Oct 07, 2024 City Council Meeting

SOCIAL MEDIA REGARDING A SHOOTING THREAT REGARDING TWO INDIVIDUALS TO AREA SCHOOLS.

THANK YOU, SIR.

, AUSTIN .

UM, REAL QUICK, I JUST WANNA SAY WE'RE COMING UP ON A MONTH WHERE I WAS A TERRIFIED MOM ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

UM, I REMEMBER SITTING ON THE COUCH KIND OF SCROLLING, WATCHING TV MIND OF MY OWN BUSINESS, AND I SEE CHAOS ON

[00:15:01]

SO I WOULDN'T SAY CHIEF BRANDELL THANK YOU AND YOUR GUYS FOR GETTING IT STOPPED IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE I WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING AS A MOM THAT WENT FROM PANIC TO CALM.

UM, SO CHIEF BRANDELL, UM, JIM RU, AND ALL THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE AREA THAT, UM, WORKED FASTLY AND QUICKLY TO MAKE OUR KIDS SAFE.

I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MA'AM.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR MOORE AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

MY NAME IS DEBBIE DEIS.

I AM THE PLANT MANAGER FOR PRIMUS WET CORN MILLING FACILITY HERE IN DECATUR.

PERENT TRACES ITS HISTORY BACK TO THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS.

THE AE STALEY MANUFACTURING COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN DECATUR.

THE LEGACY COMPANY WAS ACQUIRED BY TATE LYLE IN 1988 AND BECAME PERENT IN APRIL OF 20 2022.

WHEN TATE AND LYLE SOLD A CONTROLLING INTEREST IN OUR PRIMARY PRODUCTS BUSINESS TO KPS CAPITAL PARTNERS.

WE CURRENTLY EMPLOY NEARLY 400 EMPLOYEES, APPROXIMATELY 400 CONTRACTORS AND PROCESS 250,000 BUSHELS OF CORN PER DAY IN DECATUR ALONE.

WHILE OUR NAME MAY BE NEW, WE ARE INSPIRED BY OUR DEEP ROOTS AND ARE EXCITED AND PROUD TO WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THIS COMPANY, INCLUDING THE POSITIVE IMPACT WE WILL MAKE IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES LIKE DECATUR.

NOT ONLY IS PERMEATE PLANNING SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THE CITY OF DECATUR, WHICH WILL CREATE MORE JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE IMPROVED OUR MANUFACTURING PROCESSES BY IMPLEMENTING CLIMATE FRIENDLY PROJECTS, SOME OF WHICH INCREASED OUR NATURAL GAS USAGE TO BETTER PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.

PROJECTS LIKE TRANSITIONING AWAY FROM COAL-FIRED BOILERS TO PRODUCE LOWER CARBON ENERGY AND INVESTMENT IN CO-GENERATION SYSTEMS. IN ADDITION TO THESE IMPROVEMENTS AND PREMIUM'S, RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF A $400 MILLION INVESTMENT IN OUR DECATUR FACILITY OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE ALSO RECENTLY SECURED A PARTNERSHIP WITH SYNONYM AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF IFA RECEIVED A SIGNIFICANT GRANT FROM THE EDA TO CREATE A DEDICATED PRECISION FERMENTATION FACILITY RIGHT HERE IN DECATUR.

ON OUR 400 ACRE CAMPUS, WE WILL BE RECOMMISSIONING AND UPGRADING EXISTING ASSETS OF THE SITE, AS WELL AS EXPANDING CURRENT CAPACITY AND SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDING THE DOWNSTREAM PROCESSING UNIT.

THAT IS THE FACILITY WILL OFFER COMPANIES A FULL SUITE OF WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO PROVE OUT CONCEPTS FROM LAB SCALE THROUGH COMMERCIAL SCALE DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING OF WHAT WE CALL THE I PROOF PROJECT ARE SCHEDULED TO START IN EARLY 2026, AND WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED 12 INQUIRIES FROM POTENTIAL PARTNERS SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT I PROOF WILL NOT ONLY CREATE MORE JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES, BUT ATTRACT OTHER POTENTIAL BIOECONOMY PARTNERS TO THE DECATUR AREA.

GIVEN OUR HISTORY AND DECATUR AND COMMITMENT TO REMAIN ROOTED IN DECATUR THROUGH OUR MANY INVESTMENTS, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO EXPRESS PREMIUMS OPPOSITION TO THE CITY'S NATURAL GAS ORDINANCE, WHICH WOULD COST US AT LEAST 1.7 MILLION ANNUALLY.

ALTHOUGH PERMIAN IS MAKING A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT, WE ARE NOT POSITIONED TO ABSORB THIS ANNUAL NATURAL GAS TAX MOVING FORWARD.

IF IMPLEMENTED, THIS NATURAL GAS TAX USAGE POLICY WILL CREATE UNCERTAINTY FOR PERMIAN'S PLANNED AND FUTURE INVESTMENTS INDICATOR, WHICH WOULD BE AN UNDESIRABLE OUTCOME FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.

THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU MS. DICE.

AND YOU DO HAVE THREE MINUTES LATER IN THE, UH, AGENDA IF YOU WANT IT.

OH, OKAY.

NO, YOU'RE FINE.

IT'S FINE.

DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO APPEAR BEFORE? COUNSEL? HELLO? UH, MY NAME'S ALEX MILLER.

UH, TODAY I, I COME BEFORE YOU, NOT NECESSARILY TO ASK FOR ANYTHING, BUT SIMPLY TO INFORM, UH, I'M A PROFESSOR AT MILLIKEN UNIVERSITY.

UH, I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF A PROGRAM CALLED SHAKESPEARE CORRECTED, ALSO A PROGRAM CALLED THE AUTUMN TAYLOR INITIATIVE, WHICH OFFERS, UH, FREE COLLEGE EDUCATION TO THE INCARCERATED.

AND I'VE BEEN, I ACTUALLY JUST CAME FROM DECATUR CORRECTIONAL, UH, WHERE WE, UM, THE UNIT HAVE BEEN VOLUNTEERING FOR 14 YEARS.

THE REASON I'M I'M COMING TO YOU TODAY IS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE EXPANDING.

UH, ILLINOIS HUMANITIES HAS BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO, UH, SPEAK TO US AND ASK IF WE WOULD BE THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS HUB FOR ILLINOIS HUMANITIES, AND WE HAVE ACCEPTED THAT RESPONSIBILITY.

WE WILL BE HAVING OUR THIRD MEETING TOMORROW BETWEEN SIX 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU LOVE MEETINGS AND YOU'D WANT TO ATTEND ANOTHER ONE, UH, BETWEEN SIX AND 8:00 PM ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE UNIVERSITY CENTER OF MILLIKEN UNIVERSITY.

AND WE WILL CONSISTENTLY HAVE THOSE MEETINGS EVERY TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH.

WE ARE

[00:20:01]

CURRENTLY ENGAGED WITH EISENHOWER HIGH SCHOOL, MACON RESOURCES INCORPORATED, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF DECATUR, THE SHAMMAH PROJECT, WEBSTER CANTRELL HALL, STA ENHANCED HOME FOR GIRLS, MILLIGAN ACADEMY, DECATUR CORRECTIONAL CENTER, AND OLD KINGS ORCHARD COMMUNITY CENTER.

WE HOPE TO EXPAND THAT INTO GRADE SCHOOLS AND OTHER SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE REGION IN THE HOPES OF BUILDING COMMUNITIES CAPABLE OF CURTAILING MASS INCARCERATION, WHICH IS OUR PRIMARY CHARGE FROM ILLINOIS HUMANITIES.

AS EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM KNOWS, REGARDLESS OF ANY AFFILIATION, MASS INCARCERATION IS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE AND A HUGE DRAIN ON OUR EMOTIONAL AND FISCAL, UH, RESPONSIBILITY.

DECATUR CORRECTIONAL CENTER PER INMATE COST $73,000 PER INMATE WITH SHAKESPEARE CORRECTED.

OUR RECIDIVISM RATE IS 3.875.

THAT IS IN COMPARISON TO THE ILLINOIS RATE OF 44%.

ON AVERAGE, WE HAVE SUCCESSFUL CURRICULUM.

IT HAS BEEN PROVEN SUCCESSFUL.

WE DO NOT HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS, BUT WE HOPE TO EXPAND OUR PARTNERS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, AND IF YOU RECEIVE AN ANNOYING EMAIL, IT'S FROM ME.

THANK YOU, MR. MILLER.

I ALREADY RECEIVED THAT EMAIL.

WELL, THERE'LL BE ANOTHER ONE.

DOES ANYONE ELSE, UH, WISH TO APPROACH COUNSEL TONIGHT? MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL? IT, WE DIDN'T DO A VERY GOOD JOB ON OUR TIMING, SO I'D LIKE TO FINISH MR. CUTTY'S STATEMENT.

NOW.

HE HAS A SOUTH CARE, OR YOU SURE.

AND GIVE US YOUR HONOR NAME.

OH, SORRY.

MY NAME IS GREG WEBB AND I'M WITH A DM.

UH, MR. CUDI COMES FROM NORTH CAROLINA.

NOW YOU'RE GONNA GET TO HEAR A DEEP SOUTHERN ILLINOIS DRAW.

SO I'LL HOPE TO GET THIS FINISHED FOR YOU IN TIME.

AS MR. CUDI WAS SAYING, WE WANT TO STRESS THAT AT NO TIME DURING THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, WAS THERE ANY IMPACT TO SURFACE OR GROUNDWATER SOURCES NOR ANY THREAT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME DEPTH OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS, MULTIPLE LAYERS OF SHALE AND OTHER CONFINING ROCK UP TO THE SURFACE AND OTHER SAFETY MEASURES, PROTECTING UNDERGROUND SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER, INCLUDING THE LAYERS OF STEEL AND CEMENT ON ADMS WELLS.

THE DECATUR COMMUNITY IS OUR COMMUNITY.

IT'S A COMMUNITY WHERE WE LIVE AND WORK WITH OUR WIFE AND KIDS AND FAMILIES, AND WE SAFELY AND ALWAYS, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT SAFETY IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.

WE SIMPLY WOULDN'T DO THIS IF WE DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT IT WAS SAFE.

AND OVER THE PAST DECADE, WE HAVE SAFELY SEQUESTERED MORE THAN FOUR AND A HALF MILLION METRIC TONS OF CO2 THANKS TO THE CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIC, AND INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS.

TO PUT THAT VOLUME IN OF CO2 INTO PERSPECTIVE.

IT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF TAKING MORE THAN 1 MILLION CARS OFF THE ROAD FOR ENTIRE YEAR.

CCS TECHNOLOGY DOES WORK IN REDUCING EMISSIONS AS A COMPANY WITH DEEP ROOTS INDICATOR.

WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE OUR CCS OPERATIONS BRINGING NEW INNOVATIONS AND INVESTMENTS INTO THIS AREA.

THAT INCLUDES THE RECENT COLLABORATION BETWEEN A DM AND WARWICK.

CARBON SOLUTIONS DEVELOP A NEW POWER AND STEAM FACILITY, WHICH WILL CAPTURE MORE THAN 90% OF THE CO2 EMISSIONS AND UTILIZE A-D-M-C-O TWO STORAGE.

THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SUPPORT MORE THAN 1000 JOBS DURING CONSTRUCTION.

WE ARE CONFIDENT IN OUR CARBON SEQUESTRATION CAPABILITIES TO ATTRACT EVEN MORE INVESTMENT IN THE DECATUR COMMUNITY AS COMPANIES CONTINUE TO EXPLORE WHAT THEIR OWN WAYS TO SAFELY DECARBONIZE THEIR OPERATIONS.

ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE A ROLE AS A GLOBAL PIONEER IN CCS.

WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO DEPLOYING THIS TECHNOLOGY SAFETY.

YOU SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT WE ARE POSTING UPDATES AT WWW.ADM.COM/CCS, WHERE YOU CAN SEE ALL ABOUT AND READ ALL ABOUT CCCS, INCLUDING THESE MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS.

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A READ AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND THIS COMMU THIS, THIS, UH, TECHNOLOGY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ADDITIONAL TIME.

THANK YOU, MR. WEBB.

DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO APPEAR AT THIS TIME? OH, OKAY.

UH, SCENE NO ONE AT THIS POINT.

UH, TURN OVER TO COUNSEL FOR COMMENTS.

MR. MCDANIEL? YES.

UH, MICROPHONE, PLEASE.

CAN MS. ROTHROCK COME UP? I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION.

NO, WE DON'T.

REMIND ME, UH, THIS GAS TAX THAT WE'RE ASKING, UH, ON, IS ON, UH, ALTERNATIVE BUSINESSES THAT ARE USING ALTERNATIVE UH, SOURCES.

YOU CAN MAKE YOUR COMMENTS, BUT WE CAN'T.

SHE WILL BE UP LATER.

UH, HAS ASKED TO SPEAK, BUT IT'S NOT A Q AND A.

THAT'S FINE.

UH, MR. CITY MANAGER,

[00:25:01]

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.

SO A LOT OF THESE BUSINESSES, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES THAT, UM, THAT ARE USING THIS ALTERNATIVE, THEY'RE NOT PAYING GAS TAX, BUT MANY OF OUR OTHER BUSINESSES, SMALL BUSINESSES IN TOWN, ARE PAYING IT THROUGH AMEREN.

SO THAT'S WHAT THE QUESTION I, I HAD THAT THAT IS CORRECT.

AND ACTUALLY, WHEN THE ITEMS CALLED WE PLAN ON, UH, SPEAKING TO THIS DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND I.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

OTHER RESPONSES, DR. HORN? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I'D LIKE TO RESPOND TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING CARBON SEQUESTRATION.

FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE MANY DECATUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE CONTINUING TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERN ABOUT THE CO2 LEAK AND FLUID ANOMALY THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE AT A DM COMPANY'S CARBON SEQUESTRATION FACILITY IN DECATUR.

COMBINED WITH THE LACK OF TIMELY REPORTING OF THE LEAK, RESIDENTS ARE JUSTIFIED IN THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT CARBON SEQUESTRATION UNDER ONE OF THE CITY'S MOST CRITICAL RESOURCES.

LAKE DECATUR.

I COMMEND THE CITY OF DECATUR FOR SELECTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY.

IT'S THE PRUDENT APPROACH TO TAKE TO ENSURE THE CITY AND THE CITIZENS ARE PROTECTED.

TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE CITY OF DECATUR WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE CO2 LEAK THAT TOOK PLACE IN MARCH OF 2024.

THIS INFORMATION WAS SUBSTANTIVE, RELEVANT INFORMATION THAT COULD HAVE INFLUENCED THE TERMS OF THE EASEMENT THAT WAS ULTIMATELY SIGNED IN MAY OF 2024 AND COULD HAVE IMPACTED WHETHER THE EASEMENT WOULD'VE BEEN AGREED TO AT ALL.

NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE EASEMENT WERE TAKING PLACE BETWEEN THE CITY OF DECATUR AND A DM COMPANY AROUND THE TIME OF THE LEAK.

THE CITY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE LEAK, AND THE FORMER CITY MANAGER SIGNED THE EASEMENT ON THE DAY THEY RETIRED.

IN DOING SO, THE CITY LOST ALL LEVERAGE IN WHAT WAS A BAD DEAL FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR RESIDE RESIDENTS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE JUSTIFIED IN THEIR CONCERNS THAT WHAT THEY WERE TOLD IN MARCH, 2023 ABOUT CARBON SEQUESTRATION ACTIVITIES DOES NOT MATCH THE FACTS ABOUT A DM COMPANY.

SEQUESTRATION ACTIVITIES IN DECATUR, THE CITY COUNCIL WAS ASSURED IN MARCH, 2023 THAT CARBON SEQUESTRATION WAS SAFE AND THAT LEAKS WERE RARE.

12 MONTHS LATER, A DM COMPANY KNEW OF A LEAK.

IT OCCURRED IN A WELL THAT CORRODED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 YEARS OF USE.

AN A DM COMPANY FAILED TO NOTIFY THE CITY OF DECATUR.

A DM MAY NOT HAVE BEEN REQUIRED BY LAW TO DO SO, BUT IT CERTAINLY COULD BE ARGUED THAT THEY HAD AN ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TO REPORT THE LEAK TO INTERESTED PARTIES, AND THEY FAILED IN THAT RESPONSIBILITY.

HAD I KNOWN ABOUT THE LEAK, I WOULD NOT HAVE SUPPORTED APPROVING THE SEQUESTRATION EASEMENT.

LAKE DECATUR.

THE DRINKING WATER SUPPLY FOR THE CITY'S 68,000 RESIDENTS IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE LOCATION FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION ACTIVITIES.

WE NOW KNOW THAT CO2 LEAKS OCCUR.

THE RELIABILITY AND PREDICTABILITY OF SEQUESTRATION HAS BEEN OVERSTATED.

AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A DM COMPANY AND THE CITY OF DECATUR REGARDING THE MARCH, 2024 LEAK WAS INEPT AT BEST.

FURTHERMORE, THERE IS NO CONTINGENCY PLAN IF THERE IS A CO2 LEAK INTO LAKE DECATUR, AND THE CITY ALREADY OWNS A SITE THAT IS MORE APPROPRIATE FOR SEQUESTRATION THE OAKLEY SEDIMENT BASIN, A PROPERTY THAT COMPRISES HUNDREDS OF ACRES.

SIMPLY PUT, THERE IS NO COMPELLING REASON TO RISK THE CITY'S DRINKING WATER SOURCE IN A CROWN JEWEL OF OUR CITY.

I CALL UPON A DM COMPANY TO TERMINATE THE CARBON SEQUESTRATION AGREEMENT

[00:30:01]

WITH THE CITY AND PLEDGE THAT THE COMPANY WILL NOT SEQUESTER CO2 UNDER LAKE DECATUR.

A DM COMPANY TREATED THE CITY OF DECATUR POORLY, AND THEY SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING.

FURTHERMORE, I CALL ON THE U-S-E-P-A TO DEVELOP A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR SEQUESTRATION THAT WILL TRULY PROTECT MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES.

MONTHS WENT BY BETWEEN WHEN A LEAK OCCURRED AND WHEN THE U-S-E-P-A ISSUED A NOTICE VIOLATION, GIVING LITTLE CONFIDENCE THAT THE AGENCY IS ACTUALLY EQUIPPED TO PROTECT WATER.

THERE ARE BETTER PLACES TO SEQUESTER CARBON DIOXIDE THAN UNDER LAKE DECATUR AND THE MUHAMMAD AQUIFER AND THE U-S-E-P-A SHOULD STOP ISSUING PERMITS FOR WELLS WHERE SEQUESTRATION IS OCCURRING UNDER DRINKING WATER SOURCES.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL? MR. KHL? JUST A BRIEF COMMENT.

AS I SAID AT THE LAST MEETING, I DON'T THINK A DM SET OUT TO DO ANYTHING WRONG.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE, AND IT'S A LEARNING PROCESS.

I WAS TRYING TO THINK WHAT ELSE IS LIKE THAT.

I MENTIONED A COUPLE, UM, COMPANIES BEFORE BOEING AND OUR LOCAL FIRESTONE PLANT HAD ISSUES.

UM, BUT I WAS ALSO THINKING ABOUT NUCLEAR POWER.

UM, WHEN NUCLEAR POWER CAME OUT, WE HAD PROBLEMS. THREE MILE ISLAND HAD A PROBLEM, A CORRECTED NUCLEAR POWER DIDN'T GO AWAY.

AND, UM, CARBON SEQUESTRATION IS THE INTENTION IS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

UM, WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR, WHAT OTHER IDEAS ARE THERE TO REDUCE CO2? WHAT ARE THEY? I MEAN, UM, I SEE THAT.

I SEE.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONE COUNTRY.

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 150 COUNTRIES IN THIS WORLD? ARE THEY ON TOP OF THIS? I'M NOT SURE.

I DON'T, I THINK CHINA'S ONE OF THE, THE WORST, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.

BUT, UH, AGAIN, I'M JUST GONNA GIVE 'EM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.

UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER.

UM, THE EPA LAWYER THAT WE ARE BRINGING IN, I ASSUME, IS WE'LL STUDY THE POSSIBILITY THAT TO SEE IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO REVOKE AN EASEMENT.

IS THAT CORRECT? COUNCILMAN KUHL? UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS, UH, REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY, UM, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS BEFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY THAT WE HAVE ON RETAINER, UH, THAT'S ALSO NOTIFIED THE U-S-E-P-A THAT THEY'RE REPRESENTING THE, UH, CITY OF DECATUR.

UH, WE JUST FELT THAT IT WAS PRUDENT THAT, UH, WE, WE STAND READY, UH, BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE NOT IN A RUSH TO, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, TO FORM AN OPINION.

UH, WE JUST WANT TO, UH, BE PREPARED JUST TO FOLLOW UP.

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THIS, THESE, UM, PIPES THAT GO INTO THE GROUND, THEY CAN LEAD.

THEY HAD A PROBLEM AT 5,000 FEET.

THEY COULD HAVE A PROBLEM AT 200 FEET WHERE OUR DRINKING WATER IS.

I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT.

AND, UM, I'M, I'M WEAVING IT TO A DM AND THE EPA TO RESOLVE THIS, AND I'M HOPING THAT THEY GET IT WORKED OUT AND WE CAN CONTINUE WITH THIS, UM, PROCEDURE THAT THEY HAVE.

AND IF THINGS GO SOUTH, THIS I LIKE TO SAY, THEN, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN.

BUT I WANT TO GIVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT OUT.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL DR. HORN? I'D LIKE TO RESPOND VERY BRIEFLY TO MY, UH, COLLEAGUE'S COMMENTS, AND ALSO TO, UH, MR. CUDDY'S COMMENTS.

AND MR. CUDI, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT, UH, CARBON SEQUESTRATION HAS GREAT POTENTIAL TO BE AN ESSENTIAL TECHNOLOGY IN REDUCING, UM, OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT.

HOWEVER, UM, I ONCE AGAIN WILL EMPHASIZE THAT THERE ARE BETTER PLACES TO SEQUESTER CO2.

AND THE CITY OF DECATUR OWNS THE OAKLEY SEDIMENT BASIN, WHICH HAS HUNDREDS OF ACRES AVAILABLE TO IT.

AND THAT IS A FAR MORE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO SEQUESTER CO2 WITHOUT THE IMPACTS TO OUR DRINKING WATER.

ANY FURTHER COMMENT? SEEING NONE, WE'LL

[III. Approval of Minutes]

MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF MINUTE APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2024.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND SOLE MOVED.

SECOND COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY AYE.

COUNCILMAN HORNE? AYE.

NAYS, ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS? NONE.

MAYOR, MORE WOLF? AYE.

SEVEN AYES, NO

[00:35:01]

MOVING TO NEW

[1. Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Collective Bargaining Agreement Regarding Pay, Benefits, and Work Conditions between the Decatur Police Benevolent and Protective Association Labor Committee and the City of Decatur]

BUSINESS ITEM ONE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT REGARDING PAY BENEFITS AND WORK CONDITIONS BETWEEN THE DECATUR POLICE, BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE OF ASSOCIATION AND LABOR, UH, LABOR COMMITTEE AND THE CITY OF DECATUR.

