Tamaroa Names Committee to Address Water Policy
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Following a discussion of the need for a written water billing policy, Mayor Curtis Stube Tuesday appointed Trustees Lisa Haycraft, Kirk Pestka and Betty Roberts to a committee tasked with writing a comprehensive water policy.
The Village Board raised the reconnection fee to $30 for in-town customers and $50 for out-of-town customers in 2005.
The policy will include those fees, as well as spell out the shut-off procedure. Currently, service is disconnected 10 days after the bill is due.
Village Attorney Matt Foster gave the committee examples of water billing policies from other places for comparison.
Haycraft said several times that once a policy is established, the Village needs to notify the customers absorbed during the take-over of the Consolidated Public Water District.
Water Clerk Tiffany Kujawa was asked to see if some of the pertinent information could be printed on the water bills.
Mayor Stube also created a committee to deal with stray animals in the community. Trustees Kim Woodside, Bill Place and Fred Schultz will work on a solution and report at the next meeting.
The Board discussed allowing village employees to catch stray animals then transport them to the county Animal Control facility in Pinckneyville. A per-animal fee would be paid.
The village would need to establish rules for animal collection, a pay scale and acquire the necessary traps.
Foster said one frequent complaint from citizens is that the owners of stray animals are not punished. If the animal's owner is known, the Sheriff's Department should be notified and a citation can be written.
In other business, the board:
discussed coming events at the Community Center. The annual Easter egg hunt will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 1. The tractor pull will be June 10; a tractor pull committee meeting is set for March 18 in the old Village Hall. The date for the town picnic is Saturday, Oct. 6. The event is still in the planning stages. Local Band 4Play has been hired and a basketball tournament is planned. The board opted to use food vendors instead of cooking this year. Other entertainment options including inflatables and carnival games are being considered.
heard from Johnny Harris that he is interested in purchasing a run-down property and demolishing the house on it, but may not do so if the Village has a lien on it for utility services. He checked with the County Recorder and did not find a lien there. The board said they were not aware of any lien. However, the only sure way to find it is to do title search.
agreed to have undercoating put on the new truck when it is taken in for its next regular service appointment. The cost for undercoating is about $500.
agreed to renew the New Wave franchise agreement for 10 years.
heard from Mayor Stube that work has begun on the new roof for the Community Center. Southern Engineering will not inspect the work. The village must handle the inspection themselves.
Appointed former Mayor Bill Place to fill vacancy of Scott Alvis, who resigned. Place will serve until the next municipal election at which time someone will be elected to fill the remaining portion of Alvis' unexpired term.