

THE PER CAPITA GAMBLING LOSS IS $679 PER RESIDENT.

[00:40:01]

THE CITY COUNCIL CAN SHRINK THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF GAMBLING BY CAPPING THE NUMBER OF GAMBLING LICENSES AT ISSUES, AND REQUIRING THAT AT LEAST 50% OF ESTABLISHMENT'S REVENUE COMES FROM OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME.

THANKS, DR.

HORN, DID YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THE TERMINAL FEES? BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE TONIGHT.

ACTUALLY.

MY, UM, NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS TO CAP THE NUMBER OF V LICENSES.

AND IN FACT, THE HUNDRED ESTABLISHMENTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WILL BE GRANDFATHERED IN.

AND SO AS MORE, UH, AS FEWER BUSINESSES, UH, OR I, MAYBE I SHOULD BACK UP, AS BUSINESSES NO LONGER ARE IN DECATUR, THOSE THAT CHOOSE TO GAMBLE WILL TAKE THEIR GAMBLING REVENUE TO FEWER AND FEWER ESTABLISHMENTS, WHICH SHOULD MEAN MORE GAMBLING REVENUE PER ESTABLISHMENT.

SO I THINK THAT THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE CAN DO THAT, UM, WILL ACTUALLY, UM, FOLLOW WHAT THE CITIZENS HAVE ASKED FOR.

UM, AS FAR AS THE VIDEO GAMBLING FEES, I, I REALLY DON'T HAVE A STRONG DESIRE TO INCREASE THEM.

WE HAVE A PUSH TAX COMING IN AND, UH, WE'LL RECEIVE ADDITIONAL GAMBLING REVENUE FROM THAT.

FOR ME, IT'S FOLLOW WHAT THE CITIZENS WANT.

THEY WANT TO SEE A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS.

THANK YOU, MR. MCDANIEL.

ONE OF THE PROPOSALS, YOUR MIC, ONE OF THE PROPOSALS I LIKE THAT, UH, UH, WILL SLOW DOWN.

UH, IF, IF AND WHEN WE PASS THIS NEW ORDINANCE THAT ANYBODY, UH, ANY BUSINESS THAT WANTS TO OPEN UP AND NEEDS A LIQUOR LICENSE, THEY CAN GET THAT AS LONG AS THERE'S SOMETHING SOME AVAILABLE, UH, IN THAT CATEGORY.

BUT ALSO THEY CANNOT HAVE VIDEO GAMING FOR A YEAR.

THAT WILL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF, OF, UM, PEOPLE, BUSINESSES THAT REALLY WOULD JUST WANNA BECOME A, A VIDEO PARLOR.

SO I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S ONE I REALLY SUPPORT IN OUR NEW PROPOSALS.

MR. COMP.

WELL, I WANNA APPLAUD CITY STAFF FOR TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THIS.

THIS IS A WHOLE LOT.

I MEAN, THERE'S CHAPTERS AND STATUTES AND ALL KINDS OF THING, AND THESE FOLKS ARE THE PROS.

THEY'RE IN THE FOOD AND RESTAURANT AND BAR BUSINESS.

AND I TAKE WHAT YOU SAY SERIOUSLY, AND I, I NEED TO EDUCATE MYSELF MORE.

I DO WANT US TO LOOK INTO THE THRESHOLD A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING IT EVERY DAY.

WE'RE NOT.

SO I WOULDN'T MIND HAVING SOME DISCUSSION THERE.

AS FAR AS THE CLUBS, I'M A MARINE CORPS VETERAN MYSELF, YOU GUYS, UH, YOU GUYS ARE THAT PLACE FOR THE TRANSITION AND WHATEVER I CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOU, I WILL.

I DO LIKE THE FACT THAT WE WANT TO PROPOSE 2200 GOING DOWN TO 7 25 FOR CLUBS.

AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE MANY MORE ESTABLISHMENTS HERE THAT SUPPORT SPORTING TEAMS, SPORTING EVENTS, CHARITIES, DONATIONS.

I SEE FAMILY OWNED BUSINESSES OUT HERE AS WELL.

I'M ALL ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS.

UM, BUT GOING BACK TO WHAT DR.

HORN MENTIONED, THIS SURVEY SPOKE VOLUMES TO ME.

UM, WITH THAT, I WILL AGREE THAT WE MAY NEED TO PUT A CAP ON IT, BUT I AM FIRMLY AGAINST ANY INCREASE IN FEES.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MR. KEEL.

WELL, THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY IS I DON'T, I OBVIOUSLY WANT TO HURT ANY LOCAL BUSINESSES EITHER.

AND IF I COULD HIT THE OUT OF TOWN OWNERS HARDER, I WOULD.

YOU CAN'T, BUT WE CAN'T.

YOU SAID THAT WE CAN'T.

SO IF WE CAN'T DO IT THAT WAY, THEN I, I DON'T REALLY SEE WANTING TO RAISE ANY FEES MYSELF.

I ABSOLUTELY WANT CAPS.

WE HAVE ENOUGH VIDEO GAMING IN THIS TOWN.

ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN TALKED ABOUT THOSE FLAGS.

THOSE THINGS IRRITATE ME.

IT MAKES THE TOWN LOOK SEEDY.

AND I WISH IF WE COULD DO ANYTHING, WE COULD BAR THOSE FLAGS FLYING OUTSIDE ON THE LAWNS.

IT MAKES THE WHOLE TOWN LOOK TACKY.

UM, I WANNA ADDRESS THE MORALITY OF THIS A LITTLE BIT AS COUNCILMAN HORN DID.

I REMEMBER ONE NIGHT I WAS AT ONE OF THE ESTABLISHMENTS AND I SAW SOME GUY PUT FOUR $100 BILLS RIGHT INTO THE MACHINE.

MAYBE THAT GOES ON ALL THE TIME.

IT JUST CAUGHT MY EYE.

USUALLY I SEE PEOPLE PUTTING $20 IN, BUT THIS PERSON PUT IN FOUR $100 BILLS.

AND I THOUGHT, THIS GUY DOESN'T NEED TO BE DOING THIS.

BUT HE DID.

AND, UM, I WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION, OWNERS, AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO THROW TOMATOES AT ME BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST UNPOPULAR THINGS YOU HEAR TONIGHT.

I JUST ASK YOU, SEND ME AN EMAIL, EMAIL, KEEP IT CIVIL.

DON'T BOO ME.

I WANNA ASK YOU A QUESTION.

WE LIMIT THE HOURS OF PACKAGE WICKER.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE LIMITED THE HOURS OF VIDEO GAMING AS AN EXAMPLE, TILL 10:00 PM

[00:45:01]

UH, SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AND UNTIL MIDNIGHT ON, UH, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY? WHAT WOULD THAT DO TO YOUR BUSINESS? I WOULD APPRECIATE YOU JUST EMAILING ME THAT.

UM, IT'S JUST TO ME, YOU KNOW, THE LATER YOU STAY OUT, FIRST OF ALL, WHO NEEDS TO BE OUT PAST 10 DURING THE WEEK ANYWAY, MAYBE, UH, OTHER SHIFTS.

I'M JUST TRYING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION.

BUT YOU KNOW, THE PERSON THAT WORKS AT NINE TO FIVES OUT TILL MIDNIGHT, THEY'RE PROBABLY HAVING A FEW BEERS AND IT GETS LOOSER.

THAT'S WHY THEY SERVE FREE DRINKS IN LAS VEGAS.

THEY WANT YOU TO GAMBLE MORE.

AND THAT'S MY QUESTION TO YOU.

WHAT WOULD THAT DO TO YOUR BUSINESS IF YOU HAD SOME TYPE OF TIME LIMIT ON THE VIDEO GAMING? MR. COOPER, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UM, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M HERE TO HEAR TO HEAR YOU TONIGHT.

UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING.

THOSE THAT CAME, UM, I'VE READ ALL, I'VE READ THE SURVEY RESULTS ON THE, UM, SYSTEM, THE EMAIL SYSTEM, THE, THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY THAT WAS SENT OUT TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC.

AND THERE, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A WIDE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SURVEY AND WHAT THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT ARE SAYING.

SO OBVIOUSLY WE ARE DEFINITELY SPLIT ON THIS ISSUE, UM, WIDELY SPLIT.

UM, I DO THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DO A CAP.

WE DO HAVE TOO MANY GAMING MACHINES, SO WE DO NEED TO DO THAT.

AS FAR AS THE FEES, UM, I, I WILL BE DISCUSSING THAT WITH THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WE DISCUSS IT FURTHER REGARDING THE FEES.

I THINK WE CAN COME TO SOME COMPROMISE ON WHAT THE FINAL FEES NEED TO BE.

UM, BUT I'M ALSO LOOKING AT THE SHARES THAT THE ESTABLISHMENTS ARE TAKING IN ON GAMBLING.

UM, EVEN IF THE FEES STAYED AT THE RECOMMENDED LEVELS, IT'S NOT GONNA TOUCH WHAT YOU'RE MAKING, WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING IN, IN, IN YOUR, IN YOUR REVENUES FROM GAMBLING.

I'VE GOT THE, I'VE GOT EVERY, EVERY ESTABLISHMENT HERE.

IT'S NOT GONNA TOUCH YOU.

IT'S NOT THAT YOU CANNOT AFFORD IT.

UH, I KNOW YOU SAY YOU CAN'T, THE NUMBERS DON'T, DON'T LIE.

THAT'S COMING FROM THE I R FOR THE TERMINALS.

YOU'RE MAKING MONEY.

I'M NOT HERE TO HOLD ON.

I'M NOT HERE TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM YOU.

I, I PAY BILL.

OKAY? SO, SO LET'S NOT FOOL ANYBODY.

WE, WE CAN COME UP TO A COMPROMISE ON WHAT THE FEES NEED TO BE, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY CAN GIVE AND TAKE AND, AND WE COME TO A A MEDIUM.

SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT WITH IT RIGHT NOW, MAYOR, AND WE'LL BE DISCUSSING IT.

BUT WE DO NEED TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA ELIMINATE THE NUMBER OF MACHINES THAT WE HAVE.

HOWEVER WE GOTTA GET THERE.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE GOTTA GET THERE.

ONE NOTE I'D LIKE TO MENTION ABOUT THOSE FLAGS THAT'S COME UP A COUPLE OF TIMES, I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR FOUR YEARS THAT THOSE THINGS GET TAKEN DOWN.

THEY VIOLATE THE CURRENT SIGN ORDINANCE AND WE CAN'T SEEM TO GET THEM TAKEN DOWN AND, AND PUT AWAY.

UH, BUT I'M SURE WE CAN ENFORCE AT LEAST THAT MUCH.

UM, COUNCILMAN MCGREGOR? WELL, I THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE DIRECTION TO THE CITY MANAGER TONIGHT.

SO THAT'S, WE ARES WHAT I, I HAVE CAME PREPARED TO DO.

UM, WE ARE NOT, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST CAME ON COUNCIL AND DR.

DANA RAY WAS HERE.

WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE CLASS P LIQUOR LICENSES, AND THE CLASS P LIQUOR LICENSES ARE STRICTLY FOR VIDEO GAMING PARLORS.

AND SO IT WAS IN AUGUST OF 2016 THAT WE CAPPED THOSE NUMBER OF LICENSES AT, UM, WE REDUCED IT BY THREE.

SO CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 25 CLASS P LICENSES AND WE ARE CAPPED AT 20.

SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU WANNA CAP SOMETHING, I UNDERSTAND IT.

BUT WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT, UH, SINCE 2016, WE HAVE NOT REALLY SEEN A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN VIDEO GAMING PARLORS.

SO IF YOU WANT, IF YOU'RE TRULY SERIOUS ABOUT, UM, OF CAPPING CLASSES, WE HAVE LEFT IN THE PROPOSED LIQUOR LICENSE CLASSIFICATIONS, UM, THREE AREAS,

[00:50:01]

THREE LICENSE AREAS WHERE YOU COULD POTENTIALLY SEE GROWTH.

AND I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT.

SO CLASS C, WHICH ARE THE VFWS, THERE ARE CURRENTLY EIGHT LICENSES, EIGHT C LICENSES.

ONLY FOUR OF THOSE HAVE VIDEO GAMING.

SO YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL WITHOUT CAPPING THIS TO SEE A GROWTH OF FOUR MORE VIDEO GAMING OPPORTUNITIES.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT CLASS G, WHICH IS RESERVED FOR A RESTAURANT, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 23 CLASS G LIQUOR LICENSES OF WHICH 16 HOLD GAMING, UM, TERMINALS.

SO YOU HAVE A POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH THERE BY SEVEN.

IN CLASS I, WHICH IS ALSO A RESTAURANT.

WE HAVE 15 LICENSES THERE.

IT IS NOT CAPPED OF THOSE 15, 10 HAVE A GAMING LICENSE.

SO IF YOU HAVE POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH BY FIVE THERE.

SO IF THIS COUNCIL IS SERIOUS ABOUT CAPPING, UM, AND YOU DON'T WANT TO ENCOURAGE GROWTH, THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT.

I ALSO THINK THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LI LIQUOR LICENSES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ZONING AS WELL.

AND SO WE HAVE HERE A CLASS K LICENSE THAT IS RESERVED FOR HISTORIC THEATERS.

THOSE ARE IN OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESS AREA.

SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW MUCH VIDEO GAMING DO YOU REALLY WANT IN YOUR DEFINED BUSINESS DISTRICT.

YOU CAN GO RIGHT NOW, UM, DOWN 51 SOUTH, AND YOU CAN WALK SEVERAL PLACES AND YOU CAN GAME.

UM, SO THIS CLASS K IS RESERVED PRIMARILY FOR THE LINCOLN THEATER, AND IT'S RESERVED FOR THE AVON THEATER.

AND I WOULD LIKE US TO, UM, PROHIBIT WE HAVE NOT PROHIBITED VIDEO GAMING IN CLASS K.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CLASS K HAVE THE VIDEO GAMING PROHIBITED.

UM, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT IT'S CON CONGRUENT FOR WHAT THOSE HISTORICAL THEATERS ARE HERE FOR, UM, TO HAVE GAMING INCLUDED IN THEM AS WELL.

UM, I AM NOT SURE EXACTLY WHY WE HAVE A CLASS H THAT'S FOR HOTELS WITH ONLY THREE TO 10 ROOMS. WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE.

UM, AND WE HAVE, UH, ESSENTIALLY CAPPED THAT LIQUOR LICENSE AT ONE.

UM, AND WE HAVE, THE NEW THING HERE IS THAT WE HAVE, UM, PROHIBITED VIDEO GAMING.

SO WE'VE PROHIBITED VIDEO GAMING A LOT EXCEPT FOR IN THOSE THREE THAT I HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED, WHERE THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH.

UM, I HAD ORIGINALLY TALKED TO, UM, CITY STAFF, PARTICULARLY FOR CLASS P LICENSES, UM, AND I KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL HAS DONE HIS HOMEWORK AND LESS THAN HALF OF THOSE ARE OWNED LOCALLY.

BUT CLASS P WERE DESIGNED ESSENTIALLY BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO PROMOTE VIDEO GAMING.

I HAD WANTED TO DO, UM, A FEE A LITTLE DIFFERENT TO DO IT BY A FORMULA.

AND SO THAT FORMULA WOULD'VE GONE SOMETHING LIKE 10%, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR LICENSE WOULD BE 10% OF YOUR GROSS REVENUE THAT WAS REPORTED TO THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE THE VIDEO GAMING FOLKS ALREADY TOOK CARE OF THEMSELVES AND THEY DON'T ALLOW FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHERE I'M COMING FROM ON THIS AND WHY I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT IT.

VIDEO GAMING WAS CREATED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MANY YEARS AGO, AND I LIKEN IT A LITTLE BIT TO WHEN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, UM, LEGALIZED MARIJUANA.

THERE ARE TWO VERY DISTINCT DIFFERENCES IN THOSE STATUTES.

THE GAMING STATUTE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE WHAT OCCURS IN COMMUNITIES, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE SO MUCH GAMING GOING ON.

THE CANNABIS STATUTE, ON THE OTHER HAND, DID,

[00:55:01]

AND IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS FOR CANNABIS, IT LISTED OUT A PERCENTAGE OF STATE REVENUE THAT WOULD BE ALLOCATED FOR THINGS LIKE ADDICTION.

AND YOU CAN GO DOWN THE ENTIRE LIST.

SO THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THERE WOULD BE SOCIAL ILLS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, WHERE WHEN GAMING WAS CREATED, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DID NOT ALLOW FOR THAT.

SO I, UM, BELIEVE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON CLASS P, THE LIQUOR LICENSE FEE DOUBLED.

I KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT POPULAR, BUT I WANNA TELL YOU THAT A LITTLE OVER SIX WEEKS AGO, I WENT TO THE DECATUR PARK DISTRICT'S STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION AROUND GARFIELD PARK.

AND I WENT TO THAT BECAUSE THE STATE OF EL OR BECAUSE THE CITY OF DECATUR WAS ALSO CONSIDERING A PROJECT, UM, WITH GRANT DOLLARS TO CONVERT THE GARFIELD SCHOOL INTO SOME SENIOR CITIZEN HOUSING.

SO I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THOSE TWO PROJECTS COULD WORK TOGETHER.

THERE WERE QUITE A FEW FOLKS THERE, UM, PARTICULARLY MOTHERS WHO WERE RAISING FAMILIES THAT LIVE IN THAT COMMUNITY.

AND AFTER THAT WAS OVER, THOSE FIVE LADIES CORNERED ME AND THEY WERE VERY UNHAPPY WITH ME, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE WAS.

AND WHEN THAT COUNCILMAN HORN MENTIONED EARLIER, AND THIS CONVERSATION WENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, WHY DOES THE CITY ALWAYS CONTINUE TO DO THIS TO US? WHY DO YOU ALWAYS PUT VIDEO GAMING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS? WE ARE TIRED OF OUR NEIGHBORS COMING TO US ASKING FOR MONEY FOR THE RENT.

WE ARE TIRED OF OUR NEIGHBORS COMING TO US SAYING, I CAN'T AFFORD DINNER FOR MY KIDS AND I CAN'T AFFORD THEIR CLOTHES.

WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO DO THIS TO US? AND I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THAT.

AND SO IF THERE IS A WAY, PARTICULARLY SINCE WE'RE SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION, THAT WE CAN PAUSE FOR ONE MINUTE AND TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT WHILE FOR MANY PEOPLE GAMING IS FUN AND THEY CAN AFFORD TO DO IT, AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT FOR MANY THEY CANNOT.

AND WE SIMPLY PLACE IT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS TO ENTICE THEM.

YOU DON'T AGREE WITH ME.

AND THAT'S OKAY, BUT I WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT THOSE FIVE MOTHERS SAID TO ME, AND THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING FROM.

ANY OTHER THAT'S ON THE TERMINAL FEES.

PAT, I DIDN'T ASK YOU ON THE FEES.

YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M WILLING TO, TO DROP THE, THE, UH, NOT THE TERMINAL FEES, BUT THE, THE V UM, UH, UH, WHAT WE WERE GONNA CHARGE, UH, THE INCREASE, YEAH, I WAS GONNA DROP IT DOWN, BUT I'M WILLING TO DROP THAT BECAUSE THEY DO PAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TERMINAL FEES IN THAT.

BUT I, I'M NOT GONNA DROP THE, THE 40% THAT, UH, UH, CERTAIN CATEGORIES HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN, UH, AND VIDEO GAMING, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT COMES HERE, YOU'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF A BAR OR A RESTAURANT, UH, AND WE JUST DON'T NEED ANY MORE A PARLORS OUT THERE.

JACK, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION THAT I'M SURE WE CAN GET THE ANSWER TO, BUT IS THERE A WAY, IT MUST BE THROUGH THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAX THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT LIKE WHO'S ON THE CUSP AND WHO ISN'T ON THIS 40%.

UH, UH, MR. ALLEN SAID THAT THAT MIGHT, UH, ACTUALLY PUT ONE OF HIS BUSINESSES OUT OF BUSINESS, BUT IS THERE A WAY TO ACTUALLY SEE THAT ON PAPER FOR OUR BUSINESSES IN TOWN TO SEE WHO'S, WHO'S ABOVE THE 40% AND WHO ISN'T MR. WRIGHTON? THERE IS AND THERE ISN'T.

UM, WE HAVE INFORMATION ON THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT COMES FROM THEIR VIDEO GAMING, AND WE HAVE A AMOUNT THAT COMES FROM FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAXES BECAUSE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO REPORT THAT, AND WE PERIODICALLY AUDIT AS WELL.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE SUMMONS SUBSTANCE OF AN, OF AN ESTABLISHMENT'S REVENUE.

UH, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THIS MAY BE AS AN EXTREME EXAMPLE, BUT I THINK IT MAKES THE POINT, ONE OF THE LIQUOR LICENSE HOLDERS HAS IS A, IS A BOWLING ALLEY.

WELL, WE DON'T HAVE INFORMATION ON THEIR TOTAL RECEIPTS FROM LANE RENTAL AND SHOE RENTAL AND REVENUE FROM THE, FROM THE PRO SHOP OR SOMETHING, ALL OF WHICH IS LEGITIMATE REVENUE FOR THAT BUSINESS.

SO I'M CERTAIN WHEN YOU'VE CALCULATED ALL THAT REVENUE IN THAT, THAT, THAT THEY'RE NOT THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE THRESHOLD, BUT IF YOU LOOK JUST AT THEIR FOOD AND BEVERAGE ESTABLISHMENT, EXCUSE ME, THEIR FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAXATION VIS-A-VIS THEIR VIDEO GAMBLING, IT WOULD GIVE A VERY DIFFERENT PICTURE.

[01:00:01]

SO, UM, UH, SO WE CAN PROVIDE SOME OF THE DA AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.

WE CAN PROVIDE SOME OF THE DATA, BUT NOT ALL OF THE DATA.

I THINK WE COULD TELL JUST BY THE NAME OF THE BUSINESS WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS THEY'RE IN.

SO IF WE COULD SOMEHOW GET THAT INFORMATION, I THINK IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE HELPFUL TO DECIDE IF, IF WE WANT TO DO IT THIS 40% OR IF WE DON'T.

I JUST THINK IF IT'S NOT TOO MUCH TROUBLE FOR THE STAFF TO DO THAT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

AND PERHAPS WE COULD HAVE, AND IF THIS WOULD NOT BE TOO ONEROUS, BUT TO LOOK AT 40% OR ANOTHER PERCENTAGE, YOU KNOW, IS IT 25% OR 30%? AND, BUT THAT'S MORE ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT IS, WHAT WOULD COUNSEL LIKE STAFF TO PREPARE.

SO LIKE A COUPLE OF OPTIONS.

MR. KEEL CULP.

YEAH, I'D LIKE SOME OPTIONS.

LIKE I SAID, THESE PEOPLE ARE THE PROS ABOUT IT.

I LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE THRESHOLD AND WHERE EVERYBODY'S AT AND WHAT'S PERMISSIBLE BECAUSE TIMES HAVE CHANGED AND INFLATION, LIKE I THINK ONE OWNER MENTIONED IT, THEY JUST AREN'T DRINKING AS MUCH AND YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, NOT FAULTING THAT.

BUT THE THING IS, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT CONSUMING AS MUCH FOOD THERE EITHER.

SO WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT.

BUT I, I LIKE A COUPLE DIFFERENT OPTIONS TO LOOK AT DR.

HORN IN, IN REGARDS TO THE PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE OTHER THAN GAMBLING REVENUE.

IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE CITY STAFF PREPARE OPTIONS, I'D LIKE TO SEE 50% OF REVENUE, UM, FROM NON GAMBLING SOURCES AS ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT'S LOOKED AT.

I WANNA REMIND THE COUNCIL OF THE SURVEY THAT THE CITIZENS RESPONDED TO FIRST.

85% OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS SAID THERE ARE TOO MANY GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE CITY.

85%.

THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO ENSURE WE REDUCE THE NUMBER OF GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS, AND THAT IS TO PUT A CAP ON THE NUMBER OF V LICENSES.

THERE IS NO OTHER WAY THAN THAT TO GUARANTEE WE REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS.

SECOND THING, 76% OF THE CITIZENS THAT RESPONDED TO THIS SURVEY SAID THAT THE CITY SHOULD NOT ISSUE MORE LICENSES TO LIQUOR SELLING BUSINESSES BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STAY OPEN UNLESS THEY HAVE GAMBLING REVENUES.

76% IS ONCE AGAIN, A VERY LARGE PER PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, HAVE SAID NO MORE GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS AND THAT THE SUPPORT FOR GAMBLING, THE SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES SHOULD NOT COME WITH MORE GAMBLING AS THE TRADE-OFF.

AND THIRD, 63% OF THE SURVEY RESPONDENTS INDICATED THAT GAMBLING DISRUPTS OR DISTRACTS ONE'S EXPERIENCE AT THE ESTABLISHMENT.

OKAY? 63%.

AND SO GOING BACK TO THE WAS AND WIN, I MEAN, LET'S THINK HOW FAR TO THE BOTTOM DECATUR HAS COME.

WE HAVE A LAUNDROMAT WHERE YOU CAN GAMBLE AND DRINK ALCOHOL AND IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF A DISTRESSED NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE HAVE HIT ROCK BOTTOM.

WE CAN'T, I DON'T THINK WE CAN GO ANY LOWER THAN THAT.

UM, IN REGARDS TO SOME OF, UM, COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY'S RESPONSES, I AGREE WITH YOU REGARDING THE THEATERS.

I BELIEVE THAT'S CLASS K I DO NOT SEE THE JUSTIFICATION FOR OFFERING VIDEO GAMBLING AT A MOVIE THEATER OR A A PERFORMING ARTS THEATER.

I DON'T SEE IT.

A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE, UM, CITY STAFF TO LOOK INTO IS UNDER CLASS D LICENSE.

WHY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ROOMS FROM 100 TO 50? COULDN'T THIS ACTUALLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS WHERE GAMBLING TAKES PLACE? SO PLEASE LOOK INTO THAT.

UM, UNDER THE H LICENSE Y REDUCE THE SIZE OF PROPERTIES IN WHICH ALCOHOL CAN BE SOLD.

AGAIN, PLEASE LOOK INTO THAT.

AND I ALSO, UH, AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY, THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK AT ZONING OF VIDEO GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS AS WELL.

AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THAT.

COUNCILMAN COOPER.

UH, COUPLE POINTS.

UM, ONE, I KNOW THE CHIEF IS HERE.

I THINK SOMEBODY COMMENTED THAT THE DUIS HAVE GONE DOWN.

UM, REPORTS THAT I'VE BEEN GETTING FOR LAST YEAR DIDN'T APPEAR THAT THEY'RE GOING DOWN.

[01:05:01]

IS THERE BEEN A BA A DRASTIC REDUCTION IN DUIS IN DECATUR? I THINK YOU SAID THAT.

ON, ON LIQUOR LICENSE, IF WE, WE, WE CAP 'EM, BUT THEN WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, A NEW BUSINESS THAT WOULD LIKE A LIQUOR LICENSE, AND THERE'S NONE AVAILABLE AND WE HAVE IN THE PAST.

NO, I I THINK IT WAS MORE IN THAT PEOPLE ARE VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT DRINKING AND DRIVING DOES NOT WORK IN DECATUR BECAUSE DECATUR POLICE WILL ARREST YOU.

SO PEOPLE DON'T WANNA DRINK IN BARS AND GET TO KNOW OUR POLICE OFFICERS.

YES, I HEARD THAT, BUT I THINK THAT, UM, HOPEFULLY IT'S GOING DOWN, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S THE, HAS STOPPED THEM DRINKING.

BUT ANYWAY, BACK TO OUR SUBJECT.

UM, COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY HAD INDICATED ABOUT THERE'S ABOUT 15, UM, LICENSES THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW.

UM, I THINK WE SHOULD CAP THOSE 15, UM, AS PART OF THIS, UH, PROHIBIT THOSE FOUR, THOSE THREE LOCATIONS, CG AND I, UH, GETTING ANY MORE.

AND I THINK WE OUGHTA JUST CAPPED THAT RIGHT NOW.

ONE THING I STRUGGLE WITH WITH THESE CAPS IS I THINK JUST IN CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH CITIZENS AND COUNCIL PEOPLE, THE GAMING ESTABLISHMENTS THAT WE REALLY LIKE THE LEAST WOULD BE THE PARLORS.

CAPPING THE PARLORS HAS DONE NOTHING.

I MEAN, 2016, THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE ONES WE LIKED THE LEAST.

ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU'VE GOT AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME SORT OF ENTERTAINMENT VENUE, LET'S SAY IT'S A NEW THEATER THAT OFFERS DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, THINGS TO DO.

AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I THEATERS OFTEN HAVE GAMING OR NOT, BUT WE'RE TAKING AWAY LICENSES OF, OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FOR RESTAURANTS, ET CETERA.

UM, WE'RE TAKING THOSE AWAY AND THOSE ARE THE ONES WE WERE TRYING TO HELP IN THE FIRST PLACE.

AND SO I, IT'S LIKE, I, I, I'M KIND OF STRUGGLING HERE WITH, AND I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT TO HAVE GAMING IN THE LINCOLN OR THE AVON OR, YOU KNOW, BUT IF IT HITS THE POINT WHERE THAT'S WHAT THEY NEED, LIKE SOME OF OUR RESTAURANTS, IF THEY DON'T HAVE THAT, WILL THEY SURVIVE? SO I THINK, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE THING I STRUGGLE WITH THE MOST, IS THE ONES THAT WE WANT TO CAP AND SLOW DOWN OR STOP IT ISN'T WORKING.

SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE IT OUT ON RESTAURANTS OR POTENTIAL BUSINESSES COMING IN.

AND IT'S NOT GONNA STOP PEOPLE FROM GAMING, BUT I MEAN, LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURNS, IT'LL JUST GO SOMEPLACE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.

SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT TO CONSIDER HERE.

AND COUNCILMAN YEAH.

THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S TRUE.

WE HAVE TO WATCH CUZ WE DO WANT ECONOMIC DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT AND A LOT OF NEW TYPE RESTAURANTS AND THAT ARE OWNED BY LOCALS THAT WANNA START.

UH, AND THAT RESTAURANT BUSINESS IS, UH, I, I AGREE.

IT'S, UH, UH, A TOUGH BUSINESS EVEN THE BEST OF TIMES.

BUT YOU GO INTO A BUSINESS, A RESTAURANT TO SERVE FOOD AND IT CANNOT BECOME A PARLOR.

UH, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ON, ON WHAT WE DO.

UH, NOW, OF COURSE, WITH, UH, UH, THE PARLORS, THOSE, THOSE LICENSE ARE NONTRANSFERABLE, SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S A, UH, A KEY THERE.

AND THEY'RE ALSO MAKING SO MUCH MONEY, THEY'LL NEVER GO OUT OF BUSINESS, SO RIGHT.

YOU, YOU WILL, THE CAP WILL MEAN NOTHING.

YEAH.

AND RIGHT NOW WE CHARGE 6,000, UH, DOLLARS A YEAR FOR THEIR LIQUOR LICENSE BECAUSE THEY DON'T PRODUCE ANY FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAX IN THAT.

NOW, ALTHOUGH I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE AN INCREASE, AND I WOULD PROBABLY SUGGEST, BUT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AS HOW MUCH WE, UH, CAN CHARGE ON A RAISING THE PARLOR, UH, BECAUSE THERE COULD BE SOME ISSUES DOWN THE ROAD THAT WE'D HAVE TO DEAL WITH AND THAT, BUT I'M WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, SUGGEST THAT WE, WE RAISE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS AND SEE, UH, IN THAT.

BUT I AGREE, I'D LIKE TO DO WHAT YOU, UH, ACCOUNTS MCG GREGOR HAS SUGGESTED, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO BE, UH, PRUDENT, UH, LEGALLY AND WHAT WE CAN DO ON THAT.

I ALSO THINK WE PROBABLY NEED MORE DISCUSSION ON THOSE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE MIGHT BE CUTTING OFF OR, I MEAN, RODNEY WALKER'S BUSINESS WOULD NOT BE OPEN TODAY.

YOU KNOW, HE, WHICH, SO HE DOESN'T BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE REALITY.

SO MAYBE THIS IS FOR WENDY.

I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE.

BUT IF WE PUT THESE CAPS IN AND THEN SOME TYPE OF RESTAURANT, SUPPOSEDLY DESIRABLE RESTAURANT COMES IN, AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME IN UNLESS THEY HAVE VIDEO GAMING, COULD THEY PETITION US SEPARATELY? SO THE ANSWER IS YES.

SO HONESTLY, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR ANY MORE RESTAURANTS FOR VIDEO GAMING, HONESTLY.

I, I, I DON'T SEE IT AS A DETRIMENT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

I, I DON'T WANT ANY MORE RESTAURANTS.

I, IF A RESTAURANT'S GONNA COME TO DECATUR, I WANT ONE THAT'S A RESTAURANT.

I DON'T WANT ONE THAT'S GOT MORE VIDEO GAMING.

AND IF THERE IS SOME DUPER RESTAURANT THAT COMES IN THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT FOR THE CITY AND THEY WANNA PUT SOME VIDEO GAMINGS IN, THEN LET US, LET 'EM PETITION US AND THEN LET THE NEXT COUNCIL DECIDE.