MOTION, THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

SECOND, MR. MANAGER.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.

AND TO THE COMMUNITY.

UH, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ITEMS, UH, THAT I'M GOING TO SAY, UH, HOPEFULLY THIS IS A VICTORY LAP FOR ALL.

UH, WHEN I WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, A COUPLE OF THINGS, UH, COUNCIL, UH, CHARGED ME TO DO WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, BUILD UPON AND IMPROVE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE CITY EMPLOYEES THAT JUST PROVIDE SO MUCH FOR THIS COMMUNITY.

AND THEN ALSO, UH, PUT THE, THE CITY OF DECATUR AS AN ORGANIZATION IN THE POSITION THAT WE CAN BE AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE.

WE'VE GOT, UH, THREE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS, UH, AT THE, UH, CITY OF DECATUR, UH, REPRESENTED BY THREE UNIONS, AND ALL THE REST OF THE EMPLOYEES ARE, UH, NON-UNION.

THE VERY FIRST CONTRACT THAT, UH, CAME BEFORE, UH, UH, BEFORE ME, AND NOW ULTIMATELY, UH, COUNSEL THIS EVENING WAS THE, UH, POLICE BENEVOLENT CONTRACT WITH THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, CHIEF BRANDELL AND HIS TEAM.

AND I'M GONNA GIVE HIM, UH, THE FLOOR HERE IN A SECOND.

AND THEN, UH, SERGEANT TODD KOSTER, THAT IS THE, UH, UNION PRESIDENT AND WAS THE LEAD ON THE, UH, NEGOTIATIONS.

UH, THESE NEGOTIATIONS, THEY'RE ALWAYS IN MY MIND, ARE MUCH BIGGER THAN THE CONTRACT THAT WE'RE NEGOTIATING.

THEY'RE TRULY ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP, THE LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR EMPLOYEES.

AND THEN SHIFTING GEARS AND GOING BACK TO THE IDEA OF TRYING TO PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT, RETAIN, AND BE THAT EMPLOYER OF CHOICE.

IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE LOOK AT OUR COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES.

A COUPLE OF COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES ARE VERY CLOSE.

YOU'VE GOT BLOOMINGTON, YOU'VE GOT CHAMPAIGN.

AND I'VE SHARED THIS INTERNALLY WITH OUR STAFF, UH, AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY RECEPTIVE.

WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME ECONOMY, UH, AS, UH, BOTH OF THOSE COMMUNITIES AT THIS CURRENT TIME.

BUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO CLOSE THAT GAP ON A, UH, STARTING SALARY AND ALSO WITH THE OTHER UNIONS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY? AND WITH MY NON-UNION STAFF, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ONE SIZE FITS ALL.

AND THE EXAMPLE THAT I'M GONNA PROVIDE THAT, UH, UH, COMES BEFORE COUNCIL THIS EVENING.

THIS IS A FOUR YEAR CONTRACT, UH, WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THE FIRST YEAR IS A 7%, AND THEN THE SUBSEQUENT YEAR IS TWO, THREE AND FOUR ARE AT A 3%.

IT TAKES THAT 7% TO GET US WITHIN A RANGE TO COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES SO THAT, SO THAT CHIEF BRANDELL AND HIS TEAM CAN RECRUIT FOR QUALIFIED POLICE OFFICERS.

IT ALSO, UH, EXPANDS THE CURRENT RESIDENCY FROM 40 MILES TO 50 MILES.

IT GETS US BEYOND THE DIFFERENT, UH, LOCAL, UH, COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT ARE OUR NEIGHBORS GETS BEYOND SO THAT, UH, WE CAN RECRUIT MORE EFFECTIVELY.

I BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CHIEF HAS HEARD.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT SERGEANT KOSTER HAS ALSO HEARD, AND IT WAS IMPORTANT.

NOW, LET ME PAUSE FOR A SECOND, OR SHIFT GEARS WHILE THIS, UH, RESIDENCY MIGHT BE EXPANDED.

AND OUR DESIRE IS THAT OUR EMPLOYEES DO IN FACT, LIVE IN THE CITY OF DECATUR.

I THINK THAT A LARGER CONVERSATION, A CITYWIDE POLICY TO INCENTIVIZE EMPLOYEES TO LIVE IN THE CITY IS WHAT NEEDS TO OCCUR NEXT.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SAT IN MOTION.

SO I HAVE NO PROBLEMS, UH, RECOMMENDING THE COUNCIL THAT WE EXPAND THE RESIDENCY, BUT ALSO RUNNING PARALLELS THE IDEA TO, UH, INCENTIVIZE, UM, UH, RESIDENCY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

AND IT'S NOT JUST US, IT'S DISTRICT 61 EMPLOYEES.

UH, IT'S A LARGER INCENTIVE, UH, CONVERSATION.

AND THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT, UH, IS JUST BEGINNING AND WILL COME BEFORE COUNCIL AT SOME POINT TO, UH, CONSIDER.

BUT TONIGHT BEFORE COUNCIL'S COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, I CANNOT TELL YOU, UH, YOU KNOW HOW PLEASED I AM.

AND, UH, CHIEF BRANDELL, HIS TEAM EQUALLY IMPRESSED WITH, UH, SERGEANT TODD KOSTER AND HIS UNION TEAM AND THE MEMBERSHIP THEMSELVES.

THIS THING WAS RATIFIED OVERWHELMINGLY BY THE MEMBERSHIP.

AND IT ALSO, MY ALSO IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, BEING RATIFIED AND POTENTIALLY APPROVED TONIGHT BEFORE IT EVEN ENDED, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT'S UNHEARD OF.

IT DOES NOT END UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST AT 2024.

SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO, UH, GIVE THE, UH, FLORIDA CHIEF BRANDEL.

AND THEN, UH, SERGEANT KOSTER, UH, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO COME DOWN.

DO YOU HAVE MEMBERS OF YOUR TEAM THAT ARE HERE AS WELL? JUST ONE.

GOING TO, UH, BE NEGOTIATED WITH ALL, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE OTHER TWO UNIONS, NOR IS IT NECESSARILY A NUMBER THAT'S GOING TO BE USED WITH THE NON-UNION EMPLOYEES.

AND THEN I'M GONNA LET YOU RECOGNIZE, AND THEN, UM, I, ONE THING I WANNA SAY BEFORE I MOVE ON, CHIEF, COME ON DOWN TO THE PODIUM AND THEN SERGEANT, IF YOU WOULD AS WELL.

BUT 7%, AND I GLOSSED OVER THIS A LITTLE BIT TOO QUICK.

SO THIS, UH, 7%, IT DOES NOT BECOME A NUMBER THAT IS

[00:40:01]

IT'S MORE ABOUT A METHODOLOGY OR AN IDEA THAT WE GET TO, WE CLOSE.

UM, UH, WE CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN THE STARTING SALARY FOR THIS FIELD THAT WE'RE IN.

SO IT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FOR FIRE, IT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FOR THE AFSCME EMPLOYEES.

IT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FOR THE NON-REPRESENTED, BUT THAT'S THE IDEA BEHIND THIS, UH, AS, UH, WE SHARE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE AND, UH, THE RESIDENCY CHANGE.

GO FOR IT.

CHIEF.

GREAT JOB.

SO, I, I DON'T WANNA RESTATE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HE HAS SAID.

THERE'S BEEN, UH, A LOT, UM, THAT HE'S KIND OF OFFERED UP.

UM, I DO WANT TO JUST KIND OF HIGHLIGHT ON A FEW THINGS.

UM, I'M COMING UP.

I'M 28 YEARS WITH THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN NUMEROUS CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, BOTH AS THE CHIEF, UM, OR AS A LIEUTENANT ALSO.

I WAS, UH, ON THE UNION EXECUTIVE BOARD EARLY ON IN MY CAREER.

SO I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS, AND NEVER ONCE IN THAT 28 YEARS HAVE WE EVER, EVER, UH, RESOLVED THE CONTRACT BEFORE THE CURRENT ONE HAS EXPIRED.

SO I VIEW THIS AS SOMEWHAT OF A HISTORIC MOMENT, AT LEAST IN MY TENURE IN THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

AND I'M NOT AWARE DATING BACK, YOU KNOW, DECADES EVEN BEFORE THAT OF THIS HAPPENING.

AND THIS HAPPENED, UH, BECAUSE OF A, OF A COUPLE THINGS, REALLY.

AND I WANT, AND, AND IT REALLY BOILS DOWN TO THAT COLLABORATIVE EFFORT REALLY BETWEEN MYSELF, MY TEAM, UH, AND THE UNION AND THE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE.

WITHOUT ALL OF THAT, THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN.

UM, MYSELF AND TODD KOSTER KIND OF GOT TOGETHER ABOUT NINE MONTHS AGO, AND WE SAID, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS WORK? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE LAST GO ROUND OF, OF LONG DRAWN OUT, YOU KNOW, POLICE, FIRE NEGOTIATIONS, YOU KNOW, REALLY BEAT UP ON EVERYBODY.

AND IT, IT DOESN'T DO ANY GOOD FOR THE DEPARTMENT.

IT DOESN'T DO ANY GOOD FOR THE CITY.

UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE WORST MORALE TIMES IN, IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS WHEN THERE'S AN EXPIRED CONTRACT.

IT JUST, IT'S TERRIBLE.

I DON'T LIKE IT AND I DIDN'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

UM, SO WE KIND OF IDENTIFIED ALL OF THOSE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND BARRIERS THAT ARE, THAT ROUTINELY PRESENT THEMSELVES IN PAST NEGOTIATIONS, AND BASICALLY TRIED TO TAKE THEM OUT OF THE EQUATION.

AND THAT ULTIMATELY IS WHAT GOT US TO WHERE WE WERE AT.

UM, WE WERE ABLE TO ELIMINATE THOSE BARRIERS.

WE DID ALL OF THE RESEARCH AHEAD OF TIME INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL THINGS EXPIRED.

UM, WE, WE HAD, UH, THE, THE, THE MEAT OF WHAT WE WERE GOING FOR AND WHAT IT WAS GONNA TAKE FOR US TO SUCCEED AS AN AGENCY, AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT, WE KIND OF FILTERED OUT SOME OF THOSE LITTLE THINGS THAT OFTEN CLOUD THE ISSUES AND OR JUST MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT IN THAT NEGOTIATION PROCESS.

AND ONCE WE GOT DOWN TO THAT, UM, IT WAS A HARD CONVERSATION OR A, A CONVERSATION WITH MR. GLEASON.

AND BASICALLY I HAD TO HAVE THAT HARD TRUTH CONVERSATION AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT IT'S, THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES.

THIS IS WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE FOR US TO BE A, A PREMIER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, OR MAINTAIN THAT, UH, WITHIN THIS STATE TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT, RETAIN, UH, AND WHICH IS THE, THE MOST CHALLENGING THING THAT I'VE HAD TO DO AS THE CHIEF.

AND, AND, AND I GUARANTEE THAT'LL BE A, CONTINUE TO BE A CHALLENGE INTO THE FUTURE, EVEN BEYOND MY TENURE.

UM, AND, AND SO I'M THANKFUL TO MR. GLEASON FOR BEING OPEN TO THAT CONVERSATION.

UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS I, THAT, THAT I THREW AT HIM, PARTICULARLY THE TWO BIG ONES, THE MONEY AND THE RESIDENCY, I WASN'T SURE WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, BUT HE WAS OPEN.

UM, YOU KNOW, MY RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM IS, IS, IS INTERESTING AND, AND UNIQUE ONLY BECAUSE OF OUR SIMILAR BACKGROUNDS.

UM, AND SO IT, IT, IT MAKES IT EASIER MAYBE TO HAVE CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, REAL CONVERSATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO POLICE.

UM, AND, AND SO WITH THAT, WE KIND OF, HERE WE ARE.

AND, AND, AND WHAT I WANT KIND OF WANNA SAY IN, IN SOMEWHAT OF A STATEMENT IS THAT THIS IS GONNA BE, UM, IN, IN MY MIND, UH, ONE OF THE GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS THIS AGENCY HAS, HAS, HAS ACHIEVED DURING MY TENURE AS THE CHIEF FOR US TO COME TOGETHER AS AN AGENCY TO GET IT DONE THREE PLUS MONTHS BEFORE THE CURRENT CONTRACT EXPIRES.

AND WITH OVERWHELMING SUPPORT OF THE RANK AND FILE SPEAKS VOLUME TO THEIR DESIRE AND COMMITMENT TO RESOLVING THIS EARLY AS WELL, NOT JUST MINE.

THIS IS GOOD FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND GOOD FOR THE CITY.

AND I PROUDLY SUPPORT THIS CONTRACT AND I ASK THAT YOU DO THE SAME.

THANK YOU, CHIEF.

AND CHIEF RENDELL PRETTY MUCH ALREADY EXPLAINED THE BACKSTORY.

MY NAME IS TODD KORAN.

I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE POLICE BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION LABOR COMMITTEE, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS A UNION, UH, CITY MANAGER.

GLEASON

[00:45:01]

SO I'LL JUST MAKE A BRIEF STATEMENT.

I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO SOME EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS WHO HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ACHIEVE AND NEGOTIATE A LABOR CONTRACT IN A VERY EFFICIENT TIMEFRAME.

THIS WAS SOMETHING THE POLICE ADMINISTRATION AND POLICE UNION BOTH FELT WAS NECESSARY TO CONTINUE MOVING OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION IN 2024 AND BEYOND.

FIRST, I'D LIKE TO THANK CHIEF BRANDELL, WHOSE LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.

YOUR NEVER ENDING COMMITMENT TO THE OFFICERS IN THE COMMUNITY HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO CITY MANAGER GLEASON AND HIS ENTIRE CITY ADMINISTRATION.

YOUR DEDICATION TO FOSTERING COLLABORATION AND UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN VITAL IN NAVIGATING THIS PROCESS.

IT'S A TESTAMENT TO YOUR PROFESSIONALISM AND FORWARD THINKING APPROACH TO THE MEMBERS OF BOTH THE POLICE ADMINISTRATION AND THE UNION EXECUTIVE BOARD.

YOUR HARD WORK AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL ENSURE THAT THIS CONTRACT WAS SETTLED EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY.

YOUR EFFORTS HAVE PROVIDED A FRAMEWORK THAT BENEFITS BOTH OUR DEDICATED OFFICERS AND THE COMMUNITY THEY SERVE.

THIS NEW CONTRACT IS NOT JUST A PIECE OF PAPER.

IT IS A PROMISE.

A PROMISE THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING THE HIGH STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE THAT OUR DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT EMBODI.

IT ENSURES THAT OUR WOMEN AND MEN IN BLUE HAVE THE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO CONTINUE SERVING OUR CITY WITH PRIDE AND INTEGRITY.

TOGETHER, WE ARE TAKING ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS SECURING THE FUTURE OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, MAKING IT A PREMIER LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATION FOR BOTH CURRENT MEMBERS AND THOSE WHO WILL JOIN US IN THE YEARS TO COME.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND TEAMWORK.

LET'S CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE A SAFE AND VIBRANT DECATUR FOR EVERYONE.

MS. GREGORY, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU, SERGEANT.

AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SERVED ON THIS COUNCIL SINCE 2009, I HAVE LIVED THROUGH MANY, MANY YEARS WHERE POLICE AND FIRE DIDN'T HAVE A CONTRACT.

THEY WORKED UNDER EXPIRED CONTRACTS FOR FAR TOO LONG.

AND SO THIS IS REFRESHING AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SEE IT.

SO THANKS TO YOU AND TO YOUR TEAM AND, UH, ALL THOSE THAT WORKED ON THIS.

ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD OR SHOULD I OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL FOR QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD, COUNSEL.

I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

I JUST WANNA THANK YOU CHIEF AND SERGEANT FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, AND FOR, UH, DOING WHAT IT TAKES TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES IN A CONTRACT THAT, UM, NOT ONLY SERVES THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT YOU LEAVE, BUT, UM, THE COUNCIL, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

SO, THANK YOU.

OTHER COMMENTS, MR. MCDANIEL? I'M SURE, I'M SURE THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME PUBLIC UPSET ABOUT THE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT.

I AGREE WITH THIS IS, HAS TO BE DONE.

IF ANYBODY HAS BEEN PAYING ATTENTION THE LAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS, UH, THE PIPELINE FOR POLICE OFFICERS AROUND THE COUNTRY IS PRETTY, PRETTY LOW.

AND IT DOESN'T HELP TO BE IN ILLINOIS.

AND LEGISLATION THAT HAS PASSED, WAS IT LAST YEAR, DEALING WITH POLICE OFFICERS, UM, THE OTHER POLICE, UH, DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY OR VISITING OTHER CITIES, RECRUITING.

MATTER OF FACT, IN ST.

LOUIS LAST YEAR, THE CITY OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA CAME RE RECRUITING.

SO I THINK THIS WILL HELP, UH, WITH THE RESIDENCY GOING FROM, UH, 40 TO 50 MILES AND THAT, UH, YOU CAN GET SOME GOOD RECRUITS, BUT PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IF YOU, IF YOU KNOW, IF YOU LISTEN TO THE NEWS, IT'S HARD TO FIND POLICE OFFICERS AND TEACHERS, WHICH IS A SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SO CERTAINLY APPROVE THIS.

IT'S NOT JUST OUTTA STATE POLICE DEPARTMENTS, IT'S THE STATE POLICE THAT HAVE ALSO COME CALLING AS WELL.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MR. KHL? I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT.

I FULLY AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL, EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID ON THE RESIDENCY.

I UNDERSTAND IT CAN BE A HOT BUTTON ISSUE, BUT, UH, IT'S A BUYER'S MARKET THESE DAYS AND FOR YOU TO FILL OUT YOUR STAFFING, I BELIEVE THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO.

AND I HOPE WE ARE FULL STAFFED, YOU KNOW, SOON.

ME TOO.

COUNCILMAN COOPER? UH, YES.

FIRST I WANNA APPLY AGAIN, APPLAUD YOU FOR COMING TO THE AGREEMENT AS, AS YOU WORKED OUT.

UM, I NEGOTIATED MANY, MANY LABOR AGREEMENTS IN MY CAREER, SO I KNOW WHAT, WHAT IT CAN, WHAT IT TAKES.

AND, UH, I KNOW THAT BY YOU DOING WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND SERGEANT AND CITY MANAGER, THAT, UH, THAT WAS A MONUMENTAL TASK TO, TO DO IT AND DO IT AS WELL AS IT'S BEEN DONE AT THIS POINT.

HOWEVER, HOWEVER, I WILL GO ON RECORD TO INDICATE THAT I'M NOT TOTALLY SOLD ON THE EXTENSION OF THE RESIDE RESIDENCY.

UM, BECAUSE I STILL FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT, UM, WHEN OFFICERS LIVE WITHIN THE CITY THAT THEY WORK IN, THEY DEVELOP A BETTER WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY.

SO I STILL DO FEEL THAT WE NEED OFFICERS LIVING AND RESIDING IN THE LOCATION WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY WORK.

HOWEVER, I WON'T HOLD MY VOTE UP BASED ON THAT, BUT

[00:50:01]

I WOULD LIKE, 'CAUSE I THINK WE EXTENDED IT, UH, A LITTLE BIT NOT TOO LONG AGO.

UH, I WOULD LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS GONNA GO EFFECT IN DECEMBER OR BEFORE DECEMBER, THE, THE 50 MILES JANUARY ONE IN JANUARY, OKAY.

I GUESS I WOULD LIKE MAYBE BY, UM, THE END OF THE YEAR OF 2025 TO GET SOME FIGURES, SOLID FIGURES ON WHAT IMPACT IT IT HAD, IF IT HAD ANY AT ALL, UM, ON WHAT THE NUMBERS, IF THE NUMBERS CHANGE DUE TO THE RESIDENCY AND HOW MANY, HOW MANY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT AFFECTED.

AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL CONTINUE TO ALSO CONTINUE TO TRY TO PICK UP, UM, MINORITIES, FEMALES, HISPANICS, AFRICAN AMERICANS, AND ON ONTO THE FORCE.

AND MAYBE THIS WILL HAVE AN IMPACT.

SO, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY COMMENTS THAT I WANNA MAKE AT THIS TIME.

DR. HORN, IT'S BEEN SAID THAT IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO REDUCE CRIME.

AND ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL GROUPS THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS REDUCTION IS OUR DECATUR POLICE OFFICERS AND MANY TYPES OF CRIME HAVE BEEN REDUCED CONSIDERABLY IN OUR CITY IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS.

THE NUMBER OF SHOOTINGS HAS DROPPED 56% SINCE ITS RECENT PEAK IN 2021.

AND TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ARE DOWN 10% BETWEEN 2021 AND 2024.

SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THAT YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY.

OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE RISKING THEIR LIVES TO KEEP US SAFE, AND THERE ARE NO WORDS THAT CAN FULLY DESCRIBE OUR GRATITUDE AND OUR APPRECIATION, UH, FOR YOUR HEROIC ACTIONS.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TREMENDOUS EFFORTS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY, AND THANK YOU FOR KEEPING OUR RESIDENTS SAFE.

AND CHIEF, IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND AS TO EXPRESS YOUR THANKS, OUR THANKS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE EXCELLENT WORK THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT DOES EACH AND EVERY DAY.

WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE ARE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THIS DEPARTMENT AND I THINK YOU HAVE A LOT TO BE PROUD OF.

SO, ANY FURTHER COMMENT? SEEING NONE CALL THE QUESTION COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY.

AUTHORIZING INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS AND PRIMARY PRODUCTS INGREDIENTS AMERICA, LLC REGARDING EMPLOYEE CONTRACTOR USE AND TRANSIT FARES.

MAYOR, MORE WOLF? AYE.

SEVEN AYES NO NAYS.

ITEM TWO, RESOLUTION

[2. Resolution Authorizing Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Decatur, Illinois and Primary Products Ingredients America LLC Regarding Employee, Contractor Use and Transit Fares]

MOTION, THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

SECOND, MR. GLEE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, AND TO THE COMMUNITY.

UH, I'M GOING TO CALL TO THE PODIUM, UH, TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, UH, DIRECTOR LACEY ELSIE.

GIVE THE FLOOR TO HER IN A SECOND.

UH, BUT, UH, THIS ITEM, UH, BEFORE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL, THERE'S A TEMPLATE OUT THERE WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER, UH, UH, PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY REGARDING THIS TRANSPORTATION OPPORTUNITY.

BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT IT'S WITH A, UH, PRIVATE, UH, COMPANY.

UH, SO TRULY A JOB WELL DONE.

UH, IT'S BEFORE COUNCIL TONIGHT, UH, AND ALSO, UH, WITH LACEY, UH, HIGH DRIVE, UH, ONE OF OUR, UH, NEWER DIRECTORS TO THE ORGANIZATION.

AND, UH, FAR MORE THAN JUST, UH, HER TITLE.

SO, LACEY, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL.

MAYOR.

UM, WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS, UH, INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH PRIMATE.

