Forsyth Fast Facts

The start time for Village Board meetings has been moved to 6:30 p.m. The Board meets the first and third Mondays of each month at Village Hall.

Items of interest from the Dec. 21 Board meeting

BOARD DECISIONS

• The Board agreed to purchase two additional emergency sirens for the Village from Griffin Tower Con- nection Inc. for $43,870, less than the $60,000 budgeted. Public Works Director Larry Coloni said his staff will check the broadcast areas of the existing sirens to help Public Works Committee members determine the best placement for the new ones. The Village currently has three emergency sirens: one at the northwest corner
• of Hickory Point Golf Course, one at Village Hall and one on the south edge of Hickory Point Mall. 
• After making a few minor changes, trustees approved four items related to the search for a new Village administrator as presented by consultant Dave Anderson, including a search advertisement, an enabling ordinance, a job description and an employment agreement. Applications will be accepted for the position until Feb. 5. The Board’s discussion of the administrator job description resulted in a request to review and revise the Village clerk and treasurer job descriptions at a later date.
• Trustees unanimously approved a change order of $8,330.06 for the storm sewer project at the intersection of Cox and Elwood streets. The con- tractor needed to resolve a conflict between the new storm sewer and existing sanitary sewer services. All work on the project is now complete, with the exception of some sodding to be done in the spring.
• Agreeing with a recommendation from the Public Works Committee, trustees approved an amendment to the Village’s construction standards for sanitary sewers to allow the use of heavy wall PVC pipe in addition to the truss pipe traditionally used.
• Trustees unanimously rejected a request from Reclaim Illinois, a political group, to place a banner that faces Rt. 51 on a fence behind Lebeda Mattress on Koester Drive. No representative from the group was at the Board meeting to explain the purpose or content of the banner.

TABLED

• Board member and Public Works Chair Bob Rasho asked the Board to re-evaluate a proposed project to the improve drainage on Hundley Road, expressing concerns that the anticipated costs of the project have exceeded the original estimate of $15,000. After a discussion by Board members, Rasho asked Village Engineer Chuck Hunsinger to submit an estimate for his original, less-costly design for controlling the drainage by using berms. Hunsinger will give the estimate to the Public Works Committee to review.

OTHER NEWS

• Public Works Director Larry Coloni hired Walker’s Tree Care to remove four decaying trees from Village rights-of-way on Smith, Grant and Elwood streets for a total cost of $1,510.
• Work continues on relocating the sand volleyball court in Forsyth Park.
• Sump pump inspections continue in Stevens Creek Estates. To date, eight illegal connections have been discovered. Meter replacements also continue in the Village.

UPCOMING

• The Board agreed to follow through on a plan presented last spring by Village Engineer Chuck Hunsinger to eliminate flooding in the area between Barnett Avenue and Highland Drive. In the absence of a Village administrator, Mayor Hap Gilbert was asked to contact residents living in the area to begin the process.
• Discussion continued on new video gaming laws, but no vote was taken by Village trustees. Trustee Eric Morr commented that he had done a “straw poll” of residents through e-mail and two-thirds of the 33 residents who responded were against allowing online gambling in the community. He questioned whether any action was needed since Forsyth already has an ordinance in place that bans gambling.