[00:00:01]
[I. Call to Order]
LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER THIS EVENING.MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU TAKE THE ROLE? COUNCILMAN HORNE.
PRESENT SIX PRESENT MAYOR JULIE.
PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO BY UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[II. Proclamations and Recognitions]
WE ARE PLEASED TO HAVE A SISTER CITY'S RECOGNITION.SO I'M GOING TO ASK MACHIO STRAND IF SHE WILL COME TO THE PODIUM AND SHE WILL READ THE NAMES OF THE SIX STUDENTS HERE FROM JAPAN, AND THEN EACH ONE OF THEM IS GOING TO BE PRESENTED WITH A DECATUR MEDALLION.
SO, UM, WE ARE SO, UM, HAPPY TO HAVE OUR STUDENTS FROM JAPAN ALL OVER AGAIN.
UH, AFTER THREE YEARS OF ABSENCE, OF COURSE, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.
UM, SO THEY CAME HERE ON, UH, JULY 26TH.
SO ACTUALLY THEY'RE LEAVING TOMORROW, BUT THEY'VE HAD A TREMENDOUS TWO WEEKS FULL OF ADVENTURE, UNUSUAL EXPERIENCES, AND VERY TRADITIONAL EXPERIENCES AS WELL.
SO, UM, UH, WE'RE GOING TO INTRODUCE THEM.
SO, DAI AAMA DE GUCCI, PAT CONDO.
SO, MR. ZUKI CONDO, HE IS THE LEADER OF THIS GROUP.
HE'S GONNA, UM, GIVE A QUICK WORD.
I'M TAT KONDO THE LEADER OF THE STUDENTS GROUP.
FIRST, I'M VERY PROUD OF THIS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PEOPLE OF DECATUR, INCLUDING SISTER CITY COMMUNITY FOR SUPPORTING US.
WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE FOR OUR TWO WEEKS.
THANKS FOR RANKING THE AMERICAN PARTY, THE TOUR OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, THE TOUR OF CHICAGO, THE TOUR OF AIRPORT, THE OREGON EVENT, AND ANOTHER MORE EVENT.
TWO YEARS AGO, WE CELEBRATED THE 55TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR RELATIONSHIP.
IT HAS RESTED THIS WRONG DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS, THE COMMEMORATIVE EXCHANGE HAS TO POSTPONE.
BUT I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH SO MUCH SUPPORT.
I HOPE THIS RELATIONSHIP WILL CONTINUE AROUND TIME TO COME.
WE HAVE A, WE HAVE BEEN THIS CITY FOR TWO WEEKS.
WE HAVE A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.
WE, WE, WE SHARE WITH MANY PEOPLE WHEN WE RETURN TO CLOSE THE CITY.
CAN WE GET EVERYBODY TOGETHER FOR A
[00:05:36]
ALL RIGHT.[III. Appearance of Citizens]
AT THIS TIME WE HAVE APPEARANCE OF CITIZENS.IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL, PLEASE COME DOWN TO THE PODIUM AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
AND YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I LIVE AT 30 18 LAKE BLUFF DRIVE HERE IN DECATUR.
UH, THIS AREA IS KNOWN AS THE GREEN LAKE ADDITION.
UH, IT'S JUST OFF LOST BRIDGE ROAD.
UH, THE ADDRESS, UH, ON RED LAKE THAT WE HAVE CONCERN FOR IS, UH, 31 72 RED LAKE.
UM, OUR CONCERN IS THAT ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, THIS COUPLE MOVED IN AND STARTED RURAL FARM PRACTICES WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, WE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE REPRESENTING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, SOME OTHERS WERE GONNA BE SPEAKING.
HE'S ALSO BEEN, UH, HANDED TO THE CITY CLERK.
SOME PICTURES AND SOME OTHER, UH, LETTERS FROM PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT BE HERE, COULD NOT MAKE IT.
UM, THIS COUPLE, WHEN THEY MOVED IN, THEY STARTED THESE PRACTICES AND, UM, MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF CONTACTED THE CITY, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND TO NO AVAIL AND NO RESPONSE.
UM, THIS PROBLEM ESCALATED THIS YEAR, AND APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS AGO, UH, THE TWO PEOPLE WENT.
10 MORE PEOPLE MOVED INTO THE HOUSE WITH EXTRA DOGS.
NOW WE HAVE SIX, SEVEN, MAYBE EIGHT DOGS IN THE, IN THIS YARD.
UH, MY POINT IS, IS THE SAFETY FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THE HEALTH FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND FOR THE OVERALL PROPERTY VALUES OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IN REGARDS TO SAFETY, JUST A A EXAMPLE, UH, THERE'S THREE LADIES THAT WALK OUR NEIGHBORHOOD INDIVIDUALLY, AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE PEOPLE WALK, DOGS AND WALK ALL THE TIME.
AND IT'S A VERY FRIENDLY, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE ALL TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER.
I RAN INTO ONE OF 'EM TODAY AND SHE SAID THE, HER AND THE OTHER TWO NO LONGER WALK THAT AREA BECAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE WALKING BY THIS HOUSE BECAUSE OF THE NEW RESIDENTS THAT MOVED IN.
AND, UH, IN REGARDS TO HEALTH, UH, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN INUNDATED WITH FLIES, AND WE'VE NEVER HAD FLIES BEFORE.
NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THEM.
THIS YEAR, IT'S JUST BEEN THICK AND IT'S ALL UP AND DOWN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU KNOW, WHEN, UH, OUR PROPERTY TAXES GET DEVALUED, UH, OR WHEN OUR TIES GET DEVALUED, THE TAXES GO DOWN.
OUR CONCERN IS THAT ONCE THE BLIGHT BEGINS, IT TAKES OVER.
I LIVE DIRECTLY NEXT DOOR TO THESE PEOPLE.
CAN YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD? GARY MORRIS.
WHEN OUR NEIGHBORS MOVED IN, I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THEM ABOUT THEIR GERMAN SHEPHERD AND OUR DOG ATTACKING EACH OTHER AT OUR CHAIN LINK FENCE.
WE FINALLY HAD TO WALK OUR DOG ON A LEASH IN OUR OWN CHAIN LINK, FENCED IN BACKYARD.
THE NEIGHBOR INSTALLED A TEMPORARY FENCE THREE FEET INTO MY SIDE YARD.
I HAD A SURVEY DONE AND MADE PENN'S LEGAL DOCUMENTS AT A COST OF SEVEN $50.
THE SURVEYOR INSTALLED SOME WOOD STAKES ALONG THE LINE FOR REFERENCE.
THE NEIGHBOR REMOVED THE WOOD STAKES, WHICH IS A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR.
THE NEIGHBOR FILLED HIS DITCH AT MY PROPERTY LINE WITH ROCK, WHICH BACKED UP WATER ON MY SIDE OF THE DITCH.
HE THEN REMOVED THE ROCK AND INSTALLED A WHISTLE AT THE PROPERTY LINE AND COVERED IT WITH MULCH AND MUCK.
THE DITCH LOOKS LIKE THE REST OF THE YARD.
THE NEIGHBOR THEN INSTALLED A CATTLE FENCE AROUND HIS ENTIRE PROPERTY.
SOME OF IT IS HIGHER THAN MY NEW SIX FOOT LEGAL FENCE IN BACK.
THE NEW VINYL FENCE IS IN THE BACK AND SIDE YARD.
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PETITION FOR A SIX FOOT FRONTAGE FENCE TO AVOID HAVING TO SEE THAT EVERY DAY OVER THREE YEARS, MANY TRUCKLOADS OF MULCH HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO THIS ADDRESS, RIGHT TREE SERVICE, LONG BALL AND ET CETERA.LARGE PILES OF MULCH STICKS, LOGS, DECAY AND MUCK DOMINATE THE ENTIRE YARD WITH LARGE WEEDS ALONG MY PROPERTY LINE AND THROUGHOUT THEIR ENTIRE PROPERTY, WE'VE ENDURED THREE YEARS OF DOGS CONSTANTLY BARKING, VERY NOISY DUCKS AND CHICKENS, SMELLS, FLIES, AND GREATLY DIMINISHED PROPERTY VALUE.
I ASSUME CITY CODES WOULD PROTECT OUR PROPERTY VALUE.
IT'S VERY EMBARRASSING TO HAVE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OVER.
WE HAVE MANY FRIENDS AND FAMILY CLOSE BY, BUT WE CAN'T STAY THERE.
UH, I LIVE ON BERGER DRIVE, JUST AROUND THE CORNER FROM GARY.
UH, THIS LETTER IS THE EXPRESS, OUR CONCERN FOR THE CONDITION OF THE PROPERTY.
LOCATED AT 31 72 RELIC DRIVE IN DECATUR.
MY WIFE AND I NOT ONLY LIVE IN THE AREA AND DRIVER WALK PAST THAT LOCATION ALMOST DAILY, UH, BUT ALSO VISIT HER BROTHER-IN-LAW, SISTER-IN-LAW, WHO WAS WITH GARY THAT JUST SPOKE, WHO LIVED DIRECTLY NEXT DOOR.
OUR CONCERN IS THAT THE PROPERTY IS NOT BEING MAINTAINED TO THE MOST BASIC NEIGHBORHOOD STANDARDS.
HUGE PILES OF MULCH EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING A TRUCKLOAD SIZE OF MULCH DIRECTLY IN THE, UH, IN THE DRIVEWAY ITSELF.
THE TALL GRASS, UNCUT WEEDS COULD POSSIBLY HARBOR MICE, SNAKES, OTHER RODENTS, WHICH WILL DEFINITELY MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROPERTY COULD POSSIBLY INFLUENCE PROPERTY VALUES IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA, WHICH IS A HUGE CONCERN FOR ALL OF US.
UH, AS I SAID EARLIER, WE VISIT NEXT DOOR ON A REGULAR BASIS.
USED TO LOVE SITTING OUTSIDE ON GARY'S PATIO, CATCHING A BALL GAME, LISTENING, MUSIC, WHATEVER.
UH, THE DUCKS, THE CHICKENS ARE THE LOUDEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE.
UH, MULTIPLE DOGS ALWAYS BARKING, ALWAYS JUST, JUST TO PROBABLY CAME AND SIT OUTSIDE.
SO GARY AT, UH, AT A HUGE EXPENSE TO HIM.
HE HAD TO PUT UP A TALL CHAIN OR A VINYL FENCE TO SEPARATE THE TWO PROPERTIES BECAUSE ALMOST EVERY TIME THEY TOOK THEIR DOG OUT, THE NEIGHBOR'S DOG WOULD JUMP, JUMP, JUMP AND CHARGE THE SHORTER FENCE.
AND THEY WERE AFRAID HE'S GONNA JUMP OVER THE FENCE AND ATTACK HIS DOG, OR POSSIBLY ONE OF US IN THE, IN THEIR, IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD.
HE'S NOW TO THE CONCLUSION THAT HE MAY HAVE TO CONSIDER FENCING HIS WHOLE YARD IN.
OH, I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE.
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE LIVED AT 31 32 RED LAKE DRIVE FOR 42 YEARS.
WE'RE THE LONGEST ONES ON THE BLOCK.
WE'VE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH ANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS UP TO THIS TIME.
I AM HERE THIS EVENING TO SPEAK TO ALL OF YOU ABOUT 31, 31 72.
UM, ACCORDING TO THE CITY ZONING, WE ARE CONSIDERED AN R ONE, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS ZONED FOR SINGLE FAMILY.
WELL, NOW IT'S CHANGED AT THIS TIME.
IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE 12 PEOPLE LIVING IN 31 72 RED LAKE DRIVE, ALONG WITH SIX TO EIGHT DOGS, CHICKENS, GEESE, DUCKS, AND LOTS OF FLIES.
UP UNTIL THIS YEAR, WE HAVE NOT NEEDED A SLICE WATER.
BUT MY THREE CONCERNS ARE THE DOGS.
DO YOU DO, DO THEY HAVE A LICENSE AND ARE THEY UP TO DATE ON THEIR VACCINES? UM, MY CELL PHONE, I CALLED THE CITY AND I HAVE NOT RETURNED, HAVE BEEN, UH, CALL RETURNED TO ME, REFERENCE THIS, AND I WAS TOLD TO CALL BY THE ANIMAL CONTROL TO CALL THE CITY.
AND THEN, UM, THE LIVESTOCK FENCES, MAYBE YOU CAN HELP US WITH THIS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE LEGAL IN DECATUR.
UM, HOW HIGH CAN THEY BE? UM, DO YOU NEED A PERMIT TO PUT 'EM UP? WE DON'T KNOW THESE ANSWERS, BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP.
UM, ARE YOU ALLOWED TO FILL UP THE CITY DITCHES WITH MULCH AND DIRT AND THEN
[00:15:01]
PLANT PLANTS ON IT? 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GOT RIGHT NOW.THEY HAVE STOPPED THE WATER FLOW FROM FLOWING DOWN THE STREET TO THE LAKE.
