* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:03] CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. COUNCILMAN HORN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN KUHL? PRESENT. COUNCILMAN COLT? HERE. COUNCILMAN COOPER. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL. PRESENT. MAYOR MOORE WOLF. PRESENT, SEVEN. PRESENT, NONE. ABSENT. PLEASE STAND AND JOIN IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND REPUBLIC RELIGIOUS STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. [II. Proclamations and Recognitions] WE DO HAVE A PROCLAMATION THIS EVENING. IF WE COULD HAVE KIM SCHWABA COME TO THE PODIUM, UH, TO TELL US ABOUT NATIONAL THERAPY ANIMAL DAY SHE'S SNIFFING AROUND. HELLO, MY NAME IS KIM SCHWABA AND I AM A HUMANE EDUCATOR. UH, I WORK FOR THE DECATUR MACON COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER FOUNDATION, AND WE GO TO SCHOOLS, LADY AND I, AND WE VISIT WITH CHILDREN AND WE GO TO NURSING HOMES, AND WE HAVE NOT YET, BUT WE ARE WORKING ON GOING TO HOSPITALS. UM, SHE IS A RESCUE DOG. SHE'S FROM THE SHELTER. SHE'S MY BEST FRIEND AND SHE'S VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROCLAMATION. . SO THIS IS THE OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION FROM THE CITY OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS. WHEREAS PET PARTNERS HAS DESIGNATED APRIL 30TH AS NATIONAL THERAPY ANIMAL DAY. AND WHEREAS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH RESEARCH SHOWS THAT INTERACTING WITH THERAPY ANIMALS CAN REDUCE STRESS, RELIEVE DEPRESSION, SLOW HEART RATE, LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE, AND STRENGTHEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, I SHOULD BE IN GREAT SHAPE. AND WHEREAS THERAPY ANIMAL TEAMS IN THE CITY OF DECATUR PLAY AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN IMPROVING HUMAN HEALTH AND WELLBEING THROUGH THE HUMAN ANIMAL BOND. AND WHEREAS THERAPY ANIMAL TEAMS INTERACT WITH A VARIETY OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING VETERANS, SENIORS, PATIENTS, STUDENTS, AND THOSE APPROACHING END OF LIFE. AND WHEREAS THOSE EXCEPTIONAL THERAPY ANIMALS WHO PARTNER WITH THEIR HUMAN COMPANIONS BRING COMFORT AND HEALING TO THOSE IN NEED. AND WHEREAS WE ENCOURAGE MORE PET OWNERS TO CONSIDER BECOMING PET PARTNERS, VOLUNTEERS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY BY CREATING GREATER ACCESS TO MEANINGFUL THERAPY VISITS. WHEREAS IN THE CITY OF DECATUR, WE ENCOURAGE OUR CITIZENS TO CELEBRATE OUR THERAPY ANIMALS AND THEIR HUMAN HANDLERS. WE PUBLICLY SALUTE THE SERVICE OF ANIMAL THERAPY TEAMS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JULIE MOORE WOLF MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DECATUR, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 30TH, 2025 AS NATIONAL THERAPY ANIMAL DAY. AND IF YOU'LL BRING THAT UP HERE, I'M HAPPY TO SIGN IT. YES. COME ON LADY. GOOD GIRL. SHE'S TIRED. SHE'S GOING TO SCHOOLS TODAY. THE KIDS REALLY RESPOND SO WELL TO HER. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND IF YOU KNOW OF ANY CLASSROOM OR PROGRAM THAT WOULD LIKE US TO VISIT, THE IS ON THAT. THANK YOU. SORRY. THAT'S ALRIGHT. OKAY. WE SHOULD PROBABLY START EVERY MEETING WITH A THERAPY DOG. IT MIGHT GO, GO REALLY WELL. UH, [III. Appearance of Citizens] WE NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE APPEARANCE OF CITIZENS. OUR POLICY IS AS FOLLOWS, A 30 MINUTE TIME PERIOD IS PROVIDED FOR CITIZENS TO APPEAR AND EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL. EACH CITIZEN SPEAKING WILL BE LIMITED TO ONE APPEARANCE OF UP TO THREE MINUTES. NO IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WILL BE GIVEN BY CITY COUNCIL OR CITY STAFF MEMBERS, CITIZENS, OR TO GIVE THEIR DOCUMENTS, [00:05:01] IF ANY, TO THE POLICE OFFICER FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE COUNCIL. WHEN THE MAYOR DETERMINES THAT ALL PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS POLICY OF DONE SO. MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND KEY STAFF MAY MAKE COMMENTS. DOES ANYONE WISH TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL TONIGHT? YOU HAVE ONE COMING DOWN AND THEN YOU CAN GET UP NEXT. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. I'M ANNE OWENS. FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE SOME THANK YOUS, WELL DESERVED THANK YOU TO CHUCK FOR SERVING EIGHT YEARS. HE'S ALSO SERVED ON OUR COUNTY BOARD. HE ALSO RAN TENNIS TOURNAMENTS THAT OVER THE YEARS HAVE BROUGHT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, IF NOT A MILLION DOLLARS OF TOURISM DOLLARS TO THIS COMMUNITY. ALL OF THOSE THINGS. PLUS YOUR FAMILY'S BEEN A GREAT CONTRIBUTOR TO CATER. I'VE HAD SOME GOOD TALKS WITH HIM. DON'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH HIM, BUT WE STILL HAVE GOOD TALKS AND I'VE ENJOYED THAT. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE. ALSO, I'M GONNA MENTION THE POLICE CHIEF BECAUSE HE'S RETIRING, SO WE CERTAINLY WANT TO TELL HIM THANK YOU. I SENT HIM AN EMAIL TODAY. HE HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF BEING ACTIVE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND TRYING TO ACTIVATE THE COMMUNITY IN BEING INVOLVED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. UM, ON A LITTLE BIT OF A SATURN NOTE, WE CERTAINLY OWE THANK YOUS TO THE POLICE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THE AMBULANCE DEPARTMENTS. THEY, OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS HAVE HAD SOME PRETTY ROUGH CALLS TO ANSWER TO THE GOOD THING ABOUT THEM. THEY'RE HEROES. EVERY DAY THEY ANSWER OUR CALLS AND I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, THIS SATURDAY FROM ONE O'CLOCK TO TWO 30 AT THE LIBRARY IN THE MOUNTAIN ROOM, WE WILL HAVE THE COMMUNITY SAFETY PANEL. SO BE THE SHERIFF, THE STATE'S ATTORNEY, AND ALSO POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT'S SPONSORED BY KONA ON SUNDAY, THE OGLESBY WILL BE OPEN FROM TWO TO FOUR. AND TODAY I HAD THE HONOR OF SENDING THE PRESS RELEASE TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE, ON AUGUST 27TH AT THE LINCOLN THEATER, WILL HAVE THE BOX MASTERS. NOW, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE AR PERFORMING, I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW. THE LEAD PERFORMER IS BILLY BOB THORNTON. SO IT'S A PRETTY BIG DEAL THAT THEY'RE COMING TO THE LINCOLN THEATER. UM, I ALSO WANNA REMIND YOU, PUBLIC FORUMS, WE'RE HOPING TO STILL SEE THE TAXING BODIES SIT TOGETHER. WE'RE HOPING FOR HEALTHCARE FORUM AND WE'RE ALSO, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THE CITY WOULD MAYBE START A CAMPAIGN. YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE GROCERY TAX TONIGHT. ONE OF THE THINGS A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE ON NORMALLY FOR TAXES, BUT WE DO GATHER A LOT OF TAXES FROM NON-CITIZENS FOR BOTH OUR GASOLINE AND OUR GROCERY TAX. SO I'M NOT FOR PROPERTY TAX, BUT THE GROCERY TAX IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET MONEY FROM OTHER PEOPLE. SO I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. THANKS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. YOU WANTED TO SPEAK? YEP. YOU'RE NOT ONE OF OUR REGULARS, SO NO, I'M NOT . UH, MY NAME IS CHAR. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, UH, THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL PEOPLE, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. UH, MY NAME IS CHARLES STONE AND I'M HERE TO, UH, THANK COUNCILMAN KHL, UH, FOR HIS SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. CHUCK HUEL ALWAYS SERVED WITH HONESTY AND INTEGRITY. HE VOTED ALWAYS IN WHAT WAS BEST FOR THE DECATUR COMMUNITY. HE DIDN'T RE HE DOES NOT REPRESENT A FACTION OR FACTIONS OF PEOPLE. HE CONSIDERED THE FACTS AND VOTED HIS CONSCIENCE. HE'S A GOOD FRIEND AND HE DIDN'T WHEN WE DIDN'T ALWAYS SEE EYE TO EYE, BUT I KNOW THAT HIS VOTE WAS FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE CITIZENS OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS. I TOLD HIM BEFORE HIS FIRST ELECTION THAT MAYBE SOME, THERE MAY BE SOMETHING WORSE THAN LOSING AN ELECTION. AND THAT WAS WINNING. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE UNHAPPY AND THE UNHAPPY FOLKS ARE GOING TO BE THE MOST VOCAL. HE WAS EVEN CRITICIZED FOR BEING TOO THIN SKINNED BY ONE OF SNOW WHITE'S DWARFS. CHUCK, YOU SERVED WITH DISTINCTION AND HONOR. YOU DIDN'T USE THIS OFFICE FOR SELF AGGRANDIZEMENT OR AS A STEPPING STONE TO OTHER HIGHER OFFICE. YOU ARE A TRUE CITIZEN LEGISLATOR AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE AND I'M GLAD TO CALL YOU MY FRIEND. THANK YOU. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL? [00:10:04] THANK YOU MAYOR, COUNCIL AND STAFF. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU THIS EVENING. I'M DAVID SANDS. I'M A, UH, RESIDENT OF THE COMMUNITY FOR MOST OF MY LIFE, EXCEPT FOR A BRIEF, BRIEF PERIOD WHEN I WENT TO COLLEGE AND WAS PURSUING MY CAREER. UM, I, I'M HERE. UH, I'M REALLY HONORED TO BE HERE TONIGHT. A COUPLE REASONS. UH, ONE, UH, MY FATHER WAS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR OVER 25 YEARS. AND HE USED TO SIT, YOU REARRANGE THINGS A LITTLE BIT, BUT HE USED TO SIT RIGHT UP HERE. AND I USED TO GET I THAT STARTED MY, UH, DESIRE TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY AND HIS LOVE AND COMMITMENT TO THE CITY. A LOT OF IT RUBBED OFF ON ME AND I, I'VE ALWAYS, UH, HAD A STRONG APPRECIATION FOR IT. AND THE OTHER, UH, REASON IS I'M SPEC I I'M HERE IS TO, I'M HONORED TO BE HERE, IS TO TALK ABOUT CHUCK KEEL, WHO'S BEEN MY FRIEND FOR MORE THAN 55 YEARS. UM, I THOUGHT MAYBE IT MIGHT ENLIGHTEN YOU A LITTLE BIT, GIVE YOU A LITTLE INSIDE BASEBALL ON CHUCK KEEL. UH, FROM A FRIEND'S PERSPECTIVE, SORRY. UM, ONE THING ABOUT CHUCK IS HE'S ONE OF THE NICEST PEOPLE THERE IS, BUT HE'S ONE HECK OF A COMPETITOR. HE, WHEN HE, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN, UH, HE KNEW HE WAS GONNA RETIRE, HE STARTED TRAINING SIX, EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE HE COULD START GETTING INVOLVED WITH THE NATIONAL, UH, TENNIS, UH, AMATEUR, UH, PROGRAM. AND SINCE THEN, I MEAN, HE WORKED HIS TAIL OFF AND HE CONTINUED TO DO THAT. AND HE'S WON THREE NATIONAL TITLES. HE WENT TO TURKEY AND, BUT HE DOES IT IN A NICE WAY. NOW, I'VE HEARD YOU USED TO THROW YOUR RACKET IN HIGH SCHOOL A LITTLE BIT, BUT I WON'T TALK ABOUT THAT. UM, EVEN AND EVEN IN GOLF, UM, HE, HE, HE'S, HE JUST LIKES TO PLAY AND HAVE FUN. HE'S THE NICEST GUY OUT THERE, BUT DEEP DOWN, HE, HE STILL WANTS TO WIN. AND I THINK THE REASON I BRING THAT UP IS BECAUSE WHEN IT COME TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND HIS, HIS SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, HE WAS ALWAYS, UM, WANTING TO LOOK AT EACH DECISION, DIG INTO ALL THE FACTS, LOOK AT BOTH SIDES, AND, AND, AND BE AS INFORMED AS POSSIBLE AS HE COULD AND EVEN BOUNCE STUFF OFF HIS FRIENDS. AND WE DIDN'T ALWAYS AGREE EITHER, LIKE CHUCK MENTIONED, BUT HE TRIED TO DO WHAT WAS ALWAYS BEST FOR, BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY. UM, HIS, HIS APPROACH TO SERVICE ON THE COUNCIL, UM, CAN BE ZIPLINE ANOTHER WAY WITH SOMETHING THAT JUST HAPPENED IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. UH, IN EARLY NINETIES, THE STALEY BRIDGE WAS DEDICATED TO MY FATHER, AND IT'S CALLED EIGHT WILLIAM B SANDS BRIDGE. AND A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS ON THE CHAMBER, I VOICED SOME CONCERNS. SOMEBODY HAD TRIED TO STEAL, OR THEY DID STEAL THE PLAQUE THAT WAS ON THE NORTH END OF THE BRIDGE. AND THEY WERE REALLY SMART PEOPLE. THEY WALKED ABOUT 150 YARDS TO MERVIS IS SCRAP YARD TO TRY AND SELL IT. AND ADAM, UH, UH, TOOK IT FOR HIM, TURNING THE POLICE. I SENT CHUCK AN EMAIL ABOUT A FEW WEEKS AGO AND HE GOT DECATUR'S, THE LOCAL VERSION OF THE DECATUR CSI INVOLVED, WHICH INCLUDED TIM GLEASON AND MATT NEWELL, THE POLICE CHIEF. AND THEY STARTED TO, UH, INVESTIGATE AND LO AND BEHOLD, THEY FOUND IT. AND IT'S GONNA BE UP IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. AND MR. SAMS, I'M SORRY, BUT YOU'RE OUT OF TIME. I, I WANT TO THANK CHUCK FOR HIS SERVICE AND THANK YOU SO MUCH ALSO FOR BEING HIS GREAT FRIEND. ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? CHUCK, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE FOR ALL THESE YEARS. MYSELF AND MY DAUGHTER SAID SHE CAME DOWN HERE AND PLAYED FROM CALIFORNIA TO PLAY TENNIS WITH YOU, AND NOW SHE LIVE IN COLORADO. SHE GONNA COME BACK AND SHE CAN BEAT YOU NOW BECAUSE SHE DON'T HAVE NO EXCUSE. SO THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE. BUT SHE WILL BE BACK IN TOWN AND PLAY TENNIS. AND THAT WAS MR. JIM TAYLOR. AND WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNSEL TONIGHT? OKAY, THEN MOVING ON TO THE, OH, I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. I DIDN'T PAY ANYBODY TO SAY THAT STUFF, JUST SO YOU KNOW. ANY OTHER REBUTTAL ON, UH, COUNCIL? [IV. Approval of Minutes] OKAY. WE WILL MOVE THEN TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF APRIL 7TH, 2025. CITY COUNCIL MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND. SO MOVED. SECOND. COUNCILMAN HORN? AYE. COUNCILMAN KUHL? AYE. COUNCILMAN COL? AYE. COUNCILMAN COOPER? AYE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY? AYE. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? ABSTAIN. MAYOR MOORE WOLF. AYE. SIX AYES, ONE ABSTENTION. IS THERE ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS? NONE. MOVING [1. Treasurer's Financial Report] INTO NEW BUSINESS, WE HAVE THE TREASURER'S FINANCIAL REPORT. MR. GLEASON IS JOINING US REMOTELY. SO I'M GOING TO ASSUME WE'LL JUST GO STRAIGHT TO OUR CITY TREASURER, RUBY JANES. THANK YOU MERRIAM COUNSEL. SO ON THE TREASURER'S REPORT, I WAS GONNA JUMP RIGHT INTO CASH. AND WITH THAT WE HAVE 21.2 MILLION THAT GIVES US 82 DAYS OF CASH RIGHT NOW. AND THE 90 DAY RESERVE AMOUNT WOULD BE 23.2 MILLION. YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER, WE'VE ALREADY SAID THAT IT'S GONE UP THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSES, [00:15:01] TOTAL EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE. AND ALSO, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK, THERE ARE, UH, 4.9 MILLION IN THE REPORT THAT IS, UH, DEFICITS FOR GRANTS THAT WE'RE WAITING ON IN CENTRAL TIF. SO THOSE WILL BE COMING IN OVER TIME. THE STATE, THE STATE TAKES A WHILE TO, UH, GET MONEY BACK TO US. AND WITH THAT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE REVENUES ON PAGE THREE, UH, REVENUES IMPROVED A LITTLE BIT AND AS THE STATE HAS REPORTED, MARCH LOOKED A LITTLE BETTER AND THEY'RE EXPECTING APRIL TO LOOK EVEN BETTER. SO WE WILL KEEP OUR EYE ON THAT. THE STATE INCOME TAX AND LOCAL SALES TAX, UH, ARE NOT AT, UH, THE BUDGET THAT WE HAD PROJECTED FOR THAT. SO WE WILL KEEP AN EYE ON THAT AND, UH, SEE WHERE THOSE TURN OUT. SOMETIMES IT'S TIMING AND SO THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR. WE WILL KEEP A LOOK AT THAT AND SEE HOW APRIL AND MAY COME IN AND THEN DETERMINE WHAT WE THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. AND WITH THAT, UM, THAT IS ABOUT ALL I HAD TO REPORT FOR HIGHLIGHTS OUT OF THE OUT OF THE, UH, REPORT, DOES ANYONE ON COUNCIL HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE TREASURER? DR. HORN? UM, MS. JAMES, I, I NOTED IN THE TREASURER'S REPORT THAT AT THE END OF MARCH, UH, THE WATER FUND BALANCE WAS $6.7 MILLION. THE WATER CAPITAL BALANCE WAS $3.6 MILLION, AND THE WATER RESERVE BALANCE WAS $6 MILLION. IN REGARDS TO THE WATER RESERVE BALANCE, UM, CAN THIS BE USED TO COVER TEMPORARY DEFICITS? FOR EXAMPLE, IF TRANSIT IS OWED MONEY, CAN WE USE THE, UM, WATER RESERVE BALANCE AS A WAY TO COVER THAT? I BELIEVE THAT WAS DONE MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN TIM GLEASON WAS HERE. AND SO I'D JUST LIKE CLARIFICATION AS TO WHETHER THAT CAN BE DONE. SO COUNCIL COULD, UH, ASSIGN THOSE FUNDS, UH, TO WHAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO. THAT IS, THAT IS TRUE. UM, RIGHT NOW THEY ARE HELD FOR PURPOSES OF WATER. THEY CAME FROM WATER, SO IT WAS GENERATED OUT OF THE WATER FUND. SO WE'RE HOLDING IT THERE. UM, THERE ARE, ARE MANY CAPITAL PROJECTS PLANNED, SO, UH, MATT NEWELL WOULD KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT DEFINITELY COUNSEL COULD CHOOSE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT IF, IF IT WAS VOTED TO DO SO. MR. MCDANIEL, IF, IF THE, UH, COUNSEL WOULD BORROW THAT MONEY FOR OTHER, IT HAS TO BE REPAID, RIGHT? THAT'S BEEN THE PRACTICE IN THE PAST. THAT HAS BEEN THE PRACTICE. AND SO THERE IS ACTUALLY, UM, A LOAN THAT WAS TAKEN OUT TO DO LIGHTING IN THE CITY AND THERE'S, UH, WE'RE JUST ABOUT READY TO PAY THAT OFF THIS YEAR. SO THAT'LL BE THE LAST TIME. SO WHEN WE HAVE BORROWED FROM THE WATER FUND BEFORE, YOU'RE RIGHT, WE DID PAY IT BACK OVER TIME, WENDY. AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY PROVISIONS OF OUR BONDS THAT MIGHT HAVE SOME RESTRICTIONS ON SPECIFIC USE OF THOSE. THAT IS TRUE. AND THE IEPA DOES DOES LOOK AT THAT, UH, ON, UH, BOND COVENANTS A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY THAN, UM, THE GEO BONDS THAT WE HAVE. THAT'S TRUE. FURTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK WE'RE GOOD. THANK YOU. MOVING [2. Ordinance Adopting City Code Chapter 51.7 Municipal Grocery Retailers' Occupation Tax and Municipal Grocery Service Occupation Tax] INTO ITEM TWO, ORDINANCE, ADOPTING CITY CODE CHAPTER 51.7, MUNICIPAL GROCERY RETAILERS, OCCUPATION TAX AND MUNICIPAL GROCERY SERVICE, OCCUPATION TAX MOTION THAT THE ORDINANCE TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED. SO MOVED. SECOND. MR. GLEASON. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNSEL, YOU CAN HEAR ME OKAY? CORRECT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, JOIN THE MEETING. UH, VIRTUALLY, UH, THIS ONE'S SIMPLE TO BE, UH, TO BE QUITE HONEST, STATE OF ILLINOIS, UH, IN 2023 MADE THE DECISION, UH, FOR THIS, UH, TAX THAT IS COLLECTED BY THEM. AND THEN IT'S A PASS THROUGH BACK TO, UH, MUNICIPALITIES AND THE, UH, STATE OF ILLINOIS, THIS IS A 1% GROCERY TAX. SO IF YOU SPEND A HUNDRED DOLLARS ON GROCERIES, UH, $1, UH, GOES TOWARDS, UH, UH, THIS GROCERY TAX, $300 OF GROCERIES. IT'S $3, UH, THAT IS, UH, APPLIED TO THE, UH, GROCERY TAX. THE DECISION BACK IN 23 WAS THAT THE STATE WAS GOING TO STOP COLLECTING THIS AND ALLOWED MUNICIPALITIES THROUGH THE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO ADOPT THIS AT A LOCAL LEVEL. AND, UH, FOR US, UH, THAT DEADLINE IS, UH, BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, AND IT HAS TO BE ADOPTED BY, UH, OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR. UH, SO AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A NEW TAX. UH, ACTUALLY, PUBLIC COMMENT SET IT PERFECTLY. UH, THIS IS A REPLACEMENT OF WHO COLLECTS THE TAX AND IT ULTIMATELY COMES BACK TO THIS COMMUNITY. I CAN ADD, BUT I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY, MAYOR. THANK YOU MR. GLEASON. AND, AND BEFORE I KICK OFF DISCUSSION ON THIS, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY NOBODY UP HERE WANTS TO RAISE TAXES. WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO CUT TAXES IN A VERY MEANINGFUL WAY. UH, BUT THIS MEANS IN REVENUE TO THE CITY OF DECATUR, JUST RIGHT AT $2.7 MILLION EVERY YEAR. AND TO REPLACE THAT MONEY [00:20:01] WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM SOMEPLACE ELSE OR SOME PRETTY DRASTIC CUTS. SO WITH THAT SAID, I WILL OPEN IT UP TO DISCUSSION. MS. GREGORY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS IS NOT A TAX INCREASE. IT IS JUST SIMPLY TRANSFERRING WHO COLLECTS THE TAX IN THE PAST? IT'S BEEN COLLECTED BY THE STATE OF ILLINOIS. THEY TURN AROUND, THEY WRITE THE CITY OF DECATUR, MUNICIPALITIES ALL ACROSS THE STATE IS A CHECK FOR THE AMOUNT THAT THEY COLLECTED. AND SO THIS IS SIMPLY SAYING THAT THE CITY OF DECATUR IS GOING TO COLLECT THE TAX. THANK YOU. OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION. DR. HORN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THE VOTE ON THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE TABLED UNTIL SEPTEMBER, GIVEN THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE APPROVED TO OCTOBER. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS VOTING ON AN ISSUE WITH THE 2026 BUDGET, UM, EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE THE NEW YEAR. UM, THE VOTING ON THE GROCERY TAX TONIGHT IS, IS UNNECESSARY AND IS POOR TIMING. THERE WERE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DECATUR RESIDENTS CELEBRATING EASTER WITH THEIR FAMILIES, AND THEY WERE LESS LIKELY TO PAYING, UM, ATTENTION TO TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL AGENDA. AND FURTHERMORE, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY OF THE LOCAL NEWS SOURCES EVEN MENTIONING THIS ITEM UNTIL EASTER SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AND OUR NEWEST CITY COUNCIL MEMBER HAS NOT BEEN SWORN IN. AND SO RESIDENTS DESERVE THE CHANCE TO BE INFORMED ABOUT CITY ISSUES AND PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE FEEDBACK. AND, UM, SO FOR THAT, UH, THOSE REASONS, I, I MAKE A MOTION THAT THIS ISSUE BE TABLED UNTIL THE FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER. IS THERE A SECOND FOR THAT MOTION? SECOND. THAT MOTION THE QUESTION. COUNCILMAN HORN? AYE. COUNCILMAN KUHL? NO. COUNCILMAN COLT? NO. COUNCILMAN COOPER? AYE. COUNCILMAN GREGORY? NO. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? NO. MAYOR MOORE WOLF? NO. FIVE NAYS. TWO. AYE. SO, BACK TO DISCUSSION OF THIS ITEM. MANY COMMENTS FROM OTHERS ON COUNCIL MR. HORN? WELL, TO BE PERFECTLY BLUNT, RESIDENTS OF DECATUR ALREADY TAXED ENOUGH WITH A GENERAL FUND, WHICH LAST YEAR WAS $90 MILLION, AND THIS YEAR IS $96 MILLION A 2.7%. A $2.7 MILLION REDUCTION IN REVENUE IS 2.8% OF OUR GENERAL FUND. JUST LAST WEEK, MACON COUNTY, ILLINOIS WAS REVEALED TO BE THE EIGHTH HIGHEST EFFECTIVE PROPERTY TAX RATE IN THE UNITED STATES AT 2.06%. THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS 0.86%. WE BEAT OUR RANKING FROM 2023 WHEN MACON COUNTY WAS RANKED THE 10TH HIGHEST EFFECTIVE TAX RATE. AT SOME POINT, ELECTED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS NEED TO COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT CONTINUED TAXATION AT ALREADY HIGHLY ELEVATED LEVELS IS NOT A SOLUTION TO THE SUBSTANTIAL CHALLENGES OUR CITY FACES, INCLUDING A POPULATION DECLINE OF 10% SINCE 2010. IN FACT, THE PERPETUATION OF ALREADY ELEVATED TAXES MAY EXACERBATE OUR PROBLEMS BY ENCOURAGING RESIDENTS TO CONSIDER OTHER PLACES TO LIVE. WE, WE SHOULD LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS. WE SHOULD NOT BE MAINTAINING TAXES AT A HIGHER LEVEL. WE SHOULD BE FINDING WAYS TO REDUCE THEM. WE HAD, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. DR. HORNE IN YOUR NUMBERS, UM, DO YOU HAVE THEM FOR THE STATE OF ILLINOIS? FOR WHERE MACON COUNTY LANDS? BECAUSE WHEN WE COMPARE TO OTHER STATES, OUR SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED THROUGH OUR PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH IS WILDLY DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT STATES. SO IT'S NOT REALLY AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON. DO YOU HAVE ILLINOIS NUMBERS? WELL, THE ANALYSIS THAT I REFERENCE IS FROM A COMPANY CALLED ADAM. AND I DON'T, UH, FULLY HAVE THEIR, UH, COMPARISON EXCEPT TO SAY THAT THEY LOOKED AT COUNTIES FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. BUT MY GREATER POINT IS MACON COUNTY IS ALREADY OVERTAXED. [00:25:01] OUR COUNCIL DECIDED TO INCREASE PROPERTY TAXES 6% LAST YEAR. EVEN THOUGH OUR ORGANIC GROWTH WAS A 3% INCREASE AT SOME POINT IN TIME, THIS COUNCIL HAS TO GET TOGETHER AND SAY, YEP, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE DO NOT NEED TO SPEND MONEY ON. ARE THESE ARE THE TYPES OF REVENUE SOURCES THAT WE CAN ATTRACT. I'LL GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE. THE, UM, CITY MANAGER WAS ON THE RADIO A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND HE TALKED ABOUT HIS COMMITMENT TO A $25 MILLION, UH, SEWER LIFT PUMP STATION ON BRUSH COLLEGE ROAD. WE SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY, THE DEMAND FOR A $25 MILLION SEWER LIFT STATION. AND SO WHY WOULD WE BE ADVANCING A PROJECT FOR WHICH THERE ISN'T THE DEMAND WHEN WE HAVE ELEVATED TAX RATES? THERE'S, THERE WAS JUST NO REASON NOT TO TABLE THIS. AND AGAIN, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS TO SAY NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? OH, I'M SORRY, MR. COOPER, I WAS COMING TO YOU NEXT AND GOT SIDEWAYS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, MS. GLEASON, UM, OF THE CURRENT 2.7 MILLION THAT WE'RE TAKING IN FROM THE GROCERY TAXES, UH, CAN, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE BULK OF THAT IS, UH, EARMARKED TO AT THE, AT THE CURRENT TIME AND BUDGET OR COUNCILMAN COOPER? UH, THIS, THIS, MY INTRO WAS A LITTLE BIT SHORTER. UM, BUT A LONGER ANSWER IS WHEN WE HAD OUR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, UH, FOR FY 25, UH, COUNCIL, UM, UH, CREATED A, A NEW REVENUE, UH, FOR, UH, THE GAS USE, UH, TAX. AND THE IDEA BEHIND THAT WAS TO AVOID, UH, PLACING ADDITIONAL BURDEN ON THE, UH, RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY. ALSO, IT WAS FAIR, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S SEEN IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AND THAT'S, UH, EXPECTED TO GENERATE ABOUT $3.5 MILLION. THE PROPERTY TAX RATE, UH, ONE THAT HAS RECEIVED A LOT OF, UH, DISCUSSION AND I'M NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SIDING ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER, JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE FACTS ARE OUT THERE. OUR PROPERTY TAX PORTION OF AN ENTIRE BILL IS 16%. UH, THERE'S OTHER TAXING BODIES AND LIKE THE MAYOR JUST DID SAY, UH, THE LARGEST PORTION OF THAT IS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND THAT'S THE SAME IN OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE, UH, UH, THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF ILLINOIS. BUT WHAT WE DID IS WE RETURNED OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE BACK TO A RATE THAT IT'S BEEN FOR ALMOST A DECADE. IT WAS MUCH LOWER LAST YEAR. WE JUST SIMPLY, UH, RETURNED IT TO, UH, AN EQUAL AMOUNT THAT IT HAD BEEN IN THE PAST, UH, FEW YEARS. AND THAT GENERATED THROUGH THE INCREASE OF OUR PROPERTY VALUE, THAT, UH, GENERATED ABOUT $650,000, I BELIEVE, UH, IN ADDITIONAL, UH, REVENUE THROUGH THE PROPERTY TAX. IT ALSO WAS DISCUSSED THAT THE GROCERY TAX, KNOWING THAT IT WAS GOING TO END, KNOWING THAT IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE AN FY 25 CONVERSATION, BUT WOULD BE AN FY 26 CONVERSATION, UH, WE KNEW THAT THAT WAS GOING TO GENERATE OR POTENTIALLY BE A LOSS OF $2.7 MILLION. AGAIN, SAID, YOU KNOW, STATED AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A NEW TAX, IT IS NOT A INCREASE. IT IS JUST SIMPLY CHANGING WHO IS COLLECTING, UH, THE MIDDLEMAN, IF YOU WILL. THE STATE OF ILLINOIS WILL NO LONGER BE, UH, UH, COLLECTING OR IN BETWEEN THIS TRANSACTION BETWEEN LOCAL GROCERY TAX. AND IN OUR CASE, UH, THE CITY OF DECATUR, THAT MONEY, UH, WE ARE NOW POST A RP FUNDS, UH, WHICH WE DID QUITE A BIT, THAT I WILL CALL COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION. THAT MONEY IS GONE AND WE HAVE DEDICATED THE FY 25 BUDGET, IRONICALLY, $2.7 MILLION, WHILE NOT EXCLUSIVELY PLEDGE FOR THAT. THAT IS EXACTLY, UH, WHAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING THE, UH, GROCERY TAX WILL, UH, GENERATE. WE HAVE ALSO MODESTLY GROWN THE, UH, UH, ORGANIZATION, UH, TRYING TO PUT US IN A POSITION THAT WE CAN, UH, COMPETE AND BECOME THAT EMPLOYER OF CHOICE. SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF DECISIONS, UH, THAT