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Mt. Vernon council approves sign permits, adopts sign-code changes, renews $6M line of credit and transfers unused bond cap to SIEDA
Summary
The Mt. Vernon City Council on March 6 approved two off-premise sign permits, adopted amendments to the city sign code that set a 100-square-foot limit for off-premise signs, renewed a $6 million line of credit, approved $680,109.41 in vouchers and ceded unused private activity bond authority to SIEDA; first readings were held on a 3% cannabis tax and an animal control agreement extension.
The Mt. Vernon City Council on March 6 approved a package of zoning, finance and administrative actions and held first readings on two proposed ordinances.
Council voted to grant conditional sign permits for off-premise signs at 4140 Broadway and 3406 Broadway after representatives for the applicant, Robinson Outdoor, said the proposals comply with the existing sign ordinance. The 4140 Broadway permit passed on a 4–1 vote (Council Member Mike Young cast the lone no); the 3406 Broadway permit was approved unanimously.
The council also adopted Ordinance No. 2023-13, amending Sections 126.3, 126.19 and 21-127 of the Revised Code to clarify sign-code language and to make the maximum off-premise sign size equal to an on-premise sign (100 square feet). City Manager Mary Ellen Bechtel described the changes as language clarifications; City Attorney David Leggans presented the ordinance and the council suspended the rules to approve it the same night.
In a separate unanimous vote, the council adopted Ordinance No. 2023-12 to cede the city's unused private activity bond volume cap to the Southeastern Illinois Economic Development Authority (SIEDA). Bechtel said the city has no project at present and that transferring the allocation allows SIEDA to hold it until Dec. 31; if unused it reverts to the state.
On finance matters, the council approved consolidated vouchers for accounts payable in the amount of $680,109.41. The council also renewed the city's $6,000,000 line of credit with Banterra Bank for one year at a 5% interest rate; council members were told interest is charged only on any drawn balance. The line-of-credit resolution passed with one recorded abstention (Council Member Joe Gliosci).
Council members considered two items on first reading only: an ordinance to impose a 3% municipal retailers occupation tax on non-medical cannabis sales within city limits, and an agreement to extend the joint animal-control arrangement with Jefferson County through Sept. 1, 2029 with automatic annual renewals thereafter unless 90 days' notice is provided. No final votes were taken on those items at the March 6 meeting.
The meeting concluded with routine council remarks and adjournment at 8:17 p.m.
