For the year ending December 31, 2025, the city of Carmi paid out more than $419,000 in credit card processing fees. Mayor Bill Stendeback, speaking at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, says the community’s pushback has waned on the subject of the city’s move to stop accepting credit cards as payment.
Still some confusion about ‘I didn’t know that’. You know, I don’t know how you don’t. It’s been out there the last 5 months. But, we are signing up a lot of people for the ACH withdrawals for either the 3rd or 15th of each month. So that’s a very good sign.
On January’s First Thursdays with the Mayor radio show, Stendeback didn’t have an immediate plan for those monies he says will be saved moving forward but did say the municipality needs to build up reserves.
The city is also set to not only buck a rate hike but even save a bit on Stop Loss Insurance. In 2025, the city paid Tokio Marine $417,320. That renewal would’ve come in at more than $483,000. Instead, the city accepted a proposal from Symetra at a cost of $414,416. The city had zero claims last year and the last claim that required stop loss insurance was in 2023 according to City Clerk Cynthia Attebury.
Also, from the agenda Tuesday evening, leaders renewed the City of Carmi Police DUI CD with Peoples National Bank. The amount in the fund is currently $52,398.41 and is being renewed. Council didn’t disclose the rate or any competitive offers.
Payment estimates were approved for the water meter work expected to begin in mid to late February. Wiggs Excavating is set to receive $548,633.80 payable from an IEPA loan and $21,800.10 to Brown and Roberts for engineering work on the effort.
The city also agreed to a retainer agreement with the engineering firm for work to be done at the Carmi Airport which officials say will address the beacon, beacon tower, runway lights, a windsock, and the AWOS (Automated Weather Observance System). Mayor Stendeback in his report also announced that 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the airport and while coy on details, says a celebration is being planned for June 6th.
Council also signed off on spending up to $40,000 on work at the 6th Street substation. City Manager Brad Attebury says he anticipates only needing $32-$33k for the work which will include insulators and hook switches. Attebury called that substation the city’s worst and repair work should put Carmi in “pretty good shape” on the substation front. The cost is for material with city workers providing the labor. The work is expected to begin late March or early April and should take a couple weeks to complete.
Finally, resident Richard Cook, Jr addressed council and after thanking them for addressing the lighted exit sign, suggested a transparency initiative with a 3-page presentation he left with leaders. He says he modeled it after both Truth in Taxation language and a Minnesota statute with the purpose of expanding public access to council consideration and access.
You mentioned people still didn’t know about the bill pay issue. That’s 10 days in advance of that being voted on, people can read that and know what’s in it. The last meeting, we had the kratom issue where literally before the meeting I heard some of you talking and it came up whether it was synthetic or if it included organic, and somebody’s like ‘oh no it’s just synthetic’ and then during the meeting we find out oh no it’s organic too. Nobody could’ve known that because the stuff that’s being voted on and proposed, there’s not really a good way to access that.
With no executive session, council adjourned at 5:52pm.