Council Finalizes First Litter Abatement Partner

(RETIRING CITY K9 KILO LOOKED AT HOME AT LAST NIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING)

The program is being called "Pick It Up, Effingham!" and is an effort by the City to partner with individuals, groups and organizations to develop a litter abatement program for Effingham.  The Effingham City Council Tuesday approved an agreement with the first group to agree to help with the effort.

The Effingham Lions Club have agreed to patrol the area of Outer Belt West from Avenue of Mid America to Evergreen Avenue.  The agreement is to patrol the area at least quarterly to keep it spruced up.  The volunteers will be recognized with signs along the area they'll keep clean.

The Council finalized a $100 penalty for anyone caught using motor vehicles of any type on the Calico Trail, the portion of the TREC Trail network within the City limits.  Also approved was the purchase of valves for Goldstein Bend pump station; the sale of a lot at 804 West Grove to Bushue Property Management for $22,500; manhole rehabilitation and replacement of 77 manholes south of Fayette Avenue and east of Henrietta Street; and a final plat of a lot in Jim Niebrugge's Subdivision #4.

City Administrator Jim Arndt reported work is underway on the Appointment Ordinance for the fiscal year; Fire Chief Joe Holomy shared that he and Arndt are headed to Louisiana next week to pick up the new city fire engine; Holomy reminded of the Fire Department Open House this weekend; City Engineer Jeremy Heuerman reported that the St. Anthony Avenue railroad crossing will be closed from 8:30am Wednesday to 3pm Friday for repairs to the crossing; and Director of Public Works Steve Miller shared that Pike Avenue from Raney Street west past the Cross is closed for grading and that the road will then be oiled and chipped Friday.

(LEFT TO RIGHT: CITY POLICE CHIEF MIKE SCHUTZBACH, K9 OFFICER DANNY LAKE AND SERGEANT MARK PIKE, THE CITY'S ORIGINAL K9 OFFICER)

Police Chief Mike Schutzbach, K9 Officer Danny Lake and his partner Kilo and the city's original K9 Officer Mark Pike were on hand to report the results of their raffle as the winners were drawn on Tuesday. 

Cindy Goddard won the IPAD, Roger Warner won the TV, and Randy McNeely and Brad Horne won the guns. 

Pike reported the various fundraisers to date have raised $14,517.07 toward the purchase of the city's new K9 to replace the retiring Kilo with seven or eight other fundraisers still to come.

Lake said Kilo has been a great partner and that he would be living with the Lake family once he retires.  Kilo has worked 9-1/2 years, compared to the six to eight years typical for a K9.