NW Illinois News

City of Polo City Council met Dec. 18.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

1. Invocation.

2. Pledge of Allegiance.

3. Call to order- City Clerk Bartelt called the meeting to order.

4. Mayor Knapp called roll call and the following members of the Council answered present: Alderman Keith Chesnut, Alderman Larry Weaver, Alderman Joseph Kochsmeier, and Alderman Randy Schoon. Absent: Alderman Thomas Bardell, Alderman Busser, and Mayor Knapp.

Alderman Kochsmeier made a motion to appoint Alderman Schoon as Mayor Pro-Tem, seconded by Alderman Chesnut. Motion carried 3-0. Yes- Chesnut, Weaver, Kochsmeier.

5. Motion to approve the Consent Agenda

Motion made by Alderman Kochsmeier second by Alderman Chesnut to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda:

A. Minutes from the December 04, 2023 Council Meeting.

B. List of Bills as amended. Alderman Kochsmeier added bills for Dearborn Life Insurance for $56.00 and MWG Administrators for $3,067.10 for the administration department.

C. Treasurer’s Report

Motion carried 4-0. Yes- Chesnut, Weaver, Kochsmeier, Schoon.

6. Mayor Knapp opened Public Comment and the following persons provided comments: Members of the public are welcome to speak at this time but are limited to only 3 minutes.

7. Committee Reports

➢ Alderman Chesnut- We are still moving forward on hiring a new chief of police which will be discussed later.

➢ Alderman Weaver- None.

➢ Alderman Bardell- None.

➢ Alderman Kochsmeier- None.

➢ Alderman Busser- None.

➢ Alderman Schoon- None.

➢ Police Chief Tim Rockwood- The list of cars and debris in yards there was 16 on the list and there are now only 2 properties left.

➢ City Clerk Bartelt- None.

➢ Public Works Director Kendall Kyker- The lead service line replacement bid information will be put in the paper tomorrow December 19th. The Prebid meeting will be held on January 10th at 10AM at City Hall. The bid opening will be on February 7th at 10:00 AM at City Hall.

8. Items Removed from Consent Agenda

A. None

9. Old Business- Discussion/Action Items

A. Consideration & Possible Action on updates to the City of Polo employee handbook. Alderman Weaver made a motion to approve the updates to the City of Polo employee handbook, seconded by Alderman Kochsmeier. Motion carried 3-0. Yes- Chesnut, Weaver, Kochsmeier.

B. Consideration & Possible Action on ordinance 23-13, an ordinance regarding the Illinois Paid Leave For All Workers Act for the City of Polo. (second reading)

Alderman Kochsmeier made a motion to approve ordinance 23-13, seconded by Alderman Chesnut. Motion carried 3-0. Yes- Chesnut, Weaver, Kochsmeier.

10. New Business- Discussion/Action Items

A. Consideration & Possible Action on pay request #3 for contract No. 1 for Municipal Well and Pump and Willett Hofmann & Associates Engineering Invoice.

Alderman Kochsmeier made a motion to approve pay request #3 for contract no. 1 for Municipal Well and Pump and Willett Hofmann & Associates engineering invoice, seconded by Alderman Chesnut. Motion carried 4-0. Yes- Chesnut, Weaver, Kochsmeier, Schoon.

B. Consideration & Possible Action on hiring a Chief of Police for the City of Polo Police Department. This will be discussed after closed session.

C. Consideration & Possible Action on Congress School demolition.

Alderman Schoon met with the company regarding tearing down the school for free. There is not enough good material to tear it down for free. It will be a considerable reduction in price. They chip off the brick by hand. They do a semi-truck load per person a day. They make around $0.75 a brick. They want all the brick. We should do some investigating into this company. Keith would like to save a pallet of brick for the school to put the bell that came from Congress School. The council would like to find references for the company.

D. Consideration & Possible Action on demolition bids for 601 S. Division Ave.

Ports- $23,500

Bocker- $19,885

Gray Excavating- $40,000

Alderman Chesnut made a motion accept Bocker Excavating bid $19,885 for the demolition for 601 S. Division Ave, seconded by Alderman Weaver.

Motion carried 4-0. Yes- Weaver, Kochsmeier, Schoon, Chesnut.

E. Consideration & Possible Action on increasing the purchasing limitations for department heads (§ 31.191 Limitations on purchases).

The consensus of the council is that they would like the purchasing limit to go up to $500. This would require an ordinance change. 31.191 A & B will be changed.

F. Consideration & Possible Action on pay request #12 (FINAL) for Martin & Co., Change Order #8 and Willett Hofmann & Associates invoice.

The council did not want to approve paying it until they Alderman Schoon talks with Matt Hansen about Martin & Co being more forgiving in reduction in prices on some items. They used the City’s end loader, parked their equipment on City property, and the tracers that they installed do not work.

11. Other Items for Discussion & Information

A couple of the communities in the OCEDC would like to know if the City of Polo would like to be part of the discussion on grouping our garbage contract. The consensus of the council is to attend the meeting to see what they have to say.

Motion made by Alderman Chesnut to go into closed session at 7:32PM, seconded by Alderman Kochsmeier. Motion carried 4-0. Yes- Kochsmeier, Schoon, Chesnut, Weaver.

The Polo City Council resumed regular session at 8:03PM.

Mayor Pro-Tem Schoon called roll call and the following members if the Council answered present; Alderman Chesnut, Alderman Kochsmeier, and Alderman Weaver.

A. Consideration & Possible Action on hiring a Chief of Police for the City of Polo Police Department. Alderman Chesnut made a motion to hire Matthew Coppotelli as the new chief of police for the City of Polo Police Department at a salary of $92,000 with a swearing in date of 1/2/24 pending the employee contract, seconded by Alderman Kochsmeier. Motion carried 4-0. Yes- Kochsmeier, Schoon, Chesnut, Weaver.

Matt Coppotelli has a lot of policy upgrades and would like to improve community engagement and school involvement.

12. Adjournment

Motion by Alderman Chesnut second by Alderman Weaver to adjourn from regular session at 8:06 p.m. Motion carried 4-0.

https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3619/Polo/3847034/01022024_Agenda_Packet.pdf