Morton board names Tongate to planning panel, approves police contract, infrastructure spending and zoning changes

The Morton village board on April 20 approved a slate of personnel appointments, contracts and land-use measures, including the appointment of Gabe Tongate to the village Planning Commission and the passage of a police collective bargaining agreement, the board chair said.

The board appointed Gabe Tongate to the Planning Commission for a term expiring April 30, 2031. The chair said Tongate will replace longtime chairman Jeff Key and thanked Key for his service. "He’s been the chairman of that for many years. We wanna thank him for his service to the village," the chair said.

Why it matters: The appointment fills a planning commission seat and shifts the panel’s leadership. The board acted by motion and roll-call vote.

Police contract: The board approved Resolution 02-27 authorizing execution of a collective bargaining agreement between the village of Morton and the Police Benevolent Labor Committee. The chief of police summarized adjustments to pay scales and described the wage package: "the wage increase package is 7% in year 1, 5% year 2, 3.75% year 3, and 3.5% in year 4," the chief said. Officials said updated packets include minor clerical corrections to sergeant pay scales and related letter agreements; the resolution was approved by roll-call vote.

Public works and procurement: The board accepted Baumann Trailer Sales and Incorporated’s proposal to purchase a 2026 utility air tow trailer for the street department at $27,796 after a motion to waive formal bidding. The Director of Public Works also asked approval of additional concrete curb-and-gutter removal and replacement work for several streets — South Glenn Avenue and portions of South Indiana, South Kansas and South Louisiana from East Jefferson to East Crestwood — in the amount of $509,905.40 to be awarded to Gensini Excavating at previously accepted unit prices. Staff noted favorable pricing on recent bids allowed adding streets to the contract; the board voted to approve the expenditure.

Land-use and code changes: Code-enforcement staff presented three related items to annex the property at 2607 West Jackson Street (Ordinance 27-01), accept associated utility easements (Resolution 01-27) and process the petition for annexation; the board approved the annexation and easement acceptance after noting the Plan Commission recommendation. Separately, the board approved a petition (26-04) to rezone 700 West Jefferson Street from B-2 to R-2, following a Plan Commission recommendation. The board also adopted Ordinance 27-02 to amend Title 4 of the Morton Municipal Code to align local building-code language with state minimum building-code regulations effective January 1.

Other personnel action: The board approved Resolution 3-27 concerning the fire department promotion process and criteria; staff described it as a follow-up to an earlier letter establishing promotion criteria, testing and scoring for engineer and fire-captain positions.

Proclamation: The meeting included a reading of a proclamation naming May 2026 as Motorcycle Awareness Month in Morton. In the proclamation language presented, Jeffrey L. Kaufman, identified in the text as "president of the village of Morton," declared May 2026 Motorcycle Awareness Month and urged motorists to improve roadway safety.

Votes at a glance: The board recorded motions, seconds and roll-call votes on the main items listed above; each motion was reported as passing during the meeting.

What’s next: No additional action dates were scheduled during the meeting record; agenda items were approved by motion and roll call during the session.