City Council Acts on Thies Avenue/Airport Road Grant Funding

The start of work to improve Thies Avenue and Airport Road is growing closer.

The City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement with IDOT involving $330,785 in grant funds toward the project, with another $1.4 million to follow. 

The Thies Avenue project will extend the roadway in the area of John Boos and Company, which is planning an expansion project. The work will also provide access to City-owned property west of the John Boos site for economic development.

The Airport Road project will improve access to Hetzel's Overland Transport, north across from Effingham County Memorial Airport. 

The Council this week also rezoned the land north of Kohl's to Lake Pauline from multiple dwelling district and highway commercial district to single family residential district to open the land up for residential development. Also approved was water main relocation related to the Quik Trip project at Technology Drive with Quik Trip to reimburse the City for the cost of the work, a jurisdictional transfer where the City will take over maintenance of the frontage road from the State from 3rd Street to Willenborg Street, approved a contract with Farnsworth Group for a drainage study in the South Central Industrial TIF District, amended an agreement with EBS Development for an extension of time for the renovation of the former city tourism building on Hampton Drive into a home for Rent X due to problems with getting the electrical service corrected. and appointed Teresa Hillyer to fill a vacancy on the Effingham City Plan Commission.

Council members also discussed sanitary sewer improvements along Austin Avenue and Park Street including separating the sanitary and storm sewer service. City Engineer Luke Thoele said they would like to do the work this year.

The Council heard from Carl Martin, who lives on South 4th Street and parks his semi at his home. The rig's bunk is bigger than some others and there have been complaints about it. He'd like to continue to park the semi at home and asked whether the City could do something about the matter. Mayor Mike Schutzbach asked City Administrator Steve Miller to work with Police Chief Jason McFarland on the issue.

City Director of Public Works Jeremy Heuerman mentioned that this week of May 15-21 is National Public Works Week. He mentioned all of the city's public works departments including water, sewer, streets, public properties, and Oakridge Cemetery. A different department is being featured each day on the city's Public Works Facebook page.

It was also reported that City EMA Director David Budde's last day will be Friday. Budde will remain as a paid-on-call firefighter for the City.