Board Approves New SUV, Reduced Sign Fee

Chief Daniel Meyers has been asking for a new SUV for his department for eight months. On Monday night, he got the approval to buy it.

At Monday’s Village Board meeting, trustees unanimously agreed to purchase a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe from Miles Chevrolet of Decatur. The village will buy the vehicle through the Illinois Joint Purchasing Program, which secures municipalities lower prices.

The base price of the SUV is $23,856, but since it will be used as a police vehicle, it needs significant upgrades, including a light bar and siren, and enhanced 4-wheel drive. It also needs to have its rear interior door locks and handles disabled, so arrestees cannot escape.

The total dealer price for the SUV will be $35,490, but that’s not the entire package. The vehicle also needs equipment, including a laptop computer, a radar unit and a police radio. That brings the total cost to $49,921, or just under the $50,000 budgeted this year for a new police vehicle.

On Monday, Trustee Pete Heinz questioned whether the department might have some of that additional equipment on hand, like a fire extinguisher or a bloodborne pathogen kit. But Meyers said the department doesn’t keep that sort of thing in stock.

“We purchase it when we need it,” Meyers said, but he agreed to check the station and be certain. Public Works Director Mike Pubentz noted that the equipment will be purchased after the vehicle, so there would be time to check.

Pubentz said the new SUV would be delivered within 60 days of ordering it, depending on stock.

“It may not be here when the first snowflake flies, but we believe we’ll have it on the ground for most of the winter,” Pubentz said.

Meyers asked for a new SUV for snow emergencies after a blizzard in early February, during which he found his squad cars were inadequate. The department has two 4-wheel-drive vehicles, but during that storm, one of them was damaged. Meyers believes another SUV will help the department respond to snowstorms of that magnitude.

Also on Monday night, the board dropped the fee for a 15-day temporary sign permit from $25 to $15. Trustees unanimously supported the change, although Heinz said he would rather see the fee dropped to zero.

The village ordinance defines temporary signs as those hung on the building wall or staked on the property, and they cannot be larger than 40 square feet. Ground signs cannot be placed more than 10 feet above grade, and wall signs cannot be more than 30 feet above ground. Businesses are allowed 10 permits per year.

Flags and banners are also considered temporary signs, and cannot be larger than 80 square feet. Two 30-day banner permits are allowed per business per year.

Trustees also decided to revisit all the village’s fees, and compare them to those of other local villages. That discussion is scheduled for the Nov. 9 Committee of the Whole meeting.