Belleville City Council welcomes two newly promoted police sgts.

At the Dec. 20 regular, in-person meeting of the Belleville City Council, two long-time police corporals were sworn in as sergeants and then presented with their new badges.
City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson presented Cpls. Kris Faull and Todd Schrecengost, who had passed their newly updated, rigorous written and oral tests for the sergeant rank.
The department has been without someone in the sergeant rank for many years and this will allow a better chain of command, Chief Robinson said. He praised the work of both officers.
Both Sgt. Faull and Sgt. Schrecengost praised the professionalism of Chief Robinson and said since he arrived he has given great leadership to their department which has been without it for some time.
Mayor Pro Tem Ken Voigt, a retired Belleville Police officer, said that he did field training for both Faull and Schrecengost when they were new on the force and he knows how talented they are.
In other business at the Dec. 20 meeting, the council members:
• Heard Mayor Kerreen Conley announce the proclamation they all signed honoring the Belleville High School Football State Championship was being taken off this agenda and will be presented in January, instead, after the school reopens and coaches and team members are able to attend;
• Presented awards to winners of the annual Holiday Light Contest;
• Approved a resolution recognizing the donation of a John Deere Gator Utility Vehicle XUV with V-Plow to the DPW by the Belleville Yacht Club. “It’s a really nice machine, an excellent vehicle for us,” said Chief Robinson, adding it will be great for plowing city parking lots. He said he was very grateful to the BYC;
• Approved a resolution donating $400 to the BHS baseball team to buy athletic equipment in appreciation for the team’s volunteer efforts in preparation for Winter Fest. Chief Robinson said team members worked an entire week for a couple of hours after school to clean up the Fourth Street Square and remove weeds before the Winter Fest;
• Approved a resolution setting the city council meeting dates for 2022, generally the first and third Mondays of the month at 7:30 p.m., except for holiday weeks that move the meetings to Tuesdays;
• Discussed setting up a social media account for the city. Chief Robinson said the city needs social media as another way to connect to the citizens, besides the website and Nixle, and Clerk Briana Hootman is good at that. “My clerk assures me she knows what she’s doing,” Chief Robinson said. Mayor Conley said the city needs a social media policy and Chief Robinson said he would produce one. Chris Zweng said the fire department is looking at social media as well and will work with the city under the policy;
• Approved $105,444.71 in accounts payable and the following departmental purchases in excess of $500: to Core and Main, $1,116.96 for parts for water main repair from DPW budget; and to Stryker Medical, $22,165.36 for purchase of a Lucas Device and Maintenance Plan from the fire department budget. This device is a chest-compression system. Fire Chief said his department had one on loan from Stryker and they used it once and saved a life;
• Heard Mayor Pro Tem Voigt say he wanted to give credit to Cindy Lundsford who donated the football banner on Main Street and Chris Donley and Councilman Steve Jones who put it up;
• Heard Mayor Conley announce that city hall will be closed from Dec. 24 to Jan. 3. She sent her wishes to the Foley family members who are mourning the death of Mike Foley who owned Frosty Boy on Main Street for many years. Conley said she remembered working with him on the streetscape, noting, “He certainly will be missed.” She went on to thank all the people who make the city what it is, including the Independent that keeps the people informed on city activities;
• Heard Jeremiah Beebe announce that his church, Bethany Bible Church, is trying to get its youth basketball program back on track after a pause last year because of COVID. It was put on in the summer, but that didn’t work well. He said registration is under way now for those in Kindergarten through sixth grade. Beebe also praised the Robotics Club program at McBride Middle School, noting the club recently placed in the top 25 in the state, 17th out of 25; and
• After considering the follow-up list, heard Mayor Conley request the conditions of the roads in the cemetery be put on the list. She suggests the council consider how to move forward on this since there is no money in the cemetery fund for it. Councilman Steve Jones suggested they look at the shoreline at the cemetery, as well, since there is some erosion. He said the city doesn’t want to wait until it’s too late.