AND ALSO WE PAY $3,725 A YEAR FOR TAXES, AND WE FEEL OUR HOMES WILL BE DEPRECIATED.
AND THIS PROPERTY IS NOT UP TO CODE 31 72 RED LAKE DRIVE.
HELLO, MY NAME IS CYRUS BAILEY.
DENNIS, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S PART OF THE IDENTIFICATION PARK.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE BIKE LANES.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THERE IS A LOT OF EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE FERRIES, UH, THE NEW FERRIES INTERSECTION, WHICH IS INDEED VERY EXCITING.
THAT'S, THAT IS AN INTERSECTION THAT NEEDS A LOT OF HELP.
UM, BUT I AM ASKING THAT YOU, UM, REMEMBER THAT THERE IS A BIKE PLAN, A BIKE LANE PLAN THAT INCLUDES SEPARATED BIKE LANES ALL THE WAY DOWN BRASH COLLEGE.
UM, OUR BIKE LANE, THE OUR TOWN NEEDS MORE BIKE LANES.
UM, BECAUSE IT WOULD IMPROVE THE, IT WOULD IMPROVE THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO GET FROM PLACE TO PLACE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE FOR OUR BIKE LANES IS THEY NEED TO GO FROM SOMEWHERE WHERE PEOPLE ARE TO A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO BE.
UM, THE BIKE LANE THAT IS PLANNED TO GO DOWN, UH, WE, UH, MAIN STREET, UM, ON 51 IS A WONDERFUL PLAN.
IT IS A FANTASTIC STARTING PLACE.
UM, BUT IT GOES FROM JUST NORTH OF DOWNTOWN TO, UM, PERSHING ROAD, WHICH IS TWO PLACES THAT PEOPLE REALLY CANNOT BIKE TO WITHOUT.
UM, THEY REALLY CAN'T BIKE THERE SAFELY.
THEY NEED, THEY CAN PICK, BE PICKED UP IN THE CAR ON ONE END AND PICKED UP AT THE CAR ON THE OTHER END.
AND IT'S WONDERFUL THAT THEY CAN BIKE FROM END TO END.
BUT WE NEED MORE BIKE LANES THAT GO FROM A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE TO A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO BE.
UM, THERE ARE THE, HAVING SEPARATED BIKE LANES WOULD BE AN IMPROVEMENT BECAUSE OUR, A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THE BIKE LANES THAT ARE IN THE BIKE LANE PLAN RIGHT NOW ARE JUST SIGNS ON THE ROAD THAT SAY BIKES CAN SHARE THE ROAD, WHICH IS, WHICH IS THE CASE ALREADY.
IT IS JUST THAT THIS WOULD PUT SIGNAGE AND REMIND PEOPLE TO SLOW DOWN.
UM, IF WE HAD SEPARATED BY LANE, THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE, THEN BICYCLISTS WOULD FEEL SAFER.
SAFER BECAUSE MANY DRIVERS DO NOT FOLLOW THE, UH, SPEED LIMIT NO MATTER WHAT THE SIGN SPEED LIMIT IS.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU TO HAVE TO REMIND YOU TO PLEASE, UH, ADD MORE BIKE LANES AND LOOK AT THE OPTIONS FOR THAT.
MY NAME'S TAMARA BURNS AND I LIVE AT 30 18 LAKE BLUFF DRIVE.
AND WE'RE GOING BACK TO THAT HOUSE ON RED LAKE.
I WANNA THANK YOU FIRST OF ALL, ALL OF YOU FOR ALL THAT, ALL THAT YOU DO THAT'S KNOWN AND UNKNOWN FOR THE LEADERSHIP FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF MY NEIGHBORS AND MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
TONIGHT, I BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY.
WE GATHER TOGETHER, WE SHARE MEALS, WE HELP ONE ANOTHER.
AGE FIVE MONTHS TO OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
FAMILY SINGLES, RETIRED WORKING GREAT DIVERSITY IN THE 23 YEARS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S ONLY BEEN ONE OTHER TIME WHERE WE'VE HAD AN INCIDENT THAT WOULD CAUSE ANY OF US TO WANNA COME AND SHARE WITH YOU ALL.
THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT CONCERN ME ABOUT THIS ISSUE BESIDES EVERYTHING ELSE YOU'VE HEARD.
THE FIRST ONE BEING THE CONSEQUENCES OF FLY INFESTATION.
AS A RESULT OF COVID, WE'RE ALL MORE HEALTH CONSCIOUS.
I WENT ONLINE AND LOOKED AT THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO SEE WHAT IT HAD TO SAY ABOUT FLIES.
OBVIOUSLY, THEY'RE NUISANCE PESTS AND THEY HAVE POTENTIAL TO HARM ANIMALS AND HUMANS.
THEY ACTUALLY SAID THAT BITING FLIES TRANSMIT DEBILITATING DISEASES TO MILLIONS, UH, WORLDWIDE ANTHRAX, CHOLERA, SALMONELLA, TB, AND TYPHOID.
THE KEY TO MANAGING FILTH FLIES IS SANITATION.
YOU HAVE TO ELIMINATE THEIR BREEDING SITES AND THE MATERIAL WHICH THEY'RE ATTRACTED TO.
AND I QUOTE, MANURE, OTHER DECAYING PLANNED AND ANIMAL MATERIAL SHOULD PROMPTLY BE REMOVED.
BUT IN ORDER TO HAVE THE SANITATION, YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN INSPECTION.
SO YOU HAVE TO SEND SOMEONE OUT.
THEY HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THEY HAVE TO LOOK FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO FIND THEM BECAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST TREAT FOR 'EM.
AND THEN WHEN THE MATERIAL IS IDENTIFIED, IT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED.
AND OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE HEARD THAT THERE HAVE BEEN LOADS AND LOADS OF MATERIAL THAT THEY WOULD LOVE DROPPED OFF AT THIS RESIDENCE.
I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY AND WELLNESS FOR THE CHILDREN WHO ARE NOW LIVING THERE.
IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THEY HAVE
[00:20:01]
A PLACE TO PLAY INSIDE THE YARD IN THEIR PROPERTY WHERE IT WOULD BE FREE FROM D DEBRIS OR ANIMAL, WHATEVER.MY HOPE IS THAT YOU WILL TAKE THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY.
I REALIZE IT'S A SMALL PROBLEM IN THE BIG SPOKE, SPOKE, UH, SCOPE OF THINGS FOR YOU GUYS.
BUT IF THAT'S THE CASE, I TRUST WITH YOUR GREAT LEADERSHIP THAT YOU WILL COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT WILL BE A WIN-WIN FOR ALL OF US.
WE, WE WOULD SO APPRECIATE A THOROUGH INSPECTION AND A REPORT OF YOUR FINDINGS.
AND ONE THING I DIDN'T PUT DOWN, BUT I JUST REALIZED TODAY IS I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GARDEN IN MY YARD AND OUT OF RESPECT AND HONOR FOR MY NEIGHBORS.
I COULD DO THE FENCE AND THE WHOLE THING, BUT I RESPECT AND HONOR MY NEIGHBORS AND I WON'T DO IT.
I'M WITH THE SHAMALA OUTREACH CENTER.
AND, UM, JUST CHANGE A LITTLE SUBJECT A LITTLE BIT, BUT I JUST HAD TO COME DOWN.
JUST WANT TO THANK EVERY CITY COUNCIL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN.
UH, WITH THE SHAMALA OUTREACH.
Y'ALL HAVE BEEN A GREAT SUPPORT.
NOT ONLY, UM, WITH THE WORK PROGRAM, WITH OUR, OUR, UM, YOUTH, UM, WE HAVE, UH, REACHED PROBABLY OVER FOUR TO 500 YOUTH SINCE I'VE BEEN DOING THIS PROGRAM.
AND BECAUSE OF YOUR GUYS' SUPPORT, UM, WE WAS ABLE TO DO SO MANY PROGRAMS SUCH AS JUST THIS YEAR WE DID A AWESOME, UM, PEACE MARCH.
UM, AND WE, UM, I I, I BELIEVE IT WAS A SUCCESS BECAUSE OF YOU GUYS.
WE DID A, UM, OUR SUMMER PROGRAM.
UM, WE HAD AGRICULTURE, WE HAD A ART PROGRAM WE THOUGHT WAS VERY IMPORTANT WITH SOME OF THE YOUTH HELP THEM THAT WAS GOING THROUGH A LOT.
AND, UM, WE HAD THE, WE DONE, UM, THE WORK PROGRAM AND WE STILL GOT MUCH MORE WORK TO DO.
SO, UM, WE JUST WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR US.
AND, UH, WE HAVE PARTNER WITH SO MANY PEOPLE HERE IN THIS, UH, CITY.
NOT ONLY YOU GUYS, BUT THIS CITY.
UH, WE STAND TOGETHER, WE STAND STRONG, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK.
WE CAN FIGHT THIS, THIS VIOLENCE THAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THANK GOD FOR, UH, PEOPLE LIKE, OKAY, O UH, O KING ORCHARD.
I THANK GOD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, PEOPLE LIKE THAT, OTHERS THAT WE COME TOGETHER AND WE CAN FIGHT THIS.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.
HELLO, MY NAME IS ABIR MOTIN, AND THE SUBJECT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT MAINLY IS CONTAMINATION.
WE HAVE AREAS IN DECATUR, ILLINOIS THAT ARE HIGHLY CONTAMINATED BY DELIBERATION.
WHY? TO BRING DOWN THE PROPERTY VALUE.
SOME PEOPLE DELIBERATELY PUT POISON IVS, SUMAC, OAK ALL OVER, AND OTHER POISONS, THEY DELIVER BUGS, DELIVER SPIDERS.
THEY, THEY WANNA INFEST PLACES ON PURPOSE TO BRING DOWN THE VALUES OF THE HOUSES AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND BUSINESSES THAT WE HAVE AROUND US.
AND SO I WANTED TO ASK YOU ALL IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO STOP THIS DELIBERATE CONTAMINATION AND WORK TOGETHER ON, UM, TO SEE IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE, THE LICENSING FOR NEXT YEAR FOR FIREWORKS.
BECAUSE FIREWORKS IS HAZARDOUS TO COMMUNITY, TO THE ENVIRONMENT, TO ANIMALS, AND TO THE AIR THAT WE BREATHE.
IT HAS LEAD, IT HAS MERCURY, IT HAS SULFUR, IT HAS ALL KINDS OF TOXIC ELEMENTS THAT SICKEN THE PEOPLE AND THE ANIMALS AND ALSO PUT DAMAGES TO OUR STREETS AND BUILDINGS.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU DON'T MIND, IF YOU CAN, THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME TO MAKE PLANS ON FINES.
I MEAN, NOT LIKE $500 FINES, BECAUSE THIS IS A LOT OF DAMAGES THEY'RE DOING.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOTTA COME UP WITH A PLAN OF FINING THESE PEOPLE WHO DELIBERATELY WITHOUT LICENSE, SET OFF THESE FIREWORKS.
AND THEN ALSO, I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE, IF WE CAN START THIS, IN ILLINOIS, THE ILLINOIS E P A VEHICLE EMISSIONS INSPECTION PROGRAM, WHICH PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN IMPROVING AIR QUALITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
IT ALSO PRESERVES AND HELPS MAINTAIN VEHICLES.
IF WE CAN HAVE THAT PROGRAM HERE, IAT, ILLINOIS, IT WILL HELP US ALL.
[00:25:01]
KEEP ENVIRONMENTS AND BUILDINGS LOOKING GOOD AND PRESERVING, YOU KNOW, LASTING LONGER.THAT'S THE, THE KEY THING IS WE WANT BUILDINGS TO LAST AS, AS, AS LONG AS THEY CAN, AS AND AS STRONG AS THEY CAN WITHOUT DISTURBANCES, WITHOUT AIR AND NOISE DISTURBANCES.
ALSO, I WANT TO ASK YOU IF YOU CAN HAVE A GRANT FOR SIDEWALKS.
NOT ALL OF THEM HAVE WHERE, WHERE THE BICYCLES CAN ROLL DOWN OR WHEELCHAIRS OR SCOOTERS AND, YOU KNOW, OR STROLLERS.
THE, THE OTHER DAY THERE WAS A KID AND THERE WAS A, A A A STEP DOWN AT THE END OF THE SIDEWALK.
THE KID CHOSE TO GET OFF BEFORE THE SIDEWALK INSTEAD OF A STEP DOWN BECAUSE IT WAS BLOCKED.
THE KID ALMOST GOT RAN OVERED BY THE CAR.
SO I WOULD WANT TO ASK YOU WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR SIDEWALKS OR, UM, PROGRAMS TO ADD HIGHER MONEY, GRANTS FOR THE SIDEWALKS TO HAVE THE ROLLDOWN POSSIBLE TO SAVE EVERYONE'S LIFE, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN.
