The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
The Oquawka Village Board held their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 2nd.
Present were Trustees Nancy Bundy, Tammy Bundy, Brian Collier, Brenda Tee, Village President Robert Eldridge, Village Clerk Jacqui Smith, and Village Attorney Andy Youngquist. Trustees Shawn Lain and Scott Ray were absent.
OPEN MEETING
Penny Moore asked that something be done about semi-trucks idling all night long in the parking area across from her house.
Police Chief Clifford Adam told her there was nothing he could do because there was no ordinance written against it.
Penny informed the board Former Police Chief Keith DeJaynes would help her with this issue when it came up.
Nancy Bundy told Penny they couldn't make a new ordinance tonight but they would get it on the agenda for the next meeting.
MAYOR & STAFF REPORT
Eldridge informed the board that earlier in the day he had directed Streets Supervisor Jeff Petersen to open Marina Drive to traffic. He went on to say he told Jeff to leave the Main Street levee up because he didn't know what the river was going to do, but he at least wanted to get the marina area opened up so that the boaters could start using it as well as CGB.
4-wheel drive was suggested to use the boat ramp and it was noted that several people had already launched boats since its opening.
He asked the board for their input on whether to take down the sand at Main Street or leave it.
After some discussion it was decided that Jeff and Henry should concentrate on cleaning around the harbor before they open the Main Street levee.
The board thanked a representative of CGB, who was in the audience, for their help in cleaning the road and the harbor.
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
The committee suggested doing away with bar checks by Police except at closing time and at the beginning of their shift.
Eldridge said he has already told Clifford the bar checks need to continue.
Tee said, if he's in the bar for forty-five minutes then he's not patrolling the town.
Tammy Bundy agreed, saying it's one thing if he's there for ten minutes but he doesn't need to be there for an hour.
Eldridge suggested Clifford spend enough time to drink a can of pop and that's it and if he's in there for an hour then he needs to know about it and he will talk to him.
Collier asked if that is something the Public Safety committee should take care of.
Eldridge said the committee only makes suggestions to him and that's how it's written in the ordinance.
He said it's set up that way so that you don't have a board full of people saying different things. He went on to say it's set up in the ordinance book so that there's one person in charge.
Collier asked why have a public safety committee if Eldridge can just over rule their opinions and wondered why are they even taking their time to meet.
Eldridge said they have these committees for a number of different reasons and said again you can't have six people saying six different things.
Nancy Bundy said she felt the Village President should attend all committee meetings.
Eldridge said for the money, it's not worth it for him to attend those meetings and this is not a volunteer job.
Tee said their idea about the bar checks was to discuss it at the safety meeting, then discuss it with the bar owners, and then they were going to bring it to the board and see what everybody thought about it.
Eldridge said, if you adjust some of that stuff, he would like to motion that he no longer wants to be liquor commissioner, because he doesn't want that position.
He said, they have what they have now and he thinks it works well and he doesn't want to change it.
Tee asked if they could agree that, unless there was a legitimate reason, Clifford did not need to be in the bar for forty-five minutes. All agreed.
FLOOD COMMITTEE
The flood committee will meet Wednesday, July 8 at 6:30pm.
ATTORNEY REPORT
Youngquist stated he has responded to the Oquawka Fire Protection District two times and he has had no response from District president Donna Dunn or the district's attorney.
STREET AND WATER
Nancy Bundy stated she had asked to have the street number ordinance put on the agenda for tonight and it wasn't on there. She asked that it be put on next months agenda.
PARKS AND RECREATION
Nancy Bundy asked that the previously discussed new ATV ordinance, which will do away with inspections and stickers effective April 1st, 2020, be put on next months agenda so that they could vote on it.
Brenda Tee stated she had spoke with Shawn Lain and he is figuring out transportation for the long arm excavator to be used for the harbor dredging. Tee said she was hopeful the dredging would start in a couple weeks.
MEETING ADJOURNED
Jeff Tee - River Rat News