I'D LIKE TO THANK DEBBIE FOR BEING A CHAMPION OF NOT ONLY INCLUDING THEIR 400 PRIMARY EMPLOYEES HERE AT, UM, THE DECATUR PLANT, BUT ALSO THEIR 400 ADDITIONAL CONTRACTORS.

AND SO THIS AGREEMENT IS A ONE YEAR PILOT WHERE PREMIER WILL REIMBURSE THE CITY OF DECATUR QUARTERLY FOR ANY, UM, EMPLOYEES OR CONTRACTORS AT THE PREMIER PLANT TO RIDE TRANSPORTATION ANYTIME WITH NO RESTRICTIONS.

SO, UM, LIKE CITY MANAGER TIM GLEASON SAID, THIS IS THE FIRST WITH A PRIVATE COMPANY, BUT IT DOES MIRROR THE AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE WITH DECATUR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLS, MACARTHUR AND EISENHOWER, AS WELL AS RICHLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

SO, QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MR. MCDANIEL? JUST TO COMMENT, I, I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR YEARS FOR THE, THE, THAT THE CITY BUS SERVICE, UH, EXTEND CERTAIN ROUTES TO PICK UP, UH, EMPLOYEES THAT CAN GO INTO INDUSTRY OR RETAIL IN THAT.

SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE THIS AND I HOPE SOME OTHER COMPANIES STEP FORWARD BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE CANNOT GET TO WORK.

AND I THINK WE RUN ON SUNDAYS NOW IN CERTAIN ROUTES.

YES.

OTHER COMMENTS? DR. HORNE?

WELL THAT'S GOOD.

SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT.

SO I HOPE OTHER COMPANIES WILL STEP FORWARD SO THERE EMPLOYEES CAN GET TO WORK.

[00:55:01]

I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO DECATUR CITY STAFF AND TO PREMIUM FOR YOUR EFFORTS TO MAKE THIS AGREEMENT A REALITY.

ACCESS TO RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION IS A BARRIER TO ENTRY INTO THE WORKFORCE, AND THIS RELATIONSHIP WILL GO A LONG WAY TO RE ELIMINATING THIS BARRIER.

AND I HOPE THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH PREMIUM WILL SERVE AS A MODEL FOR HOW OTHER EMPLOYERS CAN OFFER THE SAME BENEFIT TO THEIR EMPLOYEES.

SO GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU MR. COOPER.

UH, JUST A, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, FOR THIS AGREEMENT, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS TO THE CITY MANAGER AND TO THE, UM, TREASURER GOING FORWARD.

UM, OBVIOUSLY OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM IS FINDING WAYS TO PICK UP RIDERSHIP, AND I THINK WITH THESE, UM, THREE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IS ONLY GONNA PICK UP RIDERSHIP AND WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA PICK UP EVEN MORE AS, AS WE GO FORWARD.

I HOPE THAT WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT THE 2025 BUDGET THAT WE PUT IN FUNDS IN THAT BUDGET, UM, SO THAT THE TRANSIT SYSTEM CAN PURCHASE NEEDED SHELTERS AT THE BUS STATION, AT THE BUS STOPS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WAITING ON BUSES, UH, RIGHT NOW, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY FUNDS TO DO THAT.

THEY DON'T HAVE ANY LINE ITEM TO DO THAT.

SO I WOULD ASK THAT, UM, WE PUT IN SOMETHING IN THE BUDGET FOR 2025 TO ADDRESS THAT DEFICIT SO THAT THE BUS TRANSIT COMPANY CAN PUT IN APPROPRIATE STANDS FOR PEOPLE CAN, WHO ARE WAITING ON BUSES.

AND IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE A LOT MORE, HAVE A COMFORTABLE PLACE TO WAIT, UM, WITHOUT BEING IN THE, IN THE WEATHER OR AT LEAST HAVING SOMEWHERE TO SIT TO SIT DOWN WHILE THEY'RE WAITING.

ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY? AYE.

COUNCILMAN KEHL? AYE.

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE TERMS AND EXECUTE AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SANITARY DISTRICT OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS AND THE CITY OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF FIBER CONDUIT UNDER LAKE DECATUR AT LOST BRIDGE ROAD.

[3. Resolution Authorizing City Manager to Negotiate Terms and Execute an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Sanitary District of Decatur, IL and the City of Decatur, IL for the Installation of Fiber Conduit under Lake Decatur at Lost Bridge Road]

MOTION TO THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

SECOND, MR. GLEE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY, I'M GONNA CALL UP ANOTHER DIRECTOR, UH, IT DIRECTOR JIM EDWARDS, THIS ITEM, AND THE NEXT ITEM, UH, WHICH, WHICH COMES AFTER IF, UH, COUNCIL APPROVES ITEM THREE.

UH, THIS TRULY WAS, UH, A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE, UH, SANITARY DISTRICT AND, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, SEIZE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND, UH, SOME OF OUR, UH, CITY, UH, FIBER, UH, NETWORK.

AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, I WANTED, UH, JIM EDWARDS COME UP AND TALK ABOUT VERY BRIEFLY.

AND, UM, UH, JUST SHARE, UH, AGAIN, THE COOPERATION WITH THE DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY AND THEN ALSO HOW THIS TRULY IS TRYING TO, UH, BE FORWARD THINKING AND, UH, SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES WITH, UH, DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PARTNERS.

JIM, CITY COUNCIL.

MAYOR, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT.

IT'S RARE THAT I GET TO BRING YOU, UH, UH, A PROJECT.

AS EXCITING AS THIS ONE, EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY, THE ONE ONE CHARGE I HAD WAS BUILD THE NETWORK AND THEY'LL COME, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO BUILD ACROSS THE LAKE 'CAUSE OF THE COST.

SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE WAS ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THE SANITARY DISTRICT.

AS I LEARNED ABOUT A 14 INCH MAIN THAT'S GOING UNDER OUR LAKE.

WE'RE, WE WANT OUR, WE WANT A FIBER TO, TO KIND OF TAKE A RIDE ON THAT 14 INCH MAINE AND GO ACROSS THE LAKE WITH IT.

AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.

SO, I, I THINK I EXPLAINED IT PRETTY WELL IN THE MEMO, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN QUESTIONS.

I DO APPRECIATE YOUR VISION ON THIS AND SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY.

QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? APPARENTLY NOT.

CALL THE QUESTION PLEASE.

COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY.

COUNCILMAN COL? AYE.

AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF OTHER ASSOCIATED COSTS TO INSTALL FIBER CONDUIT UNDER LAKE DECATUR AT LOSS BRIDGE ROAD.

[4. Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of other Associated Costs to Install Fiber Conduit Under Lake Decatur at Lost Bridge Road]

MOTION THAT THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

SECOND.

UH, IS THIS BACK TO YOU, JIM? YEAH.

THIS, THIS IS A TWO PART, SO I PUT BOTH RE RESOLUTIONS IN THE, IN THE MEMO, SO YOU'D UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THE LABOR'S BEING DONE BY THE CONTRACTORS OF THE SANITATION DISTRICT AND SOME OF THE LABOR WILL BE DONE BY BODINE ELECTRIC.

UH, BODINE ELECTRIC'S BEEN, UM, A CONTRACTOR WE'VE USED MUCH IN THE PAST FOR BUILDING OUR FIBER NETWORKS.

WHAT THEY, THEIR PART IN THIS GAME IS THAT REALLY TO, TO, TO GET IT TAMED ONCE THEY GET IT ON EACH END AND GET IT, UH, TO A PLACE WHERE IT CAN BE USED AS A CONDUIT FOR FIBER IN THE, IN THE END RUN.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. EDWARDS? DR. HORN? MR. EDWARDS, I JUST WANNA SAY

[01:00:01]

KUDOS TO YOUR TEAM.

I MEAN, YOUR EFFORTS HAVE RESULTED IN A SAVINGS OF $400,000 AND WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD TO FIBER ACROSS THE LAKE, AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR VISION AND LEADERSHIP TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

VERY EXCITED.

COUNCILMAN KEEL? YEAH.

COULD JIM, COULD YOU JUST TELL US, UM, WHO'S GONNA TAP INTO THIS FIBER? UH, NOW I THOUGHT ONE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS WAS, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

IMMEDIATELY.

IMMEDIATELY IT'D BE FIREHOUSE SEVEN.

AND ALSO, WELL, AND WHEN WE GET IT RUN UP, YOU KNOW, THE CONDUIT'S JUST GONNA BE UNDER THE LAKE AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO COMPLETE THAT LOOP.

BUT FIREHOUSE SEVEN AND THREE SCHOOLS, MUFF BOMB AND MONASTERY COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY.

THE AIRPORT CAN BE AN OPPORTUNITY AND MANY OTHER, UH, OPPORTUNITIES AS WE BUILD A NETWORK AND CITY FOR CITIZENS.

WE'LL ALREADY HAVE A ROUTE THAT THEY CAN USE ACROSS THE LAKE.

UH, SO THERE'LL BE, UH, THOSE WILL BE THE IMMEDIATE ONES THOUGH.

MM-HMM.

, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, MR. COOPER? UM, YES, FOR THIS ONE IT'S PROBABLY, JIM'S PROBABLY WANT MATT TO ANSWER THIS WITH BODINE.

UM, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT, UM, PERCENTAGE OF MINORITIES THAT THEY WOULD USE ON THIS PROJECT? HE, HE, OR YOU CAN ANSWER, HE ACTUALLY DOESN'T KNOW, BUT THEY DO.

THEY, IN ALL THE CONTRACTS WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST WITH BODINE, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO MEET THE COMPLETE REQUIREMENTS OF MINORITY, UH, LEADERSHIP.

SO IN THE LAST PROJECT, THE, IT WAS, IT WAS OVER ABOUT 30% OF THE LABOR FORCE WAS USED, IT WAS MINORITY, WHETHER IT BE WOMEN, YOU KNOW, OR WHATEVER, WHAT YOU, YOU NAME THE RANGE, THERE'S A WIDE RANGE.

THANKS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY? AYE.

COUNCILMAN HORNE? AYE.

COUNCILMAN HL? AYE.

ORDINANCE CREATING CITY CODE CHAPTER 51.6, MUNICIPAL GAS USE TAX MOTION TO THE ORDINANCE TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

MAYOR MORE WOLF? AYE.

SEVEN AYES, NO NAYS.

ITEM FIVE,

[5. Ordinance Creating City Code Chapter 51.6 - Municipal Gas Use Tax]

NOT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT, UH, BEFORE, UH, COUNCIL.

SECOND, MR. GLEASON? THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

UH, AND TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, WE'VE SAVED, UH, THIS ONE, THE EASY ONES FOR LAST AND, UH, HERE, HERE WE GO.

UM, I GUESS MY OPENING COMMENTS ON THIS, UH, WHEN, WHEN I WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THIS COMMUNITY, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, COUNCIL SHARED WITH ME WAS, UM, OR, OR LIKE MAYBE MY STYLE, UH, IN THE PAST WHEN I WAS HERE FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS, IS JUST TRYING TO BE AS OPEN AND AS TRANSPARENT ABOUT DIFFERENT CITY BUSINESSES I POSSIBLY CAN BE.

UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR FY 25 BUDGET, AND AGAIN, FOR US, THAT'S A CALENDAR YEAR.

UH, SO JANUARY 1ST IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE KICKOFF NOT ONLY OF THE NEW YEAR, BUT IT'S ALSO OUR, UH, THIS CITY'S, UH, FISCAL YEAR, UH, THIS LOOKING AT REVENUE, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST GONNA BE VERY CANDID WITH THE COMMUNITY.

I SAID THIS LAST WEEK AT A CHAMBER EVENT, AND, UH, I'VE SAID THIS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TIMES, UH, PUBLICLY, DEFINITELY, UH, COUNCIL HAS HEARD THIS IN PREPARATION FOR FFY 25 AND DEFINITELY ON THIS TOPIC TONIGHT, UH, AS A, UH, NEW REV REVENUE STREAM FOR THE CITY.

AND I'VE GOTTA BE CAREFUL WHAT I SAY BECAUSE I CAN'T JUST SAY THIS IS ONLY SUCH AND SUCH AMOUNT, UH, WHEN, UH, IT DOES HAVE AN IMPACT TO A LOCAL BUSINESS OR SOME OF THE LARGER BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, UH, THE RELATIONSHIP IS, UH, VERY IMPORTANT, UH, AND, AND RECOGNIZED.

YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SAY THAT IT'S JUST SUCH AND SUCH AMOUNT COMPARED TO THE PROFITS THAT ARE BROUGHT INTO THE COMPANY.

YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT THAT WAY, BUT I NEED TO FIND A REVENUE STREAM, YOU KNOW, AS WE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I THINK IT WAS MERINDA WITH THE, UH, CHAMBER AND OTHERS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW THIS REVENUE STREAM TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE SERVICES THAT THE CITY PROVIDES, UH, THIS COMMUNITY.

THIS IS FOR THAT COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC SAFETY, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE ONGOING INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS.

UH, AND I UNDERSTAND, AND I FULLY EXPECT THAT I'M GONNA BE CHALLENGED ON THIS.

I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE A PUBLIC ENTITY.

I'M NOT A PRIVATE COMPANY THAT CAN MAKE, UH, BAD DECISIONS AND PASS THOSE ONTO THE CONSUMER.

UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T EVEN HAVE A BAD IDEA WITHOUT IT BEING SUBJECT TO FOIA.

I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND THAT'S EXACTLY THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD BE AS A PUBLIC BODY.

UH, WE ARE STEWARDS OF THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

I BRING THIS BEFORE COUNCIL TONIGHT, UH, HOPING THAT I'VE PREPPED COUNCIL, UH, FULLY EXPECTING THAT, UH, THIS IS GONNA BE SUPPORTED.

DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT WILL, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO BRING SOMETHING BEFORE COUNCIL AND ALLOW THIS TO PLAY OUT, UH, AND, AND HAVE CHAOS, YOU KNOW, ON THE, UH, ON THE, THE DI YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL, UH, FLOOR.

SO I FEEL THAT THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING FOR, UH, COUNCIL TO STRONGLY CONSIDER, OR ELSE IT WOULD

[01:05:01]

AND I'M GONNA PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, AND THEN I'M GOING TO, UH, ASK DEPUTY CITY MANAGER KIN TO, UH, COME TO THE PODIUM.

WE'RE GONNA SHOW A COUPLE OF SLIDES.

YOU KNOW, THIS GAS USE TAX IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, IN EXISTENCE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, UH, THAT ARE SERVED BY EITHER CORN BELT OR, UH, AMEREN.

WERE SERVED BY AMEREN.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, OTHER COMMUNITIES OF VARYING SIZES HAVE MANUFACTURING REPRESENTED IN THEIR COMMUNITY, VARYING RATES.

BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS IN EXISTENCE.

SOME CAN CONTEND THAT, UH, WE'VE LOST OUT ON, UH, POTENTIAL REVENUE FOR HAVING NOT ADOPTED THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, YEAR.

YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST, WHAT WE HAVE TRIED TO DO HERE LOCALLY IS A BIFURCATED RATE.

SO OUR UTILITY TAX THAT WAS ADOPTED IN 2016, AND THIS IS SPEAKING A LITTLE BIT TO, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, MCDANIEL'S EARLIER QUESTION THAT JOHN'S GOING TO EXPAND ON.

THIS WAS ADOPTED IN 2016 AT A RATE OF FOUR AND A QUARTER.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE, RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVE TWO LARGE USERS, AND WE HOPE AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE EVEN MORE LARGE FUTURE, UH, UH, USERS, BUT WE HAVE, UH, PROPOSED A BIFURCATED RATE.

SO ALL THE OTHER BUSINESSES, UH, WOULD BE AT FOUR AND A QUARTER, SIMILAR TO OUR UTILITY TAX THAT WAS ADOPTED IN 2016 AND HAS NOT BEEN INCREASED.

BUT THE BIFURCATED, UH, RATE FOR THE LARGER USERS WOULD BE AT TWO AND A QUARTER.

AND THAT'S RECOGNIZING WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE.

AND I THINK THE PERENT REPRESENTATIVE BROUGHT UP AN IMPACT OF $1.7 MILLION.

THAT'S ROUGHLY OUR ESTIMATE AS WELL FOR THE SMALLER BUSINESSES.

AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF THOSE.

AND I WAS A SMALL BUSINESS, UH, YOU KNOW, OWNER IN THE PAST, UH, ALONG WITH MY WIFE, YOU KNOW, A A AVERAGE SMALL RESTAURANT.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THREE TO $500 ANNUALLY IF THIS IS ADOPTED THIS EVENING, YOU KNOW, SO I'M NOT JUST GOING TO SAY THREE OR $500 ANNUALLY IS IT'S JUST THREE OR $500, BUT THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF NUMBERS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

ANOTHER REASON THAT, UH, THIS IS BEFORE COUNCIL THIS EVENING, UH, AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LAST, UH, MONTH.

WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THE FACTS, UH, AND THE DATA.

AND WE'VE PUT, UH, COUNCIL ON FIRM GROUND TO HOPEFULLY SUPPORT THIS.

AND, UH, BEFORE, UH, MAYOR, I SEND THIS BACK TO YOU.

I'D LIKE, UH, THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, UH, JOHN, CLEAN UP ANYTHING, BUT PLEASE, UH, SHOW SOME OF THE, UH, SLIDES THAT YOU'VE PREPARED FOR COUNSEL.

COUNCIL'S SEEN THIS, BUT IT'S MORE SO FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND, UH, WANT, WANT TO, UH, SPEAK TO THAT, JOHN? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

AS TIM SAID, UH, THE GAS USE TAX IS ESSENTIALLY THE WAY TO CAPTURE GAS, UTILITY TAX FOR THOSE GAS USERS THAT ARE USING AN ALTERNATIVE SUPPLIER.

WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE CURRENT TAX, UH, GAS TAX IN 2016, I THINK THE INTENTION WAS, IS THAT THAT WOULD APPLY TO ALL NATURAL GAS USERS IN THE CITY OF DECATUR.

WHAT WE'VE SEEN SINCE THEN, SINCE 2016, IS ESSENTIALLY A GROWING NUMBER OF UTILITY ACCOUNTS THAT HAVE MOVED TO AN ALTERNATIVE SUPPLIER.

AND THE CITY DOES THIS THEMSELVES.

UH, WE GO OUT, WE, WE, WE BUY OUR OWN, UH, NATURAL GAS SUPPLY FROM AN ALTERNATIVE SUPPLIER SO THAT WE CAN SAVE MONEY OVER THE, UH, AMERIN PRICE.

AND SO WE KNOW AND RECOGNIZE THAT A NUMBER OF OUR BUSINESSES, BOTH BIG AND SMALL IN THE CITY OF DECATUR, HAVE STARTED DOING THAT OVER THE PAST, UH, EIGHT YEARS.

UH, AND THAT LIKELY WILL CONTINUE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

THE, CURRENTLY, THE GAS UTILITY TAX APPLIES TO AND ABOUT 35,000 TO 40,000.

BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS ARE PAYING THIS.

AND ESSENTIALLY THE GAS USE TAX THAT WE ARE, UH, CONSIDERING TONIGHT, UH, FOR, FOR THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING TONIGHT, ESSENTIALLY PICKS UP THE REST OF THOSE, UH, DECATUR UTILITY ACCOUNTS THAT HAVE ALTERNATIVE SUPPLIERS.

THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 450 UTILITY ACCOUNTS, UH, WHICH REALLY TRANSLATES TO ABOUT 200, UH, SEPARATE USERS.

SOME OF THOSE USERS LIKE A DM ENT, UH, UH, OTHER OTHER, UH, FACILITIES HERE IN DECATUR HAVE MULTIPLE GAS ACCOUNTS.

UM, AND SO WE, WE CAN EXPECT THAT IF THE CITY DOESN'T CLOSE, UH, THIS, THIS ISSUE WITH THE, THE GAS, THE NATURAL GAS UTILITY TAX, THAT THAT WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO GROW AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE SEEK OUT ALTERNATIVE SUPPLIER.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND SO, WE'VE DONE A COMPARISON HERE TO REALLY SHOW THAT WE ARE STILL VERY COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING TOWNS IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS.

UM, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS, IS THAT THE, THE CITY OF DECATUR'S GAS UTILITY TAX IS, IS HIGHER THAN, THAN SOME, UH, BUT OUR GAS, OR EXCUSE ME, OUR ELECTRIC UTILITY TAX IS SIGNIFICANTLY

[01:10:01]

LOWER THAN ALL OF 'EM.

UH, AND SO REALISTICALLY THIS IS, UH, WE BELIEVE STILL KEEPS THE CITY AS A COMPETITIVE, UH, INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING TOWN.

UM, AND BY ESSENTIALLY SELECTING THE SAME GAS USE TAX AS THE UTILITY TAX, WE ARE CREATING TAX, UH, EQUITY FOR ALL USERS.

UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, MERINDA SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT THE NUMBER OF SMALL BUSINESSES IMPACTED.

THE REALITY OF IT IS, IS THAT WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES HERE IN THE CITY OF DECATUR.

MOST OF THEM PAY THE UTILITY TAX ALREADY.

UH, AND REALISTICALLY, THERE'S ONLY ABOUT 200 USERS, AS I SAID EARLIER, UH, THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY PAYING THE GAS UTILITY TAX THAT WOULD BE CAPTURED BY THIS GAS USE TAX.

UH, AS TIM SAID, WE, IN RECOGNITION OF THE TWO LARGE, UH, MANUFACTURERS, UH, HERE IN THE CITY OF DECATUR THAT HA DO USE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GAS, UM, WE DID CREATE A BIFURCATED RATE.

WE ARE THE ONLY ONE IN THE ENTIRE AM AND TERRITORY, UH, THAT HAS THIS BIFURCATED RATE.

UM, AND SO THAT IS A RECOGNITION THAT, UH, WE DO HAVE SMALL BUSINESSES AND WE ALSO HAVE THE LARGE, UH, INDUSTRIAL PLAYERS HERE IN THE CITY OF DECATUR AS WELL.

UH, JUST TO RECAP A A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE IMPACT AS, AS TIM SAID IT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ONE GENTLEMAN EARLIER SPOKE ABOUT THE, UH, FIREPLACES IN, IN HIS BUSINESS THAT RUN ALL THE TIME WHILE HE'S OPEN THAT PARTICULAR BUSINESS.

UH, THE IMPACT OF THE GAS USE TAX WOULD BE LESS THAN $20 A MONTH.

IT'S APPROXIMATELY $18 A MONTH FOR A RESTAURANT.

AS TIM SAID, IT'S SOMEWHERE, UH, BETWEEN 30 TO $50 A MONTH IS THE, IS THE IMPACT THAT THEY WILL FEEL, UH, UH, IN THE BIG BOX GROCERY STORES, UH, UH, AND THAT BUSINESSES LIKE THAT, IT TRANSLATES TO APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED TO $150 A MONTH AS THE, UH, THE IMPACT, UH, AS IT'S PROPOSED.

HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS I'LL GET TO QUESTION.

I JUST WANNA MAKE NOTE WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.

UM, THEY WILL ALSO HAVE THREE MINUTES COMING UP, BUT WE'LL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL, UH, PRIOR TO THAT REAL QUICK.

