Paid in Full: State Writes Pinckneyville $572,011 Check
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Mayor August Kellerman announced that Pinckneyville has received two checks from the state-- the first for $86,912 for the May utility bills at the Pinckneyville Correctional Center and the second for $572,011 for the entire amount that was under-billed.
"A lot of people didn't think I could get it," Kellerman said of the payment for under-billing. "It took a lot of letters and phone calls, but I got it."
Following the two payments the state owes only $248,383 for the June and July utility payments at the prison.
In other business, the council:
approved the purchase of a new truck for the Utility Department. Cost will not exceed $20,000. Commissioner David Stone said he expects the price to be considerably lower than $20,000. The Utility Department currently has six trucks. The two newest are 2004 models and both have over 100,000 miles on them. Mayor Kellerman said that the city will not blow through the money received from the state, but does need to replace equipment on a regular basis.
approved participation in the Greater Egypt Planning Commission's pre-application for a HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant. Pinckneyville's cooperation will count towards the required 20 percent local match on the grant, but will not cost the city anything. The grant would allow Greater Egypt to develop a comprehensive plan for the region.
approved an addendum to the contact with Laborer's Local 773 stipulating a $1 per hour raise effective June 1, 2011 and a $.50 per hour raise effective June 1, 2012.
heard from Treasurer Rick Reese that total payroll, including hours and overtime is up from last year. Total payroll for the current fiscal year as of Aug. 12 was $995,341.
approved a 24-month contract with Direct Energy to purchase electricity at $.0437 kWh.
asked City Attorney Roger Seibert to prepare a contract to sell the City Hall Annex, located at 111 South Walnut St., for $30,000. The council will vote on the sale at the next meeting.
agreed to pay $30 for flu vaccines and $65 for pneumonia vaccines for city employees at the annual clinic Sept. 19 from 8 a.m.t o 5 p.m. at the Perry County Health Department.