City Council Reverses Decision on Rezoning

Effingham City Council members Tuesday reversed an earlier decision and voted to approve the rezoning of property at 1201 N. 4th Street from neighborhood shopping district to multiple dwelling district. The rezoning will allow construction of a memory care center for Heartland Human Services.

The rezoning question failed 3-2 at the previous Council meeting after neighbors raised concerns about the proximity of the facility to nearby residences and suggested the building be located farther south on the lot.

This time, a site plan of the development was presented and Heartland's Operations Manager Chuck Siler took questions from Council members about the project. There were still objections from neighbors, but the Council approved the rezoning. Commissioners Merv Gillenwater, Kevin Willis and Kevin Esker voted for the rezoning and Commissioner Don Althoff voted against. In a departure from the previous meeting, Mayor Jeff Bloemker, who is the executive director of Heartland Human Services, recused himself from the discussion and the vote, letting Gillenwater as mayor pro-tem lead the discussion of the matter.

Council members also voted to sell the Effingham Visitors Center property at 1505 Hampton Drive to Obsidian Development. The proposal is to let Obsidian locate a commercial venture to utilize the site. City Administrator Jim Arndt said the sale won't be consummated until a suitable project is identified for the site. Once a project is approved, the City will still have 60 days to vacate the site and relocate the Visitor Center.

The Council awarded a bid for $1,946,649.19 from Benaich Construction to reconstruct Pike Avenue from South Raney Street, west to the Beck's Hybrids site south of the Cross at the Crossroads. Also approved was a bid from B&T Drainage for $164,887.40 for a watermain replacement project on Hillside Drive and Fayette Avenue, west of Henrietta Street.

Council members heard from local entrepreneur Bob Schultz and student Turner Kronewitter on the first year of the Construction Trades Education Curriculum, an effort to instruct people wanting to learn the construction trade so they can go to work in the local marketplace. 36 people applied for the 20 slots that can be filled for this year's class. It was also worth noting that men and women have applied for the next class.

The Council agreed to increase the number of Class B/E liquor licenses by one to accommodate Outer Limits Bar N Grill, which will be located in the former Hang Out location along US 40 between Effingham and Teutopolis, but did not act on an increase by one of the number of Class B liquor licenses available for a business to be known as Dubai Lounge, which would locate in the former Formaggio's Pizza location at 1313 N. Keller Drive. Arndt said there are questions whether a "hookah bar" can serve alcohol.

Council members discussed revising the personnel policy to allow employees to "buy back" vacation time, with a vote expected at the next Council meeting. It was also shared that bids will be opened on February 9 on a project to replace water mains along Fayette Avenue from Henrietta Street to Walnut Street with new water mains in alleys and streets north and south of Fayette Avenue.