BENTON — Benton’s Public Safety and Health Commissioner walked out of Monday Night’s Benton City Council meeting frustrated with how the one-year contract for Fire Chief Shane Cockrum was being handled by the council.

During the Public Health and Safety Report, Commissioner Don Storey made the motion for the council to vote on the contract, but it died for a lack of a second. Finance Commissioner Cathy Ann Garavalia then brought up that the council recently voted on another contract that was presented to Cockrum that he did not like, so Garavalia said the council needed to look over this new contract to know what was in it before voting. Storey was not pleased with what Garavalia had to say.

Then after City Attorney Tom Malkovich suggested that Storey move on to his next items, Storey got up, said “I’m done” and walked out. Since there was a quorum present after Storey left, the meeting continued.

Later, the fire chief’s contract and contracts for Zoning Administrator/Code Enforcer David Garavalia and Community Relations Director Rachel Gartner were discussed in executive session and then unanimously approved when the regular session resumed.

Storey was present for the Executive Session and for the remainder of the regular session.

Commissioner Garavalia voted present on the Zoning Administrator/Code Enforcer contract due to the fact she is married to David Garavalia.

In other business at Monday’s meeting, Reg Ankrom, from SIMEC,  addressed the council to let those in Benton’s electric aggregation program know that Ameren has announced an electric rate lower than the city’s and now they can take advantage of it.

According to a press release from Quincy-based SIMEC, who is the broker for Benton’s electric aggregation program, Ameren has announced a residential electric rate of 4.6 cents per kilowatt hour for the 12-month period beginning with June meter readings. The rate is 1.7 cents less than Benton’s current electric aggregation rate of 6.285 cents.

Under the contract the city negotiated in early 2017 with Homefield Energy of Collinsville, the city’s electric supplier, residents who participate in the program have the right to opt out at any time and at no cost. To opt out, participants can call Homefield toll-free at 866-694-1262. They will  need only their account number, found at the top of their electric bill, to opt out.

The electric supply accounts of residents who opt out will be returned automatically to Ameren or to an alternative retail electric supplier the resident designates. Electric aggregation regulations require consumers who opt out to remain a total  of 12 months with Ameren for electric supply if they do not to return to the City’s program or another supplier within the first two months after opting out.

Nearly all 300 downstate Illinois communities that have electric aggregation programs have seen their rates rise above Ameren’s. The utility’s rate has fallen in each of the past two years due largely to the decreasing cost in energy commodities and reduced invested capital costs.

Residents who have additional questions may call Homefield’s customer care center toll-free at 866-694-1262.

The council also approved an ordinance dealing with backflow prevention devices at the meeting.

Water and Sewer Superintendent Craig Miles explained to the council that there are a lot of homes in Benton that have basements which have drains in the floors that are tied to the sanitary sewer, which Miles says should not be.

City Attorney Tom Malkovich says current homeowners who have these drains will have 180 days to comply with getting a backflow preventer and have Miles to inspect it. Malkovich says all new construction will be required to have backflow preventers installed as they build.

Commissioner Cathy Ann Garavalia says you will not be fined if you don’t have a backflow preventer. Garavalia says the city will be voided of any liability in the event of a backup.

The council named Mike Andrews as interim police chief after accepting the resignation of Police Chief Kyle Melvin Monday.

The change went into effect Tuesday.

Andrews was Benton’s top cop until February 2016 when he stepped down to become an investigator with the police department. Melvin was named interim police chief at that time and had the interim part removed several weeks later when he was named police chief by the city council.

Melvin is not going anyway. He will continue serving as an investigator with Benton Police.

Andrews will serve as interim chief until the city decides how it wants to go about finding a new police chief.

Benton Mayor Fred Kondritz announced that residents who can’t make the regularly scheduled city council meetings can now watch them on YouTube the next day.

Mayor Kondritz told those attending Monday’s meeting that the full meeting will be recorded and will then be available on YouTube by 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The city will post a link to the city council meetings on its Facebook page, website or you can just go to YouTube and do a search for Benton City Council.