City Council Acts on Infrastructure Items

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Published on February 6 2018 11:01 pm
Last Updated on February 7 2018 7:56 am
Written by Greg Sapp

(EFFINGHAM MAYOR JEFF BLOEMKER POSES WITH OWNERS AND STAFF OF STANG ARTS INCLUDING, ON EITHER END, JAMIE STANG-ELLIS AND TIM ELLIS)

Effingham City Council members Tuesday acted on several infrastructure matters.

The Council also amended the current fiscal year budget, but didn't increase the amount of the budget. Three line items were established, one for each of the business districts in town and funds were assigned for each of the three districts. City Administrator Jim Arndt said the move was made at the advice of their auditor. A fourth fund will be established in the coming fiscal year's budget as a fourth district will begin operation.

The Council accepted a proposal for the Four Seasons detention basin project, approved a design engineering agreement with Civil Design on an eight-inch water main replacement project using grant funds to design the upsizing of the lines south of Evergreen Avenue in the area of Evergreen Hollow Park, and accepted a proposal from Consolidated Communications to insure phone service at the fire department in the event of emergency situations. Arndt said that has been a problem and said they told Consolidated to come up with a solution to the problem. Also approved was a proposal from Sandschafer Electric for work on the Henrietta Street sewer lift station, work on the Rickelman Avenue box culvert to take the dip out of the road there, and improvements to Outer Belt West on the north end.

The Council named Brad Meinhart to fill a vacancy on the City Plan Commission for the remainder of the term of the retiring Greg Kemper, issued an entertainment and event venue liquor license to Walnut Street Weddings and Austin Mansion, approved a one-year extension of a cleaning agreement at City Hall with ESS Clean, and accepted a proposal with Tyler Technologies for new administrative and timekeeping software. The Council also approved a change in the Mayor's Assistant job description to reflect direct reporting to the mayor alone rather than to the mayor and the city administrator, approved Arndt's nomination of Mike French for a Special Act Award, and approved a Business Appreciation Award for Stang Arts.

The Council also finalized a Downtown/Southtown Business Area Redevelopment Program agreement with A-1 Food Mart for just under $15,000 in improvements to the original portion of their building at Fayette and 4th with A-1 and the City splitting the cost, and approved an update of the portion of the City Code regulating health and abating nuisances.

Only three Council members were present for Tuesday night's meeting; Mayor Jeff Bloemker and Commissioners Kevin Willis and Kevin Esker. Commissioners Merv Gillenwater and Don Althoff were not present.