Patricia Schofield, Mayor |
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From the MAYOR's
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Highlights of May
Board of Trustees Meeting The Palestine Village Board of Trustees met in regular session Thursday evening, October 1, 2009. David Branson, who recently moved out of the jurisdiction of the Palestine Village Board, has resigned from his position as Trustee. Larry Miller, a past Trustee who has served for many years, was sworn in to take Branson’s place on the Board. Branson was also honored with a commemorative plaque, in recognition of his 4+ years serving on the Board. In old business, the Dog and Animal Ordinance was discussed at length. The ordinance is being amended to include and eliminate some areas of concern. The board is discussing the possibility of placing some restrictions on the number of animals that any owner may have, plus various other provisions that will encourage pet owners to maintain better control over their pets and provide better safety for the public at large. It was noted that Fall Cleanup has been changed to Wednesday, October 21. An appliance pickup will also be planned within the next few weeks. Richard Kent and Jim Kincaid, representing the LaMotte Creek Watershed Committee addressed the Board regarding the Main Street Bridge on South Main. It has been an item of discussion for several years between the Village, LaMotte Creek Watershed, and the Township. The Board had voted, in 2004, to build a new bridge to help the flooding situation South of Palestine. The Village is responsible for only a portion of the cost, but it is necessary to obtain funding in order to be able to build the bridge. Kent advised that it was easier right now to obtain government funding to build bridges. It was a common thought that even if we do replace the bridge, it may not do anything to help alleviate the flooding situation, and especially for a road that is not used to the degree of other access roads. The Board set the hours for Halloween "Trick or Treating" for October 31, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. A request was presented to the Board to consider putting in a stop sign at the corner of North Jackson and East Franklin, on Rt. #33. This is not something that the Village can do. Since it is a State Highway, the IDOT would have to make that determination. Since this request has been made before, and turned down, the Board felt that it would do no good to make that recommendation. It was also discussed that the entire highway through Palestine needed to be widened for the safety of the big trucks. It was recommended that IDOT be requested to do a study regarding widening the highway through Palestine. The Crawford County Health Department has received a complaint about the environmental neglect of a property in Palestine, and after inspecting the property, gave the property owners 10 days to get it cleaned up; however, the owners did not comply with the recommendation of the Health Department; therefore, they have turned this over to the Village to enforce. After much discussion, it was recommended that the property owners be given 10 more days to comply in cleaning up the property, or the Village would proceed with condemnation of the property. Immediately after committee reports, the Board went into Executive Session to discuss personnel. After returning to regular session, the Board voted to change the position of Village Clerk from an elected position to an appointed one, with recommended amendments to the proposed Ordinance. Bi-Monthly police report was presented. It it may viewed online here. Highlights
of September Board of Trustees Meeting The Board continues to work on amendments for the current Dog Ordinance, and once the proper language is agreed upon, will consider passing such an amendment. One resident commented that he felt that as long as the animals were properly supervised by their owners, that they could be allowed some activity in their own yard without a leash. The board agreed to consider that in preparing the final amendment. The Salt Order has now been completed and once the salt has been "uncapped" we will be able to go pick up a load, sometime after September 28th. After a discussion of the Bailey property at 303 E Market St., the board moved to rescind the condemnation order. The property has been completely cleaned up. The Crawford County Board of Health has made their inspection and found the property ready for occupancy. Kemper CPA Group representative presented the first draft of the Annual Audit, and reported that the audit was clean and acceptable on the basis as fairly presented. The AmVets had advised earlier that they were not interested in pursuing a Liquor License at this time. Fall cleanup for the Village has been confirmed for October 28, 2009. MediaCom has advised the Village that their rates for Family Cable will be increasing $4.00 per month. A lengthy discussion was held regarding the sewer customers who do not pay their sewer bills in a timely manner. It