Tuesday, Dec. 17

 

Council approves plan to
rehab downtown streets

[DEC. 17, 2002]  As one of their last acts in the year 2002, the Lincoln City Council approved a project that will spruce up streets around the courthouse square, with the federal government paying 80 percent of the cost.

With careful timing, the streets will get their resurfacing before the city celebrates its sesquicentennial with a 10-day-long 150th birthday party, from Aug. 21 to 31, 2003.

At Monday night’s regular meeting, the council voted to authorize the project, using Federal Aid-Urban funds to resurface three streets around the square and beyond. Streets that qualify for the 80/20 funding are Broadway from Hamilton to Union, Pulaski from Hamilton to Logan, and Kickapoo from Broadway to Clinton.

To qualify, the streets must be rated collectors or higher by the Illinois Department of Highways, a designation based on traffic flow. The fourth street on the courthouse square, McLean from Broadway to Pulaski, doesn’t qualify as a collector but will be resurfaced with city funds, according to Mark Mathon, city engineer.

 

The FAU program sets aside money each year for specific projects for cities, counties and townships. Lincoln currently has a balance of almost $600,000 in the fund, enough to finance the current project. The FAU funds are not held by the city, and the city does not collect any interest on the money. The fund is used only to pay for work that meets very specific guidelines.

The city must pay 20 percent of the cost of the total project, estimated at about $132,000, to qualify for $528,000 from the FAU funds. The city will begin paying its costs by allocating about $60,000 for engineering costs, to be paid from the general obligation bond funds. Funds from the GO bonds have been allocated to use for upgrading the city’s infrastructure.

 

Mathon told the council last week it is necessary to move quickly to get the street resurfacing project under way because of state deadlines. Plans must be in to IDOT by mid-March, he said, and work will probably not start until late June or early July.

Alderman Benny Huskins asked if the city would save money on the project if it had a certified engineer on staff. Mathon does not yet have that qualification. However, according to Grant Eaton, sewer plant manager, even when the city did have a certified engineer it still used an outside engineer for Illinois Department of Transportation projects.

 

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Mathon said IDOT "programs money to be spent for engineering" on such projects, which can be very time-consuming. He said it is also good to have a consulting engineer who regularly deals with IDOT and is familiar with its requirements.

In other business, the council formally approved the 2002-2003 tax levy ordinance, totaling $1,414,643. Of that amount, $1,241,873 is for the general fund and $172,770 for the general obligation bond fund.

Alderman Verl Prather, chair of the finance committee, told the council he received a letter from assistant chiefs in the fire and police departments asking for a meeting with the finance committee about salary increases. Because of the budget crunch the city is facing, salaries of department heads have been frozen. Prather said he would contact the assistant chiefs after the first of the year.

 

Mayor Beth Davis reported that a $10,000 state grant to restore the Lincoln Well on Fifth Street has been approved and the money will be released shortly. She also said approval of the city’s request for $150,000 from the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs and a $500,000 grant for the proposed industrial park is still on hold.

Davis appointed council member Mary Neitzel to be vice-chairman of the sidewalks, forestry, and lighting committee, replacing Steve Fuhrer, who is also vice chairman of the grounds, buildings and local improvements committee as well as chairman of the ordinance and zoning committee.

The council voted to change the Dec. 24 committee-of-the-whole meeting to 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, prior to the regular voting meeting, and to pay city employees early.

[Joan Crabb]

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