Thies Honored as City Employee of Year

(LARRY THIES HOLDING HIS EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AND EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER CERTIFICATES)

Effingham City Council members Tuesday honored City EMA Director Larry Thies as City Employee of the Year. Thies was also the City Employee of the 4th Quarter.

City Administrator Steve Miller mentioned Thies' work in spearheading preparedness for the solar eclipse, and the development of a Disaster Assessment Team that will involve the Effingham County Dive Rescue Team.

(JIM WOLTERS AND NICK ALTHOFF)

Another presentation was not by the City, but to the members of the City Council. Nick Althoff and Jim Wolters of the Effingham Retired Volunteer Firefighters Association were on hand to present commemorative awards to mark the City's support for the statue commissioned to mark the 75th anniversary of the St. Anthony Hospital fire. Althoff shared that the fundraising goal for the statue project has been met. 

Miller also read a proclamation marking Memorial Day on behalf of City Commissioner Libby Moeller, who was not present for the meeting.

Also Tuesday, the Council approved creation of an additional liquor consumption license for Wheat Penny and issued the license for a bar being developed by Michael Brummer in the basement of The Exchange, located in the former First National Bank of Effingham building at Jefferson and Banker. The Council also committed $20,000 toward the Effingham 4th of July fireworks display; approved an agreement with IDOT and Illinois Central Railroad for $300,000 in Federal funds to pay for work on the Amtrak pedestrian crossing at the train station; and allocated $1.7 million in ARPA funds for squad cars, police training equipment, self-contained breathing apparatus, emergency radios, a street sweeper, a sewer vaccuum truck and a maintenance truck.

The Council allocated funds as a match in an attempt to obtain grant funds to finance an extension of McGrath Avenue in the city business park; entered into an agreement for firefighting tracking module equipment and software; approved a $60,000 agreement with Milano and Grunloh Engineers of Effingham for engineering services on Jaycee Avenue storm sewer improvements; and approved a forestry program grant agreement with Morton Arboretum.

Council members extended the deadline for purchase of land by Gabby Goat from the City while Gabby Goat works with IDOT for the sale of their existing property for the Fayette Avenue project to be completed. The Council rezoned 1724 South Willow from non-urban to single family residential where a house is to built for Donna Wilson while adjoining property and an existing house will be sold. 

There was discussion of an extension of a lease of property at the end of Glenwood Street, north to North Avenue; temporary closure of certain streets for the 4th of July fireworks display; and acquisition of software used to prepare accident reports. Also, City Engineer Luke Thoele reviewed the first streets to be resurfaced this summer, including portions of Marvon Drive, Clark Avenue, Old Maple Street, and Merchant Street.