UNOFFICIAL MINUTES OF THE NEWTON CITY COUNCIL
108 N. Van Buren St
Newton, IL 62448
September 20, 2022
1. CALL TO ORDER: Joshua J. Kuhl, Mayor
Mayor Kuhl called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE led by Alderman Eric Blake.
Pledge of allegiance to the flag was led by Mayor Josh Kuhl.
3. ROLL CALL: Rosetta M. York, City Clerk
Physically present: Gayle Glumac, Larry Brooks and Marlene Harris
Also present: Attorney William Heap, Treasurer Melissa Brooks and Clerk Rosetta
M. York
Absent: David Brown, Eric Blake and RJ Lindemann
4. ADOPT OR AMEND AGENDA: None
Motion was made by Brooks, seconded by Harris, to adopt the proposed/amended
agenda.
Ayes: Glumac, Brooks, Harris, Mayor Kuhl
Nays: None
5. APPROVAL OF REGULAR MINUTES of September 6, 2022.
Motion was made by Harris, seconded by Glumac, to approve the minutes of the
September 6, 2022 meeting of the Newton City Council.
Ayes: Brooks, Harris, Mayor Kuhl, Glumac
Nays: None
6. APPROVAL OF BILLS & ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
Mayor Kuhl reviewed the pre-paids in the amount of $262,338.54 and the bills and
accounts payable earlier today and made a motion to approve the pre-paids and
authorize payment of the bills and accounts payable in the amount of $290,929.05.
Glumac seconded the motion.
Ayes: Harris, Mayor Kuhl, Glumac, Brooks
Nays: None
7. PUBLIC COMMENTS/COMMUNICATIONS: None
8. COMMITTEE REPORTS OR COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS:
Personnel Committee Meeting September 12, 2022 at 5:30 PM
Present: Gayle Glumac, Larry Brooks, Melissa Brooks, Marlene Harris, Joshua Kuhl and Matt
Tarr
Start 5:33
• Department heads or any personnel asked to attend meetings that have been invited on the,
“Sent to:” distribution list will be paid for their time.
• Pay will follow as normal time, time and a half after 40 hours.
• Chairmen need to be precise on their list, if your name is not on the list no pay is granted.
• October 4, 2022 will be the start date with no back pay.
Meeting end 5:50
Electric Committee Meeting September 12, 2022 at 6:00 PM
Present: Gayle Glumac. David Brown, Joshua Kuhl, Marlene Harris, Matt Tarr, Melissa Brooks
and Larry Brooks
Meeting started at 6:05 PM
Motion to go into Executive Session made by Brown, seconded by Brooks. Came out of the
Executive Session at 7:26.
Meeting ended at 7:28
Finance/Audit Committee Meeting September 12, 2022 at 7:20 PM
Present: RJ Lindemann, Melissa Brooks, Josh Kuhl, Elizabeth Belcher, Kenneth Belcher, Larry
Brooks, Sarah Kinkade, Gayle Glumac, Marlene Harris
Meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m.
• The city’s TIF policy was discussed.
• Effective 09/12/22 a new standard procedure for TIF has been established and will be as
follows: TIF funds are to be granted at a rate of 50% of a project’s total cost up to $5,000.00 or
15% of a project’s total cost whichever is greater, with the exception of commercial new
construction. TIF funds awarded to commercial new construction will be subject to the. council’s discretion. Any and all projects of any kind will remain subject to the council’s
discretion.
• A TIF application for Revive salon was discussed. It was determined to award $5,000.00 to
the project.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
Electric Committee Meeting September 19, 2022 at 5:30 PM
Present: Gayle Glumac, Larry Brooks, Matt Tarr, Tyler Weber, Chief Riley Britton, Mellissa
Brooks, Rosie York, Marlene Harris
The meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM.
• Talked about different options of solar and electric speed limit signs. Compared pricing
and talked about splitting the cost 3 ways: between Police, Electric and Street. Matt Tarr
and Chief Britton are going to continue exploring ways to use these types of signs and see
if there are other roads that need them. We are currently looking into 2 signs.
• TPS solar panels were discussed. Jeff Vance (MISO) continues to research the financial
paperwork that has been submitted to him. IMUA, after reading the financial paperwork,
said that it is a conflict with Newton’s Net Metering policy.
• Discussed a fourth person in the Electric Department. With an additional person, more
work could be completed in-house. The meeting adjourned at 6:04 PM.
Water/Wastewater Committee Meeting September 19, 2022 at 6:00 PM
Attendees: Larry Brooks, Melissa Brooks, Gayle Glumac, Rosetta York, Joshua Kuhl, Matt Tarr,
Marlene Harris, Steve Shryock (from R. E. Pedrotti Co.), Tyler Weber, Shannon Woodard and
Brent Benefiel
Called to order at 6:05 pm
Wastewater
• Steve Shryock discussed the Scada alarm system for the 6 lift stations.
Quote is $20,295.00 installed with annual fee of $450 per lift station.
• The Onan stand-by generator (old Water Plant Generator) is being reconditioned to be
the on-site generator at the E. Washington Lift Station. The parcel owned is small.
