Central graduate wins IMUA scholarship

Recent Central graduate Caden Klay was awarded a scholarship from the Illinois Municipal Utilities Association during the Breese City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 21. Klay also received a $2,500 check from the city of Breese. Pictured are, FROM LEFT, Mayor Kevin Timmermann, Caden Klay, Ellen Woehrmann from IMUA, Leslie Klay and Chris Klay.    A recent Central Community High School graduate was awarded a scholarship from the Illinois Municipal Utilities Association (IMUA) during the Breese City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 21.
    Ellen Woehrmann from the IMUA attended the meeting to present the scholarship to Central graduate Caden Klay. He won the scholarship for an essay he wrote.
    Klay was one of four chosen from over 70 applicants. Since Klay and his family reside within the city limits of Breese, the city of Breese presented Klay a $2,500 check toward his education.
    There are 32 municipalities in the IMUA district ranging from St. Charles down to Metropolis.
    "Caden represented us very well," Breese Mayor Kevin Timmermann said. "It is very seldom that we get someone within our city limits who gets this scholarship."
    Also during the meeting, it was announced that the city of Breese has a contract with the Flock company for cameras. The city has contacted Flock regarding recent concerns and is reviewing its company policy.
    The Breese Ambulance Service is having a golf scramble on Aug. 1 at Bent Oak Golf Course. The morning slots are full but they have plenty of slots open for the afternoon session. Money generated from the scramble will be used to purchase a new power-lift by Stryker. The current system is very old and not replaceable.
    Austin Deal and Dylan Ziegler were announced as new part-time officers for the Breese Police Department. They will be going to the part-time academy in August. It is a year-long process.
    "I appreciate you guys stepping up," Timmermann said. "It is hard to find part-time officers these days."
    The council approved a contract with HMG Engineers for construction phase services for the waste water treatment plant in the amount not to exceed $680,000. The council approved a Pitney Bowles Relay 4500 folder/inserter for utility billing in the amount of $15,554.41.
    A contract with Nickas Architecture, LLC, out of Columbia for stage and pavilion design services at Northside Park in the amount of $6,950 was approved.
    Timmermann said one of the main reasons the old stage was torn down was because it became a safety issue. The city's risk insurance looked at the former stage and said there was a big question mark on safety.
    Clinton County Showcase, Breese Optimist Club Fall Fest and Community Link Buddy Walk all used the stage.
    "If we put a new pavilion in that area, it will be utilized even more," Timmermann said. "We will have to design it to today's standards. We were able to find an architect that was willing to work with small towns."
    There will be some fundraisers spearheaded by Clinton County Showcase.
    The dive-in movie at the Breese City Pool is July 29. There will be free admission, and snacks and drinks will be provided. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the movie starts at dusk. The "Super Mario Galaxy Movie" will be showing.
    The Breese Street Department oiled and chipped roads on July 20-21. They came up about a block and a half short of completing their goal of oiling and chipping Ward 4.
    The council approved the appropriation ordinance for fiscal year 2027 in the amount of $46,896,644.89.
    The council approved an ordinance re-zoning a parcel located on North Fourth Street and Mine Street from R-2 to C-2. The council approved a declaration of covenants that is related to the Mine Street project. The council approved a resolution for the property.
    There will be a zoning hearing on July 30 for Jered and Catherine Huegen.
    In the health portion of the meeting, it was announced that a mosquito pool tested positive for the West Nile virus in the Breese area.
    The next Breese City Council meeting is Tuesday, Aug. 4.