Council Awards Contract for Heritage Avenue Extension

Effingham city council members Tuesday accepted a proposal to construct an extension of Heritage Avenue from Henrietta Street to Medical Park Drive.

The winning bid from Kieffer Brothers Construction of Mt. Carmel totaled $562,694.09. 

The Council discussed amending the Effingham City/County Enterprise Zone to include residential property that could be rehabilitated. Some Enterprise Zones in Illinois have a residential component, including Altamont in this area. 

There was discussion about hiring WCR Enterprises to study the idea for $5,000, with another $5,000 allocated to explore the areas to be annexed. Council members seemed to like the idea so a vote to move ahead with the project is expected at a future meeting.

The Council discussed sharing the cost of exterior refurbishing at W.S. Broom and Company and at Boots and Soles, two downtown businesses with a vote expected at the next Council meeting; heard that the premium for City health insurance could be 3.5% lower for the next year; and discussed a proposal that a building at Willow and Fayette be 1,300 square feet in size rather than 1,800 square feet. Commissioner Hank Stephens didn't feel good about the idea, in that the City has been working for some time to develop the ground and to make a statement with whatever is located there.

Council members awarded a water main replacement materials for a project on West Virginia Avenue for $127,000; and approved an intergovernmental grant agreement with the State for an extension of Thies Avenue in the area of John Boos and Company to provide access to the Boos complex and to City-owned ground to the north and west.

The Council recognized City Police Telecommunicator Charity Higgs as City Employee of the Year, and appointed Larry Thies as City EMA Director to succeed the recently-retired David Budde.

City Commissioner Larry Micenheimer was not present for the meeting.