DO ANY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL WISH TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS? COUNCILMAN CULP.
YOU ONLY THINK I'LL MAKE A COMMENT ON IT.
WE HEARD SEVERAL ISSUES OVER IN THE GREENLAKE EDITION.
THAT'S VERY NICE AND, AND A LOT OF FAMILIES OVER THERE.
SO I, I'M HOPING THIS WILL FIT SOME OF OUR CODES LATER ON.
I SAW SOME DISCUSSION THERE, SO I HOPE WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON IT AND GET BACK WITH US.
AFTER HEARING THAT THE CITY STAFF WILL BE FOLLOWING UP, I'M, I'M SURE.
IF AT SOME POINT DURING THE MEETING, UM, UH, PERHAPS, UH, MR. PATRICK CAN GIVE THE PHONE NUMBER FOR NEIGHBORHOOD STANDARDS, JUST IN CASE ANYBODY HAS A, A PROBLEM WITH A PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
UM, IN THE DISCUSSIONS THAT, UM, WE'VE HAD HERE IN PUBLIC COMMENT, THERE'S PROBABLY AT LEAST FOUR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF CODE VIOLATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ALLEGED.
AND IF, UH, CITIZENS FIND THAT, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT IS NOT, UH, WORKING AS PROMPTLY AS YOU WOULD LIKE, I MEAN, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO A COUNCIL MEMBER ANY TIME.
WE, WE FEEL SUCH INQUIRIES OFTEN.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SAY THAT, AND THEN TO MR. SANDERS COMMENT, I I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALL YOUR LEADERSHIP AND MENTORSHIP OF 300 TO 400 YOUTH TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY, OUR CITY A BETTER PLACE.
UH, ONE OF THE SPEAKERS, UM, ACTED LIKE THEY WERE, UH, IMPOSING ON US.
SO YOU CAN COME ANYTIME AND SPEAK.
SO YOU'RE NOT IMPOSING ON THIS.
AND ALSO, MR. SANDERS, I'VE TOLD YOU MANY TIMES YOU'RE A SHINING STAR IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND, UM, EXCUSE ME, MR. BAILEY, WHERE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE.
I'M A BIG BICYCLE PATH SUPPORTER, SO KEEP BARKING UP THE TREE, WILL YOU? THANK YOU.
[IV. Approval of Minutes]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES.APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JULY 17TH, 2023.
MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS? NONE.
[1. Resolution Authorizing Approval of Proposal from LeaderGov for Leadership Development]
ON TO NEW BUSINESS NUMBER ONE, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPROVAL OF PROPOSAL FROM LEADER GOV FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MOTION, THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.SECOND, MR. MANAGER, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL.
I DON'T HAVE A LOT TO ADD FROM THE, UM, BACKGROUND AND NARRATIVE I PROVIDED IN THE STAFF REPORT, EXCEPT TO SAY THAT I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, INVESTING IN THE FUTURE LEADERS OF OUR ORGANIZATION SO THAT THEY CAN SERVE YOU AS WELL AS THE CITIZENS OF DECATUR WELL, AND I THINK, UM, AS, AS A MANAGER OF MANY DECADES, SADLY, UM, I'M, I BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT THIS IS THE KIND OF OF TRAINING THAT I THINK IS SOMETIMES OVERLOOKED BY ORGANIZATIONS, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T OVERLOOK IT.
ANY COUNCIL COMMENTS? MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE RULE.
[2. Resolution Authorizing Approval of Proposal from Old King's Orchard Community Center for Violence Intervention Services]
TWO, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPROVAL OF PROPOSAL FROM OLD KING'S ORCHARD COMMUNITY CENTER FOR VIOLENCE INTERVENTION SERVICES.MOTION THAT THE RESOLUTION DO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.
SECOND, MR. MANAGER, MAYOR, UH, AND COUNSEL, WITH YOUR INDULGENCE, I'D LIKE TO ASK CHRIS ELLIS, THE BOARD CHAIRMAN FOR O K O COMMUNITY
[00:30:01]
CENTER AND DEVON JOINER, IT'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO JOIN AT THE PODIUM.AS I'VE INDICATED IN THE STAFF REPORT, UM, THIS ITEM AS WELL AS THE ITEM NUMBER SIX, UH, AND, AND REALLY SEVEN AS WELL UNDER THE AGENDA AREN'T JUST ABOUT INVESTING IN NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND REDEVELOPMENT.
IT'S ALSO ABOUT INVESTING IN LIVES AND INVESTING IN THE SPECIFIC KINDS OF PROGRAMS THAT WE HOPE AND WE DESIGN THE PROGRAMS ACCORDINGLY TO TRY TO INTERVENE, UM, IN THE, IN THE LIVES, ESPECIALLY OF YOUNG PEOPLE, SO THAT THEY'LL MAKE GOOD CHOICES GOING FORWARD RATHER THAN BAD CHOICES THAT MIGHT HAVE DESTRUCTIVE CONSEQUENCES LATER IN THEIR LIVES.
UH, SO, UM, A, THIS IS ONE PORTION OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UM, GRANT THAT, UH, SENATOR TURNER PROVIDED FOR US IN THE, IN THE LAST YEAR'S STATE BUDGET.
UH, YOU, YOU'VE ALREADY ACTED ON ANOTHER PORTION OF IT WITH SORT OF A PARALLEL PROGRAM JUST DOWN THE STREET, UH, IN O O K O WITH GOOD SAMARITAN, AND, UH, AND THE, THE AUTHORS OF THE PROPOSAL THAT'S A PART OF YOUR PACKET ARE STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY.
SO GENERAL, IF YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE A VERY BRIEF SUMMARY, I'D BE GRATEFUL.
UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS CHRIS ELLIS AND, UH, I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO DEVON JOYNER TO TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE.
YOU GUYS HEAR A LOT OF COMPLAINING ABOUT EVERYTHING, WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE.
BUT, UM, IT WAS A PLEASURE AND IT'S BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH YOUR MANAGER, YOUR POLICE CHIEF ON THIS PROJECT AND ON OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
SO, HATS OFF AND I, I APPRECIATE IT AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH IT MORE.
UM, I APPRECIATE BEING UP HERE AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO TRY TO MAKE CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WORKING WITH THE CITY AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS SOME DELIBERATE, UH, ACTIONS TO TRY TO INTERVENE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING.
UM, IN OUR PROPOSAL, WE TALK ABOUT INTERRUPTION AND INFLUENCING.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS MAKE SOME DELIBERATE CONTACTS WITH, UH, INFORMATION BEING PROVIDED TO US BASED ON THOSE THAT ARE KEY IN THE COMMUNITY THAT'S POSSIBLY PARTICIPATING IN SOME OF THIS VIOLENCE PUSH.
AND, UM, WE ARE WORKING WITH A, WE'RE GONNA CONTRACT WITH A GROUP OF MEN, UH, OUT OF THE COMMUNITY.
THEIR ORGANIZATION RIGHT NOW IS CALLED OLD SCHOOL STRATEGISTS.
THEY HAVE TIES TO SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT THESE YOUTH ARE A PART OF.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO WORK WITH NOT ONLY THE YOUTH, BUT THE STAIR STEPS OF THE ADULT LEVELS AND PROVIDE SUPPORT.
AND, UM, THE MAJORITY OF IT'S GONNA BE GETTING INFORMATION FROM, FROM THE PLAYERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT THEY ACTUALLY NEED TO CURB SOME OF THIS ACTIVITY.
AND WITHOUT THEM COMING ON AND OFFERING WHAT THEY ARE DEALING WITH ON A DAILY, WE CAN'T ADDRESS THE PROBLEM PROPERLY.
WE CAN SEE ANYBODY WE WANT INTO THESE NEIGHBORHOODS TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THEM, BUT WE HAVE TO HEAR FROM THEM ON WHAT THEY ARE DEALING WITH AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO INFLUENCE IT THAT WAY.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'LL MAKE A BIG IMPACT.
WE HAVE A WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO TRACK THE DATA AND THE PROGRESS AND, UH, I THINK IT SHOULD WORK OUT WELL THE NEXT YEAR.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
DO ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? YES, SIR.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT DATA WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT'S BEING DONE.
I MEAN, BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY RESULTS, WE MAY NOT GET THIS, THIS, UH, GRANT AGAIN.
SO I WANT, I'D LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, UH, EVERYONE WORKING TOGETHER, BUT I WANNA SEE SOME, SOME RESULTS IF ALL POSSIBLE IN DATA AND EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING ON.
EXACTLY THE KEY WITH THE DATA IS IN THE PROCESS, IF WE, IF THE PROCESS IS WORKING PROPERLY, WE TAKE THE DATA AND WE CONTINUE TO APPLY IT.
UM, I'M, I'M SURE YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH, UM, AN OLD PROGRAM CEASEFIRE.
WHAT, HOW DO YOU COMPARE THIS PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE GONNA DO AS COMPARED TO WHAT CEASEFIRE DID? SO THERE IS GOING TO BE TRAINING BASED OFF THE CEASEFIRE CURRICULUM.
IT WAS A GREAT PROGRAM, BUT I THINK THERE WAS SOME THINGS MISSING FROM THAT, THAT ALLOWED IT TO KIND OF FIZZLE OUT.
THE CEASEFIRE WAS THE INTERRUPTER SIDE, AND THEY WOULD GO IN, THEY HAD PEOPLE THAT WAS, UH, FAMILIAR WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THE PLAYERS AND TALK THEM DOWN, EXCUSE ME, TALK THEM IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
BUT THE, THE INFLUENCER SIDE OF IT IS WE'RE YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WALK WITH THAT, UH, NARRATIVE TO PUSH SOMEONE INTO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
I CAN TALK YOU DOWN ONE DAY AND CALM THE ISSUE, BUT IF I DON'T REDIRECT WHAT'S GOING ON, THEN IT'S GOING TO EVENTUALLY, UH, RERA ITS HEAD.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GET IN AND INTERRUPT IT AND THEN, UH, CONTINUE SUPPORT FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS, MAYBE WE CAN INFLUENCE THEM TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT WE'RE GONNA STAND NEXT TO THEM TO MAKE SURE
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THEY GET THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AS WELL.UM, AND AS COUNCILMAN, UM, ANIEL SAID, I WOULD, I TOO WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN, UH, AFTER, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, HOW LONG YOU WANNA TAKE TO GET DATA OR HOW, WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF TIMEFRAME YOU, YOU'RE GONNA NEED THE DATA, BUT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE THE END RESULT WITH THE DATA.
MR. JOYNER, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN DEVELOPING THIS PROGRAM AND I, I HOPE IT IS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
YOU KNOW, IF WE LOOK AT THE DATA ON THE NUMBER OF SHOOTINGS BETWEEN 2019 AND 2023 YEAR TO DATE, THERE'S BEEN A HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SHOOTINGS.
AND WHILE, UH, FORTUNATELY IT HAS GONE DOWN, UM, COMPARED TO 2022 AND 2021, UH, WE STILL ARE EXPERIENCING A HIGH NUMBER OF SHOOTINGS.
AND SO, UH, HAVING A PROGRAM THAT INVOLVES INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY HAVE, UM, PARTICIPATED IN OR AT LEAST HAVE BE FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF THESE TYPES OF SIGNIFICANT, UM, GUN VIOLENCE, UH, IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT IN REACHING, UH, A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF CRIME TOO.
SO I REALLY APPLAUD THIS PARTICULAR EFFORT AND I THINK IT IS NEEDED IN THE CITY OF DECATUR.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE RULE COUNCILMAN HORN.
[3. Resolution Providing for a Feasibility Study on the Designation of a Portion of the City of Decatur, Illinois as a Redevelopment Project Area and To Induce Development Interest within Such Area]
THREE, RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON THE DESIGNATION OF A PORTION OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS AS A REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA AND TO INDUCE DEVELOPMENT INTEREST WITHIN SUCH AREA.MOTION THAT THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.
JIM, WOULD YOU ADVANCE THE SLIDES TO ONE? THANKS, MAYOR.
THIS ITEM ALONG WITH THE ITEM THAT FOLLOWS AT NUMBER FOUR ARE, ARE COMPANION ITEMS FOR WHAT IS REALLY THE SAME ISSUE.
AND THAT IS THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS, UH, THAT WE CREATE A NEW TAX INCOME AND FINANCING DISTRICT.
THE MAP, UH, WHICH HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET AND WHICH, AND WHICH IS ON THE VIDEO SCREENS HERE ILLUSTRATES IT, THE AMBER ORANGE COLOR, WHATEVER THAT IS, UH, IS, UH, IS THE PROPOSED AREA.
THE DARK GRAY, UH, ARE EXISTING OR SOON TO BE, UM, ENDED, UH, TAX, TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICTS.
