NW Illinois News

City of East Dubuque City Council met April 21.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

Please Stand for the Pledge of Allegiance

1. 25-0428 Call to Order - Mayor Digman

Start Time: 6:00 pm

Alderperson Belken, Alderperson Burgmeier, Alderperson Degenhardt, Alderperson Fluhr, Alderperson Meier, Alderperson Robey, Mayor Digman and Attorney Hess

2. 25-0429 Staff Reports

a. City Manager Report

Asbestos work is done in the Emergency Services Building. Have had two contractors through for tuckpointing.

There will be a meeting on Thursday at the CN spot thanks to Alderperson Robey. They will be looking at the situation that is going on down there with the water after it rains.

b. Mayor Report

City wide garage sales May 7th through the 10th. Ask to call City Hall to sign up.

JCE annual meeting and appreciation meeting and dinner on May 28 at East Dubuque High School. Sign up and exhibits start at 4:30, Business meeting starting at 6 with dinner following. Please RSVP by May 12.

c. Alderperson Report

i. Belken

ii. Burgmeier

iii. Degenhardt

iv. Fluhr

Can we get the TIF money or how it's distributed throughout the businesses and how they can use it. All the TIF dollars are in the budget will talk about that there in terms of the amounts. As to the programs we have it is wide ranging from Façade program, individual programs, infrastructure. The whole idea is to increase the value of the city. Just curious if they could use for roofing or windows like that. The façade program has a fist of what you can and cannot use it on. The easiest way to look at it is the things you can see from the street. We have not done it on roofing because everyone will need a new one while leaving little money for anything else. Also, it is hard to say that putting a roof on is increasing the value of the city. It would only benefit the owner. By doing what you can see by the street you will bring in new customers and new businesses. v. Meier

ví. Robey

d. City Attorney, Susan Hess

e. Police Chief, Luke Kovacic

1. Monthly Report

f. Public Works Director, Tony VanOstrand

g. Fire Chief, Joe Heim

3. 25-0430 Speakers from the Floor

4. 25-0431 Consent Agenda (City Council Minutes 04/07/25, 04/14/25, Public Safety Reports(s), Warrants, Zoning Minutes 04/07/25 and Correspondence)

Need to correct the Zoning Minutes from Thursday April 7th to Monday April 7th.

Motion by Alderperson Belken to Approve Consent Agenda (City Council Minutes 04/07/25, 04/14/25, Public Safety Reports(s), Warrants, Zoning Minutes 04/07/25 and Correspondence) second by Alderperson Degenhardt ROLL CALL: Ayes - Alderperson Belken, Alderperson Burgmeier, Alderperson Degenhardt, Alderperson Fluhr, Alderperson Meier and Alderperson Robey Motion carried

OLD BUSINESS:

5. 25-0416 Discussion and Possible Action to Approve Getting Estimates for Street Paving in the City of East Dubuque, Jo Daviess County, Illinois / Mayor Digman, City Manager Seitz

List of street priorities that we will go down and do as much as we can. The list is Crack Filling - Multiple Streets, Woodland Court, Intersection of First and Wall St, Hiawatha water break areas, Arrowhead Dr city portion, 5th St Hill to Michigan intersection, Wyota Ave hill to intersection at stop sign, Alleys between Montgomery and Clinton, Clarendon and Sherwood, Greenwood and Livingston with additional priorities - parking lots. The biggest priority is crack filling. Did Montgomery that has stood up and working well. Will try to maintain the streets that are in decent shape. Then working through the additional streets. Parking lots which is outside of this but will be coming out of the same funds.

What about the one going up to Timmermans. Will add that to the list.

There are a couple of bad spots on Hiawatha when you go by Clark Wolff's drive can we just patch those. We are going to do those ourselves this year.

Are we going to open up Jordan. It already is.

Is there any way to do some hot patch in those deeper holes. Yes, we can dump some in those. But that is what the whole road is.

