Village Takes Bond Action, Extends License Renewal

The village of Glen Carbon approved an ordinance provid- ing for the issuance of up to $7,400,000 in general obligation bonds for street improvements at its May 12 board meeting.

Due to the COVID-19 pan- demic, the meeting was held on Zoom and livestreamed on the village’s Facebook page. Cov- erage of Mayor Rob Jackstadt’s annual State of the Village ad- dress and 2020-21 mayoral ap- pointments is in a separate story.

Voters approved the bond is- sue in March. These municipal bonds will provide for the levy and collection of a direct annual tax suf cient for the payment of the principal on them and autho- rizing the sale to the purchaser, in the words of the ordinance.

Due to the COVID-19 pan- demic, the bond documents reviewed and approved by the Finance and Administration Committee in April were not presented to the Village Board until the May 12 meeting.

The delay gave the commit- tee time to approve two minor updates (including moving the deadline date) the night before during the its May meeting.

Finance director Scott Borror explained that what the trustees were voting on was a parameters ordinance, the rst major step legislative-wise toward doing the actual bond issuing. It passed.

The board also approved a letter of engagement for bond counsel services with Chapman & Cutter LLP. The rm previ- ously served as bond counsel for the village’s 2018 bond issuance.

In other action the board ap- proved:

• An amendment to the vil- lage code that will allow holders of liquor licenses an additional ve months under their current licenses before renewal would be required. This would allow them relief of an additional expense during the COVID-19 pandemic. The village would still receive the required fee during the 2020 scal year.

• The 2020-21 wastewater lift station preventive maintenance contract with Vandevanter Engineering in the amount of $26,305. Vandevanter with in- spect all 26 lift stations over the next two years which will prolong the life of the pumps and keep the lift stations in good working order.

• An ordinance that will up- date the Village Code every time the state-mandated Illinois Accessibility Code is updated.

• A resolution regarding the Darrel D. Keller Trust #200 settlement dated September 24, 2019. A strip of land on a Madison County Transit bike trail cuts across the unrecorded and unimproved access easement on Oaklawn Road and Oaklawn Drive that he’s been using for years to get to his property. The

village agreed to provide a perpetual easement. This settles the village’s part in the lawsuit but MCT is still a party defendant.

“The new lawyer represent- ing the Kellers asks that the resolution be approved again,” Village Attorney Jim Schrempf explained before the vote, “for substantially the same agreement that we reached months ago.”

He said the only difference may be that it extends the agreement to allow family and friends of the Kellers to access the property down this strip of land owned by the village.

• Allowing up to 80 hours of vacation carryover upon approval of the department head and village administrator for the period of April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021.

Normally, vacation time is forfeited after one year. But due to the current COVID-19 crisis, nearly all travel has been suspended throughout the United States. Because of this, several village employees have had their vacations cancelled or postponed through no fault of their own.

• Proclaiming May 2020 Motorcycle Awareness Month.

The mayor congratulated A.J. Epenesa, who comes from Glen Carbon, of being selected in the second round of the National Football League draft by the Buffalo Bills. He was the 54th pick overall.