City and
county entering intergovernmental agreement on Fifth Street Road
project; aldermen approve financing
[APRIL 18, 2006]
Fifth Street reconstruction finances approved
Aldermen
approved the release of $75,000 from municipal motor fuel tax funds
for the development of the urban section of the Fifth Street Road
project. The funds will be released pending approval of an
intergovernmental agreement between the city of Lincoln and Logan
County. The city will cover 20 percent of the project costs and the
county will cover 80 percent of the costs up to $375,000, the amount
earmarked for the project in a federal transportation grant.
The project, which begins at Lincoln Parkway and runs westward,
will be three lanes, a total of 38 feet wide.
Petitions on hold
Petitions to approve alcohol at four racing special event nights
were put on hold. The new Lincoln Speedway owner, Glynn Barber, has
requested permission to add the sale of alcohol (beer) for the
non-Saturday evenings of May 28, June 4, Aug. 2 and Oct. 1.
The council would be granting approval to allow the liquor
commission, who is the mayor, to issue the special event licenses.
Aldermen decided unanimously to wait until after the start of the
races for feedback before approving the requests.
Come back next year
A couple of sidewalk petitions raised discussion. For the third
year running, the fund for sidewalk replacement and repairs ran out
early in the fiscal year. Protocol was established under former
chairman Patrick Madigan to view the walks and evaluate if they were
hazardous to public safety. If the walks did not meet criteria as
dangerous, the petitioners were sent a letter asking them to
resubmit requests when funds would be available again in the new
fiscal year, which begins each May 1.
Numerous petitions were turned down this year since the fund ran
out.
Current sidewalk chairman Wanda Lee Rohlfs made a motion to deny
the current request made by Karen Hargis for a walkway at 226 Frorer,
with the plan to follow protocol and ask the petitioner to resubmit
in the new fiscal year.
Alderman Buzz Busby suggested that this one could be tabled until
the next voting session, and then it would be in the new budget and
could be approved.
Sidewalks chairman Wanda Lee Rohlfs felt that breaking the
protocol that numerous previous petitioners had to follow would give
this petitioner an unfair advantage, putting them ahead of the
others who have been turned down all year. It would be more fair to
the others to follow the protocol that was established for everyone,
she said.
Aldermen decided 6-4 to deny the request and then voted the same
on another request that followed for 502 N. Logan St. Voting yes to
ask petitioners to resubmit their requests were Wanda Lee Rohlfs,
Melody Anderson, Kathy Horn, Jonie Tibbs, Derrick Crane and Marty
Neitzel. Voting no were Daron Whittaker, Verl Prather, Benny Huskins
and Buzz Busby.
New signs
Signage for reserved parking in front of the Zion Lutheran Church
will be posted. A handicapped-accessible parking space from Kankakee
Street will be moved to be next to one that is already in front of
the church.
Upcoming events approved by council
Landfill hours:
The city landfill will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day
this month except Mondays.
Arbor Day: The
city of Lincoln will have a brief Arbor Day ceremony at Central
School, at the corner of Eighth and Union, on Wednesday at 1
p.m.
Dedication: The
Veterans Honor Roll dedication ceremony will be at 1 p.m. Sunday
in All Veterans Park, at the intersection of Pekin Street,
College Avenue and Union Street.
Walk-run event:
Lincoln College was granted permission to use city streets for a
5K run and one-mile walk on April 29.
National
Preservation Month: The council approved the mayor joining the
nation in proclaiming National Preservation Month.
Intersection
closure: The intersection at Pulaski and Hamilton streets will
be blocked May 1-14 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. while work is being
done in the manhole.
Prom: The Lincoln
Community High School Prom Grand March will take place downtown
on May 6.
Fundraiser: Poppy
Day, a day that is set aside to remind Americans of the price of
war and the debt that is paid by soldiers, will be celebrated in
Lincoln on May 26. As in past years, American Legion veterans
will sell poppies at the corner of Broadway and McLean streets.
Finance chairman Verl Prather said the finance committee would
meet and finalize the proposed new fiscal year budget at 6:30 next
Tuesday. The meeting was then adjourned to next week in order to
approve the new budget.
