* 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. [00:00:05] CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. [I. Call to Order] MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN HORNE. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN COLP? HERE. COUNCILMAN COOPER? HERE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY. PRESENT. COUNCILWOMAN CRUZ? HERE. MAYOR MORWOLF. PRESENT. SEVEN PRESENT. NONE ABSENT. PLEASE STAND AND JOIN IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. ONE NOTE ON THE AGENDA ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. ITEM C HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM TONIGHT'S AGENDA. WE'LL REVIEW THAT AT A LATER DATE. WE BEGIN OUR MEETINGS WITH APPEARANCE OF [II. Appearance of Citizens] CITIZENS. OUR POLICY RELATIVE TO APPEARANCE OF CITIZENS 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 ARE TO GIVE THEIR DOCUMENTS, 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 HAVE DONE SO, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND KEY STAFF MAY MAKE COMMENTS. WE DO HAVE SOMEONE WHO REQUESTED TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE. UH, MR. SALARSKI, YOU ARE ALSO ENTITLED TO SPEAK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING AS WELL. SO THREE MINUTES THERE AND THREE MINUTES LATER ON. IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL TONIGHT, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM. WE NEED YOUR NAME, BUT WE DO NOT NEED YOUR ADDRESS. EVENING, UH, TIMOTHY, OR TJ SALARSKY. UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS TJ SALARSKI. I'M ASKING THE COUNCIL TO HAVE THE TREASURER'S ANNUAL REPORTS FOR 2021 AND 2022 CORRECTED. I'M ASKING FOR CORRECTIONS AND NOT BLAME. THE 2021 TREASURER'S REPORT LISTS THE 2022 VENDOR PAYMENTS, MEANING IN THE 2022 TREASURER'S REPORT, THERE ARE 582 OUT OF 583 ENTRIES THAT ARE IDENTICAL IN THE 2021 REPORT. NOTE THAT IN A NORMAL YEAR, THERE'S ABOUT ONE AND A HALF TO 3.3% OF ENTRIES THAT DO REPEAT. SO 582 OUT OF 583 IDENTICAL PAYEES AND DOLLAR AMOUNTS DOES NOT HAPPEN BY CHANCE. ONE EXAMPLE OF THE 582 ENTRIES IN QUESTION WAS $150,000 PAID TO THE SHIP HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, WHICH THIS COUNCIL ACTUALLY CREATED IN SEPTEMBER 2022, NOT IN 2021. IN EVERY YEAR FROM 2021 THROUGH 2024, THE CITY AUDITORS REPORTED A "MATERIAL WEAKNESS" IN FINANCIAL REPORTING. IN 2022 AND IN 2021 AND 2022, THEY WROTE THAT THE CITY DOES NOT, QUOTE, "THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE AN INTERNAL CONTROL POLICY IN PLACE OVER ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORTING." I COULD NOT LOCATE WITHIN THE RECORDS THAT THE COUNCIL HAD EVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE 2021 AND THE 2022 FINANCIAL AUDITS, LIKE I WAS ABLE TO FIND WITH THE 2023 AND THE 2024 AUDITS. THREE TIMES THE CITY PROMISED BETTER REVIEW. MOST RECENTLY WITH THE 2024 AUDIT, THE CITY PROMISED, "STRONGER INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING" BY DECEMBER 31ST, 2025. NEITHER THE POLICY BOOK NOR THE CITY CODES FINANCE CHAPTER HAS AN INTERNAL POLICY CONTROL TO DATE. MY SUBMISSION INCLUDES A DRAFT BUILT ON THE AUDITOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS. IN ADDITION, MY EMAILS DATED SEPTEMBER 27TH AND OCTOBER 1ST ABOUT THE 2021 AND 2022 REPORTS WERE SENT TO THE FINANCE DIRECTOR AND THE CITY MANAGER, AND I'VE HAD NO REPLY. I'M ASKING THE COUNCIL TO DIRECT STAFF TO FILE A CORRECTED 2021 TREASURY REPORT, RECONCILE THE 2022 REPORT, AND THE SUMMARY PAGES TO THE AUDITS, SET A DATE FOR THE OVERDUE 2025 REPORT, AND ACKNOWLEDGE MY EMAILS. I'M ASKING THE MAYOR OR FOUR OF YOU TO PLACE A DRAFT POLICY ON THE AGENDA OR AT THE VERY LEAST A DISCUSSION IN CREATING AN INTERNAL CONTROL POLICY WHICH THE AUDITORS ASKED THE CITY TO CONSIDER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I RETURN TONIGHT WITH FAMILIAR - BE SURE AND GIVE US YOUR NAME. OH, SORRY. JEFFREY MUELLER. I RETURN TONIGHT WITH FAMILIAR CONCERN AND AN URGENT REQUEST. SINCE THE OASIS CLOSED, WE CONTINUE TO WAIT FOR A CLEAR PATHWAY TO A SAFE PLACE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DEPENDED ON IT. MEANWHILE, WE CONTINUE OUR OUTREACH, MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, [00:05:01] BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND OFFERING HOPE. TODAY, A YOUNG WOMAN IN THE PARK APPROACHED ME. SHE AND OTHERS HAVE TAKEN UP A COLLECTION TO GIVE ME $4 FOR GAS. SHE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS ABLE TO RETURN AS I HAVE FOR DAYS AND AFFORD THE FUEL TO DO SO. $4 FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALMOST NOTHING, YET STILL WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAUSE. WE ENCOUNTERED A YOUNG WOMAN WHO LITERALLY HAD NO SHOES YESTERDAY. OUR TEAM WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE FOOTWEAR. A YOUNG MAN TOLD US THAT ALL HE NEEDED WAS TELEPHONE ACCESS TO STAYING CONNECTED WITH HIS SICK MOTHER. AND A YOUNG COUPLE SHARED A BLANKET THAT THEY WERE SLEEPING BENEATH IN THE PARK, FRIGHTENED AND UNFAMILIAR WITH THEIR SA - UNFAMILIAR WITH THEIR SURROUNDINGS AND NOT FROM DECATUR. THESE ARE NOT STATISTICS. THESE ARE HUMAN BEINGS. WHAT IF THAT YOUNG WOMAN WERE ONE OF OUR DAUGHTERS? WHAT IF THAT YOUNG MAN WERE YOUR SON? WHAT IF THE ONE SLEEPING OUTDOORS WERE YOUR MOTHER, FATHER, BROTHER OR SISTER? WOULD THAT CHANGE OUR SENSE OF URGENCY? WE ARE NOT SO NAIVE TO BELIEVE THAT SANDWICHES, BLANKETS OR SHOES WILL SOLVE HOMELESSNESS, HUNGER, OR OUR CITY'S POVERTY, BUT WE CAN CONTINUE TO OFFER KINDNESS, COMPASSION, CONSISTENCY AND HOPE. THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE ARE BUILDING TODAY AND THE DAYS TO COME WILL BE ESSENTIAL WHEN WE FINALLY ESTABLISH A BRICK AND MORTAR LOCATION. BUT RELATIONSHIPS ALONE CANNOT PROVIDE SHOWERS, LAUNDRY, RESTROOMS, MEAL SERVICE, OR A SAFE DAYTIME ENVIRONMENT. WE NEED A BUILDING. WE NEED A PLAN. WE NEED ACTION. WE NEED A SINGLE AGENCY IN OUR COMMUNITY TO SPEAK LOUDLY AND SWIFTLY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO PLAY BALL. I RECOGNIZE THAT HERITAGE IS REVIEWING PROPOSALS FOR THE FORMER OASIS PROPERTY. WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO WAIT INDEFINITELY FOR ONE ORGANIZATION OR ONE DECISION. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THIS CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER PURSUING A PLAN B. LET'S IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS, ASSIGN RESPONSIBILITY, BEING COMMUNITY PARTNERS TOGETHER AND ESTABLISH A TIMELINE WITH PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY. I'M SORRY, MR. MUELLER, YOU'RE OUT OF TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CHRIS GESWINE AND I SERVE AS GENERAL MANAGER OF ADM'S ETHANOL BUSINESS IN DECATUR. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS ADM'S LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP WITH FFA AND OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF AGRICULTURAL LEADERS. AS A GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL COMPANY, ADM RECOGNIZES THAT INVESTING IN YOUTH LEADERSHIP, AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR INDUSTRY. SINCE 1957, ADM HAS SUPPORTED THE NATIONAL FFA ORGANIZATION TOTALING MORE THAN $6 MILLION IN DONATIONS. AMONG THE 42,000 EMPLOYEES IN 200 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE WHO REPRESENT ADM, MANY ARE FORMER FFA MEMBERS AND ALL ARE INVESTED IN AGRICULTURE'S FUTURE. JUST RECENTLY, ADM ATTENDED THE NATIONAL FFA CONVENTION IN INDIANAPOLIS, OCTOBER 21ST TO THE 24TH, WHERE WE WERE RECOGNIZED FOR 50 YEARS OF GIVING TO FFA. SINCE 2004, ADM HAS CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN $5.1 MILLION TO SUPPORT FFA PROGRAMS THROUGH A COMBINATION OF CORPORATE GRANTS AND EMPLOYEE-LED FUNDRAISING EFFORTS. THIS INCLUDES 4.98 MILLION IN CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS AND OVER 144,000 THROUGH TEAM FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES. THESE INVESTMENTS DEMONSTRATE ADM'S BELIEF IN THE POWER OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR FUTURE CAREERS AND STRENGTHEN RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES. FFA HELPS STUDENTS BUILD SKILLS THAT EXTEND FAR BEYOND AGRICULTURE, INCLUDING LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC SPEAKING, TEAMWORK AND PROBLEM SOLVING, TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE, CAREER EXPLORATION AND WORKFORCE PREPAREDNESS. THESE ARE ALL THE SAME SKILLS EMPLOYERS LIKE ADM SEEK FOR FUTURE TALENT. SUPPORTING FFA IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE WORKFORCE OF DECATUR AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THIS YEAR ADM LAUNCHED AN EMPLOYEE GIVING CAMPAIGN FOR GIVE FFA DAY DURING NATIONAL FFA WEEK. ADM MATCHED THE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS TWO TO ONE, WHICH RESULTED IN DONATING $25,000 AND HELPED PROMOTE THE DAY OF GIVING THROUGH OUR SOCIAL [00:10:01] NETWORKS. WE ALSO ESTABLISHED AN ADM FFA ALUMNI AND SUPPORTERS CHAPTER SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WHICH REMAINS ACTIVE. OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE LOCAL CHAPTERS INCLUDE THE ANDREAS AG ACADEMY AND THE O, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES WE PRESENT FFA MEMBERS TO TOUR OUR FACILITIES AND GAIN HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES, HELP CULTIVATE THE LEADERS, INNOVATORS, AND SKILLED PROFESSIONALS WHO WILL CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR YEARS TO COME. ADM IS PROUD OF ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH FFA AND GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK EDUCATORS, ADVISORS, PARENTS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS DO TO SUPPORT THESE STUDENTS. TOGETHER, WE ARE CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, STRENGTHENING AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION AND INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF DECATUR AND THE BROADER AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS PARTNERSHIP AND MAKING A LASTING IMPACT ON THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SHEILA LIVINGSTON WATSON. I STAND BEFORE YOU SEEKING APPROVAL OF PLACING A MEMORIAL BENCH IN PRESTON JACKSON PARK WITH THE TOTAL SUPPORT AND APPROVAL FROM MR. JACKSON, WHOM FROM HIS CHALLENGING SCHEDULE IS UNABLE TO BE WITH US ON THIS EVENING. IN MEMORY OF HIS LIFETIME MENTOR AND WORLD WAR II VETERAN, MR. HORACE G. LIVINGSTON JR. WHO IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF A MAN BORN IN POVERTY BUT DID NOT HAVE POVERTY BORN IN HIM. IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD. PRESTON EUGENE JACKSON WAS BLESSED TO BE RAISED IN A LOVING CHRISTIAN HOME BY SHIRLEY ARMSTRONG JACKSON, A.K.A. MS. SHIRLEY AND THE REVEREND T.J. JACKSON SR. IN AN AWESOME VILLAGE OF FAMILIES ON THE WEST SIDE OF DECATUR, FAMILIES ON SUNSET STREET, FAMILIES ON FOREST STREET, FAMILIES ON DECATUR STREET AND FAMILIES ON HAYWARD STREET. THESE WERE FAMILIES THAT DID NOT HAVE MUCH MATERIALISTICALLY, BUT WE WERE SO VERY, VERY RICH IN OUR FAITH, IN OUR FAMILY, IN LOVE, AND OF COURSE, IN OUR VILLAGE. IN THAT VILLAGE WAS A MAN BY THE NAME OF HORACE G. LIVINGSTON JR. WHO WE KNOW TODAY AS THE PUBLISHER AND EDITOR OF THE VOICE NEWSPAPER FOR 40 PLUS YEARS WHO MENTORED PRESTON FROM YOUTH TO ADULTHOOD. THE MENTORSHIP MR. LIVINGSTON PROVIDED WAS POWERFUL, DYNAMIC, TRANSFORMATIVE RELATIONSHIP. THROUGH MANY YEARS, MR. LIVINGSTON, RAISING A FAMILY OF HIS OWN, HELPED TO GUIDE, SUPPORT, AND ENCOURAGE PRESTON. THIS RELATIONSHIP WENT WELL BEYOND SIMPLE ADVICE GIVING. IT INVOLVED A DEEP, A VERY DEEP COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING HIS GROWTH IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF LIFE, INCLUDING HELPING TO NAVIGATE HIS CAREER, ENCOURAGING PRESTON TO BE COMMITTED TO HIS ARTISTIC TALENT, SUPPORT IN CHALLENGING TIMES, AND A LISTENING EAR AT A TIME FOR A YOUNG GROWING ARTIST, NO ONE WAS LISTENING. MR. LIVINGSTON WAS THE RECIPIENT OF THE STEPHEN DECATUR MEDALLION, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST GIVEN, THE HIGHEST HONOR GIVEN TO A CITIZEN BY THE CITY OF DECATUR. MR. LIVINGSTON ALSO RECEIVED AN OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION FROM THE CITY OF DECATUR MAYOR, JULIE MOORE WOLF PRO TEMP, RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS HORACE G. LIVINGSTON SO UNSELFISHLY RENDERED TO THE DECATUR COMMUNITY AND PROCLAIMING AUGUST THE 8TH, 2015 AS HORACE G. LIVINGSTON DAY. MR. JACKSON'S SCULPTURE SERVES TO EDUCATE ALL CITIZENS ABOUT DIVERSITY AND OUR SHARED HISTORY. I'M SORRY, MS. WATSON, YOU'RE OUT OF TIME. I APOLOGIZE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. AND THIS IS TOTALLY FUNDED. THE BENCH WILL BE TOTALLY FUNDED BY - THANK YOU, AND I'M SORRY I HAVE TO CUT YOU OFF. ILLINOIS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. THANK YOU. DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL TONIGHT? MAYOR, COUNCILMAN, I'M TJ JACKSON. I'M PRESTON'S BROTHER, AND I DID TALK TO HIM ON THE PHONE CONCERNING THIS SITUATION, AND HE WAS PROUD. HE WAS PROUD. AND HE MADE, UH, MENTION [00:15:01] OF THE FACT THAT THE FAMILIES ON SUNSET WERE ALL FAMILIES. AND SO IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER THIS, UM, REQUEST, I WOULD BE HAPPY. SO I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. THANK YOU, MR. JACKSON. GOOD TO SEE YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. I'M PAULETTE JACKSON, TJ JACKSON'S WIFE, AND THE SISTER-IN-LAW OF PRESTON JACKSON. I COME AS A WITNESS TO THE CONVERSATION THAT MY HUSBAND HAD WITH HIS BROTHER ON THE PHONE, AND HE IS INDEED SUPPORTIVE OF THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT SHEILA MADE THIS AF - THIS EVENING. SO IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND, LIKE SHE SAID, THIS IS FULLY PU - FULLY FUNDED, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO OBLIGATION AS FAR AS YOU'RE CONCERNED OTHER THAN TO APPROVE IT AND SAY, "WELL DONE. KEEP GOING." THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. JACKSON. YES. I THINK THERE WERE SOME OTHERS WHO WERE GETTING UP TO SPEAK. HELLO, MY NAME IS ABIR MOTIEN. THIS IS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL. THIS IS FOR THE LEADERS OF THE WORLD. THIS IS FOR RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND NON-RELIGIOUS LEADERS. THIS IS FOR THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS FOR ROYAL FAMILIES ALL OVER THE WORLD. I WANT YOU TO PAY ATTENTION. I PUT MY NAME... I TURNED IN THE PETITION. BEFORE I TURNED IN THE PETITION, THEY TRIED BLACKBALLING ME BY SABOTAGING THE CAR SO THAT I DON'T GO TURN IN THE PETITION. SO I