Ramsey board dissolves police department

September 13, 2022 29

RAMSEY — The village of Ramsey will be without its own police department, but there is a deal in place for active patrols.

An agreement with the St. Elmo Police Department would pave the way for the village board to dissolve its police department during the board meeting on Monday, Sept. 5. The agreement ensures seven days of coverage for the village.

Officer Jacoby Manuel completed his officer training and is actively patrolling the village. Manuel will be transferring to the St. Elmo Police Department per a vote from the board.

In addition, the department plans to hire another officer on a part-time basis to patrol the village for two days a week.

Resignations and appointments

Ordinance officer Stan Kulk submitted his resignation due to “unforeseen circumstances.” Officers patrolling Ramsey will assume those responsibilities going forward.

Trustee Janet Fitzpatrick would also submit her letter of resignation to the board, citing health concerns.

A water system overhaul in Ramsey is in the works

The board voted to increase water rates to offset the overall costs of a loan necessary to make way for the new system. The increases are $2.56 per month for the base rate as well as the consumption rate of over 1,000 gallons per month.

The increase approval comes as a result of a rate study by the Illinois Rural Water Association and IRWA representative Clark Cameron.

Police report

The St. Elmo Police Department presented a report for the month of August. There were four calls in Ramsey last month, as well as 44 traffic stops, nine citation issuances, and three arrests.

The village approved a yearly increase of $5,000 per year for payment to the department for all services overall.

Announcements

Ramsey’s fall village-wide yard sales will be on Friday, September 23 and Saturday, September 24. The village will host the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus next spring. The event will be on April 17, 2023.

Other business

The village board approved the following items of business:

The purchase of a floor shampooer for $156
A $12,000 TIF disbursement to Ramsey Country Market, LLC. The company is performing roughly $300,000 in improvements to the former Miller’s Market building. They were eligible for roughly $120,000 in funding. The business plans to hire four full-time and four part-time employees.
A mobile home application from Rachel Camez for a location at 3rd and Jefferson streets
The purchase of a portable pump for up to $2,000
The purchase of a new lift station for roughly $13,426. The lift station will replace the existing station at Madison Street.

The board would open the meeting with a moment in silence to honor the late former mayor Claude Willis.

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Jake Leonard

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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.