has been determined that it is within the jurisdiction of the Village to permanently interrupt the sewer lines to any residential property after proper notification. Palestine has only a few customers that continue to allow their sewer bills to accumulate without payment and the board agreed that it is time to get tough. The guidelines are now in place in which the water will be shut off first, and for those who have their own water, their sewer lines will be dug up, and will not be restored until all fees are paid, including all costs to restore the sewer lines. The Board and visitors took a tour of the building to view the floor that has been damaged by a serious water leak. The condition of the floor continues to deteriorate and we still have not received any answer from the insurance company. Bi-Monthly police report was presented. It it may viewed online here. Highlights
of May Board of Trustees Meeting The Village of Palestine held their first meeting after elections, and the first meeting of the 2009-2010 fiscal year, on Thursday evening, at 6:00 PM Prior to the meeting, a reception was held for all the newly elected officers, and for retiring Trustee, Walt Fritchie, who chose not to run again. A Public hearing was held at 5:30. Maynard Crossland, from the Peoples Development Corporation, explained the Grant Application to be submitted to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Flexible Fund Pilot Program for the purpose of Community Revitalization and Economic Development. Much discussion was had in support of the Grant, as well as many questions from those in attendance, in order to learn about the significance of the grant. The Board of Trustees will hear a motion to approve this grant. At 5:50, the second Public Hearing was held by Kara Gill from the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission for the re-submission of a CDAP Design Engineering Grant Application for Robinson-Palestine Water Commission, which is the first phase of the pursuit of new water lines for the Village. The Board of Trustees will also act on a motion to approve this grant. The Board Meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM, with the roll call and Minutes of the previous meeting. The Ratification of votes was then held, followed by the Installation of Mayor Schofield, by Village Clerk Floyd Fuller; Mayor Schofield then installed the Village Clerk, Floyd Fuller, and Gene Purcell, David Branson, and J. R. Dunlap as Trustees. Walt Fritchie was presented a plaque in recognition of his four-year term as Trustee, with best wishes for his retirement. Gene Purcell moved to remove from the table, the question of a permanent burn ban for the Village. After much discussion, with letters of support for the burn ban being read, the Board did not approve the burn ban. The Annual Budget for 2009-2010 fiscal year was approved. Several Ordinances and Resolutions were approved, including: Adopted the 2009 Annual Appropriation Ordinance and the 2009 Tax Levy Ordinance; Adopted the Resolution urging passage of a Comprehensive Capital Infrastructure Program. Mayor Schofield had inquired of Roger Eddy of his opinion regarding this Program, and his reply was "Yes, I think a Capitol Bill must be supported!" Adopted the 2009 Annual Prevailing Wage Ordinance; Adopted the Resolution of Support and Commitment of Funds for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Grant Application for the Community Development for the Village of Palestine; Adopted the Resolution of Support of CDAP Design Engineering Grant Application for the Robinson-Palestine Water Commission; Adopted the Resolution for the Crawford County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (Crawford County Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan has been approved by FEMA. Spring
Clean-Up Days The regular Spring clean-up for Palestine will be held on April 29, and the appliance pickup is scheduled for May 2, 2009. Mark Dennis Salvage will again be the contractor to do the pick-up. By agreement, this pickup will include all appliances, hot water heaters, lawn mowers and lawn mower parts, car parts, scrap metal and other miscellaneous metal items. Village residents should place their items for pickup near the curb,
but not in the roadway, anytime beginning Friday, May 1, 2009. All
refrigerators and/or freezers must have the doors removed before placing
them out for pickup. Highlights