UM, MR. GLEASON, DID YOU, JUST A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL COMMENTS THAT I FELT FIT, UH, AFTER THE SLIDES WERE DONE.

UH, YOU KNOW, UH, FROM THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, A QUESTION THAT I WAS ASKED IS, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW IS THIS, UH, REVENUE GONNA BE USED? AND, UH, IT'S ABOUT, UH, WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT IT'S GONNA GENERATE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.

THAT'S FAIR QUESTION.

AND, UH, WE ARE APPROACHING FY 24, OR I'M SORRY, FY 25, THE CLOSURE OF FY 24.

UH, THIS WILL BE THE FIRST YEAR AFTER THE, UH, PAST SEVERAL YEARS, UH, THAT WE'VE HAD A RP FUNDS.

THIS COMMUNITY RECEIVED NEARLY $35 MILLION.

AND I'M NOT GOING TO SUGGEST THAT IT'S SUPPLEMENTED, UH, ANY OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, PAST BUDGETS, BUT IT DEFINITELY WAS A REVENUE STREAM OR A SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT WE USED.

FY 25 IS GONNA BE THE FIRST YEAR WITHOUT THAT.

SO MY POINT BEING IS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION, THE, UH, A HUNDRED PLUS, UH, DEMOS THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY, PRIMARILY THE BIGGIES, UH, ARE THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.

BUT WE'VE DONE NEARLY 150 RESIDENTIAL, UH, DEMOLITIONS.

THOSE WERE FUNDED ALMOST ENTIRELY BY A RP FUNDS.

SO TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.

AND THIS IS A PREVIEW, UH, BUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IS TUCKED INTO THE PROPOSED FY 25 BUDGET.

SO THAT'S $2.5 MILLION OF THE THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.

AND THEN ALSO EARLIER WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, YOU KNOW, WE DO SEE A, AND THERE IS A TREMENDOUS NEED, BUT THERE IS A MODEST, UH, PROPOSAL TO EXPAND, UH, HEAD COUNT, FULL-TIME, HEAD COUNT, THE ORGANIZATION, UH, WE ARE VERY LEAN.

WE'RE BEING ASKED TO DO MORE.

UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE ALWAYS ASKED TO DO MORE WITH LESS, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AN ADDITIONAL HEAD COUNT.

UH, THAT WOULD BE A GENERAL FUND IMPACT, UH, 12 TOTAL.

AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, THIS GOAL OF TRYING TO PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION THAT WE ARE NOT, UH, LOSING EMPLOYEES BECAUSE WE ARE NOT COMPETITIVE.

BUT ALSO, AGAIN, I'M GOING BACK TO THE ORGANIZATION AND WHEN I'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS, AND I MAY NOT HAVE COMPLETED THIS POINT EARLIER, UH, THIS EVENING, IS WHEN I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR EMPLOYEES.

YOU TALK ABOUT A DEDICATED, UH, TEAM THAT WE HAVE.

IT'S AMAZING AND IT'S VERY ENCOURAGING.

AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT OUR ECONOMICS IN THIS COMMUNITY CURRENTLY ARE NOT THE SAME AS SOME OF THOSE COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES.

SO IF THE GOAL OR THE TARGET IS TO CLOSE THAT GAP ON A STARTING WAGE, UH, SOMEWHERE IN THE 10% RANGE, BEING 10% LESS THAN, UH, THEY ARE MORE THAN SATISFIED WITH THAT.

THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT OCCURRED, UH, THIS EVENING WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE, UH, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO THAT ADDITIONAL HEADCOUNT, THE INCREASE IN WAGES SO THAT WE CAN BE COMPETITIVE IN RECRUITMENT

[01:15:01]

AND RETENTION, AND THEN ALSO THE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION.

THAT'S WHAT THESE FUNDS ARE, UH, UH, GONNA BE USED FOR.

I UNDERSTAND, AND I DON'T LIKE THIS, I DON'T LIKE PUTTING THIS COUNCIL IN A POSITION THAT THEY'VE GOTTA MAKE EXTREMELY TOUGH DECISIONS LIKE THIS WHEN YOU HEAR THE KIND OF OPPOSITION FROM THE COMMUNITY.

BUT I'M GOING TO SAY THAT THIS IS NECESSARY.

MAYOR, UH, WOULD COUNCIL WANNA HEAR FROM THE CITIZENS FIRST BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR DISCUSSIONS? THAT'S WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, MR. KIN, IF YOU COULD STAY CLOSE, BUT, UH, MS. DICE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK AND OFFER ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MORE MINUTES, THEN WE'LL TURN TO MS. ROTHWELL.

THANK YOU MAYOR MOORE AND CITY COUNCIL AGAIN, AND MR. GLEASON, CITY MANAGER.

UM, DON'T HAVE A STATEMENT THIS TIME.

SO JUST GONNA KIND OF SPEAK FROM MY HEART.

UH, I WAS ON THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN THE CITY OF MEMPHIS, AND WE DEALT WITH A SIMILAR ISSUE WHEN I WAS A PLANT LEADER FOR A SOY FACILITY THAT DUPONT OWNED.

AND WE RAN INTO INCREASING ELECTRICITY TAXES, NATURAL GAS TAXES, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS.

AND, UM, IT WAS A TOUGH CALL.

AND I APPRECIATE, LIKE MEMPHIS, DECATUR NEEDS THE REVENUE.

NO, NO DOUBT.

I, I LIVE DOWNTOWN DECATUR.

UM, YOU KNOW, I SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.

I COMMUTE EVERY DAY AND I WANNA BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.

THAT'S WHY WE DID WHAT WE DID WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, WHICH I APPRECIATED WORKING WITH LACEY.

UM, I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT OUTCOME, AND I CONTINUE TO PUT THAT FORWARD TO BE COLLABORATIVE WITH THE CITY ON WAYS TO INCREASE REVENUE.

THAT IS A WAY, MAYBE IT'S NOT 1.7 MILLION, BUT IT IS A WAY TO INCREASE SOME OF THE REVENUE FOR THE CITY BY US PAYING FOR MORE TRANSPORTATION SO PEOPLE CAN, CAN WORK, RIGHT? AND MAYBE EVEN MOVE TO DECATUR.

SO I ASK YOU THAT, UM, GIVEN THE SMALL BUSINESSES AND US THAT MAYBE WE AT LEAST CONSIDER ENGAGING A LITTLE MORE AND COLLABORATING 'EM A LITTLE MORE, AND MAYBE WE CAN FIND WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER TO HELP IN INCREASE THE REVENUE FOR THE CITY, UM, AND SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH PLANS AND, AND WAYS TO DO THAT.

LASTLY, FOR US, UM, OUR FISCAL YEAR IS NOT ANNUAL, SO IT STARTS IN MARCH.

WE ARE NOT PREPARED FOR THAT.

AND THAT WAS ANOTHER ISSUE WE RAN INTO IN MEMPHIS.

AND WHAT WE ASKED FOR WAS, IT'S GREAT THAT WE WANT TO DO THIS, BUT IT IS MUCH BETTER IF YOU HAVE A PLAN AND YOU SHOW WHAT THAT PLAN LOOKS LIKE.

BECAUSE I THINK SOME OF THE OTHER FEAR IS IT CAN CONTINUE TO INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR.

AND SO WHAT IS THE OVERALL PLAN THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR WITH RESPECT TO THE TAX SITUATION? I APPRECIATE YOU LISTENING.

THANK YOU, MS. DICE.

UM, MS. ROTHROCK, DID YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? OBVIOUSLY THE CHAMBER REPRESENTS THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AND I WOULD SAY THEY ALL FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A TARGET ON THEIR BACK.

ANYTIME THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THE FEE AND INSTITUTE A TAX, IT'S THE BACK OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT REALLY TAKE THE BRUNT OF THIS.

AND I JUST ASK, AND I, I KNOW WE TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR DOLLARS, AND I AGREE, I THINK THAT WE, THERE'S ALWAYS A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL DOLLARS AND REVENUE, BUT YOU NEED TO INCLUDE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

YOU NEED TO INCLUDE THEM IN THIS CONVERSATION.

ALLOW THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FIRSTHAND WHERE ARE THESE FUNDS GOING, WHERE ARE THEY BEING ALLOCATED TO? BECAUSE WITHOUT BUSINESS DECATUR AND MACON COUNTY, YOU WILL HAVE NO NEIGHBORHOODS TO REVITALIZE.

YOU WILL HAVE NO ROADS THAT YOU'LL NEED TO USE.

YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL WATER USERS.

I'M JUST SAYING, PLEASE, LET'S JUST TABLE THIS.

I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT WE TABLE THE VOTE AND WE HAVE CONTINUED CONVERSATION.

OF THESE SAME CUSTOMERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY NOT PAYING THE GAS USE TAX ARE PAYING A UTILITY TAX, BUT THEY'RE ONLY PAINTED ON THE TRANSMISSION AND THE DELIVERY SIDE OF THEIR BILL.

THANK YOU, MS. ROTHROCK.

UM, I AM ONE OF THOSE COUNCIL PEOPLE WHO IS VERY GUILTY OF NEEDING MORE MONEY FOR THE CITY AND THE THINGS THAT WE WANNA DO.

BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WHETHER IT IS OUR, UM, NEW CITY MANAGER OR OUR PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER, OR THE LAST TIME TIM WAS OUR CITY MANAGER, WILL COME TO US WITH, UM, IDEAS FOR, TO INCREASE REVENUE.

AND I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO PUSHES BACK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE OTHER RESIDENTS, WE DON'T WANNA SEE, UM, OUR TAXES GO UP AND FEES GO UP.

ADDITIONALLY, IN ONE ASPECT OR ANOTHER, I'VE SPENT THE LAST 28 YEARS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN, IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT CAPACITIES, AND I'VE GOT A LOT OF HEARTBURN ABOUT THIS BECAUSE FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT, MY CONCERN IS WHAT IS THE CHILLING EFFECT THIS HAS ON BUSINESS EXPANSION HERE? YOU KNOW, WE MAY THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL TO A PRIMATE OR AN A DM, BUT WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE FOR WHERE THEY'RE GONNA EXPAND A PLANT, A BUSINESS, WHAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A NEW PLACE TO PUT SOMETHING.

THEY DON'T HAVE

[01:20:01]

TO DO IT HERE.

IN FACT, BOTH COMPANIES HAVE NUMEROUS LOCATIONS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

AND SO I'M CONCERNED THAT WE WON'T EVEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN AND SAY, WELL, HOW, HOW CAN WE ADDRESS THIS? BECAUSE THOSE DECISIONS ARE MADE BEFORE ANY OF IT EVER BECOMES PUBLIC.

'CAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE HERE WHEN WE MAKE A DECISION, IT'S PUBLIC AND THIS IS HOW WE DO IT.

BUT IT'S NOT, I JUST, I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING WITH THIS, BUT AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU FOR MONEY.

AND WE HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS IN THIS COMMUNITY.

COSTS CONTINUE TO GO UP.

THE COST OF LABOR, THE COST OF HEALTHCARE, THE COST OF, UH, PENSIONS, ALL OF IT, THOSE ARE THINGS WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH AND FIGURE OUT.

IT'S NOT ANY CHEAPER TO FIX THE ROAD THAN IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO.

IT JUST GETS MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE.

WE WANNA DO THINGS LIKE EXPAND FIBER.

IT'S REALLY EXPENSIVE.

ALL OF THE COOL THINGS WE'D LIKE TO DO AND LIKE TO BE A PART OF COSTS MONEY.

SO I, I'M REALLY, I I'M FEELING VERY STUCK HERE.

AND THEN YOU LOOK AT SMALL BUSINESSES AND LIKE SOMEWHAT FEEL, UH, RESPONSIBLE THAT THEY WEREN'T THAT AWARE THAT WE WERE CONSIDERING THIS.

AND I KNOW, I MEAN, WE HEARD FROM MR. WHITNEY TONIGHT AND SOME OTHERS, BUT THE REALITY OF IT IS, IF A 200 SMALL BUSINESSES KNEW THEY WERE ABOUT TO TAKE A BIG HIKE IN THEIR POWER BILL, I THINK WE WOULD'VE BEEN HEARING FROM THEM.

AND WE HAVEN'T, WHICH TELLS ME THEY DIDN'T KNOW.

SO I'M VERY, VERY CONFLICTED ON THIS.

AND SO I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO ALL OF YOU TO FIX MY LIFE, PAT.

WELL, UNLIKE THE GEN, OUR ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT LOCAL LEVEL, WE DON'T LIKE TO RAISE, UH, FEES AND THINGS UNLESS WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO.

UM, AS FAR AS THE SMALL BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, ONE REASON PROBABLY THEIR, THEIR RATE IS LOW 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT PAYING TAXES ON IT LIKE THE OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES ARE.

UH, I SUPPORT OUR, OUR A DM AND THE PERMEANT, UM, ON A LOT OF THEIR, THEIR ISSUES AND THEIR QUESTIONS.

BUT THE, THE PROBLEM IS, UH, WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR INFRASTRUCTURE UP TO HELP YOU.

WE'VE BEEN, IF YOU NOTICE, WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY IN TRYING TO INCREASE OUR WATER SUPPLY THAT BOTH OF THOSE INDUSTRIES NEED.

THAT COSTS MONEY.

AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, YOU GET DISCOUNTS, HIGH VOLUME DISCOUNTS FOR USING THE WATER TOO.

UM, AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, SMALL BUSINESSES, YOU'VE GOT HOW MANY BUSINESSES IN THIS TOWN ARE, ARE PAYING THE, THE, UH, UH, GAS TAX.

AND, UH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK YOU HAVE TO BELONG TO THE, THE, UH, THE CHAMBER TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT DEAL.

WELL, NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO JOIN THE CHAMBER 'CAUSE IT COSTS MONEY TO JOIN THE CHAMBER, SO THEY'RE NOT REALLY GAINING.

SO, UH, AGAIN, I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE, UH, NEXT YEAR AT THE STATE LEVEL, WHEN AS THE CITY MANAGER WAS SAYING, UH, WE ARE NOT GONNA GET ANY MORE OF THAT COVID MONEY, AND NEITHER IS THE STATE.

AND IF YOU REMEMBER YOUR HISTORY, WHAT HAS HAPPENED YEARS AGO WHEN THEY, UH, STATE WAS IN A FINANCIAL PROBLEM, THEY KNOCKED ON THE DOOR OF, OF MUNICIPALITIES AND TOOK MONEY AWAY FROM US.

SO OUR MAIN ISSUES AND, AND UH, OUR, OUR POLICY ON, ON THE CITY IS PUBLIC SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANY NEW INDUSTRY OR MAINTAIN OUR, OUR PRESENT, UH, INDUSTRY.

SO RELUCTANTLY, I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS OTHER SUN COUNSEL, DR. HORNE.

UM, MR. GLEASON, UM, WHAT IS THE GREATER COST, THE ACTUAL COST OF A NATURAL GAS THERM OR THE TAX ON A NATURAL GAS THERM? I AM SORRY, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE QUESTION, COUNCILMAN HORNE? YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE TAXING, UH, WE'RE PUTTING A MUNICIPAL TAX PER THE, OF GAS USED, BUT ISN'T THE COST OF A THER OF GAS MUCH MORE THAN THE ACTUAL UTILITY TAX WE'RE PROPOSING? SO THE, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TRY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION THIS WAY.

THE UTILITY TAX ON BOTH ELECTRIC AND GAS ARE BASED ON GROSS RECEIPTS, OR EXCUSE ME, LET ME SEPARATE.

ELECTRICITY IS BASED ON KILOWATT HOURS USED.

IT'S A VERY, UH, TIERED RATE STRUCTURE.

THE MORE ELECTRICITY USED, THE LOWER, THE LOWER THE TAX IS, UH, ON THE GAS UTILITY TAX SIDE, IT'S A FOUR AND A QUARTER ON GROSS RECEIPTS.

AND SO AMARIN CURRENTLY COLLECTS FOUR AND A QUARTER ON THE UTILITY TAX FOR ALL OF THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT THEY SUPPLY, UH, AND DISTRIBUTE THE GAS TOO FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS.

AND SO MANY

[01:25:01]

THE SUPPLY IS, IS, IS HAS BECOME A GROWING PORTION OF THE NATURAL GAS BILL.

UH, UH, THE GAS, UH, WHICH I THINK IS YOUR QUESTION, THE PRICE PER TERM OF NATURAL GAS DOES FLUCTUATE, UH, PRETTY DRAMATICALLY.

UH, PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, SINCE THE, THE UKRAINE INVASION IN 2022.

UH, AND WE SAW THAT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

THAT'S WHAT ULTIMATELY DROVE UP THE COST OF ELECTRICITY IN, IN THE WINTER OF 22.

UH, SPRING OF 23 WAS THE, WAS THE PUSHING, OR EXCUSE ME, WAS THE INCREASE IN, IN GAS, UH, PRICES.

UM, AND SO THE THERM DOES FLUCTUATE, BUT THE WAY THAT THE STATE STATUTE CALLS FOR THE GAS USE TAX TO BE APPLIED IS A SENSE PER THERM.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE ESSENTIALLY PROPOSING.

ALRIGHT.

SO IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR RESPONSE, IF HYPOTHETICALLY SOMEONE PAID OR WAS, UH, PAID FOR A HUNDRED DOLLARS IN NATURAL GAS COSTS, THE TAX WOULD BE $4 RIGHT? OR SO.

AND SO IF MY UNDERSTANDING OF LET'S SAY, GAS PRICES THAT WE BUY AT THE PUMP IS CORRECT, UM, IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, IT IS, UH, FLUCTUATED FROM $2 A GALLON TO $4 A GALLON, BUT IN THIS CASE, OUR LOCAL MOTOR FUEL TAX IS ALWAYS 5 CENTS, WHICH IS MUCH LOWER THAN THE COST OF THE ACTUAL GAS.

UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS, UM, DO YOU AS A MUNICIPALITY HAVE THE ABILITY TO NEGOTIATE THE PRICE, UH, FOR NATURAL GAS? UM, WOULD A LARGE COMPANY HAVE THE ABILITY TO NEGOTIATE ITS PRICE OF NATURAL GAS? YES.

GAS IS THE SAME AS ELECTRICITY.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AS A CONSUMER TO SELECT ANY SUPPLIER THAT YOU WANT AND NEGOTIATE WITH A SUPPLIER.

AND SO THE CITY, FOR AN EXAMPLE, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE AGGREGATE ALL OF OUR, UH, NATURAL GAS ACCOUNTS.

WE HAVE PROBABLY 16 TO TO 20 ACCOUNTS.

WE AGGREGATE THOSE AND WE NEGOTIATE WITH, UH, TWO OR THREE OF THE LARGEST GAS SUPPLIERS, UH, UH, AND, AND ULTIMATELY SELECT OUR, THE BEST NATURAL GAS PRICE THAT WE CAN GET AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME, UH, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO SECURE A NEW CONTRACT FOR, UH, THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

SO IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT IF THE CITY OF DECATUR NEGOTIATES OR APPROVES A HIGHER TAX RATE, UM, BUT AN ENTITY LIKE THE CITY OF DECATUR NEGOTIATES FOR A LOWER COST OF GAS, THEN THAT WOULD HAVE, UH, ESSENTIALLY A, A NO NET CHANGE IN THE ACTUAL AMOUNT THAT'S BEING PAID.

IT'S POSSIBLE.

IS THAT CORRECT? YES.

A PERSON COULD, UH, COULD NEGOTIATE A CHEAPER GAS PRICE THAT IN, UH, THAT INCLUDES THIS GAS, THE NEW GAS USE TAX THAT IS STILL LOWER THAN WHAT AMEREN'S UTILITY RATE COULD BE, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.

UM, NEXT, I I WANTED TO ASK MY COLLEAGUES.

MY MEMORY IS THAT, UM, THE ILLINOIS MANUFACTURER'S ASSOCIATION SENT A LETTER TO THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL IN AROUND JULY OF THIS YEAR.

I DON'T RECALL THE DATE.

UM, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE ORDINANCE THAT WOULD HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A PERMANENT IN PERPETUITY, UH, BENEFIT TO THOSE WHO CHOSE A PROVIDER OTHER THAN AMEREN? I GUESS I'M NOT FOLLOWING THE QUESTION.

UM, MY RECOLLECTION IS CERTAINLY IT WAS WEEKS BEFORE THIS PARTICULAR DISCUSSION HAS BEEN MADE.

AND SO ILLINOIS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, I KNOW REPRESENTS SEVERAL LARGE COMPANIES HERE IN DECATUR.

AND, UM, I'M A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED THAT, UM, UH, THERE'S THE SUGGESTION THAT THE CITY DID NOT INFORM ENTITIES ABOUT THIS CHANGE.

WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL GOT A LETTER FROM THE ILLINOIS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION EXPRESSING THEIR PARTICULAR RESERVATIONS, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, ENTITIES, UM, WERE INFORMED OF THIS, AT LEAST CERTAIN ENTITIES WERE INFORMED.

AND THEN, UM, IF MY RECOLLECTION OF THIS PERIOD OF TIME IS CORRECT, UM, WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC RES, UH, INDIVIDUALS, IF THEY MET CERTAIN INCOME REQUIREMENTS, UM, RECEIVED A CHECK IN THE MAIL FROM THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.

UH, BUT THAT CHECK ENDED AFTER ABOUT A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THERE WAS NO EXPECTATION THAT WE WOULD PERMANENTLY, UM, GET THIS PARTICULAR CHECK EVERY, UM, SINGLE YEAR, UH, MOVING FORWARD.

[01:30:01]

COUNCILMAN HORNE.

PLAN? DIDN'T HEAR A LOT OF PLANS.

WE, THE CITY OF DECATUR MADE NO GUARANTEE THAT WE WOULD IN PERPETUITY NOT HAVE A GAS, UH, UTILITY TAX FOR THOSE THAT SHOWS AN PROVIDER OTHER THAN AMIN.

CORRECT? RIGHT.

ALRIGHT, WELL, I'M, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS INITIATIVE.

THE CITY SHOULD NOT HAVE 35,000 TO 40,000 ACCOUNTS THAT PAY THE TAX AND 450 ACCOUNTS THAT DO NOT PAY THE TAX.

CLOSING THE LOOPHOLE WITH AN EQUIVALENT TAX RATE FOR ALMOST ALL USERS WILL HAVE ESSENTIALLY NO IMPACT ON THE VAST MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS, AND IT WOULD CREATE TAX EQUITY AMONG ALL NATURAL GAS USERS.

CLOSING THE LOOPHOLE NOW WILL ALSO ALLOW THE CITY TO CONTINUE FUNDING ITS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, WHICH IS NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION.

AND WE LIVE IN A CITY WITH A POVERTY RATE OF 20%, A CHILDHOOD POVERTY RATE OF NEARLY 30%.

AND I MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF LESS THAN $50,000 A YEAR.

AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE, HOW WE GET ECONOMIC GROWTH, WE GET ECONOMIC GROWTH THROUGH TWO WAYS.

WE INCREASE THE POPULATION OR WE INCREASE PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION PER PERSON.

AND THE REALITY IS, IN DECATUR FOR DECADES, POPULATION HAS DECLINED, AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE ANYWAY, THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE POPULATION INCREASES WITHOUT NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION.