Motion by Alderperson Meier to Approve Getting Estimates for Street Paving second by Alderperson Burgmeier ROLL CALL: Ayes – Alderperson Belken, Alderperson Burgmeier, Alderperson Degenhardt, Alderperson Fluhr, Alderperson Meier and Alderperson Robey Motion carried

Motion by Alderperson Burgmeier to Reconsider the Vote on Ordinance 25-0411 for the Clayton Degenhardt Property second by Alderperson Meier ROLL CALL: Ayes - Alderperson Belken, Alderperson Burgmeier, Alderperson Fluhr, Alderperson Meier and Alderperson Robey Motion carried Abstain - Alderperson Degenhardt

NEW BUSINESS:

6. 25-0432 Discussion and Possible Action to Approve An Updated Commercial Façade Improvement Award Program Application Packet in the City of East Dubuque, Jo Daviess County, Illinois/ Mayor Digman, City Manager Seitz

So, this is putting an end date on this application. People are interested in it but because there is no end date people are just waiting. This will give an end date and hopefully people will take advantage of the program. The end date is November 1, 2025.

Motion by Alderperson Degenhardt to Approve An Updated Commercial Façade Improvement Award Program Application Packet second by Alderperson Meier ROLL CALL: Ayes --- Alderperson Belken, Alderperson Burgmeier, Alderperson Degenhardt, Alderperson Fluhr, Alderperson Meier and Alderperson Robey Motion carried

7.25-0433 Discussion and Possible Action to Approve An Ordinance for Final Payment of City Hall in FY 2025 in the City of East Dubuque, Jo Daviess County, Illinois / Mayor Digman, City Manager Seitz

The mortgage on this building has a balloon payment in September this year. The interest rate is expected to be significantly higher than what it is now. Because of the financial decisions we have made in the last couple of years. We have the ability to pay this off. Will pay it off this current year. If paid tomorrow the amount would be $182,367.49. We have that in our operating budget and I would recommend that we pay off the mortgage early.

Motion by Alderperson Degenhardt to Approve An Ordinance for Final Payment of City Hall in FY 2025 second by Alderperson Belken ROLL CALL: Ayes - Alderperson Belken, Alderperson Burgmeier, Alderperson Degenhardt, Alderperson Fluhr, Alderperson Meier and Alderperson Robey Motion carried

8. 25-0434 Discussion of FY 2026 City Budget in the City of East Dubuque, Jo Daviess County, Illinois/ Mayor Digman, City Manager Seitz

Will be walking through things and things of note. We will have a public hearing at 5 next Monday with a meeting after finalizing the budget. Note the Cannabis license is up $50,000. In the comment section added notes as to how came up with the amount or anything that needed to be noted. Sales taxes have been increasing each year. Anticipating the sale of the property of the water tower of the assessed value. Employee lines there are merit provisions. Estimated 7% for health insurance. The fire department had a bid year for equipment acquisitions. Our goal is to purchase vehicles with cash instead of loans. We increased the audit because we are paying more each year. We are drawing down the various accounts that have been just adding money each year. Went through the rest of the budget.

No action required

Going to revisit Ordinance 25-0411 going to take up the original motion as previously adapted. Have a letter dated April 21st where Clayton Degenhardt is requesting the property on 496 Desoto St. would like to keep the zoning as residential.

Under old business it was asked to reconsider the vote on Ordinance 25-0411. So, this is the motion that has been asked to be brought up.

So, this is what everyone will be voting on. It is back to the original motion of zoning it commercial. If you do not want the change to go through you will vote nay. Correct. A nay vote will keep the property residential and an aye vote will be to make it commercial.

We can do this even if this is not on the agenda. Yes, it was passed unanimously under old business.

ROLL CALL: nays - Alderperson Belken, Alderperson Burgmeier, Alderperson Fluhr,

Alderperson Meier and Alderperson Robey Motion carried Abstain - Alderperson Degenhardt This property will be staying as residential.

9.25-0435 Adjourn

End Time: 7:06 pm

Motion by Alderperson Belken to Adjourn second by Alderperson Degenhardt ROLL CALL: Ayes - Alderperson Belken, Alderperson Burgmeier, Alderperson Degenhardt, Alderperson Fluhr, Alderperson Meier and Alderperson Robey Motion carried

https://www.cityofeastdubuque.com/media/cms/04_82B0C4B2C4875.pdf