New Du Quoin Wastewater Treatment Plant Employee Has Chemistry Background
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Du Quoin City Council met in regular session Monday at 6 p.m.--the last meeting of the 2009 calendar year.
The council approved the hiring of Randi Luthy, daughter-in-law of David Luthy of Du Quoin, to fill a vacancy at the city's wastewater treatment plant.
Plant superintendent Phil Brandenburg is retiring at the end of the year, but will stay as a consultant up through June 2010 at a cost to the city of $2,000 a month while employee Mark Krone completes the work for his Class I operator's license.
Under Illinois Environmental Protection Agency rules, the plant can only be supervised by a Class I operator.
Luthy will fill out the three-person staffing of the plant. According to water commissioner Rex Duncan, Luthy has a significant background in chemistry and chemical analysis as well as environmental biology and chemical analysis, all necessary to successfully operate a modern wastewater treatment plant.
Her hiring is being referred to as a temporary fulltime employee for the water reclamation plant-effective Jan. 4, 2010.
In between the agenda items Monday night, Duncan paused to praise the late Armetia Lanum, who passed away during the holiday.
Duncan called Mrs. Lanum an "eternally generous" resident of this city, so committed that she even worked her last scheduled shift for the Marshall Browning Hospital before her passing. "She was what makes Du Quoin great and this is a loss for the whole town,' said Duncan.
Mayor John Rednour concurred with Duncan's thoughts and extended his appreciation for all that Mrs. Lanum has done for the community.
Near the end of the meeting, Mayor Rednour seemed to call out any one of the current commissioners to run for mayor at the conclusion of his term in early 2011. He told commissioners "you begin thinking about it."
The council also heard from Du Quoin resident Robert Hamilton, who struggled with his words after the lingering effects of a stroke. His concern is the fact that there is so much empty public and private housing in Du Quoin and so many people who need housing. He challenged city attorney Aaron Atkins and Mayor John Rednour--who also serves on the Perry County Housing Authority board--to find ways to bring people and housing together.
He pointed to a woman with five children and a monthly income of $800 who cannot find housing in Du Quoin. Commissioner Duncan asked Hamilton for the woman's name and he would take it upon himself to see what the possibilities for her might be. Atkins said the housing authority board would be a better venue for Mr. Hamilton.
Mayor Rednour said that if someone is denied public housing, there have to be specified reasons why housing was denied.
The always thoughtful, but intrepid Mr. Hamilton said it is important for the community to take care of its own people.
"You can say something. You can say some-thing. You can say something," he challenged members of the council. "There are people who have jobs, but what about the poor people?"
The council voted to borrow $100,000 short term from the Illinois Coal Belt communities program to pay its share of a planned $900,000 hangar construction project at the Pinckneyville-Du Quoin Airport.
The funds will be on loan only long enough for the city to be reimbursed by the Illinois Department of Transportation for its share of the project. The council said the cost to the city will be less than $500.
Commissioner Duncan abstained because of his role as president of the Champion Communities program, of which the coal belt program is a part.
The council also gave final approval to Ordinance 2009-O12-01: An ordinance authorizing an agreement between the City of Du Quoin and Jeffery Ashauer, economic development consultant, who will be paid slightly over $2,000 a month during 2010.
The council voted to place on public display Ordinance 2009-O12-02: An ordinance amending Chapter 6 Building Regulations Addendum "A" pertaining to building permit fees. The council initially approved a fee structure of 10 cents per square foot for both new and existing structures. Commissioner Duncan said that will not cover costs of inspection and processing, so he suggested the council add and fall back on its old permit fee of $50 for new construction and $25 for existing construction on top of the 10-cent per square foot assessment.
The council voted to place on public display Ordinance 2009-O12-03: An ordinance amending Section 40-2-6 of the Zoning Regulations pertaining to issuing and fees charged for a zoning permit.
The council approved Resolution 2009-R12-01: A resolution authorizing the motor fuel tax general maintenance expenditures for the year 2010.
The council approved Resolution 2009-R12-02: A resolution authorizing a Tax Increment Financing agreement between the City of Du Quoin and Illinois Land Trust #22768 owner Rosie Robinson.
The council approved Resolution 2009-R12-03: A resolution authorizing a Tax Increment Financing Agreement with Illinois Land Trust #22768 owner Rosie Robinson. See Page 4 for details.
The council approved Resolution 2009-R12-04: A resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application for sanitary sewer sleeving to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
The council approved Resolution 2009-R12-06: A resolution authorizing a Tax Increment
Financing agreement with St. Nicholas, Inc.
The council designated city administrator Blaine Bastien as the city's Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act officer.
The council asked by the Census Bureau for use of city hall 15 hours a week so staff members can assist residents with filling out the 2010 census form and answer any questions about the form. Mayor Rednour impressed upon all how important the census is to the city in terms of grants and per capital funding. Questionnaire Assistance Center at city hall as work begins on the 2010 census.