Council Awards Ford Avenue Reconstruction Project; Jefferson Avenue Project Approaching

(CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS POSE WITH JOANN DITTAMORE OF COUNTRY PEDDLERS WHO RECEIVED A BUSINESS APPRECIATION AWARD)

The Effingham City Council Tuesday awarded work to reconstruct a portion of Ford Avenue in the area of the future Meijer store.

Kinney Contractors of Raymond was awarded the project for $840,640. The work will include adding a turn lane off Ford onto the street leading to the Meijer site. 

Director of Public Works Jeremy Heuerman said the project is to include traffic signals, but the signals were bid as an alternate due to concerns over the project cost. Heuerman said the signals would have put the project over the estimate so they will be considered later. The work should begin soon.

Heuerman also reported that work will be getting underway soon on the reconstruction of Jefferson Avenue in the downtown area. The work will include areas for outdoor seating  He expects the work to begin just after July 1.

The Council gave informal approval to continuing the TIF Rehabilitation Program, where the City goes halves with building owners and business operators to improve the facades on their buildings up to $50,000 per project. Economic Development Director Todd Hull said the idea is to budget $100,000 each in the Central TIF District and the South Central Industrial TIF District.

Council members heard from Arts Connection of Central Illinois representatives Tom Henderson and Ruben Boyajian on behalf of Effingham Performance Center. Henderson and Boyajian were accompanied by Kim Jansen and Brad Koenig of EPC as they made a request for $50,000 in funding. The request would fund sound equipment, catwalk design, $1,800 in concrete work and $7,500 in landscaping. Each of the Council members who addressed the request spoke favorably.

(RUBEN BOYAJIAN, TOM HENDERSON AND KIM JANSEN ON BEHALF OF THE EFFINGHAM PERFORMANCE CENTER)

Commissioner Larry Micenheimer, who works at the EPC as a volunteer, said it's fulfilling its mission of bringing people to town. Mayor Mike Schutzbach said it's a bragging right for Effingham since people are surprised the community has such a venue.

The Council approved a rezoning of 800, 802 and 804 West Fayette from neighborhood shopping district to general commercial district for Leon and Rebecca Gobczynski to build an office building that will house their daughter's insurance agency; named Brandon Weber, Christo Schultz and Austin Hayes to the Ethics Commission for two-year terms; approved a plat for EBS Subdivision #2 on South 3rd Street; and approved a plat of Billy Genaust First Subdivision along Airport Road that includes a two-acre tract for the Genaust home and another almost 18 acres for development.

Council members approved a new policy regarding expenditures of funds by elected officials due to a new software system in use by the City; agreed to amend the interior boundaries of the South Central Industrial Tax Increment Financing District to exclude Dairy Queen since Commissioner Hank Stephens is a part owner; accepted a proposal from Civil Design for GIS database and an online mapping portal for another year; and extended the deadline another three months for Fieldcrest Development to complete its improvements to its building on Front Street.

The Council recognized Joann Dittamore and Country Peddlers with the latest Business Appreciation Award, and witnessed City Administrator Steve Miller present Heuerman with the City's Employee of the Year Award.