Toulon city council OKs deal for jetter

By John A. Ballentine

TOULON – The Toulon City Council passed by a 4-2 vote an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Princeville to jointly purchase a jetter for $22,000. Toulon’s cost would therefore be $11,000.

The jetter is utilized to flush out sewer lines with high-pressured water.
“It’s a piece of equipment you don’t use very often,” Mayor Larry Hollis stated. Hollis went on to explain that when the jetter is needed, it would be less expensive than hiring a company to clear out a sewer line.

The council discussed the two-year option clause of the agreement, which upon recommendation of City Attorney Michael Evans, would ask Princeville to change the clause to four years. The clause allows either party to “opt-out” of the agreement and recoup half of the cost of the jetter if for any reason a party is dissatisfied with the agreement.

Evans said since the jetter is not utilized that often, the two year option would not be enough time to decide if the agreement was amicable. Mayor Hollis said that he would speak with Princeville representatives to see if they would agree to a four-year option. Princeville passed the agreement at their last meeting.

Aldermen voting aye were Art Nutzhorn, Connie Jacobson, Jason Musselman, and Mayor Hollis. Voting nay were Ryan Kelly and Donna Lefler. Rob Finney was absent.

Hollis made appointments to city positions for the upcoming year. Those included: City Attorney – Michael Evans, City Engineer – The Farnsworth Group, auditor – Meister, Hilton and Chitwood, TIF administrator – Jacob and Klein, TIF assistant and also deputy city clerk – Teresa Macy, Chief of Police – Gary Bent, with no appointments made for water-sewer or streets-alleys positions.

“I haven’t decided on which employee I’m going to give which title,” Hollis said. The full-time employees for those positions are Josh Allen and Jake Streitmatter.

No changes to committee appointments were made by Hollis. The city committees are (* symbolizing chair): Water and sewer – Lefler, Finney, Kelly; Streets and Alleys – Jacobson, Kelly, Nutzhorn; Police – Kelly, Musselman, Jacobson; Parks – Musselman, Nutzhorn, Lefler; Finance – Finney, Jacobson, Lefler; and Cemetery – Nutzhorn, Musselman, Finney.

The council discussed the possibility of limiting parking on Main Street in front of Ben and Julie’s Café Market to two hours. This will likely be instituted per the discussion.

In other action: Only one quote was received for the diesel and gasoline tank electrical hookups and was from H & H Lighting, of Elmwood, for a council approved maximum $4,824. The council will advertise bids for surplus equipment of an old jetter, a safe, and a vault lowerer. Also a surplus Ex-Mark mower is being bid out for sale.

In addition, Hollis believes appropriations for the new fiscal year will remain nearly the same, but he worries that less money will be received for Motor Fuel Tax and sales tax revenues this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic effects on businesses and gasoline sales.

A bid for $2,600 to cut down and remove five trees on city property was approved from “Saw-N-Logs”.

Tabled was action on the lease of a skid-steer and also a direct debit measure to enable residents to pay water bills electronically.

Quotes for new manholes on city streets have not been received as of yet; park lights were approved for $889.50 to install a light on the park’s flag pole and to change the public bathrooms’ lights to LED-type; purchase of a third basketball hoop for $1,330 from Cunningham Recreations was approved for the city park.

The council then went into executive closed session to discuss city employee wages.