BUT I, I DON'T WANT THOSE RESTAURANTS, PAT, WELL,

[01:10:01]

WE WILL ADD ONE, BUT THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH A LOTTERY.

OKAY? SO THAT PARTICULAR BUSINESS MAY NOT GET IT.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S A CATCH 22 WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.

AND AGAIN, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A REALLY FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE.

AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT IS GONNA BE ENOUGH.

COUNCILMAN COOPER, ASK FIRST, THEN I'LL COME BACK TO YOU, MS. GREGORY, MR. COOPER, UH, JUST ONE THING I WANT THE COUNCILORS TO BE CONSCIOUS AWARE OF, IF I'M CORRECT, UH, I HEARD SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PUSH TAX AND THAT WE MAY GET MORE MONEY THROUGH THE PUSH TAX, BUT IT'S, MY UNDERSTANDING ISN'T THAT'S STILL IN, TIED UP IN COURT.

THAT'S CORRECT.

SO THERE'S POSSIBILITY WE NEED TO ALWAYS CON, CONTINUE TO CON CONSIDER IF THAT FAILS, WE WON'T BE GETTING ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY THROUGH THE PUSH TAX.

MS. GREGORY, UM, TO COUNCILMAN MCDANIELS POINT ABOUT THE INCREASE IN FEES FOR CLASS P, UM, I, I JUST WANNA REMEMBER, AND, AND OUR AUDIENCE HAS TOLD US TONIGHT THAT THEY'RE NOT PAYING ANY FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAX LIKE OUR RESTAURANTS ARE.

AND, UM, WE SEE, AS COUNCILMAN COOPER SAID, THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT THE GAMING IS GENERATING.

SO I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN COOPER'S STATEMENT AND ALSO YOURS, MS. MCDANIEL, IS THAT YOU'RE EITHER GOING TO BE A RESTAURANT OR YOU'RE GOING TO BE A GAMING PARLOR.

AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.

THE ONE QUESTION THAT I DO HAVE FOR COUNCILMAN HOR, AND YOU MAY HAVE SAID IT, BUT I MISSED IT.

WHEN YOU SUGGEST CAPPING THE CLASS V, WOULD YOU HOLD IT AT THE NUMBER THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND THEN DO RE REDUCTIONS? OR HOW WOULD THAT WORK? I WOULD LOWER IT TO, AGAIN, MY INITIAL PROPOSAL IS 80.

UM, THE, FROM MAY OF 2022 TO APRIL OF 2023, THERE WERE 100 GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS IN DECATUR.

SO I, AND GIVEN THE SURVEY RESULTS, 85% WANT TO SEE A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS.

I THINK WE HAVE TO GO BELOW A HUNDRED SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE 80, YOU KNOW, UM, AND IN FACT, ONCE WE CREATE THE CAP, WE CAN EVALUATE HOW THINGS ARE GOING.

BUT I, I MEAN, I FEEL AT MINIMUM WE SHOULD REDUCE IT 10%.

UM, THAT'S WHERE I'M WITH THAT.

MR. WRIGHTON, WHERE ARE WE ON THE MORATORIUM THAT WE PUT INTO? UH, ARE WE LIKE CLOSE TO THAT ENDING? YES, WE ARE.

YOU ACTED AT THAT IN MID-JANUARY AND IT WAS A SIX MONTH MORATORIUM, SO THAT WOULD EXPIRE IN MID-JULY.

MR. MCDANIEL, CAN WE RENEW THAT MORATORIUM? YES.

I, I THINK PROBABLY BECAUSE OF WHERE THIS DISCUSSION, I, I JUST DON'T FEEL, I THINK WE CAN GIVE YOU SOME DIRECTION FOR STAFF, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE INFORMATION AND MORE DISCUSSION BEFORE WE JUST MORE TIME.

WE WANNA HEAR MORE OF WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO THESE BUSINESS OWNERS AS, I MEAN, THE PUBLIC HAS WEIGHED IN AND, AND 800 PEOPLE OUT OF 70 UM, THOUSAND HAVE, HAVE WEIGHED IN AND, AND SAID, AND WE, WE ALL HEAR IT, YOU KNOW, THAT, OH, THERE'S TOO MUCH GAMING.

UM, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE AGAIN, I WAS PART OF THE COUNCIL THAT SCREWED THIS UP.

LOOK THAT, DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER? UH, YES.

SO I WANNA BE VERY CAREFUL AS WE MAKE DECISIONS AS TO REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT'S GOING TO MEAN IN THE FUTURE.

AND SO IF, UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO NO.

NOPE.

MS. GREGORY, I, I HAVE ONE MORE COMMENT, THEN I'M DONE.

AND THEN I'LL GIVE YOU WHAT MOTION YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE ON THIS COUNCIL TO FIND A LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER LIKE I DID, SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM.

THAT'S ALL I ASK YOU TO DO.

SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT GAMING.

JUST REAL QUICK, JUST A REMINDER, UH, ALL OF US NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT THE PROPOSAL BECAUSE SOME OF THESE, UH, CATEGORIES, UH, DO NOT ALLOW, LIKE H CATEGORY H DOES NOT ALLOW VIDEO GAMING.

SO WE NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK.

THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS IN HERE.

SO WE NEED TO ALL OF US REVIEW THOSE.

DR.

HORN, ONE OTHER TECHNICAL POINT FOR STAFF.

AND THAT IS, UH, UNDER SECTION 20, MORAL TURPITUDE.

WHAT, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THAT PARTICULAR SECTION? UM, SOMETHING

[01:15:01]

I, UH, AGAIN, STAFF HAS DONE WHAT WE'VE ASKED THEM TO COME UP WITH SOME PROPOSALS, AND WE WERE THE ONES BEEN PUSHING AFTER, WHEN I WAS ON THE COUNCIL BEFORE, WE WANTED, UH, UH, A REDUCTION IN VIDEO GAMING.

SO THE STAFF HAS DONE WHAT THEY, UH, HAVE, UH, UH, ASKED THAT WE'VE ASKED THEM TO DO.

THAT ONE, I HAVE A, A QUESTION THAT CAN BE SOME LEGAL ISSUES FOR US DOWN THE ROAD.

SO, UH, WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT THAT REAL CAREFUL.

UM, I AM NOT SURE HOW MUCH TIME WE FEEL IF IT'S, WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT ANOTHER TWO MONTHS OR THREE MONTHS ON THE MOR MORATORIUM.

I WOULD SUGGEST SIX, GO BACK TO SIX MONTHS.

AND, AND WE CAN RESCIND THAT IF WE DECIDE THAT WE DON'T NEED SIX MONTHS, CORRECT? YES.

YOU CAN TERMINATE, UH, A MORATORIUM.

DO YOU NEED A MOTION? I NEED A MOTION.

I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE EXTEND THE CURRENT MORATORIUM TO SIX MONTHS.

I SECOND THAT MAYOR.

UM, I BELIEVE AS A POINT OF ORDER.

I, I BELIEVE THAT THE MORATORIUM WHEN IT WAS INITIALLY CREATED WAS NOT DONE BY A MOTION OF THE COUNCIL.

IT WAS DONE BY AN ORDINANCE.

DO YOU REMEMBER? UH, MAYBE A RESOLUTION, BUT IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.

AND IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.

YEP.

SO, SO, SO WE CAN PUT THAT ON IF, IF, IF, IF THAT'S COUNSEL'S DESIRE, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT IT BE DEFERRED UNTIL THE JULY 17 MEETING.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD TIME ON BEFORE THAT.

AND PAT, YOUR MIC IS STILL ON MS. GREGORY.

UM, I THEN WILL WITHDRAW THE MOTION, BUT I WOULD EXPECT THAT WE WOULD SEE IT ON THE JULY 17TH AGENDA.

UNDERSTOOD.

APPRECIATE THAT.

WE'VE HAD SO MUCH DISCUSSION.

IT'S LIKE SOMETHING WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA TAKE ACTION ON.

SO APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S INPUT.

I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU COMING AND BEING HERE TONIGHT.

WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU AND WHAT THIS IMPACT WILL MEAN IN REAL TERMS, SO THAT WE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING, BECAUSE WE NEED TO HEAR FROM ALL SIDES.

WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC, BUT WE WANNA HEAR FROM THE BUSINESSES TOO.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE

[V.2. Treasurer's Financial Report]

TREASURER'S FINANCIAL REPORT.

WE'LL GIVE IT A MINUTE TO ALLOW SOME FOLKS TO LEAVE.

CAN'T BELIEVE THEY DON'T WANNA STAY FOR THE TREASURER'S REPORT.

OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD WITH OUR MEETING NOW.

SO, MR. WRIGHTON, IF YOU COULD, UH, GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE FINANCIAL REPORT.

MAYOR AND COUNSEL.

THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF BIG CHANGES, UH, THIS MONTH'S FINANCIAL REPORT FROM THE PREVIOUS ONE.

UH, I WANT TO, I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT IT CONTINUES TO, I MEAN, ACTUALLY IT INCREASED, UH, OUR, OUR CASH POSITION ACTUALLY INCREASED A LITTLE BIT.

I IM CERTAIN THAT YOU WILL SEE THAT NUMBER DECREASE AS WE GET INTO THE SUMMER.

THE SUMMER IS OUR BUSY TIME, OF COURSE, FOR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS AND A LOT OF OTHER, UH, THAT WE, WE SPEND MORE MONEY IN THE SUMMERTIME, UH, ON A, ON A PER MONTH BASIS THAN WE DO AT OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR.

SO YOU'LL SEE THAT COME DOWN A LITTLE BIT.

UH, STAFF CONTINUES TO TAKE A FAIRLY CONSERVATIVE APPROACH, BOTH AS, AS HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE NATIONAL MEDIA AND LOCAL MEDIA, STATE MEDIA.

BOTH THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE, UH, ARE RUNNING OUT OF MONEY.

UH, WE ARE NOT, BUT WHEN THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TENDS TO RUN OUTTA MONEY, THEY TEND TO COME AFTER OURS.

UM, SORRY.

SO WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.

UH, OTHER THAN THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TREASURER'S REPORT, UM, UH, STAFF IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THEM.

ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? OKAY, SEEING NONE, WE WILL MOVE ON

[V.3. An Ordinance Amending the 2022 Budget Reconciliation Ordinance of the City of Decatur, Illinois]

TO ITEM THREE.

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE 2022 BUDGET RECONCILIATION ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

MOTION OF THE ORDINANCE DO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

SO MOVED, SIR MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

THIS ITEM ALONG WITH THE NEXT ITEM I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN SORT OF IN TANDEM, UM, EVERY YEAR, NOW THAT WE OPERATE UNDER THE BUDGET SYSTEM, THERE IS A BUDGET RECONCILIATION ORDINANCE THAT WE DO IN DECEMBER.

UM, STAFF SPENDS A LOT OF TIME DEVELOPING A BUDGET, AND YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET.

BUT, UH, TRY AS WE MIGHT, WE CAN'T ANTICIPATE EVERYTHING.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, THINGS COME UP, UH, AND BOTH ON, BOTH FROM A REVENUE AND AN EXPENDITURE SIDE.

AND SO, EXCEPT FOR LARGE MAJOR, UH, CHANGES, YOU KNOW, SIX FIGURE SEVEN FIGURE CHANGES, WHICH WE USUALLY TRY TO BRING TO YOU AS A, AS A MID-YEAR BUDGET AMENDMENT, WHICH IS THE NEXT ITEM.

WE USE THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION IN DECEMBER TO ADJUST LESSER AMOUNTS, UM, THAT, THAT HAVE JUST, UH, THERE WERE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE A YEAR PRIOR.

PRIOR TO THAT, UM, FOR THE FIRST TIME WE MISSED SOME THINGS IN, WE, WE DID A BUDGET RECONCILIATION ORDINANCE IN DECEMBER OF 2022, BUT WE MISSED A FEW ITEMS. THEY, THEY WERE ONES THAT YOU ALREADY KNEW ABOUT, YOU'D ALREADY APPROVED, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LERONE PROJECT AND, AND, AND ASPHALT WORK, BOTH OF WHICH YOU

[01:20:01]

HAD APPROVED.

BUT WE HAD, WE HAD GOOD WEATHER, WE HAD CONTRACTORS THAT WERE WORKING EXTRA HARD.

UH, THAT'S ALL GOOD NEWS, BUT WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE THE FACT THAT IT WOULD, UM, FALL A LITTLE BIT SHORT OF, OF WHAT THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION ORDINANCE HAD HAD ALLOWED.

AND SO WE NEED TO AMEND THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION ORDINANCE ON, ON A BUDGET 2022 THAT WE NO, ARE NO LONGER USING JUST TO PROPERLY CLOSE THE BOOKS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022, WHICH, UM, RUBY JAMES AND HER STAFF ARE WORKING ON NOW.

AND THEN THE OTHER ITEM IS AN AMENDMENT OF THE 2023 BUDGET.

AND WE'VE EXPLAINED SOME, SOME OF THE AREAS THAT, UH, WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE WHERE WERE NUMBERS WERE, WERE HIGHER EITHER BECAUSE WE WERE, WE HAD UNEXPECTED REVENUE FROM THE STALEY FAMILY FOUNDATION, OR BECAUSE WE, WE WERE SHORT OF, OF LEGAL STAFF, WE HAD TO CONTRACT OUT MORE, UH, MORE LEGAL WORK OR ANY, ANY OF THE OTHER NUMBERS OF REASONS THAT ARE IN THERE.

UM, UH, WHEN TWO YEARS AGO WE DID A BUDGET AMENDMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, TO, TO PROGRAM AND ALLOCATE THE A R P MONEY THAT WE RECEIVED, CUZ THAT THAT WAS SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT THAT WE DIDN'T THINK APPROPRIATE IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY TO WAIT UNTIL THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION ORDINANCE.

SO ONE IS A, ONE IS AN AMENDMENT, THE ONE THAT, THAT YOU'VE JUST PUT ON THE FLOOR OF THE 2022, UH, RECONCILIATION ORDINANCE.

THE, THE NEXT ONE, IS IT AN AMENDMENT OF THE CURRENT YEAR'S 23 BUDGET? RUBY, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL ON THIS SCENE? NONE.

AMENDING THE CITY OF DECATUR BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2023.

[V.4. Ordinance Amending the City of Decatur Budget for the FiscalYear Ending December 31, 2023]

MOTION AT THE ORDINANCE TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

ANYTHING TO ADD, MR. WRIGHT? I DON'T, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD ON THE 23? THANKS DR.

HORN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UM, I WOULD ASK THE, MY FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL NOT TO REDIRECT 1.1 MILLION IN FUNDS TO BE USED FOR NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION TO UNRELATED PROJECTS.

NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION IS DECATUR'S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, AND CURRENTLY THE CITY'S REVITALIZATION EFFORTS ARE NOT KEEPING PACE WITH THE RATE OF BLIGHT YET THE CITY ADMINISTRATION IS RECOMMENDING USING 1.1 MILLION IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS TO BE USED FOR NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION TO COVER $600,000 IN ADDITIONAL EXPENSES FOR THE SECOND FLOOR LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION AND NEARLY $490,000 FOR COST OVERRUNS IN THE BUILDING OF THREE FIRE STATIONS.

THE CITY HAS MULTIPLE OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING THAT CAN BE USED TO PAY FOR THESE TWO PROJECTS, INCLUDING A SPECIAL PROJECTS RESERVE OF 2.5 MILLION, AND CERTAINLY RENOVATING THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE LIBRARY FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TRAINING AND MAKING SURE OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE MODERN FACILITIES, OUR SPECIAL PROJECTS.

IN ADDITION, THE COUNCIL COULD REALLOCATE UNSPENT A R P A FUNDS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY COMMITTED TO WATER PROJECTS FOR WHICH OTHER FUNDS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, MOST NOTABLY, UNSPENT PROCEEDS FROM A BOND ISSUED SPECIFICALLY FOR WATER CAPITAL PROJECTS.

WE HAVE OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUE FOR THIS 1.1 MILLION.

I WOULD POINT OUT THAT THE CITY OF DECATUR CURRENTLY DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS TO CLEAN UP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND SO, WHILE IT MAY BE FAIR TO SAY THAT, UM, THE CITY COULD REPLENISH THE 1.1 MILLION, UM, BY GRANTS AND OTHER CITY BUDGET FUNDING OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE COSTS ARE HERE.

THE CITY RECEIVED 1.25 MILLION IN A GRANT IN 2020 TO FUND DEMOLITIONS, CLEANUPS AND LOT ACQUISITIONS IN THE JOHNS HILL NEIGHBORHOOD.