AND SO, WHILE SOME COULD ARGUE THAT HIGHER UTILITY TAXES ON THE INDUSTRIAL BASE WILL SEND A CHILLING MESSAGE TO CURRENT EMPLOYERS AND COMPANIES CLOSING THE TAX LOOPHOLE SENDS A MORE IMPORTANT MESSAGE THAT THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO TAX PARITY AND EQUITY TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, WHICH ARE INCLUDE THE 68,000 RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, AND THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO FUNDING OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION.

OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? COUNCILMAN COOPER? UM, NOT TO REPEAT WHAT DR.

HORNER, HE TOOK SOME OF MY MESSAGE, SO I'M TRYING NOT TO REPEAT WHAT HE SAID.

UM, BUT I THINK I HEARD SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT, UM, THE BUSINESSES DON'T WANT TO BE TAXED ANYMORE THAN WHAT THEY ARE AND CARE THE BURDEN OF THE CITY.

I KIND OF LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.

UM, AT LEAST WHY I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL, THE MAJORITY OF THE TAXES THAT WE'VE, WE'VE PUT OUT AND PUT ON PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THE CITIZENS.

UM, SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH, NOW, WE MAY NEED TO LOOK AT TAXING MORE EQUAL BURDEN ON THE BUSINESSES, AND THEY PAY THEIR, THEY PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.

UM, AND I'M SORRY TO SAY, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT THE FIGURES THAT THE MAJOR COMPANIES ARE MAKING AND WHAT THIS LITTLE TAX IS GOING TO CREATE, YOU'RE STILL GONNA BE MAKING BILLIONS AND BILLIONS MORE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THIS NEW TAX.

I'M SORRY.

YOU JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBERS THAT THIS TAX IS NOT GONNA HURT ANY OF THE BIG BUSINESSES OR THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN DECATUR.

CITIZENS DON'T LIKE TAXES.

I DON'T LIKE TAXES, BUT WE HAVE TO PAY THEM WHEN THEY COME AND WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH 'EM IF WE WANT OUR CITIES TO IMPROVE.

UH, DR. HORN HAS INDICATED IN OTHERS NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION WAS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.

IT'S STILL OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.

UM, WE, WE KNOWN, WE'VE KNOWN QUITE A WHILE NOW THAT WE WERE GONNA RUN OUTTA MONEY IN REVENUE TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION.

AND I'VE ASKED THE QUESTION BEFORE, THIS CITY MANAGER TO THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER, THE MONEY'S GOING TO GO AWAY.

AND WHAT IS OUR

[01:35:01]

THIS IS THE FIRST PLAN THAT I'VE HEARD THAT'S BEING PUT BEFORE US.

UM, THERE'S THE OTHER, THERE'S THE OTHER, UM, WAYS TO DO IT.

AND THE BIGGEST ONE OF THAT WAS CANNABIS DISPENSARIES.

ALTHOUGH THE CITIZENS WANTED THAT MAJORITY, THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL DID NOT.

SO THERE'S NO NEED TO BE THE DEAD HORSE.

SO YOU GOT TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S GOING TO COVER THE GAP OF REVENUE.

THIS IS THE FIRST BIG PLAN THAT I'VE SEEN THAT WILL COVER THE COVER THAT, AND I DON'T PARTICULARLY LIKE IT TOTALLY, BUT I DO KNOW WE NEED IT.

AND I'M SORRY TO HEAR THOSE THAT ARE AGAINST IT.

AND ESPECIALLY THE BUSINESSES THAT YOU'RE AGAINST IT.

THIS IS YOUR CITY AS WELL.

AND WE NEED OUR CITY TO FIRST AND WE NEED OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO CONTINUE TO GROW, AND IT CAN'T GROW, AND WE DON'T CONTINUE IN THE METHOD IN WHICH WE HAVE, WE HAVE DONE TO THIS FLOOR IN DEMOLITIONS AND BUILDING AND REBUILDING AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

WE CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.

WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

THIS IS A HARD, IT IS A HARD DECISION, BUT YET IT'S A NECESSARY DECISION IF WE WANT OUR CITY TO CONTINUE TO STRIVE AND GROW.

I UNDERSTAND WE TAKE A RISK OF, OF A, SOMEBODY LEAVING, LEAVING DECATUR, LEAVING MACON COUNTY.

THAT'S THE RISK WE HAVE TO TAKE.

BUT WHEN WE GOT ELECTED, WE WERE ELECTED TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AND MAKE, TAKE, MAKE THOSE KIND OF RISKS IF NECESSARY.

THIS IS A NECESSARY RISK.

THANK YOU, MR. COBB.

JUST A QUICK COMMENT, UH, ENDING QUESTION.

THE CITY MANAGER, UM, WHEN YOU CAME BACK, WE WERE ALL EXCITED JUST BECAUSE OF HOW PRO BUSINESS YOU ARE.

SO THIS WAS ON YOUR DESK WHEN YOU ARRIVED, AND I KNOW IT WASN'T TOUGH FOR YOU TO COME UP WITH THIS OR EVEN DRAFT THE LANGUAGE.

UM, THIS IS YOUR JOB.

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO FIND NEW REVENUE FOR US.

I GET IT.

AND I, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I WAS, I WAS ALL ON BOARD UNTIL EARLY THIS WEEK.

I MEAN, UH, THESE BUSINESSES, UH, THE CHAMBER READ OFF.

THESE ARE FAMILY BUSINESSES AND WE MENTIONED RESIDENCE, AND I DON'T, I WANNA KEEP OFF RESIDENCE BACK AS WELL, BUT THESE FAMILY BUSINESSES ARE OWNED BY OUR RESIDENTS.

SOME OF THE BUSINESS ARE EMPLOYED WITH EMPLOYEES OF OUR RESIDENCE.

UH, SO I GET, THIS IS A TOUGH ONE.

THIS IS VERY TOUGH.

AND I, AND I AND I, I DON'T MIND MAKING THE HARD DECISIONS.

I THAT'S WHAT WE WERE VOTED IN TO DO.

I DON'T MIND DOING THAT.

AND I DEFINITELY DON'T WANNA KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD EITHER.

BUT YOU'RE PROPOSING A FOUR QUARTER, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.

WHERE WHERE DOES IT LOOK WITH TWO AND A QUARTER IF, IF COUNSEL? SO AGAIN, FOR THE COMMUNITY, MORE SO, UH, WHAT'S BEFORE COUNCIL IS A BIFURCATED RATE, UH, FOUR AND A QUARTER FOR ALL THOSE THAT ARE NOT THE LARGE USERS.

THERE'S ONLY TWO CURRENT, UH, USERS.

UH, THAT WOULD BE THE SECOND RATE AT TWO AND A QUARTER.

THE REASON WE WENT WITH THE, UH, FOUR AND A QUARTER IS, UH, ONE, IT MATCHED THAT OF THE UTILITY TAX.

AND THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER COMMENTED TO THIS, THAT'S WHAT SEVERAL HUNDRED BUSINESSES ARE ALREADY PAYING.

AND WE WERE LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE FAIRNESS TO THEM ALSO TRYING TO BE, UH, REASONABLE AND FAIR, UH, TO THE, UH, LARGE EMPLOYERS, PRI AND A DM.

AND WE FELT THAT THIS WAS FAIR.

UH, ADDITIONALLY, ADDITIONALLY, UH, TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT'S JUST THIS AMOUNT, UH, BECAUSE IT COULD BE THAT KIND OF IMPACT.

UH, YOU KNOW, $20 OR $30 FOR A SMALLER BUSINESS PER MONTH COULD, YOU KNOW, BE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT BIG OF A CHALLENGE, YOU KNOW, AS THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER WAS, WAS SHARING.

UH, AND I GET THAT.

UH, I ALSO HOPE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATIONS LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CREDIBILITY, UH, AND THE INTEGRITY, UH, OF, UH, THIS OFFICE OF ME, UH, TRYING TO PREP COUNSEL, UH, AS BEST THAT I POSSIBLY CAN.

AND I KNOW THAT EVERYONE IS WILLING TO MAKE THOSE TOUGH DECISIONS.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A MONEY GRAB.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, UH, WE HAVE A VERY TIGHT BUDGET.

WE HAVE LOST A MAJOR REVENUE WITH THE A RP FUNDS.

THERE IS GROWTH THAT'S NEEDED IN TERMS OF HEAD COUNT.

WE HAVE REACHED A POINT WHEN I WAS FIRST HERE, I STARTED MY TENURE HERE.

[01:40:01]

WE HAD A FIVE DAYS OF OPERATING CASH, THE THINGS THAT WE SET IN MOTION THAT FIRST THREE YEARS AND HAS CONTINUED.

WE ARE NOW AT A POINT TO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT AT THE COUNCIL'S GOAL AND OBJECTIVE OF 90 DAYS OF CASH.

THAT IS A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT IN THE LAST SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS.

AND THIS IS THE KIND OF, UH, UH, REVENUE STREAM THAT WE'RE BRINGING FOR BEFORE COUNCIL TO MAINTAIN THAT MODEST GROWTH, MAINTAIN SOME OF THE PROGRAMS, UH, THAT WE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS COME TO EXPECT.

THAT'S A COUNCIL INITIATIVE.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, REALIZE, UH, UH, REALIZE THIS IS A TOUGH DECISION, COUNCILMAN CULP.

BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, UH, FELT THAT THE FOUR AND A QUARTER WAS APPROPRIATE FOR THE HUNDREDS OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY PAYING IT.

AND AGAIN, UH, SEE THAT SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF THREE TO $500 FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY.

I KNOW IT'S A NUMBER, MR. GLEASON, UM, MS. D BROUGHT UP THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PRIMATE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO PLAN FOR.

IF IT WERE TO GO INTO EFFECT, I'M ASSUMING IT WOULD GO INTO EFFECT WITH THE START OF THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR.

WOULD IT BE THAT DETRIMENTAL TO AT LEAST PUT IT HALFWAY THROUGH THE, OUR FISCAL YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, BEGINNING IN JULY TO GIVE THE COMPANIES TIME TO PLAN? OR IS THAT, UM, DOES IT THROW A GIANT WRENCH INTO THE BUDGET THAT YOU PLANNED? JUST, I DON'T KNOW LOGISTICALLY WHAT YOU NEED.

I'LL WALK THROUGH THE NUMBERS, AND THESE ARE ROUGH NUMBERS IN MY HEAD, BUT, UH, OUR FISCAL YEAR STARTS, UH, JANUARY 1ST.

UH, THE COLLECTION IF ADOPTED TONIGHT, WE'RE SORT OF GIVING, UH, THE, THE, UH, COLLECTION, UH, WHICH WILL BE A PASS THROUGH AMEREN, THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER HAS, UH, WORKED WITH THEM.

AND WHAT IS BEING PROJECTED AS A REVENUE STREAM IN THE FY 25 BUDGET IS, UH, 11 TWELVES.

SO 11 MONTHS OF THE 12.

SO WE'RE SORT OF ASSUMING THAT THE COLLECTION TRULY WILL NOT BE, UH, PICKED UP AND RECOGNIZED UNTIL FEBRUARY 1ST.

PERMIAN, I'M NOT SURE WHAT ADMS, UH, FISCAL YEAR IS, BUT PERMIAN, UH, HAD SHARED THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, MS. DICE, UH, WHAT SHE HAD SHARED.

WE HAD HEARD THAT BEFORE, UH, AND UNDERSTOOD, UH, THIS COULD BE AN IMPACT IF WE WERE TO START, UH, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF OUR FISCAL YEAR, WHICH THEN IN TURN BECOMES THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR FOR, UH, PERMIAN, WE'D BE REDUCING ADDITIONAL TWO MONTHS, UH, OFF OF, UH, THE, UH, PROJECTED $3.5 MILLION WORTH OF REVENUE.

SO IT'S A NUMBER TO US.

BUT IF COUNCIL WAS TO ADOPT THIS TONIGHT AND SAY IT DOES NOT GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL, UH, APRIL 1ST OF, UH, 2025, UH, WE WOULD FIGURE IT OUT.

I STILL GOT BUDGET BOOKS TO, UH, HAND OUT TO COUNCIL AND I WOULD MAKE THAT, UH, ADJUSTMENT OF WHATEVER THE FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS REDUCTION IN, UH, THE COUNCIL, UH, ACTION TAKEN TONIGHT WOULD, UH, WOULD BE MAYOR.

OTHER COMMENTS, PAT? I JUST, I DON'T WANNA BEAT BEAT THIS TO DEATH, BUT REMEMBER, IF YOU DON'T GO WITH THIS AND YOU GET BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN PAYING 4.5%, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO FOR US? THAT'S NOT FAIR.

SO REMEMBER THAT? YES, THERE'S THESE BUSINESSES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING.

YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD.

I DO TAKE AN EXCEPTION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION BEING PUT FORWARD THAT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT IF THIS DOESN'T PASS.

BUT THE PROBLEM IS, YOU HAVE BUSINESSES OUT THERE THAT HAVE BEEN PAYING IT FOR YEARS.

IT'S NOT FAIR TO THEM THAT THEY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO IT.

'CAUSE THEY WANNA STAY IN BUSINESS.

THEY HAVE AN EMPLOYEES.

SO REMEMBER THAT.

'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO BE CONFRONTED.

WHY DIDN'T THE COUNCIL GO AFTER THOSE PEOPLE? WE'VE BEEN DOING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, PAYING THAT TAX CHUCK.

SO THIS IS BASICALLY JUST AN ECONOMIC DEBATE, IS WHAT IT IS.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT? UM, HOW DO YOU GROW AN ECONOMY BY TAXING BUSINESS? UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, POPULATION.

WELL, YOU CAN INCREASE POPULATION BY ALLOWING BUSINESSES TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS AND BRING MORE PEOPLE INTO THE CITY.

AND, UM, I, I A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL, EVERYTHING HE SAID.

I FULLY UNDERSTAND.

I DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I ALSO AGREE WITH WHAT THE MAYOR SAID ABOUT HAVING A CHILLING EFFECT ON EXPANSION.

THE, UH, MS. DICE BROUGHT SOMETHING ABOUT FUTURE EXPANSION MIGHT BE A JEOPARDY.

UH, OFFICIALS FROM A DM HAVE MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE BUSINESSES THAT MIGHT COME HERE.

THEY KNOW THE WAY OF THE LAND.

I DON'T, I I TRUST WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.

I UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN ANGLE.

THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY ANY MORE TAXES.

[01:45:01]

WELL, WE SET THE BUDGET, WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE WANT.

OKAY, I UNDERSTAND.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULDN'T CONTINUE.

LIKE WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST.

AND I ALSO HEARD THE CANNABIS COME UP.

WELL, I'M GONNA BRING UP THE VIDEO GAMING.

WHAT WOULD WE DO IF WE CANCELED VIDEO GAMING IN THIS CITY? I BELIEVE LAST TIME I LOOKED, THAT'S 1.7 MILLION APPROXIMATELY.

OKAY, SO LET'S SAY YOU'VE CANCELED VIDEO GAMING.

WELL, IS THAT, ARE WE GONNA STOP NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING THAT 1.7 MILLION? IT'S REALLY HOW EACH ONE OF US FEELS ABOUT THIS.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I WONDER WOULD THIS GIVE US AN EDGE OVER OTHER COMMUNITIES? ALL THE OTHER COMMUNITIES CHARGE THIS FEE? WELL, IF WE DON'T, IS THAT A SELLING POINT FOR OUR CITY? I'M NOT EXPECTING YOU TO AGREE WITH ME.

THIS IS JUST WHAT I'M THINKING.

AND AT THIS MOMENT, I DON'T SUPPORT THIS.

I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT A CITY MANAGER IS DOING.

HE'S DOING AN AWESOME JOB.

IT'S NO REFLECTION ON, ON WHAT HE'S DOING.

IT'S JUST, I DISAGREE WITH THIS.

COUNCILMAN MCG GREGORY.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

I WANNA START WITH A, JUST A COUPLE OF STATEMENTS.

UM, FIRST OFF, CITY MANAGER, YOU KNOW, WHERE I STAND.

I'VE BEEN VERY CANDID AND UPFRONT RIGHT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE CONVERSATION.

I ALSO WANNA, UM, SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT WHAT I'VE HEARD HERE TONIGHT.

UH, THE DEFINITION OF FAIR.

UM, EVERY BUSINESS HAS ALWAYS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DECISION TO CHANGE THE STRUCTURE IN WHICH THEY PAY THEIR GAS.

SO THERE'S NO FAIR TO IT, TO ME IT'S A MATTER OF HOW BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO THEM.

THE ISSUE OF THE DEFINITION OF EQUITY, MY OBSERVATION OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS THAT EQUITY IS ALWAYS DEFINED BY THE END OF THE STICK YOU'RE HOLDING.

I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT I AM NOT AT ALL DEAF TO THE REVENUE NEEDS FOR THIS CITY.

I'VE BEEN VERY CANDID WITH YOU BY SAYING, TIM, WE'RE ALWAYS ASKING YOU TO FIND A NEW REVENUE SOURCE.

AND I'M THE FIRST ONE SITTING THERE SAYING, NO, IT'S HARD.

YOU HAVE A VERY HARD JOB.

YOU ARE RIGHT.

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL HAVE A PROVEN ABILITY TO MAKE VERY TOUGH DECISIONS.

BUT I WANNA USE THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE BACKGROUND.

ACTUALLY, JUST THE FIRST TWO YEARS IN 2019, WE BECAME AWARE OF THIS FACT.

FAST FORWARD FOUR, MAYBE FIVE YEARS LATER.

AND I DON'T REALLY LIKE THE WAY WE'VE SLID INTO THIRD BASE HERE THIS EVENING, AND I DON'T THINK WE, WE HAVE A HISTORY OF BEING ABLE TO BE VERY COLLABORATIVE.

AND I REALIZE THAT YOU INHERITED THIS IS YET AGAIN ANOTHER SOMETHING YOU INHERITED.

UM, I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY COLLABORATIVE IN THE WAY THAT WE HAVE WORKED WITH OUR COMMUNITY.

I THINK THAT I FINALLY HEARD TONIGHT SOMETHING I HAVEN'T HEARD FOR A LONG TIME.

AND THAT IS, UM, I'VE ALWAYS, I'VE ALWAYS HEARD HERE THAT, OH, SO YOUR WATER BILL'S ONLY $40.

OH, YOU CAN AFFORD A $60 WATER BILL.

WELL, WHO ARE WE TO SAY WHAT OUR BUSINESSES CAN AFFORD? BECAUSE I DON'T GO THROUGH THEIR BOOKS.

WE DON'T GO THROUGH THEIR BOOKS.

MAYBE WHEN WE HIRE AS OF OUR, TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S PAYING THEIR TAXES, THERE IS SOME INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT THAT WE SEE THOSE BOOKS IN A WAY, BUT THEY'RE CONFIDENTIAL AND THEY'RE PROPRIETARY, AND THAT'S THE WAY BUSINESSES SHOULD BE RUN.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS PROPOSAL FOR, UM, ADDITIONAL COLLABORATION.

I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I APPRECIATE JIM, THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU CAME, THOSE WERE THE FIRST NUMBERS THAT I HAD SEEN FROM OTHER CITIES IN THE PREVIOUS FOUR YEARS.

I HADN'T SEEN WHAT TAXES AND OTHER COMMUNITIES WERE.

SO THANK YOU

[01:50:01]

FOR SHARING THAT.

BUT I AGREE WITH THE MAYOR WHEN SHE SAYS IN THE LAST 48 HOURS, WE'RE STARTING TO HEAR FROM SMALL BUSINESSES THEY DIDN'T KNOW.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT WAS VERY COLLABORATIVE ON OUR PART.

I THINK THAT THERE MAY BE ALTERNATIVE WAYS IN WHICH TO IMPLEMENT THIS TAX, BUT WE WON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL WE SIT DOWN TO THE TABLE WITH ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS.

SO MAYBE THE TAX WILL COME TO FRUITION, BUT JUST IN A DIFFERENT MANNER, MAYBE IT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED DIFFERENTLY.

MAYBE WE WILL DEFINE WHAT A SMALL BUSINESS IS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE DEFINING SMALL BUSINESS TODAY.

UM, ARE WE DEFINING IT ON THE BOTTOM LINE OR ARE WE DEFINE DEFINING IT ON THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE? I'M INCREDIBLY COGNIZANT OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE JUST HAD IN THIS COMMUNITY REGARDING I FB AND HOW THE CITY OF DECATUR IS POISED LIKE NO OTHER CITY IN THE STATE, UM, FOR MANUFACTURING.

AND I DON'T WANNA MESS THAT UP.

AND I'M NOT SURE THAT I CAN VOTE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW.

SO I'M MAKING A MOTION TO TABLE THIS FOR CONTINUED COLLABORATIVE STUDY.

THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE.

IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? SECOND MAYOR, CAN I ASK SOME QUESTIONS BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE MOTION? I WANNA GET SOME CLARITY.

UH, IS IT OPEN TO DISCUSSION BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE MOTION? GO AHEAD, DR. HORN.

YES.

NO.

YEAH, I MEAN, OKAY.

YOU DON'T FOLLOW STRICT RULES, ROBERT'S RULES, SO YOU CERTAINLY CAN DO THAT.

SO WE'LL GO WITH JULIE'S RULES.

OKAY, DR. HORN.

UM, MR. KINIF, UM, JUST SO I'M UNDERSTANDING, THE CITY HAS, UM, 35,000 TO 40,000 ACCOUNTS THAT CURRENTLY PAY THE TAX AND 450 ACCOUNTS THAT DO NOT PAY THE TAX.

AND DID I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY THAT THOSE 450 ACCOUNTS REPRESENT A TOTAL OF 200 UM, PAYERS? YES, SIR.

DR. HORN, TO BE CLEAR, THE ILLINOIS MANUFACTURING ASSOCIATION, FOR WHICH SOME FAIRLY LARGE COMPANIES INDICATOR WAS AWARE OF THIS MONTHS AGO AND LOBBIED THE DECATUR CITY COUNCIL, THEY BECAME AWARE OF IT BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER HANDED OFF A PIECE OF PAPER TO A GUY FROM PRIM THAT THAT IS HOW THAT HAPPENED.

UM, AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH WITH EITHER THE 99% THAT ARE CURRENTLY PAYING THE TAX OR THE 1% THAT ARE NOT PAYING THE TAX.

UM, SECOND, UM, UH, COUNCILMAN CULP'S SUGGESTION OF A 2.25% TAX PEAKED MY INTEREST, BUT THERE MAY BE ANY ISSUE WITH US DOING A 2.25% TAX FOR ALL 35,000 TO 40,000 ACCOUNTS SO THAT WE ACHIEVE THAT, UH, TAX, UH, EQUITY.

IS THERE ANY REASON THE CITY COULD NOT DO THAT, THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE CITY TO LOWER THEIR UTILITY TAX RATE FROM FOUR AND A QUARTER TO THE SAME TWO AND A QUARTER? BUT IT'S CERTAINLY POSSIBLE IF WE WANT TO BE COLLABORATIVE AND FAIR TO EVERYONE, THAT IF WE WERE TO ENTER INTO A NEGOTIATION THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THE SAME TAX RATE FOR EVERY SINGLE PAYER.