SO WE, IT THE PROPOSED DISTRICT ADJOINS THREE OF OUR REMAINING SIX DISTRICTS.
THE, UM, THE, UH, THE ONE THAT AT THE CORNER OF WEST 48, EXCUSE ME, OF ROUTE 48 AND WEST GRAND, THE NEAR NORTH TIFF, WHICH IS, WHICH WAS PUT TOGETHER ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO TO FACILITATE THE WABASH CROSSING PROJECT AND THE TAX INGRAM AND FINANCE DISTRICT THAT IS EXPIRING THIS YEAR CALLED THE OLD TOWN DEVELOPMENT AREA, WHICH IS THE, UH, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND THEN MILLIKEN HEIGHTS EXTENDING ALL THE WAY TO, UH, FAIRVIEW.
UM, THE, UM, SO JUST THE AMBER COLOR, UH, SOME OF IT OVERLAPS THE, THE EXISTING, UH, OLD TOWN IFF BECAUSE THE OLD TOWN IFF IS EXPIRING.
UM, SO THIS IS A, IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE TO DESCRIBE IT AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN A GERRYMANDERED DISTRICT.
UH, IT HAS BEEN GERRYMANDERED THIS WAY INTENTIONALLY SO THAT WE DON'T, UM, OVEREXTEND THE USE OF TIFF OR USE TIFF WHERE IT MAY NOT BE NEEDED.
TIFF IS A, IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE THAT MAKES PROJECTS HAPPEN THAT IN MANY CASES, IF NOT ALL CASES, WOULD NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT TIFF.
UM, THIS TIFF HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER BOTH TO INCLUDE MANY OF THOSE SITES, UH, SEVERAL DOWNTOWN, INCLUDING THE CITIZEN BARNES REHABILITATION, FAIRVIEW PLAZA, THE GARFIELD SCHOOL PROJECT, UH, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN A, A DISCUSSION TOPIC HERE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND WILL BE AGAIN AT THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THE OAKWOOD DISTRICT AND, UH, AND OTHER, OTHER AREAS THAT ROUGHLY SURROUND THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE O K O NEIGHBORHOOD AND ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD UNITED AREA, WHICH IS TO THE WEST OF O K O WEST OF MONROE STREET.
UH, THESE ARE AREAS THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT ASSESSMENT ARE ONES THAT CAN BE REHABILITATED AS RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
WE HAVE DONE REHAB PROJECTS IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS ALREADY, BUT THEY NEED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.
UM, THIS PROVIDES LONG-TERM FUNDING FOR IT, UH, BY HAVING THAT NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF IT, RINGED, IF YOU WILL, WITH AREAS THAT MORE THAN LIKELY ARE NOT RESIDENTIAL, BUT ARE COMMERCIAL AND WILL GENERATE, UH, WE BELIEVE TIF PROCEEDS SUFFICIENT BOTH TO HELP THOSE PROJECTS, THOSE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS, BOTH, UM, BOTH MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL AS WELL AS COMMERCIAL RETAIL THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAPPEN, UH, WITHOUT THEM.
THE FIRST ITEM, THE ONE THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE ON THE AGENDA, IS WHAT'S CALLED AN INDUCEMENT RESOLUTION.
IT BASICALLY ANNOUNCES THAT YOU
[00:40:01]
PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.AND FOR THE REASONS THAT ARE STIPULATED IN THE STATUTE, THAT AT LEAST AT THIS STAGE, IT APPEARS TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE, UH, TIFF STATUTES.
YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH SEVERAL HEARINGS AND MEETINGS WITH OTHER, OTHER TAXING BODIES.
YOU HAVE TO PREPARE A PLAN AND DEMONSTRATE THAT IT COMPLIES WITH ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE TIFF ACT.
AND BASED ON THE, UH, TIMELINE, UH, PREPARED WITH THE CONSULTANT, WE BELIEVE THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE FINAL ACTION ON A TIFF IN JANUARY OF 2024.
THAT'S HOW LONG THIS PROCESS TAKES.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LAUNCHING WITH THIS RESOLUTION, WHICH IS CURRENTLY ON, UM, ON THE TABLE.
THE NEXT ITEM IS, IS A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH P G A V ST.
LOUIS BASED COMPANY THAT DOES A LOT OF WORK HERE IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES FORMING TIPS FOR A LOT OF THE SAME REASONS.
AND, UH, UH, SO THEY'LL BE OUR PARTNER MOVING FORWARD.
DO COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN HORNE? THANK YOU.
UM, FIRST I'D LIKE TO PREFACE THIS IN, IN THINKING ABOUT THIS, UH, PROPOSED T TIFF DISTRICT AND AT LEAST MOVING FORWARD ON THE INITIAL STEPS.
I, I LOOKED AT THE OLD TOWN TIFF DISTRICT AND, UM, FOUND THAT WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE 23 YEARS OF THE OLD TOWN DISTRICT, I SEE SOME POSITIVE THINGS THAT OCCURRED.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT IS A TREMENDOUS ASSET, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, I, I HAVE SEEN THAT SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, THAT ARE PART OF THAT OLD TOWN TIFF DISTRICT HAVE NOT IMPROVED.
SO IF WE LOOK AT THE E A V OF THE DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD IN 2008, IT WAS 23.7 MILLION.
THE MILLIKEN HEIGHTS OR ENWRAPS NEIGHBORHOOD, ITS E A V IN 2008 WAS 23.6 MILLION, AND IT DECLINED TO 20 MILLION IN 2022.
UM, ALSO, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BLIGHT SCORES FROM THESE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY'RE BOTH, UH, OVER, UH, 0.33, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S A ONE IN THREE PROBABILITY THAT ONE OF THE STRUCTURES HAS SOME INDICATOR OF BLIGHT.
I POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A TIF DISTRICT, UM, THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO ESTABLISH IS WHAT IS THE PHYSICAL AND ECONOMIC DEFICIENCY THAT IS GOING TO BE CORRECTED? AND IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THOSE ARE, IT'S BLIGHT.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD, AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE ENWRAPS OR MILLIKEN HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD AND EAVS HAVEN'T NECESSARILY IMPROVED AND BLIGHT'S SCORES ARE VERY HIGH.
AND SO I GUESS MY QUESTION, MR. WRIGHTON, UH, FIRST QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE OUTLINED THERE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE AN INCREASE IN E A V AND AN DECREASE IN BLIGHT AFTER 23 YEARS IN A WAY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN, UH, WITH THE OLD TOWN TIFF MAYOR AND COUNCIL? UM, COUNCILMAN HORN'S DESCRIPTION OF THE OLD TOWN TIFF DISTRICT EXPIRING THIS YEAR IS, UM, IS, IS CORRECT IN IN MANY ASPECTS.
UM, IT WAS SUCCESSFUL AT PROVIDING SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO PAY FOR THE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR IMPROVEMENT THAT WAS MADE DOWNTOWN.
UM, BUT THERE WASN'T SUFFICIENT FUNDS IN THE TIFF ACCOUNT TO ALSO PAY FOR REDEVELOPMENT TO THE, UH, TO THE WEST OF CHURCH STREET.
UM, LEMME SAY, FIRST OF ALL, THAT, UH, BEFORE MAYBE GETTING TO THE ANS ANSWER TO THE QUESTION POSED BY COUNCILMAN HORNE, THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WAS THE FAULT OF THE TIFF AS AN INSTRUMENT.
UM, THE, THE FACT THAT TIFF DIDN'T RESCUE THE REST OF MILLIKEN HEIGHTS DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT, UH, AS A, AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE, THAT IT SOMEHOW IS, IS NOT EFFECTIVE.
EVEN BEFORE THE TIF WAS CREATED, UM, THOSE RESIDENTIAL SECTIONS WERE SEEING DECLINING E A V, IT DIDN'T, IT DIDN'T PRODUCE ENOUGH INCREMENTAL REVENUE TO BOTH SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE DOWNTOWN INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE WORK OF RESIDENTIAL REHAB FURTHER TO THE WEST.
ONE OF THE WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT THE NEW TIFF IS SUFFICIENTLY BALANCED.
IF WE MADE A TIFF, JUST FOR EXAMPLE, OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD UNITED AREA, AND THAT WAS IT, THERE WOULDN'T BE SUFFICIENT TIFF TO, TO RESCUE THOSE VALUES, THEIR EAVS
[00:45:01]
WOULD CONTINUE TO DECLINE.UM, AND SO, UH, WE'VE ADDED OTHER AREAS THAT WILL HELP PROVIDE IN INCREMENT NOT JUST TO THEIR COMMERCIAL USES, BUT ALSO TO, UH, TO THE OLD TOWN TIFF AS WELL IN SUFFICIENT DEGREE THAT WE SHOULDN'T HOPEFULLY WILL NOT SEE A REPEAT OF, UH, OF, OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD.
NOW, IN THE MONTHS TO COME, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING MORE CAREFULLY AT THE VALUES AND WHAT THEY'RE PROJECTED TO, TO PRODUCE AND THE KINDS OF PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT RESIDENTIAL ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE TIFF TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS INDEED A BALANCED TIFF.
I I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE 23 YEARS, UH, OUT, UH, BUT I THINK THAT REASONABLE ASSUMPTIONS CAN BE MADE MOVING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY BASED ON HOW RETAIL, UH, EXCUSE ME, RESIDENTIAL VALUES HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO PICK UP IN, IN 2023.
COUNCILMAN HORNES, THE DATA IS IN 2022, YOU, YOU ALREADY KNOW.
AND, AND IF YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT IN THE TAX LEVY ORDINANCE.
THAT EQUALIZED ASSESSED VALUES HAVE TURNED UP IN ALMOST EVERY, ALMOST EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE CITY, INCLUDING IN THE URBAN CORE.
UM, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THESE ECONOMIC TRENDS ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES AND THAT OF REDEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA AND STILL PROVIDE THAT INCENTIVE THAT, THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SOME OF THESE OTHER PROJECTS HAPPEN.
AND I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT BALANCE.
UM, BUT THE, THE STUDY PROCESS BETWEEN NOW AND JANUARY SHOULD BE ABLE TO VERIFY THAT.
AND I THINK, ANSWER COUNCILMAN HORNE'S QUESTION, MR. RANKIN, CAN A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF TIFF FUNDS BE DEDICATED TO NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION INITIATIVES, UM, UNDER THE LAW THAT IS POSSIBLE TO DO? UM, AND WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF REVENUE GOES TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
REHABILITATION IN THOSE RESIDENTIAL ZONES I'VE MENTIONED, I THINK WILL ALSO BE A TOPIC MOVING FORWARD.
I DO NOT, HOWEVER, RECOMMEND THAT YOU ARBITRARILY CREATE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE TO GO TO THAT, BECAUSE AGAIN, NONE OF US CAN PREDICT 23 YEARS IN INTO THE FUTURE.
AND IF YOU DO THAT, THEN YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF WITH FUNDS THAT THAT CAN'T BE SPENT OR, UM, OR THAT LAND USE PATTERNS DEVELOP IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
UH, SO I THINK THAT THERE ARE OTHER STRATEGIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THERE ARE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES, UM, DEDICATED TO REHABBING HOMES, WHICH, LIKE I SAID, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY STARTED DOING WITH THE RESOURCES THAT, THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? UM, YOU KNOW, TIFFS HAVE GOTTEN A BAD RAP SOMETIMES IN SOME CITIES, CHICAGO, WHERE IT WASN'T USED, WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED.
I THINK WE'VE BEEN, UH, SINCE, UH, CITY MANAGERS HERE HAS CAUGHT, KIND OF CAUGHT SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE, UH, THAT WERE NOT BEING DONE, RIGHT.
SO, UH, I JUST STRESS AS WE MOVE INTO THIS, YOU KNOW, CITY STAFF KEEP AN EYE ON IT.
I KNOW WHEN WE HAD THE, UH, TIFF OVER IN THE WABASH CROSSING, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, UH, HELP THE SURROUNDING AREA AND UNFORTUNATELY, AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE, AND I DIDN'T SEE MUCH PROGRESS IN THAT AREA.
SO, BUT OVERALL, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN, UH, GET SOME, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN THE COMMERCIAL BUSINESS THAT CREATES JOBS, AND AGAIN, THAT IT INCREASES THE, THE, UH, VALUATION OF THE PROPERTY, WE JUST KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED AND AS, AS THE, THE, UH, THE, UH, PEOPLE, THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE LOOKS AT IT AND BRINGS IT BACK.
SO, UH, RIGHT NOW I'M, I'M SUPPORTING IT AS LONG AS IT'S DONE RIGHT AND WE KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT THE LARGER THE TIFF THE BETTER CHANCE FOR SUCCESS? BECAUSE THIS IS A QUITE A LARGE GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND ONE THING I USED TO SAY THE GHOST OF PAT MCDANIEL, BUT HE'S BACK NOW, HE USED TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO DESIGNATE AN AREA FOR A WIN.
