Calumet City Council corrects May 19 attendance, approves packages of permits and financial items; committee recommends changes to three ordinances

The Calumet City Council on May 27 voted to correct the attendance for a May 19 special meeting to add Alderman Audwanda Wilson and approved a slate of consent, permit and financial items, including an amended payment to a local vendor.

Alderman Tillman moved to admit Alderman Audwanda Wilson into the May 19 record; Alderman Williams seconded. The clerk recorded a roll call of six votes in favor, zero opposed, and the council directed the city treasurer and city clerk to correct the attendance record.

Council members then approved agenda items 7.1 through 16, building permits 8.1 through 8.3, and financial matters listed as items 1 through 27 during the meeting. Several motions were recorded by roll call with unanimous “yes” votes for those items as presented. Alderman Williams moved to amend item 24 to approve payment to River Oaks Automotive for repairs performed to a 2024 Ford Explorer; Alderman Harvey seconded that amendment, which the clerk recorded and the council approved.

During the financial discussion Alderman Gardner asked about item 11, noting the amount presented at a prior meeting differed from the amount on the agenda that night. Gardner said the prior figure had been $5,755.24 while the agenda showed $7,463.88. A staff explanation in the meeting stated the vendor submitted an updated amount to Maria Valeria and the required payment was changed from approximately $5,500 to roughly $7,400; the council did not alter the item other than to approve it as listed on the agenda.

The council’s Ordinance and Resolutions Committee reported it met May 15 and reviewed four items. Committee members recommended that amendments to the municipal code regarding the appointment and supervision of the deputy treasurer and the deputy clerk not be passed as presented. The committee recommended adopting certain changes to a proposed ordinance amending the Calumet City Municipal Code concerning the conduct of alderpersons and directed that that ordinance be placed on a future agenda for passage with the committee’s revisions.

Separately, the council voted to move into an executive session at 6:17 p.m. to discuss pending and probable litigation, real estate, employment matters and engineering matters; Alderman Gardner made the motion and Alderman Harvey seconded. The executive session occurred and the council returned to the regular meeting later that evening; the transcript shows the executive session was anticipated to be lengthy.

Ending: The council concluded the meeting after ward reports and community announcements; no additional votes on the committee’s deputy appointment ordinances were recorded that night.