City Council Discusses More Work to Open Up North Side for Further Development

The Effingham City Council Tuesday took action on work designed to open up more of the City's north side for development.

The Council hired Farnswoth Group for preliminary engineering work on a 1,000-foot easterly extension of Ford Avenue. The Council also voted to appropriate funding to pay for the work, which will cost $164,900. 

Council members also voted to contract with Farnsworth Group for preliminary engineering services on a northerly extension of the North Maple sanitary sewer, boring under the interstate to take the sewer as far north as Rickelman Avenue. The engineering work is projected to cost $50,000. 

There was no information shared about why the project was being undertaken, but the Council also discussed an agreement with Economic Development Resources for creation of a Ford Avenue Business District.

The Council Tuesday also approved a 99-year assignment of a lease and a railroad lease agreement with Effingham Rail Road Company. The company plans to add a set of tracks in the City Business Park.

In other action, the Council:

--rezoned land for Julie and Nick Clark at 2010 N. Steger Drive to single-family residence district

--rezoned land for Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System at 1303 and 1401 W. Evergreen to neighborhood shopping district to make way for a new medical clinic to replace Bonutti Clinic

--rezoned a lot at 301 W. Virginia to neighborhood shopping district

--amended the Municipal Code to allow vacation and short-term rental in a neighborhood shopping district, general commercial district, central business district, or light industrial district with certain restrictions

The Council heard that the Effingham Fire Department has relocated from Fire Station #3 along South Banker Street to the new Fire Station #2 along Jaycee Avenue. The decision to purchase and remodel the building is estimated to have saved the City about a million dollars over building new. Fire Chief Bob Tutko said, "We put Chip and Joanna (Gaines) to shame", referring to the HGTV husband-and-wife team.

Police Chief Jason McFarland reported that the new city K9 will soon be acquired using private funds and likely be trained in April. Jeremy Kyle will be the city's new K9 officer.