AND WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, IT'S SO LARGE THAT THAT'S WHAT COMES TO MY MIND.
IS IT TOO BIG OR IS IT BETTER TO BE BIG? THAT, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
COUNCILMAN KUHL, AND I'LL OFFER MY ANSWER ANYWAY.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S BETTER TO BE BIG EVEN THOUGH, UH, THIS IS BIGGER THAN ANY OTHER TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICT, UH, THAT DECATUR HAS HAD.
CERTAINLY THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARE LARGER IN OTHER PLACES IN ILLINOIS, BUT THIS IS THE LARGEST THAT DECATUR HAS HAD.
I THINK THAT THE HISTORY OF TIFF IN DECATUR HAS BEEN MUCH MORE SPECIFICALLY DEVELOPER AND PROJECT DRIVEN.
UM, AND SO THE TIFF DISTRICT ENDS UP BEING JUST THE DEVELOPER'S PROPERTY.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S NOT, ALTHOUGH THAT'S LEGAL, UH,
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THERE, THERE'S NOTHING INAPPROPRIATE, UH, ABOUT THAT.I DON'T THINK IT WAS INTENDED TO BE USED THAT WAY.
I WOULD, I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS INTENDED TO BE USED ON A MUCH BROADER HOLISTIC BASIS FOR CHANGING THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
AND IF THAT'S WHAT YOUR GOAL IS, THEN BIGGER IS BETTER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MADAM CLERK CALL THE ROLL.
[4. Resolution Authorizing a Professional Services Agreement between the City of Decatur and PGAV Planners, LLC for Conducting Eligibility Studies and Preparing TIF Development Plans]
FOUR, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF DECATUR AND P G A V PLANNERS L L C FOR CONDUCTING ELIGIBILITY STUDIES AND PREPARING TIF DEVELOPMENT PLANS.MOTION THAT THE RESOLUTION DO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.
MR. MANAGER, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? ONLY THAT THIS IS A VERY SPECIALIZED FIELD AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO BRING A CONSULTANT ON.
UM, NOT ONLY WERE, WERE WE IMPRESSED, UH, UH, WITH THIS PARTICULAR ONE ABOVE ALL THE OTHERS, UH, THAT WE INTERVIEWED AND EVALUATED THEIR PROPOSALS.
BUT, UM, FOR SEVERAL YEARS THE CITY WAS WORKING WITH ANOTHER, UM, TIFF ATTORNEY BASED IN PEORIA, UH, JUST FOR ODDS AND ENDS AND THE ISSUES THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD COME UP THAT WE WOULD NEED OUTSIDE OF LEGAL COUNSEL FOR.
AND SO WE NEED TO REPLACE THAT FUNCTION ANYWAY.
AND SO IF THIS RELATIONSHIP WORKS OUT, IF IT'S SATISFACTORY TO EVERYONE, UH, THEN I THINK THAT, THAT MAYBE WE'RE ABLE TO USE THEM FOR OTHER ISSUES THAT THAT COME UP.
I MEAN, THERE ARE OUTSTANDING LEGAL ISSUES WE HAVE NOW WITH SOME OF THE TIFFS NOT ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING.
UH, AND SO HAVING PROFESSIONALS THAT WE CAN GO TO ON A REGULAR BASIS COULD BE ENHANCED BY THIS CONTRACT AS WELL.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MADAM CLERK CALL THE ROLL.
[5. Resolution Authorizing Agreements with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) FY2023 Grant Funds]
FIVE, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AGREEMENTS WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUND FUNDS AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP F Y 2023 GRANT FUNDS MOTION, THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.SECOND, MR. MANAGER, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL.
EVERY YEAR YOU HAVE TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION.
UM, WITH REGARD TO HOW WE USE OUR HUD AND HOME GRANT FUNDS, UM, I WOULD LIKE JUST A VERY BRIEF COMMENTARY FROM STAFF, NOT ONLY ABOUT HOW WE'RE DOING THAT THIS YEAR, BUT ALSO SOME THINGS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT FOR NEXT YEAR AND MAKING SOME, UM, SOME CHANGES IN THE, IN THE DIRECTION OF THIS.
I GUESS MS. DUNBAR IS GONNA, GOOD EVENING.
UM, SO WE, UH, ANNUALLY RECEIVE AN ALLOCATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, UM, FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS, AS WELL AS HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP FUNDING.
UM, WE HAVE REALLY STARTED TO LOOK AT, UH, DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH TO USE THAT FUNDING.
THE ARPA FUNDING AVAILABLE HAS GIVEN US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME OF THE SAME THINGS SIMILAR THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH OUR FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, AGAIN, NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION ON A, A LARGER SCALE.
AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, UH, BRINGING SOME IDEAS TO YOU AS TO HOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD SPECIFICALLY WITH OUR GREAT STREETS GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? YOU GOT OFF EASY, MADAM CLERK.
[6. Resolution Authorizing Amendment To Agreement With Shemilah Outreach Center For Clean-Up Green-up Initiative]
NUMBER SIX, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AND OR ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TO AMEND AGREEMENT WITH THE SHAMMAH OUTREACH CENTER FOR THE CLEANUP GREENUP INITIATIVE.THE RESOLUTION DO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.
SECOND, MR. MANAGER, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL.
THIS ITEM ALONG WITH NUMBER SEVEN, I SUPPOSE, ARE, ARE BOTH, UM, UM, ARE COMPANION ITEMS AS WELL.
NOW, YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM SHEM EARLIER THIS EVENING, UH, BUT, UH, HOW HIS PROPOSAL AND THE WORK THAT HE HAS DONE FOR US BOTH IN THE PAST AND WE HOPE IN THE FUTURE BEARS SOME SIMILARITY NOT ENTIRELY WITH THE WORK THAT WE JUST, THAT YOU JUST CONTRACTED WITH O K O C C FOR CERTAINLY THE WORK THAT HIS ORGANIZATION IS DOING IS VALUABLE TO US.
IT HELPS OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN, IT'S FUNDED, UH, BY THE HOWARD BUFFET FOUNDATION TO DO EXACTLY THAT IN THE JOHNS HILL AREA.
BUT HE'S USING, UH, FOLKS WHO HAVE SOMETIMES BEEN, UH, HAD TOUGHER TIMES WITH THE JOBS, TOUGHER TIMES, MAYBE ADJUSTING TO LIFE, MAKING GOOD DECISIONS.
AND SO THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT A JOB, IT'S ALSO ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE
[00:55:01]
AND, AND TRANSFORMING THE LIVES THAT YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM THOSE, THOSE FOLKS.SO YOU'RE REALLY APPROVING NOT JUST TWO CONTRACTS, BUT TWO TYPES OF, OF INITIATIVES THAT ARE, UM, THAT ARE BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
JUST TO STAFF HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO ADD ON THAT? SHI I WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW MANY TIMES IT'S NOT EASY AND SOMETIMES IT'S PROBABLY PRETTY HEARTBREAKING, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU FOR JUST HANGING IN THERE AND TEACHING, UM, THE CHILDREN IN OUR, AND THE YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL COUNCILMAN HORNE? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I, I WANTED TO, UM, REFLECT A LITTLE BIT AND SAY, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE COUNCIL BEFORE THAT BLIGHT REDUCTION REDUCES CRIME.
AND WE HAVE SEEN THAT IN NUMEROUS NATIONAL STUDIES AND IN THE EARLY RESULTS OF THE JOHNS HILL NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PROJECT, WE'VE ALSO SEEN REDUCTION IN CRIME.
IN FACT, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT WAS THE FIRST STEP IN, UH, THE JOHNS HILL NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION INITIATIVE, IT WAS $1 MILLION IN FUNDING TO REDUCE THE BLIGHT.
AND SO WHEN WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE NEIGHBORHOODS AND TO IMPROVE PROPERTIES AND REDUCE BLIGHT, WE ARE SEEING A REDUCTION IN CRIME.
AND SO WHEN WE HEAR FROM OUR POLICE CHIEF THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA TAKE EVERYONE WORKING TOGETHER, UH, TO REDUCE CRIME, BLIGHT REDUCTION IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE.
AND WE'VE SEEN EVEN INDICATOR THAT IT REDUCES CRIME.
AND SO MY QUESTION TO CITY STAFF IS, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO TAKE IN TERMS OF, UH, FINANCIAL VALUE TO EXPAND PROGRAMS LIKE THIS ONE THAT WE'RE GONNA APPROVE TONIGHT TO THESE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS? BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN ISSUE OF FINANCES.
THE CITY HAS MORE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO REDUCE BLIGHT TO EXPAND THE CLEANUP GREENUP UP GREEN UP PROGRAM.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY ABOUT GETTING SOMETHING TO THE COUNCIL TO HELP WITH THIS INITIATIVE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? WELL, I, I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM STAFF ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I THINK WHEN THE CLEANUP GREENUP WAS CREATED, IT WAS INTENDED TO BE A PILOT PROGRAM TO SEE HOW IT WOULD WORK IN THE JOHNS HILL AREA.
UM, AND THEN TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT AND EXPAND IT IN, INTO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, AND THAT'S, IT'S OUR PLAN IS TO EXPAND IT.
SO WHEN ARE WE GONNA EXPAND IT? I DON'T HAVE A TIMETABLE YET.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA CALL THE ROLL.
[7. Resolution Authorizing Sub-Recipient Agreement Between City of Decatur and Inherited Services For Clean-Up Green-Up Initiative]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF DECATUR AND INHERITED SERVICES FOR THE CLEANUP GREENUP INITIATIVE MOTION THAT THE RESOLUTION DO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.THIS CONTRACT IS LIKE THE, IS LIKE THE OTHER ONE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COUNCILMAN HORNE, UH, MS. DRYING, COULD YOU JUST BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THOSE TWO CONTRACTS? UM, SO WE, UH, HAVE TALKED TO, UH, SHAMAH OUTREACH CENTER AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW IS THAT WE NEED TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF, UH, PARTICIPATION WITHIN JOHNS HILL SO THAT WE CAN COMPLETE JOHNS HILL AND MOVE TOWARDS ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD AS YOU, UM, ASKED ABOUT, UM, COUNCILMAN HORN.
AND SO, UH, INHERITED SERVICES IS ONE OF OUR MOWING CONTRACTORS.
HE HAS BEEN WORKING, UH, WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD INSPECTIONS DIVISION FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW AND HAS DONE AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB.
WE PULLED HIM, UH, INTO THIS PROGRAM IN HELPS THAT WE CAN, AGAIN, COMPLETE THE JOHNS HILL AREA SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND DO SOMETHING ELSE WHEN IN ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN COOPER, WHAT'S YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR ANTICIPATED
[01:00:01]
DATE IF THINGS GO, GO WELL WITH THE NEW CONTRACTORS? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR ANTICIPATED DATE OF COMPLETION OF THE JOHN SEAL AREA? YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO SAY.UM, THANK GOODNESS WE HAVE THE BUFFET, UH, FOUNDATION FUNDING SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT WE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BE FINISHED BY NOW AGAIN WITH THE WEATHER.
UM, THE AVAILABILITY OF SHAMILA OUTREACH AND THE YOUTH BECAUSE WHEN THEY GO BACK TO SCHOOL, THEY'RE ABLE, THEY AREN'T ABLE TO WORK AS MUCH AS THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE SUMMERTIME.
UM, AGAIN, WE HAD, UH, THE COVID SITUATION AND SO GETTING THEM EQUIPPED AND TRAINED SO THAT THEY COULD DO THAT.
AND THEN ALSO SHAMMAH HAD TO HIRE SUPERVISORS BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY CHILDREN THAT WERE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING.
AND SO THAT'S ONE REASON WHY WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH INHERITED SERVICES BECAUSE THEY ARE ALSO ABLE TO GO IN AND DO THE CLEANUPS AND ALSO ABLE TO CUT DOWN TREES, WHICH IS A NEW FACET THAT WE HAVE ADDED TO THE SHAMINA OUTREACH PROGRAM.
I STILL DIDN'T HEAR ANY KIND OF DATE.
SO ANTICIPATED DATE, NO, I DON'T HAVE A, I DON'T HAVE AN ANTICIPATED DATE.
WE HAD HOPED THAT WE WOULD BE DONE MAYBE TWO YEARS AGO, BUT, UM, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO WORK AS LONG AS POSSIBLE INTO THE FALL AND THEN HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE SEASON I'D LOVE TO SEE IT DONE.
AND SO THE CONTRACT, I THINK IS THROUGH 24.
COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? UM, PART, AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM SAYS EACH RESIDENT WILL WORK AT LEAST ONE HOUR AS PART OF THE PROGRAM.
ONE HOUR AND IT'S THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEIR PROPERTY.
