4-2-25 Special Meeting Minutes

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE TOWN OF ALTON

AND PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TENTATIVE BUDGET AND

APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2025

A Special Meeting of the Township Trustees and Public Hearing on the Tentative Budget and Appropriation Ordinance was held on the above date in the City Council Chambers, City Hall Building, Alton, Illinois at the hour of 6:01 p.m.

Supervisor Bohart called the meeting to order and on Call of the Roll, the following

members were present or absent:

PRESENT: Allen, MacAfee, Strebel, Meehan – 4

ABSENT: Brown, Elliott, Gan – 3

Also, in attendance was Alton Township Assessor, Sheryl Beilsmith, Alton Township Attorney, Matt Kelly and Secretary of Alton Township Supervisors Office, Raechel Drake.

Mr. Strebel made a motion, seconded by Mrs. MacAfee to have the Town Clerk read the Notice of the Special Meeting. The motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Allen, MacAfee, Strebel, Meehan – 4

NAYS: None – 0

ABSENT: Brown, Elliott, Gan – 3

CALL FOR SPECIAL MEETING to The TRUSTEES of the TOWN of ALTON

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 6:01 p.m. City Council Chambers

In accordance with Chapter 60, Paragraph 1/70-30 to Paragraph 1/80-10, Paragraph 1/235-5, Paragraph 1/235-10, Paragraph 1/235-20 and Chapter 50, Paragraph 330/3 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes Revised 1998, you are hereby called to a “Special Meeting” held this day, Wednesday, April 2, 2025 for the following purposes:

To appoint the Town Attorney.
To examine and audit the accounts of the Supervisor for the Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2025.
To hold a Public Hearing on the Tentative Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for

fiscal year 2025-2026 for the Township of Alton.

To adopt a Permanent Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2025 –

2026 for the Township of Alton.

Dated this 2nd day of April, 2025, A.D.

s/Mary R. Bohart

MARY R. BOHART, SUPERVISOR

Supervisor Bohart recommends Matthew W. Kelly as Town Attorney:

CONTRACT FOR LEGAL SERVICES BY ATTORNEYS FOR TOWN OF ALTON,

AN ILLINOIS TOWNSHIP, FOR PERIOD APRIL 1, 2025 THROUGH MARCH 31,

2026

WHEREAS the TOWN OF ALTON, an Illinois Township located in Madison

County, Illinois has need for legal advice and services on a continuing basis, and

WHEREAS Attorney Matthew W. Kelly, has heretofore been appointed as

Township Attorney by the recommendation of the Supervisor of the Town of Alton and

as appointed and approved by the Town Board for the fiscal year from April 1, 2025

through March 31, 2026; and

WHEREAS Attorney Matthew W. Kelly is to be retained on a contract status as

an independent contractor to provide such legal advice and services to the Township; and

WHEREAS the contract status provides for continued legal advice and services

for the Township by said attorney within the budget that has been previously approved

for legal costs;

WHEREAS the Town Board adopted a Resolution which has approved and

confirmed the said appointment as Township Attorney and the contract provisions for

legal services;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT, AND IT HEREBY IS, AGREED AND

CONTRACTED as follows in accord with Statutes, the appointment as Town Attorney,

the Budget as adopted, the agreement of the Supervisor and the Attorney, and the

approval by Resolution of the Town Board for the contract for legal advice and services

to be made and entered into by the Town of Alton, an Illinois Township, by the

Supervisor Mary Bohart and by Attorney Matthew W. Kelly, upon the following

provisions for the fiscal year April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026;

Attorney Matthew W. Kelly shall be paid a 12-month contract retainer fee of
$12,0000.00, which shall be payable in 12 monthly installments of $1,000.00/month
beginning in April 2025 and continuing through March 2026;

Attorney Matthew W. Kelly, shall provide legal advice and the following services for
the Township In consideration of said contract retainer, consisting of;

Two regular Board Meetings per month, one Annual Special Board Meeting, and Annual Electors Meeting;
Periodic communications with all relevant Town officials;
Periodic conferences with Supervisor, Assessor, and other staff;
Periodic research necessary for miscellaneous matters arising regarding budget, annual town calendar, legislative changes, case law, general assistance, and property tax matters, etc.;
Periodic documents: Resolutions, Ordinances, and miscellaneous correspondence;
Annual Audit issues and matters for preparation of annual audit letter to auditor;

The following Extra Services are NOT included within the contract retainer:
1. General Assistance Administrative Hearings and/or Appeals; and
2. State Property Tax Appeal Board Cases; and
3. Court Cases involving the Township, whether as a plaintiff or a
  defendant; and
4. Madison County Board of Review property tax appeal cases.
5. Attorney Involvement for such extra services shall be subject to approval by the Supervisor on a case by case basis, and when such extra services and approved as provided the Attorney shall be paid for such extra services at the rate of $250.00/hour.

This contract is subject to termination by either party upon provision of a thirty-day written notice confirming said termination

The foregoing Contract provisions have been approved by the Supervisor, the

Attorney and the Town Board, are now hereby executed by the Supervisor and the

Attorney in accord with the Resolution previously adopted by the Town Board, and this

Contract is hereby made and declared to be effective as of April 1, 2025 through March

31, 2026.

