Haffey Elected Mayor Pro Tem for Another Year

By Michael Miller For The Prairie Advocate News

SAVANNA – Ward One Alderperson Peg Haffey was unanimously elected to serve another year’s term as Mayor Prom Tem for the Savanna City Council, at the January 21st meeting of that body at 333 Chicago Avenue.

The meeting was attended by Council members Robert David, Bill Robinson, Peg Haffey, Merle Long, Jeff Griswold, Tony McCombie, and Lois Hunsaker. Mayor Larry Stebbins, City Clerk Paul Hartman, City Attorney Phil Jensen, Comptroller/Treasurer Sheryl Sipe, Police Chief Michael Moon and Public Works Superintendent John Lindeman also attended.

Two committee reports led off the meeting, with Robinson updating the Council on the highlights of the latest Finance Committee meeting. Robinson said that the committee spent about two hours discussing the ongoing Business Retention Plan program guidelines, and that those guidelines will be submitted to Jensen for legal review, after which copies will be made for the full Council’s review.

Building and Public Property Committee Chairperson McCombie addressed the latest news from that committee, informing the Council about ongoing plans for the Drug Free Skate park sign. She said that the Savanna Park District was consulted as to how to proceed with this, given that the Park District will be taking over supervision and responsibility for the park. Plans are also progressing on improvement of the Bike Trail and the National Scenic Byways program. The list of properties that are being monitored by the committee has been reduced by eight.

The City received a communication from Sterling Codifiers, the company that handles the City’s codes. It revealed that there are currently two ordinances addressing the issue of abandoned vehicles. The Council, after brief discussion, elected to compose an ordinance that would repeal Title 6, Chapter 7, and amend Title 7, Chapter 1, Section 6, to include abandoned, inoperable vehicles.

The matter of who would serve as the 2012 Mayor Pro Tem was quickly dispatched with, as Haffey was nominated to continue in that capacity, and the full Council approved.

Jensen told the Council he hadn’t received a copy of the revised franchise agreement with Mediacom, and asked if a copy of such could be scanned, sent to him, whereupon he would forward it to Mediacom and make sure all agreements contained therein where amenable to the company.

The City employees requested that Washington’s Birthday be observed by the City on the 20th of February rather than the actual date of such, February 22nd. The full Council agreed to this request, and the matter was then sent to the Ordinance Committee.

Dollar General On the Way, and Snow Plowing Guidelines

Lindeman took the stage in Final Comments, informing the Council that all paperwork necessary for Dollar General to go ahead with construction of their new facility at Bowen and Fourth had been filed and all indicators were that construction would commence sometime in February.

The superintendent also urged the public to remember not to plow snow into public right of ways, or to obscure or bury fire hydrants, or pile snow in such a way that it would block views at intersections.

The mayor then asked for a roll call vote to proceed with the next portion of the meeting in executive session, and the council voted unanimously to do so.