City Council Holds Eight-Minute Meeting

The Effingham City Council might have set a record Tuesday night for shortest regular meeting.

The Council met for eight minutes to transact its business.

The Council approved an amendment to the City Personnel Policy; awarded a bid for $74,000 to John Flach Builders to replace roofs on buildings at the Waste Water Treatment Plant; and welcomed the Utz Family and the Effingham County Probation Department to handle litter along Outer Belt West as part of the city's "Pick it Up, Effingham" program.  The Utz family will handle the stretch of the road from Evergreen to Fayette Avenues and the Probation Department will take care of stretches from Keller Drive to Avenue of Mid-America and from Avenue of Mid-America to Evergreen Avenue. Probation will also maintain South Raney Street from Mansfield Drive to Stevens Avenue and from Stevens to Jaycee Avenues.  The Utz family's work along Outer Belt West is appropriate since the roadway is also named the Robert F. Utz Beltway in honor of the former mayor's service to Effingham and work to make the roadway a reality.

The Council approved a final change order on the manhole lining project in town; and approved issuance of a special-use permit to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, which plans to sell land at 2306 Hoffman Drive to an individual planning to develop mini-warehouses on the site.  The Council also authorized the opening of bids on property at 709 West Lawrence.  Lilley Land Improvement was the only bidder at $910, but must also demolish the structure on the lot within four months of the awarding of the bid, which should come at the next Council meeting.

Council members heard from City Administrator Jim Arndt that an announcement about a Homeowners' Rehabilitation program.  An informational meeting is planned at 5:30pm on February 4. More news on the event is expected later this week.