Jessica L Curran

The meeting agenda covers a wide range of administrative and operational items. Key topics include public works requests such as handicapped parking spaces, finance matters involving bid awards for Madison Avenue improvements, fuel bids, and police department chiller replacement. Legal and legislative discussions involve vape vending machine licenses, while negotiations focus on a collective bargaining agreement for the police department. Additional items include fire department incident reports, committee reports, organizational appointments, and updates on public correspondence.

The meeting included the opening proceedings with prayer and pledge of allegiance. Key discussions and actions involved the approval of township board meeting minutes from November 18th. The finance committee motions included paying bills from the town fund, the general assistance fund, approving a contract for a new city phone system, approving a preliminary engineering agreement for the Wilson Park multi-use connector, and paying the city payroll and bill lists, including supplemental attorney fees. The committee also sought to place the director of arts and tourism report on file. Additionally, the council approved a motion to hire a probationary patrol officer. Public correspondence included an address by a citizen regarding financial matters and interactions with city police and a county appointee, though this was largely ruled out of order as not being city business.

The Township Meeting included the formal call to order followed by a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Key financial discussions involved the approval of bills from the Town Fund ($52,942.81) and General Assistance ($16,780.52), the approval of the city payroll ($776,396.76), and the payment of the city bill list ($2,952,036.61). The Economic Development Committee brought forward an agenda item authorizing the Mayor to negotiate a lease for a proposed animal control agreement, which was approved. Additionally, an ordinance was passed dissolving the downtown tax increment redevelopment plan and distributing surplus funds, and another ordinance distributed surplus funds for the Route 203 district. The Police Committee approved the hiring of a probationary dispatcher and placed December 2025 chief statistics on file. The Fire Committee placed several reports on file, including the December 2025 EMS report and the yearly EMS report for 2025. The Mayor's report included news regarding an upcoming announcement by the Governor about the Route 66 Centennial, which will bring $1 million in grant funds to support celebrations, including $300,000 designated for Granite City projects such as new murals and roadside attractions. Finally, the appointment of current Planning Commission members was approved for reappointment, and Roger Goodman was appointed to a vacant seat on the commission.

The document details proceedings from a combined township and city council meeting. The meeting began with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Key financial actions included approving bills for the township fund ($41,2515.00) and the general assistance fund ($15,588.72). The city council meeting portion involved approving previous city council minutes from December 16th. A presentation was given acknowledging a local resident for achieving first place at the U15 Jiu-Jitsu World Championships in Greece in 2025. Committee reports resulted in the approval of donating mill property for the benefit of Police Officer Tyler Simmons. A second passage approved an ordinance designating a handicap parking space for an additional four years at 2926 East 24th Street. Further finance actions included approving the city payroll ($746,385.12), the general bill list for the month ($1,146,675.04), and a supplemental bill list for legal fees ($9,456.97). The council also approved the donation of a surplus 2006 Ford Explorer pickup truck to the city of Venice.

The township meeting was opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Discussions during the township portion included the approval of the January 20th board meeting minutes and motions to pay bills from the town fund ($37,389) and the general assistance fund ($13,769.37). Following the adjournment of the township meeting, the city council meeting commenced. Key discussions involved public correspondence regarding a proposed data center, with representatives from IBEW Local 309 and Steamfitters Local 439 speaking in favor, highlighting potential revenue, jobs, and grid stability. Icon Mechanical also spoke in support, emphasizing job creation and expertise in data center construction, and noted that proper contracts can lead to lower resident tax rates and utility upgrades. The Mayor announced the relocation of the next city council meeting to Wednesday, February 18th, due to a holiday. The Mayor nominated and the council appointed Michael Milis to fill the vacant Alderman seat previously held by Mary Davis, citing a need for diverse representation based on varied life experiences. Finally, three officers from the community preservation unit (Lieutenant Tim Badard, Sergeant Andrea Clump, and Officer Jessica Walker) were recognized for assisting over 117 individuals with issues such as homelessness and mental health services.