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Mt. Vernon council approves $2.93 million in payments, awards ballfield grading amid one dissent
Summary
The Mt. Vernon City Council approved $2,932,375.90 in consolidated vouchers and passed a series of contracts and resolutions Nov. 6, including a $60,000 ballfield grading award to Bevis Construction (one council member opposed), a $15,250 Placer Labs subscription, and a five‑year leachate disposal agreement with CWI.
The Mt. Vernon City Council on Nov. 6 approved consolidated payments totaling $2,932,375.90 and voted to approve several contracts and resolutions, including a contested award for ballfield grading.
Council Member Joe Gliosci moved to approve the consolidated vouchers for accounts payable in the amount of $2,932,375.90; the motion carried with Yeas from Gliosci, Donte Moore, Mike Young and Mayor John Lewis (Council Member Ray Botch was absent). The council also approved the minutes from the Oct. 16 meeting.
City Manager Mary Ellen Bechtel asked the council to waive bidding and award contract work to Bevis Construction to regrade four small ballfields this fall. Bevis proposed $15,000 per field for a total of $60,000; the city will handle trucking, soil purchase, watering and seeded area maintenance. Council Member Mike Young questioned why other contractors were not given the opportunity to bid, saying he “did not understand why others were not given an opportunity to bid.” The council approved the waiver and contract award with Yeas from Gliosci, Moore and Lewis and a Nay from Young; Botch was absent.
The council approved a one‑year contract with Placer Labs, Inc. (Placer.AI) to provide foot‑traffic and market analytics to help benchmark retail and visitor trends around Exit 95. City staff described the service as useful for tourism and retail marketing; the contract cost is $15,250 and was approved unanimously (Yeas: Gliosci, Moore, Young, and Lewis; Absent: Botch).
Council members also approved a five‑year leachate disposal agreement with CWI/Republic, allowing the transfer station to discharge leachate into the city's sanitary sewer system subject to Illinois EPA standards and testing by Veolia. Staff estimated annual volumes at about 150,000 gallons; the fee is $0.03 per gallon with a 3% inflation adjustment each May 1. The resolution passed unanimously (Yeas: Gliosci, Moore, Young, and Lewis; Absent: Botch).
The council authorized staff to seek bids to relocate an aging sanitary sewer on 11th Street (the work is being advanced to accommodate a new parking lot at Central Christian Church) and to release a request for proposals for a parks market study and master plan. The meeting record shows the council approved seeking quotes for infield dirt mix for Lincoln Park after the grading award.
The council took its votes during the regular meeting; it later recessed into executive session to discuss purchase or lease of real property and adjourned at 7:47 p.m.