THIS DONATION WAS A CRITICAL FIRST STEP IN TRANSFORMING THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE JOHNS HILL NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTS 4% OF THE TOTAL AREA OF THE URBAN CORE.

SO ASSUMING THIS NEIGHBORHOOD PRIOR TO ITS POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION WAS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE URBAN CORE, THE CITY HAS AN IMMEDIATE NEED FOR 31 MILLION FOR DEMOLITIONS CLEANUP AND LOT ACQUISITIONS.

AND I'M NOT AWARE THAT THE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS ABOUT TO ANNOUNCE A $31 MILLION, UH, GRAND.

AND SO WE NEED EVERY

[01:25:01]

SINGLE DOLLAR POSSIBLE.

WHY? WELL, AS WE ALL KNOW, DECATUR SAW THE MOST NUMBER OF SHOOTINGS IN MAY 22, 23, OF ANY OTHER MAY IN AT LEAST FIVE YEARS.

ONE SOLUTION TO REDUCING CRIME, INCLUDING GUN VIOLENCE THAT HAS BEEN VERIFIED IN MULTIPLE STUDIES IS THE REMOVAL OF BLIGHT AND THE CREATION OF GREEN SPACES.

AND SO THIS 1.1 MILLION CAN BE USED TO HELP REMOVE ABOUT 70 PROPERTIES THAT ARE DILAPIDATED AND BEYOND THE POINT OF REHABILITATION.

AND SO I IMPLORE THE COUNSEL NOT TO TAKE MONEY THAT WAS COMMITTED TO NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND USE IT FOR NON NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PROJECTS WHEN WE HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE FROM OTHER SOURCES.

AND I WOULD COUNTER THAT WITH, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE LIBRARY RENOVATIONS ARE CONCERNED WHEN, UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT TRYING TO GET TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF WHY WE HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS, WHETHER IT'S IN NEIGHBORHOODS OR WITH CRIME, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NEW SPACE FOR WORKFORCE AND INVESTMENT.

WE ARE TALKING FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION.

WE ARE TALKING MAKERSPACE.

WE'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON TO HELPFULLY CHANGE THE CULTURE AND BEHAVIOR OF PEOPLE SO THAT THEY'VE GOT A REAL CHANCE AT, AT MOVING FORWARD.

SO I, I SUPPORT THE THE PLAN TO CONTINUE AS IS, BUT I WILL OPEN IT UP TO OTHERS.

MS. GREGORY, YOU SAID IT MUCH BETTER THAN I WOULD HAVE.

UM, I HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION UNTIL WE HAVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

AND SO WHAT'S OCCURRING ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE LIBRARY IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, UM, TO, UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

MR. MANAGER, HAVE YOU, UM, KIND OF TAKEN A LOOK IN THE BUDGET AND IDENTIFIED WHERE THOSE OTHER, UM, GRANTS AND AND CITY BUDGET FUNDING CAN BE USED, UH, FOR NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION? UM, MAYOR, MAYOR PORTE, THE REASONS THAT YOU'VE OFFERED ARE, ARE FROM A PROGRAMMATIC STANDPOINT.

UH, THE REASON FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION IS MORE OF AN ACCOUNTING ISSUE.

UH, THE, UM, UH, THE USE OF FUNDS FOR THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND, UH, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ARE BOTH AUTHORIZED, UH, EXPENDITURES UNDER A R P AND, UH, UM, THE RATE, DESPITE FANTASTIC WORK BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, IT, IT JUST TAKES LONGER TO PUSH THESE, THESE MONIES OUT THE DOOR.

AND SO, UH, AS YOU HAVE HEARD, I THINK, UH, THE MOST RECENT A ACTION, UH, THE, UH, UH, RELATED TO THE DEBT ISSUE AT, AT THE CONGRESSIONAL LEVEL, THEY'RE WANTING TO TAKE SOME OF THIS MONEY AWAY.

I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE SPEND IT.

UM, AND I, AND GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE'RE GONNA WANNA SPEND MONEY THAT'S RESTRICTED BEFORE WE SPEND THE MONEY THAT'S UNRESTRICTED.

THE TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT YOU PUT ASIDE, I THINK VERY WISELY AND PRUDENTLY FOR A SPECIAL PROJECTS FUND IS UNRESTRICTED.

SO IF IT'S NECESSARY TO COME BACK AND SPEND MONEY LATER FOR A, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S MORE DEMOLITION THAT, THAT WE WANNA BRING TO YOU, OR THERE'S SOME OTHER KIND OF SPECIAL HOUSING PROJECT OR SPECIAL REHAB PROJECT, UH, I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO, IF IF IT'S, IF IT'S ONE THE COUNCIL WANTS TO DO, I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO SAY, I'D LIKE TO DO IT, BUT THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE GRANT DON'T LET US DO IT.

UM, THEN I'D RATHER RESERVE THAT THE MONEY THAT'S UNRESTRICTED.

SO IT'S REALLY MORE THAT, THAT KIND OF AN A OF A COMPLIANCE AND AN ACCOUNTING ISSUE, NOT BECAUSE THERE'S ANY REDUCTION IN OUR COMMITMENT TO NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION WHATSOEVER.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND I WAS AT A NATIONAL CONFERENCE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHERE THAT WAS A DISCUSSION BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY COMMUNITIES IN THIS COUNTRY THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SPEND THE MONEY AND THEY'RE AT RISK, THEY'RE AT RISK OF HAVING TO SEND IT BACK.

AND THAT'S THE LAST THING WE WANNA DO WHEN WE CAN INVEST IN OUR, OUR PEOPLE THROUGH NEW OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS COVER SOME OF THE OTHER BILLS.

YOU KNOW, WE ARE DEDICATED TO NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION.

SO DR.

HORNE, I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.

I MEAN, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE HAD UNENDING MONEY, BUT I'M NOT EVEN SURE WE COULD ACCOMPLISH AS MUCH ACCOMPLISH IF WE HAD TO DEDICATE IT ALL.

MR. K I JUST HAD A QUESTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER.

CAUSE I KNOW WHERE COUNCILMAN HORN STANDS, BUT ARE WE MOVING AS FAST AS WE CAN ANYWAY ON THE DEMOLITIONS? I MEAN, I THOUGHT THERE'S A PROCESS.

THEY, THEY, THEY, WE CAN ONLY DO SO MANY AT ONE TIME BECAUSE OF STAFFING AND THE PROCESS.

IS THAT CORRECT? CITY MANAGER OR, UH, COUNCILMAN HL? I, I, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER, NONE OF US DO.

BUT THE, THE ACTUAL NUMBER WILL OF DEMOLITIONS WE'LL HAVE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE END OF 2023.

IT'LL BE OVER A HUNDRED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEVERAL YEARS.

AND, AND WE WANT IT TO BE, UH, QUITE

[01:30:01]

A BIT HIGHER THAN THAT.

THERE ARE MULTIPLE IMPEDIMENTS TO US GETTING, UH, LOTS MORE BUILDINGS DOWN.

UH, THERE ARE LEGAL IMPEDIMENTS AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ISSUES RELATED TO, UH, WITH, UH, WITH, WITH THE MACON COUNTY TRUSTEE AND IN POSSESSION OF PROPERTIES, THERE ARE, UM, SOMETIMES IT TAKES MONTHS JUST TO GET THE AMIN TO DISCONNECT THE GAS.

DISCONNECTING POWER IS EASY.

JUST DISCONNECTING THE GAS TAKES LONGER.

UM, OWNERSHIP IS DISPUTED.

IT'S, THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT BARRIERS.

UH, AND, AND FRANKLY, THE, ONE OF THE OTHER IS THERE'S SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH, UH, CONTRACTORS IN TOWN.

ALTHOUGH WE'VE TRIED TO, TO, UH, TO BUNDLE SOME OF THESE BIDS IN DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, A MORE ACCESSIBLE MAYBE FOR SMALLER CONTRACTORS, LARGER CONTRACTORS, WE'VE RECRUITED OUTTA TOWN CONTRACTORS.

THEY DON'T WANT TO COME IN UNLESS IT'S, UNLESS THERE'S, UNLESS IT'S A BIG, YOU KNOW, THE BIG BUILDINGS, THE WOODROW WILSONS, MAYBE THE, THE THEY'LL, THEY'LL, THEY'LL BID ON.

UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S NO SINGLE IMPEDIMENT COUNCILMAN KHL THAT, THAT, THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE DELAY.

BUT I BELIEVE THAT OUR STAFF HAS BEEN PRETTY CREATIVE, AND I'M PROUD OF THEM FOR FINDING WAYS AROUND THESE, SOME OF THESE BARRIERS.

BUT, UH, IT MAKES WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT WAS EXCRUCIATINGLY SLOW A LITTLE FASTER, BUT IT'S, IT'S STILL, IT STILL TAKES A WHILE.

I, I JUST WANNA FOLLOW UP.

I, I MEAN, THIS IS THE WAY I'M HEARING IT, THE ONLY WAY WE COULD EVER SPEED IT UP WOULD BE TO HAVE MORE STAFF MEMBERS INVOLVED IN WORKING ON IT, BECAUSE, IS THAT A FAIR QUESTION OR NOT? I'M NOT, I, I'M HAPPY WITH OUR STAFF.

I'M JUST SAYING IF WE WANTED TO DO WHAT COUNCILMAN HORN'S SAYING, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE NEED MORE STAFF WORKING ON IT.

AND THE THE OTHER THING I'VE SAID BEFORE IS IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIKE ROADS.

OUR ROADS ARE ALWAYS GONNA MEET, NEED TO BE REDONE.

THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE HOUSES THAT ARE GONNA HAVE TO COME DOWN.

AND HOW DO YOU FIND THE HAPPY MEDIUM, MR. COOPER? I THINK ON THE SUBJECT, UM, I, I CONCUR WHERE YOU'RE GOING, DR.

HORN, BUT I, IN REALITY, I THINK THE ISSUE IS VERY MUCH THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE, CONTRACTORS TO DEAL WITH GETTING ANYTHING DONE ANY FASHION THAN WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

UM, WE RECENTLY HAD OVER 800 PEOPLE WHO GOT AWARDED CON GOT AWARDED, UM, THROUGH THE POOL TO HAVE REPAIRS DONE AT THEIR HOMES.

AND A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, A LETTER WENT OUT TO MANY, MOST OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS INDICATING THAT THE REPAIRS AND THE AIR CONDITIONING REPLACEMENTS TO WHEN THE REPLACEMENTS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, WILL BE DONE.

BUT THEY DON'T, RIGHT NOW, THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CONTRACTORS THAT, THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO DO THE PROJECTS.

SO, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE UNFAIR FOR US TO HAVE X NUMBER OF DOLLARS, UM, THAT WE NEED TO SPEND BY A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD AND WE DON'T SPEND IT.

UH, SO I WOULD, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR IF WE NEED TO SPEND IT.

I UNDERSTAND, UH, YOUR CONCERN.

I AGREE WITH YOUR CONCERN.

HOWEVER, I THINK IT'S PRUDENT THAT WE ALLOW THE ONE POINT, UH, 1 MILLION TO BE USED FROM THOSE FUNDS.

UH, AS YOU SAY, WE STILL GOT THE 2.5 RESERVE AND SPECIAL PROJECTS.

SO IF NEED BE, WE CAN REPLACE THAT AT 1.1 AT ANY TIME.

UM, SO, BUT WE NEED TO GET THAT MONEY SPENT SO THAT WE DON'T END UP LOOKING SILLY DOWN THE ROAD WHERE WE HAD MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND DECATUR DIDN'T SPEND THEM AND WE LOST IT.

MAYOR, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE ALL THESE, THESE BARRIERS THAT WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY AROUND.

THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS IS NOT ONE OF THEM.

YOU HAVE PUT SUFFICIENT, YOU AS A COUNCIL HAVE PUT SUFFICIENT FUNDS IN, UH, IN YOUR BUDGET SO THAT, UH, SO THAT MONEY IS NOT AN OBSTACLE TO DOING THESE, UH, THESE DEMOLITIONS.

I, I I BELIEVE THAT THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR.

IF I AM WRONG, I WILL BE HAPPY TO RETURN TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND ASK YOU TO ALLOCATE SOME PORTION OF YOUR SPECIAL RESERVE FOR THAT PURPOSE.

COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY, I WANNA FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING MR. COOPER SAID.

AND, AND I, I THINK HE SAID IT.

AND BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND HOW IT IS, IF WE HAD TO TURN AROUND TO GIVE OUR MONEY BACK, THE NEXT TIME THERE'S MONEY TO GO OUT, LEGISLATORS ARE GONNA LOOK DOWN THAT LIST AND THEY'RE GONNA SAY, OH YEAH, WELL, DECATUR, THEY DIDN'T SPEND $1.1 MILLION.

SO WHAT WE HAVE COMING OUT, THEY MAY NOT NEED.

SO LET'S JUST MOVE ON TO THE NEXT CITY.

SO WHETHER YOU LIKE THAT PROCESS OR NOT, IT HAPPENS.

AND I'VE SEEN IT MANY TIMES.

AND SO WE NEED TO SPEND THOSE DOLLARS SO THAT OUR LEGISLATORS UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE USED THE MONEY TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY IN WAYS THAT HAVE, UM, POSITIVELY IMPACTED OUR CITY.

I'M NOT SENDING ANY MONEY BACK.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? DR.

HORN? UM, MAYOR, TO PARAPHRASE SOMETHING THAT YOU OFTEN SAY, NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION IS NOT JUST DEMOLITIONS.

AND I DO AGREE WITH THAT, BUT I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT BLIGHT REMOVAL REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF GUN VIOLENCE AND CRIMES WITHOUT A CHANGE IN

[01:35:01]

BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUALS.

UM, SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT A R P FUNDS DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE ALLOCATED UNTIL THE END OF 2024 AND DON'T HAVE TO BE SPENT UNTIL 2026.

THERE WERE NO CHANGES MADE, UH, FROM THE FEDERAL PERSPECTIVE.

AND THIRD, IF THE COUNCIL HAS A STRONG DESIRE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DEMOLITIONS THAT ARE DONE, UH, THEN I THINK WE HAVE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE CITY MANAGER THAT WE, YOU NEED TO HIRE THE STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE NUMBER OF DEMOLITIONS GETS DONE.

I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THAT.

SO IF WE NEED, UH, MORE ATTORNEYS, BY GOSH, LET'S HIRE SOME MORE ATTORNEYS.

IF WE NEED, UH, MORE PEOPLE TO DO INSPECTIONS, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE NEED, THAT, THAT'S WHAT THE ROLE OF THE CITY MANAGER IS TO DO, UH, THROUGH OUR DIRECTION.

BUT IT CAN BE DONE.

ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? SCENE NONE.

COUNCILMAN HORN? NAY.

RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE BID BY D A S S ENTERPRISES, DOING BUSINESS AS SHANE'S TOWING FOR TOWING SERVICES FOR THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

[V.5. Resolution Accepting the Bid by DASS Enterprises, Doing Business as Shaner's Towing for Towing Services for the Decatur Police Department]

MOTION AT THE RESOLUTION TO PASS TO BE ADOPTED.

SECOND, WE GO TO THE CHIEF OR TO THE MANAGER.

I'M GONNA HAVE SOME QUESTIONS LATER, BUT I'M GONNA START WITH THE CHIEF'S PRESENTATION.

WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE STAND NOW, AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE NOW WITH PRAIRIELAND AND, AND WHY THAT I WENT WITH DAN, UH, UH, SHANE'S, I WANNA BE CLEAR, I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH PLAR PRAIRIELAND.

SO WE'RE GONNA WRAP THIS UP IN ABOUT TWO MINUTES WITHOUT, WITHOUT GOING INTO EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE.

I'M NOT GONNA REGURGITATE ANY OF THAT.

WHAT I AM GONNA DO IS I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE ABOUT HISTORY AND WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.

I COME ON THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT A LITTLE OVER 26 YEARS AGO.

AND THROUGHOUT MOST OF MY CAREER, WE'VE USED, WE HAD USED PRAIRIELAND TOWING IN, UH, 2019.

UH, THE CONTRACT WAS UP.

WE COME TO THE CITY COUNCIL, JIM GOETZ AND MYSELF, UH, AND WE RECOMMENDED PRAIRIE LAND TOWING.

THE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME, UH, WENT AGAINST THAT RECOMMENDATION, AWARDED, UH, SHANER THE CONTRACT.

SO IN 2020 WE STARTED, UH, WITH SHANER.

UM, AND SO AT THAT POINT, I'LL KIND OF BRING, UH, BRING INFORMATION OUT AND I'LL ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.

RIGHT? SO IT WAS A ROUGH START WITH SHANER, WITHOUT QUESTION.

UM, SHANER COME OUT OF A, UH, SPRINGFIELD.