Mr. Strebel made a motion, seconded by Mr. Meehan, that Matthew W. Kelly as Town Attorney, be approved. The motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Allen, MacAfee, Strebel, Meehan – 4

NAYS: None – 0

ABSENT: Brown, Elliott, Gan – 3

Supervisor Bohart presented the following two (2) reports:

A) Yearly Financial Affairs Report

B) Certificate of Audit

Mrs. MacAfee made a motion, seconded by Mr. Meehan, that said reports be Placed on File. The motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Allen, MacAfee, Strebel, Meehan – 4

NAYS: None – 0

ABSENT: Brown, Elliott, Gan – 3

The Town Clerk read the Notice of Public Hearing and Certificate of Posting and/or Certificate of Publication.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that a “Tentative Budget and Appropriation Ordinance” for the Town of Alton, in the County of Madison, and State of Illinois, for the Fiscal Year beginning April 1, 2025 and ending March 31, 2026, will be on file and conveniently available for Public Inspection at the Town Clerk’s Office, City Hall Building, 101 E. Third Street, Alton, Illinois, from and after 8:00 a.m. on Friday, the 14th day of March, 2025.

All Citizens of the Town of Alton are encouraged to attend and shall have a reasonable opportunity to provide written and oral comments and to ask questions concerning the entire budget. Public Hearing will be held at 6:01 p.m., on Wednesday, the 2nd day of April, 2025, in the Alton City Council Chambers, City Hall Building, 101 E. Third Street, in Alton, Illinois, in this Township, and final action on this Ordinance will be taken by the Trustees of the Town of Alton, Madison County in Illinois, at their Special Meeting immediately following the Public Hearing.

Dated this 12th day of March, 2025, A.D.

s/Mary R. Bohart s/Cheryl L. Ingle

MARY R. BOHART Supervisor CHERYL L. INGLE, City Clerk

And Ex-Officio Treasurer and Ex-Officio Town Clerk

Town of Alton – Madison County Town of Alton – Madison County

CERTIFICATE

State of Illinois )

Township of Alton )

County of Madison )

I, Cheryl L. Ingle, City Clerk and Ex-Officio Town Clerk of Alton, County of Madison, State of Illinois, do hereby certify that I did on the 12th day of March, 2025, post three (3) Notices of the Public Meeting, of which this Notice is a true, exact and complete duplicate, in three (3) public places in this Township of Alton, Madison County, to wit:

1)Alton City Clerk’s Office 101 East Third Street Alton, Illinois

2)Supervisor’s Office 100A East Broadway Alton, Illinois

3)Hayner Public Library 326 Belle Street Alton, Illinois

SUBSCRIBED and SWORN to before me this 12th day of March, 2025, A.D.

s/Cheryl L. Ingle

Cheryl L. Ingle

City Clerk and Ex-Officio

Town Clerk

CERTIFICATE OF PUBLICATION

STATE OF ILLINOIS

Madison County} ss

This is to Certify that a notice, a true copy of which is hereto attached, was published in

The Telegraph, a secular newspaper of general circulation in the County of Madison and the State of Illinois, by The Telegraph, a corporation existing under the laws of said state and that said notice was published on the 21st day of March, 2025.

And this is to Further Certify that said newspaper has been regularly published for 50

weeks prior to the publication of said notice therein, and that the person who signs the

name of said company to this certificate is as appears by the records of said company, its duly authorized agent for such purpose,

Dated this, 21st day of March, 2025.

Supervisor Bohart presented the following two (2) amended resolutions:

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWNSHIP OF ALTON that the Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for the fiscal year covering from April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 be amended to increase the line item for legal services from $8,000.00 to $20,000.00.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWNSHIP OF ALTON
that the Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for the fiscal year covering from April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 be amended to increase the line item for Intergovernmental Agreement from $200,000.00 to $400,000.00.

Mr. Strebel made a motion, seconded by Mr. Meehan that the said amended

resolutions be approved. The motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Allen, MacAfee, Strebel, Meehan – 4

NAYS: None – 0

ABSENT: Brown, Elliott, Gan – 3

The Township Supervisor declared the Public Hearing on Tentative Budget and

Appropriation Ordinance for 2025-2026, opened.

The Township Supervisor asked if there were any questions from the Trustees or the Public.

No comments were made.

The Township Supervisor declared the Public Hearing Closed at 6:26 p.m.

Mr. Meehan made a motion, seconded by Mrs. MacAfee, that the Tentative Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for 2025-2026 be approved. The motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Allen, MacAfee, Strebel, Meehan – 4

NAYS: None – 0

ABSENT: Brown, Elliott, Gan – 3

Supervisor Bohart presented the Permanent Town Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for 2025-2026. Mrs. MacAfee made a motion, seconded by Mr. Meehan, that said permanent Town Budget and Appropriation Ordinance be approved. The motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Allen, MacAfee, Strebel, Meehan – 4

NAYS: None – 0

ABSENT: Brown, Elliott, Gan – 3

There being no further business to come before the Board of Trustees at this time, Mr. Strebel made a motion, seconded by Mr. Meehan, that the meeting adjourn. The motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Allen, MacAfee, Strebel, Meehan – 4

NAYS: None – 0

ABSENT: Brown, Elliott, Gan – 3

CLI/cf CHERYL L. INGLE, CITY CLERK

and EX-OFFICIO TOWN CLERK