of April Board of Trustees Meeting The Village of Palestine met for their regular monthly board meeting on Thursday evening, April 2, 2009. The Palestine Village Board approved their budget for 2009-2010 to prepare for the appropriations ordinance. The most discussion in the meeting centered around a request from the Mayor for a permanent burn ban for the village. The Village has received numerous calls and complaints regarding allergies suffered because of burning within the Village, as well as people who did not know what they can burn, or how to burn, with total disrespect for their neighbors. The complainants did not appear at the board meeting, but several residents attended to voice their opinion against the burn ban, and consequently, after a great amount of discussion, and opinions, the matter was tabled until next meeting, in order to obtain more facts. It was the Board’s opinion that until the State issued a burn ban for the entire State, that they were unwilling to change the ordinance as it stands now....only burning on Saturday and Sunday, from dawn to dusk. Spring cleanup will be held on April 29th, for all paid-up customers of Veolia. An appliance pickup will be held as soon as Dennis Salvage can set a date. Fencing for swimming pools was discussed, and it is determined that the State of Illinois, as well as all insurance companies, require that swimming pools be properly fenced. The Board voted to authorize an ordinance requiring fencing for all swimming pools in the Village of Palestine. It was also discussed and approved to share in the expense, with Palestine Chamber of Commerce and Palestine Development Association, in restoring 13 Palestine Historical Markers, at a total cost of $650.00. Mayor Schofield reported that the Village of Palestine has received a response from each of the submissions made for Stimulus Money, with further response to be expected. It was reported that the only project that was approved was for the submission made for the Palestine Development Association for the boat dock on the Wabash. The Board also approved the Village of Palestine 2010 Census Proclamation. Several complaints have been received about people ignoring the Dog Ordinance in effect for Palestine, which specifically states, regarding Sanitation (Code 13.09)...."It shall be unlawful for the owner or person in control of any dog to permit such animal to urinate or deposit dung on any public street, alley, parkway, or other public place, or on any premises other than those of the owner, or person in control of such dog." Those who are caught disobeying this ordinance will be fined. If you poop, then scoop. Formal Approval was made for the purchase of a 2009 Honda Rancher for use by the Palestine Police Department and the Department of Public Works. Larry Surrells, Chairman of the Streets, Alleys and Sidewalks, advised that we are having difficulty in getting cooperation in trying to improve an alley in the Village. If we do not get the cooperation we need, the improvements will probably more than double the cost of the project. It was also reported that
the Sewer Department is faced with the need to completely replace
the fencing around the Sewer Lagoon, which must be done to EPA Standards.
This project will cost around $100,000. A request for stimulus money
has been made to help fund this project. NOTICE!! BAG
YOUR LEAVES!! During this season of Spring, when all things are new again, there are some things left behind from that past fall and winter seasons. Many of you are raking and tweaking your lawns to make them look great. When you rake up the leaves, bag them and leave them at curb side, not in the street. Perhaps we could be persuaded to get out our big red leaf machine and help you get rid of some of the big piles of leaves. Please refrain from burning leaves and wood anytime!! Smoke may smell good, but it’s not good for you! Even it you’re usually healthy, it’s a good idea to avoid breathing smoke if you can help it. Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and leaves, or any other organic matter, burn. The biggest health threat from smoke comes from the fine particles, which can also aggravate chronic heart and lung diseases - and even are linked to premature deaths in people with these conditions. Be considerate of your neighbors
and your Village. Don’t burn. Bag your leaves. •••••• NOTICE: 2010 Census Timeline •••••• • Spring
2009: Census employees go door-to-door to update address list nationwide. Why do we take the Census? The U.S. Constitution (Article 1, Section 2) mandates a headcount every 10 years, of everyone residing in the United States. The totals affect FUNDING IN OUR COMMUNITY, and data collected in the census help inform decision makers how our community is changing. Approximately $300 billion in federal funding is distributed to communities each year, and the apportionment is based on the number of people counted in each community. Will the 2010 Census be the same as 2000? No, there are some important changes: • 2010 Census
will be short form only - just 10 easy questions. If you have any
questions, please do not hesitate to call Patricia J Schofield, Mayor,
Village of Palestine. If we don’t know the answer, we will
get it! Let’s