IT WAS A DIFFERENT WAY OF OPERATING.

UM, THEY WEREN'T, UH, UH, IN MY OPINION, IN TUNE WITH THE DECATUR WAY, RIGHT? AND I GUESS MY POINT TO THAT IS, IS IT DIDN'T SURPRISE ME AT ALL.

I MEAN, I FULLY, WE FULLY EXPECTED THAT WE FULLY EXPECTED THE ROUGH START, UH, BECAUSE ALSO SOON AFTER THAT COVID STARTS.

SO WE HAVE THE DISRUPTION THERE.

WE DON'T HAVE NEAR THE TOWS.

WE, WE TOW ROUGHLY 2000, 2 2500 CARS A YEAR.

IT'S A CRITICAL PART OF OUR OPERATIONS.

SO WE SPENT THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF BASICALLY SMOOTHING OUT OUR OPERATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, THE ELECTRONIC, UH, PAPERWORK BACK AND FORTH, AND SETTING THE EXPECTATIONS.

PRETTY MUCH I WAS THE POINT PERSON FOR THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH THAT, WITH, WITH ALL OF THAT, THERE'S A COUPLE BUSINESSES THAT, THAT, UH, HAD ISSUE WITH.

SHANE'S.

WE, I'M NOT GONNA PULL ANY PUNCHES ON THAT.

AND SOME OF THAT WAS THEIR FAULT.

AND, AND, UH, WE, WE, WE PUT 'EM ON THE, UH, HOT SEAT FOR THAT.

THERE WERE SOME ISSUES, UH, UM, SOME OF THE WAYS THEY WERE CHARGING AND OVERCHARGING.

UH, FOR THE MOST PART, THOSE ISSUES HAVE BEEN RESOLVED.

UH, SHANER, I KNOW LET GO A COUPLE OF EMPLOYEES THAT, UH, AND, AND THE WAY WE KIND OF SAW IT WITH SOME UNETHICAL TYPE OF BEHAVIOR.

SO, UH, AT THAT POINT, AGAIN, AFTER ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AFTER COVID KIND OF STARTS, WE START TOWING A LITTLE BIT MORE AGAIN.

UM, RIGHT NOW OUR OPERATION WITH SHANES IS RUNNING SMOOTH.

NOW, I KNOW THAT THERE'S STILL CONCERN SOMETIMES OF THE CHARGE BEING, UM, CHARGE BEING LESS CONSISTENT.

SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, IS WHAT PRAIRIELAND PRAIRIELAND, UH, CHARGED AND PASSED.

AND LET ME OFFER WHY, WHY THAT IS.

SO, PRAIRIELAND WOULD CHARGE THEIR CHARGE AT THAT TIME WITH $75 A TOW.

PRAIRIELAND WOULD CHARGE $75 IF THEY HAD TO CLEAN UP, UH, OIL DRY, UH, CLEAN UP ANY, UH, DAMAGE FROM A WRECK, THEY CHARGED $75.

THEY COULD HAVE CHARGED MORE.

THEY WERE ALLOWED TO DO THAT UNDER THE FEE STRUCTURE.

UH, BUT THEY DIDN'T, THEY CHARGED $75.

SHANER IS CHARGING AT THIS, AT THIS POINT.

THEY'LL CHARGE WHAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO CHARGE IF IT'S, IT'S, UH, $20 A BAG FOR OIL DRY, OR IF THERE'S EXTRA FEE FOR A CLEANUP, THEY'RE CHARGING WHAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO CHARGE PER THE CONTRACT.

SO I CAN'T FAULT THEM FOR THAT.

THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO.

IS IT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT PRAIRIELAND DID? ABSOLUTELY.

[01:40:01]

CHAD REYNOLDS IS A GOOD MAN.

HE'S HONEST.

UH, HE WORKED WELL WITH THE, UH, UH, DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR, FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

UM, AND, UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST THEM, BUT WHERE WE STAND NOW IS, UH, AS IT RELATES TO OUR BUSINESS CONTINUITY AND BUSINESS RISK AND SHANER, IF WE STAY WITH SHANER, UH, IT IS THE LOWER BID BY $25 PER TOW.

BUT TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS A NO, THIS IS NO COST TO THE CITY.

THIS ISN'T SOMETHING WE PAY.

THIS IS WHOEVER GETS THEIR CAR TOWED, GETS PAID.

UM, BUT THEIR, THEIR TOW BID IS $25 LESS.

UH, A HUNDRED DOLLARS PER TOW IS, IS IS LOWER THAN PRETTY MUCH EVERY CENTRAL ILLINOIS CITY.

UM, SO THEIR BID IS LOWER.

WE ARE THE, THE BUSINESS CONTINUITY IS THERE.

UH, THE RELATIONSHIP IS THERE.

THE PROBLEMS THAT, UH, STARTED THAT WERE EXPECTED, UH, HAVE BEEN WORKED OUT.

I HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH SHANE MCDERMOTT, THE OWNER OF SHANER.

UM, THEY HAVE THE STAFF, THEY HAVE THE EQUIPMENT, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE THE SPACE AND FACILITY.

THE ISSUE WITH PRAIRIELAND IS THEY DON'T HAVE THE STAFF.

THEY CLOSE THEIR BUSINESS IN, UH, DECEMBER OF 22 BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T, UH, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE STAFFING, UH, TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THEIR OPERATIONS.

AND THEY'VE ALSO, UH, REDUCED THEIR INVENTORY AND VEHICLES.

SO IF WE WERE TO GO WITH PRAIRIE LAND RIGHT NOW, THEY DON'T HAVE THE STAFFING, AND WE ALL KNOW HOW HARD IT IS RIGHT NOW TO GET STAFFING.

UH, AND THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT REASON WHY HE CLOSED TO BEGIN WITH.

UH, AND THEN HE DOESN'T HAVE THE TRUCKS.

AND I, HE IS IN, IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD WITH, WITH PRAIRIELAND, UH, AND CHAD, WAS THAT IT WOULD TAKE ROUGHLY FOUR MONTHS TO GET THE TRUCKS THAT HE WOULD NEED TO BE ABLE TO EVEN COME CLOSE TO WHAT WE NEED.

MY MY CONCERN THERE IS, IS EVERY YEAR WHEN WE ORDER, UH, SQUAD CARS, I'M TOLD FOUR TO SIX MONTHS, AND IT TAKES 12 TO 15 EVERY YEAR.

SO I'M AFRAID IF WE GO TO, WITH PRAIRIELAND, WE'RE GONNA FIND OURSELVES IN A, IN A, UH, SIGNIFICANT RISK SCENARIO WHERE THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO SCALE UP FAST ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE OUR BUSINESS.

UH, AND THAT PUTS US IN AT SIGNIFICANT RISK AND, AND THE COMMUNITY AT A POSITION WHERE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, A PROPER SERVICE.

I KNOW THERE ARE STILL SOME, UH, STANDING CONCERNS WITH SHANE'S, UH, BASED ON, ON SOME OF THE HISTORY THERE.

UM, WELL, I THINK ONE, ONE, UH, ASPECT OF, UH, PIECE THAT I CAN MAYBE OFFER IN THAT IN TERMS OF THE, UH, RFP IS, IS THERE'S OUT CLAUSES, RIGHT? SO WHETHER IT IS, UH, UH, POOR BUSINESS PRACTICES OR, OR WHATNOT, UH, OR JUST A WITHOUT CLAUSE, THERE'S A, WITHOUT CLO, UH, WITHOUT ANY, WITHOUT ANY REASON, UH, WE CAN TERMINATE THE CONTRACT.

SO THE POINT OF THAT IS, IS IF OUR BUSINESS MODEL, OR IF THEIR BUSINESS MODEL ISN'T UP TO OUR STANDARDS, WE CAN ALWAYS TERMINATE THE CONTRACT.

AND WE STILL HAVE THAT BUSINESS CONTINUITY RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN.

SO, I I, I DON'T WANNA REGURGITATE THE, THE PACKET MATERIAL YOU CAN ALL READ.

UH, I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF LAY A FOUNDATION AS TO WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.

UM, AND THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE, AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE, UH, I APPRECIATE PRAIRIELAND AND THE SERVICE THEY PROVIDED TO, UH, THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

I DO.

UM, I, I, I JUST HAVE CONCERNS IF WE WENT THAT PATH THIS TIME, THAT THAT WOULD'VE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR OPERATIONS AND THE SERVICE WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE CITY.

SO FOR ME, THIS IS A BUSINESS DECISION CHIEF IN LOOKING AT THE, THE VARIOUS COSTS, I MEAN, WE'RE ALL KIND OF FIXATED, I THINK, ON THE A HUNDRED DOLLARS VERSUS 125, BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS WHERE PRAIRIE LANE WAS IN, YOU KNOW, A LOWER, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SOME OF THIS STUFF MEANS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IS THAT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING? IS THE, THE ACTUAL TOWING AND THE COST TO THE, THE, THE CAR OWNER? YEAH.

THE, THE BIGGEST THING FOR US, AND, AND THE FAR MAJORITY OF THE TOWS IS JUST A SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD TOW.

UM, YOU KNOW, ON OCCASION YOU'LL HAVE THE TRAFFIC CRASHES WHERE THERE WOULD NEED TO USE SOME OIL DRY, OR THERE'S A CLEANUP, SAFER, AN INTERSECTION SOMETIMES IF IT'S A FIVE CAR OR SIX CAR CRASH, AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK INVOLVED IN THAT.

AND THERE IS, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL CHARGES WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.

UH, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, ON AN ARREST, IT'S JUST A SIMPLE, YOU KNOW, TOW AND THAT'S IT.

AND IT'S THE A HUNDRED DOLLARS.

CHIEF BRANDELL HAS EFFECTIVELY SUMMARIZED, I THINK WHY HE, HE AND I BOTH RECOMMEND THAT WE APPROVE A SHANER.

UM, BUT, UH, ONE OTHER ASPECT IS BECAUSE I WAS PERSONALLY INVOLVED THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO, THREE YEARS AGO, IN SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE GOT FROM SHANER AND INTERVENED WITH SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS FROM, FROM RESIDENCES AS WELL AS FROM

[01:45:01]

AUTOBODY, UH, COMPANIES.

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UM, THAT THE, THE NUMBER OF THOSE COMPLAINTS HAS GONE DOWN RADICALLY IN THE LAST, UH, UH, TWO YEARS, YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF TO TWO YEARS.

BUT SH CHIEF, WOULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, APART FROM THE SELF-CORRECTING THAT CHAINS HAS DONE, WHAT MEASURES HAS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TAKEN IN REDUCING THE, THE NUMBER OF CASES WHERE PRIVATE TOWS, UM, ARE HANDLED MORE CONSISTENTLY THAN THEY WERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CONTRACT PERIOD? SO IN THE BEGINNING OF THE CONTRACT PERIOD, THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION OVER WHAT WAS ABLE TO BE CHARGED, UM, FOR THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TOES.

WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF TOES THAT WE USE.

ONE IS WE REFER TO AS A PDA POLICE DEPARTMENT AUTHORITY, WHICH IS LIKE AN ARREST, AND IT'S ON OUR AUTHORITY THAT THAT CAR IS BEING TOWED.

THE OTHER ONE IS AN OA, AN OWNER'S AUTHORITY.

LET'S SAY IT'S A TRAFFIC CRASH.

LET'S SAY IT'S A HAZARD VEHICLE IN THE ROADWAY.

WE COME UPON IT AND THE OWNER SAYS, I NEED TOWED.

THE OWNER THEN DECIDES, UH, WHETHER IT'S SHANER OR THEY DECIDE ANOTHER, UH, TOW COMPANY, THEY CAN GO WITH ANOTHER TOW COMPANY.

BUT PER THE CONTRACT, IF THEY DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY SPECIFIC, WE, WE WOULD GO WITH WHOEVER HAS THE CONTRACT.

AND THERE WAS, THERE WAS CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE, THAT THOSE CHARGES FELL UNDER THE CONTRACT IN THE BEGINNING.

SO ONE OF THE CORRECTIONS THAT WE'VE MADE IS, AND IT'S NOW SPELLED OUT IN THIS PROPOSAL, IS ALL POLICE INITIATED TOES, WHETHER IT'S A P D A OR AN OA FALL UNDER THE TOW RATES PROVIDED.

AND AGAIN, THAT WAS ONE OF THOSE UNCLEAR, UNCERTAIN THINGS, WHICH WAS DIFFERENT IN SPRINGFIELD, WHAT THEY WERE USED TO THAN INDICATOR.

DOES COUNSEL HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF? MR. CULP, THE CHIEF, I'M GLAD THAT YOU ARE GETTING THINGS RECTIFIED AS YOU BRING THEM FORWARD WITH SHANER.

UH, ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE OWNERS AS WELL THIS EVENING? WELL, LET'S GET THE CHIEF.

SO IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT.

I, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR PROBLEM WITH THE EQUIPMENT LIST AND, AND STAFFING RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND HE'S MENTIONED FOUR MONTHS, UH, TO BE FOUR WEEKS, FOUR WEEKS, FOUR WEEKS, I'M SORRY.

FOUR WEEKS.

UM, WHETHER IT'S FOUR WEEKS, FOUR MONTHS, I STILL HAVE A CONCERN IF THAT'S ACTUALLY POSSIBLE.

AND, AND WE ALL KNOW THERE'S A TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, UM, AND RANDOMLY I JUST CHOSE THREE BODY SHOPS AND TWO, UH, TWO MECHANICS AND I, I PULLED THEM, JUST ASK 'EM WHAT THEY THOUGHT.

AND, UM, FROM YOUR STANDING, I TOTALLY GET WHERE YOU'RE AT.

YOU WANT TO ANSWER THE CALL.

YOU, YOU WANT THE INTERSECTION CLEARED, YOU WANT THE ROADWAY CLEARED, YOU WANT THE HAZARD GONE, IT'S GONNA BE PERFECT FOR YOU.

HOWEVER, THESE PRO, THESE PEOPLE ARE STILL HAVING, THE BUSINESSES ARE STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH EVERYTHING FROM STORAGE, BILLING, UH, TO CUSTOMER SERVICE, TO, UM, DELAYED ADMIN, UM, BILLING, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE, POOR COMMUNICATION.

I EVEN NEVER HEARD ONE STORY A DAY WHERE THEY TOOK IT TO THE WRONG SHOP AND COULD, COULDN'T FIND IT FOR A FEW DAYS.

UM, SO THAT'S CONCERNING AS WELL.

SO WHEN WE ARE ENTERING THIS AGREEMENT, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE AT.

AND NINE TIMES OUTTA 10, I WILL ALWAYS BACK, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OPERATIONS, WE HAVE NO, WE CAN GIVE THOUGHTS, BUT THE OPERATIONS IS YOURS AND I RESPECT THAT.

BUT AS FAR AS THE BUSINESSES AND THE PRIVATE CITIZENS, THESE ISSUES ARE STILL OCCURRING.

NOW WHEN THEY COME TO YOU, THEY MIGHT BE RECTIFIED THROUGH YOU, UH, THROUGH CALLING THEM.

WE APPRECIATE THAT.

HOWEVER, THEY DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THAT AVENUE TO GO.

SO THESE, UH, PROBLEMS THAT YOU SAW AND YOU'VE RECTIFIED THE COMMON CITIZEN AND THE COMMON BUSINESSES ARE STILL HAVING THESE PROBLEMS. MR. COOPER, I'M IN THE MIDDLE RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND MY CON AND I'M JUST TELLING YOU MY CONCERN IS I'VE ONLY BEEN ON THE COUNCIL FOR, AS YOU KNOW, FOR A WHILE, FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT I'VE HEARD FROM DAY ONE THE ISSUES WITH CHAINS WITH TOWING AND THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DID NOT WANT CHAINS FOR TOWING.

SO I'M, I WAS KIND OF PERPLEXED WHEN I SAW THE PROPOSALS COME OUT IN THE WAY THAT IT WAS GOING OR RECOMMENDING TO GO, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT INFORMATION I WAS GETTING FOR THE WHOLE TIME I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL.

UM, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE, THE OTHER COMPANY MAY NOT HAVE WHAT THEY NEED RIGHT NOW AND THEY MAY NOT HAVE STAFF.

UM, BUT I ASSUME IF UM, SHANES DOESN'T GET THE CONTRACT, THEY'RE GONNA PICK UP SOME STAFF.

SO, UM, SO I'M JUST COMPLEX THAT I CAN GO EITHER WAY, BUT I'M JUST COMPLEX RIGHT NOW THAT WHAT WAS BEING SAID FOR ALMOST A YEAR, UH, ISN'T WHAT WAS IS COMING OUT AT THIS POINT.

MR. HORN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

CAN, CAN I ANSWER THAT ONE REAL QUICK? SURE.

