Friday, December 22, 2017
Volume 144 No. 3
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TONICA
New village sewer rate numbers have arrived New average monthly rate to be $55.50 BY ZACHARY J. PRATT news@tonicanews.com TONICA — As Tonica plans for its USDA-mandated sewer rate increase, the village has now received preliminary numbers, Tonica Village
Board members learned at Monday night’s meeting. The average monthly sewer rate is now projected to become $55.50, board members were told. Village Engineer Jack Kusek reminded the board that $58.97 had previously been the proposed average rate for the sewer. However, the interest rates changed, and the USDA provided a larger grant for the project, causing that number to drop.
Included in this rate are items mandated by the USDA, such as short-lived assets, which will replace pieces of the system when that becomes necessary. Kusek said that this should have a few years before it needs to be used, allowing the necessary funds to build up. Kusek also noted the debt-service charge, which is how the loan will be paid back over a number of years.
Tonica Grade School
One item that is not currently accounted for is a charge for capital projects, which would be major work on the system not accounted for in the shortlived assets. Kusek said he would provide numbers with and without such a charge at a later date. The village plans to increase the rate over time, beginning before its deadline, rather than to increase it drastically all at once.
Board discusses festival planning While reviewing the past year’s Tonica Tonica Fest, Bob Beenenga, who directed the Cruise-In this year, addressed the board about plans for 2018 and to make sure everything was set to progress smoothly. One aspect Beenenga said he was checking on was funding. The town provides funds every year for aspects such as a band
and DJ, and the money is then paid back from the earned proceeds. “We always reserve, basically, the money for that,” Village President Kevin Sluder said. “That’s a given.” Moreover, Sluder noted the possibility of putting more toward the festival in the budget. “I would like to see more participation,” Beenenga said.
See FESTIVAL, Page 3
LOSTANT
Winter Concert
Tonica News photo/Dave Cook
Tonica Grade School parents, family and friends enjoyed seeing their smallest family members sing and dance their way through several holiday favorites during the school’s recent Winter Concert. The Tonica Grade School winter break began with a 2 p.m. dismissal on Dec. 21 and will continue until students go back to school on Jan. 8.
Fire Department’s newest member BY DAVE COOK
news@tonicanews.com LOSTANT — After 14 years and more than 100,000 miles of life-saving service, the Lostant Fire Department’s 2003 Ford Ambulance has been retired. “The continuous mechanical issues and maintenance costs on a vehicle with extended mileage is why the department had to get a new ambulance,” Assistant Fire Chief Joe Freitag said. Between the last run of the old ambulance and the acquisition of its replacement, which was more than a month, the Lostant department was assisted through the mutual-aid agreement with Putnam County EMS. “We still responded to all of our calls, but they
helped us with our patient transports,” Freitag said. Putnam County EMS Director Andy Jackson discussed the aid during the recent Putnam County Board meeting. “Some people have asked me why we’re running their calls for them, but that’s what mutual aid is. If they need us, we’ll be there, and if we needed help, they’d be here — that’s just the way it is. This is also why I’m glad we have three ambulances,” he said. “Mutual aid is important to communities because it helps them in time of need,” Freitag said. According to Freitag, the new ambulance is a 2017 Ford F-550, which was purchased for about $200,000.
See AMBULANCE, Page 2
LOSTANT GRADE SCHOOL
Superintendent clarifies information BY DAVE COOK news@tonicanews.com LOSTANT — While the information provided through the state’s Illinois Report Card website regarding Lostant Grade School’s administrator salary was correct, there are some details it left out and which Lostant’s superintendent, Sandra Malahy, said she wishes to clarify. According to the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) of the state of Illinois, Illinois teachers are not, and never have been, participants
Vol. 144 No. 3 One Section - 8 Pages
© The Tonica News
in Social Security. And even if TRS members do pay into Social Security through other employment and build up credit in the system, the resulting Social Security benefit in retirement is reduced because the member is receiving a TRS pension. “The board pays our teachers and administrator TRS, so our salary is a bit higher because of that. TRS comes out of our salary, so the board gives us additional salary to cover the TRS amount,” Malahy said.
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Malahy works what she calls a dual role as both principal and superintendent, and Tonica Grade School’s Chuck Schneider does the same. Malahy said she receives two part-time salaries, depending on the percentage of time she spends working in each position. “I do not receive a $111,918 salary as the superintendent. Of course, the Report Card does not explain any of this, but if we’re putting it in the paper where my taxpayers read about my salary, they should probably know the truth,” she said.
Tonica News photo/Dave Cook
The Lostant Fire Department’s new ambulance was purchased from Foster Coach Sales in Sterling. The vehicle was a demo unit for Foster’s customers, and according to the department, a lot of emergency vehicle manufacturers do this because it allows them to show the quality of their work along with the available options, such as this unit’s powered cot system.
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