The Wayne City Village Board met this past Monday night to address several important matters. The board is currently uncertain about how to proceed with trustee Dr. Paul F. Bruinsma, the former Dean of Instruction at Frontier Community College, who has not attended a board meeting since being placed on administrative leave on November 21st. His resignation followed two weeks later.
Trustee Steven Buxton reported that lawyer Steven Walters from Walters Law Firm in Metropolis requires a corrected tax deed to move forward with the acquisition of the Mary Neff property. This was discussed during the meeting, where village attorney Darrin Rice noted that he had sent a warranty deed for the property to Walters for signing, but it could not be signed without the updated tax deed. Walters indicated that he has a tax deed petition ready, but it has yet to be filed. Once the tax deed is obtained, he hopes to sign the warranty deed by the end of the month, bringing the village closer to resolving the longstanding issue of the Mary Neff property.
Additionally, complications arose regarding a survey of property being sold by the fire station. The property lines were not as expected, leading the village to consider whether to retain or vacate the L-shaped lot. During public comments, a villager raised concerns about the need for a contract to retain a newly hired police officer after their academy training, suggesting a commitment of two to five years might be necessary to ensure the officer stays.
Mayor Rocky Hedden informed the public that the board would discuss the performance and employment of an unnamed village employee in a closed session. Following the executive session, no actions were taken regarding that employee. However, the board did pass a resolution to release certain executive session minutes. A second resolution regarding the destruction of recordings of closed session minutes did not proceed, as it lacked a second from trustees.
The board also approved several purchases, including new CGI equipment for $2,961 for utility calls, replacing 18-year-old equipment. Power packs were acquired for $673, and a water tester for the village water treatment plant was approved at a cost of $941 to check mineral and chemical levels like iron and chlorine. Lastly, the board passed a motion to replace an HVAC unit servicing the community building for $6,775, which was awarded to Bluford HVAC contractor Brian Rightnower. This contract includes the replacement of both the furnace and air-conditioning units, as well as related lines and ducts.
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