Troup: City still investigating what happened with cyber attack

QUINCY — The Quincy City Council approved spending $24,341 on a new redundant firewall from SecureData Technologies during its meeting Monday night.

It won’t fix, however, the current problems with the city’s email system.

The computer systems of the City of Quincy were hit with a cyber attack during the weekend.

Quincy Mayor Mike Troup said Monday morning the attack apparently started at the Quincy Public Library before spreading through other departments.

“(The firewall purchase) gave us the opportunity to update the council why we needed the other equipment,” Troup said after the City Council meeting. “It won’t correct where we are now, but it should help avoid a similar problem in the future.”

The mayor said the city is still investigating what happened.

“Our emails are still down. We cannot receive on our city email (accounts), and we cannot send out on the city emails,” he sad. “We did have trouble with our telephones, (but) that has been restored. 911 works. There has not been any issue with with them. Police and fire still are responding. Central Services is virtually unaffected, except for the emails. Planning and  development, that’s unaffected.

“We can still process your utility payments, cash or check, but we cannot take a credit card payment. We think that’s going to get fixed so we can take credit cards sometime this week. There’s still some other work that we have to go through. We’re still investigating and understanding everything that has been affected.”

Aldermen approve $150,000 for Two Rivers Land Bank Authority

Aldermen approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Two Rivers Land Bank Authority that authorizes using $150,000 from two city funds for land bank purposes. Chuck Bevelheimer, director of planning and development, said the land bank helps “get in front” of properties that might normally have been handled by the city’s fix or flatten program.

“We’ve got to get at the properties when they’re going to tax sale and try to obtain them at that point in time when the property still has some value left,” Bevelheimer said. “Unfortunately, as we all know by the time we get to property, often the property has been gutted. The building is unsafe, dangerous. There’s water damage. The pipes are often salvaged out.”

Alderman approved an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Illinois Department of Transportation to rehabilitate one runway, remove another runway and realign a taxiway at Quincy Regional Airport for $250,674. Ninety percent of the cost is covered by the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program. The city only pays five percent ($12,533).

Hanafin says company interested in providing air service in Quincy

Gabriel Hanafin, appointed earlier in the meeting by Troup to be the interim airport director, told aldermen he’s confident passenger air service for the city will continue. Cape Air notified the U.S. Department of Transportation last week of its intent to end its service in Quincy.

“I have been contacted by a company saying that they plan to bid for routes,” Hanafin said. “It’s looking like we’ll get some activity when the (request for proposals) goes out from the Department of Transportation.”

Cape Air can’t leave until the DOT selects a new airline to service Quincy.

Troup said Hanafin was named interim airport manager after another candidate dropped out last week.

“We thought we had an excellent candidate,” he said. “When he went to submit his resignation, his current employer said, ‘Why are you leaving us?’ The company he’s working for manages several airports. They had an opening at another airport in a better community, one he would be interested in relocating to. IIt all makes sense for him. It didn’t help us, but we can wish him the best.”

Troup appointed Patty Maples (D-6) to the Human Rights Commission, Plan Commission, Quincy Preservation Commission and Quincy Public Arts Commission for three-year terms and to the Planning & Development Committee for a two-year term. He also appointed Eric Entrup (R-1) to the Great River Economic Development Foundation board.

Alderman approved petitions from:

• Seth Martin requesting a special permit to renovate an existing single-family residential unit at 1301 College. It will be used as a two-family residential unit (duplex) in a single family residential zoning district.
• Donna Holtmeyer to rezone 2009 Broadway from single-family residential to commercial to allow for its continued use as a parking lot. 
• Jay Krottinger and Ryan Tanner, owners of the Patio Restaurant and Lounge, 401 Jersey, requesting permission to place tables and chairs on the city-owned sidewalk along Jersey for an outdoor dining and patio area.

Aldermen also approved:

• Annual 2.75 percent raises given equivalent to the Machinists Union to all non-union employees. 
• A quote from Core & Main of Washington, Ill., for $12,300 to buy gate valves to be installed on replacement water meters. 
• A proposal from Klingner and Associates for $27,500 to collect data and preparation documents that will allow the city to seek a solar development partner for a proposed solar farm project. 
• Low bids for various water treatment chemicals used by the water treatment plant for the 2022-23 fiscal year. 
• A bid from R.L. Hoener Co. for $33,607.03 for conversion of the fueling system at the Quincy Regional Airport. 
• A second-year contract payment for $4,811.40 and the one-time additional license cost payment of $3,775.40 for KnowBe4 security awareness training and additional compliance training options. 
• A quote from Smartsheet, Inc. for $11,960 for an annual software services agreement. 
• Annual maintenance invoices from Tyler Technologies for $61,622.49 and $3,923. 
• An ordinance granting a special use permit for a planned development at 1300 N. Second. Greg Fletcher (R-1) said 2x4s for Hope, a 501(c)(3) organization in Quincy, plans to build a home for a veteran at the site. Second and third readings of the ordinance were waived.