THIS COUNCIL MADE AND, UH, UH, IT WAS THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED OF THIS COUNCIL, AND THERE WAS A MAJORITY THAT SUPPORTED BRINGING THIS UP AS A, UH, COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM THIS EVENING. AND THAT'S WHAT I WENT WITH OBVIOUSLY. UH, BUT, UH, THE DECISION WAS, UH, THIS IS THE BUSINESS TO BE COMPLETED BY THIS EXISTING COUNCIL SINCE IT WAS, UH, A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FY 25 BUDGET AND KNOWING THAT WE NEED [00:30:01] TO PREPARE FOR THE, UH, FY 26 BUDGET. IF THIS HAD BEEN TABLED SEPTEMBER, CONVERSATION WOULD'VE BEEN TOO FAR INTO THE FY 26, UH, BUDGET CONVERSATIONS. TO PULL A TWO AND A HALF, $3 MILLION, UH, REDUCTION POTENTIALLY IN A BUDGET WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, DEVASTATING. I'M HOPING COUNCILMAN COOPER, THAT THAT DID ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. UH, MAYBE A SHORT ANSWER. $2.7 MILLION WAS ADDED FOR, UH, LOCAL TAXPAYER DOLLARS, CONTINUING SUPPORTING TO CONTINUE THE COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION EFFORTS, SOME MODEST PERSONNEL INCREASES, AND TRYING TO PUT US IN A POSITION THAT WE'RE, UH, AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE THAT WE CAN RECRUIT BETTER AND RETAIN OUR EMPLOYEES. JUST ONE THING ON, ON, IF YOU CAN CLARIFY ONE THING, UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY. UM, HOW MUCH OF UNDERSTANDING THAT A LOT OF THAT'S STILL GONNA GO TOWARD THE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AREA, UH, OF THE 2.7 OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, WHAT ROUGHLY DO YOU THINK WOULD, WOULD BE USED, UH, DIRECTLY FOR COMMUNITY REVITALATION VERSUS THE OTHER PROGRAMMATIC THINGS THAT YOU'VE INDICATED? IF I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, COUNCILMAN COOPER, THE ENTIRE 2.7 IS WHAT THIS COUNCIL HAS BUDGETED. AND AGAIN, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT IT'S BEEN, UH, UH, ENTIRELY, UH, FUNDED BY TAXPAYER DOLLARS. IN THE PAST IT WAS A RP FUNDS AND PRIOR TO THAT IT WAS FOUNDATION MONEY THAT THOSE FUNDS ARE DEPLETED. SO THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR, UH, THAT COUNCIL HAS MADE THAT COMMITMENT. AND AGAIN, IRONICALLY, IT WAS NOT BY DESIGN, THAT 2.7 MILLION FOR COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION IS EXACTLY THE NUMBER THAT WE WOULD LOSE IF, UH, COUNSEL DID NOT ADOPT, UH, REPLACING WHO'S COLLECTING THE 1% GROCERY TAX. OKAY, THANK YOU ON THAT. UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, I'M HOPING I'M GONNA HOLD YOU TO YOUR WORD THAT THE BULK OF THAT MONEY WILL BE GOING TOWARD THE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO LOSE GROUND ON WHERE WE AT WITH THAT AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROGRESS IN THAT AREA FOR OUR CITY. UM, SO I HOPE THAT, UM, WHAT YOU JUST INDICATED WILL HOLD FIRM, UM, UH, HOWEVER, DO WHAT DR. HORN, AND THE REASON I ASKED THE TABLE IT IS BECAUSE OF, I UNDERSTAND, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT A NEW TEXT, A NEW TAX, THAT THIS IS JUST US COLLECTING IT. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT VERY CLEARLY. UM, SO I DO NOT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT. UM, BUT I DO FEEL THAT, UM, AND WE, AT TIMES WE DO RUSH SOME THINGS THAT WHEN WE CAN GIVE THE PEOPLE MORE TIME TO ASSESS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO OR WHAT WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON, ESPECIALLY ON BIG KEY ISSUES. AND I STILL THINK, ALTHOUGH IT'S, IT'S US JUST COLLECTING THE TAXES, IT'S STILL A BIG ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO THE PEOPLE UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'RE DOING. 'CAUSE SOME OF THEM WILL MISINTERPRET IT THAT IT'S A NEW TAX AND IT'S NOT. AND I THINK WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED THAT ISSUE BY PROVIDING A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME. UH, I GOT THE INFORMATION ON FRIDAY AND I'M A COUNCILMAN. UH, SO I'M, I'M SURE THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T GET IT AT ALL. SO I JUST THINK THAT, THAT THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH US. SEPTEMBER MAY BE A TOO FAR DATE, BUT I DO FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED MORE TIME FOR PEOPLE TO AT LEAST UNDERSTAND THE WORD. I AGREE WITH DR. HORN. THERE WAS ONE NEWSPAPER PUT IT IN THE PAPER LAST NIGHT OR YESTERDAY. UM, WE CAN DO BETTER WITH COMMUNICATION TO OUR PEOPLE AND BEING MORE TRANSPARENT. AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE SOMETIMES WE FAIL TO REALIZE THAT, UM, WE GET, WE GET CONDEMNED, ALLOW FOR NOT BEING TRANSPARENT. SOMETIMES WE SET OURSELVES UP FOR THAT. AND I THINK THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE WE SET OURSELVES UP FOR THAT WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE TO, AND WE DID HAVE TIME. SO THAT'S MY COMMENTS. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I'M SORRY. MR. MCDANIEL, UH, COUNCILMAN HORNE, UH, 80% OF OUR GENERAL FUND GOES, GOES TO SALARIES. NOW, IF YOU WANNA START USING THAT, YOU CAN GO TELL THESE POLICE OFFICERS AND ANY FIRE PERSONNEL THAT, HEY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CUT YOU. AND THAT PROJECT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 25 MINUTE IT'S POTENTIAL, WHEN, WHEN INDUSTRY'S LOOKING TO, UH, UH, COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GO AND THEY LOOK AT WATER, WHICH WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, AND YOU KEEP FIGHTING THAT. AND, UH, UH, THEY, THEY LOOK AT THAT AND IF THEY DON'T SEE WHAT THEY NEED TO DO THEIR DO BUSINESS, THEY'RE GONNA GO SOMEPLACE ELSE. SO THAT, THAT, THAT GENERAL FUND, 80% OF THAT GOES TO PERSONNEL [00:35:02] SALARIES. AND I'M IN FAVOR, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S A, UM, IT'S A TAX, IT'S NOT A NEW TAX PLUS ANYBODY ON, ON THE, UH, NOT FOOD STAMPS. THE, UH, WHAT'S THE CARD? SNAP, SNAP CARD. THEY DON'T PAY ANY TAXES ON IT. THEY HAVEN'T. AND I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, HERE, THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TOOK THAT MONEY AWAY FROM US. NOW THEY WERE COLLECTING IT, BUT AT A MEETING LAST YEAR, THE GOVERNOR OFFERED TO, UH, TO COLLECT IT FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES, BUT THEY WERE GONNA CHARGE US 5% TO DO IT. AND FORTUNATELY, UM, THAT WAS NEGOTIATED OUT ANY ADMINISTRATIVE FEE. UH, YEAH. MR. HORN, THANK, THANK YOU, MAYOR. A COMMENT, AND THEN A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR MR. GLEASON. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I, I WOULD JUST REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT IN MACON COUNTY, UH, OVER 40% OF RESIDENTS DO NOT MAKE ENOUGH INCOME TO MAKE ENDS MEET. SO THAT'S OVER 40,000 INDIVIDUALS. RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY OF DECATUR, WE'VE GOT A POVERTY RATE OF 20% CHILDHOOD POVERTY RATE OF 30%. AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT $1 FOR EVERY A HUNDRED DOLLARS, THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET. IF I UNDERSTOOD MR. GLEASON CORRECTLY, THE $2.7 MILLION FOR THE GROCERY TAX AND THE $2.7 MILLION FOR NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION ARE COMPLETELY COINCIDENTAL. AND IN FACT, THERE'S PROBABLY NOT A SINGLE DOCUMENT THAT IS EARMARKING THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER. I'D ALSO POINT OUT THAT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PROJECTS INVOLVING PUBLIC WORKS SUCH AS WATER, UM, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT A WATER PIPELINE FROM THE DEWHITT COUNTY, WELL FIELDS TO THE NORTH PART OF TOWN, WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE A LESS EXPENSIVE OPTION THAT'S AVAILABLE. AND SO AT SOME POINT IN TIME, THE RESIDENTS ARE CORRECT TO ASK THE QUESTION, UH, IS IT NECESSARY TO SPEND DOLLARS ON THESE PARTICULAR PROJECTS? WHEN OUR PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING, PEOPLE ARE LEAVING. DECATUR. MY QUESTION, UH, FOR, UM, THE CITY MANAGER IS, IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU MENTIONED SEPTEMBER IS TOO LATE TO MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE BUDGET OF SUCH MAGNITUDE. I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHY DOES THE COUNCIL VOTE ON THE BUDGET IN LATE NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER IF THAT BUDGET NEEDS TO BE DETERMINED IN SEPTEMBER? WAS THAT IT? WAS THAT IT COUNCILMAN HORN? YES. OH, OKAY. REAL QUICK, I I WANT TO GO BACK TO COUNCILMAN COOPER'S, UH, UH, QUESTION OF ME. AND YES, UH, THAT IS MY PLEDGE REGARDING THE, UH, UH, MONEY THAT'S, UH, SET ASIDE FOR THE, UH, FY 25 BUDGET ON, UH, COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION. AND IN FACT, UH, WISH IT WAS MORE. AND, AND I BELIEVE THIS COUNCIL, UH, FEELS THAT WAY. AND OUR APPROACH IN, UH, THIS YEAR IN FY 25 AND CALENDAR YEAR 25, IS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE MORE INTENTIONAL WITH THE AREAS THAT WE INVEST IN. AND HOPEFULLY, UH, WE SEE THE KIND OF A RETURN WHERE WHEN WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, UH, LATE SUMMER, EARLY FALL, UH, WE'RE ON FIRM GROUND TO, UH, SHOW THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND, UH, WE CAN POSSIBLY, UH, INVEST