I'M SORRY.

THAT'S BECAUSE I HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY DAY AND I HAVE TO

[01:50:01]

UNDERSTAND THE, UH, UM, THE OPERATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT, HOW SIGNIFICANT TOWING IS AND THE CONCERN OF THE, THE SCALE UP.

UM, AND, AND THEY DID SAY FOUR WEEKS, AND I APOLOGIZE TO THEM FOR THAT.

THEY SAID THAT, BUT EVEN THAT STILL CONCERNS ME CUZ I KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR, FOR THIS STUFF AND EVEN STAFFING.

BUT, UM, SO AGAIN, IT WAS ALL ABOUT BUSINESS CONTINUITY, UM, BECAUSE IT CAUSES A LOT OF PROBLEMS WHEN WE SWITCH TO BEGIN WITH.

UM, AND SO I REALLY AM, AM FEARFUL OF THAT BECAUSE IT CAUSES US A LOT OF PROBLEMS IF WE DON'T STAY ON THAT ON, ON A PATH THAT WE'RE ON.

SO I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR, YOUR CONCERN THOUGH.

I UNDERSTAND YOU SAY, I KNOW IT'S GONNA CAUSE WHENEVER YOU CHANGE IS ALWAYS GONNA CAUSE ISSUES, BUT YOU INDICATED THAT WITH THE OTHER COMPANY WHEN YOU HAD 'EM, YOU DIDN'T REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS. SO I IMAGINE THERE'D BE SOME THINGS THAT I NEED TO CHANGE OR WORK ON, BUT IT SOUND LIKE YOU HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH 'EM WHEN YOU DID HAVE THEM.

I UNDERSTAND.

MR. HORN, I TAKE A MORE NARROW VIEW OF THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.

UH, THE CITY COUNCIL IS BEING ASKED TO, UM, MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THE TOWING CONTRACT.

UM, BOTH ARE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN INDICATOR ILLINOIS.

UM, ONE IS GOING TO CHARGE $201,500 A YEAR TO THE CITY, AND ONE IS GOING TO CHARGE $259,000 TO THE CITY OVER THREE YEARS OF THE CONTRACT.

ONE IS GOING TO CHARGE $604,500, THE OTHER IS GONNA CHARGE SEVEN $770,000, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY A 25% INCREASE.

AND SO GIVEN, UH, CHIEF BRANDE'S, UM, SATISFACTION WITH THE CURRENT TOWING OPERATIONS, IT WOULD BE VERY HARD FOR ME TO VOTE ANYTHING OTHER THAN SHANE'S TOWING, UH, BECAUSE THE OTHER COMPANY IS CHARGING OVER 25% FOR THE SAME SERVICE.

CAN, CAN I GO ON THAT? SURE.

I, I, AGAIN, I WANNA REITERATE THAT IT'S NOT A COST TO THE, TO THE CITY LIKE GOVERNMENTS, IT'S INDIVIDUAL TOW.

UM, AND, UH, IN FAIRNESS TO PRAIRIE LAND WITH THAT $125 IS STILL, THAT ITSELF IS STILL LOWER THAN THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS CITIES.

AND I BELIEVE WHEN WE WENT WITH ER'S HOWEVER MANY YEARS AGO THAT WAS, IT WAS A $5 DIFFERENCE.

$5 DIFFERENCE.

MR. GIL, I'M NOT SURE WHO TO ASK THIS QUESTION TO, SO I'LL THROW IT OUT THERE.

AND THEN, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS GOES TO THE OWNERS, THE CHIEF OR THE CITY MANAGER, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A HEALTH ISSUE AND AN AMBULANCE SHOWS UP AT YOUR HOUSE, THEY USUALLY ASK YOU, OKAY, DO YOU WANT TO GO TO ST.

MARY'S OR DMH? WELL, THE COMPLAINT THAT I HEAR ON THIS TOWING IS THAT A LOT OF OUR CITIZENS ACTUALLY GET A DOUBLE TOW BECAUSE THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY GOES TO SHANE'S AND THEN FROM THERE IT GOES TO THE AUTO BODY SHOP.

AND SO MY QUESTION IS, WHEN THERE'S AN ACCIDENT AND THE CAR NEEDS TO BE TOWED, ARE THEY ASKED A HUNDRED PERCENT? WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE THE CAR TO GO? THEY MAY NOT EVEN KNOW.

THEY MAY BE SO SHOOK UP, THEY'RE JUST, OKAY, WHATEVER.

BUT THE COMPLAINT IS THAT THEY'RE, THAT CITIZENS ARE GETTING CHARGED TWICE.

SO, UM, THE, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS, AND IT IS IN THE CONTRACT AS WELL, IS THERE TO TAKE THE CAR WHERE THEY'RE, WHERE THE, UH, CITIZEN WANTS, WANTS IT TO GO, UNLESS IT'S US TELLING THEM WHERE TO TAKE IT.

IF THEY DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE, THEN THEY'RE GONNA OBVIOUSLY TAKE IT TO THEIR TOW YARD.

UM, THAT WAS AN ISSUE DEFINITELY EARLY ON, UH, WITHOUT A DOUBT.

UH, WE HAD IRONED THAT OUT WITH, UH, SHANER, UH, OF RECENT.

AND IF THERE ARE ANY SPECIFIC INCIDENTS, YOU KNOW NOW, THEN THAT WOULD NEED TO, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD NEED TO KNOW THAT CUZ THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT.

AND IF THEY DID, FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY THE BUSINESS WAS CLOSED AND THEY TOOK IT TO THEIR, THEIR YARD AT NIGHT AND THEN TOOK IT THERE TO THE MORNING, THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DOUBLE CHARGE THAT.

OKAY? BECAUSE I JUST, I KNOW THAT WAS AN ISSUE.

I JUST WANT THE CITIZENS TO KNOW THAT, OKAY, IF WE TAKE IT TO SHER'S LOT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY AGAIN.

AND ARE THEY TOLD THAT ON SITE? SO NO, THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE TO PAY AGAIN.

IS WAS WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF THEY DON'T, THAT'S A CONFLICT IN WHAT I'M HEARING THEN.

SO I IF, IF THEY DON'T TELL THEM WHERE THEY WANT IT TO GO, LET'S SAY FOR EXAMPLE, THEY WANT IT TO GO TO MILES, UM, AND, AND IF SHANER TAKES IT TO THEIR LOT INSTEAD, AND THEN FIRST THING IN THE MORNING WHEN MILES IS OPEN, TAKES IT TO MILES, THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO CHARGE HIM THAT, BUT IF THEY TAKE IT TO THEIR LOT, IF, IF FOR THE EXAMPLE THE CITIZEN SAYS, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GONNA GO YET, TAKE IT TO YOUR LOT.

SO THEY TAKE IT TO THEIR LOT AND THEN THE NEXT DAY THEY SAY, OKAY, NOW TAKE IT TO MILES.

THEN THERE WOULD BE A DOUBLE, AN EXTRA CHARGE FOR THAT.

[01:55:02]

OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? MR. WRIGHTON, ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA ADD? NO.

COUNCILMAN GREG GREGORY, UH, MY, LIKE, COUNCILMAN COOPER WAS A LITTLE CONFLICTED ABOUT THIS.

UM, I'M GLAD THAT YOU CAME TO THE PODIUM CHIEF TO SPEAK ABOUT IT.

UM, YOU HAVE A LOT OF IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO.

I KIND OF PUT TOWING AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT LIST, AND I WANT YOU TO HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON THINGS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, LIKE THE PRESS CONFERENCE YOU PERFORMED LAST WEEK.

AND SO IF YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO US IS SHAYS, I'M GONNA SUPPORT YOU IN THAT.

BUT I'M ALSO GONNA SAY TO SHANER, LET'S TOW THE LINE ON WHAT THE FEES ARE AND LET'S BE HONEST WITH OUR CITIZENS.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS CALL THE QUESTION.

OH, YEAH, MR. COOPER, UH, SOMEBODY INDICATE EARLIER, WERE WE GONNA HEAR FROM THE, THE OWNERS? THEY DID NOT, UM, SIGN UP TO SPEAK AND SO THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE CITY'S PRESENTATION.

MR. COPE, BEFORE WE CALL THE QUESTION, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO POSE OUT TO THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOMETHING RIGHT, AND IF WE PASS THIS UP, WE DIDN'T DO THE CITIZENS JUSTICE.

I I I GET OPERATIONALLY WHERE CHIEF BRANDELL IS AT, HE HAS TO GET, IT'S NOT ON THE TOP OF HIS LIST LIKE WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT, BUT IT IS A CONCERN OF OUR BUSINESSES AND OUR CITIZENS.

AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A FOUR WEEK TRANSITION PERIOD.

IT WAS ALMOST 90 DAYS, I BELIEVE WHEN THE TRANSITION PERIOD OCCURRED IN 19, IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S CLOSE TO THAT.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOUR WEEKS.

WE'RE TRYING TO WRITE SOMETHING AND WE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT.

SO I ASKED YOU TO THINK THAT BEFORE YOU, I MEAN, OPERATIONALLY WE WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT CHIEF BRANDELL AND HE'S BROUGHT TO YOU OPERATIONALLY THAT THE PHONE IS BEING ANSWERED IN THE CLEAR INTERSECTION IS BEING CLEARED.

HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE A LIST OF COMPLAINTS THAT CONTINUE TO PLAGUE US AND WE HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE IT RIGHT.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

WELL, WE DIDN'T DO IT FOLLOW THE, UM, REQUEST OF THE CHIEF THE LAST TIME AND THAT'S HOW THE CONTRACT CHANGED.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MR. HORN? I I, I UNDERSTAND, UH, COUNCILMAN KLP YOUR PERSPECTIVE.

UH, FOR ME, I'VE, I'VE HAD TO USE BOTH PRAIRIE LAND TOWING IN THE PAST AND I'VE HAD TO USE SHER'S TOWING IN THE PAST.

AND, AND, UH, SO, UH, BOTH, UH, COMPANIES WERE SATISFACTORY IN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

UM, FOR ME.

UM, WHAT, UH, AGAIN, I TAKE THE NARROW PERSPECTIVE OF ONE COMPANY IS CHARGING CITIZENS $100, ONE COMPANY IS CHARGING $125.

AND, UM, UH, WHILE I'M CERTAINLY AWARE OF SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT SHER'S TOWING, I'M ALSO AWARE OF SHAY'S TOWING GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS AS WELL.

AND SO I, I TAKE THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE, THE CHIEF HERE THAT, UH, WHATEVER PROBLEMS THERE WERE IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN RESOLVED SATISFACTORILY.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THE RELATIONSHIP THAT I DO HAVE WITH, UH, THE MANAGEMENT AND OWNERSHIP AT CHAINS, I, I FEEL THAT WHEN THERE ARE PROBLEMS, I'M ABLE TO ADDRESS THEM, UH, IN A, IN A PRETTY EXPEDIENT AND EFFICIENT MANNER, UH, AND GET, GET RESOLUTION THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

I DON'T, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, UM, NAIVE TO THINK THAT, THAT THERE STILL ISN'T WORK TO BE DONE.

UM, IF, IF SHANES WAS TO BE AWARDED THE CONTRACT TO KIND OF IRON OUT SOME OF THESE ISSUES, AND I DO BELIEVE THIS CONVERSATION, IF NOTHING ELSE SERVED AS A LITTLE BIT OF WAKE UP NOTICE.

LAST QUESTION THEN.

SO IF WE'RE NOT SATISFIED MOVING FORWARD, WE CAN CANCEL THIS AT ANY TIME.

IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT IS IN THE CONTRACT, YES.

FURTHER COMMENTS SEEN NONE.

COUNCILMAN CULP? NO.

COUNCILMAN COOPER ABSTAIN.

ITEM SIX, RESOLUTION SUPPORTING TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF A PORTION OF LOST BRIDGE ROAD AND MACON COUNTY ROADWAY FOR TWO 17 WITH A BALL CLASSIC MOTION FOR RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

MAYOR, MORE WOLF? AYE.

FIVE AYES ONE NAY.

ONE AB ABSTENTION

[V.6. Resolution Supporting Temporary Closure of a Portion of Lost Bridge Road, a Macon County Roadway for 217 Wiffle Ball Classic]

GOING ON OFF OF, UH, LOST BRIDGE ROAD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE.

SECOND, MR. RIGHTON, MAYOR AND COUNSEL FOR SEVEN YEARS.

THIS, UH, UH, WIFFLE BALL CLASSIC, UH, HAS, UH, BEEN

[02:00:01]

AND, UM, IT'S GOTTEN BIGGER, ARGUABLY MORE SUCCESSFUL EACH YEAR TO THE POINT THAT, UH, SOME OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED SOME COMPLAINTS.

I KNOW THAT I HAVE FROM, UH, RESIDENTS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FEELING LIKE, UH, THERE'S TOO MUCH PARKING AND IN INATTENTION SOMETIMES TO SOME OF THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS, AS WELL AS SOME REAL SAFETY ISSUES.

I KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN DOWN THERE A COUPLE TIMES DURING THIS EVENT AND PEOPLE ARE STILL DRIVING TOO FAST, DESPITE SOME, I THINK REALLY AGGRESSIVE, UM, UH, UH, SAFETY MEASURES TAKEN BY, BY THE EVENT ORGANIZERS.

AND SO THIS YEAR THEY CAME TO US AND ASKED US IF WE WOULD CONSIDER CLOSING, UH, DURING THE DAY, DURING THE EVENT ONLY, UH, LOST BRIDGE ROAD BETWEEN FITZGERALD AND BALTIMORE.

UH, THIS SECTION OF LOST BRIDGE ROAD IS ACTUALLY A COUNTY HIGHWAY, AND SO IT'S NOT OUR DECISION TO MAKE ENTIRELY BY OURSELVES.

THE COUNTY, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM YOUR PACKET MATERIAL, UH, HAS SIGNED OFF ON A AND BASICALLY SAID WHATEVER THE CITY WANTS TO DO IS FINE WITH US.

THAT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT THE CHAIRMAN'S LETTER SAYS, BUT THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT SAYS.

UM, SO RUSTY JOHNSON, I THINK IS, IF HE'S STILL HERE, GOOD.

WHY DON'T YOU COME TO THE PODIUM? RUSTY, UH, RUSTY HAS, UH, HAS WRITTEN A LETTER TO YOU, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET AS WELL.

AND, UH, UPON THE SCREEN OR THESE, THESE VIDEO MONITORS, WE HAVE, UH, A MAP THAT HE HAS, UH, GIVEN TO US.

IT SHOWS IN, IN THE BLUE DOCK APPROXIMATELY WHERE THE, THE FIELD IS THAT THEY USE FOR THE TOURNAMENT.

UH, AND YOU CAN SEE THE AREA IN, IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER THERE IS THE CORNER OF FITZGERALD AND LOST BRIDGE NEAR THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE CORNER OF, UH, BALTIMORE AND LOST BRIDGE.

SO RUSTY, IF YOU JUST GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF COMMENTARY, UH, THEY ALL HAVE YOUR LETTER.

YOU DON'T NEED TO REPEAT WHAT, WHAT'S IN THE LETTER, BUT IF YOU'D SPEAK ESPECIALLY TO, I THINK THE SENSITIVITY THAT WE'VE TRIED TO IMPRESS ON YOU ABOUT DEALING WITH, WITH, UH, WITH NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, WITH NEIGHBORS THAT FEEL LIKE THEIR LIVES ARE INCONVENIENCED AND WHAT OTHER MEASURES YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU'LL HAVE ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS TO MANAGE THIS CLOSURE IN THE EVENT THE COUNCIL APPROVES IT.

YES, SIR.

UM, UH, FIRST OFF, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION.

UH, LIKE YOU SAID, THIS IS OUR EIGHTH YEAR.

IT HAS GROWN.

I'M SURE SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT, TAKEN COMPLAINTS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP, BASED ON THE BLUE.IS WHERE OUR EVENT IS, WE PARK ACROSS LOST BRIDGE ROAD ON THE, UH, NORTH SIDE AND THEN USE, UM, SPORTSMAN'S PARK AS OUR OVERFLOW PARKING.

WITH THE ABILITY OF SHUTTING DOWN THAT SECTION OF THE ROAD, IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO A, I MEAN, THERE'S A, I MEAN AN AVERAGE OF 2,500 TO 5,000 CROSSINGS ACROSS THAT STREET.

AND THAT'S FROM MOMS PUSHING THEIR SIX MONTH OLD BABY TO OVER TO THE BACKYARD TO 15 YEAR OLD KIDS THAT DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER TO A BUNCH OF ADULTS THAT, UM, ARE THERE UNTIL LATER IN THE EVENING.