THAT'S MY, UH, THOUGHTS ON THAT.

I'D ALSO POINT OUT THAT THE POPULATION OF THE CITY OF DECATUR HAS DECLINED EVERY SINGLE YEAR THAT THIS PARTICULAR, UM, ARE WE GETTING TOO FAR, FAR INTO OTHER ISSUES AS OPPOSED TO WHETHER TO VOTE ON THE TABLE OR NOT? NO, I, I DON'T THINK SO BECAUSE THE REALITY IS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CREATING A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH, BUT IT'S A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH WITH WHO THE 99% THAT ARE ALREADY PAYING THIS TAX OR THE 450 ACCOUNTS THAT DON'T, MS. GREG, LET ME DEFINE COLLABORATIVE FOR YOU.

IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT PERMEATE FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS WHEN THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER SAW ONE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES AT A HIGH LEVEL IN THE PARKING LOT AND SAID, HEY, BY THE WAY, HERE'S THE PROPOSAL THAT IS NOT COLLABORATIVE.

AND I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY COLLABORATIVE.

IT MEANS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND IT MEANS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT OTHER WAYS IN WHICH THIS CAN WORK.

[01:55:03]

BUT GETTING BACK TO LET'S, UH, I'D LIKE TO HEAR DISCUSSION IF THERE IS ANY ON TABLING THE MOTION.

MR. COOPER, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION.

UM, AND JOHN, MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER THIS, AND WE'VE DEALT WITH THIS BEFORE, BUT YOU SAY THERE'S ABOUT 200, 200 BUSINESSES, RIGHT? WERE ALL THOSE 200 BUSINESSES SINCE WE, WE KNOW THERE'S A NUMBER 200.

SO OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW WHO THE BUSINESSES ARE.

WERE THEY SENT ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THIS PROPOSAL CHANGE? YES OR NO? ARE YOU ASKING IF WE SENT OUT NOTIFICATION TO ALL 200 OF THE IMPACTED? THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M ASKING.

NO NOTIFICATION HAS NOT GONE OUT TO THE 200 USERS.

UH, I WILL SAY THAT THIS WAS A PART OF THE, OF LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.

THIS WAS A CONCEPT THAT WAS DISCUSSED AT THAT TIME.

AND SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED PUBLICLY, BUT THE FORMAL NOTIFICATIONS HAVE NOT GONE OUT TO ALL 200, UH, BUSINESSES THE SAME WAY THAT WE DIDN'T SEND OUT NOTIFICATION TO ALL OF THE VIDEO GAMING ESTABLISHMENTS THAT TONIGHT THE CITY COUNCIL WAS CONSIDERING A CHANGE TO THE LIQUOR LICENSE AS IT RELATES TO VIDEO GAMING.

WE DID AT THE SPECIFIC REQUEST OF, OF COUNCIL AT A PREVIOUS MEETING, WE DID HAVE DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH OF THE TWO BIG USERS.

UH, UH, AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY WE TOOK THAT FEEDBACK, UH, IN CONSIDERATION.

ORIGINALLY THIS ORDINANCE WAS PROPOSED AT A FOUR QUARTER ACROSS THE BOARD, AND THEN WE WERE GOING TO REBATE BACK TO THE TWO LARGE USERS AN AMOUNT ABOVE A CERTAIN CAP.

UH, UH, AND ULTIMATELY WE ENGAGE BOTH OF THOSE, UH, TWO LARGER INDUSTRIAL USERS AND THEY GAVE THE FEEDBACK TO SAY, WE DON'T WANT THE CITY HOLDING OUR MONEY WITH THE INTEREST RATES WHERE THEY ARE TODAY.

WE'D PREFER TO KEEP OUR MONEY PAID A A LESSER RATE.

ULTIMATELY, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE STRUCTURED THIS CURRENT ORDINANCE, UH, AFTER.

AND I WOULD GUARANTEE YOU THOSE 200 BUSINESSES DID NOT READ OUR BUDGET OR PAY ATTENTION TO ANY OF OUR BUDGET MEETINGS.

AND DO DR.

HO'S, I FINISH POINT ABOUT THE, UM, THE MANUFACTURING ASSOCIATION.

I BELIEVE THAT'S PRIMARILY THE LARGER MANUFACTURERS AND NOT NECESSARILY SOME OF THE SMALLER BUSINESSES? YES.

GO AHEAD.

YES, I WANNA FINISH.

THANK YOU JOHN.

UH, I ASSUME THAT THAT WAS THE ANSWER.

SO TELL ME, HOW MUCH TIME WOULD YOU NEED IF WE TABLE THIS, HOW MUCH TIME WOULD YOU NEED TO SEND OUT WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE TO EVERY BUSINESS ON THAT LIST AND GET A RE A RESPONSE BACK? HOW MUCH TIME WOULD YOU NEED TO SEND THAT OUT? I'LL JUMP IN HERE AND, UH, JUST, JUST SHARE THAT THE COMMUNICATION, UH, DID NOT GO OUT.

DIRECT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, UH, DIRECT COMMUNICATION DID NOT GO OUT TO, UM, ANY OF THE, UH, BUSINESSES OUTSIDE OF, UH, A DM AND PRIM.

BUT REWIND THE CLOCK BACK TO, UH, JULY-ISH WHEN, UH, THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER WAS SHARING THAT THIS, UH, WAS FIRST DISCUSSED.

IT ALSO WAS SHARED WITH, UH, THE EDC AND WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

UM, SO MAYBE, UM, MAYBE NOT THE BEST MOVE ON MY PART AND IT STANDS WITH ME, UH, ASSUME THAT THE NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE BY BOTH OF THOSE ENTITIES, MORE SO THE CHAMBER, UH, AND THEN ALSO COUNCILMAN COOPER.

UH, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, HOW MUCH TIME WOULD I NEED? I CAN CRAFT AN EMAIL, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY.

I CAN CRAFT A, UH, LETTER IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.

WE CAN, UH, ADDRESS AND HAVE THESE THINGS IN THE MAIL BY, UH, THE END OF THE WEEK.

THAT, UH, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE YOU TO, UH, THE 99% OF THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE PAYING THE TAX AND HAVE BEEN PAYING IT FOR YEARS? CAN WE SEND IT OUT TO THEM SO THEY CAN HAVE INPUT ON THIS? I DON'T WANNA BE A SMART ABOUT THIS, BUT THEY'RE PAYING IT.

THEY'VE BEEN PAYING IT.

UNDERSTOOD.

FURTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE ON THE MOTION TO TABLE.

SEEING NONE.

WE NEED A SECOND ON THE MOTION.

WE HAD A SECOND FROM MR. KEEL.

COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY AYE.

COUNCILMAN HORNE? NA.

ITEM NUMBER SIX, ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY CODE CHAPTER 52, ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR.

COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? NO.

[6. Ordinance Amending City Code Chapter 52 - Alcoholic Liquor]

MOTION TO

[02:00:01]

THE ORDINANCE TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

SECOND, UH, MR. MANAGER.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AND TO THE COMMUNITY.

UH, THIS WAS ONE, UH, THIS ALSO WAS ANOTHER EASY ONE.

UH, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO, TRYING TO CAPTURE, UH, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD HAD WITH COUNCIL.

I KNOW THAT THERE HAD BEEN, UH, RECENT CHANGES, I BELIEVE, UH, LAST FALL, UH, TO, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, LIQUOR, UM, UH, CITY CODE, UM, AMENDMENTS OR SECTIONS.

BUT THIS WAS ONE WHERE, UH, WE WERE TRYING TO CRAFT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD FIND A WAY TO POTENTIALLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF VIDEO GAMING LICENSES AND OR VIDEO GAMING TERMINALS.

AND WHAT, UH, COUNTS, AND THIS IS NOT BEFORE COUNTS AT A NIGHT, BUT JUST TO SHARE, UM, WHERE STAFF, UM, WHAT OUR THOUGHTS WERE REGARDING THAT IS INCREASING THE AUDITS WHERE IT'S ALLOWED, WHERE IT'S EXPECTED WITH THE CURRENT LICENSE HOLDERS.

AND WE FEEL THAT THE AUDITS ARE GONNA PRO, UH, PRODUCE VIOLATIONS.

UH, NOT TRYING TO CREATE MORE, UH, WORK FOR THE COUNSELOR OR THE LIQUOR COMMISSIONER, BUT WE FEEL THAT, UH, HOLDING, UH, THOSE THAT HOLD CERTAIN TYPES OF LICENSES, THERE'S THIS ACCOUNTABILITY COMPONENT.

SO IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY SPEAK TO THEIR REDUCTION THAT SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS HOLD, UH, THAT, UH, STRONG OPINION.

NOW, WHAT IS COMING BEFORE COUNCIL TONIGHT? UH, AND, AND REALLY WHO RAN THE LEAD ON THIS WAS OUR CITY CLERK, UH, KIM ALTOFF, ASSISTANT CORPORATION COUNSEL, AMY W WHO'S GONNA COME TO THE PODIUM.

AND WE'VE GOT TWO, UH, SUGGESTED OR PROPOSED, UH, AMENDMENTS.

UH, WE THANK AGAIN THAT THIS WILL BE SUPPORTED BY COUNCIL.

WE'LL SEE.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE CALLING, UH, BRINGING THIS FOR A VOTE.

UH, BUT FELT, UH, THAT WE LANDED ON SOMETHING THAT, UH, COULD BE CONSIDERED AND POSSIBLY, UM, UH, SUPPORTED, ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL.

UH, AMY, IF YOU WOULD GO AHEAD AND WALK US THROUGH, AND I'M SURE THERE'S GONNA BE SOME QUESTIONS, UH, BUT VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE WORK THAT, UH, KIM AND AMY HAVE PROVIDED ON THIS.

AMY.

MOVING IT TO A NEW LOCATION.

UM, MAYOR COUNCIL, AMY W, ASSISTANT CORPORATION COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR.

UM, AS TIM HAS MENTIONED, UM, WE'VE PROPOSED SOME CHANGES TO THE LIQUOR CODE, UM, SOME OF WHICH ARE KIND OF NON-CONTROVERSIAL, UM, ONE BEING REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CLASS A AND CLASS B LIQUOR LICENSES.

AND ANOTHER PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO ON CLASS G AND CLASS I LIQUOR LICENSES, WHICH ARE RESTAURANT LIQUOR LICENSES.

WE PROPOSE INCREASING THE PERCENTAGE OF REQUIRED REVENUE.

I'M SORRY, REPEAT THAT.

SHE COUGHED AND I COULDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU SAID .

I APOLOGIZE.

JUST THE LAST TWO OR THREE SENTENCES, SORRY.

MY, UM, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CLASS A AND CLASS B LIQUOR LICENSES.

AND FOR CLASS G AND CLASS I LIQUOR LICENSES, WHICH ARE LICENSES THAT ARE HELD BY RESTAURANTS CURRENTLY, UM, THE CODE REQUIRES ANY REVENUE FROM THOSE LIQUOR LICENSE HOLDERS TO BE AT LEAST 50% FROM THE SERVICE OF MEALS.

THE PROPOSAL THAT WE'VE BROUGHT TO YOU TONIGHT WOULD INCREASE THAT TO 60%.

SO ANY REVENUE THAT IS, UM, BROUGHT FROM THE BUSINESS WOULD MOVE TO 60% AND IT'D HAVE TO BE FROM THE SERVICE OF MEALS.

THE OTHER PROPOSALS THAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU FOR FIRST TIME APPLICANTS FOR FIRST TIME THAT THEY'VE APPLIED FOR A LIQUOR LICENSE, ALLOWING CLASS V LIQUOR LICENSES, WHICH ARE THE ONES THAT, UM, ARE KIND OF THE, THE RIDERS TO GET VIDEO GAMING, UM, ALLOW THAT THEY HAVE A CLASS V LIQUOR LICENSE IF THE APPLICATION IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN APPROVED DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF DECATUR.

UM, ANOTHER PROPOSAL THAT WE'VE MADE IS IMPOSING A $250 FEE FOR ANY TRANSFERS OF LIQUOR LICENSES IN ADDITION TO THE ANNUAL FEE.

AND LASTLY, ALLOW CLASS B, AGAIN, THE VIDEO GAMING LIQUOR LICENSES THE RIDER TO TRANSFER WITH THE UNDERLYING LIQUOR LICENSE.

AND NOW, CURRENTLY, AND THIS WOULD CONTINUE, TRANSFERS OF LIQUOR LICENSES ARE ONLY ALLOWED FOR NEW LICENSE HOLDERS IF IT'S AT THE SAME LOCATION OR THE CURRENT LICENSE HOLDER.

IF THEY'RE MOVING TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION, YOU CAN'T HAVE A NEW OWNER

[02:05:01]

SO SAME OWNER, NEW LOCATION, NEW OWNER, SAME LOCATION IS WHAT THE CURRENT ORDINANCE STATES.

AND THAT WOULDN'T CHANGE.

UM, BUT WE ARE RECOMMENDING ALLOWING THOSE CLASS B LIQUOR LICENSES TO GO ALONG WITH THOSE TRANSFERS OF THE UNDERLYING LICENSE.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, THOSE WOULD COME TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL AND EACH AGREEMENT WILL BE DIFFERENT DEPENDING UPON THE BUSINESS, THE LOCATION, UM, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THE CITY OF DECATUR DETERMINES NEEDS TO GO INTO THOSE AGREEMENTS THAT WE THEN BRING TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.

I APPRECIATE, ALTHOUGH HARD WORK ON THIS AND, AND PUBLIC NEEDS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND, EVERY TIME WE TRY TO FIX SOMETHING, IT OPENS UP A LOT MORE QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.

GOING BACK TO THE VERY BEGINNING OF WHEN WE APPROVED, UM, GAMING INDICATOR, WE DID IT FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF HELPING OUR LOCAL BARS AND RESTAURANTS SURVIVE.

AND, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MCMAN MCDANIEL HAS MANY TIMES SAID, Y'ALL JUST HAVE BUILD A BETTER BURGER AND, AND PEOPLE WILL COME.

WELL, IF THAT WAS A, A BETTER BURGER WAS ALL IT WAS WOULD TAKE.

WE NEVER WOULD'VE HAD VIDEO GAMING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

WE DID IT TO TRY AND HELP BUSINESSES THAT WERE STRUGGLING.

SO THEN WE HAD BUSINESSES THAT WERE PRETENDING TO BE RESTAURANTS, BUT THEY WEREN'T RESTAURANTS.

THEY HAD A PIZZA PIZAZZ AND THEY WERE HEATING UP, YOU KNOW, EGG ROLLS AND PIZZA AND CALLING THEMSELVES A RESTAURANT.

THEY WEREN'T RESTAURANTS.

SO OUR ANSWER TO THAT WAS, WELL, WE'LL CALL THOSE PARLORS.

WELL, UNLESS YOU OWN A A, AN ESTABLISHMENT WHERE YOU'RE MAKING MONEY OFF GAMING OR YOU'RE A GAMER, YOU PROBABLY DON'T REALLY LIKE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SO MANY GAMING ESTABLISHMENTS HERE.

BUT WHAT I SEE HAPPENING IS WE'RE WE'RE NOT HELPING THE VERY BUSINESSES WE SET OUT TO HELP, WHICH ARE THE BARS AND RESTAURANTS, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE PUTTING SOME HIGH STANDARDS ON.

I, I, I DON'T LIKE THE 60%.

I THINK IT'S TOO MUCH.

UM, THE OTHER THINGS WE'VE TRIED TO WORK OUT TO MAKE THEM WORK, AND WHILE IT SOUNDS REALLY GOOD FOR US TO SIT UP HERE AND SAY, BYE GOLLY, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A STAND AGAINST GAMING.

WE'RE GONNA CUT THIS, CUT THAT THE ONLY ONES WE'RE GONNA END UP CUTTING ARE THE, ARE THE RESTAURANTS AND THE BARS.

THE PARLORS ARE GONNA GO ON FOREVER BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS INSATIABLE, I SAY WE COLLECTIVELY IN THIS COMMUNITY OF A LOT OF VIDEO GAMING, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE THAT BEHAVIOR.

IT'S JUST NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

AND SO I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK, WE LOOK AT ALTERING THE PROPOSAL TO REMAINING AT 50% FOR BARS AND RESTAURANT FOR, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISHMENTS THAT SERVE FOOD.

BUT CONSIDER WHY WE GOT INTO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

IT WAS TO HELP LOCAL BARS AND RESTAURANTS, AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW.

AND WE GOT IN THIS MESS.

AND EVERY TIME WE'VE TRIED TO ADDRESS IT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE GONNA LIMIT THE NUMBER OF LICENSES.

WELL, THOSE PARLORS, HAVE WE EVEN HAD ONE FAIL? I DOUBT IT.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE, WELL LOOK AT THERE.

SO WE'VE HAD ONE THAT'S FAILED AND, AND WE'VE REDUCED THOSE NUMBER OF LICENSES, BUT YOU KNOW, IT IS JUST, THIS IS, THIS IS HARD.

IT'S HARDER THAN YOU THINK.

AND WHEN YOU TRY TO FIX IT, WE END UP CAUSING OTHER PROBLEMS. SO I DO, THIS HAS BEEN MONTHS AND MONTHS, PROBABLY MAYBE A YEAR SINCE WE STARTED LOOKING AT THIS.

I MEAN, PAT, WE WENT, OPENED THIS BACK UP, I THINK A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.

AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN HARD AND IT'S MEANT A LOT OF DELAYS.

AND I DO APOLOGIZE TO THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, SO I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION AND WE'LL START WITH THE LIQUOR COMMISSIONER.

I'M GONNA AGREE WITH YOU, MAYOR BOOKIE THERE, COME DOWN TO 50, IT'S A GOOD 50%.

BUT I WILL DISAGREE WITH YOU.

THE STATE STARTED THIS WHEN, REMEMBER WHEN THEY WENT TO NON-SMOKING IN RESTAURANTS AND THAT, AND THAT WAS THEIR IDEA.

BUT WHAT IT REALLY WAS, WAS A MONEY GRAB JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER GAME.

AND THAT WAS THE SAME FOR US.

NOW, ONLY TWO OF US VOTED AGAINST VIDEO GAMING.

IT WAS DR. RAY AND MYSELF.

AND, AND THAT, AND BECAUSE I ALWAYS SAID, UH, IT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SITTING IN FRONT OF A A VIDEO MACHINE, YOU'RE PUTTING MORE MONEY IN IT.

BUT IF YOU'RE JUST BUYING A LOTTERY TICKET, WHICH I BUY, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY GETS HIGH.

SO, UM, BUT AGAIN, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'VE HAD TWO CITY MANAGERS AND GOBS AND GOBS OF, OF, UH, STAFF TIME WORKING ON THIS.

YOU KNOW, THAT OLD SAYING IT'S EASIER TO HERD, UH, A BUNCH OF CATS THAN IT IS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

AND WHAT THE FRUSTRATION OF CITY MANAGERS AND OUR STAFF.

SO WE HAVE TO COME TO A CONSENSUS TONIGHT, AND IF WE DO, I HOPE NOBODY COMES BACK WHEN SOMEBODY'S GONNA LOSE THEIR VIDEO GAMING AND START CRYING, AND THEN WE GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE MESS AGAIN.

I WILL SAY I DID NOT THINK OF IT AS A MONEY

[02:10:01]

GRAB WHEN WE STARTED THIS.

I, IT WAS A TRULY ABOUT HELPING THE LOCAL BARS AND RESTAURANTS, AND I HAD NO IDEA AT ALL.

AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US, THOSE THAT VOTED FOR IT OR AGAINST IT, THAT THE KIND OF MONEY WOULD BE GOING THROUGH THOSE MACHINES.

AND EVEN WHAT WE WOULD GET AS, AS A COUNCIL, I MEAN, OR AS A CITY IN, IN TAX REVENUE ON THAT.

SO MS. GREGORY, PAT, YOU BETTER BUY MORE LOTTERY TICKETS.

YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED, YOU MIGHT NEED THAT CASH.

UM, BUT I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, TO MS. WAX.

SORRY, YOU SAT DOWN.

THAT'S OKAY.

I JUST WANNA, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO HAVE CONFIRMATION THAT AS A COUNCIL WE STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROHIBIT NEW ESTABLISHMENTS IN INNER COURT OF THE CITY.

WELL, I THINK BASED UPON THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE COUNCIL.

BUT CURRENTLY WE DO HAVE ZONING REQUIREMENTS, BUT NONE OF THEM ARE SPECIFIC TO ONE EXACT LOCATION WITHIN THE CITY OF DECATUR.

UM, I'M OBVIOUSLY NOT RESIDENTIAL.

YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A ZONING ISSUE FOR COUNCIL TO TAKE UP IF THAT'S THE DESIRE.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

WE, WE HAVE IN THE PAST VOTED, UH, CERTAIN, UH, BUSINESSES THAT WERE GONNA OPEN UP IN THE INNER CITY.

WE WOULD NOT ALLOW, UH, LIQUOR TO BE SOLD OR DRIVE UP WINDOWS, WHICH WE'VE DONE.

SO WE HAVE DONE THINGS LIKE THAT.

DR. HORN, MS. WAX, IF I UNDERSTOOD EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID, THIS CHANGE THAT YOU ARE THE STAFF IS PROPOSING WOULD REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT THAT INDIVIDUALS THAT PURCHASE A BUSINESS THAT CURRENTLY HAS A GAMBLING LICENSE, THEY WOULD NO LONGER HAVE TO APPLY FOR A GAMBLING LICENSE? WELL, THEY WOULD STILL HAVE TO APPLY FOR THE CLASS V, BUT IT'S NOT PROHIBITED THAT THEY CANNOT HAVE VIDEO GAMING AS OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE.

IT WOULD BE TRANSFERRED FROM ONE OWNER TO THE NEXT.

IT COULD BE, YES.

SO THEY WOULD STILL HAVE TO APPLY, BUT IT WOULD BE TRANSFERRED CORRECT.

WITH A TRANSFER AND OWNERSHIP.

CORRECT.

AND THEN FIRST TIME APPLICANTS, THEY ALSO CAN GET A V LICENSE, UH, IF THEY ENTER INTO A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY, CORRECT? CORRECT.

IF, AND THAT'S IF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT PASSES, COUNSEL.

AND AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE DON'T QUITE KNOW WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, AND IT'LL BE DIFFERENT FOR EVERY BUSINESS.

I THINK YOU MAY HAVE MISSPOKEN.

AND SO IF I UNDERSTAND THIS CORRECTLY, GAMBLING LICENSES TRANSFER FROM ONE OWNER TO THE NEXT, THEY HAVE TO APPLY, BUT THE IT TRANSFERS AND THEN NEW BUSINESSES CAN ALSO, UM, APPLY FOR A V LICENSE WITH A REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THAT'S APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL.

AND SO THE WAY I UNDERSTAND BOTH OF THOSE FACTS IS THAT THE NUMBER OF GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS IN DECATUR COULD ACTUALLY RISE EYES BECAUSE IT'S TRANSFERRABLE NOW.

