No open liquor containers on city property without permit

By Margaret Downing

Reporter

Unless an organization has a special event or special use permit for outdoor events that include liquor, open liquor containers will no longer be legal on South Beloit city property.

Commissioners at the June 20 council meeting approved an update to the existing liquor ordinance. Public consumption of alcohol has been a problem in some areas, and according to Police Chief Dean Stiegemeier the police have not been able to do anything in these cases – but with the ordinance tightened up they will be able to in the future.

In other business, Finance Director Don Elliott advised commissioners that city revenues are down about $144,000 from last year, and he expects the city to continue to be short on revenue generating dollars. One contributing factor, he explained, is that sales taxes, such as those gathered through fuel purchases, are down from last year.

The council approved payment of $215,110.43 in bills.

Winnebago County Health Department representatives Kari Nimmo and Jennifer Schnepf presented an “I-Plan Community Health Status Assessment” survey, which commissioners filled out during the meeting. The subject deals with such issues as a community’s demographics, general health and access to quality healthcare, infectious diseases, environmental and safety concerns, and so on.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health website: “The Illinois Project for Local Assessment of Needs (IPLAN) is a community health assessment and planning process that is conducted every five years by local health jurisdictions in Illinois. Based on the Assessment Protocol for Excellence in Public Health (APEX-PH) model, IPLAN is grounded in the core functions of public health and addresses public health practice standards. The completion of IPLAN fulfills most of the requirements for Local Health Department certification.”

The council gave its okay to a request from the Knights of Columbus to hold a fishing tournament at City Park on July 30 for its charity fundraising fishing derby, in which fish will be caught and thrown back in.

A request for use of the “The Wheel” parking lot for a Rib Fest to be held on July 30 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. was approved, which will include a band playing from 5 to 9 p.m.

The South Beloit Consolidated School District requested a waiver or reduction of the cost of the sewer project to the school district in an amount not to exceed $11,370, which was approved.

A request for “assistance for seal coating and parking lot restriping at The Wheel in an amount not to exceed $1,400” was also okayed.

A zoning variance in the rear yard setback to 22 feet from the required 30 feet in an R2 (two-family) residential zoning district on Lot 6 (an irregular lot) on White Oak Dr. was passed.

Bids received for tennis and basketball court resurfacing in City Park were okayed.

The mayor was approved to sign an “agreement for professional services with Fehr Graham for the Wastewater Treatment Plan Improvements at a cost not to exceed $19,500.”

The mayor was also given the go-ahead to execute an agreement with MercyHealth for emergency dispatching communication for the fire department.

A resolution was passed regarding an intergovernmental agreement with the Winnebago County Circuit Clerk’s office regarding “E-Citations.”

Approval was given to use revolving loan funds for public improvement in a parking lot “at the Foundry parcel” at a cost not to exceed $115,000.

Jordan Young was approved to become a part-time firefighter with the fire department.