THE, UM, PROPOSAL IS TO ONLY HAVE THE CLOSURE DURING OUR HOURS OF OPERATION.

UH, AUGUST 1ST IS THE FIRST NIGHT, IT'S A TUESDAY NIGHT.

WE, WE OPERATE FROM SIX TO 10, SO IT WOULD BE A 5, 5 30 TYPE TO 10 30, 11 CLOSURE ON THOSE NIGHTS.

UH, WITH THE CLOSURE BEING HAVING THREE GATES.

AND WE'RE, THE REASON WHY WE CHOSE TO GO THIS ROUTE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO ELIMINATE TRAFFIC DRIVING THROUGH THE NEIGHBOR, UNNECESSARY TRAFFIC DRIVING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS.

UM, THERE WILL BE THREE GATES THAT ARE MANNED WITH RADIOS FOR, UM, ALL THREE OF ALL THREE OF THE GATES.

IT WILL HAVE PERSONNEL AT EACH GATE THAT ARE THERE TO ALLOW LOCAL TRAFFIC INTO THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.

UM, PARTICIPANT TRAFFIC TO PARKING AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES IF NECESSARY.

THE, UH, DETOUR WOULD TAKE YOU FROM THE SOUTH, NORTH ON BALTIMORE TO FITZGERALD AND, AND, AND WEST ON FITZGERALD TO REGAIN AT LOST BRIDGE AND, AND FITZGERALD, UM, LIKE AT 34TH.

AND GREENLAKE WOULD BE THE THIRD TO, TO ALLOW, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD PARKING IN INTO THEIR OWN HOMES.

UM, SO OUR ONLY TRUE PARKING AREAS ARE THE LOT ACROSS FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT AND SPORTSMAN'S PARK WITH THE CLOSURE, IT ALSO GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHUTTLE FROM SPORTSMAN PARK TO THE EVENT.

UM, IN THE YEARS PAST, WE'VE USED, WE'VE USED SPORTSMAN AND THEN HAD TO WALK THAT PART OF THE ROAD WHERE COMING EAST IS BLIND.

AND

[02:05:01]

I WAS 16 ONCE AND I LIKED GOING OVER THAT HILL.

IT WAS NOT ALWAYS SLOW.

UM, SO IT, IN RETROSPECT, IT IT IS SAFETY.

IT IS ALL SAFETY.

IT'S NOT CONVENIENCE.

DOES IT MAKE IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR OUR PATRONS? ABSOLUTELY.

BUT IT IS NOT FOR THAT REASON THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR THIS CLOSURE.

UM, LIKE THE, UH, LIKE THIS MANAGER SAID, WE HAVE TAKEN AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS WE CAN.

WE'VE VIEWED, UTILIZED THE, UH, DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, UH, DIGITAL SPEED SENSOR.

WE'VE USED SIGNAGE FROM THE CITY WE'VE PAID FOR AND MADE OUR OWN SIGNAGE THAT SAID, DID THAT SHOW EVENT AHEAD AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

AND WE JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE IT IS THE ULTIMATE, UM, ATTEMPT AT SAFETY.

UM, WE'VE BEEN LUCKY.

THERE WAS A MINOR FENDER BENDER LAST YEAR RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE EVENT.

IT IS, I MEAN, IT IS FLASHY WHEN YOU DRIVE BY.

IT'S HARD NOT TO SEE IT WHEN THERE'S 500 MORE PEOPLE STANDING THERE.

UM, IT WAS A YOUNG GIRL AND SHE WAS JUST SEEING WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THE, SHE SLOWED DOWN THE CAR, CAME UP THE HILL COMING WEST AND JUST, AND HIT HER RIGHT THERE.

I MEAN, AT ANY GIVEN TIME SHE COULD HAVE BEEN SLOWING DOWN FOR A PATRON CROSSING THE STREET IF THAT CAR'S GONE FAST ENOUGH.

SHE'S, SHE DID THE RIGHT THING, BUT THAT CAR THAT'S SLOWING DOWN COULD HAVE BEEN PUSHED DIRECTLY INTO THE P INTO THE PEDESTRIAN.

SO THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE GIST OF IT.

I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO WA TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS MAY HAVE.

BUT LIKE I SAID, WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE MANNING AT THE GATES WITH RADIOS.

SO IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE COMING EAST AT BALTIMORE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO RADIO AHEAD TO, UH, UH, FITZGERALD AND THEY'LL BE, THEY'LL BE ANTICIPATING IT.

WE WILL HAVE PEOPLE AT THE EVENT, LIKE IN OUR LOCATION BECAUSE IT'S, I MEAN, ESSENTIALLY IT IS THE MIDDLE.

WE WILL HAVE RADIO ACTIVITY THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT CROSSING GUARDS COMING TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE COMING THROUGH AT A HIGH SPEED OR HIGH RATE SPEED, THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO STOP ANY PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC CROSSING AHEAD OF TIME.

SO I FEEL LIKE WE'VE, WE'VE DONE THE ROAD'S BEEN CLOSED FOR MULTIPLE DIFFERENT REASONS AND I THINK THAT THIS IS JUST A, IT'S, IT'S HIGH ENOUGH ON THE, ON THAT LIST TO BE CONSIDERED RUSTY.

FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE TOURNAMENT ITSELF IS AMAZING AND APPLAUD YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

AND, UM, WE HAD A GREAT MEETING WITH YOU AND SOME OTHER MEMBERS THAT, UH, PUT THIS ON AND IT, IT'S EXCITING.

IT'S A, YOU KNOW, SO MANY THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT IN THIS COMMUNITY AND GO, GOSH, I WISH THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

AND IT'S LIKE, THIS IS SUCH A POSITIVE FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT AND I REALLY WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT AND FOR ALL IT MEANS TO THIS COMMUNITY.

ALSO, I DRIVE THAT ROUTE A LOT.

I'VE DRIVEN IT A LOT WHEN, UM, THE TOURNAMENT'S BEEN HAPPENING AND WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE THAT NOTHING HAS HAPPENED.

AND IT'S NOT, I PEOPLE ARE NOT DRIVING THE BEST THAT I'VE EVER SEEN LATELY EITHER.

UM, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE AND IT'S JUST, I, I, I REALLY WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING UP WITH THIS PLAN BEFORE THERE'S A PROBLEM, AS OPPOSED TO WAITING FOR SOMETHING REALLY TRAGIC TO HAPPEN.

WE, WE WANT IT TO JUST BE A HAPPY EVENT AND, AND NO TRAGEDIES.

SO ANYWAY, I APPRECIATE THAT, PAT.

YEAH, THIS IS AN EXCELLENT, UH, UH, EVENT AND BENEFIT IN THAT, AND I COMMEND YOU, BUT YOU KEEP SAYING IT'S GROWING, UH, LARGER.

UM, I'LL GO ALONG WITH IT THIS TIME.

I'M NOT BIG ON CLOSING DOWN ROADS, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S ALL KINDS OF CONSTRUCTION PEOPLE GET UPSET WITH WHEN, UH, I'LL VOTE FOR IT, UH, UH, TONIGHT, BUT YOU ALL, YOU NEED TO MOVE TO ANOTHER LOCATION IF IT'S GETTING LARGER.

AND I HAD, I THINK WE, WE HAD A LONG MEETING WITH THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT CAPACITY.

IT'S NOT GOING TO GET ANY BIGGER OR LAST ANY LONGER.

THEY'VE MOVED OTHER EVENTS TO PLACES WHERE THEY'VE HAD, UM, AND I CAN LET RUSTY TALK ABOUT IT, BUT THEY'VE HAD REQUESTS FOR OTHER CHARITIES TO DO THINGS AND THEY'VE MOVED IT TO OTHER FIELDS.

BUT REALLY THE CHARM OF THIS EVENT IS BECAUSE IT'S IN THE BACKYARD AND IT'S, I I DRIVE, IT'S LIKE TAKING DECATUR CELEBRATION OUT TO, YOU KNOW, UH, ANOTHER LOCATION.

IT NEVER WOULD'VE WORKED.

I UNDERSTAND THAT MAYOR, AND I'VE BEEN BY THERE MANY TIMES AND I ALWAYS GLANCE AT IT AND THAT, AND I UNDERSTAND, BUT I, I'M STILL, I'M NOT BIG ON CLOSING DOWN ROADS EVEN IN DOWNTOWN CUZ THAT HURTS THE MERCHANTS AND THAT, SO I'LL VOTE FOR IT THIS YEAR, BUT I WON'T NEXT YEAR IF I MAY.

YEAH.

UM, WE ARE AT CAPACITY.

THE ONLY WAY THAT IT GROWS AT THIS POINT IS IF IS FOOT TRAFFIC IS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING TO SUPPORT THE SPONSORS.

WE, WE'VE DONATED OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS TO NOT ONLY ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION, BUT WE'VE ALSO ADOPTED IT TO LOCAL FAMILIES THAT ARE ALSO IN NEED.

UM, WE SO IT, IT IS A VERY CHARITABLE EVENT.

WE DON'T,

[02:10:01]

WE, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY GROWTH OTHER THAN JUST PATRONAGE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I THINK IT'S GREAT.

I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT.

BUT AGAIN, THIS HAS JUST BEEN MY POLICY ALONG, UH, FOR, FOR YEARS CLOSING DOWN ROADS AND THAT, SO AGAIN, I'M GONNA GO FOR TONIGHT.

I UNDERSTAND.

NO, I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY.

OTHER COMMENTS, DR.

HORN? FIRST OF ALL, I WANT YOU TO COMMEND YOU AND THE REST OF THE ORGANIZERS FOR THIS EVENT.

I'VE HAD MULTIPLE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE EX UH, LIVED WITH DEMENTIA AND OTHER, UM, FORMS OF MEMORY LOSS.

AND I, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE.

I THINK IT'S A UNIQUE CONCEPT AND ONE THAT'S GREAT FOR DECATUR.

UM, A COUPLE OF, UH, QUESTIONS THOUGH.

UM, DID YOU THINK ABOUT JUST, UM, CLOSING THE ROADS IMMEDIATELY TO THE EAST AND WEST OF WHERE THE ACTIVITY IS TAKING PLACE AND AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE ON A LARGER STRETCH OF ROAD? IN OUR MEETING WITH THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER, ALL OF THOSE OPTIONS WERE DISCUSSED AND THE BIGGEST REASON IS TO AVOID SENDING THROUGH TRAFFIC THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD.

IT'S JUST AS MUCH SAFETY AS IT IS CONVENIENCE.

UM, WITH, IF WE ONLY SHUT DOWN THAT, THAT ONE BLOCK RADIUS, YES IT WORKS FOR THE PEDESTRIANS THAT ARE CROSSING THE STREET, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU, SO ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE TAKE OFF DOWN 34TH THAT WAS GONNA GO TO GO TO WASHBRIDGE ANYWAY.

IT DOESN'T RIP DOWN THAT ROAD AT 60 AND SOME POOR GIRL, LITTLE GIRL BASKETBALL ROLLS OUT INTO THE ROAD AND AN UNNECESSARY SITUATION HAPPENS THERE.

SO IT REALLY IS JUST FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD'S CONVENIENCE AND TO ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY TRAFFIC THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND NOW THOSE WHO WANTED TO KEEP THE THROUGH TRAFFIC ON, ON COLLECTORS AND FITZGERALD AND BALTIMORE COLLECTORS, EVERYTHING ELSE IS JUST A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET.

FOR ANY NEIGHBORHOOD INCONVENIENCE.

AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF COMMENTS I HEAR ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT IS, UH, BEEN POSITIVE, BUT SOME OF THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS HAVE CONTACTED THE COUNCIL ABOUT PARKING AND OTHER PEOPLE'S DRIVEWAYS OR BLOCKING OTHER PEOPLE'S DRIVEWAYS AND THEN LITTERING.

UM, HOW IS YOUR CREW GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TWO ISSUES ARE RESOLVED THIS YEAR'S TOURNAMENT? UH, LAST YEAR WE DID ELIMINATE BEING ABLE TO PARK DOWN OUR, OUR STREET.

34TH IS A LITTLE HARDER TO MAN, BUT NOW WITH IT BEING BLOCKED OFF WITH, UH, WITH LESS TRAFFIC GOING THROUGH THERE, IT SHOULD, IT SHOULD BE, IT SHOULD TAKE CARE OF SOME OF ITSELF.

WE USE NO PARKING SIGNS DOWN THE CITY STREETS.

UH, WE HAVE THE TWO PARKING OPTIONS.

AND THEN AS FAR AS LITTERING GOES, EVERY NIGHT WE SEND A CREW OUT AND EVERY MORNING WE SEND A CREW OUT BEFORE ANY OF THE EVENTS GET GOING TO MAKE SURE ANY OF THAT STUFF IS TAKEN CARE OF.

UM, WE'VE DEFINITELY IMPROVED OVER THE YEARS IN THAT FACET, BUT WE DON'T KNOW.

I MEAN, IF SOMEBODY PARKS A TWO MO UH, YOU KNOW, OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF OUR CURRENT SITE, I MEAN IT'S HARD TO TO POLICE THAT.

BUT I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB AND MOST OF OUR PATRONS ARE PATRONS THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF IT FOR MANY YEARS AND HAVE, HAVE KNOWN.

WE SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO ALL PARTICIPANTS CUZ EVERY PARTICIPANT THAT SIGNS UP HAS PHONE NUMBER EMAIL THAT EACH TEAM CAPTAIN HAS PHONE NUMBER EMAIL.

WE COLLECT A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION AND WE SEND OUT THOSE, THOSE MESSAGES TO THEM AS WELL TO REMIND THEM PRIOR TO THE EVENT NOT TO BE AN INCONVENIENCE TO THE NEIGHBORS.

UM, THERE'S NO WAY TO ELIMINATE ALL INCONVENIENCE IN THIS SITUATION.

LUCKILY IT'S THE HOUSE ON THE END OF THE ROAD.

SO IT, IT, IT DOES ELIMINATE SOME OF THAT UNNECESSARY TRAFFIC DOWN THERE.

UM, I THINK I WOULD BE OPEN TO ANY SUGGESTIONS THAT WE, THAT THE, UM, COUNSEL MAY HAVE AS TO HELP POLICE THAT, BUT I THINK WE'VE DONE JUST ABOUT AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITHOUT WALKING UP AND DOWN OR WITHOUT PUTTING SOMEBODY IN EVERYBODY'S FRONT YARD AND SAYING YOU CAN'T PARK THERE.

I THINK THE ONLY SUGGESTION I HAVE, AND PERHAPS YOU HAVE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, IS THAT, UH, THERE'S A CONTACT NUMBER FOR THE NEIGHBORS AND IF IN FACT SOMEBODY IS PARKED IN SOMEBODY'S DRIVEWAY OR BLOCKING THEIR DRIVEWAY, YOU COULD USE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO SAY, YEAH, PLEASE MOVE.

I AGREE THAT I THINK THAT WE DO NEED TO HAVE A ONE PERSON CONTACT

[02:15:02]

UH, WE WILL FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS THAT MAY BE , WHOEVER'S NOT AT THE MEETING THAT NIGHT.

YEAH, THERE'S THREE OF US HERE AND SEVEN MORE OF 'EM.

SO ONE OF THAT SEVEN IS GONNA BE THAT POINT OF CONTACT, BUT YES, I WILL, WE WILL DO A, WE WILL CREATE A CENTRALIZED COMPLAINT LINE PER SE AND AND HELP THERE.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

PLEASE CALL THE QUESTION COUNCILMAN COLT.

AYE.

COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY AYE.

MAYOR MOR WOLF AYE.

SEVEN AYES NO KNOWN AS.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.

ITEM SEVEN, RESOLUTION TO APPROPRIATE MOTOR FUEL TAX FUNDS FOR THE WILLIAMS STREET AT GRADE CROSSING CLOSURE WITH THE DECATUR IN EASTERN ILLINOIS.

[V.7. Resolution to Appropriate Motor Fuel Tax Funds for the William Street AtGrade Crossing Closure with the Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad by Municipality Under the Illinois Highway Code, City Project 2022-37, Section No. 22-00237-00-IC]

RAILROAD BY MUNICIPALITY UNDER THE ILLINOIS HIGHWAY CODE CITY PROJECT 2022 DASH 37, SECTION NUMBER 22 0 2 2 2 37 DASH ZERO ZERO IC MOTION THE RESOLUTION BE PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

SECOND, MR. WRIGHT MAYOR AND COUNSEL, YOU'VE ALREADY APPROVED THIS PROJECT.

ALL THIS ITEM THAT'S NOW ON THE FLOOR DOES IS AUTHORIZES US TO CASH FLOW THIS THROUGH THE CITY'S MOTOR FUEL TAX FUND.

WE'RE GONNA BE FULLY REIMBURSED, UH, FROM THE RAILROAD AND FROM THE ICC.

