Reports of Village Officials
Public Works Superintendent Tyler Chriest reported receiving an insurance check for the storage shed at the sewage lagoon, which lost part of the roof in a severe storm in March. He noted that the shed is not in good condition because it gets hit by an irrigator in the summer, drifting snow in the winter, and the soft ground sometimes makes accessibility difficult. “It’s nice to have storage out there but the building is not in good shape,” he said, adding that they store barricades, sidewalk forms, attachments for the small tractor, and snowplows there during the summer months.
Instead of costly roof repairs, he suggested a new building by the Public Works garage for additional storage, which can serve the village for many years to come. He provided two quotes: one from a Florida contractor and one from a business in Kewanee. The first was slightly cheaper, but the local company offered a discount and is more readily available. The insurance check would cover $11,750 of an estimated $17,200 for a new 30 ft. wide, 35’ deep building with a 12 ft. rollup door, one entry door, and ample space for cold storage.
Chriest said he didn’t plan on this project for this year, so they could adjust line items or wait until the new budget year. The quote for roof repairs was received six months ago so the price may have increased. He asked if the insurance money can be held in an account until they’re ready. The council was onboard with a new storage building, with Mayor Bruce Peltier suggesting they use the funds to pay a deposit to lock in a price. Chriest said he could investigate that.
Chriest next discussed the Market Street lift station and issues found during recent routine cleaning. Crews tried unsuccessfully to unplug the base elbow, so they will need to use a jetter to punch out the clog and then vacuum it out. The pipe is at a 90 degree angle and they’ve found coupons plugging it up since the pump is not strong enough. Chriest said it should be pumping 300 gallons per minute, but it’s currently at 150 gpm, which is also stressing the pumps.
Chriest said they’re looking at $5-6,000 for repairs, while a new pump would cost $8,000. He said the worst-case scenario would be dismantling the pipe and finding the work beyond their capabilities due to the safety aspect of the pumps being down 20 ft. “We have to fix it or else we’ll be in worse trouble,” he said. One solution previously offered by Willett, Hofmann & Associates was installation of grinder pumps, with an estimated price tag of $38,000. Chriest said he wanted to let the council know of the project, as it may be costly and he will call for repairs first.
Chriest also alerted the council to an unknown issue with the well at the water tower; its pumping capacity is 85-90 gpm, down from 205 gpm when installed in 2001. Chriest said they won’t know what’s going on until they pull it, saying it could be iron in the well, a plugged fluid head, an issue with the well-casing that caused the diameter to shrink due to iron, or a hole in the check valve below the piping.
Chriest said the well needs to be pulled and checked before having an idea of the project cost, with a rough estimate of $6,000, but they need to get the capacity back up. He discovered the issue while flushing hydrants since it was very slow going. “These are things that happen within these systems,” he told the council.
Commissioner Susan Dean said with these well issues, the new storage building may have to wait. She asked if they could transfer the insurance money from the General Fund to the water/sewer account. Village Clerk Jamie McIntire said they can vote to do a permanent transfer of funds, not necessarily the insurance payment, but they would need to vote on it at the next meeting.
Chriest added that they need to have the tower cleaned out and inspected every 3-5 years. They used to have a $4,000 a year contract with McGuire Iron but they’re no longer under the contract. Putnam County Painting is another regional company that can clean out the tower and assess what is needed. They can wait until the next budget to do that since it’ll be an additional $10,000 cost.
McIntire said the water and sewer accounts are already low due to spending on the treatment plant, the IEPA loan payment, and the interest payment on the credit line. Peltier said to start with the well pump projects, especially before winter hits, and they can call a special meeting to transfer funds if needed.
Chief of Police Terry Strike’s report stated that he’s been short on officers during the week, so he requested Whiteside County officers to help with some part-time shifts. Peltier said the county sends officers for overtime, and the village gets the bill. The council previously authorized 30 hours of part-time coverage for their officers, which equates to 15-20 hours for county.
