Lonnie Dunn, Quincy Mayor Kyle Moore’s nominee for corporation counsel, has recorded a video for On My Honor — an organization that opposes allowing openly gay Scouts and leaders to be more involved with the Boy Scouts of America.
A proposal unveiled last month that would allow gay Scouts but continue the ban on gay leaders is up for a vote by the organization’s Board of Directors later this month.
Dunn is expected to be confirmed to the post Monday night.
The Quincy Finance Committee approved a request by Good Samaritan Home to refinance a $12 million bond it took out in 2009 to help fund its expansion.
The home used the city’s bonding authority to finance the construction of the Anna Brown Unit, office space and the parking lot. The bond was originally for $12 million, and $8 million is being refinanced.
City Comptroller Ann Scott said since the bond is being refinanced, it should not affect the city’s $10 million bond limit that it has available to non-profits. The city will receive a $10,000 fee for Good Samaritan Home’s use of the bonding authority.
This is similar to a refinancing plan approved last year for Quincy University. Aldermen voted in 2007 to allow QU to issue up to $14 million in bonds to refinance two $7 million bonds issued in 1997 and 2001.
In other business, the committee recommended that it accept the bid of $11,643 from Area Distributors for janitorial supplies.
The Quincy Finance Committee recommended that the City Council approve entering an intergovernmental agreement with the state of Illinois comptroller’s office for the Local Debt Recovery Program during a brief meeting on Monday.
If someone owes money to the city, the state’s comptroller’s office would reduce any state checks, such as a tax refund, vendor payments or lottery winning and give it to the city. The program was in legislation signed into law in December 2011.
City Treasurer Peggy Crim said the city would only use the program after the city has used all of its options. She said it could be used for nuisance abatements.
“If you don’t pay your bill, you get a statement from me saying you owe still us money,” she said. “Then you get a letter from me telling you if you don’t pay your bill, we’re going to turn it over to the attorneys. After that we turn it over to the attorneys, but even then sometimes it can’t be collected.”
People would receive notice from the state if they will be docked. People will also have 60 days to protest the deduction.
The committee also forwarded an agreement to cede approximately 2.8 acres of city-owned land to Quincy University. The university asked for approximately 1.2 acres to use for its new soccer complex, but the city is including an 1.6-acre parcel with a pond.
In exchange for the land, QU will mow about 2.3 acres of city-owned land next to North Campus for 10 years in exchange for the land.
QU originally offered to mow for five years, but the the committee asked if the university would agree to mow for an additional five years.
Quincy Firefighters Local 63 provided a $3,000 donation to the Adams County Chapter of the American Red Cross at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. A $5,000 donation is expected in February.
The money was raised through raffle tickets sold earlier this year. Local 63 sold 1,000 tickets at $100 a piece for the “Fire Your Gun” raffle. A gun is being raffled off each week for 52 weeks.
At the Aug. 27 council meeting, a $4,000 donation was made to the Quincy Fire Department’s Explorer Post 104.
Other planned donations include $8,000 for Camp Callahan, $8,000 to the Salvation Army and $4,000 to Great River Honor Flight.
The Quincy City Council will vote on an ordinance Monday that will allow video gambling machines to be installed in the city. There has been plenty of comments and debate locally on the topic on both sides of the issue.
Here is some of the discussion.
2012 MFT Asphalt Maintenance Program
The Quincy City Council approved the annual motor fuel tax asphalt maintenance program Monday night, which will cover 20 city blocks. R. L. Brink Construction will complete the project for $560,423.
Roads that will be repaved are:
• Spring Street from Sixth to Eighth.
• Maple Street from 12th to 13th.
• North 16th Street from Chestnut to Spruce.
• North 17th Street from Lind to Chestnut.
• Biscayne Street from 36th to Hamilton.
• Ruby Court from Biscayne to the cul-de-sac
• Sherwood Drive from Biscayne to Columbus Road.
• Jersey Street from 18th to 20th.
• Monroe Street from 20th to 22nd.
• St. Charles Drive from Gerard to 12th.
• Spring Street from 12th to 14th.
• South 12th from Payson to Ohio.
Quincy aldermen will receive their iPads at tonight’s City Council meeting. Aldermen approved the purchase of 11 iPads for $5,367 on April 30.
Members of the city’s Technology Committee — Aldermen Steve Duesterhaus, D-2, Mike Farha, R-4, and Dan Brink, R-6, — were provided iPads prior to the purchase
Director of Information Technologies Jim Murphy said some aldermen picked theirs up Friday, but the rest would receive them today.
The city is expected to save thousands from going paperless. Paper packets are currently hand-delivered to aldermen.
Training will be offered to aldermen on how to use them. There will likely be two weeks where aldermen receive a packet both paper and electronic, before cutting off paper copies completely
Murphy said the department is also working on an iPad app that would allow aldermen to electronically fill out forms for a work request or a nuisance issue and send it to the appropriate department. He expected it would be available in 30 to 60 days. 3G Internet service for the iPads will cost $30 a month per iPad.
Quincy aldermen approved a contract Monday for the annual motor fuel tax crack seal program. There will be 120 blocks or 10 miles of city streets that are included in the program.
Aldermen will be asked to approve other programs this year including the annual asphalt overlay program.
The Quincy City Council also:
• Agreed to send two new police officers to the Illinois State Police Academy in Springfield for $5,696. Officers Erin Angell and Michael Cirrincione were sworn in prior to the meeting.
• Agreed to extend an agreement with InterAct Public Safety Systems of Dallas for one year for the mobile data system at a cost of $12,319.
• Agreed to purchase 1,600 recycle bins from Orbis Corp. of Oconomowoc, Wis.
• Approved an ordinance to allow two-way traffic on the alley between 18th and 20 streets and Broadway and Spring.
The Quincy City Council met for less than five minutes this afternoon to close out the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Aldermen quickly approved monthly and annual reports for numerous city departments.
It actually took city staff longer to attempt to fix the microphone system that apparently shorted out before the meeting than it took to run through the meeting. City staff is going to try to have the system fixed before tonight’s regular City Council meeting.
This was quite different from last year’s end of the fiscal year meeting when aldermen sparred over the sale of a city-owned piece of property.
