City Awaiting Decision on Enterprise Zone

(EFFINGHAM POLICE CHIEF JEFF FUESTING {right} RECOGNIZES SERGEANT DANNY LAKE AND CORPORAL JASON CARAWAY, WHO WERE RECENTLY PROMOTED TO THOSE RANKS)

Effingham city officials will find out this fall whether they can retain a key economic development tool.

Economic Development Director Todd Hull told the City Council Tuesday night that the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will score the applications for communities seeking an Enterprise Zone by the end of June. The Illinois Enterprise Zone Board will then decide whether to award Zone status to any of the applicants by the end of September.

Hull said the State could award up to nine zones this year, but isn't obligated to award any. Effingham applied earlier for a new zone but a rules change left the city out of the running.

Effingham has had an Enterprise Zone since 1988. An Enterprise Zone allows an abatement of property taxes on development in the zone as well as a waiver of sales tax and other incentives. If Effingham's application for a new zone isn't granted this year, there will be a two-year wait to try again since Hull says no zones will be awarded in 2018. That's the year Effingham's current zone will expire.

Effingham is using a consultant through the process with a good track record of having zone applications approved, but the final word rests with the State.

Also Tuesday, City Administrator Jim Arndt reminded that bids will be opened next Tuesday on the construction of a city police station on the site of the current facility. The Council took action to award a bid to demolish and remove asbestos from the current building to Effingham Asphalt for $47,405.25. There was discussion of moving ahead with engineering work on the portion of Second Street from Fayette to Jefferson along the east side of City Hall and the police station site, but Commissioner Don Althoff asked for such work to wait until there is certainty that the portion of street will remain open, or be closed for more parking. The consensus was to hold off on the design work on the street for now.

In regular business Tuesday, the City Council granted a new Class R-1 liquor license to the new owner of Raintree Restaurant. The acquisition of the Raintree by Jai Ma Enterprises from Richard Beatty was finalized Tuesday and the granting of the license makes for a seamless transition, according to Mayor Jeff Bloemker. The Council also awarded a $267,000 contract for street resurfacing work around town to Effingham Asphalt and a $46,000 contract to Beniach Construction for gutter replacement work on streets throughout the city.

The Council reapproved a plat of Speedway Subdivision on West Fayette and of Meyer Oil Subdivision along South Banker since the plats were not recorded in a timely manner, and approved a rezoning of 415 West Virginia from multiple dwelling district to limited office and retail district so local attorney Roy Dent can open his law office at the location. Also approved was a plat of First Street Subdivision combining three lots into one for the apartment complex off Willow Street and a plat of the first addition to Park Ridge Subdivision at Blohm Avenue and Veterans Drive where four duplexes are to be developed.

(MAYOR JEFF BLOEMKER WITH MATT WALK, WHO WAS RECOGNIZED AS CITY EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER AT TUESDAY'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING)

Council members gave recognition to Sergeant Danny Lake and Corporal Jason Caraway who were recently promoted to those ranks in the city police department, and recognized Matt Walk as the city employee of the quarter. Walk has worked for the City since 2010 and is the City's first city electrician. The Council also recognized the Effingham Fire Department for winning the biggest loser contest "by a hair" according to Arndt over the city administrative team. In total, city employees who took part lost a total of 188 pounds over the past three months.

(CITY FIRE CHIEF JOE HOLOMY WITH THE BIGGEST LOSER TROPHY PRESENTED BY MAYOR JEFF BLOEMKER, WON BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT "BY A HAIR" OVER THE CITY ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT)

The Council reappointed Sharon Harris to the Ethics Commission, appointed Richard Dust to the Electrical Commission to succeed Gary Goeckner who has resigned, reappointed Mark Thies and Cindy Vogel and appointed Libby Moeller and Clint Spruell to the City Plan Commission, and appointed Ken Wohltman to the Building Code Board of Appeals.

Council members awarded group health insurance coverage for City workers to BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois for just over two million dollars, an 8.9% increase over last year. Arndt said it is basically the same plan. The City had budgeted for a 10% premium increase.