Council Approves Plat for Speedway Project

Effingham City Council members Tuesday approved a plat for a Speedway Truck Stop to be located on West Fayette Avenue between Walgreens and Comfort Suites.

The plat had been reviewed earlier by the City Plan Commission and recommended for approval. 

Some neighboring business operators voiced objections to the project, saying the truck traffic in and out of the Speedway would negatively affect movement in and out of their businesses.

The plat affects the property along Fayette Avenue, but leaves the land to the north for future development. A northerly extension of a stub of Raney Street next to Comfort Suites would provide access to the property to the north. There has been discussion that Raney could eventually be extended north into Rollin Hills Subdivision to provide another way in and out of the subdivision.

Construction of the Speedway project is expected in 2018.

The Council Tuesday also approved the acquisition of the Irene's Dream property east across the street from City Hall for $135,000. The building on the property will be taken down so the City can use the land for additional parking at City Hall and the new police station to be built to the south.

New City Police Chief Jeff Fuesting, in his first official day on the job, introduced new police officers Ryan Holsapple, Daniel Dust, Derek DePoister and Jason Gouchenouer. The City Council several months had announced plans to expand the city police force by four officers.

(THE FOUR NEW CITY POLICE OFFICERS AT LAST NIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING)

City Fire Chief Joe Holomy swore in Jessica Meyer as a part-time firefighter, and Amy Beckman was introduced as a new Customer Service Representative for the City.

(EFFINGHAM FIRE CHIEF JOE HOLOMY SHARES ABOUT NEW PART-TIME FIREFIGHTER JESSICA MEYER)

The Council discussed a plan to repeal the City's Amusement Ordinance and require an Amusement Tax to operate entertainment events in the City including imposition of a 5% amusement tax or a single instance estimation of the gross receipts of a given event. A vote on the change could come at the next Council meeting as the City is working to capture revenue from events held within the City limits.

Council members acted on several items related to the planned improvements to the Oakridge Street railroad crossing including lights and gates and the closing of the Haney Street railroad crossing. It's part of a plan to eventually provide lights and gates for every crossing used in Effingham to make the city a quiet zone where trains would not have to signal within the City limits. 

Also approved was a rezoning of 802 Old South Maple, the former Joe's Bait Shop property, from light industrial to family duplex dwelling, a purchase of a battery backup system for the traffic signals at Banker and Jaycee, and a plat of Probst Properties Subdivision on the southeast corner of Routes 32/33 and Nazarene Church Road for future development.

The Council also heard from City Tourism Director Jodi Thoele that bad weather on one night of the Wonderland of Lights display at Community Park left the total number of vehicles that visited this year down slightly from last year, but shared that more was still collected in donations from visitors this year than the previous year. About 6,000 vehicles visited the display this year.