Bid on Police Station Facility Under Estimated Cost

(CITY FIRE LIEUTENANT JASON LEE WITH EFFINGHAM MAYOR JEFF BLOEMKER AS LEE IS HONORED AS CITY EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR)

A bid was received on the Effingham Police Station construction project that was under the estimated cost.

Bids on the project were opened Tuesday. No details were made available, but City Administrator Jim Arndt told City Council members at Tuesday night's Council meeting that a bid was received below the estimated cost.

Arndt also reminded Council members that demolition of the former police station building, which was built as a Kroger grocery store, should begin in the next few working days to make room for the new facility.

A formal groundbreaking ceremony for the new police station building was set for 11am on July 11. The goal is to have the facility completed by the end of the summer in 2018.

Council members heard Tuesday about plans to form a South Banker Street Business District. 

Gene Norber of Economic Development Resources said forming the district would be a five-month process and is proceeding under the consensus of the Council that all properties within the District will participate in the District; there is no "opt out" provision as has been the case in other business districts established in Effingham. A portion of the tax revenue generated within the District would be used for improvements within the District.

(GENE NORBER)

Norber said the plan is to include properties along South Banker roughly from Hoffman Drive to Kagay Avenue. He said City staff feel those are the properties best likely to be approved for inclusion in the District, although Commissioners Kevin Willis and Kevin Esker wondered about extending the District to the north and Commissioner Don Althoff wondered about extending it farther south?

The South Banker District would be the fourth in Effingham, following the Ford Avenue District in 2007, the Northwest District in 2015, and the Triangle District in 2016.

There was also discussion about a water rate study to determine what rates should be for residential and wholesale customers for the next four years. The study would cost just under $25,000. Althoff feels the study is a waste of money. Arndt said the study was a key to retaining a wholesale water customer.

Council members considered a request for $45,000 from Effingham Performance Center for replacement of some of the carpeting in the Center. Althoff said he attended a recent performance and said those with him didn't think the carpet looked bad enough to need replaced. No other objections were heard.

Arndt reported on the City's financial status through the fourth quarter of the recently-completed fiscal year. He said the general funds balance is 1% ahead of a year ago

The Council awarded a bid for slurry lagoon modifications at the water treatment plant. Kieffer Brothers Construction of Mt. Carmel will do the work for $786,700.

Council members were introduced by Police Chief Jeffrey Fuesting to new city police officer Andrew Meyers. Meyers has been serving on the Mt. Vernon City Police Department.

(NEW CITY POLICE OFFICER ANDREW MEYERS)

The Council also honored Cty Fire Lieutenant Jason Lee as the City's Employee of the Year. A city staffer is chosen each quarter for recognition and those four then vie for the annual award. The other quarterly honorees were Sasha Althoff in Economic Development, Telecommunicator Cindy Thies of the Police Department, and Matt Walk of the Public Works Department. Mayor Jeff Bloemker shared long-time firefighter Jim Wolters' letter of nomination on Lee's behalf, reflecting on Lee's work to renovate the Regional Training Center in Effingham after grant funds were not received, taking his own time and securing the help of others to complete the project.

Council members approved an amendment to the development agreement with Koerner Distributor allowing for a change of ownership, and agreed to close Grove Avenue from Henrietta to Raney Streets for the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce's Centennial Summer Celebration on July 2.

Commissioner Althoff announced that three buildings built by the local Construction Trades class are available for purchase. The buildings on the parking lot of the Courthouse Museum downtown. Althoff said they'd like to get $1,000 for each of the buildings to cover expenses. Contact him at 821-8055 for more information.