The Taylorville City Council made quick work of a number of motions, during their 45-minute meeting Monday night at City Hall.

The Council unanimously appointed Scott McClure to replace Drew Stephenson on the Taylorville Planning Commission, for a term to expire in May of 2019.  McClure was sworn in by Taylorville City Clerk Pam Peabody after the vote.

Taylorville Aldermen Monday night approved the annexation of properties at 1512 South Michels, 1800 S. Houston, 3912 Lincoln Trail and 3903 Kennedy Road, into the City.  They OK'd an ordinance regarding the liability of a property owner for building sewer repairs; they forwarded the proposed Fiscal Year 2017 Health and Building budget to the Finance Committee; and passed a motion directing Taylorville City Attorney Rocci (rocky) Romano to amend the current Liquor License Ordinance that would allow a drug store with a restaurant to be eligible for a liquor license with video gaming.

The Taylorville Council Monday night OK'd contributing 3-thousand dollars to the Taylorville Optimist Club for the 4th of July Fireworks Display with 25-hundred coming from the hotel-motel tax to help promote tourism, and 500-dollars coming from the General Fund and with additional assistance from the City if necessary up to 10-thousand dollars to meet the 3-year commitment.

Taylorville Aldermen Monday night voted to direct the Mayor not to sign the Releast of Property Damage Claims for the damage of April 21st, 2015 at Illinois Route 48 and Lincoln Trail; and they waived competitive bidding and purchased to have installed, 3 "Little John Digester" units and 3 or 4 loggers costing no more than 170-thousand dollars with the funds coming from the Non-Home Rule Sales Tax Excess Account, to lessen sewer odors near lift stations.

Aldermen approved the Fiscal Year 2017 Lake Department, Water Department, and Fire and Police Commission Budgets and forwarded them to the City Treasurer for further refinement; they approved the Treasurer's Report as presented; they forwarded the Fiscal Year 2017 Municipal Band and Municipal Buildings Budgets to the Finance Committee; accepted the muni band's concert dates for 2016; and rehired all the muni band's existing staff including Jim Smith as Band Director, Reggie Hohenstein as Band Librarian, and Jan Phillips as Band Manager.

The Taylorville Council Monday night approved a special events permit for the Chamber of Commerce to hold a Blood Drive May 20th from 10am to 3pm on the southeast corner of the square; they OK'd closing Cherokee Street from Gandy to 2nd Street for Memorial Day Services May 30th; and approved a special events permit for the Taylorville Kiwanis Club to hold their annual Peanut Days fund-raiser September 23rd and 24th on the streets of Taylorville. 

The Council approved allowing City Engineer Joe Greene to start the process for federal funds for constructions and engineering of Walnut, Shumway, West Main Cross and Cheney Streets, and directed Taylorville City Treasurer Jackie Nation to find 300-thousand dollars to fund the Cherokee Street project, and if any Motor Fuel Tax funds from the East Main Cross project are left, they'll also be used on the Cherokee Street project.

Aldermen directed Taylorville Street Superintendent Dick Wiseman to purchase a 2009 Carryall street legal golf cart, for spraying weeds along boulevards and brick streets.  The unit will come from Battery Specialists Plus Golf Cars costing some 35-hundred dollars.  Aldermen also allowed Wiseman to research the purchase of a new backhoe for the street department.

The Taylorville Council last night also approved paying almost 334-thousand dollars in bills.

The question of erecting 4-way stop signs at the intersection of England and Morton Streets in Taylorville, created some discussion at Monday night's Taylorville City Council meeting.

The ordinance creating the 4-way stop, made it out of the Street and Sewer Committee by a 2 to one vote.  Committee chair Earl Walters made a motion to make that intersection a 4-way stop, and after making the motion, indicated that he was the one in committee that voted against it.

Walters visited with Regional Radio News after last night's meeting sharing what he told the Council Monday night.

Several aldermen expressed concern over the high number of stop signs already on city streets.

After the discussion, a motion to table the ordinance creating the 4-way stop at England and Morton failed 5 to 3.  A motion to pass the ordinance failed 6 to 2.  Aldermen directed the police department to make themselves more visible in that area of town in hopes of slowing speeders.