Bids to be Opened Next Week on Start of Evergreen and Willenborg Work

The start of work to improve East Evergreen Avenue and North Willenborg Street could be coming soon.

Effingham City Engineer Luke Thoele told City Council members Tuesday night that bids will be opened on the first phase of improvements on June 13. Commissioner Hank Stephens asked Thoele what this work will involve. Thoele said it will involve about a 200-foot improvement and would mostly involve Willenborg Street. 

Stephens has been interested in the project for some time, in light of the Quik Trip project at the intersection of Technology Drive and 3rd Street. There was concern at the start of the project that the QT would result in people working in Network Centre High Tech Park utilizing Willenborg and Evergreen to the east to avoid QT traffic to the west. 

Also Tuesday, City Administrator Steve Miller reported on recent information that the Ameren electric rate dropped. Miller said the City will revisit the utility rate at the end of the calendar year.

The Council awarded a $203,000 contract to replace a sewer force main on Fayette Avenue. The work is preparatory to the construction work on Fayette. Council members also authorized a grant of $61,365.77 to Arts Connection of Central Illinois, the not-for-profit organization that oversees operation of the Effingham Performance Center. The funds will be used for exterior improvements at the venue.

There was discussion over a tract of City-owned land at Rollin Hills Boulevard at Keller Drive. The Mark Mayhood Living Trust is interested in purchasing the property since the City no longer needs the parcel. The Council approved purchase of a couple of easements needed for the Fayette Avenue project from the Knights of Columbus Council and from Sacred Heart Parish; awarded a bid for oil and chip materials for street maintenance to Larry Heuerman Trucking for $158,000; and appointed Shelby Dasenbrock to fill out a term until 2024 on the Effingham Public Library Board.

Deputy City Administrator Dennis Presley reported that the City's new website should go online at the start of July, and Tourism Director Jodi Thoele reminded that the VW Funfest is set for June 17th, and the annual Welcome Fest to make attendees acquainted with Effingham is set for Friday evening, June 16th in the downtown area. There was also discussion of the 2023 EffingHAM-JAM, now a one-day event downtown on Friday, July 21st. Police Chief Jason McFarland reported that four squad cars should be here in July. 

Approval was given to close streets around the Effingham High School athletic complex for the annual 4th of July festivities; the allocation of motor fuel tax funds for an upcoming 500-foot easterly extension of Ford Avenue; and the purchase of body worn and in-car cameras as well as traverse outer carriers for use by city police officers.

The Council had a chance to meet paid-on-call firefighters Austin Siemer, Stetson Traub, Kyle Swanson, Amanda Yost, Robert Reardon, Matthew Loy and Kelly Hamel, and also recognized city firefighter A.J. Tackett as the City's Employee of the Year. The four people chosen as Employees of the Quarter are the candidates for the Employee of the Year award. More to come on this.