Collinsville Township Board Votes To Not Allow YMCA To Use Senior Center
By Stephanie Malench
smalench@timestribunenews.com
The Collinsville Township Board of Trustees voted not to allow the YMCA to resume using the Collinsville Senior Center while it is closed to seniors at its monthly meeting on November 10. The Y has not used the facility since early voting moved into the facility in mid-October.
The motion passed 3-2 with Trustee Cox and Supervisor Hopkins voting no. Trustee Jim Stack asked to have the motion placed on the agenda, but deferred to Trustee Dan Foley on the issue because he “lives in the Township”.
Foley stated that it is not that he “is not against kids” but he does not think the Y should use the building when they have their own big building. He also said that the Y did not fumigate the building like they said they would and they “only wipe things down”.
Although the Village of Maryville had said the Y could use their senior center, Hopkins reported that they did not use the facility until they had to leave the Collinsville Senior Center for early voting.
When asked for his feelings on the issue, Trustee Rob Milam said he felt no one should have been allowed in the building, “but if you allow one group in [voters] you have to let everyone in”.
The board also approved their annual $3200 donation to Homework, Hoops, and Help at St. John’s UCC and decorating a tree for the Gathering of Trees Festival (formerly Festival of Trees) benefitting KAHOK Strong this year.
A resolution was passed in support of issuance of a Request for Proposal For Refuse Hauling and Recycling Services. Trustee Cox went on a tangent saying that thousands of dollars has been spent on legal services from Township Attorney Justin Mattea for issues that should have been taken care of in April.
Cox then asked Hopkins to pay the attorney fees “since he caused the mess”. Hopkins shot back no and told Cox to “act like an adult”.
The argument resurfaced during approval of city bills, when Cox, Hopkins and Mattea disagreed about discussing charges from Mattea during the approval of bills portion of the agenda. Mattea said it “was attorney/client privilege and should not be discussed at a public meeting”. Cox tried to argue that it was part of the bills, but was quickly shut down by Hopkins.
During Assessor’s comments, Township Assessor Peter Poletti reported that the county assessor’s office sent all of the Senior Homestead Exemption applications to the IT Department and they got lost. Due to the clerical error all senior who were approved the past two years for the exemption will be getting them anyway, even if they do not still qualify. Poletti said this will cost those that do not get the exemption more in taxes.
New Road and Bridge Commissioner Jim Trucano reported that the road and bridge complex has a dumpster for township residents to drop off their yard waste (not including limbs) from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and will be announcing weekend leaf drop off dates in the future.