YOU GOTTA HAVE SOME SWEAT EQUITY, YOU KNOW, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME SWEAT EQUITY SO THAT I'M NOT TOO PLEASED WITH.
UM, IN THAT PROCESS, WE HAVE HAD SOME FOLKS THAT HAVE DONE MORE THAN AN HOUR.
UM, WE HAVE HAD SOME FOLKS THAT HAVE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, WHETHER THEY WERE SENIORS AND HAD SOME KIND OF A DISABILITY, THEY'RE ALSO ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE, UH, FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS TO HELP AND TO FULFILL THAT TIME.
SO WE DID JUST WANNA HAVE THEM HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOME SWEAT IN THE GAME.
UM, AND, UM, IT HAS FOR THE MOST PART, YOU KNOW, BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
IF THERE ARE NO, UH, MR. MANAGER, I, I WANT TO POINT OUT, I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT MOST OF THIS, OF THESE CONTRACTS IS WORK ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY'S, UM, EFFORTS HAVE BEEN PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON THE RIGHT OF WAY ON PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, AND ON REHABILITATION OF THE STRUCTURES IN THE BUILDINGS, UM, THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND JUST CLEANING UP DEBRIS AND TREES THAT HAVE FALLEN AND BUSHES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN TRIMMED.
I MEAN, THAT'S NOT NORMALLY A FUNCTION OF THE GOVERNMENT TO DO.
WE USUALLY LOOK TO LANDOWNERS TO DO THAT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE SAID REPEATEDLY THAT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE URBAN CORE IS DIFFERENT.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY TRUE HERE TOO.
UM, SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THIS.
UH, SOME OF THEM WE HAVE MORE COOPERATION WITH WITH, UH, WITH THE OWNERS OR THE TENANTS AND SOME, SOME WE DON'T.
IT REALLY IS VARIED AND, AND THAT'S WHY, UH, I DON'T JUST RUSH TO THE ASSUMPTION THAT THIS, OKAY, ONCE WE FIGURE THIS OUT, WE CAN REPLICATE IT EVERYWHERE.
IT'S NOT, IT REALLY IS A VERY, AND I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THAT GOING INTO THIS, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT FOR US TO LEARN, FIGURE OUT HOW WE LEVERAGE WITH THE RESOURCES THAT ARE IN A COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN WE DO LOOK TO EXPAND IT, OTHER COMMUNITIES WILL BE FASHIONING IT BASED ON THE UNIQUE RESOURCES AND THE, AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE THERE TOO.
WE HAVE, UM, IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING, BUT PAT'S TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING WITH SOME OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE, IN THE URBAN QUARRY AREA FOR HOW THEY CAN GET RID OF TRASH AND DEBRIS USING A DIFFERENT RESOURCE THROUGH PARTNERING WITH, WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT.
AND SO HOW TO GET THIS DEBRIS THAT'S ON, MOSTLY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY 'CAUSE WE CLEAN UP THE PUBLIC PROPERTY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IS, UM, IS, IS TURNING OUT TO BE A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK.
AND, AND IT'S DIFFERENT IN EACH NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THE, THE, THE CLEANUP GREENUP PROGRAM IS SORT OF THE, THE UMBRELLA DESCRIPTION OF ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM I DO WANNA ADD TO, WITH INHERITED SERVICES, WITH ALL THE STORMS THAT WE HAD, WE HAD SO MANY, UH, HOMEOWNERS, UM, THAT TREES WERE DOWN AND THEY DIDN'T FINANCIAL AND, AND WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FINANCIALLY AFFORD TO ASSIST AND, AND DO THOSE REMOVALS HAD NOT BEEN FOR THIS PROGRAM.
THANK YOU MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
[01:05:01]
AYE.[8. Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of Recruitment and Retention Grant Awarded to the Decatur Police Department by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board]
EIGHT, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION GRANT AWARD TO THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BY THE ILLINOIS LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING AND STANDARDS BOARD.MOTION OF THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.
SECOND, MR. MANAGER, I'M NOT GONNA STEAL ANY OF THE CHIEF'S THUNDER.
FIR FIRST THING I, I NEED TO APOLOGIZE.
SO IF I HAVE TO SQUINT OR BORROW COUNCILMAN COLS, I MAY HAVE TO DO THAT.
UM, THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WE HAVE IS OUR RECRUITING AND RETENTION, RIGHT? THAT'S THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, IS OUR STAFFING.
UM, OUR, OUR, MY PARTICULAR THREE PILLARS OF, OF SUCCESS FOR THE DEPARTMENT IS WE MOVE FORWARD, ARE RECRUITING, RETENTION, TECHNOLOGY AND TRAINING.
BUT I CAN'T DO ANY OF IT WITHOUT PEOPLE.
AND ABOUT SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS AGO, THINGS STARTED TO CHANGE IN THE WORLD OF POLICING IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO HIRE AND RECRUIT.
WHEN I GOT HIRED, PROBABLY SIMILAR WITH COUNCILMAN COLT, THERE WERE FIVE, 600 PEOPLE COMPETING FOR 20 SPOTS.
AND THAT WAS THE WAY IT WAS ACROSS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND THEN IN 2020 IT ALL GOT TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.
SO SINCE 2020, WE'VE LOST THROUGH RETIREMENT'S, RESIGNATIONS, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S 64 OFFICERS.
AND WE'VE HIRED 61, 20 20 HURT US.
'CAUSE WE WEREN'T ABLE TO HIRE ANYBODY THAT YEAR 'CAUSE OF COVID.
UH, AND NOW WE'RE PLAYING CATCH UP AND WE'RE DOING THAT.
I REMEMBER YEARS AGO OUR, OUR RECRUITING BUDGET WAS $3,000.
IN 2021, OUR RECRUITING BUDGET WAS $12,000.
WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF HAVING TO COMPETE WITH EVERY OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR GOOD CANDIDATES.
UM, I'VE REFUSED TO LOWER OUR STANDARDS, UH, BECAUSE ALL THAT DOES IS LEAD TO PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE BASICALLY CHOSEN TO WEATHER THE STORM, AND I FEEL WE'RE COMING OUT OF IT NOW, BUT IT ISN'T CHEAP, RIGHT? UH, I DO BELIEVE IN 2024, WE'LL, WE'LL LIKELY HIT FULL STAFF.
BUT THAT DOESN'T, UH, MEAN THAT, UH, IT'S GONNA BE EASY MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE WE ALSO PROJECT SEVERAL RETIREMENTS, UH, THAT'LL BE COMING THROUGH 2027.
THERE'S SOME LARGE GROUPS OF HIGHER GROUPS, UH, THAT CAME.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE NEEDED TO LOOK AT FUNDING AND, UH, THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, UH, KNOWING THE, UH, PROBLEMS THAT POLICE DEPARTMENTS HAVE HAD IN RECRUITING, PUT OUT A GRANT LAST YEAR OR THIS YEAR.
UH, AND WE APPLIED FOR THAT AND ASKED FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND AND THAT'S WHAT WE GOT.
UH, SO THIS, THIS BREAKDOWN BASICALLY IS ROUGHLY $60,000 FOR, UH, MARKETING AND, UH, STRATEGIC TARGETING IN TERMS OF, OF THAT ADVERTISING AND MARKETING, SOME WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT, UH, TO GET, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND MORE APPEALING AND DRAW THE ATTENTION.
$25,000 FOR MINORITY RECRUITING.
AND THEN, UH, ANOTHER $5,000 FOR CAREER COLLEGE AND CAREER FAIRS.
SO WE CAN DO A LITTLE BIT OF TRAVELING.
AND THIS IS ALSO TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT'S CURRENTLY IN OUR BUDGET, WHAT WE HAD BUDGETED WITH A R P.
AND WHAT I'LL BE ASKING FOR, FOR 2024 IS BUDGET.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IS, IS IF WE WANT TO GET GOOD PEOPLE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SPEND A LITTLE MONEY TO DO IT.
UH, AND AND WITH THINGS LIKE THIS, IT CERTAINLY HELPS, UH, THE CITY AND THE BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
FIRST, NUMBER ONE, THANK YOU FOR NOT LOWERING YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND YOUR STANDARDS.
NUMBER TWO, THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR LOOKING OUT FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, OUR BILLBOARDS, WE OFFER $5,000 RECRUITMENT.
ARE WE IN PAR WITH, UH, OTHER, UM, CENTRAL ILLINOIS COMMUNITIES ON THAT? UH, YES.
SOME OFFER A LITTLE BIT MORE, SOME, SOME LESS, SOME NONE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT, UM, I, I KNOW FROM TALKING TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE'VE HIRED AND, AND, UH, THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE APPLIED THAT THE, UH, SIGNING BONUSES APPEALING TO THEM AND, AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAUGHT THEIR ATTENTION.
AND, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS PROCESS AND, AND THAT THE SIGNING BONUSES IS NOT, UH, IS A SEPARATE BUDGET LINE THAT WE HAVE WITHIN A R P.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT THOSE WILL LAST, YOU KNOW, FOREVER OR IN PER PERPETUITY AT ALL.
UM, THAT THAT'LL COME TO AN END AT SOME POINT.
UM, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT IS APPROPRIATE RIGHT NOW.
COUNCILMAN KEHL, ARE THERE ANY OTHER TRICKS OF THE TRADE THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES DO THAT MAYBE YOU WANT TO DO, BUT MAYBE YOU ARE LIMITED FINANCIALLY OF OFFERING? YOU KNOW, UM, I THOUGHT MAYBE THAT WOULD BE THE CASE.
UH, WHEN I WENT OUT TO THE F B I ACADEMY EARLIER THIS YEAR, THEY HAD A, A SESSION SOLELY ON RECRUITING, UH, AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY SUGGESTED THAT POLICE DEPARTMENTS DO, WERE DOING.
AND THEN SOME, IS THERE SOMETHING
[01:10:01]
OUT THERE MAYBE WE COULD BE DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE? UH, MAYBE, I MEAN, PART OF OUR RECRUITING STRATEGY HAS BEEN TO DO AN INTERNAL STUDY AS WELL.UH, THAT IS ALSO, THAT'S LOOKED INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, UH, ON THINGS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO TO ATTRACT PEOPLE INTO THIS PROFESSION.
UM, SO, UH, A MATTER OF FACT, I I, I JUST KIND OF GOT, UH, A REPORT ON THAT TODAY.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT THAT AND TRYING TO SEE IF THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, MIGHT, MIGHT, UH, INTEREST PEOPLE AND, AND, UH, GET THEIR ATTENTION.
WELL JUST MAKE SURE YOU LET US KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF YOU COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK WOULD WORK.
FIRST THING I'M GONNA DO IS SELL IT.
COUNCILMAN COOPER, UH, APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING AND TRYING TO DO.
UM, I'M PRETTY SURE WE DON'T DO DARE DARE PROGRAMS ANYMORE IN DECATUR, CORRECT? WE DO NOT.
UH, I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK BACK AT GETTING SOME, SOME TYPE OF PROGRAMS GOING WITH THE POLICE, THE POLICE OFFICERS IN THE DEPARTMENT, INSIDE OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A, A GROUP, IT MAY BE ONLY 10, MAYBE 12, MAYBE FIVE OF INDIVIDUALS COMING OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL, UM, THAT WILL HAVE POTENTIAL AND THEY WILL WANT TO WORK IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE'RE NOT EXPOSING THEM ENOUGH, I DON'T THINK, TO A POSITIVE THING OF WHAT POLICE DO TO MAYBE CAPTURE SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT'S NOT GONNA MAYBE GO ON TO A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE OR STRAIGHT INTO THE, OR SOME OF 'EM MAY GO INTO THE MILITARY, BUT WE MAY CAPTURE THEM AS A POLICE OFFICER.
SO I HOPE SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE WE CAN CAPTURE, AGAIN, PUTTING SOME TYPE OF PROGRAMS INTO OUR SCHOOLS WHERE THE OFFICERS CAN WORK WITH KIDS AND RECRUITING, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A BIG, BIG POCKET OF RECRUITING THAT'S BEING MISSED.
SO WE ARE, WE HAVE HAD GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH D P S ABOUT THAT VERY ISSUE.
UM, THE DARE PROGRAM IS, IS A, A BYGONE PROGRAM, BUT THERE ARE ARE MODERN PROGRAMS THAT CAN BE UTILIZED.
UH, AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN THE, UH, UM, ORGANIZATIONS.
I KNOW WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT GO INTO, INTO, UM, THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS THERE.
WE HAVE WENT INTO THE SCHOOLS.
COVID CHANGED THAT A LITTLE BIT 'CAUSE WE WERE IN THERE QUITE A BIT AT THAT POINT.
UM, AND, AND I DO AGREE WE NEED TO GET IN THERE A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT ONE OF OUR RESTRICTIONS AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S HAMSTRUNG US ON THAT IS OUR STAFFING.
