Aldermen approve Juneteenth as annual paid holiday, learn about recent rise of street racing on riverfront

QUINCY — The Quincy City Council unanimously voted Monday night to approve a resolution recognizing Juneteenth as an official holiday in the City of Quincy and establish June 19 as an annual paid holiday for all City of Quincy employees who are not part of a collective bargaining agreement.

During recent collective bargaining negotiations, Juneteenth was included as a holiday in the District No. 9 Local Lodge 822 International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers collective bargaining agreement, and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 9 collective bargaining agreement on behalf of the 9-1-1 Telecommunicators. 

Director of Human Resources Kelly Japcon says those agreements result in most of the workforce at Central Services and a portion of the workforce at City Hall being given Juneteenth as a holiday. People not covered by a collective bargaining unit would be required to work when they have no one to supervise. Japcon said the resolution will affect about 40 people.

“I know people just see this as we’re approving another paid day off, which for most of us regular workers, we don’t get near the paid days off as government,” Alderman Eric Entrup (R-1) said. “And I realize that frustration. I want to just kind of reiterate the point that when we do bargaining negotiations, normally you are getting something for when you’re giving up something. When we approved this in contracts, we did probably get more being put into insurance. There is a give-and-take with that, giving up another paid day.”

Juneteenth was designated as federal holiday on June 17, 2021.

Entrup also asked for Police Chief Adam Yates to tell aldermen what he knows about street racing on North Bottom Road. He said people gathering near the boat ramp at night.

“It’s getting to a level, I think, that I’m starting to worry about,” Entrup said. “I’m starting to see where they’re starting to block street entrances.”

Yates said he was made aware of “street takeovers” last weekend, and officers thwarted a couple of them. 

“We went down to the riverfront, and they left the property when we were down there,” Yates said. “We’ve been in contact with the Park District asking for assistance from their park rangers to be an extra set of eyes and ears down there, so when these groups start to congregate, they can let our officers know so we know where we need to be and we can get there sooner. A lot of times, we’re not aware of what’s going on until either they’re finished or it’s too late.

“It’s a little sticky situation when we’re talking about Park District property, because it’s taxpayer-funded property, and most people have the right to be there. They certainly don’t have the right to drive recklessly or operate their vehicles in an unsafe manner.”

Yates said his department is scheduling a meeting with the Park District to discuss how we can coordinate those efforts.

In other action, aldermen: 

• Approved a request for waiving the liquor ordinances by the Quincy Axe Co., 625 Maine Street and The Pour Haus, 625 Maine, for June 13-14 and Sept. 20.
• Approved a request by Fireworks Authority Inc. to hold a fireworks display on July 4 at Quinsippi Island for the Quincy Freedom Fest.
• Approved requests by Bethel Assembly of God Church, 839 S. 12th, for a live entertainment/public gathering application for the Bethel 100th anniversary parking lot party on May 31 and the 100th anniversary tent revival” from July 9-13.
• Approved a special event application to hold Germanfest on June 6-7 in South Park.
• Approved a special event application requesting permission to hold the Quincy Grand Prix on June 27-29 in South Park. 
• Approved a special event application requesting permission to hold a Maker’s Market on June 13-14 and Sept. 19-20.
• Approved a special event application requesting permission to hold the Raider Challenge on June 14.
• Approved a special event application requesting permission to hold the Soap Box Derby on June 13-14. 
• Approved Moore’s appointments of James Pioch, a retiring assistant chief of the Quincy Fire Department, as the director of IT and Bruce Alford as Corporation Counsel.
• Approved payment of $8,177 for the tuition for Officer Abin Cherian, who recently graduated from the Police Training Institute Law Enforcement Academy in Champaign.
• Authorized submitting a bid from M-B Company to the Federal Aviation Administration to receive grant funding of $1,622,306.40 from the FAA using 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law money to buy two pieces of snow removal equipment, replacing one truck that is 34 years old and a second truck that is 20 years old. The city’s match would be 2.5% or $40,559.91. The city agreed to pay $35,000 in engineering costs associated with the project.
• Approved proceeding with a client accounting and advisory services engagement with Lauterbach and Amen for hourly billing not to exceed $10,000. The comptroller’s office has experienced increased responsibilities related to annual financial reporting and the city audit, plus the department has two budgeted vacant positions, creating the need to use an outside service.
• Approved ordinances granting a special use permits for planned developments to operate an autobody repair and paint shop at 1518 N. Fifth and o allow for an accessory building (garage) at 1603 Center Avenue to be used for commercial storage of construction equipment and/or materials.
• Heard Moore say the Quincy Doggy Paddlers need host families for the upcoming summer season.