Tuesday, April 22, 2008
sponsored by Maple Ridge

City ordinances approved: Wind farm enterprise zone, property maintenance and no-parking area on Campus View Drive

Send a link to a friend

[April 22, 2008]  The Lincoln City Council met on Monday evening and passed three new ordinances.

Enterprise zone

Aldermen agreed to sign off for an enterprise zone extension to Rail Splitter Wind Farm with the following stipulations:

  1. It provides Rail Splitter with exemption from sales taxes, but not real estate taxes.

  2. $5,000 a year would be paid for administrative fees.

  3. If construction has not been started in 36 months, they would petition to be removed from the enterprise zone.

The city attorney said that the above and the fee only come to pass if:

  1. The enterprise zone is amended.

  2. The state of Illinois approves the request.

  3. Sales tax exemption is granted by the zone administrator.

This must all be approved by the state of Illinois, and if what is returned meets with Rail Splitter's approval, then the fee will be paid.

The measure passed 6-2.

Voting yes were Marty Neitzel, Wanda Lee Rohlfs, Verl Prather, Kathy Horn, Jonie Tibbs and Jeff Hoinacki.

Voting no were Dave Armbrust and Buzz Busby.

No comments were made by the two dissenting voters, nor by any of the other aldermen, before the vote was taken.

Aldermen Benny Huskins and Melody Anderson were absent.

Property owner responsibility increased to protect sewers

A new ordinance replaces an old one, increasing responsibility of property owners to keep property clean or in an inoffensive condition. Gutters along streets and alleys adjacent to property should be kept free of debris. The new ordinance also increases the penalty amounts for violations.

The change was made to help prevent ongoing problems with the sewer system becoming clogged and backing up in homes and businesses, or creating overloads at the wastewater treatment plant.

Property owners are expected to keep street gutters adjacent to their property clear of debris and should not place, rake or blow leaves, grass clippings or landscape waste of any kind into the streets where rain might wash it to gutters and clog at the street level or farther down the sewer system.

One change was made since the ordinance reading last week, Bates said. The maximum penalty was increased from $100 to $400. Violators could be fined not less than $50 nor more than $400.

The measure passed 8-0.

[to top of second column]

The city is also taking measures to make improvements to the sewer system. Last week aldermen heard a review of how a combined sewer overflow system would help during heavy periods of rain. The amount of $100,000 has been set aside this fiscal year for the study and implementation of a system that aids in allowing floodwaters to pass more directly to Salt Creek.

The system effectively accomplishes the task by placing overflow drop boxes throughout the city that would kick in when excess water levels rise in the storm sewers. Metal weirs would also be used at discharge sites.

As much as 10.3 million gallons per day of excess storm water might be diverted from the wastewater treatment, which can handle up to 33.5 million gallons a day, wastewater treatment manager Dave Kitzmiller said during last week's presentation to the council.

The implementation portion of the plan would involve purchasing approximately $34,000 in equipment and monitoring water quality. Some water testing could be done in-house, but some would need to be sent out, Kitzmiller said.

No-parking zone on Campus View Drive

The third ordinance passed Monday evening was to add a no-parking zone along Campus View Drive. There will be no parking allowed on the railroad ditch side of Campus View Drive, as vehicles parking there have been creating a traffic hazard.

The no-parking zone would be established beginning 1,063 feet southeast of Route 10 and extending 560 feet southeast.

The measure passed 8-0.

[By JAN YOUNGQUIST]

Previous related articles

< Top Stories index

Back to top


 

News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching and Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries

Community | Perspectives | Law and Courts | Leisure Time | Spiritual Life | Health and Fitness | Teen Scene
Calendar | Letters to the Editor