NOT ONLY THE AMOUNT OF THE CONSTRUCTION, BUT ALSO, UM, A BONUS FOR HAVING CLOSED, UH, A RAILROAD CROSSING.

UH, BUT WE HAVE TO ADVANCE THE FUNDS THEN GET PAID BACK.

WE'RE USING MFT FOR IT, WHICH REQUIRES THE RESOLUTION.

ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? SCENE? NONE.

COUNCILMAN CULP? AYE.

COUNCILMAN MC MCDANIEL? AYE.

TO APPROPRIATE MOTOR FUEL TAX FUNDS FOR RESTORATION OF STREETS AND HIGHWAYS BY MUNICIPALITY UNDER THE ILLINOIS HIGHWAY CODE CITY PROJECT 2023 DASH OH EIGHT ASPHALT MOTIONS.

[V.8. Resolution to Appropriate Motor Fuel Tax Funds for Restoration of Streets and Highways by Municipality under the Illinois Highway Code, City Project 2023- 08, Asphalt]

THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

UH, MATT, WHY DON'T YOU COME TO THE PODIUM? I I SUSPECT THERE MAY BE SOME QUESTIONS.

UH, UM, ON THIS ONE, ALTHOUGH THIS IS ALSO AN MFT AUTHORIZATION, IT, IT, IT'S FUNDING A PORTION OF OUR LOCAL STREET ASPHALT WORK, UH, MAYOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.

THIS IS WHAT WE BRING, UH, TO THE COUNCIL EVERY YEAR.

IT'S GOT OUR UPDATED, UH, FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR, FOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS AND, UH, OUR, OUR BEST GUESS IS AS TO THE STREETS THAT WE'LL BE DOING IN THE, IN THE COMING YEARS.

SO NOTHING REALLY EARTH SHATTERING ON THIS, SO NOT THAT I COULD COME UP WITH, NO.

I'M SURE COUNCIL CAN.

ANY QUESTIONS? CHUCK, YOU REALIZE HOW LATE IT IS? I KNOW.

I'M GONNA MAKE THIS QUICK SO I'M NOT COUNCILMAN CHUCK KULM.

ALDERMAN.

CHUCK KHL.

BECAUSE I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SOUTH SHORES AND UM, WHY THAT IS NOT IN THE, YOU COULD EMAIL HIM.

PLAN FOR THIS YEAR.

YEAH, SOUTH SHORES.

WELL WERE THEY RE SORRY, BAYSHORE.

THAT WHOLE AREA WHERE THEY JUST PUT ALL THE PIPING IN AND EVERYTHING, I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE DONE THIS SUMMER.

WE'RE CONCERNED THE CONCERN.

WE'RE WAITING FOR IT TO SETTLE.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD.

I'VE CHECKED ON THIS.

GOOD ANSWER COUNCIL.

SO, SO BAYSHORE HAS BEEN HEARD FROM.

ANYBODY WANNA CHIME IN FROM, I DON'T KNOW, THE WEST END OR ANY OTHER PART? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. NEWELL? SCENE? NOT COUNCILMAN CU AYE.

COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY AYE.

COUNCILMAN MC MCDANIEL? AYE.

MAYOR MOR WOLF? AYE.

SEVEN AYES, NO NA.

ITEM NINE

[V.9. Resolution Accepting the Bid and Authorizing the Execution of a Purchase Order Furnishing Water Treatment Chemical - Hydrofluorosilicic Acid]

RESOLUTION.

ACCEPTING THE BID AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A PURCHASE ORDER, FURNISHING WATER TREATMENT CHEMICAL, CHEMICAL, HYDROFLUORIC OR HYDROFLUORIC OR IN SOME PLACES HYDROFLUORIC IC ACID.

IT'S IN, UH, TWO DIFFERENT WAYS THROUGHOUT THE PACKET.

SO MOTION OF THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

SECOND, MR. RIGHTON TO AVOID SAYING THAT WORD.

I'LL JUST SAY I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD FROM WHAT'S ALREADY IN THE PACKET.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SCENE NONE.

COUNCILMAN KUHL? AYE.

MAYOR MOORE WOLF.

AYE, BUT I ALSO WANNA KNOW IF IT'S IC OR JUST IC.

WE'VE GOT IT BOTH WAYS IN THE ORDINANCE.

[V.10. Ordinance Amending Zoning Ordinance - Section II Definitions to Personal Services and Related Amendments]

10.

ORDINANCE AMENDING ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION TWO.

DEFINITIONS TO PERSONAL SERVICES AND RELATED AMENDMENT.

MOTION OF THE ORDINANCE TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

SO MOVED MR. MANAGER, MAYOR AND COUNSEL AS THE PACKET MATERIALS SHOWS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO UPDATE OUR CODE AND NOT DEAL, UH, SEPARATELY AND I THINK DISCRIMINATOR, UH, WITH, UM, WITH TATTOO PARLORS AND DEAL WITH THEM IN THE SAME MANNER, UM, IN A GENERAL MANNER AS OTHER

[02:20:01]

PERSONAL SERVICES.

SO THAT'S THE MAJOR RECOMMENDATION.

IT WAS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY BY THE PLAN COMMISSION FOR APPROVAL.

SO ARE WE BEING TOO PROACTIVE ON THIS? I I I GO BACK A FEW YEARS AGO WHERE, UM, A TATTOO PARLOR OPENED UP ON, UH, WASN'T A MERCHANT BUT IT WAS ON PRAIRIE AND THE NAME OF THE ESTABLISHMENT WAS OFFENSIVE TO, IT WAS CLEVER BUT OFFENSIVE TO MANY AND I'M NOT SO SURE I'M REAL EXCITED ABOUT HAVING, I MEAN, DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS OR CAN WE WAIT FOR SOMEBODY TO SAY, NO, THIS ISN'T RIGHT? OR WOULD THAT GET US A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR LAWSUIT? I'M NOT SURE I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

UM, I I GUESS WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? JUST CUZ OTHER PEOPLE ARE, UM, MS MORE THAN I I BELIEVE THAT THE ANSWER TO, TO THE MAYOR'S QUESTION YOU, YOU CHIME IN IF YOU KNOW DIFFERENTLY IS, IS BECAUSE STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE, UH, MAKE THE CHANGE SO THAT UH, BECAUSE THERE, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME LAWSUITS IN OTHER PLACES, UH, AND WE WANTED TO AVOID THAT BY TAKING THIS REVISION PREEMPTIVELY.

CAN'T WE JUST WAIT FOR THE LAWSUITS? I'M NOT REAL EXCITED ABOUT HAVING TATTOO PARLORS ALL OVER DOWNTOWN.

I AGREE.

DR.

HORN.

WELL, GETTING A TATTOO IS A PERSONAL SERVICE AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT FROM THE PACKET, UM, YOU CANNOT EXCLUDE TATTOO PARLORS, UM, FROM OTHER TYPES OF PERSONAL SERVICES.

AND THERE IS A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT GET, UH, QUITE ARTISTIC AND CLASSY TATTOOS OUT THERE.

AND IF THEY WANT TO GET A TATTOO IN AN AREA THAT OTHER PERSONAL SERVICES ARE OFFERED, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO, WE SHOULD NOT BE RESTRICTING THEM TO CERTAIN LOCATIONS.

WELL THERE, I DON'T DOUBT THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ART INVOLVED AND I'VE SEEN SOME PRETTY IMPRESSIVE ONES.

I JUST WAS WOULD LIKE TO PROTECT THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN TILL WE GO TO COURT AND THEN WE CAN SAY UNCLE.

ANYBODY ELSE WANNA WEIGH IN? SET ME AND PAT.

WE'RE GONNA BE THE OLD FOGIES.

LISA, UH, CAN WE JUST TAKE IT ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS? I MEAN, CAN WE MAKE THESE DECISIONS AS THEY ARE PRESENTED? WELL, YEAH, CUZ ALL I UNDERSTAND IS RIGHT NOW IS JUST A STAFF IDEA.

MR. COOPER, I DON'T, I DON'T PARTICULARLY KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE IS, BUT TO ME I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY DISCRIMINATORY TO SAY THAT WE'RE WE'RE NOT GONNA ACCEPT THEM.

UM, SO I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULDN'T ACCEPT THEM.

IT IS, IT IS A PERSONAL BUSINESS.

UM, WE GOT MASSAGE PARLORS DOWNTOWN.

UM, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMEBODY'S GOT A PERSONAL VENDETTA AGAINST TATTOOING.

UM, MAJORITY OF PEOPLE, I DON'T HAVE ONE WOULDN'T GET ONE.

BUT MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HAVE TATTOOS NOWADAYS, SO I DON'T SEE, SEE WHY WE WOULD EVEN WANNA, UH, HESITATE SAYING IF IT'S A BUSINESS AND THEY GET APPROVED FOR A BUSINESS LIKE ANY OTHER BUSINESS IN DECATUR, WE SHOULD BE OPEN TO THAT AND NOT BE DISCRIMINATORY.

WELL YOU DON'T REALLY GET APPROVED FOR A BUSINESS, IT'S JUST WHAT WE ZONE FOR.

CHUCK, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS SO I CAN THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO TABLE SECOND.

CAN I MAKE, UH, I'M FINE WITH TABLING IF WE MUST TABLE IT, IT'S FINE.

BUT UM, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO ENCOURAGE SMALL BUSINESSES AND THE TATTOO PARLORS OF DECADES AGO ARE NOT THE TATTOO PARLORS OF TODAY.

AND UH, TATTOOS ARE UM, ACTUALLY FAIRLY EXPENSIVE TO PURCHASE AND UH, THERE'S A LOT OF TATTOO ARTISTS THAT DO EXCELLENT HIGH QUALITY WORK.

AND SO IF WE HAD A WONDERFUL TATTOO PARLOR IN DOWNTOWN DECATUR, WHILE I ADMIT I'M NOT GOING THERE, NOT UH UH IT'D BE GREAT STEPH.

I DON'T NEED TO KNOW.

YOUNG, YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD LIKE IT AND SO I LET'S HAVE A TATTOO PARLOR AND IF IT TAKES ANOTHER MONTH TO GET OTHER SUPPORT FOR THAT, I'LL SUPPORT TABLING.

BUT PEOPLE, YOUNG PEOPLE LOVE TATTOOS AND WE LOVE YOUNG PEOPLE.

YES.

YOU CAN CALL THE QUESTION ON THE TABLE.

AYE COUNCILMAN COLT? AYE.

COUNCILMAN COOPER? NO.

COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY? NO.

COUNCILMAN HORN? NAY.

COUNCILMAN KEEL? ALL RIGHT.

MAYOR MOORE WOLF .

I'M CONFUSED.

THIS IS JUST THE AMENDMENT.

IYE TO TABLE.

IYE TO TABLE FOUR AYES.

THREE NAYS.

OKAY, SO NEXT WE HAVE THE

[V.11. Consent Calendar: Items on the Consent Agenda/Calendar are matters requiring City Councilapproval or acceptance, but which are routine and recurring in nature, are not controversial, are matters of limited discretion, and about which little or no discussion is anticipated. However, staff’s assessment of what should be included on the Consent Agenda/Calendar can be in error. For this reason, any Consent Agenda/Calendar item can be removed from the Consent Agenda/Calendar by any member of the governing body, for any reason, without the need for concurrence by any other governing body member. Items removed from the Consent Agenda/Calendar will be discussed and voted on separately from the remainder of the Consent Agenda/Calendar.]

CONSENT CALENDAR.

DOES ANYBODY WANNA PULL ANYTHING OFF THAT MASSIVE LIST?

[02:25:02]

I'M GONNA SAY NO.

ITEM A RECEIVING AND FILING OF MINUTES OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

ITEM B, RESOLUTION APPROVING APPOINTMENT, CITY PLAN, COMMISSION ITEM C, RESOLUTION APPROVING APPOINTMENT LIBRARY, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ITEM D, ORDINANCE ANNEXING DECATUR PARK DISTRICT OWNED COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.

ITEM E ORDINANCE ANNEXING DECATUR PARK DISTRICT OWNED UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY IDENTIFIED AS PIN 0 0 4 12 0 4 1 0 1 0 1 0.

ITEM F.

ORDINANCE ANNEXING DECATUR PARK DISTRICT OWNED UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY IDENTIFIED AS PIN NUMBER 0 4 12 16 3 5 4 0 2 8 ITEM G ORDINANCE ANNEXING DECATUR PARK DISTRICT OWNED UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY IDENTIFIED AS PIN NUMBER 0 9 13 31 1 0 0 0 1 1 ITEM H.

ORDINANCE ANNEXING DECATUR PARK DISTRICT OWNED UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY IDENTIFIED AS PIN NUMBER 0 9 13 31 1 0 0 0 1 2.

ITEM I ORDINANCE ANNEXING DECATUR PARK DISTRICT OWNED UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY IDENTIFIED AS PIN NUMBER 0 9 13 31 4 3 ITEM J, ORDINANCE ANNEXING TERRITORY 2299 MESA DRIVE, ITEM K ORDINANCE ANNEXING ANNEXING TERRITORY 1751 DAN, DAN, LAND ROAD AND VACANT LOT ITEM L RESOLUTION, RESCINDING RESOLUTION NUMBER R 2023 DASH 64 ACCEPTING SLOANS IMPLEMENT SOURCE WALL CONTRACT NUMBER 11 0 7 19 DASH JDC FOR ONE JOHN DEERE 61 35 E CAB TRACTOR ITEM M RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING THE BID FOR THE PURCHASE OF ONE JOHN DEERE 61 35 E CAB TRACTOR ITEM N RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AGREEMENT AND ASSOCIATED SALES ORDER WITH DECATUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION TO OBTAIN INTERNET ACCESS THROUGH THE CITY OF DECATUR FIBER NETWORK.

ITEM O RESOLUTION, RECEIVING AND FILING THE 2022 OFFICIAL ZONING MAP.

ITEM P RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ACTION REGARDING UNSAFE STRUCTURES.

ITEM Q RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT WITH SCHAFER EXCAVATING FOR THE DEMOLITION OF 2034 EAST WILLIAM STREET.

I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEMS AS PRESENTED.

NEXT UP WE HAVE OTHER BUSINESS AND I'M OPEN.

MAYOR MOORE WOLF.

AYE.

SEVEN AYES? NO NAYS.

I THINK THAT MAY BE A NEW RECORD FOR ALL THE UH,

[VI. Other Business]

IT'S A VERY SHORT OTHER BUSINESS AND THAT'S JUST A WARNING PAT.

UH, I'M OLDER THAN YOU GUYS AND I CAN SLEEP IN LATER.

JUST A COUPLE QUICK THINGS I COMPLIMENT, UH, MAYOR, YOU AND CHIEF BRANDLE AND THE COMMUNITY LEADERS ON THE, THE, UH, PRESS, PRESS CONFERENCE YOU HAD ABOUT THE, UH, CURFEW.

I KNOW I GREW UP IN DECATUR, UH, IN, IN THE SIXTIES AND IT WAS A LITTLE MORE STRICT.

UH, WE NEED TO, UH, 17 YEAR OLD IS NOT A, UH, IS NOT AN ADULT.

THAT'S A MINOR.

WE NEED TO REVISE THIS BECAUSE I LISTENED TO ENOUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ON, UH, RADIO PROGRAMS AND THAT THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ORGANIZE THE YOUNG 14 YEAR OLDS AND 13 CUZ THEY KNOW THEY'LL GET OFF.

SO, UH, AGAIN, BEING OUT WITH AN ADULT, UH, AFTER HOUR, BUT NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE AND THAT.

SO, UH, I HOPE WE CAN TAKE THIS UP.

WELL, I, I'M YOUNGER THAN PAT AND MY DAD ALWAYS SAID NOTHING GOOD HAPPENED AFTER 10.

BUT I DO WANNA COMMEND, UM, CHIEF BRANDELL AND THE MAYOR AND OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS, UM, ON THE DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE REGARDING THE CURFEW.

AND IT WOULD BE JUST NICE IF IN YOUR MONTHLY REPORT IF WE COULD KIND OF HAVE AN UPDATE ABOUT HOW THAT'S GOING.

RECESS TO CLOSE EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER OPEN MEETINGS ACT SECTION TWO C 11 LITIGATION WHEN AN ACTION AGAINST AFFECTING OR ON BEHALF OF THE PARTICULAR PUBLIC BODY HAS BEEN FILED AND IS PENDING BEFORE A COURT OR ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL, OR WHEN THE PUBLIC BODY FINDS THAT AN ACTION IS PROBABLE OR IMMINENT.

AND WITH THAT WE NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION.

SO MOVED SECOND

[VII. Recess to Closed Executive Session]

I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND.

COUNCILMAN COLE? AYE.