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City
expenses
Future
expense
The manager for the city wastewater
treatment plant told councilmen that the city needs to plan to
replace several aging lift gates.
Sewage systems rely on gravity to move
wastes through pipes toward the wastewater treatment plant. Lift
gates are areas where pumps must be used to move sewage uphill to
the next nearest collection connection. They run 24 hours a day,
seven days a week.
Grant Eaton from Environmental
Management Corporation said some of the lift gates are long past
their recommended life expectancy of 15 years. Parts are no longer
available to do repairs if needed.
The first one he recommends replacing
is known as the Kmart lift station. It is 30 years old. He said he
would like to have seen this work done sooner, but the city has had
so many other expenses in the last couple of years he couldn't
justify recommending it. However, it shouldn't be put off any
longer.
Once the Kmart lift station is
completed, he recommends that two other locations, Lincolnwood and
Jefferson, be done as soon as possible.
The city will also be addressing some
other sewer issues. They will be looking at sewer ordinance
violations and enforcement. There have been a number of problems
with food businesses not using grease traps properly and with
women's hygiene products causing clogs in the sewer system.
New
compressor
A bid was accepted for a new compressor
for the fire department. AEC Fire and Safety submitted a bid of
$26,395, with no trade-in.
Business development nearly complete
Approval was given to pay $510,000 to
Diversified Acquisition LLC for the city's share of expenses for
renovations and improvements at the old Kmart plaza. The city agreed
to equally match expenses to a maximum of $510,000. If expenses went
over that amount, the contractor, D.J. Christy, agreed to cover
additional costs.
Payment will be made immediately,
pending proof that the contractor did indeed spend at least that
amount on the project.
Bates said that documentation was being
faxed demonstrating that the project did go over budget. Diversified
is paying the excess out of their pocket.
Lincoln welcomed the opportunity when
Christy approached and asked for a collaboration to fill the empty
plaza with two popular retail businesses, Dollar Tree and Goody's.
The decision was made to back the project with the expectation that
the businesses would provide jobs, products that haven't been
available locally and that other retail and food businesses might
follow them.
Dollar Tree opened in January and has
had much success. Goody's opens this coming Thursday, March 11.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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Lincoln Christian Church
A request for a building project that
was first initiated in 1997 and then dropped has been resurrected.
Milt Goodman and Ed Plumier from Lincoln Christian Church spoke to
the council about it. The church petitioned the city for the alley
space between the church and fellowship building. They are ready to
resume plans to build a great hall in that alley space to connect
the old building and the newer Fellowship Hall.
There are only three other property
owners on that block, and they are at the end of the block. Those
properties all have access to the alley from the north end.
The closest property is
owned by ME Realty. It was stated that property owner has no problem with the change in the alley.
An ordinance will be drafted turning
the property over to the church once all the utilities in the alley
have been moved at the church's expense. The utility work is
expected to be completed this week. The church plans to break ground
in April.
No
wastes
The council turned down a revenue
source that would have used the new wastewater treatment plant. Onyx
Valley View Landfill of Decatur submitted a proposal to bring their
excess leachate to the Lincoln plant for processing.
Eaton did some checking and learned
that these wastes, which would be brought over by truck, are high in
ammonia. "As you know, you built your new treatment plant because
the feds put a new ammonia limit out there," Eaton said. Not only is
ammonia a potential problem, but this particular waste also has a
high concentration of nickel in it.
Eaton told the council, "If you want to
try it, then I would recommend that you make sure that it's only one
load a day, but still there's always that chance that we could
violate. I cannot control or stop it once it's in it."
It was Eaton's view that the
possibility of exceeding limits and of receiving high fines is not
worth the risks.
The council
unanimously agreed not to accept the leachate.
[Jan
Youngquist]
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