TURN IN THE PETITION, EVERYTHING'S FINE. THE CITY CLERK SAYS EVERYTHING'S FINE. THEN WITHIN LESS THAN 24 HOURS, THERE'S BLACKBALLING AGAIN. THEY CAN'T PUT MY NAME ON THE BALLOT. WHY? BECAUSE IT'S ALL PRE-ORGANIZED. ABIR MOTIAN CAN'T GO TO THE MACON COUNTY BUILDING. WHY? BECAUSE THEY, THEY MADE A SCENARIO, SO ABIR IS FORBIDDEN FROM GOING FROM THE MACON COUNTY BUILDING BECAUSE OF POLITICS MOVING NEXT DOOR TO THE MACON COUNTY GOVERNMENT BUILDING, AND THEY ORGANIZE A SCENARIO SO ABIR DOESN'T GO AND SPEAK IN THE MACON COUNTY GOVERNMENT BUILDING. SECOND, SO I CAN'T GO INTO THE MACON COUNTY GOVERNMENT BUILDING FOR TWO YEARS, SO I CAN'T GO GET ANYTHING FROM THERE. BUT BEFORE I EVEN CAME TO MS. KIM OLTHOFF, I TOLD HER I SPOKE TO THE MACON COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE AND THEY TOLD ME EVERYTHING THAT I DO IS WITH THE CITY. SO THE CITY GAVE ME PAPERS. I GOT THE PETITION, FILLED OUT, EVERYTHING, AND I TURNED EVERYTHING IN. SHE'S AWARE THAT THE COUNTY... I CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THE COUNTY. IT'S GOTTA BE WITH HER. SO I TURNED IN EVERYTHING. THEN LATER ON, SHE SENDS ME AN EMAIL SAYING THAT I'M MISSING SOMETHING, WHICH I'M NOT. SO I'M ASKING YOU ALL, AND I HAVE THIS LETTER TO TURN INTO MS. MELISSA HAHN, TO WORK WITH ME BECAUSE I CAN'T EVEN GO INTO THE RICHLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE EVER SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMP BECAME PRESIDENT BECAUSE IT'S RETALIATION ON ME FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP. SO I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG. I, I DID NOT DO ANYTHING IN MACON COUNTY GOVERNMENT BUILDING AND I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG WITH RICHLAND HEIGHTS, BUT THE HATE COMES TO, ON ME. I REPRESENT EVERYBODY OF RELIGION AND IRRELIGION. I REPRESENT EVERY SINGLE PERSON. I'M A DIVA. SO I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT I'M A PERSON AND BEFORE EVEN AUGUST 3RD AND BEFORE I TOLD YOU I HAVE ASKED YOU TO WORK WITH ME. AND NOW I AM DEMANDING THAT BECAUSE I, I'M THE COMMUNITY. I REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY. AND LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. I DO SUPPORT TRUMP, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. I DO THANK HIM FOR ALL HIS OUTSTANDING WORK. I DO... I, I'M NOT SAYING THAT I DON'T SUPPORT PRESIDENT, FORMER PRESIDENT BIDEN, BUT I ALSO REPRESENT... I MEAN, I ALSO, I, I STAND BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND I WANT TO BE ON THE BALLOT. THERE'S NOBODY ON TRUMP'S SIDE ON THE BALLOT FOR MAYOR, AND I WANT THAT DOOR OPEN FOR ME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU, MS. MOTAN. YOU'RE WELCOME. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL. I'M ANNE OWENS. SO FIRST OF ALL, THIS EVENING, I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE THAT WE THANK OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. I THINK THEY'VE HAD A PRETTY TOUGH DAY. I KNOW BOTH THE POLICE [00:20:01] AND FIRE CHIEF ARE HERE, SO WE WANNA KEEP THEIR WORKERS IN OUR THOUGHTS AS WELL. I ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU, AS YOU START TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET, THAT YOU DO CONTINUE TO KEEP THAT TAX. I HAVE A REASON FOR THAT. I WANT YOU TO REWARD OUR CITIZENS. OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY GIVING. THEY STEP UP TO THE PLATE EVERY TIME. OCTOBER 2ND, WE SAW A RECORD AMOUNT OF MONEY AND FOOD RAISED TO PUT IN OUR FOOD PANTRIES. BUT CURRENTLY, WE'RE HEARING FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST REGULAR CITIZENS, CHURCHES THAT ARE CALLING, MESSAGING, AND WANTING TO KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO TO HELP THE OASIS CLIENTS. PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF HEART IN THIS COMMUNITY. I'VE WATCHED HIM STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND HIT HOME RUNS ALMOST MY ENTIRE LIFE. SO I WANNA TELL YOU, SATURDAY NIGHT ON HALLOWEEN, I HAD A YOUNG MAN WHO SENT ME A TEXT PROBABLY AROUND 7:30, AND HE WAS TRYING TO CHECK WHAT TIME THE FOOD WOULD BE SERVED ON SUNDAY. SO I ENDED UP ASKING HIM, HE HAD ALREADY LET ME KNOW HE'S LIVING IN THIS TRUCK. I SAID, "WELL, WHERE YOU AT?" SO HE WAS AT MCDONALD'S BY THE FACTORY, WHICH ENDS UP BEING PREMIUM. SO I WENT ACROSS TOWN, GOT THERE, SAT IN WITH HIM. HE'S A YOUNG MAN THAT'S DRIVING HIS FAST. HE'S GOT HIMSELF OFF OF DRUGS. HE HAS SOME PSYCHOSIS ISSUES. HE RECENTLY GOT A PART-TIME JOB. HE'S WORKING NIGHTS, SO THAT'S WHERE HE SPENDS HIS NIGHTS, AND HE'S LITERALLY LIVING IN HIS TRUCK. HE DROVE TO MCDONALD'S, NOT BECAUSE HE WAS GONNA GET FOOD, HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY, BUT THAT WAS WHERE HE COULD SEND ME A TEXT MESSAGE. SO HIS FATHER'S HELPING HIM, UM, PAY FOR GAS. HIS FATHER HAS SOME HEALTH ISSUES HIMSELF, SO THAT'S THE BEST THAT THEY CAN DO RIGHT NOW. I BOUGHT HIM DINNER. I LISTENED TO HIM, AND WHEN I LEFT, I SAID THE SAME THING TO HIM THAT I HEAR MR. MUELLER SAY EVERY NIGHT AT OUTREACH, "YOU'RE BETTER TODAY THAN YOU WERE YESTERDAY." THANK YOU, MS. OWENS. ALL RIGHT. UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UH, I AM... MY NAME'S MICHAEL LEONE, AND I AM, UH, SPEAKING, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE PROPERTY TAX LEVY. UM, I'M NOT, UH, I'M NOT HERE TO, UM, UH, I'M NOT HERE TO, LIKE, I GUESS LAMBAST, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO BE FUNDED, BUT HOWEVER, LIKE, I MEAN, I, I, I KNOW THAT TOUGH DECISIONS SOMETIMES HAVE TO BE MADE, PER SE, BUT I PERSONALLY, UH, DO NOT SUPPORT, UH, ANY INCREASE WHATSOEVER UNTIL, UNTIL THE PROPERTY TAXES ARE, UH, OV - COMPLETELY OVERHAULED, AT LEAST FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT IN, UM, IN, UH, FARM - EITHER FARMERS OR MOBILE HOMEOWNERS, WHICH, UM, THE SYSTEM IS, UM, QUITE, UM, BENEFICIAL FOR. UM, BUT WE BASICALLY NEED A LAND VALUE TAX INSTEAD OF A PROPERTY TAX. IT SERVES PENNSYLVANIA VERY, VERY WELL. UH, THERE'S A STUDY ABOUT HOW THE WONDERS THAT IT'S DONE FOR, UH, HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA. IT HAS, UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, Y'ALL, LIKE, IT'S HELPING TO TRY AND MAKE A COMEBACK, FOR REAL. I'M, I'M, I'M NOT KIDDING. UH, IT... THE, THE... SERIOUSLY, LIKE, THE LAND VALUE TAX, IT MAKES IT SO THAT PEOPLE ARE INCENTIVIZED TO BUILD ON EMPTY LOTS, AND LORD KNOWS, WE HAVE NO SHORTAGE OF THEM HERE. UH, WE, WE, WE NEED A SYSTEM THAT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO, UH, B - TO BUILD AND IMPROVE THEIR PROPERTY, BECAUSE THE CURRENT SYSTEM MAKES HOME REPAIRS A HEADACHE, A MASSIVE, MASSIVE HEADACHE, BECAUSE WHY WOULD YOU WANNA REPAIR YOUR HOUSE WHEN THE VALUE WILL JUST GO UP JUST COMPLETE- COMPLETELY? LIKE, IT'S, IT... THERE'S NO, UM... IT, IT GOES UP WAY MORE. IT IS... I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY THAT THE LAND VALUE TA- TAX DOESN'T, UM, UH, COMPLETELY INCENTIVIZE REPAIRS, PER SE, BUT IT, IT, [00:25:01] IT MUCH FURTHER INCENTIVIZE... IT, IT... THE, THE PROPERTY TAX SYSTEM IS A MUCH MORE OF A D - A DIS - OPPOSITE OF AN INCENTIVE, BASICALLY, UM, FOR, FOR ACTUALLY, UM, BEING A STEWARD OF PROPERTY. IT... THERE, THERE'S JUST VERY LITTLE, THERE IS VERY LITTLE, UM, EMPHASIS PLACED ON IT WITHIN THE CURRENT SYSTEM. WE... IF WE WANT, UM, THESE EMPTY LOTS TO BECOME, UH, SOMETHING COOL, UH, WE SHOULD SUPPORT A LAND VALUE TAX. IT'S, LIKE I SAID, IT'S SERVING, IT'S SERVING PENNSYLVANIA VERY WELL, AND I JUST, UH, THOROUGHLY RECOMMEND THAT Y'ALL LOOK INTO IT. IT WOULD DO WONDERS HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. LEONE. DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL TONIGHT? MY NAME'S GARY FIGHT. I JUST GOT A QUESTION. HOW MANY CITY MANAGERS DO WE HAVE BESIDES THIS LADY HERE? WE HAVE ONE. SHE'S THE ONLY ONE? WHAT ABOUT THAT LADY THAT YOU GUYS HAD IN THE PAPER THAT SHE WAS GOING TO DO SUCH A GREAT JOB? YOU GAVE HER ALMOST $200,000 A YEAR JOB AND EVERYTHING. ISN'T THAT TRUE? WE RESPOND TO PEOPLE AFTER EVERYBODY'S COMMENTED. YEAH. YEAH, AND YOU'LL FORGET AGAIN, SO... BUT I THINK IT'S CRAZY IF WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE CITY MANAGER, SPRINGFIELD ONLY HAS ONE, EVERYBODY AROUND US HAS ONE, OUR POPULATION'S GOING DOWN, MORE MONEY'S GOING OUT TO PAY PEOPLE THEIR BUDGET, THEIR WAGES, AND THEIR BENEFITS AND STUFF. IT'S CRAZY. EVERY, EVERY TIME YOU TURN AROUND, OH, WE NEED SOMEBODY NEW. WHY DO WE NEED SOMEBODY NEW? IF YOU NEED SOMEBODY NEW, THEN GET RID OF THE ONE YOU GOT, THEN HIRE ONE. WELL, YOU GUYS WASTE ENTIRELY TOO MUCH OF TAXPAYER'S MONEY JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S FAMILY MEMBER OR A FRIEND WANTS A JOB, NEEDS A JOB, SO YOU'LL, WELL, WE'LL CREATE THIS. WE HAVE MORE GOVERNMENT, MORE GOVERNING BODIES THAN, UH, DAMN NEAR CALIFORNIA. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. YOU KNOW, OH, WE'RE GONNA BUY DIFFERENT TALLER PAPER. WELL, WE NEED A MANAGER FOR THAT. GIVE THEM $200,000 A YEAR, PLAY THEM BY, PAY THEM THEIR PENSIONS AND YOU GUYS JUST DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE. AND IF ANYBODY'S GOTTA GET A JOB, IT OUGHTA BE THE PEOPLE THAT SAYS YOU NEED MORE PEOPLE, NOT YOU GUYS, BECAUSE GOD, GOD KNOWS YOU GOT SOMEBODY, A FAMILY MEMBER. OH, WELL, LET'S SCRATCH THEIR BACK. WELL, THEY'LL SCRATCH MINE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL TONIGHT? APPEARS THAT EVERYONE HAS SPOKEN. AND SIR, I WILL TELL YOU, WE HAVE ONE CITY MANAGER. SIR? GARY. SIR? GARY, SHE'S ANSWERING. GARY. WE HAVE ONE CITY MANAGER AND ONE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. WHY? ARE THERE, ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? UH, MAYOR. PAT? UH, MS. HAHN, CORRECT ME IF I'M NOT... I KNOW WE DID HAVE SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE CLEANING UP THE AUDIT, AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, THINGS WERE CLEANED UP AND, UH, I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I REMEMBER HEARING SOMETHING THAT THEY, UH, THAT THE FINANCE DIRECTOR AT THAT TIME WAS WORKING WITH, UH, SOME OF THE AUDITORS TO CLEAN S- SOME OF IT UP THAT HAD BEEN, UH, NEGLECTED FOR SEVERAL YEARS. UM, I BELIEVE SOME THINGS WERE CLEANED UP AND, UM, THERE'S PROBABLY SOME STILL ONGOING THINGS THAT, THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON. AND WITH STAFF CHANGES, UM, THAT'S, UH, NOT BEEN DONE AS QUICKLY, I THINK, AS WE, AS WE WOULD'VE LIKED. BUT, UH, WE DO NOW HAVE OUR NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR IN PLACE, AND WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL, MR. CULP? UH, IT COULD BE ANSWERED BY THE MAYOR. MS. HAHN, DO WE HAVE A REPLY FROM HERITAGE ABOUT THE RFP WE SUBMITTED? WE DO NOT AT THIS POINT. I BELIEVE WEDNESDAY IS WHEN THEY WERE GOING TO ANSWER, UM, THOSE WHO SUBMITTED RFPS. OTHER QUESTIONS, COUNCILMAN HORN? UM, JUST WANTED TO RESPOND TO A, A COUPLE OF THE COMMENTS. UM, FIRST OF ALL, TO MR. GETZWAN OF ADM, UM, THANK YOU TO YOUR COMPANY FOR, UH, INVESTING IN THE FFA. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAM. I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR ADM. IT SEEMS LIKE ALMOST EVERY COUNCIL MEETINGS, A REPRESENTATIVE [00:30:01] HERE IS HERE SPEAKING OF SOME GREAT THINGS THAT THE COMPANY IS DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. IF I WERE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, IT WOULD BE THAT, UH, EARLIER THIS WEEK, UM, A MEDIA ENTITY CALLED INVESTIGATE MIDWEST, UH, REPORTED ON THE MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS THAT OCCURRED, UH, IN 2023. AND I THINK, UM, ADM COULD, COULD REALLY, UH, INSTILL CONFIDENCE IN THE COMMUNITY IF THERE WAS A REPRESENTATIVE AT OUR NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING, UH, TALKING ABOUT WHAT STEPS ADM HAS TAKEN TO KEEP WORKERS SAFE, UH, SINCE THOSE TWO EXPLOSIONS. BUT AGAIN, I COMPLIMENT YOU ON, ON THE WORK YOU'RE DOING WITH FFA. UM, TO MR. UH, SALARSKI'S POINT, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S REASONABLE FOR CITY STAFF TO LOOK AT THE 2021 AND 2022 REPORTS AND SEE WHETHER IN FACT, UH, THE VENDOR PAYMENTS ARE THE SAME AND TO MAKE THOSE CORRECTIONS. I RECOGNIZE THAT THOSE REPORTS ARE FIVE OR SIX YEARS OLD NOW, BUT IF THEY'RE, THEY'RE INCORRECT, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY SHOULD COR- CORRECT. UM, IN REGARDS TO, UH, UM, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT INDIVIDUALS BEING HOMELESS IN THE CITY OF DECATUR, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A TWENTY FOUR SEVEN 365 PHONE NUMBER THAT PEOPLE CAN CALL, UM, IF THERE IS SOMEONE WHO IS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY, AND THAT IS OPERATED BY THE CONTINUUM OF CARE AND SPECIFICALLY DOVE INCORPORATED'S HOMEWARD BOUND. IN THE PAST 10 YEARS, HOMEWARD BOUND HAS HAD APPROXIMATELY 9,300 CLIENTS THAT THEY HAVE SERVED. THE RECIDIVISM RATE OF THOSE CLIENTS IS 6%. AND SO IF WE CAN GET PEOPLE IN TOUCH WITH HOMEWARD BOUND, THEN WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THEM ULTIMATELY IN PERMANENT HOUSING. UM, AS ONE EXAMPLE, PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN VEHICLES. AGENCIES WITHIN THE CONTINUUM OF CARE OFFER VOUCHERS, AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN GET EMERGENCY HOUSING IN HOTELS FOR UP TO 14 DAYS. AND THEN THERE'S ENTITIES LIKE NORTHEAST COMMUNITY FUND THAT CAN PROVIDE THINGS LIKE CLOTHING AND BLANKETS. AND SO AGAIN, IF SOMEONE IS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, PLEASE CONTACT HOMEWARD BOUND. THEY CAN DIRECT YOU TO THE APPROPRIATE AGENCIES. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? MR. COOPER? THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST TO, UM, MR. MUELLER, UM, I CONCUR WITH YOU AS FAR AS, UH, THE CITY. WE DO NEED TO TAKE A, A STEP FOR PLAN B OR C. UM, HOMELESSNESS IN DECATUR HAS BEEN THAT, HAS BEEN THERE FOR YEARS, AND WE HAVE YET TO THIS DAY SOLVED AT IN DECATUR, ILLINOIS. OTHER CITIES MUCH LARGER THAN OUR CITY WITH MUCH LARGER HOMELESS, HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS HAVE TAKEN DRASTIC STEPS AND SOLVED THE HOMELESS SITUATION IN THEIR CITIES TO LARGE DEGREES. NOT SAYING IT'S BEEN TOTALLY CORRECTED, BUT HAVE BEEN SOLVED TO MUCH WIDER DEGREES. I DO THINK IT'S TIME, AND I HAVE INDICATED TO THE MAYOR THAT I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A STUDY SESSION ON HOMELESSNESS AND TRY TO, AND FIND A SOLUTION TO C- CORRECT IT. IT IS A CRITICAL SITUATION. OASIS IS CRITICAL, BUT IT'S NOT, TO ME, IT'S NOT AS CRITICAL AS THE OVERALL HOMELESSNESS, BECAUSE IF WE SOLVE THE HOMELESSNESS, WE WOULDN'T HAVE, WE WOULDN'T BE TALKING ABOUT THE OASIS SITUATION. SO I THINK IT'S TIME THAT THE CITY, THE CITY COUNCIL FIND A S - A S - PERMANENT SOLUTION FIX TO THE HOMELESS SITUATION IN OUR CITY. I KNOW WE CAN DO IT, BUT WE GOTTA THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND CHANGE WHAT HASN'T WORKED FOR YEARS TO SOLVE IT AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM. [00:35:02] THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY. I'M QUITE FRANKLY TIRED OF HEARING THE OASIS CLOSURE BEING MORPHED INTO SOMETHING, UM, THAT IT ISN'T. IT IS NOT ABOUT SOLVING THE HOUSING STOCK IN DECATUR, WHICH WE KNOW IS A PROBLEM. WE DO NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. IT'S NOT ABOUT SOLVING THE HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY. WE DO NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. BUT THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE, AND EVERYONE ALLUDES TO IT, "OH, THE CONTINUUM OF CARE CAN DO THIS AND THEY CAN DO THAT." THE PROBLEM IS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE CLOSURE UNTIL THE CITY OF DECATUR KNEW ABOUT THE CLOSURE. SO IT MAKES ME QUESTION THE, THE DECISION MAKER HA - CLOSING VITAL SERVICES WITHOUT NOTIFICATION TO ANYONE. IT IS NOT PROFESSIONAL TO CLOSE A FACILITY AND NOT HAVE IN PLACE A TRANSITION PLAN. ANY FURTHER COMMENT FROM COUNCIL? SEEING NONE, [III. Approval of Minutes] WE WILL MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF OCTOBER 19TH, 2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND. SO MOVED. SECOND. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL. AYE. COUNCILMAN HORNE. AYE. COUNCILMAN COLT. AYE. COUNCILMAN COOPER. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN CRUZ? AYE. MAYOR MORWOLF. AYE. SEVEN AYES NONAYS. AND WE WOULD ASK THAT THE GALLERY PLEASE, UH, BE QUIET AS YOU EXIT BECAUSE WE ARE STILL CONDUCTING OUR MEETING. YOU CAN TALK OUTSIDE. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS? NONE. MOVING INTO NEW BUSINESS, [1. FY 2027 Budget Discussion] ITEM ONE, THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET DISCUSSION. AND, UH, MR. SALARSKI HAS REQUESTED TO SPEAK ON THIS AND GENERALLY WE WILL HAVE THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION FIRST. AND PLEASE, UH, WAVE ME DOWN IF I FORGET TO CALL ON YOU BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, BECAUSE I'VE DONE THAT A TIME OR TWO. MS. HAHN. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'D LIKE TO START THE, UH, FY27 BUDGET DISCUSSION BY HAVING A FEW OF THE DIRECTORS COME UP AND JUST GIVE SOME HIGH LEVEL, HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS OF, UH, WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING TO DO, UH, THIS FISCAL YEAR, UH, IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS. AND I'M GONNA START BY CALLING UP ASSISTANT ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, MIRANDA LAMBERT. OUR FEELER - FEARLESS DIRECTOR IS, UH, OUT, SO, UH, SHE GETS THE HOT SEAT. YES. THANKS, MIRANDA. HELLO, EVERY- EVERYONE. SO OUR PRIMARY FOCUS FOR ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR WAS TO HOLD DOWN THE LINE ON OUR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATING EXPENSES WHILE STILL BEING MINDFUL OF THE DEPARTMENT'S ONGOING PROJECTS AND THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO CONTINUE MOVING THE CITY'S PRIORITIES FORWARD. WITH THAT APPROACH IN MIND, I WANNA GO THROUGH A FEW KEY AREAS OF OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, HIGHLIGHTING WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN COST AND WHERE WE'RE RECOMMENDING ADJUSTMENTS TO SUPPORT THE WORK AHEAD, ESPECIALLY OUTLINED IN THE APPROVED REVITALIZATION PLAN. SO ONE, UM, I'M HOPING EVERYBODY HAS HEARD OF IT NOW IS OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND I HOPE EVERYONE HAS SUBMIT, FILLED OUT OUR SURVEY. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUING THAT INTO 2027. WE, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THE ON THE GROUND WORK RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'LL BE HOPING TO WRAP THAT UP IN FISCAL YEAR 2027. AND WHILE WE'RE DOING SOME PRELIMINARY WORK ON THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, UM, THAT WILL REALLY GEAR UP NEXT YEAR, AND THAT WILL ALLOW US TO MOD- MODERNIZE OUR ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS TO SUPPORT HOUSING, REDEVELOPMENT, AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN DECA- DECATUR. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO INCREASE IN, UM, THE FUNDING REQUEST TO MEET THE DEMO - THE DEMOLITIONS F - AND OUR RESIDENTIAL REHABS AND COMMERCIAL FACADE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN OUR REVITALIZATION PLAN. THIS IS IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND. AND THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO EXPLORE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THAT PROGRAM, SUCH AS THE ABILITY FOR RENTAL PROPERTIES TO ALSO BE ABLE TO DO RESIDENTIAL REHAB FOR THEIR FACADE. WHEN IT COMES TO BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO ALL THIS WORK, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR PLANS, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPLORE IS TO ADD A POSITION IN OUR ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AS A TR - WITH A TRANSPORTATION PLA- PLANNER. THIS WILL BE FULLY GRANT FUNDED POSITION THAT WILL INCREASE OUR CAPACITY WITHIN OUR PLANNING DE- DEPARTMENT TO IMPLEMENT EXISTING PLANS AND INITIATIVES WHILE ALLOWING US TO BEGIN SUCCESSION PLANNING WITH SOME RETIRE- RETIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE AHEAD. SO THIS WILL BE THROUGH DUWATS, AND THAT WILL BE COVERED THROUGH, UM, THE DUWATS GRANT. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME COST SAVINGS WITHIN THE, UM, ECD DE- DEPARTMENT BECAUSE SOME OF OUR, MY S - MY SALARY AND THE DIRECTOR'S SALARY WILL BE GOING TOWARDS, UM, THE TR - COMING OUT OF THE TRANSIT FUNDS. SO AGAIN, THAT IS FULLY FUNDED THROUGH OUR STATE AND LOCAL MATCH AND FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVE. [00:40:02] SOMETHING WE ARE LOOKING TO DO BECAUSE WE HAVE, UM, S - AS WE ALL SEE THE DECATUR MOVES BUS AR - BUSES AND VANS GOING AROUND, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SEE THAT WE'VE DONE OVER 177,000 RIDES WITHIN OUR FIRST YEAR, AND DEFINITELY ANTICIPATING MORE OF THAT WITHIN OUR SECOND YEAR. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO DO A COMPREHENSIVE OPERATION AN- ANALYSIS THAT WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH THE ECD FUND, AND THIS WILL EVALUATE ROUTES, SCHEDULE, SERVICE FREQUENCIES, AND ALSO THE COORDINATION OF WHAT FIXED ROUTE LOOKS LIKE WITH MICROTRANSIT IN PLACE. AND WITH ALL OF THAT EXCITEMENT HAP- HAPPENING, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR A POSITION TO ADD WITHIN OUR TRANSIT DEPARTMENT, WHICH WOULD BE A TRANSIT ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. THIS WOULD BE GRANT FUNDED AS WELL, AND THIS POSITION WILL SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF THE TRANSIT SERVICES WHILE INCREASING ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENTS THROUGH OUR GRANT FUNDS. WE USED TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE IN PLACE THROUGH NB, BUT THAT WAS CANCELED A FEW YEARS AGO, SO WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PICK UP THOSE TASKS, SO WE'RE HOPING TO DO SO THROUGH THAT GRANT. UM, SO YES, LOTS OF EXCITEMENT B - GOING ON BETWEEN BO- BOTH OF THOSE DIVISIONS, AND I'M ABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY AT THIS TIME. UM, JUST CONGRATULATIONS. UH, IT SEEMS THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL IN LANDING GRANTS, NOT JUST APPLYING FOR THEM, BUT IN THE PAST, UH, TWO OR THREE YEARS, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE GOTTEN, LIKE, THE MICROTRANSIT IS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE. AND SO REALLY, UM, GRANTS THAT HAVE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO KEEP UP THAT GOOD WORK. QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? MR. HORN? THIS FIRST QUESTION IS FOR MS. HAHN. UM, W- WE JUST GOT THE BUDGET PACKET ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE MEETING. ARE THE DEPARTMENT HEADS OR THE REPRESENTATIVES THAT ARE HERE TODAY, WILL THEY BE BACK SO THAT WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACTUAL BUDGET DOCUMENT? YES, AND WE ANTICIPATE ALSO, UM, GETTING ADDITIONAL DRAFTS AS WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. SO IF COUNCIL WOULD LIKE DIRECTORS TO COME BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING, WE CAN DO THAT. OR IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY AFTER YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUBMIT THOSE, WE CAN GET ANSWERS, UH, TO YOUR QUESTIONS AS WELL. WELL, I, I PREFER THEY COME BACK, BUT I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR MS. MS. LAMBERT. UM, SO OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, I'VE, I'VE RECEIVED, UM, CORRESPONDENCE FROM A NUMBER OF SENIORS WHO ARE JUST CONCERNED ABOUT HIGHER PROPERTY TAXES, UM, UTILITY RATES GOING UP, JUST THE COST OF, UM, UH, UTILITIES, ET CETERA. AND, UM, I, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME OPTIONS TO, UH, LOOK AT ZONING, UH, AS A WAY TO GET MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO DECATUR, WHETHER IT BE TINY HOMES, PREFAB HOMES, UM, MOBILE HOMES. UH, IN ADDITION, A CITY HAS HUNDREDS OF VACANT LOTS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY AVAILABLE AS HOUSING UNITS. UM, YOU MENTIONED THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. UM, THE LEADER OF THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SAID WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TO THE APPROVAL OF THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD ON CERTAIN INITIATIVES. SO I WAS WONDERING WHETHER IT IS THE INTENT OF THE ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO MOVE FORWARD MORE QUICKLY ON LOOKING AT ZONING AND LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN ACCELERATE THE INTRODUCTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO DECATUR. SO I THINK WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THAT WE'RE EVALUATING IT WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT. ONE OF THOSE WAYS IS DEFINITELY THROUGH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. THAT'S ONE OF THE FOCUSES BETWEEN HOUSING AND THE VACANT LOTS. AND AS WE CONTINUE TO GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, WE'RE ABLE TO SEE IF IT WARRANTS A, DOING AN AMENDMENT TO OUR CURRENT ZONING OR BEING ABLE TO SEE IF THERE'S OTHER THINGS IN PLACE THAT WE CAN USE TO BE ABLE TO EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS. UM, BUT IT, BUT WE DO HAVE THAT OPTION IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS WARRANTED TO DO SO. AND THEN ALSO WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR PROGRAMMING. SO AGAIN, GOING BACK TO OUR, UM, RESIDENTIAL REHAB, SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO AND WITH GRANTS TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST HOMEOWNERS WITH SOME OF THE BURDENSOME COST OF DOING THOSE REHABS. SO TRYING TO BE, COVER IT IN ALL DIFFERENT PATHS. MS. GREGORY? UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE TALKING WITH SENIORS, UM, REGARDING PROPERTY TAXES. SO A SENIOR 65 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER HAS THE ABILITY TO GO TO THE COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE AND FILE FOR A PROPERTY TAX FREEZE. [00:45:01] UM, IN 2026, THEY COULD MAKE, UM, UPWARDS TO $65,000 AND STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT FREEZE. EVERY YEAR IT GOES UP CONSIDERABLY, SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN COOPER? UH, JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS. UM, WITH THE SUCCESS OF THE MICROTRANSIT WITH THE NUMBER OF RIDERS YOU'VE HAD THUS FAR, HAVE YOU SEEN ANY, UH, IMPACT IN THE FIXED ROUTE RIDERS NUMBERS GOING DOWN OR HAVE THEY STAYED S- S- ST- STEADY? SO AGAIN, THE FIXED ROUTE H - THE MICROTRANSIT IS WITHIN ITS FIRST YEAR, SO WE HAVE SEEN SOME SHIFT IN NUMBERS ON BOTH SIDES, SOME AREAS WHERE IT MIGHT GO UP, GO DOWN. IT'S HARD TO DETERMINE THAT WITHIN JUST ITS FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION. THAT'S ONE THING WHERE THE COMPREHENSIVE OPERATION ANALYSIS WILL COME INTO PLAY BECAUSE IT WILL ALLOW US TO DETERMINE IF THERE NEEDS TO BE EXTENSIONS OF OUR FIXED ROUTES TO KIND OF MAKE IT WHERE IT IS THE MIXED, THE MICROTRANSIT IS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO, TO OUR COUNTY RIDERS TO BE ABLE TO COME INTO DECATUR CI- CITY LIMITS, TO SHOP, TO GO TO MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS. UM, BUT THAT COMPREHEN - THE COA WILL VERY MUCH COME INTO PLACE FOR THAT. OKAY, THANK YOU. UH, THE OTHER QUESTION IS ON, UH, IN THE 2027 BUDGET, UM, ARE THERE, UH, ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCREASE IN RATES IN EITHER THE TRANSIT ROUTE OR THE FIXED BUS RATES? THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE EXPLORING, UM, AND SOMETHING THAT DURING OUR, THE COMPREHENSIVE OPERATIONS ANALYSIS WILL, WE WILL EXPLORE AS WELL, ESPECIALLY IN THE TERMS OF THE MICROTRANSIT TO BE MAKE IT, TO MAKE IT WHERE WE DO NOT HAVE SO MANY LONG PERIODS O- OF NOT BEING ABLE TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS WITHIN THAT SERVICE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MS. CRUZ? I, I ALSO WANNA REITERATE WHAT, UH, DR. HORN SAID ABOUT THE BUDGET. UM, I ASKED FOR THE BUDGET AHEAD OF OUR MEETING AND WAS TOLD WE WOULD RECEIVE THOSE OCTOBER 26TH, UM, BUT WE'RE GETTING THIS TODAY, SO IT MAKES IT HARDER TO ASK QUESTIONS. UM, BUT I DO SEE A 17% INCREASE IN SALARY BETWEEN 26 AND 27. COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? SO PART OF THAT'S GOING TO BE THE TWO POSITIONS THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO HIRE, THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNER AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT FOR THE TRANSP - UH, TRANSIT DEPARTMENT, WHICH BOTH, IF APPROVED, WILL BE GRANT FUNDED. SO WHILE THEY MIGHT COME OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, THEY'LL, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO BECOME REIMBURSED THROUGH THAT. UM, OUTSIDE OF THAT, THAT WILL JUST BE OUR COST OF LIVING INCREASE IF APPROVED BY COUNCIL. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. LAMBERT AT THIS TIME? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MIRANDA. I'D NOW LIKE TO ASK, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR MATT NEWELL TO COME UP. MIRANDA WAS SUPPOSED TO WEAR YOU DOWN A LITTLE BIT. UH, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MAINTAINS ABOUT 380, UH, MILES OF PAVED RE - PAVED ROADS, ABOUT 380 MILES OF SANITARY SEWERS, 216 MILES OF STORM SEWERS, ABOUT 536 MILES OF WATER MAINS, AND 30, UH, OVER 30,000 WATER METER SERVICES CONNECTIONS. WE HAVE A STAFF OF ABOUT 118 AUTHORIZED POSITIONS IN FOUR DIVISIONS, UH, ENGINEERING, MUNICIPAL SERVICES, WATER PRODUCTION, AND THEN, AND WATER SERVICES. SO OUR OPERATING EXPENSES ARE GENERALLY IN LINE WITH OUR CONSISTENT WITH THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, USED IN PAST YEARS. WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IN, UH, PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION, THE, UH, PROFESSIONAL FEES HAS INCREASED FROM 85,000 TO 180,000 PROPOSED, UH, LARGELY TO COVER LOCATING SERVICES, WHICH HAVE, HAVE, UH, INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST YEAR. LARGELY, WE BELIEVE DUE TO THE, UH, FIBER INSTALLATION PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING THROUGHOUT THE CITY. ALSO, IN TRAFFIC, THE TRAFFIC AND PARKING F - UH, DIVISION, OR, UH, SECTION OF THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE ELECTRICITY FOR STREET LIGHTING IS, HAS INCREASED BY ABOUT $225,000 TO, UH, $1.3 MILLION THAT WE PAY FOR STREET LIGHTING IN THE CITY, AND ALSO ELECT- ELECTRICITY FOR TRAFFIC SIGNALS HAS INCREASED BY ABOUT $50,000 TO... THE CITY PAYS ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS IN ELECTRICITY FOR TRAFFIC SIGNALS. UH, THE, UH, THE FUNDS THAT, UH, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ALSO OVERSEES ARE, UH, FUND 42, WHICH IS THE LOCAL MOTOR FUEL TAX FUND, WHICH, UH, EXPECTS ABOUT $2.2 [00:50:01] MILLION IN REVENUE THIS YEAR, AND WE EXPECT TO, UH, DO ABOUT A $2.7 MILLION STREET IMPROVEMENT WORK, UH, PROPOSED OUT OF THAT FUND, UH, USING, USING THE, UH, EXPECTED REVENUE AND, UH, UH, CARRYOVER BALANCE WE HAVE IN THE FUND. THE, UH, STATE MOTOR FUEL TAX FUND, WHICH IS FUND 46, WE EXPECT ABOUT A $3.2 MILLION IN REVENUE FOR THAT. THE MAJOR, SOME OF THE MAJOR PROJECTS IN THAT FUND ARE, WE EXPECT TO, UH, BEGIN WORK ON OUR GARFIELD AVENUE AND 22ND STREET BRIDGE REPLACEMENT, WHICH, UH, SHOULD BE, UH, THE DESIGN SHOULD BE BEING COMPLETED AND WE PLAN FOR A FALL, UH, 2027 LETTING, AND THE PROJECT WILL LARGELY BE DONE IN 2028. IT WILL REQUIRE A CLOSURE OF THE BRIDGE FOR THAT SINCE IT'S STRUCTURALLY CANNOT SUPPORT, UH, BEING DONE HALF AT A TIME. AND THAT WILL BE FUNDED BY, UH, THROUGH DUOT'S FUNDING, WHICH IS, UH, THE SURFACE, UH, TRANSPORTATION, UH, FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND, UH, THE S - THE STATE MOTOR FUEL TAX FUND. AND WE ALSO PLAN ABOUT 3.5 MILLION IN STREET IM - STREET IMPROVEMENT WORK FUNDED BY THE S- STATE MOTOR FUEL TAXES. WE ALSO HAVE OUR FLEET MAINTENANCE FUND, WHICH IS FUND 60, WITH, UH, PLANNED EXPENDITURES OF AROUND 2.5 MILLION FOR VEHICLES, WHICH ARE FUNDED FROM THE EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT FUND, FROM THE GENERAL FUND, FROM THE WATER FUND, SEWER FUND, AND, UH, AND OTHER FUNDS. THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE FIRE APPARATUS EXPENDITURES. THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TAKES CARE OF THAT. AND THEN WE HAVE FUND 76, WHICH IS OUR SEWER CAPITAL FUND, WHICH IS A NEW FUND. UH, LARGELY, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL FUND THE BROADWAY SEWER PROJECT, WHICH IS, WHICH IS BEING LARGELY PAID FOR BY BROADWING. I'M SORRY, I SAID BROADWAY, BROADWAY SEWER PROJECT. ALSO THEN FUND 78, WHICH IS OUR S- STORM DRAINAGE FUND, WHICH WE EXPECT ABOUT 2.5 MILLION IN REVENUE FROM THAT FUND. WE'LL BE BEGINNING THE GARFIELD AND SUMMIT AREA DRAINAGE PROJECT, WHICH IS A LARGE PROJECT, UH, ABOUT $4.9 MILLION, WHICH WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, BEGINNING, UH, IN FALL OF NEXT YEAR. AND, UH, FUND 79, WHICH IS OUR SANITARY SEWER FUND, WHICH WE EXPECT GENERALLY ABOUT 8.6 MILLION IN REVENUE COMING FROM THAT FUND. THE BIG PROJECT COMING UP FOR THAT IS THE BROADWAY JASPER STREET SEWER LINING PROJECT, WHICH IS ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA FOR APPROVAL TONIGHT. UH, THAT'S ABOUT A $21 MILLION LOAN FROM THE, UH, STATE LOW, LOW INTEREST LOAN IMPROVEMENT FUND. AND THEN, UH, WE PLAN FOR 1.9 MILLION IN CURED IN PLACE LINING WORK IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER WORK WE DO OUT OF THAT FUND. LASTLY, OUR FUND, UH, 80 AND FUND 81, WHICH ARE WATER OPERATIONS AND WATER CAPITAL FUNDS. ON THE OPERATIONS SIDE, WE'VE PROPOSED A 300,000 INCREASE TO, UH, FUND TWO NEW WATER PLANT OPERATOR POSITIONS AT THE SOUTH WATER TREATMENT PLANT. PLANNED OPERATIONS HAVE STRUGGLED OVER THE PAST YEARS WITH A HIGH TURNOVER AND, UH, AND HIGH OVERTIME COSTS. AND THIS WILL ALLOW US TO, UH, STAFF THE, UH, SOUTH PLANT WITH TWO INDIVIDUALS ON, ON EACH SHIFT AND, UH, TO BE ON DUTY AT ALL TIMES TO INCREASE SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR THE WATER FACILITY. IT'S KIND OF A CREEPY PLACE WHEN YOU'RE THERE BY YOURSELF AT MIDNIGHT. I JUST, JUST, JUST SAY THAT. BUT, UH, ON THE CAPITAL SIDE, UH, THE PLANNING PROCESS WILL CONTINUE FOR THE, UH, FUTURE CAPACITY EXPANSION OF THE SOUTH WATER TREATMENT PLANT. THE LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT WORK WILL CONTINUE, WHICH IS EXPECTED ABOUT $5 MILLION EXPENDITURE THIS COMING YEAR, WHICH IS FUNDED LARGELY THROUGH STATE GRANTS. UH, WE HAVE THE, UH, $14 MILLION ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT WORK THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED LAST YEAR. UH, THEY'VE GOTTEN THE EQUIPMENT, LONG LE- LEAD TIME ON EQUIPMENT. THE EQUIPMENT IS COMING IN, AND SO THAT WORK WILL BEGIN AND WILL BE LARGELY COMPLETED OVER THE COMING YEAR. AND WE PLAN $3.6 MILLION IN WATERSHED WORK, UH, USING OUR, UH, REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT GRANT, WHICH, UH, THE CITY HAS RECEIVED ONE A FEW YEARS AGO, AND THEN JUST AS NOTIFIED THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED ANOTHER ONE FOR THIS COMING COUPLE OF YEARS, AND ALSO OUR SECTION 319 GRANTS TO, UH, HELP WORK ON THE WATERSHED. AND THAT'S KIND OF A BROAD OVERVIEW. UM, ONE COMMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT, UH, I GET QUESTIONS ONCE IN A WHILE ABOUT THE LOCAL MOTOR FUELS TAX, AND IF YOU WANNA SEE THE ROADS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE, DECATURIL.GOV, AND YOU CAN, UH, FOLLOW ALONG AND SEE WHAT ROADS ARE BEING FUNDED THROUGH THAT LOCAL MOTOR FUELS TAX. SO, [00:55:01] COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL? MATT, I HATE TO PUT YOU ON THE, BUT YOU KNOW EVERY YEAR I ASK WH- WHAT... GUESSTIMATE THE PERCENTAGE, UH, INCREASE IN YOUR INPUT COSTS FOR, UH, UH, DOING THE ROADS AND, AND, AND ALL THAT. I KNOW IT GOES UP, BUT DO YOU HAPPEN TO... I HATE TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT ANYBODY ELSE THAT'S GONNA GET UP, YOU MIGHT BE AWARE OF THAT. IF YOU CAN GIVE ME JUST AN ESTIMATE. OF WHAT THE INCREASE - YEAH. IS? YEAH. JUST - NOR- NORMALLY, IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING ABOUT A FOUR TO 5% INCREASE, BUT IT, IT VARIES OVER ALL OF THE PROJECTS. I MEAN, SOME, SOME MATERIALS ARE INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY. UM, SOME, SOME LESS SO ARE STAYING FAIRLY STABLE. I, I GUESS IT'S, IT'S HARD FOR ME JUST TO GIVE YOU A NUMBER, BUT I, I WOULD SAY GENERALLY, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AROUND 5%. PUT YOUR MIC ON, PLEASE. OH. UH, HAVE YOU SEEN A DECREASE IN THE STATE MOTOR FUEL TAX ARRIVING FOR, FOR, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY? I KNOW THERE WAS, THEY WERE CUTTING DOWN STATE, HOW MUCH IT WAS GONNA BE FROM, FROM PEORIA ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, TO, UH, THE BOTTOM OF THE STATE ON MOTOR FUEL TAX, BECAUSE THEY WERE MOVING IT INTO OTHER, OTHER DEPARTMENTS. HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING? I'VE ASKED IT A COUPLE TIMES, YOU HADN'T HAD ANY WORD, BUT HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING? I'VE HEARD THE RUMORS, BUT I HAVE NOT, UH, SEEN ANYTHING - SO IT IS COMING. I, I SAY I'VE HEARD RUMORS. YEAH. SO I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING IN, IN WRITING FROM THE STATE. 'CAUSE IT'S BEEN ON THE NEWS ON WLS AND OTHER RADIO STATIONS I LISTEN TO, SO IT'S COMING. SO THAT, THAT WOULD HURT US. OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. NOEL? MR. HORN? MR. NOLL, WE MIGHT AS WELL CONTINUE OUR DISCUSSION OF LOCAL ROADS. UH, IF WE THINK BACK TO A, A YEAR AGO, UM, WE LEARNED THROUGH THE, THE STREET CONDITION INDEX THAT, UM, DECATUR LOCAL ROADS WERE IN ABOUT THE WORST CONDITION THEY HAD BEEN IN ABOUT 20 YEARS. UM, HOW CAN WE USE LOCAL MOTOR FUEL TAX PLUS STATE MOTOR FUEL TAX TO REALLY MAKE A STRONGER, UM, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ROADS? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE PROJECTS YOU MENTIONED WITH STATE MOTOR FUEL TAX IS REHABILITATION OF A, OF A BRIDGE. UH, IS THERE LOCAL ROADS THAT ARE IN WORSE CONDITION THAN THAT BRIDGE THAT WOULD MERIT, UH, MORE FOCUS ON THOSE ROADS, AS AN EXAMPLE? I WOULD SAY THE, THE CONCERN ABOUT A BRIDGE IS, IS IF A BRIDGE GETS INTO A, A, A CONDITION SUCH THAT IT, UH, REQUIRES A, A LOAD LIMIT, THEN THAT WOULD BE A DRASTIC PROBLEM WITH A BRIDGE ON GARFIELD AVENUE, WHICH SEES A LOT OF HEAVY TRUCKS AND, UH, AND A LOT OF, A LOT OF LOADS. UH, SO, SO WE, WE'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT THE BRIDGES ARE, ARE GENERALLY AT CRITICAL PLACES THAT WE JUST DO NOT WANT TO SEE THEM, SEE THEM FALL APART, UH, BECAUSE THEY, THEY COULD HARM US CRITICALLY. I WOULD SAY THAT THERE'S NOT A ROAD THAT I WOULD PUT AHEAD OF THE BRIDGE, AND, AND A LOT, AND ALSO THE, THE BRIDGE IS RECEIVING 80% FEDERAL FUNDS, AND A LOCAL ROAD WILL NOT RECEIVE 80% FEDERAL FUNDS, GENERALLY, FOR, FOR RESURFACING OR RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, UNLESS IT'S A VERY MAJOR ROAD. WE, WE HAVE USED FEDERAL FUNDS ON SOME ROADS IN THE PAST, BIG PROJECTS, BUT, UH, UH, LARGELY FOR THE, THE EXPENDITURE, UH, AND USING FEDERAL FUNDS, THE, THE BRIDGE IS A VERY, A GOOD VALUE FOR THAT. OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. NEWELL? GUESS YOU GOT OFF EASY. THANK YOU, MR. NEWELL. NEXT, I'D LIKE TO HAVE, UH, IT DIRECTOR, TRAVIS SHANAMAN, COME UP. OH, GOOD EVENING. ALL RIGHT. IT. SO, THE IT DEPARTMENT HAS THE UNIQUE POSITION OF COMMUNICATING WITH ALL DEPARTMENTS. WE'RE INTERLINKED WITH EVERYTHING. IF IT'S A COMPUTER, WE TOUCH IT. IF IT'S A PHONE, WE TOUCH IT. WE DO THE AUDIOVISUAL WITHIN HERE AS WELL. SO, THE FY27 FOCUS FOR THE IT DEPARTMENT IS GONNA BE FINDING DUPLICATIVE SERVICES, FINDING SERVICES THAT DON'T PROVIDE VALUE, AND THEN CONSOLIDATING TO TRY TO REDUCE COSTS, PROVIDE BETTER VALUE, AND PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE DELIVERY OF IT. THAT'S OUR PLAN. WE DO HAVE TWO THINGS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS IN THE COMING YEAR. ONE IS THE ERP SYSTEM, UPGRADING THAT FROM ITS CURRENT 2024 [01:00:01] VERSION TO A BETTER VERSION, PREFERABLY THE CLOUD. UM, THE CLOUD WOULD SAVE US ABOUT 2.3,000 HOURS IN MANUAL LABOR HOURS IN UPDATES AND IN ON-PREMISE. UH, THE OTHER THING IS THE MICROSOFT... OUR MICROSOFT ENTITLEMENTS ARE EXPIRING THIS YEAR. WE'LL HAVE TO RENEGOTIATE THEM FOR NEXT YEAR. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO EXPAND OUR COLLABORATION PLATFORMS. WE CAN GET ACCESS TO BETTER TOOLS, BETTER SYSTEMS, WHETHER IT'S MANAGING OUR MOBILE DEVICES, MANAGING WIRELESS, AND PROVIDING BETTER SERVICE INTERNALLY FOR COLLABORATION PURPOSES. NOT VERY EXCITING PAST THAT. SO I'M STANDING BY FOR ANY QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS FOR, ABOUT IT. MS. GREGORY? IS THERE ANY PLANNED EXPANSION FOR THE FIBER? THE FIBER, THE CURRENT FIBER NETWORK IS COMPLETE AT THIS TIME. SO OUR PATH GOING FORWARD TO AGGRESSIVELY MARKET THE UNUSED FIBER, TRY TO GET IRUS SET UP WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE DARK FIBER PATH SERVICES AND/OR DO SOME SUB- SUB ALLOCATION OF OUR ICN NETWORK TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS AT OTHER PLACES AS WELL. AND SO DO YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR THE MARKETING OF THE FIBER? I'M GONNA MAKE A STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO DO THAT, PUT PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE AND POSSIBLY BRING IN AN IRU SPECIALIST AND MAYBE A FIBER, FIBER PLANT CABLE SPECIALIST TO HELP US. WE ALSO ARE IN CONTACT WITH DO IT AND THE ICN TO HELP US GET THIS GOING. I KNOW YOU WEREN'T HERE WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROJECT. I WON'T TELL YOU HOW LONG AGO THAT WAS BECAUSE THEN I HAVE TO TELL YOU HOW OLD I AM. BUT ANYWAY, I WAS HERE WHEN WE STARTED THAT PROJECT. MM-HMM. AND SO THE INITIAL THOUGHT DURING SOME OF THAT WAS THAT THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE A REVENUE STREAM. AND SO, UM, I WON'T BE HERE WHEN YOU HAVE A GOOD REVENUE STREAM, BUT, UH, I HOPE THAT YOU'RE WORKING TOWARDS DEVELOPING THAT. I, I DO BELIEVE IT'S STILL POSSIBLE, SO. OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. MCDANIEL. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA, OF COURSE, UH, COST OF LICENSE AND, AND ALL. ANY OVER LAST YEAR, CAN YOU KIND OF GUESSTIMATE HOW MUCH? I KNOW IN THE PAST IT'S GOTTEN LIKE 20, 30% OR, YOU KNOW, AND THAT. UH, GENERALLY WITH THE SOFTWARE LICENSING, WE'RE SEEING ANYWHERE FROM 2.5 TO 3.5. SO IT, IT MATCHES THE CPI FOR THE MOST PART. UM, WE HAVE SEEN SOME VENDORS DO SOME REALIGNMENT. WE'VE SEEN 205% INCREASES ON SOME THINGS. I LIKE, WILL NOT BE GOING FORWARD WITH THEM. THAT'S NOT ADDING VALUE TO THE SYSTEM. UM, WE DO HAVE, WE HAVE SEEN SOME MATERIAL COSTS GO UP, UH, EXPONENTIALLY. SO THAT'S GONNA KEEP ME FROM DOING ANY LARGE CAPITAL SERVER UPGRADES, WHICH AREN'T REALLY REQUIRED AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. MR. HORN? TRAVIS, THIS WAS A QUESTION THAT I ASKED, UH, CITY STAFF ON SEPTEMBER 10TH. I DON'T KNOW IF IT ACTUALLY MADE IT TO YOU, BUT AROUND THAT TIME, THE CITY COUNCIL HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT FLOCK CAMERA USES, AND ONE OF THE CONCERNS WAS ABOUT THE SECURITY OF THE FLOCK DATA STORED ON THE ADW, AWS SERVERS. AND, UH, THE QUESTION I HAD FOR STAFF WAS BASICALLY, DO WE NEED TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO REALLY ENSURE THAT THE DATA THAT'S ON THOSE SERVERS IS PROTECTED OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE IT DEPARTMENT CAN DO IN-HOUSE? YEP, I CAN MAKE A DETERMINATION ON THAT. UM, SO WE DID LOOK AT THE, THE ISO CERTIFICATIONS THAT FLOCK HAS. UM, THEY PRESENT A MATURE SECURITY PROGRAM. IT'S WELL DONE. IT'S ALSO, IT'S ALSO AUDITED BY THIRD PARTY LIKE BAKER TILLY. UM, ALL OF THEIR AUDIT MATERIAL WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO US. I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME. UM, IT'S PRETTY MATURE. NOW, AWS, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE IS THE AWS GOV CLOUD, WHICH FOLLOWS UNDER THE SAME STRINGENT REGULATIONS. SO DO YOU FEEL THAT THE, THE DATA THAT IS, UM, WITH THESE AWS SERVERS IS, LET'S SAY, AS SAFE AS BODY CAM VIDEO WOULD BE OR THE PROTECTION OF RESIDENT WATER BILL AND THAT INFORMATION? DIFFERENT REGULATORY APPROACH, SO IT'S HARD TO COMPARE THEM, APPLES AND ORANGES, BUT I WOULD SAY IT'S SAFE. COUNCILMAN COOPER? IF I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY, THE ERP SYSTEM, UM, KIND OF OUTDATED BECAUSE LAST OUTDATED IN 2024. IS THAT CORRECT? WE WERE ON THE 2024. 