Grayville leaders gathered for about a half hour Tuesday night due to their normal meeting date falling on Memorial Day. The biggest discussion came with regards to an agenda item concerning overnight loitering and the topic of eliminating public internet access overnight at Groff Memorial Public Library. With several members of the library board in attendance, Commissioner Andi Ford attempted to quash any concern by starting off.
I think our wires have been crossed. We’re not trying to force you to do anything. We’re not trying to govern you or anything else like that. The reason this is on the new business is so we can discuss whether we wanted to come to you and ask if we could maybe come up with a compromise on the internet. I talked to the Carmi Library and they’ve had some issues as well and they’ve gone back from 24 hour internet to having it shut off from 10pm – 6am and they’ve had a lot less issues with people there throwing rocks, leaving trash, loitering, and causing problems. The reason this is on there is we’ve had some complaints from neighbors for people that are loitering at 3 o’clock, 4 o’clock in the morning.
She would go on to say that she didn’t believe people that were up there overnight were to do their homework, bible study or work on their resume. Commissioner Scott Browning retorted.
I think you’re incorrect on that part. I know for a fact there have been times in the past where I’ve had to send reports and I’ve done it in the past where you can’t get connected at home and you can come up and get on the WiFi and send. Now I haven’t done it as much here. But when I lived in Carmi, and they were on 24/7, you could go up there at 4 in the morning and send daily reports in.
Commissioners discussed programmable routers as right now they don’t have the hardware to schedule on and off times. That investment would be anywhere from $1,400 to $1,500. Library Director Kathleen Rister asked if the city would help cover that cost if it came to it and Ford said she thought so. No action was taken.
Also out of Grayville, Commissioner Don Baldwin made yet another plea to residents to take some pride in their property.
Everybody looks forward to this time of year…spring, summer, everybody’s happy but they’re forgetting the grass in their yard. They’re forgetting the old, abandoned vehicles…old, abandoned appliances. It’s against the city…there’s two or three city ordinances and I’m afraid we’re going to have to start enforcing them. There are too many houses that they just don’t mow…abandoned cars and appliances. It’s time for people to wake up and realize winter’s over, summer’s here; we all like to be outside and we don’t want to look at your [sic] unmowed yards.
City Attorney Jay Walden also gave a brief update on a lawsuit that’s been filed against Grayville citing a Freedom of Information Act violation with regards to building permits. He says at this point, it seems baseless.
There was a suit filed in the Edwards County Circuit Court against the City of Grayville claiming a violation of the Freedom of Information Act relating to a request for building permit applications and related information. So, at this point, what I’m investigating is the entity that filed suit is an LLC and I couldn’t find any evidence in reviewing the records of the Illinois Secretary of State’s office that the LLC exists or is otherwise admitted to do business in Illinois. So I contacted the attorneys and I said you know if you can prove me wrong, that’s fine. But from what I can see, you’re not admitted to do business in Illinois which means you don’t have access to the court system. So, I’ll give more information when I know more.
Grayville’s top brass approved an update to the Fiscal Year Ending April 30, 2024 budget and a pay estimate for the watermain replacement project totaling $34,089.26. Rex Gower of Engineering firm Milano & Grunloh says the contractor will install the new sidewalks soon.
With no executive session, the Grayville City Council adjourned at 7:29pm. Leaders will next gather on June 9th at 7pm.