EVEN MORE IN THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE TOUCHED AND THEN ALSO SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS. NOW SHIFTING TO COUNCILMAN HORN'S, UH, QUESTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN HORN, UH, ON THE, I COULD GO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS HERE. UH, BUT REGARDING THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE WERE, I WANT TO SAY THIS THE RIGHT WAY, I, I'M JUST THINKING OF THE APPROPRIATE, UH, USE OF STAFF TIME AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, UH, IF WE CREATE AN EMERGENCY FOR OURSELVES, WHETHER IT'S, UH, A NATURAL DISASTER, YOU OBVIOUSLY, IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK AND, UH, YOU ADDRESS, UH, THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY RELATED TO, UH, YOUR FINANCES. I THINK A BETTER WAY FOR ME TO SAY THIS AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, CLARIFY OR CLEAN UP THIS COMMENT IS IN SEPTEMBER, UH, WE ARE WELL INTO THE HIGH LEVEL [00:40:01] DIRECTOR INPUT REGARDING THE UPCOMING BUDGET OF Y 26 IN THIS CASE. AND WHAT YOU WILL SEE, UH, THIS YEAR AND WHAT I HAVE DONE IN PAST COMMUNITIES, I, I GOT HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, UH, MAY OF LAST YEAR, I DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO DISRUPT, UH, WHAT THIS COUNCIL HAD, UH, UH, DONE WITH, UH, BUDGET PROCESSES, UH, THE PREVIOUS COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT YOU WILL BE INVOLVED IN THIS CONVERSATION LATE, UH, LATE SUMMER, UH, ROLLING UP TO, UH, A, UH, NOVEMBER APPROVAL. ALSO PLAN ON, UH, HAVING A TOWN HALL TYPE OF, UH, UH, PRESENTATION TO THE COMMUNITY HIGH LEVEL. THERE'S ALWAYS INTEREST. THERE AREN'T WELL ATTENDED, BUT THOSE THAT DO ATTEND, UH, I THINK THERE'S VALUE IN US AS STAFF, UH, PROVIDING, UH, UH, THAT KIND OF BUDGET 1 0 1 TYPE OF, UH, UH, SETTING FOR THE, UH, COMMUNITY. SO HOPEFULLY, UH, THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION. I HIT THE WRONG BUTTON. COUNCILMAN COOPER? UH, THANK YOU MR. GLEASON. JUST ONE, I NEED A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, A FOLLOW UP TO YOUR, UM, YOUR RESPONSE TO ME. UH, IF I HEARD YOU RIGHT, YOU SAID THAT YOU, UH, BASICALLY IS COMMITTING TO IT, THE 2.7 OR THEREABOUTS FOR 2025. UH, I'M LOOKING FOR WHAT ARE YOU COMMITTING FOR 2026 2025? WE HAVE COVERED, UH, THE GROCERY TAXES IS ALREADY INCLUDED IN OUR FIGURES FOR 2025. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS, WHAT YOU'RE THINKING FOR 2026. I'M HOPING A COMPARABLE NUMBER. UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, UH, SOME COMMUNITIES ARE WAITING ON THE PUSH TAX. UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT PLAYED ITSELF OUT, UH, ENTIRELY THROUGH THE COURTS, AND I THINK THAT WE EXPECT, UH, AN APPEAL OR JUST FURTHER DISCUSSION. YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COMMUNITY. I THINK AT THE VERY MINIMUM, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK AT THE VERY MINIMUM, COUNCILMAN COOPER, UH, THIS IS A NUMBER THAT YOU WILL SEE, UH, COMING FORWARD IN FY 20, UH, 26. AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN FIND A WAY TO INCREASE THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE PROVEN, UH, THE INVESTMENT IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT COUNCIL'S GONNA BE WILLING TO UP THAT NUMBER. BUT IT'S TOO PREMATURE FOR ME TO SHARE, UH, WHAT I'M PROJECTING, UH, AS FAR AS REVENUES AND, UH, WHAT THE, UH, COST WOULD BE FOR FY 26. BUT QUICK ANSWER, AND I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA HOLD ME TO THIS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. I THINK IT SHOULD AT THE VERY LEAST, BE EQUIVALENT TO WHAT WE HAVE PLUGGED IN TO THIS CURRENT BUDGET. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN KEEL. JUST, JUST A COUPLE BRIEF COMMENTS. IT'S, IT IS VERY POPULAR TO TALK ABOUT CUTTING TAXES, BUT IN THIS CASE, THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO, IN MY OPINION, IS TO CONTINUE THIS TAX. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE POPULATION LOSS IN THIS CITY. AND UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO MOVE INTO THIS CITY, UH, THE TAXATION'S ALWAYS GONNA BE AN ISSUE BECAUSE THE REAL SOLUTION IS TO GET MORE PEOPLE PAYING. SO WE DON'T ALL HAVE TO KEEP HAVING OUR TAXES, UH, INCREASED. AND, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION, PUTTING THIS MONEY TOWARDS NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION. WELL, MAYBE WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT PUTTING MORE MONEY TOWARDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INSTEAD, BECAUSE WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO MOVE INTO THIS CITY. AND, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE LITERALLY DESPISE DONALD TRUMP. I UNDERSTAND IT, I FULLY UNDERSTAND IT, BUT MAYBE SOMETHING GOOD WILL COME OUT OF IT. WE NEED MORE BUSINESSES TO COME INTO THIS COUNTRY, AND MAYBE SOMEBODY WILL MOVE INTO THIS, INTO OUR AREA BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. BUT OUR STATE NEEDS A POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE. AND, UM, SO THOSE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS. AND, AND COUNCILMAN HORNE RESPECTFULLY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE AGAINST THIS GROCERY TAX THAT'S 2.7. UH, YOU'RE NOT FOR VIDEO GAMING. OUR REVENUE ESTIMATES 2.4 THIS YEAR. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT, THAT MAY BE A LITTLE HIGH. YOU ARE AGAINST THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE THAT WAS, UH, 600,000. SO THAT'S $5.7 MILLION OF REVENUE THAT YOU'RE TECHNICALLY AGAINST THROW CANNABIS IN. I'LL GIVE YOU 400,000 FOR THAT BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT'S GONNA BE BROUGHT UP IN THE NEXT MEETING, IF NOT SOON. UH, SO IT'S 5.3 MILLION THAT YOU'D LIKE TO CUT FROM OUR BUDGET, AND I'M JUST NOT SURE WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GET THAT. AND, UM, UNTIL WE GET MORE PEOPLE MOVING INTO THIS COMMUNITY, TAXATION'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A PROBLEM. MR. CULP. WELL, WE'VE GONE BACK AND FORTH QUITE A BIT ON IT, AND I RESPECT EVERYBODY'S OPINION. AND, UH, IT'S, AND I WANNA REITERATE A COUPLE KEY POINTS [00:45:01] THAT WE DON'T STRAY FROM IS THIS IS NOT A NEW TAX, THIS IS NOT AN INCREASE OF A CURRENT TAX AND HAS BROUGHT UP IN CITIZENS' COMMENTS WAS A VERY VALID POINT. THIS IS PEOPLE COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY SHOPPING IN OUR STORES. THIS IS NOT DECATUR CITIZENS. I DON'T WANT TO CREATE A $2.7 MILLION DEFICIT THAT WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT NEXT YEAR. WE JUST MADE SOME HARD DECISIONS HERE RECENTLY, AND I REALLY DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT AREA AND WHEN WE CAN JUST RE-ALIGN HOW IT'S COLLECTED. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON THIS ISSUE? NOPE. DR. HORN. JUST TO REITERATE SOME MATH ABOUT PROJECTS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CUT SO THAT WE CAN OFFSET A $2.7 MILLION GROCERY TAX AT ITS LAST RADIO INTERVIEW, CITY MANAGER CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR A SEWER LIFT STATION AT BRUSH COLLEGE ROAD AT $25 MILLION FOR WHICH WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY. WE DON'T, THERE'S NO DEMAND FOR A $25 MILLION LIFT STATION. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A PIPELINE FROM THE DEWITT WELL FIELDS TO THE NORTH PART OF THE TOWN WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE A WAY TO DELIVER WATER LESS EXPENSIVELY. THE ESTIMATES FOR THAT PIPELINE ARE OVER $20 MILLION. THAT'S $45 MILLION IN CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR WHICH WE MAY NOT EVEN HAVE A MEANS. AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A $2.7 MILLION GROCERY TAX THAT IMPACTS 40% OF MACON COUNTY RESIDENTS THAT BARELY CAN MEET ENDS MEET, THIS IS SIGNIFICANT. AND SO THERE ARE WAYS FOR THIS CITY COUNCIL TO ACTUALLY GET TOGETHER AS A COUNCIL TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CUT WHAT IS IN EFFECT LESS THAN 3% OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY? THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, JUST SOME BRIEF COMMENTS. CERTAINLY, UH, THESE ARE MY OPINIONS. WE DO DIFFER. I THINK THAT WHEN WE HAVE COUNCIL, UH, MEMBERS SAY THAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO A LIFT STATION IN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA OF DECATUR, NOR DO WE WANT TO, UH, RUN A WATER LINE FOR PURPOSES OF DRINKING WATER. IT IS A DISPLAY OF A, A LACK OF A VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF DECATUR. THOSE TWO PROJECTS ARE NOT JUST IN TIME PROJECTS THAT SHOULD WE FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE WE NEEDED BOTH, THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT THEM, UM, QUICKLY. THOSE TWO PROJECTS ARE THINKING ABOUT OUR FUTURE. AND IF I COULD, UH, JUMP ON YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS, UM, ADD TO THEM, IT'S, IT'S LIKE WHEN WE DECIDED TO DREDGE THE LAKE, IT WAS A MASSIVE PUBLIC WORKS EFFORT. IT COST $90 MILLION UPFRONT, PLUS THE INTEREST WE WILL PAY OVER MANY, MANY YEARS. BUT WE HAD TO DO THAT FOR OUR INDUSTRY AND THE INDUSTRIES, THE BUSINESSES CREATE JOBS, THE KIND OF JOBS CHUCK'S TALKING ABOUT, POSSIBLY COMING HERE. YOU CAN'T SAY, HEY, YEAH, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU COME BUILD A FACTORY HERE, AND IN FIVE OR SIX YEARS WE CAN GET YOU THE WATER. SAME WITH HAVING A LIFT STATION THAT CAN HANDLE SEWAGE AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES INTO IT. YOU HAVE TO BE READY SO THAT WHEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES COME, WE CAN SEIZE THEM. AND BY DOING THAT, THAT IS HOW WE GROW OUR POPULATION. THAT IS HOW WE LIFT THOSE FOLKS UP WHO ARE STRUGGLING WEEK TO WEEK. THEY, THEY DESERVE BETTER OPPORTUNITIES. WE HAVE TO PUT THE THINGS IN PLACE, BUILD THE FOUNDATION FOR COMPANIES TO COME HERE, OR TO STAY HERE AND EXPAND HERE SO THAT WE CAN HELP THOSE PEOPLE GET A BETTER LIFE. I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT. IT'S, IT'S LAYING THAT FOUNDATION. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS BEFORE I CALL THE QUESTION? SEE NONE. COUNCILMAN HORNE? NAY. COUNCILMAN KUHL? AYE. COUNCILMAN COLT? AYE. COUNCILMAN COOPER? AYE. COUNCILMAN GREGORY? AYE. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? AYE. MAYOR MOORE WOLF. AYE. SIX AYES ONE NAY. ITEM [3. Resolution Accepting the Bid and Authorizing the Execution of a Contract with Egizii Electric for South Water Treatment Plant Electrical Improvements, City Project 2022-18] THREE. RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING THE BID AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT WITH I GEI ELECTRICAL ELECTRIC FOR SOUTH WATER TREATMENT PLANT ELECTRICAL IMPROVEMENTS CITY PROJECT 2022 DASH 18. MOTION TO RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED. SO MOVED. SECOND, MR. GLEASON. MAYOR, UH, IS MATT NEWELL IN THE AUDIENCE? HE IS, HE'S HIDING IN THE DARKNESS, BUT HE'S APPROACHING THE PODIUM. THANKS [00:50:01] MATT. AND THANK YOU, MAYOR. NOW THIS, UH, THIS IS, UH, ONE OF THOSE ITEMS DEFINITELY WANTED THIS TO BE UNDER NEW BUSINESS. AND I BELIEVE, UH, ITEM FOUR IS RELATED AND WANTED TO, UH, TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO MATT TO, UH, TALK, UH, TALK US THROUGH THIS AND, UH, UH, ACTUALLY CELEBRATE, UH, THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS A COMMUNITY. MATT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. THE, UH, THIS IS THE NEXT TWO ITEMS ARE, UH, APPROVING GZ ELECTRIC TO, TO DO THE, UH, SOUTH WATER TREATMENT PLANT, UH, ELECTRICAL UPGRADES. THIS WAS A WATER RESILIENCY, UH, PART OF THE WATER RESILIENCY PLAN THAT WAS PREPARED BY CDM SMITH SEVERAL YEARS AGO. IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE COUNCIL AND DISCUSSED THIS IS TO REDO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THE SOUTH WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND THE WALL RAW WATER PUMP STATION THAT SERVES, SERVES TO BRING WATER INTO THE PLANT. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS IN THE PLANTS ARE, UH, 35 YEARS OLD. THEY'RE, UH, THEY'RE ORIGINAL TO THE PLANT AND, UH, THEY REALLY ONLY HAVE A LIFESPAN OF 30 ISH YEARS, SO THE, THERE IS A NEED TO REPLACE THEM. COUNCIL APPROVED BACK IN, UH, MARCH OF LAST YEAR, COUNCIL APPROVED, UH, THE, THE CITY GOING FORWARD WITH A, A LOW INTEREST LOAN WITH THE ILLINOIS EPA FOR THIS PROJECT. BIDS WERE BIDS CAME IN, UH, RECENTLY. UH, THE, THE, UH, ENGINEER'S ESTIMATE WAS $18 MILLION. BIDS CAME IN AT, UH, 14.8 MILLION WITH THE JEEZY ELECTRIC. AND, UH, ANY QUESTIONS, COUNSEL QUESTIONS FOR MR. NEWELL? PAT? SO WHEN EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT ALL THIS WATER MONEY WE HAVE IN THE WATER FUND, IT'S BEING PUT TO USE, THIS IS ALMOST $16 MILLION GOING TO BE PUTTING INTO THIS, RIGHT? IT'S A GOOD THING WE HAVE THAT AGAIN, PEOPLE WHEN THEY TURN ON THEIR WATER FOUND OR FAUCET, THEY WANT CLEAN WATER COMING OUT. SO IT'S MONEY WELL USED. DR. HORNE, MR. NOLL, IF I READ THE DOCUMENTS CORRECTLY, WE'RE GONNA BE APPLYING FOR AN IEPA LOAN FOR THIS $16 MILLION PROJECT. IS THAT CORRECT? WE HAVE APPLIED AND, UH, THIS WILL JUST TELLS THE IEPA HOW MUCH WE ACTUALLY NEED. SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS NOT MONEY THAT'S COMING OUT OF THE CAPITAL WATER FUND, IS THAT CORRECT? AT LEAST THE MONEY THAT IS CURRENTLY IN THERE, IT WILL BE. WELL, OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE WATER FUND, IT WILL BE PAYING OFF THE LOAN. YES, THAT'S RIGHT. THE INITIAL $16 MILLION, YOU'RE GETTING A LOAN TO PAY THAT DOLLARS, CORRECT? CORRECT. OH, THANK YOU. OTHER COMMENTS? CALL THE QUESTION PLEASE. COUNCILMAN HORNE? AYE. COUNCILMAN KUHL? AYE. COUNCILMAN COLT? AYE. COUNCILMAN COOPER? AYE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY AYE. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? AYE. MAYOR MORE WOLF? AYE. SEVEN AYES NO NAYS. [4. Resolution Authorizing a Construction Engineering Contract with Crawford, Murphy and Tilly for South Water Treatment Plant Electrical Improvements, City Project 2022-18] ITEM FOUR RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING CONTRACT WITH CRAWFORD, MILLIE AND CRAWFORD MURPHY AND TILLY FOR SOUTH WATER TREATMENT PLANT ELECTRICAL IMPROVEMENT CITY PROJECT 2022 DASH 18. MOTION, THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED. SO MOVED. SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING FURTHER FOR MR. GLEASON? NOPE. AND MR. NEWELL IS SITTING DOWN IF WE NEED HIM. MR. COOPER, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OKAY, CALL TO QUESTION. COUNCILMAN HORNE. AYE. COUNCILMAN KUHL? AYE. COUNCILMAN COLT? AYE. COUNCILMAN COOPER? AYE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY? AYE. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? AYE. MAYOR, MORE WOLF? AYE. SEVEN AYES KNOWN AYES. AND THAT [5. City Manager Update] BRINGS US TO ITEM FIVE, THE CITY MANAGER UPDATE. MR. GLEASON. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AND TO THE COMMUNITY. UH, ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, TWO SLIDES AND, UH, THEN A THIRD, UH, COMMENT BEFORE WE HAND THIS OVER. AND LACEY, IF YOU'RE IN THE AUDIENCE, I'M, I'M PRETTY SURE YOU ARE. WHY DON'T YOU COME TO THE, UH, PODIUM. UH, BUT REAL QUICK, I DON'T WANNA PASS OVER THIS ONE. UH, ROSE MILLER, UH, RECEIVED THE CATHERINE MCCLARY AWARD, UH, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS FOR THE NORTH, UH, NORTHEAST, UH, REGION. SHE IS ONE OF OUR, UH, TRANSIT, UH, DRIVERS. AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, UH, SHE WAS, SHE WON THIS ONE OF 15,000, UH, TRANSIT DRIVERS. UH, WE'VE NEVER RECEIVED THIS AWARD. IT TRULY IS AMAZING, SPEAKS TO ROSE, HONESTLY, IT SPEAKS TO LACEY'S LEADERSHIP. AND IF LACEY, YOU'RE AT THE PODIUM, UH, PLEASE, UH, ADD SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, UH, ABOUT THE AWARD AND ALSO ABOUT ROSE. ABSOLUTELY. SO THE CATHERINE MCCLARY AWARD IS THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS SAFETY AWARD, UM, THAT MV TRANSPORTATION HANDS OUT AND LIKE ALL SAFETY AWARDS. UM, THEY HAVE A VERY, HOW DO I WANNA PUT IT? UH, THEY, THEY'RE WRITTEN IN BLOOD, RIGHT? SO, UM, ROSE HAS BEEN A OPERATOR WITH US FOR OVER [00:55:01] 20 YEARS. I THINK SHE'S NEARING HER 30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY. AND, UM, SHE REALLY EXUDES, YOU KNOW, CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SAFETY, WHICH IS THE CULTURE THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CULTIVATE AT DECATUR PUBLIC TRANSIT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF HER. AND, UM, YEAH, IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THEM. PLEASE EXTEND TO HER OUR CONGRATULATIONS AND OUR THANKS. MM-HMM . ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE CITY. SO WE'RE EXCITED, WE'RE EXCITED FOR HER. THANK YOU. THANKS LACEY. THANKS MAYOR. AND COUNCIL, UH, NEXT ONE IS GONNA BE A NEW POLICE CHIEF ANNOUNCEMENT. AND THERE YOU GO. I'M SURE BRAD, UH, IS IN THE, UH, AUDIENCE. UH, BRAD, MAKE YOUR WAY UP TO THE PODIUM AND THEN I'M GOING TO, UH, SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS AND I'LL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU. AND THEN, UH, CHIEF BRANDELL, UH, HIS, UH, HIS DAY IS GONNA BE THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING ON, UH, MAY 5TH, BUT TONIGHT IS, UH, BRAD ALLEN'S NIGHT. UH, BRAD IS A 28 YEAR VETERAN, UH, LOCAL KID, UH, THAT'S, UH, STARTED AT THE BOTTOM AND HAS WORKED HIS WAY AROUND EVERY PART OF THE, UH, DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND HAS SERVED AS THE, UH, UH, DEPUTY CHIEF AND THEN NOW IS GONNA BE, UH, THE POLICE CHIEF EFFECTIVE, UH, FRIDAY, MAY 9TH, UH, HAD, UH, THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND I, UH, WE HAD AN INTERNAL SEARCH AND, UH, BRAD TRULY WAS, UH, UH, THE EASY CHOICE AND, UH, KNOW THAT WE ARE DEEP, UH, IN THAT DEPARTMENT WITH, UH, RANK, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS TRULY A LUXURY ITEM. AND I SAID THIS IN THE INTERVIEWS. SO WITH THE DIFFERENT CANDIDATES THAT A CITY MANAGER NOT EVEN HAVING TO LOOK OUTSIDE SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT OF LEADERSHIP, THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF, AND TRULY IS A LUXURY ITEM FOR ME. SO, BRAD, I'M GONNA TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU AND, UH, CON CONGRATS CHIEF, YOU'RE GONNA DO A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. I