8 ON-PREMISE VERSION. OKAY. IT'S, TO CLARIFY, IT'S NOT, IT'S STILL IN SERVICE UNTIL NEXT YEAR. UNTIL NEXT YEAR. AND HOW MANY YEAR, ONCE WE RENEW IT, HOW MANY YEARS, UH, UH, ONGOING SERVICE WILL WE HAVE ON THE, UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM, ROUGHLY? 27. THAT'S, THAT'S THE END OF THIS VERSION. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? [01:05:01] COUNCILWOMAN CRUZ? THIS IS FOR THE CITY MANAGER. UM, WHAT IS THE COLA PERCENTAGE? UH, IT WOULD VARY BY THE, UH, AGREEMENT FOR THE VARIOUS BARGAINING UNITS. UM, SO I CAN, IF YOU'RE WANTING THOSE BY - FOR NON-UNION EMPLOYEES. GENERALLY, WE TRY TO STAY IN LINE WITH, UM, WHAT THE AVERAGES ARE FOR THE, UH, BARGAINING AGREEMENTS IN ORDER TO NOT CREATE ANY COMPRESSION ISSUES. SO I THINK RIGHT NOW THAT IS BUDGETED AT AROUND 4%. SO, UM, I, UM, I'M JUST LOOKING AT LIKE THE SALARY PERCENTAGES. SO I'M SEEING 20% INCREASE, UM, FOR IT AND 41% FOR HR. UM, COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? SURE. UM, AND, AND THOSE ITEMS WERE REVIEWED IN THE MEETINGS THAT I HAD WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO GET INTO MORE DETAIL, WE CAN RESCHEDULE, UM, YOUR MEETING IF YOU'D LIKE TO DO THAT AS WELL. UM, RIGHT NOW, THIS IS THE DRAFT BUDGET THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, AND SO I DID REVIEW ADDITIONAL POSITIONS THAT WERE BEING REQUESTED. AND SO SOME OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS IN THEM, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THE CONVERSATIONS THAT THOSE POSITIONS WILL REMAIN IN THERE. ANYONE ELSE? MS. GREGORY? ON THAT NOTE, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER, ONE OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE TOOK ON WAS TO MAKE THE CITY OF DECATUR A DESIRABLE PLACE TO WORK. UM, I HAPPEN TO WORK FOR STATE GOVERNMENT, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IN STATE GOVERNMENT IS WE LET, UH, WELL, WE DON'T LET, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CREATES NEW PROGRAMS AND PASSES THEM ONTO THE AGENCY. SO THEY'RE THE LEGISLATORS. THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS HERE THAT WANT TO CREATE NEW PROGRAMS AND PASS THEM ON TO THE STAFF. BUT THE THING THAT ALWAYS GETS LOST THAT IS REALLY NOT GOOD IS THAT THERE IS NO CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO THE AMOUNT OF STAFF THAT ARE NEEDED TO RUN ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT THEM TO DO. SO IT IS REALLY IMPERATIVE THAT IF WE WANT TO DELIVER QUALITY SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS, THAT WE ENSURE THAT OUR STAFF ARE IN PLACE AND THAT THEY ARE MAKING A SALARY THAT IS COMMISERATE WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES OUR SAME SIZE. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY, NEXT UP. NEXT, WE'LL CALL UP CHIEF ALLEN. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSED 27 BUDGET, I GUESS THE HIGHLIGHTS OF IT. THE BUDGET REFLECTS OUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY, MAINTAINING OPERATIONAL READINESS, SUPPORTING OUR PERSONNEL AND RESPONSIBLY MANAGING THE C- CITY RESOURCES. OUR PRIMARY FOCUS REMAINS ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THE PERSONNEL, THE EQUIPMENT, THE TRAINING, AND THE TECHNOLOGY NECESSARY TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE POLICE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY. THE OVERALL BUDGET INCREASE IN 27 IS PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTABLE TO PERSONNEL RELATED EXPENSES, AND AS SOME OF THE OTHER DIRECTORS HAVE MENTIONED, WE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE, HAVE ALSO WORKED TO MAINTAIN OPERATING EXPENSES AT ESSENTIALLY THE SAME LEVEL AS LAST YEAR. SO SEVERAL KEY AREAS THAT ARE REFLECTED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. FIRST IS OUR OVERTIME AND OUR STAFFING COVERAGE. OUR BUDGET REQUEST IS TO REMAIN FOR OVERTIME AT $2 MILLION. THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE PAST FEW YEARS. THESE FUNDS ARE NECESSARY TO ADDRESS STAFFING VACANCIES, TO CONTINUE TO MAIN SHIFT COVERAGE AND TO RESPOND TO MAJOR INCIDENTS AND OTHER OPERATIONAL DEMANDS. THE FUNDING HELPS ENSURE WE CAN CONTINUE PROVIDING ESSENTIAL SERVICES DESPITE SOME OF THE STAFFING CHALLENGES WE STILL FACE. ANOTHER ONE IS TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. CONTINUED INVESTMENT AND TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAINING PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, TO MEETING STATE REQUIRED MANDATES FOR TRAINING, IMPROVE OFFICER EFFECTIVENESS, AND PREPARE OUR PERSONNEL TO, UH, MEET THE EVOLVING PUBLIC SAFETY DEMANDS. AND ALSO A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE TRAINING BUDGET IS ALSO DEDICATED TO OUR RECRUIT TRAINING EXPENSES AT THE POLICE ACADEMY. TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT, THE PROPOSED BUDGET ADDRESSES ONGOING SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY EXPENSES. IT ALSO INCLUDES REQUESTS TO REPLACE OUR DRONES THAT WERE DEFERRED IN THE 2026 BUDGET AND TO BEGIN A PHASED IN APPROACH TO THE REPLACEMENT OF [01:10:01] OUR TASER UNITS. TECHNOLOGY AND RELIABLE EQUIPMENT SUPPORT OFFICER SAFETY AND SUSTAIN OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES. RECRUITING AND TESTING, THAT FUNDING SUPPORTS OUR CONTINUED RECRUITING AND IN TESTING EFFORTS TO ATTRACT QUALIFIED APPLICANTS, STRENGTHEN OUR STAFFING NUMBERS AND WORK TOWARDS STABILIZING OUR DEPARTMENT STAFFING, WHICH HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO EARLY IN 2027. UH, THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT AND FLEET HAVE BEEN, UM, ADDED TO OUR POLICE BUDGET. THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCORPORATES EXPENSES FOR OUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT UNIT AND THE SOFTWARE TO RUN THAT SYSTEM, AS WELL AS EQ- EQUIPMENT TO, UH, UH, OUTFIT ONE OF THE PARKING CARS. AND ALSO THIS YEAR, OUR, OUR FLEET PURCHASE OF NEW VEHICLES HAS BEEN ADDED TO OUR BUDGET. THIS CHANGE FROM FLEET REFLECTS A SHIFT IN THE BUDGET ALLOCATION, BUT NOT IN ADDITION TO THE CITY'S OVERALL FLEET EXPENSES. AND THEN SPECIAL FUNDS AND GRANTS, THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO MANAGE SEVERAL SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS THAT SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVES WHILE HELPING REDUCE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT ON OUR GENERAL FUND. WE ALSO CONTINUE TO ACTIVELY PURSUE GRANTS THAT ALIGN WITH OUR OPERATIONAL NEEDS AND OUR LONG-TERM PRIORITIES. CURRENT GRANT FUNDING THAT WE HAVE TO OFFSET SOME EXPENSES IS ONE ASSOCIATED WITH OUR AXON PRODUCT SUITE, THE ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT GRANT, OUR NEW DARE PROGRAM, AND, UM, SOME OF OUR OVERTIME IS SUPPORTED THROUGH JAG GRANTS AND ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION GRANTS. THE STATE OF ILLINOIS IS ALSO CURRENTLY PROVIDING 100% REIMBURSEMENT TO THE CITY FOR OUR POLICE ACADEMY EXPENSES. SO WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO SEEK ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT THE DEPARTMENT PRIORITIES AND MAXIMIZE THE USE OF OUR AVAILABLE RESOURCES. SO AS IN PRIOR YEARS, THE DEPARTMENT'S WORKED TO BALANCE OUR OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS WITH OUR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. THESE PRIORITIES ARE INTENDED TO SUSTAIN PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES, ADDRESS EXISTING NEEDS, AND ENSURE THE DEPARTMENT REMAINS EQUIPPED TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF. WOW, I GOT OFF REAL EASY. I GUESS YOU'RE GETTING OFF REALLY EASY, CHIEF. THANK YOU. THANKS. IT'S NOT GONNA BE THAT EASY FOR FIRE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. OUR PRIORITIES REMAIN MAINTAINING EMERGENCY RESPONSE READINESS, SUPPORTING OUR FIREFIGHTERS, REPLACING AND UPGRADING ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT, AND MAKING NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR FACILITIES. WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A BROAD RANGE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, INCLUDING FIRE PREVENTION AND PUBLIC EDUCATION. I'M GONNA START WITH OUR STAFFING. WE ARE STAFFED FOR, APPROVED FOR 109, UM, AND ALTHOUGH WE'RE NOT QUITE AS, AS LOW AS PD IS, UH, WE SHOULD BE 107 WITH THE THREE WE JUST HIRED AND GOT OUT OF THE ACADEMY. SO WE'RE SITTING OKAY. WE HAVE A LOT OF INJURIES RIGHT NOW, SO THAT HAS AFFECTED OUR OVERTIME BUDGET AND THE WEAR AND TEAR ON OUR FIREFIGHTERS AS WELL. SO WE'D LIKE TO GET THOSE FIREFIGHTERS BACK AND, AND HEALTHY AND, AND, UH, BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN STAFFING WITHOUT HAVING TO MANDATORY, UH, FIREFIGHTERS INTO WORK ON THEIR DAYS OFF. UM, BEYOND THAT, UH, THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT REALLY SETS WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR STAFFING IS AND WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR, UH, SALARIES ARE. UM, THE PROPOSED RECRUIT TRAINING, WE HAVE RECRUIT TRAINING IN THERE TOO. UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY SIX OR SEVEN, UM, SENDING TO THE ACADEMY AGAIN THIS YEAR, AND IT'S ROUGHLY $15,000 WITH HOTEL MEALS AND, AND, UH, TUITION OVER THERE. UM, SOME OF THE KEY, KEY, UH, BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS, UH, BECAUSE OVER, OVERTIME AND TRAINING HAD TO BE INCREASED A LITTLE BIT, OUR TRAINING, JUST LIKE PD, WE HAVE, WE HAVE MANDATES BY THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL THAT WE HAVE TO DO. WE HAVE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND CONTINUING EDUCATION THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO KEEP OUR CERTIFICATIONS, UM, AND TO KEEP OUR SKILLS UP. UM, I DID, UM, REALLOCATE. WE HAD A ADVANCED EMT CLASS THIS YEAR, AND I'M REDIRECTING THAT TO OUR OFFICER DEVELOPMENT. SO MY PLAN IS, MOVING FORWARD, IS TO EVERY OTHER YEAR, WE'RE GONNA DO OFFICER DEVELOPMENT ONE YEAR AND THEN ADVANCED EMT BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT. WE WENT SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS WITHOUT SENDING, UM, UH, MEMBERS TO ADVANCED EMT, AND WE GOT REALLY BEHIND. SO I'D LIKE TO, EVERY OTHER YEAR, PUT ON OUR OWN CLASS. AND WE'RE DOING THAT CLASS WITHIN THE DECATUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. UM, WE HAVE OUR OWN INSTRUCTORS. UM, RECRUIT TRAINING, I COVERED, UH, FACILITIES AND MEDICAL EQUIPMENT. STATION SIX, WHICH IS THE SOUTH SHORE SHORE STATION, ITS ROOF IS IN REALLY BAD SHAPE. WE CONTINUE TO PATCH, WE CONTINUE TO REPAIR, BUT IT'S, IT'S TIME FOR A NEW ONE, UM, AND THAT'S, UH, A VERY [01:15:01] EXPENSIVE, UM, ENDEAVOR, ABOUT $71,000 WORTH, WERE THE QUOTES WE GOT. THE CARDIAC MONITORS WE HAD TO INCLUDE IN THE BUDGET. NOW WE LEASED THEM THAT WE APPROVED THIS YEAR, SO WE'LL HAVE THAT IN OUR BUDGET EVERY YEAR. BUT IT'S, IT WAS A, IT WAS A GREAT DECISION TO DO THAT. WE, WE RETAIN OUR EMT ADVANCE LEVEL AND, UM, WITH THE INCREASE IN CALLS, THE INCREASE IN AMBULANCE CALLS, SOMETIMES THERE'S, UH, MORE OF A DELAY AND WE CAN GIVE MORE CARE TO, TO OUR CITIZENS WITH THESE NEW TOOLS THAT YOU HAVE HELPED US PROVIDE. BEYOND THAT, IT'S, UH, FIREFIGHTER SAFETY AND EQUIPMENT. IT'S, IT'S THE SAME, SAME ITEMS WE, UH, PROVIDE EVERY YEAR AND, UM, SOFTWARE. WE UPGRADED OUR SOFTWARE AND OUR TECHNOLOGY A LOT IN 2026, SO IT'S GONNA JUST BE MAINTAINING THAT, UM, IN YEARS TO COME. UM, OTHER, OTHER THINGS THAT WE GOT, HAVE IN THERE ARE PORTABLE RADIOS. WE DID A LOT THROUGH GRANTS. WE GOT SEVERAL PORTA- PORTABLE RADIOS, BUT WE INTEND TO GET A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THOSE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS. UM, GRANT STRATEGY, WE ARE SEEKING, W- WE'RE SEEKING A GRANT TO REPLACE THE ROOF ON STATION SIX. SO THERE ARE GRANTS OUT THERE TO PROVIDE US, UM, WITH, TO OFFSET SOME OF, SOME OF OUR, UM, EXPENSES. UM, THE PROPOSED 2027 BUDGET IS FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING THE SERVICES TO OUR RESIDENTS D - THAT DEPEND ON WHILE ADDRESSING STAFFING DEMANDS, NECESSARY FACILITY REPAIRS, AND THE CONTINUED REPLACEMENT OF CRITICAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT. OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE RESPONDING TO THESE DEMANDS EVERY DAY, INCLUDING FILLING VACANCIES THROUGH OVERTIME AND MANDATORY CALLBACKS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE RESPONSIBLE WITH CITY RESOURCES AND ACTIVELY PURSUE GRANTS WHEREVER POSSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF, MR. COLBERT? I'M AFRAID MY INQUIRY MIGHT INVOLVE A DEEPER DISCUSSION - OKAY. POSSIBLY. UH, STATION SIX, IT'S, IT'S AGE, UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT A ROOF RIGHT NOW, UH, BUT I WANNA PAUSE THERE WITH THAT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF GROWTH AND WE'RE HAPPY ABOUT THE GROWTH ON THE, IN THE SOUTH SHORES AREA, BUT YOUR DISTRICT FOR THAT STATION HOUSE IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST SOUTH SHORES. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE LOOKING AT A ROOF, WE'RE LOOKING AT GROWTH SOUTH, IS IT TIME WE ALSO LOOK AT POSSIBLY INCREASING THE NUMBERS OR INCREASING, MAYBE POSSIBLY LOOKING AT A NEW HOUSE DOWN SOUTH? IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN DISCUSSED AMONGST US, BUT, UM, RIGHT NOW, THE STATION IS IN GOOD R - ENOUGH R - ENOUGH... A NEW ROOF WOULD, WOULD HELP IT RIGHT NOW. WE'VE DONE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE LAST... WE DID THE STUDY ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO AND DID A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS TO ALL THOSE STATION FOUR, STATION SIX, AND STATION TWO, UM, THE ONES THAT WE DIDN'T REPLACE WITH THE NEW STATION REPLACEMENT. UM, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT IN BAD SHAPE, UM, AND, AND STATION SIX REALLY SITS IN A REALLY GOOD SPOT WHERE IT CAN ACCESS THE CITY QUICKLY ACROSS THE BRIDGE AND STILL TAKE CARE OF THAT SOUTH SHORES AREA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS, COUNCILMAN COOPER? I, I KNOW IN THE PAST YEARS, UH, YOU'VE BEEN, UM, WORKING ON TRIA- TRIAGING CALLS AND TRYING TO CUT DOWN SOME OF THE DUPLICATIONS OF, UH, RESPONSES. UH, HOW, HOW IS THAT GOING, AND IS THERE ANYTHING YOU GOT COMING UP IN 27 TO BETTER IMPROVE THAT, OR WHERE ARE WE AT WITH THAT? TH- THAT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. WE HAVE EM- EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH, AND SO THROUGH OUR CIRDC, THEY TAKE THE INFORMATION, IF THEY CAN GET THE INFORMATION, SOMETIMES THE CALLERS DON'T PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THEY NEED AND HANG UP OR THEY, THEY CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CALL IS. UM, BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IF THEY CALL 911, WE GOT, WE, WE RESPOND. IT'S, IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S ON US TO DO THAT. NOW, IF THE, THE AMBULANCE SITUATION, UM, IT'S, IT'S... THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING SIX CARS ON THE STREETS ALL THE TIMES, UM, WHICH TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, THEY WERE DOWN TO TWO TO FOUR AMBULANCES AT A TIME, BUT THE CALL VOLUME JUST CONTINUES TO INCREASE. THROUGH THAT, THROUGH, THROUGH THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH, UM, THEY CAN WEED OUT SOME OF THOSE CALLS. SO WE'VE STOPPED GOING ON IF THE AMBULANCE IS, IS AVAILABLE FOR, FOR LIFT AS - FOR LIFT ASSISTS OR IF SOMEBODY'S ON THE GROUND, WE'RE NOT GONNA LEAVE ANYBODY ON THE GROUND BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AVAILABLE RESOURCES IF THE AMBULANCE ISN'T THERE. SO LONG STORY SHORT, WE HAVE... WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO TAKE THE, SOME OF THE CALLS DOWN IS, FOR EXAMPLE, A SUPERVISORY ALARM BEFORE. WE HAD TWO, TWO APPARATUS THAT RAN TO THOSE, RARELY EVER NEEDED. IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S USUALLY AN ALARM OR ALARM POLE. WE SEND ONE. UM, FOR A GAS LEAK, WE USED TO SEND THREE, WE SENT ONE. UM, THINGS LIKE THAT TO KEEP THE WEAR AND TEAR OFF OF OUR EMPLOYEES. AND THEN ONE FOLLOW-UP. UM, I KNOW WE, UM, THE COUNCIL APPROVED OR YOU APPROVED IN YOUR, THROUGH YOUR OPERATIONS, UM, RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES HAVING TO PAY FOR LIFTS SERVICES. [01:20:01] HOW HAS THAT BEEN WORKING OR IS THAT WORKING WITH ALL THE LOCATIONS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I RA- RAN THOSE NUMBERS TODAY. UH, IN THE LAST YEAR, UM, $48,000 IS, IS WHAT THEY HAVE PAID US. UM, $500 PER LIFT DIVIDED BY 48,000. THAT'S... THERE, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL SEV... AND IT HAS ACTUALLY SLOWED DOWN THE NUMBER, BUT, UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY CREATED A LITTLE REVENUE WHERE WE DON'T CREATE ANY REVENUE. MR. HORN? UH, CHIEF, UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. ONE, YOU MENTIONED, UM, A NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS BEING INJURED AND THE NEED FOR OVERTIME. DO YOU STILL STRIVE TO GET TO THREE PEOPLE PER APPARATUS? IS THAT STILL THE CASE? YEAH, THAT IS OUR MINIMUM STAFFING ON, ON EVERY COMPANY. WE HAVE THREE, THREE ON EIGHT COMPANIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, SO 24 IS OUR MINIMUM PER DAY. OKAY. AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION, UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO, UM, YOU SENT A, A SPREADSHEET WITH A LIST OF ALL THE STRUCTURE FIRES, WHICH I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT. AND I KNOW WE ARE WORKING ON A MAP OF WHERE THE STRUCTURE FIRES HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS. UM, THIS, THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S FIRE DEPARTMENT, ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, OR IT THAT IS CREATING THE MAP, BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO HAVE WHEN WE COME TO BUDGETS BECAUSE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAD A TWO-YEAR PLAN WITH, UM, PRIORITY NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE STRUCTURE FIRES ARE TAKING PLACE IS ACTUALLY MATCHING UP WITH THE PRIORITY NEIGHBORHOODS. AND SO THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO HAVE NOW THAT WE'RE IN BUDGET TIME SO WE CAN EVALUATE SOME. CERTAINLY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I GUESS YOU GOT OFF PRETTY EASY TOO. THANKS, JAY. THANK YOU. NOW GONNA ASK THE COUNCIL TO BEAR WITH ME. I DO HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION. THIS IS ALL INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE ALL HEARD AND WE'VE DISCUSSED, BUT I DID FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR, UH, THOSE HERE TONIGHT AND, UM, ALSO FOR THOSE WATCHING AT HOME. SO, UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WANTED TO GO OVER WHAT OUR, UH, TAX LEVY AND BUDGET DISCUSSIONS WE'VE BEEN HAVING, UM, SHOWING TO THE PUBLIC THE F - THE EXAMPLES OF WHAT A FULLY FUNDED TAX LEVY WOULD MEAN FOR THE CITY. SO OVER TIME, AS, AS COUNCIL HAVE, HAVE APPROVED ITEMS SUCH AS OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND DEBT, THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT OUR PROPERTY TAX LEVY SHOULD FUND, SHOULD FUND OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND DEBT, OUR POLICE PENSION, FIRE PENSION, UH, LIBRARY, AND MUNICIPAL BOND. SO IF WE WERE TO FULLY FUND THOSE ITEMS WITH OUR TAX LEVY, THE TOTAL TAX LEVY WOULD BE AROUND $19.7 MILLION WITH A TAX RATE OF 1.517650. IF WE DID A FULLY FUNDED TAX LEVY, THAT WOULD REQUIRE US TO TAKE ZERO FUNDING FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO COVER ANY OF THESE ITEMS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. IF WE WERE TO, UM, MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT TAX RATE OF 1.38467, UM, THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT WE WOULD TAKE ABOUT 1.8 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND. SO YOU'LL SEE HERE IT'S SHOWING THAT WE'RE NOT FUNDING ANY OF THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND DEBT BECAUSE THAT'S APPROXIMATELY THE AMOUNT WE WOULD NEED TO TAKE OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND TO COVER THE DIFFERENCE, UH, THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING OUT OF THE, UM, FULL TAX LEVY. SO IT WOULD ALLOW US TO FUND POLICE, FIRE, LIBRARY, AND THE MUNICIPAL BAND, AND THEN STILL REQUIRING THAT APPROXIMATELY 1.8 FOR US TO TAKE FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO, UM, PAY FOR THOSE OTHER ITEMS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. IF WE WERE TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT LEVY, THAT WOULD KEEP THE RATE AT THAT 1.28658... I'M SORRY, THIS WOULD BE A REDUCTION FROM OUR CURRENT RATE. SO OUR CURRENT RATE IS 1.38467. IF WE ARE TO RETAIN THE LEVY AMOUNT FOR THIS NEXT, NEXT, UH, 2026 TAX LEVY, UH, THAT OUR RATE WOULD DROP TO 1.28658, AND WE WOULD HOLD THAT LEVY AMOUNT AT 16.7 MILLION, APPROXIMATELY. AND THEN THIS WOULD REQUIRE US TO TAKE AROUND THREE MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO FUND THOSE OTHER OBLIGATIONS THAT WE ARE NOT FUNDING WITH THE PROPERTY TAX LEVY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. APOLOGIES, THIS IS HARD TO READ. I KNOW IT'S VERY SMALL, BUT I WANTED TO SHOW KIND OF WHERE WE ARE IN REGARDS TO THE FULL TAX BILL, UH, WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT, UM, TAXING BODIES. WE JUST DID THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF TAX RATE, UH, LEVY AMOUNT AND, UM, LEVY AMOUNT CHANGE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR FOR THE MAIN TAXING BODIES. WE DIDN'T DO FOR ALL OF THEM, BUT FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, [01:25:01] THE CITY, THE PARK DISTRICT, MACON COUNTY, RICHLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND SANITARY DISTRICT, YOU CAN SEE HERE FOR THIS, THE CURRENT YEAR, UH, WE ARE APPROXIMATELY 14.8% OF THE TAX BILL. WE DID HOLD THAT LEVY FLAT, SO THERE WAS NO LEVY CHANGE, UH, FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND HOLDING THAT RATE AT 1.38. AS I'M SURE MOST PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS THE LARGEST PERCENT OF ABOUT 40, 49.4% OF THE TOTAL TAX LEVY. UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO SHOW THAT ALL OF THE OTHER TAXING BODIES HAVE HAD A PERCENT OF LEVY INCREASE OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR. SO, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAD, UH, THREE, ABOUT 3%, PARK DISTRICT ABOUT 7%, MACON COUNTY ABOUT TWO, UH, RICHLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE, 5%, AND SANITARY DISTRICT, UH, ABOUT 1.97% IN THEIR LEVY AMOUNT CHANGE. UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THIS, ONCE AGAIN, SORRY, IT'S, UH, NOT, UH, REAL EASY TO SEE, BUT THIS JUST PROVIDES KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF, OF WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN, UM, FOR AN AVERAGE HOME VALUED AT 100,000, 200,000, 300,000. SO IF WE FULLY FUNDED THE TAX LEVY, PAID FOR ALL THE ITEMS THAT WE SHOULD WITH THE PROPERTY TAX LEVY, DID THAT FULLY FUNDED AMOUNT, IF YOU HAD 100,000 HOME, YOUR PROPERTY TAX WOULD GO UP ABOUT $7 A MONTH FOR A TOTAL, UM, OF ABOUT 8,287 PER YEAR. A $200,000 HOME WOULD BE ABOUT $14 PER MONTH INCREASE, A $300,000 HOME, ABOUT $20 A MONTH INCREASE. IF WE WERE TO MAINTAIN OUR TAX RATE, SO WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY ARE AT THAT, LIKE, 1.3, IF YOU HAD $100,000 HOME, YOUR PER MONTH INCREASE WOULD BE ABOUT $3, 200,000 HOME... $200,000 HOME, ABOUT A SIX PER - $6 INCREASE A MONTH, OR A $300,000 HOME, ABOUT $9 A MONTH INCREASE. IF WE HOLD THE LEVY FLAT, YOU'LL SEE AT THAT VERY BOTTOM ONE, IN SOME CASES, THEY'LL ACTUALLY BE PAYING LESS BECAUSE THE RATE IS DROPPING. AND SO, UH, FOR $100,000 HOME, IT'S ACTUALLY A DECREASE OF ABOUT 24 CENTS A MONTH, 200,050 CENTS, AND THEN ABOUT 73 CENTS FOR A $300,000 HOME. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO STAFF RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO HOLD THE CURRENT TAX RATE OF 1.38467. UM, AS OF TODAY, THE GENERAL FUND, AS IT SITS, HAS ABOUT A $2.45 MILLION DEFICIT, IS WHERE WE CURRENTLY ARE WITH THE DRAFT. UM, HOLDING THE RATE WOULD REDUCE THE GENERAL FUND IMPACT BY APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILLION, BECAUSE AS I SAID, IN THOSE INSTANCES, WHEN WE'RE NOT FULLY FUNDING THE LEVY, WE'RE TAKING THE REMAINDER OF, OF WHAT'S NEEDED TO COVER THOSE ITEMS OUT OF OUR GENERAL FUND. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UH, SHOULD THE COUNCIL DECIDE TO HOLD THE LEVY AT THE 16.7, UH, WE DO ANTICIPATE THERE BEING A 2026 GENERAL FUND SURPLUS. UH, THAT SURPLUS COULD BE USED TO COVER ALL OR, OR A PORTION OF THAT 2.45 DEFICIT, UM, OUT OF THE, THE GENERAL FUND. WE DISCUSSED LAST YEAR WE CREATED THAT STRATEGIC INITIATIVES FUND FOR THE COUNCIL. WE TALKED ABOUT IF THERE WAS A SURPLUS, WE WOULD PUT THE MONEY IN THAT STRATEGIC INITIATIVES FUND. THE COUNCIL COULD DECIDE THAT WITH THAT SURPLUS, WE WANT TO COVER, UH, THAT, THAT GENERAL FUND DEFICIT. AND THEN, UM, AS YOU'RE ALL AWARE THAT, THAT SURPLUS IS KIND OF A MOVING TARGET, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE'RE STILL WITHIN THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH IT. SO DEPENDING ON AVAILABLE SURPLUS, UM, WE WILL LOOK AT MAKING REDUCTIONS IN EXPENSES, KIND OF LOOKING AT DELAYING EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES, PROBABLY DELAY OF BUILDING REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, UH, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. UH, WE'LL START TO LOOK AT, UH, WHAT WE FEEL MAYBE WE CAN KIND OF PULL BACK ON, UH, IF WE NEED TO, IF THE SURPLUS ISN'T GOING TO BE THERE TO COVER THAT FULL DEFICIT. AND LASTLY, JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC, UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS IS THE ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE FOR THESE DISCUSSIONS. SO TONIGHT, OUR NEXT ITEM WILL UN- UNVEIL THE TAX LEVY ESTIMATE, AND, UH, WE ANTICIPATE CONTINUING BUDGET DISCUSSIONS AT OUR NEXT MEETING IN NOVEMBER. WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH, UM, THE BUDGET ITEMS FOR COUNCIL, AND I, LIKE I SAID, I ANTICIPATE, UM, HAVING ADDITIONAL DRAFTS TO COUNCIL AS WELL AS WE WORK THROUGH THE DISCUSSIONS. WE ARE LOOKING TO HOLD OUR BUDGET HEARING AND ADOPTION AT OUR DECEMBER 7TH MEETING, THE TAX LEVY HEARING AND ADOPTION AT THE DECEMBER 14TH MEETING, UH, WHICH IS, HAS BEEN ADDED, AND IF WE NEED TO, WE'LL SAVE THAT DECEMBER 21ST MEETING IF WE NEED TO, UM, IN ORDER TO TAKE THE TAX LEVY HEARING AND ADOPTION. BUT IF EVERYTHING'S BEEN PASSED, WE'LL LOOK TO, UH, GO AHEAD AND CANCEL THAT DECEMBER [01:30:01] 21ST MEETING. AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER FOR ANY QUESTIONS. SO TO THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER, IF YOU JUST SAY, "WELL, THEN WE'VE GOT TO GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO GET, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE MILLION DOLLARS OUT TO COVER THESE OTHER EXPENSES." CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN BRIEFLY WHY THAT'S A BIG DEAL AND NOT THE BEST PRACTICE? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US HAVE IDEAS AND WE HAVE CITIZENS WHO HAVE IDEAS ABOUT THINGS WE SHOULD BE DOING AND WE SHOULD BE DOING MORE DEMOLITIONS, WE SHOULD BE DOING MORE OF THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER THING. BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT THE BEST PRACTICE, CORRECT? IT IS, IT IS NOT. IT, BECAUSE REALLY, I MEAN, AS, AS A GOVERNMENT ENTITY AND WITH WHAT WE DO, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS A SERVICE. AND WE ARE PEOPLE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE. AND, UM, SO WHEN WE'RE SEEING A DECREASE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT PRIVATE. WE CAN'T MAKE MORE OF A PRODUCT AND SELL MORE PRODUCT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND DO THAT. SO WE HAVE TO ADJUST. AND WHEN WE TAKE THAT OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND TO COVER, UH, THE COST OF THOSE ITEMS, WHAT IT MEANS IS A REDUCTION OF SERVICE. SO EITHER WE'RE LOOKING AT HOLDING THINGS WHERE WE, WHERE THEY ARE, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT WHERE WE DO HAVE AREAS WHERE WE DO NEED ADDITIONAL STAFF, NOT ADDING THOSE STAFF. UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UM, WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, BUT I MEAN, WHERE WE ARE, UH, I, NOT ON THE TIMELINE I HAD HOPED TO BE ON FOR OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR. I KNOW THERE'S BEEN COMMENTS THAT WE JUST GOT THE BUDGET BOOK AND THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT MY GOAL, BUT WHEN YOU ARE STAFFED IN A WAY WHERE YOU KIND OF ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON FOR EACH THING AND THEN YOU'RE MISSING MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN THAT DEPARTMENT, UH, IT'S, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THE WORK PRODUCT DONE. AND SO AS WE'RE TAKING THE MONEY OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, UH, THAT LIMITS, UM, THE, WHAT WE CAN DO AND, AND PROVIDING SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL. MAYOR, AS I SAID, UH, LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD THIS, IF WE KEEP POSTPONING THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE, THAT, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, OTHER AREAS THAT PEOPLE RELY ON, IT'S GONNA COST THE CITY AND THE TAXPAYERS EVEN MORE DOWN THE ROAD. SO AGAIN, UM, YEAH, IT'S NICE TO SAY NOBODY, NOBODY WANTS TO SEE INCREASES IN PROPERTY TAX AND THAT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU WANT ALL THE PEOPLE, CITIZENS AND ALL OF US WANT THE SERVICES. IT ALL COSTS, UH, YOU KNOW, AS INDIVIDUALS, OUR COSTS GO UP, BUT SO DOES GOVERNMENT COSTS, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE COST OF SUPPLIES AND, AND EVERYTHING KEEP GOING UP AND THAT. AND, BUT I WILL COMPLIMENT, AND I, I, I THINK I DID LAST YEAR, THAT, UH, CITY STAFF IS VERY GOOD ABOUT GETTING GRANTS AND THAT, THAT HAS REALLY HELPED. AND, BUT THAT COULD DRY UP DOWN THE ROAD. SO WE, BUT AGAIN, I COMPLIMENT ALL OF THEM ON, ON GETTING THE GRANTS AND, AND LOOKING FOR WAYS TO SAVE MONEY. WELL, ALONG WITH THAT, I MEAN, WE HAD YEARS, OR AT LEAST ONE YEAR I CAN RECALL, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN 2010, I COULD BE OFF, WE DIDN'T REPLACE POLICE CARS AND OUR POLICE CARS WEREN'T WORKING. AND YOU CAN GET IN A BIND BECAUSE AS PAT SAID, IT GETS WORSE AND WORSE. THE OTHER, THEY DON'T JUST GET BETTER SITTING ON THE SIDE. SO COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY? SEVERAL COMMENTS. FIRST, UM, I ATTENDED MY BUDGET MEETINGS WITHOUT THE BUDGET BOOK AND I APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU TOOK IN, UH, IN ANSWERING ALL OF MY QUESTIONS AND HELPING ME UNDERSTAND. CERTAINLY PREPARES ME MUCH MORE FOR THE DISCUSSION WE'RE HAVING TONIGHT. SO THANK YOU. UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I, UH, WANNA SAY, UM, SIMILAR TO WHAT PAT AND THE MAYOR HAVE SAID, UM, I CAME ON THIS COUNCIL 12 YEARS AGO FOLLOWING A COUNCIL THAT HAD KEPT POSTPONING AND POSTPONING AND POSTPONING. AND MY VERY FIRST BUDGET VOTE WAS FOR A 14% INCREASE. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT AND IT IS A LOT, BUT THAT'S THE REALITY THAT WHEN YOU HAVE TO PLAY CATCH UP, IT HURTS. SO I, I AM, UM, OPPOSED TO CONTINUALLY REMOVING DOLLARS FROM OUR GRF. UM, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER IN THE NEW BUDGET, UM, BECAUSE OF THE, SOME THINGS THE COMMUNITY HAS EXPERIENCED RECENTLY. SO WE HAVE THE STRATEGIC FUND, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A GRANT FUND THAT I BELIEVE IS IN COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WE HANDED OUT SMALL GRANTS TO SOCIAL NOT-FOR-PROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY. I REALLY THINK IT'S TIME TO ROLL THOSE DOLLARS INTO THE STRATEGIC FUND BECAUSE IT IS CLEAR [01:35:01] TO ME, UM, SINCE SEPTEMBER THAT WE HAVE, UM, A VERY SPECIFIC ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH IN THIS COMMUNITY. UM, THE OTHER THING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT IS I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE HAVE A PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES AVAILABLE AMONG THE CONTINUUM OF CARE SO WE CAN SEE WHERE DUPLICATIVE SERVICES ARE OCCURRING AND WHERE THE GAPS ARE NEEDED AND ENSURE THAT WE USE THE DOLLARS FROM THOSE GRANT FUNDS AND STRATEGIC PLAN TO PUT IN PLACE A SAFETY NET, UM, SO WE AREN'T EXPERIENCING AS A CITY WHAT MANY OF OUR LESS FORTUNATE ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE TONIGHT. OTHER DISCUSSION? UH, UH, COUNCILMAN HORN FIRST AND THEN MR. COOPER. MS. HAHN, YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO HAVE A SURPLUS IN THIS YEAR. WHAT IS THAT AMOUNT THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY PROJECTED TO HAVE A SURPLUS FOR? UH, WELL, AS I SAID, THIS IS, IT'S, IT IS A MOVING TARGET BECAUSE WE STILL ARE WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR. SO IF WE DO HAVE, UM, OTHER CONTRACTS AND, AND PAYMENTS COME THROUGH, IT COULD BE LOWER. UH, BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE PROBABLY AT ABOUT FOUR MILLION. UH, DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT BEING THE FULL SURPLUS, UM, BUT ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE WOULD, UH, IF WE NEEDED TO, TO HAVE THAT ENOUGH TO COVER THE TWO F - 2.45 IN THE DEFICIT. OKAY. SO WE'VE GOT A EXPECTED SURPLUS THIS YEAR OF FOUR MILLION, EXPECTED DEFICIT OF 2.45 MILLION. SO COLLECTIVELY, WE HA - WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY RIGHT NOW, UM, TO, TO MEET WHATEVER PERSPECTIVE DEFICIT IS AVAILABLE JUST BY ROLLING THOSE DOLLARS INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. YOU KNOW, I ALSO THINK WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT CERTAIN REVENUE SOURCES THAT ARE COMING IN 2027. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PASSED AN ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWED US TO TAX, UM, SHORT-TERM RENTALS THROUGH A HOTEL MOTEL TAX TO CREATE HOME, UH, EQUITY. AND IT TOOK THREE YEARS FOR US TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO PROCESS AND COLLECT THAT TAX AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED THAT ORDINANCE. WE HAVE A PUSH TAX THAT IS EXPECTED TO BE ON BOARD, UM, THIS PARTICULAR YEAR. AND WE'VE GOT SOME LARGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT MIGHT INCREASE THE PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES, INCLUDING AS MR. NEWELL ALLUDED TO, UH, THE BROADWING ENERGY, UH, PLANT, UM, AND THE FACILITIES THAT IT'S GONNA REQUIRE. SO I THINK THERE'S SOME REVENUE THAT WE HAVEN'T NECESSARILY EXPLORED YET THAT, UM, IS COMING OUR WAY. UM, BUT, BUT ULTIMATELY, I THINK THE, THE CRITICAL REASON THAT I AM OPPOSED TO INCREASING THE CITY'S PROPERTY TAX LEVY IS BECAUSE MACON COUNTY, ILLINOIS, FOR ABOUT THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR HAS BEEN IN THE TOP 10 IN THE NATION FOR HIGHEST EFFECTIVE PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. THIS YEAR WE'RE AT NUMBER EIGHT. THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE IN THE COUNTY IS, WAS 2.12% IN 2025. THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS, UM, 0.90%. AND SO BY ALMOST ANY DEFINITION, THE RESIDENTS OF MACON COUNTY ARE ALREADY OVERTAXED. AND SO WE SHOULD NOT BE INCREASING THE PROPERTY TAXES A PENNY. AND I THINK IF I REVIEWED THE MATERIAL, WE ARE WITHIN A PENNY. SO, UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UH, WE DID A GOOD JOB AND WE SHOULD NOT INCREASE THE PROPERTY TAX LEVY. DAVID, YOU KEEP SAYING THAT WE HAVE THE EIGHTH HIGHEST EFFECTIVE PROPERTY TAX IN THE COUNTRY, AND THAT'S NOT TRUE. YOU NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IN ILLINOIS, WE FUND OUR SCHOOLS THROUGH PROPERTY TAXES. THAT'S NOT TRUE IN OTHER STATES. IT'S NOT APPLES TO APPLES. AND I, I LOOKED AT PROPERTY TAX RATES FOR 2026, THE TOP COUNTIES IN ILLINOIS, AND MACON IS NOWHERE NEAR THE TOP OF THE LIST. I'M GONNA TAKE YOU THROUGH IT. LAKE COUNTY'S NUMBER ONE, FOLLOWED BY DUPAGE, KENDALL, KANE, MCHENRY, WILL, COOK, DEKALB, GRUNDY, MONROE, BOONE, MCLEAN, CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, WOODFORD, KANKAKEE COUNTY, WINNEBAGO COUNTY, OGLE, ST. CLAIR, TASWELL, PEORIA, JOE DAVIES, ROCK ISLAND, SANGAMON, CLINTON, [01:40:01] LASALLE, MADISON, STEVENSON, PIET, LEE, JERSEY, MENARD, HENRY, LIVINGSTON, WASHINGTON, MARSHALL, EFFINGHAM, MERCER, WHITESIDE, PUTNAM, BOND, DOUGLAS, CALHOUN, AND HERE WE ARE ON THE LIST, MACON, FOLLOWED BY BUREAU AND KOHL'S. THIS IS FROM THE WORLD POPULATION REVIEW. AND SO IT'S... YOU, YOU CAN'T MANIPULATE THE NUMBERS AND JUST THROW THINGS OUT THERE LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT GIVES THE WRONG PICTURE. AND SO YOU HAVE TO CON... ILLINOIS COUNTIES TO ILLINOIS COUNTIES IS THE FAIR WAY TO DO THAT. COUNCILMAN COOPER? THANK YOU. SO, UM, BY THE WAY, THE, THE SOURCE OF MY INFORMATION COMES FROM ATTOM, THAT'S CAPITAL A-T-T-O-M. AND YOU CAN JUST LOOK UP IN ANY SEARCH ENGINE YOU WANT, ADAM, EFFECTIVE TAX RATE, YOU WILL FIND DECATUR. UM, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT DIFFERENT, UH, AGENCIES MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THEY CALCULATE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE. BUT HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINE. IN MACON COUNTY, IN 2025, THE AVERAGE SINGLE FAMILY HOME WAS VALUED AT $143,000 AND INCURRED $3,031 IN PROPERTY TAXES. NATIONWIDE, THE AVERAGE SINGLE-FAMILY HOME IS VALUED AT $494,000 AND INCURRED $4,427 IN PROPERTY TAXES. SO IF A MACON COUNTY HOME WAS VALUED AT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, THE ANNUAL PROPERTY TAXES IN MACON COUNTY WOULD BE $10,483 ANNUALLY. THE BOTTOM LINE IS, NO MATTER WHAT SOURCE OF DATA YOU WANNA USE, MACON COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE OVERTAXED, PERIOD. AND AS WE JUST HEARD AND HAVE HEARD MULTIPLE TIMES, THE CITY OF DECATUR WITH ITS EXPECTED, UM, UM, SURPLUS THIS YEAR WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE UP THE BUDGET DEFICIT THAT IS PREDICTED IN 27. THERE'S NO REASON TO INCREASE PROPERTY TAXES. BUT AGAIN, NATIONWIDE, YOU CAN'T COMPARE BECAUSE THEY DON'T, OTHER STATES DON'T FUND SCHOOLS THE SAME WAY. COUNCILMAN COOPER? JUST, UM, IN THE BUDGET, I KNOW WE HAD THE PUSH TAX COMING IN 2027. DID YOU, UH, HAVE WE INCLUDED IN THE, UH, 2027 BUDGET A FIGURE FOR THAT? OR DO, OR DO WE KNOW WHAT THE FIGURE, WHAT FIGURE YOU'RE ESTIMATING? OR IS THAT GONNA BE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WOULD BE ADDED LATER ON IN 2027? SO RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THE... SO WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THEM TO DEVELOP SOFTWARE BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD NO WAY TO TRACK THESE PUSHES, RIGHT? SO IT'S EVERY TIME SOMEBODY HITS THE BUTTON. SO, UM, THEY ARE EXPECTING FOR THAT SOFTWARE TO BE UP AND RUNNING ABOUT JULY, AUGUST TIMEFRAME. I WOULD SAY THE SOONEST WE WOULD RE - WE WOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THAT REVENUE LOOKS LIKE WOULD BE THE LAST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR. SO WE'VE NOT INCLUDED IT BECAUSE JUST KNOWING HOW THINGS OPERATE, IF WE ANTICIPATE THERE BEING ANY SORT OF DELAY, WE PROBABLY REALLY WON'T KNOW, UH, WHAT THAT REVENUE IS GONNA LOOK LIKE UNTIL THE END OF NEXT YEAR. AND I THINK INITIALLY THE CALCULATIONS THAT I HEARD WHEN I STARTED HERE BACK IN 2025 WAS AROUND THREE MILLION. AND, UH, GREG DID GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT AGAIN. HE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS GONNA BE THAT HIGH. HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE CLOSER TO MAYBE A MILLION, BUT WE REALLY WON'T KNOW, UM, UNTIL THE END OF, OF NEXT FISCAL YEAR. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY. THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT COVERING THE DEFICIT. YES, WE HAVE TO COVER THE DEFICIT, BUT IF I'M LIVING IN $145,000 HOUSE OR A $450,000 HOUSE, WHEN I DIAL 911, I WANNA SEE BOTH CHIEFS, MEN AND WOMEN AT MY FRONT DOOR WHEN I CALL. I DON'T GET THAT IF WE JUST KEEP DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER. WHEN I GO TO MY KITCHEN TO FIX DINNER AND I TURN ON THE WATER FAUCET TO COOK WITH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE WATER COMING OUT IS EDIBLE. AND MATT CAN'T KEEP DOING THAT IF ALL WE'RE DOING IS COVERING THE DEFICIT. ALL RIGHT? EVERYBODY HAS ALL THESE GREAT IDEAS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO ABOUT HOMELESS AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO ABOUT HOUSING STOCK. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT COVERING THE DEFICIT. IT'S ABOUT TAKING CARE OF DECATUR. IF I'M LIVING IN $145,000 HOUSE OR A $450,000 [01:45:01] HOUSE, WHEN I BACK OUT MY DRIVEWAY AND DRIVE DOWN THE STREET, I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO DODGE EVERY POTHOLE IN THE STREET. I WANT IT TO BE NICE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ENTRYWAYS INTO OUR CITY, THEY'RE UNPLEASANT AND WE NEED TO FIX THEM. AND SO IT IS MORE THAN JUST ABOUT COVERING THE DEFICIT. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL. I THINK ALL OF US NEED TO LOOK AT OUR, UH, WHEN WE GET OUR, UH, TAX, YOU KNOW, WE GET BLAMED, UH, FOR THE TAX BILL. EVERYONE ALWAYS LOOKS AT THE VERY BOTTOM A- AMOUNT. I USED TO HAVE A DOCTOR THAT JUMPED ME WHEN A, AN APPOINTMENT. "DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TAXES? "YEAH. WELL, THEY WERE NOT... I SAID," HEY, DO YOU LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER TAXING BODIES? ""WELL, NO, I ONLY LOOK AT THE BOTTOM FIGURE AND WE GET BLAMED FOR IT. WE NEED TO LOOK, ARE YOU, ARE YOU GETTING WHAT YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE GETTING WHEN YOU PAY IT, THE TAXES TO THE CITY? HOW ABOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? HOW ABOUT THE PARK DISTRICT?" YOU GOT... I THINK YOU'RE GETTING A LOT FROM THE CITY. AS, UH, A COUNCILWOMAN SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU TURN ON THE WATER, YOU WANT WATER TO COME OUT. YOU DRIVE ON THE STREETS. UH, UH, AND, AND, AND OVERALL, IF YOU REMEMBER, WE ALSO HAVE STATE ROADS THAT GO THROUGH DECATUR, WHICH ARE NOT ALWAYS IN GOOD SHAPE. WE DON'T COVER THAT. THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE STATE. SO YOU, YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF, AM I GETTING MORE FOR THE, FOR THE DOLLAR I SPEND AT THE, AT THE CITY FOR TAXES OR IS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NOT COMING THROUGH OR IS THE PARK DISTRICT NOT COMING THROUGH? ARE YOU BEING, UH, UH, PROTECTED BY THE P- POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? I THINK WE ARE. SO YOU'RE GETTING, YOU'RE GETTING A LOT FOR WHAT YOU'RE PAYING AND COMPARED TO MAYBE SOME OTHER, THE, UH, UH, THE TAXING BODIES IN, UH, DECATUR. COUNCILWOMAN CRUZ? SO I'LL JUST REPEAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE DISCUSSED IN OUR, UH, MEETING WITH, UH, MCDANIEL AND I MET WITH, UH, THE CITY MANAGER FOR THE PROPERTY TAX MEETING. UM, YOU CAN'T GET BLOOD FROM A TURNIP. SO COMING FOR PROPERTY TAXES EVERY YEAR IS NOT SUSTAINABLE WHEN YOU HAVE A DECREASING POPULATION. UM, WE HAVE TO ALSO CREATE STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE POPULATION DECLINE. DECATUR HAS A HIGHER POVERTY RATE THAN THE COUNTY AND THE STATE. WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES IF WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUALLY ASK FOR PROPERTY TAX INCREASES. SO WITH THE ASK, THERE SHOULD ALSO BE A STRATEGY, WHICH I'VE REQUESTED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO DECREASE THE POVERTY RATE, UM, BUT ALSO THE DECLINING POPULATION, THAT HAS TO BE A DELIBERATE STRATEGY TO ADDRESS AS WE CONTINUALLY ASK FEWER PEOPLE FOR MORE MONEY. AND THE WAY YOU INCREASE POPULATION IS THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE INVESTMENTS TO RETAIN THE COMPANIES THAT WE HAVE AND ATTRACT NEW ONES TO COME TO TOWN. WE USED TO HAVE A MUCH LARGER POPULATION UNTIL WE STARTED LOSING FACTORIES. AND OUR MAJOR EMPLOYERS, A LOT OF THEM LEFT. I MEAN, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE '90S, THE '80S, THE '70S, THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED LOSING COMPANIES AND WE STARTED LOSING POPULATION. AND SO TO BRING POPULATION BACK, WE HAVE TO BE ATTRACTIVE. WE HAVE TO HAVE A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE WANNA LIVE. WE HAVE TO HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS, UM, INDUSTRY BEING HERE SO THAT WE CAN SUPPORT FAMILIES AND PEOPLE CAN HAVE GOOD JOBS. THEY CAN DO WHAT FAMILIES WANNA DO. THEY CAN LIVE IN A SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD, A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY CAN GO ON VACATION. THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOOD ON THE TABLE AND THEY CAN SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES AND, AND HAVE A GOOD LIFE. THAT'S WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR RESIDENTS, BUT WE, WE CAN'T JUST KEEP CUTTING OUR WAY TO, TO SUCCESS. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. YEAH. SO DECATUR HAS JOBS, BUT WHEN PE - WHEN THEY'RE GOOD PAYING JOBS IN DECATUR, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS PEOPLE LIVE OUTSIDE OF DECATUR AND WORK THOSE JOBS. SO THERE HAS TO BE A DELIBERATE STRATEGY T - FOR RESIDENTS TO GET JOBS OR FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING THESE JOBS TO WANT TO LIVE IN DECATUR. AND WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, MCDANIEL TALKED ABOUT SOMEONE THAT HE KNEW, UM, THAT LIVED IN DECATUR THAT WAS MOVING OUT OF DECATUR TO MOUNT ZION. SO I THINK THIS IS A RELEVANT ISSUE THAT HAS TO BE DELIBERATELY ADDRESSED. IF IT'S ALL RIGHT AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE CITIZEN WHO REQUESTED TO SPEAK DURING OUR BUDGET, UH, DISCUSSIONS TO COME UP. MR. SALARSKI. EVEN AGAIN, MADAM MAYOR AND, UH, COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS TJ SELARSKI. ON THE BUDGET 20, ON THE 2027 [01:50:01] BUDGET, I DESIGNED THIS TO BE KIND OF IN PARALLEL TO ACTUALLY GET A QUESTION ABOUT HOW THE BUDGET IS ACTUALLY FUNDED AND SOME, SHEDDING SOME ADDITIONAL LIGHT, UM, UH, OF ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT MAY HELP YOU MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE 2027 BUDGET. UM, AND AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S FINANCIAL REPORTS ARE, UH, LATE YEAR AFTER YEAR, AND THE REASONS GIVEN DON'T COMPLETELY HOLD UP. THE TREASURY REPORT THAT HAS BEEN LATE EVERY YEAR SINCE 2021 AND 20, AND THE 2025 REPORT DUE JUNE 30TH STILL ISN'T POSTED. YOU'RE DISCUSSING NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET WITHOUT THE 2025 AUDIT OR THE 2025 TREASURY REPORT EVEN BEING PRESENTED TO YOU. AN EMAIL FROM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT WHILE FILING THE 2021 AND 2022 TREASURER'S REPORT BLAMED THE LENGTHY DELAYS ON FILING ON THE AUDITS, BUT THE 202- 2021 AUDIT WAS ISSUED 10 MONTHS BEFORE THAT FILING. SO, AND ALSO AS A NOTE, THE 2021 AND 2022 REPORTS WERE FILED AT THE EXACT SAME TIME. UM, AND SO THE CITY HAS ALSO BLAMED STAFFING AND LIMITED FUNDS, BUT THIS MONEY WAS ADDED. IN 2023, THE CITY ADDED $150,000 TO ENSURE A TIMELY 2022 AUDIT. ITS FEDERAL FILING WAS STILL 170 DAYS LATE. IN APRIL 2025, RESOLUTION R2025-159 APPROVED $73,750 FOR A 10-WEEK OUTSIDE REVIEW OF THE CITY'S FINANCIAL CONTROLS, ENDING IN A WRITTEN REPORT. WHERE IS THAT REPORT? WHEN IT WAS DUE. NO, NOT ONE COUNCIL PACKET HAS CARRIED IT IN 18 MONTHS. SO IS IT STILL AVAILABLE? NOT TO MENTION, THE OUTSIDE REVIEW COMPANY THAT WAS HIRED WAS CLIFTON LARSON ALLEN, WHICH THE CITY REPLACED AS ITS AUDITOR IN DECEMBER 2023 FOR HAVING QUOTE, "MISSED SEVERAL DEADLINES." IN SEPTEMBER, THIS COUNCIL APPROVED $180,000 FOR THREE YEARS OF BIRD CONTROL, 113% MORE THAN LAST, THAN THE LAST CONTRACT WITH NO COMPETING QUOTE AND NO PERFORMANCE REPORT. I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE ABOUT THE BIRDS, BUT THE PATTERN IS THE SAME. MONEY GOES OUT AND NO REPORT COMES BACK OR BACK IN A TIMELY MANNER. AND SO BEFORE THIS BUDGET IS ADOPTED, PLEASE DIRECT STAFF TO GIVE YOUR DATES FOR THE 2025 AUDITS, THE TREASURE REPORT, AND DELIVER THAT CONTROLS REPORT THAT WAS APPROVED BY THIS COUNCIL. AND PLEASE PUT INTERNAL CONTROL POLICY ON THE AGENDA. I'D ALSO ASK THAT THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE START SIGNING THE AFFIDAVIT THAT THE STATE LAW REQUIRES TO GO TO THE COUNTY WITH EACH TREASURER'S REPORT. THE COPIES I HAVE RECEIVED, THERE ARE NONE. IN ADDITION, MY QUESTION ON FUNDING THE B - UH, THE BUDGET, ISN'T IT THE COUNTY'S, ISN'T THE COUNTY SUPPOSED TO WITHHOLD THE CITY'S TAX DOLLARS UNTIL THE REPORT AND AFFIDAVIT ARE FILED? IF SO, HAVE YOU RECEIVED FILING, FUNDING BEFORE THAT FILING? AND WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO FUND THE NEXT BUDGET IF WITHOUT THOSE FUNDS? I'M SORRY, SIR, YOU'RE OUT OF TIME. MS. HAHN, DO YOU NEED, UH, THIS IS A DISCUSSION ITEM ONLY ON THE BUDGET. IS THERE SOMETHING YOU NEED FROM US BECAUSE WE WON'T BE VOTING ON THIS OBVIOUSLY RIGHT NOW, OR DO YOU WANNA MOVE INTO ITEM TWO? MOVE INTO ITEM TWO AND WE'LL JUST KEEP OUR, OUR COM - OUR DIALOGUE GOING. ALL RIGHT. ITEM TWO, [2. Resolution Estimating Amounts Necessary to be Raised by the 2026 Property Tax Levy] RESOLUTION ESTIMATING AMOUNTS NECESSARY TO BE RAISED BY THE 2026 PROPERTY TAX LEVY. MOTION THE RESOLUTION TO PASS AND BE ADOPTED. SO MOVED. SECOND. MS. HAHN. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, JUST A COUPLE OF ITEMS FOR THE PUBLIC. I KNOW THE COUNCIL'S AWARE OF THIS, BUT THIS RESOLUTION IS REQUIRED BY, UH, STATE STATUTE AND IT IS JUST ESTIMATING THE LEVY AMOUNT. THIS ITEM IS NOT SETTING THE LEVY. WE'RE NOT ADOPTING THE LEVY. UM, COUNCIL CAN DECIDE TO CHANGE THE LEVY UP UNTIL THE DAY OF THE HEARING AND ADOPTION OF THE LEVY. SO, UH, THIS IS JUST STATUTORILY REQUIRED, UH, TO GIVE THE ESTIMATE OF THE LEVY AMOUNT. OPEN FOR DISCUSSION. I DON'T SEE ANY DISCUSSION. CALL THE QUESTION. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL. AYE. COUNCILMAN HORNE. AYE. COUNCILMAN COLE. AYE. COUNCILMAN COOPER. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN CRUZ. AYE. MAYOR MOORE WOLF. AYE. SEVEN AYE. SNONICS. ITEM THREE, ORDINANCE [3. Ordinance Authorizing the City of Decatur, Illinois to Borrow Funds from the Water Pollution Control Loan Program through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for the Broadway and Jasper Sewer Rehabilitation Project, City Project 2022-01] AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS TO BORROW FUNDS FROM THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL LOAN PROGRAM THROUGH THE ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY FOR THE BROADWAY AND JASPER SEWER REHABILITATION PROJECT, CITY PROJECT 2022-01. MOTION THAT THE ORDINANCE DO PASS AND BE ADOPTED. SO MOVED. SECOND. MS. HAHN? NO OPENING COMMENTS. I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR MATT NEWELL. UH, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, TH- THIS IS, UH, TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY TO ENTER INTO A LOAN WITH THE, THE STATE TO REHABILITATE THE, UH, BROADWAY AND JASPER STREET SEWER. THE BROAD... YOU, [01:55:01] YOU'VE GOT THE MAPS IN, UH, YOUR HANDOUT. THE, UH, THE BROADWAY SEWER GENERALLY EXTENDS FROM, FROM GRAND AVENUE CLEAR DOWN TO THE, THE OLD, UH, CAR WASH DOWN ON, UH, DOWN BY CHRISTIE FOLTZ. BUT, UH - AND THIS IS OUR LAST REALLY BIG ONE, CORRECT? THIS IS OUR LAST REALLY BIG ONE TO, TO LINE. NEVER SOLVE ALL THE SEWER PROBLEMS, BUT THESE ARE THE MOST CRITICAL. THIS IS ONE OF THE, UH, FIVE, I BELIEVE, OR SO. IS IT FIVE? UH, IT'S IN THE MEMO, BUT, UH... QUESTIONS FOR MR. NEWELL? SEEING NONE. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL. AYE. COUNCILMAN HORN. AYE. COUNCILMAN COLE. AYE. COUNCILMAN COOPER. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN CRUZ. AYE. MAYOR MARWOL. AYE. SEVEN AYES. NO NAYS. ITEM FOUR, RESOLUTION [4. Resolution Authorizing Preston Jackson Park Bench] AUTHORIZING PRESTON JACKSON PARK BENCH. MOTION THAT THE RESOLUTION BE PASSED AND BE ADOPTED. SO MOVED. SECOND. MS. HUNT? UH, NO OPENING COMMENTS FROM ME, MAYOR, BUT I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY. WELL, WE ACTUALLY HAVE PEOPLE WHO STAYED THROUGH THE MEETING, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A BUDGET DISCUSSION, TO SEE THIS ITEM. SO ANY, UH, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS PROJECT? MS. GREGORY? JUST ONE. MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, UM, WHEN I WAS AT RICHLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF, UM, WORKING WITH HORACE WHEN HE HAD THE, UM, NEWSPAPER AND WHAT A GENTLEMAN HE WAS. UM, IT WAS A TRUE PLEASURE. AND SO, UM, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT I GET TO SUPPORT THIS THIS EVENING. GREAT ADDITION TO THE PARK. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SEEING NONE. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL. AYE. COUNCILMAN HORN. AYE. COUNCILMAN COLE. AYE. COUNCILMAN COOPER. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN CRUZ. AYE. MAYOR MORWOLF. AYE. SEVEN AYES. NO NAYS. CONGRATULATIONS. HAPPY FOR YOU. HAPPY FOR THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. AND THAT BRINGS [5. City Manager Update] US TO THE CITY MANAGER UPDATE. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. JUST A COUPLE ITEMS. UH, WE'VE GOT SOME NEW HIRES WE WANNA CELEBRATE. MICHAEL SCHWARTZ, WATER PLANT OPERATOR ONE, HIRED OCTOBER 12TH. AND THEN WE'VE GOT A GROUP PHOTO HERE. TYLER WEBB HIRED AS A MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, MITCH PRIDE, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, CAROL HAVNER IN THE ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND TAMMY MYERS, UH, ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, ALL HIRED OCTOBER 26TH. AND THEN WE HAD THE APPOINTMENT OF LEANNE BOND AS OUR NEW GRANTS MANAGER IN THE ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. SHE WAS APPOINTED OCTOBER 5TH. AND THEN WE WANT TO CONGRATULATE AND CELEBRATE TWILA CLARK, TWILA CLARK, WHO IS AN ACCOUNTING ASSISTANCE IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. SHE WORKED FOR THE CITY FOR 21 YEARS, SO THANK YOU FOR HER MANY YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CITY AND OUR, UH, RESIDENTS. AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO, UM, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, GO AND FILL OUT THE, UM, SURVEY FOR OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. UH, WE DO HAVE A QR CODE ON OUR WEBSITE THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO. UM, OUR NEXT COMMUNITY VISIONING SESSION IS NOVEMBER 17TH FROM 5:00 TO 7:00. YOU CAN COME ANYTIME BETWEEN 5:00 AND 7:00. IT TAKES ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO GET THROUGH EACH, EACH STATION. IT WILL BE HELD AT THE DECASER TRANSIT ADMIN BUILDING. UH, WE ARE SITTING ROUGHLY AT ALMOST A THOUSAND RESPONSES, UM, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, AS CLOSE TO AS MANY, UH, MANY THOUSANDS AS WE CAN. SO, UH, PLEASE GO FILL IT OUT. IF YOU HAVEN'T, TELL A FRIEND. WE APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. UH, THAT BRINGS US TO THE CONSENT [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.] CALENDAR. DOES ANYONE ON COUNCIL WANT ANY ITEM REMOVED OR REMINDER THAT ITEM C HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA? SEEING NONE. ITEM A, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ACTION REGARDING UNSAFE STRUCTURES. ITEM B, ORDINANCE ADDING TERRITORY TO ENTERPRISE ZONE AND APPROVING THE AMENDMENT OF THE ENACTING ORDINANCE AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT FOR LIMA DRIVE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. AND ITEM D, A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE BID AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A PURCHASE ORDER FOR GARBAGE, RECYCLING AND LANDSCAPE WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES AT MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUILDING AND GARBAGE SERVICE FOR DOWNTOWN AND OAKWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD PEDESTRIAN CAMPS. I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEMS AS PRESENTED. SO MOVED. SECOND. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL. AYE. COUNCILMAN HORN. AYE. COUNCILMAN COLT. AYE. COUNCILMAN COOPER. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN CRUZ? AYE. MAYOR MARWOLF. AYE. SEVEN AYES. NO NAYS. ANY OTHER BUSINESS [VI. Other Business] TO COME BEFORE THE BODY? MR. CULP? JUST REAL QUICK. UM, I WANNA COMMEND CHIEF ALLEN AND, UH, LIEUTENANT MASSEY OF THE DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. RECENTLY, THEY PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES AND SPOKE TO PATRONS AS WELL, AND THEY'VE DEVELOPED A DOWNTOWN DISTRICT OFFICER. IT'S GONNA BE TWO OFFICERS OVERLAPPING. I DON'T WANNA GO INTO OPERATIONS AND, UH, TAKE AWAY THAT FROM HIM, BUT I, I WANNA COMMEND THEM FOR STEPPING OUT. AND MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY [02:00:01] AND HEARING THEIR NEEDS AND LUCKILY WITH STAFFING, THEY WERE ABLE TO PULL IT OFF. SO I MET BOTH OF THEM REALLY GREAT, GREAT ADDITIONS. ABSOLUTELY. ANY OTHER BUSINESS? I WILL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. MOTION TO ADJOURN. SECOND. COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL. AYE. COUNCILMAN HORN. AYE. COUNCILMAN COLE. AYE. COUNCILMAN COOPER. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY. AYE. COUNCILWOMAN CRUZ. AYE. MAYOR MARWOLF. 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.