Go Green We hear from one source, or another, every day about 'going green.' Now, I know we can’t change our way of doing things overnight, but let’s all begin to become a little 'greener' than we are today. For instance, we must dispose of a lot of trash and garbage every day, and every week, several hundred plastic trash bags (estimated between 600-1000) from Palestine, and the surrounding area, go into the landfill. We can rethink how we can gather our refuse by lining our large trash cans with a larger liner; daily, we can dump our trash directly into the lined can, using our in-home liner for as long as possible. When the trash can liner is COMPLETELY full, pressed down, then we could start another, if necessary. I know there are several families in our Village that have several bags of trash, but many of us could cut our use of trash bags down to one large bag per week, some already have. Try to always put your food garbage down the disposal, and not in your regular trash can. If we will take a few extra minutes to consider how we accumulate our trash, we will be amazed at how much we can actually get into one of the larger trash can liners. Remember, RECYCLE ALL your paper goods, ALL your plastic goods, ALL your metal cans, cardboard, etc. The only thing that we cannot recycle here is glass - you will still have to put it in your regular trash, until we can do better about disposing of it. If you have any other ideas
about collecting trash, let me hear from you. We need to start today
to consider how we treat our earth. Highlights of March
Board of Trustees Meeting The Village of Palestine met for their regular monthly board meeting on Thursday evening, March 5, 2009. The short business meeting included an update on the Kasinger property which the Village has now completely torn down and restored the lot with several loads of sand and top soil. Now that the weather is warmer, the lot can be leveled and readied for seed. Mayor Schofield reminded the trustees of the upcoming budget workday, which will be held on March 21, 2009. Gene Purcell advised the board that the battery in our AED machine needed to be replaced, and the machine put back in our squad car, in case of emergencies. Larry Surrells moved that we order the new battery immediately and restore the availability of the machine. Gene Purcell seconded. Motion carried. The No Jake Brake sign, which had been placed on Route 33 just South of Palestine, was stolen on Monday night, by pulling it out of the ROW and removing it from the ROW. The investigation has determined that the vehicle that pulled out the sign, incurred several hundred dollars damage when the sign hit the right front area of the vehicle. The police officers are looking for a 2005 or 2006 Ford 500, possibly white or black, with a missing right front head light assembly and a damaged grill. If anyone has any knowledge of such a vehicle, please notify the Palestine Police Department. Your report will be kept confidential By unanimous consensus, the Board approved the request from the Palestine Development Association to hold their annual Wine and Arts Festival. This year the festival will be held on October 3rd and 4th. Chief Clark reported a few less traffic tickets and several traffic warnings. Five youth were ticketed for smoking, and the only criminal damage reported was to the PHS football field where someone tore it up with their vehicle. Possibly $300-500 damage was caused and the investigation is continuing. The Village Clerk reported that we have received notice from the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund that the increase that we can expect for 2010 IMRF Employer Contribution rate, will probably be around 10%, and a maximum of 11%. This could increase our costs up to $2500. These increased costs will definitely figure into the bottom line when we consider the increases in Village salaries. Mayor Schofield reported that Otie's Electric came and completed the retrofit of all our lighting in the Municipal Building and the Village Barn, and the total cost was $1423.35, and compared to the earlier quote, we saved approximately $28.00 and made sure that the work was done by a local contractor. Gene Purcell mentioned that we needed to either replace or repair the door to the Pioneer Room. It will not close properly, and it was determined sometime ago that the hinges were worn out. We had it worked on and the repair lasted only about 6 months. Larry Surrells said that he would take care of getting the door properly taken care of. Larry Surrells reported the schedule for repairs and upgrades of streets and alleys should be ready soon for approval, as he met with the engineers back in February, and their work should be completed. Surrells will make a follow up immediately. After a brief executive
session, to review minutes of closed sessions for the past 6 months,
Gene Purcell moved, and Larry Surrells seconded, that these minutes
