Tamaroa Water Project Still On Track
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Tamaroa village attorney Gene Gross reported that he has been in contact with two of the land owners who have been asked to sign easements allowing Tamaroa to hook directly into Rend Lake Intercity Water District, absorb the former 204 Water District and to expand service to an additional 30 or so homes. Both land owners have agreed to sign the easements; Gross said those two easements are enough to proceed with the grant paperwork.
The board also adopted an amended contract with Rend Lake Water District. Gross said that there were a few language changes required by USDA. The amended contract contains those language changes.
In other business, the board:
voted to give Butch Hunter authority to set hours and delegate assignments for Village employees. The board will also review the employee handbook prior to the next meeting and will suggest changes at that time. Hunter will report directly to the board. Mayor Curtis Stube said the Hunter's additional authority stems from residents' complaints that they don't know what Village employees do.
elected to pay for the new Takeuchi TL 240 skid steer semi-annually. The village will make two payments of $4,797 each year for five years. Total cost of the machine is $49,222. The village got $21,222 trade-in on a New Holland skid steer. The trade-in value includes the $14,000 still owed on the New Holland machine.
elected to oversee the annual tractor pull themselves this year. Trustee Kirk Pestka reported that this year's pull raised only $75. The previous year's profit was $5. The Community Center Committee consisting of Pestka and Trustees Lisa Haycraft and Betty Roberts will plan the tractor pull for 2010. Board Secretary Cheryl Pelker was asked to write a letter to Butch Kabat, who had overseen the pull for many years. The letter is to thank him for his service, inform him of the board's decision and ask for the $75,which will be used to put on the 2010 pull.
directed Pelker to write a letter to two residents whose dogs regularly relieve themselves on the sidewalk near the Grade School. This will be the second letter telling the dog owners to clean up after their pets.
briefly discussed the pond owned by Mike Frost. Byron Stricker said Frost has sprayed the weeds around the pond and cleaned up the property quite a bit. However, he is worried that the problems will resume in the spring. It was mentioned that plants have been added to the pond, as well. Stricker also informed the board that there is a water leak near his home. Hunter said Stricker made him aware of the water and it definitely is a leak.
heard from Vernon Heck that a retired police officer from Dowell may be interested in working part-time for the Village once funding is received to pay for a Police Department. Mayor Stube, Haycraft, Roberts and Trustee Harold Valentine will serve on the Police Department Committee. Haycraft said that revenue from the non-home rule tax will determine hours for a police officer.
set the trick-or-treat hours as 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30 for children 12 years and under.
heard from Trustee Nelson Knapp that when he is finished, nearly all of the signs in the park will be replaced. One or two of the signs are still in good condition, he said. The rest needed to be replaced and will be.
heard from Gross that the Unit Road District will not reimburse the village $1,000 for repairs made to a fire hydrant that was damaged by Road District employees mowing. He said County Engineer Doug Bishop indicated that there is a precedent for not paying for damage, whether the property in question is owned by a municipality or a utility company. Village employees said that they have inadvertently damaged phone boxes. Tamaroa was never billed for the damage. The board agreed to drop the matter.