Tamaroa must pay CPWD's debt to state
Village Attorney Matt Foster said he has been in contact with Aaron Atkins, the attorney for Consolidated Public Water District. A ballot question asking to dissolve the district passed at the primary election.
Foster and Atkins located and studied the contract between CPWD and Tamaroa, signed in 2009. The contract states that Tamaroa will assume the district's debts and assets. No assets were ever turned over to Tamaroa.
Tamaroa Trustees said that when they met with the CPWD board it was agreed that the remainder of the assets would be used to purchase equipment for the Tamaroa Water Department when the village took over service to the district's customers. That did not happen.
Regardless of whether the assets were turned over as promised, the village is contractually obligated to assume the district's debt.
For the second year in a row, Tamaroa received a letter from the Attorney General's office demanding payment of $5,000 for CPWD's debt to IDOT. The village paid the bill last year, but chose not to do so until after investigating the situation this year.
CPWD has a little over $30,000 in assets, which will be applied to the debt to the state.
Foster was not sure how much was owed to IDOT. The debt was incurred when CPWD installed a water line which encroached on IDOT's right-of-way. IDOT moved the line then billed CPWD for the work.
In other business, the board:
• agreed to split the cost of a public address system with the Booster Club. Kerri Schoenbacher said the club has raised some money and has gotten informal estimates of $2,000 for a nice system. She plans to ask the PTO if they wish to contribute.
• agreed to pay $50 to be a hold sponsor at a July 12 golf scramble at Red Hawk for the Booster Club. Proceeds will help cover coaching salaries and transportation costs for the Junior High sports teams.
• discussed the village's trash collector. The former company has been sold. The previous company provided and emptied a dumpster at no cost. The new owner will charge for the service. Mayor Curtis Stube indicated that the village pay the new provider. Water Clerk Tiffany Kujawa was asked to check with the new company in Nashville about getting a new dumpster and to get prices for a larger or second dumpster. Kujawa will also inquire about an additional dumpster just during the summer when the need is larger.
• discussed filling the pond on Mike Frost's property. Both Byron Stricker who owns a neighboring property and Foster said that Frost has given verbal consent for the village to begin filling the pond. Foster said Frost has not yet signed an easement, but that employees could fill the pond.
• heard from Stricker that a property where three signs have been placed near the highway has been sold. The new owner wants the signs removed. He asked if the village had a right-of-way where the Masonic Lodge could place the sign. Foster said he would check with County Engineer Brian Otten about right-of-way width and placement.