UM, I CAN'T PULL PEOPLE TO DO THAT IF I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO EVEN HANDLE THE CALLS THAT WE'RE GETTING.
SO ONCE WE CAN GET BOLSTERED ON THAT STAFFING, WE'RE ABLE TO DO BROADER PROJECTS.
THERE MAY, MAYBE SOMEWHERE WE CAN USE, I KNOW WE GOT, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, HOW MANY OFFICERS WE HAVE AT, I KNOW WE GOT ONE AT EACH HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT MAYBE WE CAN UTILIZE THAT INDIVIDUAL WHO'S, WHO'S ALREADY THERE IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS TO DO SOME MORE, SOME TYPE OF RECRUITMENT PROGRAMS DURING THE TIME PERIODS THAT THEY'RE THERE.
ALRIGHT, SEEING NO OTHER QUESTIONS, MADAM CLERK, COUNCILMAN HORN? AYE.
[9. Resolution Accepting the Proposal and Authorizing the Execution of an Agreement for Professional Services for the Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan with CDM Smith]
RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING THE PROPOSAL AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE READINESS PLAN WITH C D M SMITH MOTION.THE RESOLUTION DO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.
SECOND, MR. MANAGER, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT SEVERAL MONTHS AGO YOU APPROVED A CITY STATE AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF ILLINOIS FOR A $240,000 GRANT THAT THEY PROVIDED FOR US TO DO THIS PLANNING.
UM, AND IN ORDER TO GET THAT GRANT, WE HAD TO AGREE, AS YOU DID IN THAT GRANT AGREEMENT TO, UH, PAY, PROVIDE 20% OF THE FUNDING.
UM, THIS PROPOSAL AUTHORIZES A, A STUDY UP TO $388,000.
OUR $60,000 MATCH AND POTENTIALLY OR OPTIONALLY AN $88,000 EXTRA THROUGH, THROUGH SOME TRANSIT MONIES, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE.
SO IF IT'S NOT AVAILABLE, THEN WE'RE THEN, THEN WE'RE, IT'S STRUCTURED AS AN OPTION AND WE'LL TAKE THAT PIECE OFF AND WE WILL THROUGH, UM, THROUGH OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND THROUGH THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, UH, PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF THE CITIZEN INTERACTION PIECE OF IT.
THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT CITIZEN INTERACTION, IT'S ALSO ABOUT BRINGING TO THE TABLE THE, THE, THE, UH, THE INPUT AND THE RESOURCES OF, OF MAJOR EMPLOYERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH FLEETS THAT MAY BE THINKING ABOUT CHANGING OVER TO, UH, TO, TO EV AND HOW THAT SHOULD BE INTEGRATED INTO THE SYSTEM.
UM, WE'RE NOT SPENDING $1 OF ANY OF THIS TO BUILD ANY CHARGING STATION OR TO BUILD ANY KIND OF EV INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT, FOR THE OBVIOUS REASONS, OF COURSE, THAT WHY ANY PLAN IS IMPORTANT IS THAT, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ESPECIALLY HAS ALLOCATED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DOLLARS FOR EV INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE FUTURE.
AND ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IS GONNA BE THAT WE HAVE AN EV PLAN.
SO THIS, THIS IS OUR TICKET, IF YOU WILL, TO, TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE FUNDING PROGRAMS AS THEY COME DOWN.
[01:15:01]
DOWN THE PIKE, UH, AS AS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERY COMMUNITY, BUT ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR A COMMUNITY LIKE DECATUR THAT HAS A LOT OF TRUCKING, A A LOT OF INDUSTRIAL, UM, ENTERPRISES, WHICH, UM, ARE PERHAPS MORE AHEAD OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAN IN MORE SO INDUSTRIAL THAN NON-INDUSTRIAL IN THINKING ABOUT HOW EV NEEDS, NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THEIR FUTURE BUSINESS PLANS.
SO, UM, AS I SAID, THIS PROGRAM IF, UH, IF IT'S APPROVED, WILL BE, UH, LEAST MANAGED, UH, BY THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
UM, UH, LACEY IS HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW SHE'LL DO THAT.
UM, OTHERWISE I RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT.
SO WITH THE PLAN COSTING $388,481, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY COULD HIRE A, A STAFF MEMBER TO DO? THAT'S A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUNDING, UH, FOR ONE PLAN.
AND I'M, I'M THINKING ONE PERSON, UH, FULL-TIME.
THAT'S, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT, UH, SALARY FOR ONE PERSON FULL-TIME.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHETHER THE STATE WOULD, UH, PAY FOR SOMEONE TO DO THIS PLAN.
UM, I, UH, SHARE YOUR VIEW THAT IF SOMETHING CAN BE INTERNALIZED INTO A CITY ORGANIZATION, THEN WE SHOULD DO IT.
UM, WE LOOK TO OUTSOURCE WHEN WE EITHER DON'T HAVE THAT EXPERTISE IN-HOUSE OR THE TIMELINES REQUIRED TO GET IT DONE, REQUIRED THAT WE BRING OTHER RESOURCES TO THE TABLE FROM OUTSIDE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS THE CASE HERE.
UM, I DON'T THINK BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO DO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS WANT US TO INCLUDE IN THE PLAN, UH, FROM, FROM, UH, FROM FLEET ASSESSMENT TO, TO ANALYZING THE CAPACITY OF THE POWER GRID TO BE UPGRADED AND SO FORTH.
THE ONE PIECE THAT I BELIEVE THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO, UH, IN-HOUSE IS THE PORTION THAT'S OPTIONAL AND THAT'S THE CITIZEN INTERACTION PIECE.
UH, AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S SHOWN AS OPTIONAL.
IF WE CAN GET FUNDING FOR IT, UH, FROM OUTSIDE, THEN THAT'S ALWAYS BETTER.
UH, BUT IF, BUT IF, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT, THEN THAT IS THE ONE PIECE I BELIEVE WE CAN INTERNALIZE.
LACEY, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? YEAH, I WOULD JUST POINT OUT YOU COULD PROBABLY PAY SOMEBODY $125,000 A YEAR PLUS BENEFITS FOR TWO YEARS FOR LESS MONEY THAN THIS, THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT COSTS.
UH, BUT WHAT IS THE ANTICIPATED TIMELINE ONCE WE FINISH THE PLAN THAT WE ACTUALLY WILL HAVE A PUBLIC EV CHARGING STATION HERE IN DECATUR.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT WHILE SHE'S FINDING HER WAY TO THE PODIUM.
LET ME SAY THAT, THAT, UM, I, I THINK THAT SIMPLY SAYING THAT, WELL, $150,000, YOU CAN GET A LOT OFF SOMEBODY.
I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S AN ACCURATE CHARACTERIZATION OR EVEN A CRITICISM OF, OF THIS.
I MEAN, P UH, C D M SMITH BRINGS EXPERTISE THAT THE STATE WANTS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WANTS TO SEE IN THIS APPLICATION.
WE DON'T HAVE IT LOCALLY, SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO REACH OUT.
AND, UH, AND IN FACT, C D M SMITH WAS ONE OF THE STATE'S PREFERRED VENDORS.
UH, SO THAT'S ALSO GONNA GIVE US A LEG UP IN TERMS OF WHO DOES THE PLAN AND HOW WE USE THE PLAN TO SECURE FUNDING IN THE FUTURE.
SO THE TIMELINE WILL BE CONTINGENT UPON THE FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS THAT WE GO OUT FOR AFTER THIS.
SO, UM, LIKE THE MANAGER SAID, THERE ARE A PLETHORA OF, UM, NEVY GRANT FUNDS OUT THERE, NATIONAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANS OR INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE THAT WE NEED THIS PLAN FOR.
ONCE WE HAVE THAT IN HAND, THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A BETTER TIMELINE.
AND AS FAR AS HIRING ONE PERSON, THE PLAN HAS SO MANY DIFFERENT PIECES OF IT AS FAR AS PERMITTING RECOMMENDATIONS, PLANNING, ZONING, SITE DESIGN, UM, THE ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE GRID.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE FEASIBLE FOR ONE PERSON TO HAVE ALL OF THAT, UM, INTRINSIC KNOWLEDGE TO BE ABLE TO GET US THE TYPE OF COMPETITIVE PLAN THAT WE WOULD NEED OR WANT SO THAT WE CAN BRING MORE INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS TO DECATUR.
UH, COUNCILMAN KUHL, DO YOU SEE US GOING? I MEAN, ARE WE TRYING TO GO A HUNDRED PERCENT EV OR WILL THERE BE SOME BACKUP VEHICLES IN THE FUTURE WHEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE ELECTRIC GRID HAS A PROBLEM AND, AND WE NEED TO GET AROUND WITHOUT ELECTRICITY? UH, IS THIS IN, IN REGARDS TO ALL OF OUR CITIZENS OR THE CITY ITSELF? THE CITY ITSELF IS, THIS IS FOR, IS THIS FOR OUR, UH, BUSES AND VEHICLES OR IS THIS JUST FOR CITY VEHICLES OR WHAT IS IT? SO THE PRIMARY PLAN FOR THIS IS A CITYWIDE AS IN THE CITY OF DECATUR AND MACON COUNTY.
AN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN TO BE ABLE TO DEPLOY, UM, CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO, TO NOT ONLY TO RESIDENTS, BUT PEOPLE PASSING THROUGH OUR AREA WHO NEED TO CHARGE THEIR CARS EN ROUTE.
[01:20:01]
SEEING NO OTHER QUESTIONS.MADAME CLERK, COUNCILMAN HORNE? AYE.
[10. Resolution Accepting Customer Truck One Source for the Sourcewell Contract Purchase of One (1) 2024 Freightliner Bucket Truck]
RESOLUTION ACCEPTING CUSTOMER TRUCK.WELL CONTRACT PURCHASE OF 1 20 24 FREIGHT LINER BUCKET TRUCK MOTION, THE RESOLUTION TO YOU PASS AND BE ADOPTED.
SECOND, MR. MANAGER MATT, UH, MAYOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THIS IS, UH, USING A SOURCE WELL BID FOR, UH, TO REPLACE ONE OF OUR 17 YEAR OLD, UH, FORESTRY BUCKET TRUCKS.
QUESTIONS? MADAM CLERK COUNCILMAN HORN? AYE.
ITEM 12, RESOLUTION APPROVING EXPENDITURE OF CITY FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF OFFICE 365 EXCHANGE ONLINE WITH PRESIDIO NETWORK.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO MOVE US ALONG.
[11. Resolution Accepting the Bid of Homer Tree Care, Inc. for Lake Embankment Tree and Shrub Removal]
ITEM 11 RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE BID OF HOMER TREE CARE INCORPORATED FOR LAKE EMBANKMENT TREE AND SHRUB REMOVAL.MOTION THAT THE RESOLUTION BE PASSED AND BE ADOPTED.
SECOND, MR. MANAGER, THIS IS, UH, A, UH, ALMOST A FAIRLY, UH, A YEARLY PROJECT THAT WE DO TO REDUCE, UH, SHRUBS AND TREES AND, AND OPEN UP THE, UH, STREETSCAPE FOR THE, FOR THE VIEW OF THE LAKE.
QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, MADAM CLERK COUNCILMAN HORNE? AYE.
[12. Resolution Approving Expenditure of City Funds for Implementation of Office 365 Exchange Online with Presidio Networked Solutions Group, LLC]
12 RESOLUTION APPROVING EXPENDITURE OF CITY FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF OFFICE 365 EXCHANGE ONLINE WITH PRESIDIO NETWORK SOLUTIONS GROUP, L L C.MOTION FOR THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.
I SEE MR. EDWARDS AT THE PODIUM.
HELLO MAYOR PROAM AND CITY COUNCIL.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO FORGET.
SO THIS PROJECT STARTED IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, WAS ANTICIPATED TO, TO COMPLETE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR AND DIDN'T COMPLETE UNTIL ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO,
SO WHAT YOU GOT BEFORE YOU IS A LATE INVOICE FOR THE CLOSE OF THAT PROJECT.
IT'S, UH, UH, I'VE GOT ENOUGH, UM, SAVINGS IN THE GENERAL FUND ON OTHER PROJECT WORK THAT I'VE DONE THAT WILL FUND THIS, UH, AND SQUARED UP JUST FINE.
BUT I'M ASKING FOR APPROVAL TO GO AHEAD AND EXPEND THE FUNDS AND CLOSE THE PROJECT.
SO ONCE WE APPROVE THIS, YOU CAN CLOSE THE BOOKS, RIGHT? AMEN.
QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, MADAM CLERK COUNCILMAN HORNE? AYE.
[13. Resolution Authorizing Renewal of Tyler Technologies, Inc. Maintenance and Support for Court Case Management Suite]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING RENEWAL OF TIRE TYLER TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT FOR COURSE CASE, COURT CASE MANAGEMENT SUITE.MOTION OF THE RESOLUTION DO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.
