Spring Valley council will reassess pair of contributions

The Spring Valley City Council will readdress a pair of contributions to organizations next year, after taking a pass on making them Monday.

A request for a $2,000 marketing investment with the Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway was defeated by a vote of 5-2. Mayor Melanie Malooley-Thompson indicated the city’s growth efforts with regard to tourism are still in the planning stages, and those plans needed time to develop further before determining appropriate advertising expenses.

A proposal by the Starved Rock Country Alliance for a $3,000 investment in its Small Business Development Center was defeated after Malooley-Thompson initially called for a tabling of the measure. Although the proposal indicated the Center had assisted in retaining 342 jobs and securing $4.7 million in capital investments since 2020, Malooley-Thompson noted the organization could not account for how many entrepreneurs it had served in Spring Valley. The mayor also pointed out the Center’s services are already free for Spring Valley’s citizens to utilize. Alderman Greg Campbell said such an investment could enhance Spring Valley’s reputation within the area served by the Alliance before making a motion to approve the expense, but the motion failed after it was not seconded.

Monday’s meeting was the first for new Second Ward Alderman Jennifer Diaz, who was sworn in at its beginning. The mayor’s appointment of Teresa Case to fill Diaz’s seat on the Spring Valley Park Board was approved unanimously.

Malooley-Thompson praised several recent volunteer efforts, noting those interested in signing up for volunteer activities with the city may now do so as long as a liability waiver is signed. The mayor thanked John French for recent tree trimming and removal services, which were donated to the city and expressed excitement about a new volunteer group being formed at Hall High School known as the ‘Hall-Unteers,’ which is aimed at encouraging youth to get involved in the community.

A resolution authorizing the purchase of street patching equipment for the repair and maintenance of city streets was tabled in order to allow for further discussion by the Streets and Alleys and Health and Public Safety Committees.

Motions approved during Monday’s meeting included:

• The city’s appropriation ordinance for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
• A contract for online billing and payment of city utility bills. It was estimated that the city’s move to online payment should be complete in approximately three months.
• The purchase of a tilt-bed trailer for use by the Street Department.
• The reimbursement of registration and travel costs for the mayor and select council members to attend the upcoming Illinois Municipal League Conference.