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Georgetown council raises water minimum to $65, adopts ordinances and personnel hires
Summary
At its March 2 meeting, the Georgetown City Council approved a water-rate increase raising the minimum to $65, adopted Ordinance 2026-180 vacating Pumphouse alley, authorized several routine municipal actions and hired a full-time Streets & Alleys employee after executive session.
The Georgetown City Council voted March 2 to raise the city's water minimum to $65 and approved several other routine ordinances and personnel changes during a meeting that ran from 7:00 to 8:51 p.m.
The council adopted Ordinance 2026-179 to increase the water minimum. The measure passed on a motion by Alder Robert Weaver with Alder Curt Gordon seconding; the minutes record the final vote as unanimously in favor. Alder Dennis Davidson urged council members to consider raising the usage base next time so that customers who conserve water are not disproportionately affected.
Council also approved Ordinance 2026-180 to vacate Pumphouse alley after owners on both sides requested the action. Other routine items approved during the meeting included payment of List 904 (31 vendor payments totaling $46,708.59), several sets of minutes and clerk and department reports. A question was raised about a payment to Flock for license-plate readers; Mayor Darin Readnour said revenue from the cameras has slowed but the program is still producing income.
Administrative and community items approved included park use by the Georgetown Youth Sports Association for March 30–July 10 and assistance with installing two scoreboards (installation cost for two boards estimated at about $4,500); renewal of a Keep Vermilion County Beautiful membership at $150; participation in the state IDROP program to recover unpaid bills without filing liens; and authorization to place 218 E. Oak St. up for sealed bids following interest in renovating the property.
Financial housekeeping actions included renaming a Special Activities account to add a Bicentennial account and approving a $3,000 donation from an unused planning-committee account to the Bicentennial committee (the clerk estimated roughly $6,000 remained in that planning account). The council approved updated job descriptions with a requested cross-reference addition from Streets & Alleys to Water & Sewer.
After entering executive session under the state personnel statute (5ILCS 120/2(c)(5)), the council reconvened and approved hiring Charlie Penry as a full-time Streets & Alleys employee (motion: Alder Brooks / Alder Lyons). The meeting adjourned at 8:51 p.m.
The minutes recorded motions and vote tallies for each action; effective dates for the ordinances were not specified in the minutes.