Connor& Connor recommended getting an utility easement.
• Sludge Building is done and is working well.
• Bulk Sludge dumping has done 125 ton. It is working well.
Water
• Lafayette St water main install to replace what is there with a cost roughly about $53,000.
Tyler and I will due more cost and budget investigation.
• Shannon reported that Well #10 is done and they are waiting for testing results.
• Friday the Water Department will start work on the leak on Walnut St. which will bore
under the RR tracks.
Meeting adjourned at 7:20 PM.
9. OLD BUSINESS:
a. Consider and act on TIF application for Revive Salon for reimbursement funds of
$5,000.
Motion was made by Harris, seconded by Glumac, to authorize TIF application for
Revive Salon for reimbursement funds of $5,000.
Ayes: Mayor Kuhl, Glumac, Brooks, Harris
Nays: None
b. Consider and act on hiring a new Electric Department employee.
Motion was made by Glumac, seconded by Harris, to authorize hiring a new
Electric Department employee, Lane Bradley with a start date October 3, 2022.
Ayes: Glumac, Brooks, Harris, Mayor Kuhl
Nays: None
10. NEW BUSINESS:
a. Consider and act on approving Halloween Trick or Treat Night for Monday, October 31,
2022 between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM, with a bad weather date of November 1, 2022.
(If there are questions call 783-4436.)
Motion was made by Brooks, seconded by Harris, to authorize approving
Halloween Trick or Treat Night for Monday, October 31, 2022 between 5:00 PM
and 7:00 PM, with a bad weather date of November 1, 2022. (If there are
questions call 783-4436.)
Ayes: Brooks, Harris, Mayor Kuhl, Glumac
Nays: None
b. Consider and act on providing flu shots for all part-time and full-time city
employees.
Motion was made by Harris, seconded by Glumac, to authorize providing flu
shots for all part-time and full-time city employees.
Ayes: Harris, Mayor Kuhl, Glumac, Brooks
Nays: None
11. STATEMENTS BY:
Glumac: I’d like to thank Ben Bowman, Sarah Kinkade and Mindy Hartke for all the work that
they did for the 2022 Fall Festival. It was a very nice and well done. Everything went on and
appeared to be a lot of cars there, so that was a good thing.
Brooks: The leak in girl’s restroom. The roofer thinks it is the gutter allowing the water to come
in behind the gutter someway. The Mayor asked Larry to get somebody to look at the gutters.
Harris: Josh Ochs said the jake brake signs have been ordered. We don’t have them yet. Also,
the sidewalks are supposed to be getting done this next week. They’ve got the Julie’s ordered on
them.
City Attorney: No Comments
City Treasurer: Appropriation Change
Motion was made by Brooks, seconded by Glumac, to authorize moving $1,000.00
in the General Fund Police Department from 9000-23 Contingency Fund to5451-23
K-9 Expense.
Ayes: Mayor Kuhl, Glumac, Brooks, Harris
Nays: None
City Clerk: 1 Wastewater PO #5
Motion was made by Brooks, seconded by Harris, to authorize Wastewater
Department PO #5 for $8,140.28 to Vandevanteer Engineering for Kaeser Blower
repair.
Ayes: Glumac, Brooks, Harris, Mayor Kuhl
Nays: None
The departments and council need to review new proposed Revisions of Codebook
Mayor:
• Presented to the council that he had reviewed and approved the billing adjustment
report. Amy does a really good job of putting notes in so we understand why they
were adjusted.
• I want to thank city employees for their work in the parking lot for fixing the
concrete. Things look really, really good. I do appreciate all that. I want to thank the
city employees, law enforcement and everyone who helped during the Fall Festival
parade, Sarah Kinkade, the Chamber of Commerce. Thanks. It was a hot day.
There was a pretty good turnout as well .
• Thanks, Doug, for allowing the band to be moved out to his facility Saturday
evening because of the rain.
• Thanks to Brad, Mike and all of our pool employees for a good summer. We had a
really good summer there.
• City employees do a really good job of keeping everything going.
12. NEXT REGULAR MEETING: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 at 6:00 PM
SCHEDULED COMMITTEE MEETINGS: None
13. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Potential litigation and personnel
Motion was made by Harris, seconded by Glumac, to go out of open session and into
closed session to discuss potential litigation and personnel pursuant to the
exceptions section of the Open Meetings Act pertaining to those areas of discussion.
Ayes: Brooks, Harris, Mayor Kuhl, Glumac
Nays: None
Open session suspended at 6:23 PM.
Motion was made by Harris, seconded by Glumac, to go out of closed session and
back into open session.
Ayes: Harris, Mayor Kuhl, Glumac, Brooks
Nays: None
Open session resumed at 6:40 PM.
14. ADJOURNMENT
Motion was made by Glumac, seconded by, to adjourn the meeting.
Ayes: Mayor Kuhl, Glumac, Brooks, Harris
Nays: None
Meeting adjourned at 6:41 PM.
Submitted by Rosetta M. York