APPRECIATE IT. AND TO THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. UM, IT IS A GREAT HONOR TO HAVE SERVED 27 YEARS NOW IN THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND IT'S MORE OF AN HONOR NOW TO BE ABLE TO STEP IN AND TAKE OVER THE DEPARTMENT AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE. MUCH LIKE THE GENTLEMAN STATED IN THE OPENING REMARKS WITH HIS FATHER. UM, BEING THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, MY, MY LOVE FOR THE CITY BEGAN AS A LITTLE CHILD IN AND OUT OF THE DECATUR FIREHOUSES. MY FATHER SERVED 28 YEARS WITH THE DECATUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, SO I KNEW THAT SOMETIME IN MY LIFE I WOULD ALSO BE IN A, UH, POSITION OF SERVICE. SO IT'S NICE THAT, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 56 YEARS OF COMBINED SERVICE TO THE CITY ALREADY, PROBABLY SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, THREE TO FOUR OR FIVE MORE YEARS TO ADD ONTO THAT BY THE TIME I'M DONE. SO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THE, UM, COUNCIL, THANK YOU AS WELL, UM, FOR YOUR SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU GUYS INDIVIDUALLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE, TALKING ABOUT SOME IDEAS, GOALS, VISION AND STRATEGIES, AND JUST GETTING TO KNOW, UM, YOU BETTER, UM, TO THE CITY STAFF. THE SAME THING. I KNOW THAT, UH, THERE'S A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY AND, UM, COMMITMENT THAT COMES WITH THIS ROLE. I DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CHALLENGE. UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST MANY, MANY YEARS. UM, I DO OWE THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, ABOUT ALL OF THE, UM, THE HONOR THOUGH, BECAUSE IT, IT'S THEM THAT DO THE WORK, RIGHT? THEY PROVIDE THE EXCELLENT SERVICE DAY IN AND DAY OUT. AND I, I'M PROUD TO STAND WITH THEM. I'M PROUD TO HAVE BEEN ONE OF THEM ALL THE WAY THROUGH MY CAREER, AND NOW I'M PROUD TO LEAD THEM. SO, UM, WITH THAT, I, I DO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY, TO THE COMMUNITY. I'LL BE YOUR PARTNER. UM, WE'RE GONNA WORK HARD TOGETHER. WE'RE GONNA KEEP MAKING GREAT STRIDES AND MOVING DECATUR FORWARD TO BE A SAFER AND STRONGER COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. AND YOU'LL DO GREAT. YES, I'M VERY PROUD OF YOU. CONGRATS CHIEF. I'VE GOT ONE MORE COMMENT, UH, MAYOR. AND IT'S FOR, UH, COUNCILMAN KEHL, UH, CHUCK, UH, FROM ME AND FROM THE STAFF. UH, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE LEADERSHIP, UH, YOUR VISION FOR THE, UH, COMMUNITY. I KNOW MY SERVICE, UH, WAS SORT OF BOOKENDS, YOU KNOW, THE FRONT END OF YOUR SERVICE HERE AND THEN NOW, UH, THE TAIL END. AND IT TRULY HAS BEEN A PLEASURE. AND I KNOW, UH, STAFF FEEL THE SAME WAY. SO, UH, CONGRATS. THANK YOU MAYOR. ALRIGHT, AND THAT [6. 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.] NOW TAKES US TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR. DOES ANYONE WISH TO REMOVE ANY ITEMS FROM THE AGENDA? C NONE ITEM A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE STATE OF ILLINOIS JOINT PURCHASING HOLDER BID PRICE OF MORROW BROTHERS FORD, INC. FOR THE PURCHASE OF ONE FORD F-150 TRUCK ITEM B RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING THE BID AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT WITH WILLIAM CHARLES, CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LLC FOR THE 27TH STREET [01:00:01] RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, CITY PROJECT 2024 DASH 11, SECTION NUMBER 24 DASH 0 4 1 0 0 RP. ITEM C, ORDINANCE ANNEXING TERRITORY 31 58 KATHY COURT, ITEM D, ORDINANCE ANNEXING TERRITORY 30 46 SOUTH WHEATLAND ROAD. ITEM EE RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING THE BID OF DUN COMPANY FOR THE PURCHASE OF BY TWO MINUTES. PAVEMENT MATERIALS, ITEM F RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING THE BID OF METAL VERT CULVERTS, INC. FOR THE PURCHASE OF CORRUGATED STEEL PIPE. ITEM G, RESOLUTION RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING THE BID OF VCNA, PRAIRIE LLC FOR THE PURCHASE OF PORTLAND. CEMENT CONCRETE ITEM H RESOLUTION, ACCEPTING THE BID OF BILLMAN LOGISTICS LLC FOR THE PURCHASE OF CRUSHED STONE. AGGREGATE ITEM I RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A SECOND CONTRACT CHANGE ORDER WITH EL PRUIT COMPANY FOR CHILLER REPLACEMENT AT THE DECATUR PUBLIC LIBRARY. ITEM J, RESOLUTION RESOLUTION. ACCEPTING EL PRUITT CO INVOICE FOR WATER SERVICE TO 1170 NORTH ORCHARD BUILDING ITEM K RESOLUTION, AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF DECATUR AND ALCON'S MIDWEST, LLC FOR PROCESSING SINGLE STREAM RECYCLABLES. ITEM L ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR IN CENTRAL PARK, DECATUR AREA ARTS COUNSEL AND ITEM M RESOLUTION OR RECEIVING AND FILING OF MINUTES OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEMS AS PRESENTED. SO MOVED. SECOND. COUNCILMAN HORN. AYE. COUNCILMAN KUHL? AYE. COUNCILMAN COLE? AYE. COUNCILMAN COOPER? AYE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY AYE. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? AYE. MAYOR MOORE WOLF. AYE. SEVEN AYES? NO NAYS. WELL, IT HAS BEEN A BIG NIGHT. WE HAVE A NEW POLICE CHIEF AND WE HAVE A RETIRING CITY. COUNCILMAN. I WILL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO CHUCK AND I KNOW YOU WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS AND WE, UH, IT'S ONE OF THE LAST TIMES I CAN CALL YOU COUNCILMAN. WELL, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THIS IS, UH, MY LAST MEETING AS A DECATUR CITY COUNCILMAN, AND I WANTED TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SERVICE. WHEN, WHEN YOU ASK PEOPLE TO RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE THESE DAYS, THEY RUN, THEY USUALLY RUN FOR THE FENCES. UM, THEY'VE GOT A LITANY OF REASONS WHY THEY DON'T WANT TO RUN. UH, BUT THE, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS PUBLIC CRITICISM. AND, UH, I THINK I MIGHT BE AN EXPERT ON THAT NOW. AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS, UH, ON MY EXPERIENCES AND MY THOUGHTS ON, ON THAT. UM, DURING THE CANNABIS, UH, DISPENSARY DEBATE, I, I TOOK A LOT OF CRITICISM AND I TOOK A LOT OF ABUSE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. AND, AND MATTER OF FACT, UH, PAUL OSBORNE IN THE DECATUR TRIBUNE ONCE WROTE THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN A COUNCILMAN TAKE MORE ABUSE THAN ME. SO PAUL, I GUESS I WON. OKAY, . SO, UM, BUT WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE FOR ME WAS AFTER ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS, I WAS TALKING TO A COUPLE POLICE OFFICERS AND, UM, I TOLD THEM, YOU KNOW, WHAT I HAD BEEN GOING THROUGH AND THEY JUST LAUGHED AT ME . AND THEY SAID, WE GET CALLED THAT EVERY DAY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT A LOT. AND SO MOVING FORWARD, ANYTIME I TOOK PUBLIC CRITICISM, I THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT WHAT THEY SAID. AND DOES IT STING? YES, IT STINKS. BUT KNOWING THAT OTHER PEOPLE GO THROUGH THAT MORE FREQUENTLY THAN I DO, MADE IT A LITTLE EASIER TO TAKE. AND THE OTHER THING I LIKE TO, IN MY MIND, PUT IT IN THIS CONTEXT, THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THE MILITARY THAT PROTECT OUR COUNTRY AND WE HAVE POLICE OFFICERS THAT, UM, THEY PROTECT US. AND WE HAVE FIREFIGHTERS THAT PROTECT US. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY PROTECT US. THEY PROTECT OUR PROPERTY, BUT THEY PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE. AND, YOU KNOW, RUNNING FOR PUBLIC OFFICE IS NOT A BIG ASK, IN MY OPINION. IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO, COMPARED TO WHAT THEY DO. AND SO MANY PEOPLE SIT AT HOME AND THEY USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO CRITICIZE THEIR LOCAL LEADERS, THEIR STATE LEADERS OR NATIONAL LEADERS, AND MAYBE THAT FEEL MAKES THEM FEEL BETTER, BUT IT DOESN'T MOVE THE NEEDLE. THE ONLY WAY YOU MOVE THE NEEDLE IS TO STEP UP AND, AND LOOK FOR AN ELECTED POSITION. AND THERE'S MANY POSITIONS IN OUR CITY AND COUNTY THAT, THAT GO UNFILLED SOMETIMES OR PEOPLE DON'T RUN. AND IF YOU WANNA MOVE THE NEEDLE, YOU NEED TO GET IN THESE SEATS AND, AND GET IN A POSITION OF SOME TYPE OF AUTHORITY WHERE YOU CAN VOTE AND HELP MOVE YOUR CITY FORWARD. I WANT TO THANK MY WIFE TERRY. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GONNA . I WANNA THANK MY WIFE TERRY, JERRY DAWSON, JOEL FLETCHER, UH, KEVIN HANNEY AND JIM GRESHAM. THEY, UM, ALWAYS WERE THERE TO SUPPORT ME THE LAST EIGHT YEARS DURING MY CAMPAIGN. I WANNA THANK ALL THOSE THAT VOTED FOR ME AND THOSE THAT, UM, SUPPORTED ME FINANCIALLY. [01:05:02] I WANT TO THANK THE CITY MANAGER, TIM GLEASON, FORMER CITY MANAGER, SCOTT WRIGHT, AND ALL THE CITY STAFF. YOU ARE ALWAYS THERE TO HELP ME AND YOU ALWAYS GAVE ME THE INFORMATION I NEEDED ON THE AGENDA ITEMS, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. I WANNA THANK ALL YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE DON'T ALL GET ALONG. OBVIOUSLY, WE SAW THAT TONIGHT. I, WE GET ALONG, WE JUST DISAGREE AND SOMETIMES WE GET FRUSTRATED WITH EACH OTHER. BUT I LEARNED A LOT FROM ALL OF YOU, ALL OF YOU, AND, UM, HOPEFULLY YOU LEARNED A LITTLE BIT, LEARNED A LITTLE BIT FROM ME. UM, AND AS MY MOM ONCE SAID, IF WE ALL THOUGHT ALIKE, IT WOULD BE A BORING WORLD. WELL, IT WAS NEVER A BORING WORLD COMING INTO THIS CITY COUNCIL. AND SO, UM, IT'S BEEN A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR ME AND I, I GREATLY APPRECIATE, UH, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY. UM, OBVIOUSLY I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT LEAVING PUBLIC OFFICE. I'VE BEEN INVOLVED FOR 18 YEARS, BUT I THINK NOW'S THE TIME TO GIVE IT A PAUSE. UM, I DON'T LIKE CLOSING DOORS ON THINGS, SO I THINK THAT, UH, RIGHT NOW I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, I'M GONNA GIVE IT A PAUSE AND I'D JUST LIKE TO CLOSE WITH A PHRASE THAT I'VE PICKED UP IN MY PROFESSION IN THAT LIFE IS LIKE A TENNIS MATCH. YOU CAN'T WIN IF YOU DON'T SERVE WELL. AND I HOPE, I BELIEVE I'VE SERVED THIS, I HOPE I'VE SERVED THIS COMMUNITY TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND I WISH NOTHING BUT THE BEST FOR THIS COUNCIL AND THE CITY OF DECATUR MOVING FORWARD. SO THANK YOU. AND CHUCK, ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL AND OUR COMMUNITY, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. YOU HAVE BEEN A SOLID CARING COUNCIL PERSON AND YOU KNOW, REALLY EVERYBODY UP HERE IS A NICE PERSON, BUT I DON'T THINK THE CITY'S EVER HAD A NICER CITY COUNCIL PERSON. UM, JUST A NICE GUY WHO WANTED TO DO HIS PART TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY BETTER. AND SO WE THANK YOU FOR THAT AND WE HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU. THIS IS A PLAQUE, OBVIOUSLY IN RECOGNITION FOR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS. AS A MEMBER OF THE DECATUR CITY COUNCIL FROM MAY 1ST, 2017 THROUGH APRIL 30TH, 2025, THE CITY RECOGNIZES CHUCK KUHL WITH SINCEREST GRATITUDE. YEAH, THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER [VII. Other Business] BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL TONIGHT? DR. HORN MARIN? A COUPLE OF ISSUES, UH, NOT QUITE SURE HOW I'M GONNA TRANSITION. UH, SO I'LL JUST, UH, NO. UM, UM, MAYOR, UH, ON TODAY'S BUYERS AND COMPANY RADIO PROGRAM, UH, YOU DISCUSSED HERITAGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER'S $44 MILLION PROJECT, UH, TO REDEVELOP A LONGSTANDING VACANT BUILDINGS AT NORTHGATE PLAZA. AND, UM, SPECIFICALLY YOU TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE IS LESS CERTAINTY RIGHT NOW THAT THIS ISSUE WOULD NOT HAVE TO COME, UH, BEFORE, UH, CITY COUNCIL AS AN AGENDA ITEM, PARTICULARLY ASSOCIATED WITH REZONING. SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO THE COUNCIL WHY IT IS LESS CERTAIN THAN BEFORE THAT THIS ISSUE OF REZONING WILL COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL? OH, I DON'T THINK WE'RE CERTAIN OF ANYTHING AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE WE DON'T EVEN HAVE PLANS BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, BEFORE THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. SO I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE WHERE WE'RE ALL LEARNING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT AND IT IS AN EXCITING PROJECT, THE EXPANSION PLANS THAT ARE GONNA HAPPEN. BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS LITIGATION THAT'S OUT THERE. SO I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE STILL THINGS TO LEARN AND AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT, WE'LL FIND OUT WHETHER IT'S A DIRECTION WE'RE GONNA NEED TO GO, BUT, BUT WHY IS IT LESS CERTAIN NOW THAN IT WAS SIX MONTHS AGO OR EVEN TWO WEEKS AGO? I DON'T KNOW WHY THE TIMING OF ANY OF THAT WOULD, I DON'T HAVE A TIMEFRAME ON THAT AT ALL. WELL, UM, BRIAN BYERS, UH, SAID, BUT THERE IS LESS CERTAINTY RIGHT NOW THAN THERE WAS SIX MONTHS AGO, AND YOU SAID, I AGREE. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO THE COUNCIL WHY THERE IS LESS CERTAINTY RIGHT NOW? WELL, I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER BEEN VERY, VERY CERTAIN. WE WERE ALL ADVISED, UM, DURING THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION [01:10:01] THAT THERE WAS NOT A NEED FOR A ZONING CHANGE, BUT THAT WAS BEFORE THERE HAD BEEN, UH, AN EXPLANATION. AND I WASN'T ABLE TO GO TO THE OPEN HOUSE WHEN THE BUILDING WAS SHOWN WITH, I THINK, SOME RENDERINGS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WHEN IT WAS MORE APPARENT THAT THERE WOULD BE A LAR LARGER RESIDENTIAL, UH, COMPONENT TO THAT PROPERTY. NOW I, AS I SAID, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY PLANS. I WASN'T ABLE TO SEE THE RENDERINGS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE ADVICE FROM COUNSEL AND I DON'T KNOW EVEN THE PARAMETERS OF THE LEGAL ARGUMENT THAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN, UH, THE HERITAGE AND, AND A NEIGHBORING, UH, SCHOOL. AND THEN, UM, MAYOR, YOU SAID THAT SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED TOO. THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WEREN'T THERE BEFORE AND THAT MIGHT WORK OUT BETTER FOR HERITAGE. CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO THE COUNCIL WHAT THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THAT MIGHT WORK OUT BETTER FOR HERITAGE? WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL WORK OUT BETTER FOR HERITAGE, BUT THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. THERE ARE A COUPLE, AT LEAST ONE, UM, EXCUSE ME, A FACILITY, UH, NEAR THE CROSSING CAMPUS THAT IS BUILT FOR RESIDENTIAL THAT WAS NOT, UM, IT WAS STILL BEING USED FOR, UM, ADDICTION ISSUES, WAS BUILT TO HOUSE PEOPLE. AND I KNOW THAT SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS THAT WAS, UM, A GOOD OPPORTUNITY, EXCUSE ME, FOR HERITAGE SINCE THEY HAVE SOME, THEY, THEY WON A TREMENDOUS GRANT TO, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE OVER $40 MILLION TO RENOVATE THE, UM, NORTHGATE PLAZA. BUT IF THEY ARE TRULY RESIDENTIAL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THEY OUGHT TO TAKE A LOOK AT SO THAT, THAT IS NEW IN PLAY. THAT WASN'T TRUE A YEAR AGO OR I, I DON'T KNOW, SIX MONTHS AGO. THAT'S RIGHT. I DON'T HAVE A TIMEFRAME. SO TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT AWARE OF ANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE BETTER FOR HERITAGE AND NOR HAVE YOU COMMUNICATED THOSE TO HERITAGE LEADERSHIP? WELL, A I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE BETTER. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT MIGHT MAKE SENSE BECAUSE IF YOU'VE GOT TWO, RELATIVELY ONE OR TWO, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY'RE TWO, BUT BUILDINGS THAT ARE BUILT FOR RESIDENTIAL, FOR MEDICAL HELP, THAT THAT MIGHT BE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY. BUT I DON'T KNOW THE NEEDS, I DON'T KNOW, SQUARE FOOTAGE, THE RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT OR THAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE TALKED TO ME ABOUT. SO, BUT NO, I HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY OF THAT. IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE. UH, MR. COOPER, YOU ALMOST BECAME A DOCTOR A SECOND AGO, A COUPLE TIMES THAT I, THAT'S FINE. UM, JUST ONE THING TO THE COMMUNITY, TO THOSE HERE AND THOSE THAT ARE IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF TALK, UH, SEVERAL LAST WEEKS ABOUT, UH, PEOPLE WANTING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE, UH, THE HEALTHCARE SITUATION GOING ON IN DECATUR AND ESPECIALLY WITH SURROUNDING OUR HOSPITALS, OUR TWO HOSPITALS. SO I JUST WANTED TO, UH, MAKE YOU AWARE THAT ON TOMORROW, UM, AT THE LI DECATUR PUBLIC LIBRARY FROM, UM, NOON TO 2:00 PM UM, THERE WILL BE A, WHAT'S CALLED, IT'S CALLED A SENIOR FAIR. UM, BUT UM, YOU CAN RAISE THOSE TYPE OF ISSUES QUESTIONS TOMORROW AT THIS SENIOR FAIR AT THE LIBRARY, UM, FROM NOON TO TO TWO. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO SHOW UP THERE TOMORROW AND ASK YOUR QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING THE HEALTHCARE SITUATION INDICATOR, UH, WITH THE HOSPITALS, AND HOPEFULLY, UM, THOSE THAT WOULD BE THERE PRESENT, UM, FROM VARIOUS ENTITIES WILL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS AND, UH, REGARDING THIS SITUATION GOING ON RIGHT NOW, DECATUR, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, I GUESS? OKAY, COUNCILMAN K GETS THE LAST WORD. THIS, SORRY. I GUESS SINCE I GOT THE MIC I MIGHT AS WELL PLUG. UH, WE'RE BRINGING A PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT TO DECATUR, UH, JUNE 9TH THROUGH 15TH. UH, IT'S A $30,000, UH, WOMEN'S TENNIS ASSOCIATION PROFESSIONAL EVENT WILL BE PLAYED AT FAIRVIEW PARK. AND, UH, I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE IF YOU LIKE TENNIS, COME ON OUT AND IF YOU, YOU KNOW, TENNIS ISN'T YOUR THING, JUST COME OUT FOR 20 MINUTES AND CHECK IT OUT. THE PLAYERS WILL BE AWESOME. THANK YOU. AND ONE MORE. THANK YOU. AND ONE MORE. CONGRATULATIONS. ACTUALLY, MORE CONGRATULATIONS. SO IT'S BEEN A FUN NIGHT, SO MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED. SECOND. COUNCILMAN HORN? AYE. COUNCILMAN KUHL? AYE. COUNCILMAN COLE? AYE. COUNCILMAN COOPER? AYE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY? AYE. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? AYE MAYOR MORE WOLF? AYE. SEVEN AYES, NO NAYS. WE ARE ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.