Rotary Taking Over 4th of July Fireworks, Asking for City to Continue Funding Assistance

Effingham Noon Rotary is looking to take over the 4th of July fireworks event in the city, and is asking the City of Effingham to continue providing funding help for the display.

Effingham Public Library Director Amanda McKay is incoming Noon Rotary president, and is overseeing the project. McKay asked the Effingham City Council Tuesday night to continue with the $15,000 contribution the City has provided the past two years. She also asked that the City would provide another $5,000 in "seed money" to help cover the cost of a festival to take place the evening of the 4th. 

The event would seek to compliment the celebration already taking place the evening of the 4th at the Knights of Columbus Building, and would replace the low-attended 4th of July Parade that has been held the afternoon of the 4th.

One incentive is that carnival rides will be available. The Sacred Heart Parish Picnic will take place the weekend ahead of the 4th. McKay has talked with parish officials and they have agreed with the carnival provider to let the rides stay in place through the 4th. They will be open on the evenings of both July 3 and 4. Rotary will receive 10% of any proceeds, and the parish will receive 10%, with the concessionaire keeping the balance.

Effingham Mayor Jeff Bloemker said, "Everyone believes an event is desired, so we'll try an evening event".

The Council will vote on the request at a future meeting.

No comments were heard on the proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning on May 1. The $76 million budget is balanced. A vote on the budget will come at the April 19 meeting.

The Council voted 4-1 to approve a job description for an assistant fire chief, and to advertise for an assistant chief. The position has been vacant since Jerry Niccum's retirement many years ago. Commissioner Don Althoff voted No on the measure.

Council members approved a three-year contract agreement with Local 3084 of the Effingham Firefighters Association granting a 3% pay increase each year of the agreement, and okayed a three-year contract with the Illinois FOP Labor Council Telecommunicators including a 3% pay increase each year. The Council then approved a 3% pay hike for non-union salaried and hourly city employees for the coming fiscal year.

The Council approved an increase of one in bar/tavern licenses for consumption sales only. The move will permit the Innova Bar and Grill to locate in the former Formaggio Pizza building at 1313 North Keller Drive. Also approved was the annexation of Brent and Kera Emmerich's property on Woodbird Drive into the city, an amendment that requires no less than a 15-day period to pay water bills with the new due date on the 15th of each month, new agreements with EJ Water Cooperative and with Lake Sara Area Water Services defining boundaries with the city as far as areas served by the various entities, a lease agreement for copiers for City Hall, and the recording of a plat that involves the site of the future Truck Centers, Incorporated development off Outer Belt West.

Also approved was the rezoning of the Meyer Oil Company property along South Banker from light industrial to general commercial status, a plat of the Meyer Oil Subdivision involving the same property, and health insurance agreements with BlueCross BlueShield. One agreement involves a better than 20% premium increase for May and June of this year, and a better than 21% increase for the year from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. Also approved was an agreement with Orchard Inn Family to be part of the Pick It Up, Effingham program with the group agreeing to clean up the area along North 3rd Street from Evergreen Avenue to Technology Drive.

The Council also discussed a change in liquor licenses for Orchard Inn that would allow outdoor sales and consumption on their premises on North 3rd Street. Marty Jansen of the Orchard Inn said the outdoor events will primarily involve fundraisers. Jansen said the neighbors he had spoken with had no objections provided the events conclude by 9:30pm.

McKay in her capacity as Library Director reported that they have already had 180,000 pieces in circulation this year, compared to 190,000 all of last year, and that's considering the library was out of service for two months during the move to the new facility.

The Council also discussed hiking sewer rates by 3 1/2% per year in each of the next four years. Althoff objected to the increase on top of the expense of hiring four additional police officers, but City Administrator Jim Arndt said the increase is to keep the City even on expenses. There was also discussion of engineering work on reconstruction of Jefferson Avenue from Willow to Oakridge, and of Wernsing Avenue from South Banker, west to the city limits to provide a truck route to the Diel and Diel property, the former Fedders area.

The Council welcomed Jared Probst as a new police officer, replacing the retired Mark Pike, and accounting assistant Sandy Zacha. 

Meanwhile, the Council also recognized the upcoming retirement of City Building Official Bruce Devall, who has moved up his scheduled departure from this fall. The retirement will now occur within a couple of weeks. City officials will work to come up with a short-term solution to Devall's departure before deciding on a long-term plan.