Beardstown council approves IAFF Local 3155 agreement, amends elected-official pay and expands liquor endorsements

The Beardstown City Council on Oct. 8 approved a tentative three-year labor agreement with International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3155, adopted changes to elected-official salaries, and increased the number of Class C "I-2" liquor endorsements, among other routine items.

Alderperson Ron Culves moved and Alderperson Lisa Buhlig seconded a motion at 6:18 p.m. to enter executive session under the collective-bargaining exemption (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2)); the motion passed 5-1, with Alderperson Eric Harbin voting no and Alderpersons Chris Baer and Shawn Taylor absent. The council resumed regular session at 7:19 p.m.

Following executive session, the council approved amendments to the tentative IAFF Local 3155 agreement by a 6-0 roll call vote. The amendments included changing the contract term to a three-year period (May 1, 2024–April 30, 2027), removing specified appendices, and adding language under Section 9.9 (Maternity Leave) that requires the employee to continue paying the employee portion of the medical insurance premium. The amended tentative agreement was then approved 6-0.

Also on the agenda, Alderperson Eric Harbin moved and Alderperson Ron Culves seconded an ordinance amending elected-official salaries in Beardstown City Code Chapter 2, Article III. That ordinance passed by a 5-1 roll call vote (yeas: Lisa Buhlig, Ron Culves, Mary Davis, Eric Harbin and Keith Schramm; no: Dawn Seward; absent: Chris Baer and Shawn Taylor).

The council voted to increase the number of Class "I-2" endorsements available for Class C liquor licenses from eight to nine. That ordinance, moved by Alderperson Harbin and seconded by Alderperson Seward, passed 5-1 (yeas: Ron Culves, Mary Davis, Eric Harbin, Keith Schramm and Dawn Seward; no: Lisa Buhlig; absent: Baer and Taylor).

Routine business included unanimous approvals to dispense with reading and adopt the minutes from the Sept. 17 meeting, to approve the consent agenda under the omnibus vote designation, and to grant a street closure request by Ebenezer Encuentro con Dios Church to close Edwards Street between Third and Fourth streets for mission concerts on Oct. 11–12, 2024 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The council also set Halloween trick-or-treat hours for Oct. 31, 2024, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and adjourned at 7:25 p.m.

Department reports filed with the minutes showed the Water Department pumped 15,786,400 gallons in September (82,233,678 gallons May 1–April 30), the Police Department answered 979 calls in September (3,527 year-to-date) and reported 12 criminal arrests in the month, and the Fire Department logged 21 calls for August (19 city fires). Code enforcement and zoning reports were attached to the meeting minutes but not discussed on the floor.

The ordinances and the IAFF Local 3155 agreement were adopted with the roll-call tallies recorded in the minutes. No public comments were offered during the meeting.

Next steps: the approved tentative IAFF agreement and the ordinance text will be retained in city records; the minutes and attachments will be filed as the official record of action taken on Oct. 8.