Remarks from Guests
Tampico Elementary School crossing guard Whitney Niccoli Collinson spoke to the council about the “incredibly dangerous road” and conditions by the school. The sun can be blinding in the morning, and the large tractors or trucks going the speed limit can’t stop on a dime. She’s worried for the kids crossing the street and wondering if they can come up with a solution, such as a speed bump or installing stop signs near the school entrances. She noted that the Erie School District installed signs at the middle school with a flashing light when kids are in school.
Chriest said new signage could be costly, with the council suggesting they look at an upcoming 80/20 school grant to cover some of the costs. Peltier said they’ve discussed these concerns before, and he will reach out to Rep. Ryan Spain’s office for potential grants and communicate with Principal Jim Geer for ideas. “It’s on the council’s radar now and it will be addressed,” said Peltier.
Unfinished Business
Peltier noted that he’s consulted with Willett, Hofmann & Associates regarding the DCEO grant and proposed solutions to some issues, such as insufficient slope for 300 ft. of drainage for the roadway around the Post Office. Peltier said there are no major deadlines yet and it will remain as “unfinished business” until they can finalize it. They’re planning the project for next spring or summer, as it’s “not realistic to be done by this winter.”
Peltier has also been in communication with Mike Sigel regarding the partial sale of land for a new water treatment plant. They’ll be meeting another adjoining property owner on Fremont Street to see if that could work as a location. “If it doesn’t work here it could work there, so there’s different possibilities and solutions,” said Peltier, adding that the plant would be better on Fremont St. and not Men’s Club Drive, which they would have to close off to traffic.
New Business
The council approved option #3 of the annual Illinois Municipal League insurance payment of $32,075.09, with McIntire saying it’s not as much money upfront with payments due Dec. 11th and May 14th. She noted that the premium didn’t go up too much, the insurance covers the village for everything, and it’s budgeted for since they must have it.
The council next approved the lease renewal with Lawrence Batten Trucking LLC for room #1 at the Reagan Community Center. McIntire noted the updated rental agreement with rent increasing from $150 to $200 a month and a 2-year lease term effective Nov. 1, 2026. All other terms and conditions remain the same.
The council voted to amend the ordinance for compensation for the council and mayor, which would be effective May 1, 2027 with the new term. The new rate is $200 per month for the mayor and $100 per commissioner.
The last item up for consideration was a partial alley purchase by resident Rick Dean, who owns both sides of the decommissioned alley. McIntire reported that Attorney Bill Shirk provided information on the purchase and vacating 20 ft. of the alley but under the assumption that ownership would be split between two property owners at $500 each. Since Dean owns both sides, they agreed to get clarification before the next meeting so he doesn’t have to pay double the cost. Dean noted that the property was paid off last week, so it’s not on the GIS yet, and the council agreed that they have the discretion to sell the property.
Building Permits
The council approved the following building permits:
- 305 S. Main St. – Roof.
- 210 S. Benton – Roof
- 310 E. 2nd St. – Porch stairs
- 314 E. Booth St. – roof
- 306 E. Second St. – Windows/Porch
- 305 S. Main St. – Garage/Front Door
- 302 N. Main St. – Garage doors
They also approved three liquor licenses effective Nov. 1st through April 30th:
- Casey’s General Store – $600
- Kickback Saloon – $400
- Break Room Pub n’ Grub – $400
Communications
Clerk McIntire gave a reminder that petition packets are available at Village Hall for anyone wishing to run for a council seat, and the paperwork must be filed the week of Nov. 16-23.
She next reported that due to scheduling conflicts and low turnout last year, Tampico Parks & Rec will not have a Halloween dance this year.
Due to the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd, Village Hall will be closed and there will be no council meeting. Village Hall will also be closed Nov. 11th for Veterans Day. The next regular meeting of Tampico’s Board of Commissioners will be on Tuesday, Nov. 17th at 7 p.m. at Village Hall.