AND WE CAN ALSO ACCEPT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS FOR OTHERS, UH, THAT NEW BUSINESSES THAT WANT THEM.

AND SO THE POINT HERE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IS THAT OUR RESIDENTS WANT FEWER GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS.

IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, THE CITY ACTUALLY VOTED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF GAMBLING PARLORS INDICATOR AND VOTED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CLASS A LIQUOR LICENSES.

AND, UH, THIS CHANGE THAT IS BEING PROPOSED HERE WILL RESULT IN MORE, NOT LESS ESTABLISHMENTS.

IT'S, IT'S, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, A LICENSE IS A PRIVILEGE AND NOT A RIGHT.

AND SO LICENSES SHOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY BE TRANSFERRED FROM ONE OWNER TO THE NEXT.

AND SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WE ARE POSSIBLY ALLOWING FOR THE EXPANSION OF GAMBLING.

AND THE REALITY IS THAT, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS ARE GOING TO BE VERY, UM, UH, AWARE OF WHATEVER CHANGES WE MADE TO, LET'S SAY THE PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE THAT'S REQUIRED OF THEM.

AND SO ONE THING THAT THEY COULD DO IS THEY COULD JUST SIMPLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF GAMBLING MACHINES THAT ARE IN THEIR PREMISES.

AND IN TURN, THAT WOULD REDUCE THE FLOW OF DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING SPENT TO REDUCE THEIR REVENUE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, WHATEVER THEY HAPPEN TO BE.

AND SO THE, WHAT I AM SEEING BE BEING PROPOSED HERE IS THE POTENTIAL WAY TO ACTUALLY EXPAND GAMBLING IN THE CITY OF DECATUR.

DR. HORNE,

[02:15:01]

UH, PAT, WE HAVE NOT EXPANDED THE NUMBER OF PARLORS.

WE'RE REDUCING THEM.

BELIEVE.

NO, YOU'RE WRONG.

I ASKED FOR CITY STAFF RECOLLECTION.

WE HAVE NOT INCREASED THE NUMBER OF VIDEO GAMING PARLORS DIDN'T LICENSES.

WE ISSUE A LICENSE TO A BUSINESS THAT COULD NOT MEET THE REVENUE THRESHOLDS, AND THEY WERE OFFERED A PARLOR LICENSE THAT WAS AN EXCEPTION THAT WE HAD TO LEGALLY HAVE TO DO.

AND THEY WERE CURRENTLY A HOLDER, WEREN'T THEY? YEAH.

SO IT WASN'T AN INCREASE.

UM, THAT IS NOT MY RECOLLECTION, BUT I, I CAN LOOK INTO THAT, BUT I AM ALMOST POSITIVE THERE WAS A NEW PARLOR THAT WAS ADDED WITHIN THE PAST 12 MONTHS.

WELL, AND I ALSO WANTED TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THE TRANSFERS ARE AUTOMATIC FROM OWNER TO OWNER.

THERE'S, THERE ARE NO AUTOMATIC TRANSFERS.

THERE'S STILL AN APPLICATION PROCESS THAT APPLICANTS HAVE TO GO THROUGH.

BUT IF IT'S A, I MEAN, THEY HAVE TO APPLY, BUT IF IT'S JUST A TRANSFER AND OWNERSHIP ISN'T, IF I READ THE ORDINANCE CORRECTLY, THAT WILL BE APPROVED IF THEY CAN PASS THE APPLICATION PROCESS.

AND, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE PARTICULAR, I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT A RUBBER STAMP, THAT THEY STILL HAVE TO APPLY FOR LIQUOR LICENSES AS, AS IT IS A PRIVILEGE AS OPPOSED TO A RIGHT.

SO IF YOU'RE BUYING AN ESTABLISHMENT AND IT HAS VIDEO GAMBLING, YOU STILL HAVE TO PASS WHATEVER THE REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR THAT LIQUOR LICENSE AND THE, THE LICENSE.

BUT WE ARE NOT CORRECT.

BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WE ARE CHANGING WHAT WAS THE POLICY OF CAPPING THE NUMBER OF, UH, GAMBLING LICENSES AND ELIMINATING THE ABILITY TO SIMPLY HAVE A TRANSFER WHEN A BUSINESS IS SOLD.

WHEN YOU SAY ELIMINATING, YOU MEAN ELIMINATING THE VIDEO GAMING THE V LICENSE? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.

COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY, THIS PROPOSAL DOES NOT ELIMINATE THE CAPS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED, DOES IT? NO.

WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, ASKING TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CLASS A AND CLASS BS.

UM, IF WE HAVE, UM, A RE-DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT APPROVED, WOULD THAT INCREASE THE CAP? NO.

UH, JUST SO I'M CLEAR, IT WOULD NOT, SO IF WE HAD 10 DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS COME BEFORE COUNCIL AT THE NEXT MEETING FOR US TO APPROVE, WE WOULD NOT, THEY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAVE VIDEO GAMBLING UNTIL 10 BUSINESSES, UM, UH, NO LONGER HAD GAMING.

THE WAY THAT OUR ORDINANCE IS STRUCTURED IS WE DO NOT HAVE CAPS ON CLASS G WELL, ON MOST OF OUR LICENSES.

WE DO HAVE CAPS ON CLASS A LIQUOR LICENSES, AND WE HAVE CAPS ON CLASS P LIQUOR LICENSES.

IN FACT, WE'RE ABOVE THAT CAP.

SO WE'RE STILL REDUCING THROUGH ATTRITION.

IF SOMEONE CAME IN TO APPLY FOR A CLASS A LIQUOR LICENSE AS A NEW BUSINESS, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY AVAILABLE IF OUR LICENSES ARE REDUCED AS PROPOSED TODAY, IF SOMEONE, IF WE GOT 10 APPLICATIONS FOR G LICENSES MM-HMM.

NEXT MEETING AND THEY HAD DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, WOULD WE ADD 10 CLASS G LICENSES? IF, IF, AND THAT WOULD BE THE NEW CAP IF CITY COUNCIL AGREED TO ALLOW FOR THE, AND VOTED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS? YES.

THAT IS A POSSIBILITY.

AND, AND THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL, WHETHER IT IS THIS COUNCIL OR A COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE IF THEY CHOSE TO CHANGE THE NUMBER OF LICENSES, CORRECT? CORRECT.

YEAH.

AND THERE ARE NO CAPS ON G YOU DON'T HAVE A CAP CURRENTLY, BUT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU CAN VOTE NO ON EVERY ONE OF THEM IF YOU DON'T WANT VIDEO GAMING.

CORRECT.

IF, IF THEY BRING THE DEVELOP, EACH ONE HAS A DEVELOPMENTAL AGREEMENT.

SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE VIDEO GAMING, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR AGREEMENT IS, YOU JUST VOTE NO.

IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, YOU WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE NO.

UP OR DOWN.

YES.

ON, ON EVERY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.

THE PROPOSED 60% AS, UH, JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY SEE THE SUPPORT OR AGAINST THE, WELL, THAT'S WHAT'S ON OUR ORDINANCE NOW.

SO THEN IT COMES DOWN TO HOW THE COU COUNCIL AS A WHOLE FEELS ABOUT EACH NEW LICENSE.

JUST CLARIFICATION.

ALTHOUGH WE'RE REDUCING B, WHICH IS, UH, PACKAGED LIQUOR IN CASE THERE'S ANYBODY THAT HAS A B OUT THERE, YOU CAN'T HAVE VIDEO GAMING.

UM, QUICK KIND OF POLL.

ANY, UM, I, I HAD SUGGESTED THAT I WANTED TO REMAIN AT 50% RATHER THAN

[02:20:01]

50% IN, IN, UH, RESTAURANT BUSINESSES.

ED, I'M GOOD WHERE IT'S AT NOW.

LISA, CHUCK, DR. HORN.

I'M FOR 60%.

MR. COOPER 50.

AND MR. COOPER, YOU HAD A A QUESTION.

I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T GET TO YOU.

I WAS ON MY OWN THING.

YOU KINDA ANSWERED IT RIGHT THERE.

ONE, I'M, I ALMOST FORGOT WHAT MY QUESTION WAS.

NOW I THINK DR. HORN, BUT, UM, , UM, UM, MY, MY ONLY, I'M, I'M, I'M PROBABLY GONNA VOTE FOR THE ORDINANCE AS, AS WRITTEN.

I THINK YOU DID A LOT OF WORK INTO IT, AND I KNOW IT'S HARD TO DETERMINE, UM, WHAT TO COME UP WITH WITH SEVEN DIFFERENT MINDS UP HERE.

UM, BUT SO I THINK YOU DID A LOT OF WORK TO TRY TO COME TO SOMETHING THAT WAS REASONABLE.

MY ONLY CONCERN GOING FORWARD IS WITH THE, THE PLANS.

UM, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING AS FAR AS WHAT THE PLAN, WHAT A PLAN IS AND, AND HOW IT'S GONNA BE REVIEWED.

UM, AND I GUESS MY CONCERN IS THAT, UM, SINCE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY REAL I'S AND T'S IT CAN BE REAL SUBJECTIVE AS TO WHAT GETS APPROVED, WHAT GETS APPROVED OR WHAT DON'T GET APPROVED.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE OUT AS MUCH SUBJECTIVITY AS, AND I THINK IN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, EVERY AGREEMENT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT.

IT'S LIKE WHEN A COMPANY COMES TO TOWN AND THEY MIGHT, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND IT WOULD, BUT IT WOULD BE ENTIRELY UP TO THE COUNCIL.

I, I UNDERSTAND.

AND I JUST WANNA BE CAUTIOUS ON THAT.

BUT, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE ON THIS, BUT I, I AGREE WITH THE 50 STAND.

COUNCILWOMAN MCG, GREGORY AYE.

DO WE NEED TO, UM, AMEND WITH A MOTION TO AMEND TO 50% THE PROPOSAL? CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO AMEND? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

COUNCILMAN HORNE? NAY.

COUNCILMAN COLP? AYE.

UM, WE, UH, YOU'VE MADE IT CLEAR THAT YOU DON'T WANT MORE PARLORS, AND THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE NOBODY DOES.

MAYOR MAR WOLF? AYE.

SIX AYES ONE NAY.

COUNCILMAN MCG GREGORY.

OH, I'M SORRY MR. COLE, SHE WAS ASKING FOR YOU.

SHE'S A GREAT REPRESENTATIVE.

AMY, YOU MOVE TOO QUICK.

I HAD NO, NO, YOU'RE FINE.

WE'LL DO SIGN LANGUAGE.

UH, NOW LET'S SAY WE LIKE THEIR DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND WE GIVE 'EM FULL GRACE TO GO AHEAD AND THAT WAS JUST FLUFF.

NOTHING'S OCCURRED, OR WE DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE MOVING UP TO THEIR END OF IT.

ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO PUT A DELAY OR WE CAN REVOKE THAT AT ANY TIME? AND DOES THAT LICENSE GO AWAY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT LIVING UP TO THEIR END? HOW IS THEIR ENFORCEMENT ON THEIR DEVELOPMENT PLAN? SORRY, I GUESS YOU DO HAVE TO COME BACK UP.

GO AND STAY RIGHT THERE.

AMY .

SO I HAVE NO IDEA WHY YOU SAT DOWN TO BEGIN WITH, BUT, UH, AS FAR AS THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, UH, THIS WAS AN AREA THAT, UH, AS WE WERE TRYING TO WRAP THIS UP, TO PRESENT SOMETHING TO COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, COUNCILMAN COOPER'S POINT, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW DO I AVOID THIS BEING SUBJECTIVE AND, UH, WHAT CRITERIA CAN I BUILD INTO THIS? IT BECAME A CHALLENGE, UH, TO TRY TO, UH, CAPTURE ALL THE POSSIBILITIES.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE BUSINESSES AND THE OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, IS IT, UH, REVENUE GENERATED? IS IT, UH, NEW EMPLOYEES? IS IT, UH, HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT THAT IT MIGHT DRAW, YOU KNOW, FROM, UH, A NATIONWIDE OR POTENTIALLY, UH, INTERNATIONAL TYPE OF DRAW? SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO CONSIDER.

THE ONE THING IN OUR CONVERSATIONS INTERNALLY, UH, I AM NOT GOING TO BRING A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT BEFORE COUNCIL JUST TO HEAR UP OR DOWN.

IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT I AND STAFF SUPPORT IN ORDER FOR IT TO COME TO A COUNCIL.

BUT I'M GOING TO MAKE, UH, COUNCIL AWARE IN THE CITY MANAGER UPDATES EVERYTHING THAT'S COMING ACROSS MY DESK SO THAT YOU CAN SEE AND PO POTENTIALLY SAY, NO, TIM, THIS IS ONE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO UH, HEAR.

UH, BUT YOU WILL HEAR EVERYTHING THAT'S COMING ACROSS MY DESK.

AND WHAT WILL COME BEFORE COUNSEL, UH, AS AN AGENDA ITEM, WILL BE THOSE THAT I FEEL, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, MERIT, UH, SUPPORT BY COUNSEL.

AND BEFORE I FORGET, WHICH I'M PRONE TO DO, I TEND TO DO, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF CITIZENS THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.

I'D LIKE TO HAVE THEM AT THIS TIME, IF THAT'S OKAY.

VICKI SHEETS HAD SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.

IT'S ALMOST TO GET PAST MY BEDTIME.

UM, OKAY.

FIRST OF ALL, WE WANNA REALLY, YOUR NAME, OH, VICKI SHEETS .

UM, REALLY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO COUNCIL TONIGHT AND HOPEFULLY HAVE A POSITIVE VOTE ON THIS.

AND THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR THE COMMENTS THAT YOU MADE, BECAUSE FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THEY WERE RIGHT ON.

[02:25:01]

AND THROUGH YOUR CONVERSATIONS, IT'S CLEAR THAT YOU WANT AN ESTABLISHMENT THAT'S GONNA BE A BIT OF A COMMUNITY PARTNER AND NOT A DRAIN ON THE TAXPAYERS OR THE COMMUNITY, BUT IN PARTNERSHIP AND MAYBE IMPROVING, UM, THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WE FEEL OF COURSE, AND WITH STICKS, WE FEEL THAT, UH, STICKS PROVIDES, UH, WE HEAR THE CHATTER ONLINE ABOUT NO MORE GAMING AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SAYING THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DO FOR A LIVING, BUT THEY DON'T RUN A BAR, A RESTAURANT IN DECATUR, ILLINOIS, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOSE FOOD AND DRINK SALES BECAUSE PEOPLE CHOOSE TO HAVE THEIR DINNER SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY CAN GAME AFTERWARDS, YOU'RE NOT JUST LOSING GAMING REVENUE.

YOU LOST THE SALE IN FOOD AND DRINKS.

AND THEN, UH, DR. HORN WAS TALKING ABOUT DURING THE, UH, UTILITY TAX, THE 99%, THE 1%, WE GOTTA BE FAIR TO ALL 99% OF THE BARS AND RESTAURANTS ALREADY HAVE GAMING.

SO IN FAIRNESS TO THE 1% WHO DON'T, I THINK THAT THE COUNCILS CAME UP WITH A GREAT COMPROMISE.

NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THIS DEVELOPMENT PLAN'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, BUT WE'RE NOT SCARED OF IT BECAUSE I THINK THAT STICKS IS A TERRIFIC PARTNER FOR THIS COMMUNITY.

UH, IT SOUNDS VERY PROMISING FOR US.

UH, WE JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VOTE FOR A LONG TIME.

WE SURE HOPE THAT IT'S, UH, POSITIVE AND WE TRUST THAT THE COUNCIL IS JUST GONNA DO THE RIGHT THING.

AND CONSIDER THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF GAMING IN DECATUR WAS TO HELP DECATUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, THE BARS AND RESTAURANTS THAT CHOSE TO BUILD THEIR FACILITY HERE, OR TO TAKE AN EMPTY BUILDING AND MAKE IT INTO SOMETHING RATHER THAN ANOTHER VACANT BUILDING.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WE'RE ANXIOUS TO SEE WHERE THIS GOES.

THANK YOU, MS. SHE AUSTIN ZI.

I THINK I SAID THAT RIGHT.

YOUI, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO PASS THESE OUT REAL QUICK.

ARE YOU SURE TO GIVE US YOUR NAME AS YOU START, EVEN THOUGH I RIGHT.

AUSTIN SZE.

CODY DREW, IF YOU'RE GONNA USE THE DEATH OF A YOUNG MAN TO SUPPORT YOUR STANCE, SO AT LEAST GIVE HIM THE RECOGNITION THAT A HE DESERVES YOUNG MAN THAT PASSED AWAY YEARS AGO IN THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY.

HIS NAME IS CODY DREW.

YES, GAMBLING CAN BE AN ADDICTION FOR SOME, BUT I'M PRETTY POSITIVE WE HAVE A FRIEND, OR IN MY CASE, A FAMILY MEMBER WHO HAS A DRUG PROBLEM.

I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WOULD ARGUE THAT GAMBLING, DRINKING DRUGS, AND EVEN FOOD ARE AN ADDICTION FOR MANY PEOPLE.

BUT THERE'S ONE THING I THINK WE COULD ALL AGREE ON, AND THAT IS ONE THING.

AN ADDICTS WILL FIND THEIR FIX.

THE CUTE LITTLE LADIES WILL GO ON THE SENIOR BUS TO THOSE GO TO THE CASINOS IN PEORIA.

OR A 30 SOMETHING YEAR OLD MAN WILL BE ON A SPORTSBOOK APP ON HIS PHONE.

A PERSON ADDICTED TO DRUGS WILL BUY FROM A DEALER HE ISN'T FAMILIAR WITH, AND AN ALCOHOLIC WILL FIND THEIR FIX AT A LOCAL PUB.

I DO NOT THINK THAT LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS ARE TRYING TO GET MACHINES TO FEED AN ADDICTION.

THEY'RE TRYING TO GET MACHINES TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES.

MAYOR WOLF, YOU MADE SOME GREAT POINTS AT THE LAST MEETING, AND ONE OF THEM IN REGARDS TO SPORTS BETTING APPS.

MOST OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC DO NOT REALIZE HOW HIS PAID OUT TO THE STATE.

SPORTS BETTING COMPLETELY TAKES OUT REVENUE SHARES WITH THE INDEPENDENT BUSINESS OWNERS.

I HAVE PROVIDED YOU ALL WITH COPIES OF 2023 YEAR TO DATE WITH THE FACTUAL NUMBERS OF HOW MUCH THESE APPS HAVE MADE.

HERE'S THE FACT THAT MOST PEOPLE MIGHT NOT KNOW ONLY 15% OF OF REVENUE GENERATED FROM THESE APPS GO THE STATE AND THE OWNERS OF APPLICATIONS KEEP THE OTHER 85%.

THE AVERAGE COST OF AN ESTABLISHMENT'S PAYROLL IS GENERALLY 30% OF ITS REVENUE.

CURRENTLY, THE ONLY GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS A BILL PRESENTED THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON PUSHING THROUGH, WHERE TIPPED EMPLOYEES WOULD MAKE $15 AN HOUR VERSUS THE $8 AN HOUR THEY MAKE.

NOW, THESE ARE SOME COSTS THAT NO ONE EXPECTS TO HAPPEN.

IF THOSE BILLS, IF THIS BILL GOES THROUGH, THEN OUR LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS WILL BE SUFFERING EVEN MORE THAN WHAT THEY ARE NOW.

THEY WILL HAVE TO MAKE SOME SORT OF ATTEMPT TO OFFSET THE COST OF THE INCREASED PAYROLL.

THIS MEANS MENU PRICES ARE GOING TO SKYROCKET IN AN ECONOMY.

WE'RE GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE FOR MY FAMILY OF FIVE IS $1,400 A MONTH.

BUSINESSES WILL SEE A LOT LESS FOOT TRAFFIC.

IF NOTHING, IF THERE IS NOTHING TO OFFSET COST, WE WILL SEE SOME OF OUR FAVORITE ESTABLISHMENTS CLOSE.

IT'S NOT EVEN JUST PAYROLL.

YEARS AGO, A BOX OF WINGS WAS ROUGHLY $50 AND THOSE SAME WINGS ARE NOW 150.

SOMEONE THAT I KNOW THAT OWNS A RESTAURANT REALLY RECENTLY TOLD ME THAT THEIR FOOD ORDER WENT UP FROM THAT $2,000 FROM THE LAST TIME THEY ORDERED TWO WEEKS PRIOR FROM NO CHANGE IN THEIR ORDER.

I DON'T THINK ANY OF THIS WAS IN ANYONE'S BUSINESS PLAN.

TELLING SOMEONE THEIR BUSINESS PLAN IS FALL BECAUSE OF GAMING IS PRETTY UNFAIR.

EVERYONE IS JUST TRYING TO SURVIVE, INCLUDING YOU AND YOUR

[02:30:01]

FAMILIES AS WELL.

MAYOR WOLF AND COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL.

IN ONE OF THE FALL MEETINGS LAST YEAR, YOU ADMITTED THAT YOU WENT WRONG.

WHEN GAMBLING WENT LEGAL ON DECATUR, IT WAS NOT INTENTIONAL.

IT WAS IGNORANCE OF WHAT TO EXPECT TO NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN.

MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU BOTH OWNING UP TO THAT AND SHOWING ACCOUNTABILITY.

WE'RE ALL WORKING ON THIS TOGETHER.

WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BUILD A BETTER COMMUNITY SO OUR FAMILIES CAN BE SAFE, WELL, AND FED.

MY FEAR IS A DECATUR NATIVE, DECATUR NATIVE.

THAT IS, IF WE DO DON'T DO SOMETHING TO HELP OUR LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS, WE WILL SEE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO SURVIVE OR INVEST IN DECATUR, OUR PARLORS IN CORPORATE RESTAURANTS, TO THOSE WHO HAVE LISTENED.

HAVING OPEN CONVERSATIONS WHERE WE GROW IS WHERE WE GROW AS A COMMUNITY TOGETHER.

AND YOU TIMED THAT VERY WELL.

I PRACTICE A LOT.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE MEASURE, PAT? I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THERE ARE QUALIFICATIONS FOR NOT ONLY NEW, BUT ALSO FOR EXISTING.

WHEN WE GO BACK TO AUDITS, THE CITY DID AUDITS FOR YEARS AND WE NEED TO GET BACK TO IT TO KEEP EVERYBODY HONEST.

DR. HORN DECATUR HAS A SUBSTANTIAL GAMBLING PROBLEM.

IT'S NEGATIVELY IMPACTING THE PERCEPTION OF THE CITY AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS.

AND THE CHANGES PROPOSED COULD RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS.

CITY OF DECATUR ALREADY HAS AN ANNUAL PER CAPITA GAMBLING LOSS OF $684.

THIS IS A EMBARRASSMENT TO OUR CITY, AND THIS IS THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR THE COUNCIL IN THE CITY.

ANY LAST COMMENTS? SEE NONE.

SO THIS IS FOR THE ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY CODE CHAPTER 52, ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR AS AMENDED COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY AYE.

[7. City Manager Update]

THE CITY MANAGER UPDATE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO THE COMMUNITY.

