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Freeport council approves new staff, short Veolia extension and budget amendments; denies Olson invoices
Summary
At its Feb. 17 meeting Freeport council authorized an assistant city manager recruitment, approved personnel policy clarifications, extended the Veolia water contract briefly, accepted generator and grant-writing contracts, approved a second budget amendment and rejected invoices from former counsel Olson & Olson.
The Freeport City Council took a bundle of administrative actions on Feb. 17, approving staffing, contracting and fiscal steps intended to support city operations while tabling a separate EDC settlement.
Key votes and outcomes
- Assistant city manager: The council authorized establishing and recruiting for an assistant city manager position to strengthen executive capacity. Doctor Kelly said the role has a recommended midyear appropriation of about $120,000 for the remainder of the fiscal year (the annualized range discussed was higher). The measure passed 4–1.
- Personnel policies: Council reviewed and revised two personnel policy additions. Section 9.21 (civil-service step-up pay for certified public-safety employees) was discussed and tabled pending clarification of "short-term" language; section 9.22 (interim pay for at-will positions) was amended to clarify a 30-day or longer interim assignment while recruitment proceeds and then approved.
- Veolia water contract extension: Staff said negotiations for a long-term operations contract were nearly complete; council approved a one-month extension (30 days) of the current Veolia contract to allow final exhibits to be finished (vote 4–1).
- Generators and grant writing: The council approved necessary utility upgrades at City Hall and the service center to enable grant-funded generator installations (cost to the city: $23,465) and awarded the work to McDonald Municipal & Industrial. It also approved a 12‑month retainer with Chase Consulting Solutions for grant writing ($6,916.67/month) to pursue identified federal, state and foundation grants (both votes carried unanimously).
- Budget amendment: Council adopted Budget Amendment No. 2 to appropriate midyear changes — including assistant city manager pay, the grant-writing retainer, generator upgrades, EDC road overlay payment and other items — aligning appropriations to newly identified expenditures.
- Police jail renovation bids: Staff recommended rejecting existing bids that exceeded budget; council unanimously rejected all bids and directed staff to reissue a streamlined solicitation.
- Olson & Olson invoices: Following discussion that the firm was terminated in June and later submitted invoices for December services, the council voted unanimously to deny payment for those invoices as unauthorized.
- Civil service attorney: To assist the newly forming civil service commission, the council approved retention of a recognized civil-service specialist at a proposed rate of $340/hour as a direct pass-through retained by the city attorney (motion passed 3–1; one council member absent). Council discussed whether a competitive RFQ should have been solicited for that work.
What it means: The votes mark a mix of approvals to shore up staff and pursue external grant funding while rejecting contested legal invoices and preserving the council's prerogative to require clearer terms on the EDC settlement. Several approved items require follow-up steps, including recruitment for the assistant city manager, presentation of proof of funds for the mediated settlement and budget-implementation actions by finance staff.
The council adjourned after public comments and ward updates.