SO THIS NEXT ITEM HAS TO DO WITH RENEWING OUR MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT WITH THE COURT CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CALLED ENCODE.
AND IT'S A, IT'S AN ANNUAL, UH, EVENT THAT WE DO.
WHAT MAKES THIS A BIT DIFFERENT THIS YEAR IS I HAD BUDGETED A 4% INCREASE.
IT WENT 2% OVER THAT BECAUSE OF THE COST OF LIVING, UH, THAT WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE GOING TO SIX.
SO, UH, BUT IT ALSO WILL BECOME BUDGET NEUTRAL.
I'LL HAVE ENOUGH SAVINGS IN THE, IN THE FUND IN ORDER TO BALANCE IT.
QUESTIONS MADAM CLERK? COUNCILMAN HORN? AYE.
[14. Consent Calendar: Items on the Consent Agenda/Calendar are matters requiring City Council approval 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.]
CALENDAR ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.CALENDAR ARE MATTERS REQUIRING CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OR ACCEPTANCE, BUT WHICH ARE ROUTINE AND RECURRING IN NATURE AND 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 APPROVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA CALENDAR WILL BE DISCUSSED AND VOTED ON SEPARATELY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CONSENT AGENDA CALENDAR, DOES ANY MEMBER WISH TO REMOVE AN ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA?
[01:25:01]
MADAM CLERK, ITEM A ORDINANCE ANNEXING TERRITORY 41 17 DEAN DRIVE, ITEM B ORDINANCE ANNEXING TERRITORY 30 80 EAST MOUND ROAD, ITEM C, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY 27 0 5 SOUTHLAND ROAD, ITEM D RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1570 WEST FOREST AVENUE, DECATUR, ILLINOIS.ITEM E RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CONTRIBUTION TO DECATUR, MACON COUNTY AREA CRIME STOPPERS.
ITEM F RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY OF DECATUR TO ENTER INTO PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR PURCHASE OF THREE.
FIRE APPARAT APPARATUS FROM MCQUEEN EMERGENCY ST.
PAUL MINNESOTA IN AGREEMENT FOR DEBT FINANCING OF APPARATUS.
ITEM G RESOLUTION, APPROVING APPOINTMENTS, ZONING, BOARD OF APPEALS.
I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEMS AS PRESENTED.
[VII. Other Business]
OTHER BUSINESS THEY WOULD LIKE TO BRING BEFORE THE COUNCIL? UH, COUNCILMAN COPE.AS A WRAP UP, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE MY FRIEND AND FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBER CHUCK KEHL FOR HIS 25 YEARS OF DEDICATION TO THE URSULA BECKS TENNIS TOURNAMENT.
RUNNING SOMETHING THIS IS MAGNITUDE IS AN ALL YEAR DEAL, NOT JUST, UM, A FEW DAYS ANNUALLY.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WHAT HE BROUGHT TO OUR CITY FOR SO MANY YEARS AND THE MENTORING HE GAVE TO SO MANY ATHLETES HERE LOCALLY AND ABROAD.
I WANT TO CONGRATULATE HIM FOR THAT.
UH, MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UH, I BELIEVE EVERYTHING IS SET FOR THE STRATEGIC STA STUDY SET STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION ON FRIDAY THE 18TH.
UM, WE HAD TO MOVE SOME TIMES AROUND, BUT I THINK WE WE'RE GONNA START PRETTY EARLY, LITTLE AFTER SEVEN O'CLOCK
I KNOW THAT'S PRETTY EARLY, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT, WHAT THAT'S, WE GET THROUGH IT AND SHOEHORN SOME OF YOUR DIFFERENT SCHEDULES AND, UH, I WANTED TO ASK IF THE, UH, WE HAVEN'T HAD A STUDY SESSION.
THIS IS A STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION, A REGULAR STUDY SESSION FOR SOME MONTHS, BUT WE'D LIKE TO PROCEED WITH ONE ON IN SEPTEMBER.
THAT WOULD BE THE SECOND MONDAY, UH, THE 11TH, AS IS EVERYBODY.
AND SOME OF YOU ALREADY GOT BACK TO ME ABOUT THAT.
IS IS, IS THAT, UH, ANYWAY, IF, IF YOU'RE NOT CERTAIN, JUST GIVE ME A, SEND ME AN EMAIL IF YOU NEED TO CONSULT YOUR CALENDARS.
UH, AND OF COURSE OUR MEETING DAYS IN SEPTEMBER WILL BE THE FIFTH AND THE 18TH.
'CAUSE THE, THE FIRST MONDAY IS, IS LABOR DAY.
SO THAT'LL BE THE FIRST TUESDAY FOR THAT MEETING JUST TO UPDATE YOUR CALENDARS.
WE HAD, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, RESIDENTS COME.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES, I WON'T SAY COMPLAINTS, BUT IT'S COMPLAINT THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE IS THEY GET PASSED AROUND FROM WHAT DEPARTMENT TO DEPARTMENT? OH, THAT'S THIS DEPARTMENT.
WHEN I, MY FIRST GO AROUND ON THE CITY COUNCIL, I PUSHED, UH, TO HAVE CITY STAFF PUT A, LIKE A NEWSLETTER IN WITH OUR WATER BILLS TO KIND OF LET PEOPLE KNOW, YOU KNOW, HERE'S AN ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT ORDINANCE.
NOW THEY DID A GOOD JOB ON PROMOTING WHAT DECATUR HAD BEEN DOING, BUT THEY REALLY DIDN'T GET AROUND TO, OKAY, IF YOU HAVE THIS ISSUE, CONTACT THIS DEPARTMENT OR THIS IS, UH, UH, THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES RESIDENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE HALF THE ALLY THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF.
UH, NOT EVERYBODY GOES ON A WEBSITE, THE CITY WEBSITE.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOME IMPROVEMENTS COMING IN THAT, BUT, UH, YOU MIGHT LOOK AT PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, A CHART THAT WOULD GO OUT MAYBE WITH ONE, UH, ONE OR TWO OF THE WATER BILLS THAT OKAY WITH THIS ISSUE, CONTACT THIS DEPARTMENT WITH THIS TELEPHONE NUMBER THAT THEY COULD PUT ON THE FRIDGE.
IT SOUNDS SIMPLE, BUT THAT WOULD, UH, UH, AGAIN, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UH, ISSUES I HEAR FROM RESIDENTS.
THEY JUST GET PASSED AROUND CONSTANTLY IN THAT AND THEY GET FRUSTRATED.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, COUNCILMAN.
UH, I'VE HAD A SIMILAR CONVERSATION WITH SOME OF MY CITY MANAGER COLLEAGUES IN ILLINOIS WHO STRUGGLE WITH HOW DO WE GET THE MESSAGE OUT? AND, UM, I'VE DISCOVERED THAT, THAT THEY'VE DISCOVERED THE SAME THING.
I THINK IS THAT, UM, THAT THE, THE TIME OF PUTTING, UM, INSERTS INTO THE WATER BILLS IS GONE.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE SO USED TO OPENING OUR MAIL AND FINDING, YOU KNOW, JUST THROWING OUT HALF OF WHAT'S IN THOSE ENVELOPES.
AND, AND PLUS A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE AUTOMATIC PAY ANYWAY AND, AND SO THEY DON'T OPEN IT.
UM, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE NEWSLETTERS.
UM, THE, UM, WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT SOME OF THE CITIES HAVE FOUND EFFECTIVE, I'VE DISCUSSED THIS WITH, WITH RYAN, ER, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE HAVEN'T IMPLEMENTED ANYTHING YET, IS IS A NEWSLETTER THAT YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR THAT'S DELIVERED VIA EMAIL.
UM, SOME PEOPLE ARE RELUCTANT TO GIVE OUT THEIR EMAILS FOR THAT AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WHEN THEY'RE WILLING TO GIVE IT, THEN, THEN THEY'RE PROBABLY FOLKS WHO, WHO WANNA RECEIVE THE INFORMATION AND THEN THE CITY SENDS OUT, UM,
[01:30:01]
AN EMAIL TO ALL WHO ARE ON THE, ON THE LIST.WEEKLY, MONTHLY, WHATEVER WE WOULD SET, WE WOULD DECIDE THAT IT WOULD BE.
SO, I, I APPLAUD AND AGREE, UH, WITH, WITH YOU IN THE SENSE THAT WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND MORE WAYS TO REACH OUT TO CITIZENS IN, IN THIS AGE.
NO, UH, OUR CITIZENS DON'T GET IT FROM THE SAME SOURCE.
SOME USE THE NEWSPAPER, SOME USE SOCIAL MEDIA, SOME JUST EMAIL AND, AND, AND OTHER SOURCES THAT I HAVEN'T MENTIONED.
AND THE TRUTH IS, PART OF THE REASON WE HAVE SOMEONE WITH RYAN HOFFER'S TALENTS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO COVER ALL OF THEM.
AND SO I THINK THAT, UH, WHAT I AM MOVING TOWARDS IS MORE OF AN ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER RATHER THAN A PHYSICAL ONE, BUT FOR ALL THE SAME REASONS THAT THAT, THAT YOU'RE SAYING, BECAUSE IT, IT'S A WAY TO COVER TOPICS THAT, THAT DON'T COME TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THAT, THAT AREN'T THE SORTS OF THINGS THAT THEY WERE REGULARLY ANNOUNCING, BUT THEY MIGHT RELATE TO THE BASICS OF THEIR SERVICE DELIVERY.
UH, AND THEY STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
COUNCILMAN COOPER? YEAH, JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT A LITTLE BIT FROM COUNCILMAN MC MCDANIEL'S, I, I STILL THINK WE'RE GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION OF WHEN WE WANT TO GO.
I KNOW WE, WE ARE IN A AUTOMATED S SYSTEM ZONE TIME ZONE NOW.
BUT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE AGE OF THE PEOPLE POPULATION OF DECATUR AND THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE PROBLEMS AND ISSUES DO NOT USE EMAIL.
SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FIND A WAY TO REACH THAT POPULATION BECAUSE THEY, THEY, QUITE FRANKLY, YOUNG PEOPLE DO IT.
OUR OLDER POPULATION IN THE CATER STILL DOES NOT USE TO THE MOST FOR USE EMAILS.
UH, A LOT OF 'EM DON'T EVEN GET THE NEWSPAPER EVEN ANYMORE BASED ON THE PRICES.
SO WE STILL NEED TO DO MAILING TO PEOPLE'S ADDRESSES TO GET INFORMATION TO PEOPLE THAT ARE FIT THAT, THAT AREA.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT FIT THAT.
I, I I THINK THAT THE PROCESS AND OF GETTING INFORMATION TO OUR CITIZENS IS, IS AN ART MORE THAN IT IS A SCIENCE.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT WAYS TO, TO TRY TO GET THERE.
IF WE PRODUCE AN ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER, OBVIOUSLY IT'S SIMPLE ENOUGH TO MAKE IT HARD COPY AS WELL.
UH, THE WORST THAT HAPPENS IS THAT PEOPLE THROW IT AWAY.
I MEAN, AND, AND IT DOESN'T, WE IT CERTAINLY, WE, WE CAN EXPERIMENT WITH THAT.
'CAUSE IT WOULD BE THE, WE'D BE SAYING THE SAME THING, WHETHER IT'S IN A PRINTED INSERT INTO THE WATER BILLS OR WHETHER IT'S, UH, UM, ON THE NEWSLETTER.
I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL AND COUNCILMAN COOPER.
I, I LOVE THE IDEA OF, UM, AN INSERT IN THE WATER BILLS AS A WAY TO NOTIFY FOLKS OF PHONE NUMBERS SUCH AS NEIGHBORHOODS STANDARDS.
DON'T QUOTE ME ON THIS, BUT YOU COULD HAVE AN ORDINANCE OF THE MONTH, UH, SO THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE UP TO DATE ON CERTAIN CITY CODES.
AND, UM, I, I THINK IT'S A GREAT WAY AND EVEN IF 25 PEOPLE READ THAT NEWSLETTER AND ACTUALLY RESPONDED WITH SOME WAY TO THE CITY, I THINK THAT'D BE A BENEFIT TO THE CITY.
I KNOW EVERYONE'S READY TO CALL IT A NIGHT.
HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE CHIEF AND HIS ENTIRE DEPARTMENT FOR ACT ACTUALLY SOLICITING INFORMATION, RECEIVING IT BACK, LISTENING TO IT, AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE, UM, IN INCREASING YOUR SPEED ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS BY OVER 170%.
I KNOW ONE OF THE CONSISTENT COMPLAINTS COUNCIL PEOPLE GET IS THEY'RE DRIVE IN CRAZY ON THE ROADS.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND FOR ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
ALRIGHT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.