Wednesday, January 09, 2013
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CITY BRIEFS

Sale of donated property, appointment to joint review, new alderman highlight Monday night voting session

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[January 09, 2013]  At the Lincoln City Council's first voting session of 2013, nine aldermen were present, with a 10th member waiting in the wings.
With little on the agenda, the council wrapped up their meeting in approximately 20 minutes. The last order of business was to induct a new alderman to fill the vacancy left by the death of Buzz Busby.

Bruce Carmitchel was not inducted in time to vote on any of the motions at the Monday night session, but he was included in a brief executive session at the end of the evening, thus starting his career as a city alderman.

City accepts offer on donated parking lot

When Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital donated its former building site on Eighth Street to the city of Lincoln, the donation also included the parking lot across the street from the hospital.

As the city has worked to develop a plan for the APEX at City Center, which will occupy the space where the hospital stood, the council decided to offer the parking lot space for sale. The proceeds would be earmarked to help pay for the development of the APEX.

Monday evening Mayor Keith Snyder announced that an offer has been made on the property, and the council would make a decision by vote as to whether or not to accept the offer.

The property has been listed by the Logan County Realtors Association, with Dana Hudson of Hometown Realty in Elkhart representing the city in the sale. Hudson had received an offer of $40,000 from M.J. Radosevic and Jana Albrecht of Lincoln.

According to law, the offer made on the property could be no less than 80 percent of its appraised value. Snyder said the property had appraised for $41,000, so the offer was well within that condition of sale.

When Snyder called for the motion, it was made by Jonie Tibbs, who chairs the building and grounds committee, and seconded by David Wilmert.

With a unanimous vote of 9-0, the council approved selling the property. Closing for the property will occur on or before Feb. 15.

City moves closer to establishing a TIF district

Monday evening, council members passed a resolution and an ordinance that will bring the city of Lincoln one step closer to establishing a TIF district in the city.

The ordinance that was passed established a joint review board and set a date for a public hearing

The duty of the board will be to review a redevelopment plan that has been prepared by John Myers, an attorney with Rabin & Myers in Springfield, with assistance from Lisa Kramer of Prairie Engineers in Lincoln.

The resolution that was passed appointed Snyder to be the city representative on the board. Other members of the review board will include representatives from other taxing bodies in the city.

The review board is scheduled to meet on Jan. 24, and the public hearing will be on March 4 in council chambers at City Hall.

Both the resolution and ordinance passed with unanimous votes.

Carmitchel appointed to Ward 4

At the end of the evening, Snyder said he was asking the council for their approval and consent to appoint Bruce Carmitchel to the Lincoln City Council. Carmitchel was nominated to take over the position of the late Alderman Buzz Busby.

When Snyder asked for the motion, at least two council members made the motion in unison, and Ward 4 Alderman Tom O'Donohue provided the second.

Carmitchel was approved for the position by unanimous vote.

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After being sworn in by city attorney Blinn Bates, Carmitchel made his way around the room shaking hands and greeting his fellow aldermen before taking his seat.

According to Carmitchel's resume, he was a teacher and coach at Havana Junior High School from 1978 to 1984, self-employed in insurance sales from 1984 to 19'89, hazardous materials compliance officer for the Illinois Department of Transportation from 1989 to 1992, bureau chief of the Bureau of Administrative Service with IDOT's Division of Traffic Safety from 1992 to 2001, bureau chief of the Bureau of Safety Programs and Program Support with IDOT's Division of Traffic Safety from 2001 to 2004, manufacturing coordinator at Eaton Corp in Lincoln from 2004 to 2006, financial representative with Northwestern Mutual from 2006 to 2008, and assistant store manager of Walgreens from 2008 to 2011.

Carmitchel is currently employed as a senior metropolitan planning manager with IDOT. He works with the East West Gateway Metropolitan Planning Organization in St. Louis and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

Carmitchel is also a former member of the District 27 school board in Lincoln. He served on the school board 10 years, seven of those years as president. He was also in that position when the new Central School and junior high buildings were erected.

Carmitchel will serve in the Ward 4 position through the end of April.

Because of the change in wards, and the fact that all aldermen have to run for election this year, a special selection will be made by the new Ward 1 precinct committeemen and a name added to the ballot, replacing Busby's name.

Carmitchel has the option to apply to the committee for the opportunity to have his name placed on the ballot for the February primary.

[By NILA SMITH]

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