no longer required confidential treatment. Highlights of July Board of Trustees Meeting Posted: July 3, 2008 By: Patricia J. Schofield, Mayor The Condemnation of derelict properties in the Village of Palestine continues to be a major concern for the Board of Trustees. In the pursuit of clarifying the basis for properties that fall beneath the Illinois Housing Standards, the Board authorized Mayor Schofield to seek a Fair Housing Ordinance, as well as an Ordinance that would reflect the Housing Standards for the Village. It was agreed that, although our Housing Standards are already dictated by the State of Illinois, if we endorse our own Ordinance, it will more clearly identify the basis for compliance and maintenance of the properties in the Village of Palestine. Of the five (5) properties that are currently being considered for condemnation, only one has shown any determined effort to comply. One other has made some effort, but some of the major areas of improvement has not been completed. The others will be monitored until the given dates for completion. The appliance pickup that was completed on June 28th was very successful, and Dennis Salvage reported they picked up even more this year than last year. This event will probably become a bi-annual event. Further notice will be given. This pickup was strictly for appliances, etc. Several alleys were discussed, in that people are driving down the alleys as if they were on a proper road. Some residents have complained about the use of the alleys and the Chairman of the Streets and Alleys will be making some observations to determine what should be done to eliminate the use of alleys expect for what they were designed for. This matter will be further discussed at the next meeting. The AmerenCIPS contract was brought to the table for discussion, since the electric company has requested a 20-year contract extension and have asked to change the contractual payment. After a study of the past 10 years, reflecting the rate experience, the Board was unanimously in agreement that we would not be very good stewards if we passed an extension for 20 years. Mayor Schofield was authorized to pursue options that may be available before we enter into any extension. After a community assessment meeting, the Village has been approached to pursue the annexation of areas West of Palestine, which would include the ethanol plant. It was felt that due to the urging of the community leaders, as well as the possibility of other interests in the ethanol plant, it would behoove the Board to make this matter of immediate importance. The Board adopted the Resolution to approve the Labor Day Parade and will submit it to IDOT for their approval, as well. The Board was apprised of the notice that the DCEO Grants, that were initially requested by Roger Eddy, were approved, and the fully executed copies of each agreement has been received. We were fortunate to receive two grants, one for the Police Department, and one for the Village, to use for the completion of the Main Street Park. The Village also received a grant from the Mary Heath Foundation, which will also be used for the Main Street Park. Randy Rich, the Mayor of Oblong, advised that they would be considering the use of our staff to spray their town for mosquitoes. Since we were fortunate to receive a grant from the Mary Heath Foundation to purchase a new mosquito sprayer, we will be in position to spray for them, the same as we do for the Village of Hutsonville, for a fee based on only labor and material. Chief Clark reported that his department is continuing to be very busy in pursuing ordinance violations, speeders, and other causes for concern for the Village. He also requested that we amend our Noise Pollution ordinance to include no jake brakes for the big trucks coming into town. Walt Fritchie, one of the Trustees, remarked that many smaller towns, such as Palestine, have adopted an ordinance to stop use of the jake brakes, and they post signs at each entrance, notifying them of the ordinance. It probably will not eliminate it, but it will discourage truckers from using them, and will definitely give notice that they will receive a citation if caught using them. Spring
Planting Reminders Every year during
the Spring season, and in observation of Earth
Day, several people like to plant bushes and trees to enhance
our environmental. The new plantings not only provides the
much needed oxygen for our planet, but it also adds to the
beauty of our Village. Farmers'
Market Receives Grant The Palestine Farmers’ Market, opening this growing season, has received an Advertising Grant from the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The purpose of this grant will assist Palestine in publicizing the Farmers’ Market, helping to establish its availability. Several local gardeners, as well as an organic gardener, have expressed interest in participating in the market. There will be seasonal produce as the harvests begin, including fresh vegetables, fruit, and herbs, as well as baked goods, and possibly an assortment of preserved foods. The grant will serve to give public notice to those who not only will provide the products offered for sale, but to the consumers, as well. An area on the Main Street in Palestine is being prepared for the Farmers’ Market, which will be held on Saturday mornings. Watch for an announcement for the first available date. The University of
Illinois Extension Service has assisted the Village of Palestine
in securing this grant. Village Recognized Posted: March 29, 2008 By: Patricia J. Schofield, Mayor |
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