UH, FIRST, UH, COUNCIL MEETING OF, UH, EVERY, UH, UH, FIRST COUNCIL MEETING.

I ALWAYS SHARE THE, UH, NEW HIRES AND PROMOTIONS, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, TO THE CITY.

NEW HIRES ARE EDISON COLE, THE FOURTH EQUIPMENT OPERATOR IN PUBLIC WORKS.

AMY GOODMAN, UH, IS THE NEW ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT IN, UH, CORDERO PATRICK'S, UH, DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND THEN ALSO PROMOTIONS.

UH, WE HAVE, UH, TWO, UH, DEPUTY, UH, FIRE CHIEF, UH, PROMOTIONS.

AND THEN I'LL LIST THE, UH, SUBSEQUENT PROMOTIONS TO, UH, BACKFILL THE, UH, VACANCIES.

UH, WE PROMOTED, UH, NEIL ELDER TO, UH, DEPUTY CHIEF OVER OPERATIONS, TOBY JACKSON, DEPUTY CHIEF OVER, UH, PREVENTION AND ADMINISTRATION.

THE SUBSEQUENT PROMOTIONS ARE CHRISTOPHER DOWNEY, UH, TO BATTALION CHIEF, UH, JUSTIN KRAUSE TO BATTALION CHIEF GARY GUNDY, UH, TO FIRE CAPTAIN TODD COX TO FIRE CAPTAIN, AND THEN WADE SMITH TO FIRE LIEUTENANT AND NICHOLAS HA TO FIRE LIEUTENANT.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW HIRES AND TO THE PROMOTIONS.

UH, AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, RECOGNIZE, UH, THESE CITY EMPLOYEES.

THE ONLY ADDITIONAL COMMENT THAT I HAVE, MAYOR, IT'S MORE SO FOR THE COMMUNITY AS, UH, I'VE, I'VE TALKED ABOUT ALREADY A FEW TIMES TONIGHT ABOUT THE CITY'S FY 25 BUDGET.

AGAIN, WE'RE ON A CALENDAR YEAR FOR, UH, THE, THE CITY.

AND OUR FIRST PUBLIC CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BUDGET WILL BE NEXT MONDAY AS A STUDY SESSION MEETING, SAME TIME, SAME LOCATION, UH, BUT IT'S GONNA BE, UH, MONDAY, OCTOBER 14TH, UH, TO, UH, LISTEN TO THE DIRECTORS, UH, PRESENT, UH, THEIR DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS IN AREAS THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR TO COUNCIL.

AND IT TRULY, UH, KICKS OFF, UH, THAT, UH, AGENDA OR I'M SORRY, THAT SCHEDULE, UH, REGARDING OUR FY 25 BUDGET, UH, HOPEFULLY THERE IS, UH, COMMUNITY INTEREST, UH, BECAUSE IT'S A BIG DEAL FOR THE CITY.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

NOT SURE WE ALL HAD THAT ON OUR CALENDARS, BUT I GUESS WE DO NOW.

SO, UM, MOVING NOW TO

[8. 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.]

THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

DOES ANYONE ON COUNSEL WISH TO REMOVE ANY ITEMS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR? MR. KUHL? A A A EIGHT A OR AA? A.

ANYBODY ELSE? OH, MR. HORN.

I'D LIKE TO, UH, REMOVE AR AND A S.

[02:35:01]

AA, A R AND A S.

AND DR.

HORNER, IF YOU COULD TURN OFF YOUR MIC AND THANK YOU AND I WILL LEAVE IT TO THE CLERK.

INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR ADDITIONS ITEM AM RESOLUTION APPROVING APPOINTMENT.

ITEM A ORDINANCE ANNEXING TERRITORY LOT NORTH OF 22.

10 TO 2298.

DEER RUN.

COURT ITEM B, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY, 2210 DEER RUN.

COURT ITEM C, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY 2220.

DEAR RUN, COURT ITEM D, ORDINANCE, ANNING, TERRITORY 2240.

DEAR RUN, COURT ITEM E ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY 2260.

DEAR RUN, COURT ITEM F, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING, TERRITORY 2280.

DEAR RUN, COURT ITEM G, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING, TERRITORY 2298.

DEAR RUN, COURT, ITEM H, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING, TERRITORY 2202.

DEAR RUN, COURT ITEM I, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING, TERRITORY 2201.

DEAR RUN, COURT, ITEM J ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY 2215.

DEAR RUN, COURT ITEM K, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY 2225.

DEAR RUN, COURT, ITEM L, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING, TERRITORY 2245.

DEAR RUN, COURT, ITEM M, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING, TERRITORY 2265.

DEAR RUN, COURT ITEM N ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING, TERRITORY 2285.

DEAR RUN, COURT, ITEM O ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY 2295.

DEAR RUN, COURT ITEM P, ORDINANCE OR ANNEXING TERRITORY 32 68 SOUTH KATHY COURT, ITEM Q ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY 32 58 SOUTH KATHY COURT, ITEM R, ORDINANCE ANNEXING TERRITORY 32 48 SOUTH CATHY COURT, ITEM S, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY 32 28 SOUTH CATHY COURT ITEM T ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY 32 0 2 SOUTH CATHY COURT, ITEM U ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY 31 35 TURIN ROAD.

ITEM V, ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY 33 20 EAST FITZGERALD ROAD.

ITEM W ORDINANCE ANN, SAME TERRITORY, 32 44 GREENVIEW DRIVE, ITEM X ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE ANNEXING TERRITORY 30 50 LAKELAND ROAD ITEM Y ORDINANCE, ANNEXING TERRITORY 2254 MESA DRIVE, ITEM C, ORDINANCE ANNEXING TERRITORY 30 77 TURIN ROAD ITEM AB RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF A PURCHASING ORDER BETWEEN THE CITY OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, A MASTERS TRANSPORTATION INC.

FOR STATE OF TEXAS.

CONTRACT 2 3 0 2 0 4 FOR 180 A FORD TRANSIT VAN AND 180 A PACIFIC HA VAN ITEM AC RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF A PURCHASING ORDER BETWEEN THE CITY OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS AND ALTORFER INC.

FOR BID BY CONTRACT FOR ONE CAT 2 65 DASH ZERO FIVE COMPACT TRACK LOADER ITEM D RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A PURCHASING ORDER BETWEEN THE CITY OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, AND MORO BROTHERS FORD, INC.

FOR STATE OF ILLINOIS.

CONTRACT 21 DASH 4 1 16 CMS DASH BOSS FOUR DASH B DASH 2 11 43 FOR ONE F TWO 50 WORK TRUCK ONE F THREE 50 HEAVY DUTY WORK TRUCK AND TWO HYBRID F-150 WORK TRUCKS.

ITEM AE RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE BID AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT WITH COOLEY CONTRACTING LLC FOR 2024 MANHOLE REHABILITATION PROJECT, CITY PROJECT 2024 DASH 14 ITEM AF ORDINANCE APPROVING THE CLOSURE OF VARIOUS STREETS AND ALLEYS IN THE WABASH CROSSING NEIGHBORHOOD ITEM AG RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING THE QUOTE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY WAREHOUSE FOR THE PURCHASE OF TRAFFIC AND SAFETY BARRIERS.

ITEM A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING STREET LIGHTING IN THE WABASH CROSSING NEIGHBORHOOD ITEM, A AI RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE BID PRICE FROM HOMER TREE CARE FOR TREE REMOVAL IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS.

ITEM AJ RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING THE BID PRICE FROM J T'S TREE SERVICE FOR TREE REMOVAL IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS.

ITEM AK RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING THE BID PRICE FROM HD TREES LLC FOR TREE REMOVAL IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS.

ITEM A L ORDINANCE AND ADDING TERRITORY TO ENTERPRISE ZONE AND APPROVING THE AMENDMENT OF THE ENACTING ORDINANCE IN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT.

FIREMAN'S PENSION FUND BOARD OF TRUSTEES ITEM A RESOLUTION APPROVING APPOINTMENTS LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

ITEM A O RESOLUTION REGARDING HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREAT HOURS ITEM AP RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PAYMENT TO CENTRAL SCARE CENTRAL SQUARE FOR SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE FEES.

ITEM AQ RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ACTION REGARDING UNSAFE STRUCTURES.

I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEMS AS PRESENTED.

SECOND COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY AYE.

COUNCILMAN CULP? AYE.

ARE WE GETTING ANYONE TO, UM, COMPETE ON ANY OF THESE BIDS BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST ONE OF THESE SITUATIONS WHERE WE'RE LUCKY TO EVEN GET OUR HANDS ON THESE VEHICLES OR IF, IF WE CAN ACTUALLY GO OUT AND PUT SOME OF THESE OUT FOR BID.

[AA. Resolution Authorizing Execution of a Purchasing Order between the City of Decatur, Illinois and Landmark Ford Inc. for State of Illinois Contract #Boss-B-37575 for Three (3) Ford Electric SUVs]

AA.

LET'S SEE HERE.

YES, AA RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF A PURCHASING ORDER BETWEEN THE CITY OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS AND LANDMARK FORD INC.

FOR STATE OF ILLINOIS.

CONTRACT BOSS B 3 7 5 7 5 4 3 FORD ELECTRIC SUVS.

MOTION THAT THE RESOLUTION DO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

SO MOVED SECOND MR. KHL.

SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S KIND LIKE AA, A, B, A C AND MAYBE AD ARE ALL RELATED IN SOME RESPECT, BUT, UM, THESE ADDED UP TO LIKE $300,000 AND I JUST FELT LIKE THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY JUST TO PUT ON A CONSENT AGENDA.

AND I GUESS THAT'S MY FIRST POINT.

THE SECOND POINT IS,

[02:40:01]

AND IF WE'RE NOT GETTING BIDS, WHY NOT? COUNCIL CHU.

UM, I'M GONNA ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION AND THEN, UH, TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR, UH, LACEY ELSIE'S GONNA COME UP, TALK ABOUT THE, UH, PROCESS.

SO HIGH DOLLAR ITEMS, UH, BUDGETED, EXPECTED, UH, WITH THE ADOPTION, THE FY 24 BUDGET, ME TRYING TO GAUGE WHAT COUNCIL WANTS, UH, YOU KNOW, IF, UH, IF THIS IS SOMETHING BECAUSE OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE WANT TO PUT IT UNDER A NEW BUSINESS, I CAN DO THAT IN THE FUTURE.

UH, JUST WAS TRYING TO, UH, TRIM THE NEW BUSINESS, UH, ITEMS, UH, SINCE THIS WAS ALREADY BUDGETED, EXPECTED AND SOMETHING THAT WAS, UH, PRESENTED, ADOPTED BY, UH, COUNCIL.

BUT, UH, WHATEVER, UH, COUNCIL DESIRES, THAT'S WHAT I'LL FOLLOW.

UH, LACEY, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED A FULL, DO YOU WANT MORE OF AN EXPLANATION? NO, I MEAN, JUST TO PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP, CANNABIS ALWAYS SEEMS TO COME UP, BUT I MEAN, AT ONE POINT WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT CANNABIS, THE REVENUE FROM THAT WAS THREE TO 400,000 AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE ONE AGENDA ITEM ON HERE FOR $300,000 AND IT'S JUST LIKE, OKAY, NEXT.

AND, UH, TO ME THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY AND UM, I KNOW IT WAS, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN COVERED, IT'S IN THE BUDGET AND THAT TYPE OF THING, BUT TO ME IT WAS JUST WAS A RED FLAG.

IT WAS THAT MUCH MONEY AND I JUST THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE WORTH TALKING ABOUT.

UNDERSTOOD.

AND UH, ALSO, I, YOU KNOW, ON THIS ITEM, I, I'LL TELL YOU THE THING, AND, AND LACEY, UH, HOPEFULLY WILL COVER THIS, THE FACT THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, WE'RE BUYING EVS, UH, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, I I THINK HAVE A CONVERSATION.

RECOGNIZE MAYOR, JUST AGAIN, UH, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE OPTIONS JUST LIKE YOU DID.

WE CAN PULL IT IN THAT.

SO, AND IT WASN'T LIKE OUR MEETING ISN'T LONG ENOUGH.

I GET IT.

, IT'S GETTING LONGER BY THE MINUTE.

UM, DO YOU WANT LACEY TO MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS OR NO, JUST HAVE A COMMENT.

OH, OKAY.

UM, I'M GLAD COUNCILMAN KHL ASKED FOR THIS ITEM BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO ASK FOR IT FOR A DIFFERENT REASON.

THIS IS A MILESTONE MOMENT FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE FLEET'S HISTORY, WE ARE PURCHASING THREE ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND THE CITY NEEDS TO DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP IN REDUCING ITS OWN CARBON FOOTPRINT.

AND THIS IS A GOOD FIRST STEP IN PURCHASING THREE EV USSV SUVS.

COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY AYE.

I SEE ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD? YES, JUST ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS.

SO THESE, WE ARE PIGGYBACKING OFF OF A STATE OF ILLINOIS CONTRACT ON THE BID BUY WEBSITE.

IT SAVES STAFF TIME AND COSTS FOR US TO DO THAT.

THE STATE OF ILLINOIS ACTUALLY ALREADY PUT THESE OUT FOR, FOR COMPETITIVE BIDS, AND THESE ARE THREE FULLY ELECTRIC SUVS AND THEY COME IN AT 45,554 A PIECE AFTER, UH, DELIVERY AND THE OPTIONS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THEM GOVERNMENT VEHICLES.

OKAY, CALL THE QUESTION ON THIS ITEM PLEASE.

COUNCILMAN COOPER ABSTAIN.

RESOLUTION DESIGNATING HONORARY STREET NAME IN HONOR OF THE LATE DR. JOHN C. ELLIS.

MAYOR MORE WOLF? AYE.

SIX I'S ONE ABSTENTION ITEM AR

[AR. Resolution Designating Honorary Street Name in Honor of the Late Dr. John C. Ellis]

MOTION AT THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

SOLE MOVED.

SECOND.

UH, I THOUGHT THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO NAME A, UH, HONORARY STREET NAME THAT THE CITIZENS SHOULD KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHO WE'RE, UM, RECOGNIZING DR. JOHN C. ELLIS WAS THE FIRST BLACK MEDICAL DOCTOR IN DECATUR IN THE 1920S.

HE PROVIDED MEDICAL CARE FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS FOR OVER 30 YEARS.

DR. ELLIS WAS GIVEN CREDIT FOR DELIVERING OVER 146 NEWBORN BABIES.

DURING HIS TENURE, DR. ELLIS GAVE MEDICAL TREATMENT TO THOSE WHO COULDN'T AFFORD IT.

DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION OF 1929 TO 1941 IN 1920, DR. ELLIS WAS NOT ONLY A DOCTOR OF MEDICINE BY THE, UH, BUT TOOK ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAKING THE PRINCE HALL MASONS OF DECATUR, A STRONG FORCE THAT WAS RESPECTED EVEN DURING THE YEARS THAT THE CITY WAS SEGREGATED AS PART OF THEIR MISSION.

MEMBERS OF THE LODGE GAVE AWAY MEALS, FOOD BASKETS,

[02:45:01]

AND CLOTHING GIVEAWAYS.

IN 1965, IT WAS APPROVED BY THE PRINCE GRAND LODGE FOR THE STATE OF ILLINOIS TO ALLOW THE LODGE TO RENAME IT THE JOHN C. ELLIS MASONIC LODGE.

AND SO THIS INDIVIDUAL IS CERTAINLY, OR, UM, WORTHY OF THIS RECOGNITION AND SO I'M, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE DOING IT.

CALL THE QUESTION PLEASE.

COUNCILMAN GREGORY.

RESOLUTION DESIGNATING HONORARY STREET NAME IN HONOR OF JERRY PELLS MOTION THAT THE RESOLUTION DO PASS AND BE ADOPTED.

MAYOR MOORE WOLF AYE.

SEVEN AYES NO NAYS.

ITEM A S

[AS. Resolution Designating Honorary Street Name in Honor of Jerry Pelz]

SECOND, DR. HORN, ONCE AGAIN.

LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MR. PELLS.

IN JULY, 1969, JERRY PELLS STARTED THE NORTHEAST COMMUNITY FUND WITH ONE FOOD BASKET.

HE STARTED WORKING FOR NORTHEAST AS A POVERTY WORKER IN THE PRINCE OF PEACE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.

TODAY THAT ORGANIZATION HOUSES A FOOD BANK, CLOTHING ROOM, SERVICES, SMALL REPAIRS FOR HOMES, ESPECIALLY SENIORS WHO NEED ASSISTANCE.

A MICROFINANCE PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE AN IMMEDIATE FINANCIAL NEED AND PARTNERS WITH HOPE ACADEMY TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR PATENTS AND STUDENTS.

MR. PELLS HAS SERVED ON VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMITTEES WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, THE DECATUR SENIOR CENTER, UNITED WAY, DECATUR MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, MACON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHILE ON THE FOUNDING BOARDS OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN INN IN THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS FOOD BANK.

HE'S CURRENTLY ON THE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSIONS FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR.

AND CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. PELLS.

HE'S VERY WORTHY OF THIS HONOR.

ABSOLUTELY.

CALL THE QUESTION PLEASE.

COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY.

COUNCILMAN HORNE? AYE.

MAYOR MOORE WOLF.

HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL BUSINESS? JUST, JUST REAL QUICK.

SEVEN AYES? NO NAYS.

DOES ANYONE BESIDES DR. HORN

[VI. Other Business]

UM, NO, WE'RE GOING TO HIM FIRST.

UH, NO, NO, NO, NO.

MR. COLE GO YOU NO, NO, NO.

PLEASE.

JUST TWO ITEMS JUST FOR I THINK CITY MANAGER AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT AMBULANCE STAFFING.

I'VE HEARD SOME INCIDENTS, UH, WHERE WE'VE HAD SOME DELAYS AND I UNDERSTAND PER CONTRACT THERE'S SOME STAFFING ISSUES.

WE MAY BE BELOW THAT MINIMUM LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES.

WE, WE, THIS, WE JUST CAN'T PUT THAT, OUR COMMUNITY AT RISK WITH MINIMAL STAFFING LIKE THAT.

AND UH, SECOND THING IS, UH, DECATUR FIRE HAD TWO MINOR INJURIES OF FIREFIGHTERS EARLIER THIS MORNING ON A RESIDENTIAL FIRE.

I'VE TALKED TO THE FIRE CHIEF THERE, HOME RESTING, AND I WISH EM WELL.

AND ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL, WE WISH EM A FAST RECOVERY.

PAT, YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS.

I WAS JUST GONNA SAY HOPEFULLY WE'RE ALL STRONG BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE EVS IN THE CITY, JUST LIKE IT'S HAPPENED AROUND THE COUNTRY, TIME IS UP, UH, UH, IN THE COLD WEATHER AND THE HOT WEATHER, THEY STOP.

SO WE'LL HAVE TO PUSH.

NO, DR. HORN, MR. COOPER.

EIGHT SECONDS.

, YOU TAKE ALL THE TIME YOU WANT.

UM, THANK YOU MAYOR.

UH, I JUST WANT TO, UH, REMIND EVERYONE THAT, UH, OCTOBER IS CANCER AWARENESS MONTH SO THAT WE, WE ASK THAT AND I LOST MY MOTHER WITH CANCER AND OTHERS IN THE FAMILY.

BUT JUST, UH, KEEP THAT IN MIND AND THINK ABOUT THOSE FAMILIES THAT HAVE LOST SOMEONE WITH CANCER OR THOSE THAT ARE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH CANCER SITUATIONS AND ASK ALL MEN SOMETIME THIS MONTH WEAR PINK AND YOU LOOK VERY NICE IN PINK.

DR.

HORNEY, IS THIS A MOTION TO ADJOURN? NOT YET, MAYOR.

BUT I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO FOLLOW UP WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN COLP SAID.

UM, IN AT THE DECEMBER, 2023 FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT, CHIEF ABBOTT WROTE, IN THE FUTURE, THE CITY AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL NEED TO DECIDE WHAT ALARMS THE DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO.

AND THE ANSWER TO THESE ISSUES WILL LIKELY INVOLVE MORE INPUT THAN THE CITY AND DEPARTMENT ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS.

WE GOT THAT REPORT IN MID-JANUARY.

IT IS OCTOBER, AND THE CITY COUNCIL HASN'T HAD ANY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS AS PER THE APRIL, 2024 REPORT.

AMBULANCES ARE STILL A PROBLEM AT A AS A MR FAILS TO MEET THE REQUIRED SIX ADVANCE LIFE SUPPORT UNITS.

MOST OF THE TIME, 87% OF THE TIME SINCE MARCH 1ST, 2024, THEY DID NOT PROVIDE THE A LS UNITS AS THEY AGREED TO PROVIDE WHEN AWARDED THEIR LICENSE.

WE GOT THAT REPORT IN MAY.

IT IS NOW OCTOBER AND WE HAVEN'T ENACT.

[02:50:01]

AND SO MY QUESTION IS, WHEN ARE WE ACTUALLY GOING TO ACT AS A CITY COUNCIL ON THE REPORTS THAT WE'RE RECEIVING FROM THE FIRE CHIEF? ACTUALLY WE ARE THE MANAGER AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO VARIOUS PEOPLE ABOUT THE AMBULANCE ISSUE, SO WE ARE WELL AWARE AND ARE STARTING SOME DISCUSSIONS.

SO CHEF, I WANNA BE THE LAST ONE.

'CAUSE MINE'S GOOD NEWS.

UM, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE A FEW WEEKS AGO OF MEETING A, A COUPLE OF OUR, I BELIEVE FORMER CITIZENS, MAYBE THEY'RE STILL CURRENT CITIZENS.

UM, KATINA AND TINA MARTIN.

UM, THEY WENT TO EISENHOWER HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY WERE STATE TRACK CHAMPIONS AND, UM, THEY'RE TWINS, AWESOME GIRLS.

THEY BOTH WENT TO HARVARD, UH, GRADUATED FROM HARVARD.

UH, THEY BOTH WON IVY LEAGUE, UH, TRACK TITLES AT HARVARD.

UH, NOW ONE WORKS AT BANK OF AMERICA IN MANHATTAN AND THE OTHER'S IN, UH, GRADUATE SCHOOL AT DUKE.

AND, UH, I THOUGHT IT WAS AN AWESOME STORY.

I DIDN'T KNOW IT.

I'M SURPRISED I DIDN'T KNOW IT, BUT I'M GIVING THEM A LATE SHOUT OUT.

AND, UH, I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, OUR CITY AND SCHOOLS SOMETIMES HAVE CHALLENGES, BUT IT JUST SHOWS YOU THAT IF YOU REALLY WANT SOMETHING AND YOU WORK HARD AT IT, YOU CAN ACHIEVE WHATEVER YOU WANT RIGHT HERE IN DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

AND I REMEMBER THEM FONDLY WHEN THEY WERE IN, IN HIGH SCHOOL AND, AND BREAKING ALL KINDS OF RECORDS.

SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.

MOTION TO ADJOURN.

SECOND COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY AYE.

COUNCILMAN CULP? AYE.

COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? AYE MAYOR MORE WOLF? AYE.

SEVEN AYES NO NAY.

WE ARE ADJOURNED.