5% Water Rate Hike in Du Quoin's Future

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[You have to look no farther than the dozens of water main breaks on South Washington Street from city hall south to Pizza Hut, or the catch basins that or crumbling, or the old sewer lines that are filling up to know that Du Quoin has an expensive decade ahead.

Because of that and because of the lack of substantial and easily accessible state and federal funding to pay for it, Water Commissioner Rex Duncan will present to the city council in two weeks an ordinance that will raise water rates 5% by early January.

That same 5% will be carried over into the city's sewer rate structure as well. It will be the second rate increase in 18 months and Duncan forewarned the council Monday that it will be the first of two back-to-back 5% increases in 2010 and 2011.

City Administrator Blaine Bastien said following Monday's meeting that the increase is a work in progress in that it may or may not include changing the amount paid for minimum usage.

In other action, the council will change liability coverages from the Illinois Risk Management insurance program to the Arthur . Gallagher Risk Management Group at a savings of $38,000 a year.

The insurance services survey took an extraordinary amount of work. Clerk Bastien said by all accounts the city's premiums should be going down under the Illinois Risk Management program. That have not gone down.

Bastien is authoring a letter today advising Illinois Risk Management of the city's intent to change.

In other action, the council considered the following.

Ordinances

Approve Ordinance 2009-O11-01: An ordinance authorizing a one way stop at the intersection of Van Buren Street and the first alley west of Washington Street.

Approved Ordinance 2009-O11-02: An ordinance authorizing the execution of the Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network Agreement

Public Agenda

Approved a mutual aid agreement between the City of Du Quoin Emergency Services and Disaster

Agency and the Emergency Management Agency of Jefferson County.

Accepted, with sincere regret, the announced retirements of Jerry Morgan, Morris Green, and Ann Shockley. One-by-one members of the council and Mayor Rednour spoke of the commitment these three made to the community during their careers. They will be missed.

No action was taken following discussions in executive session.