LDN - Top Stories

Middletown chosen as site for Smithsonian exhibits next summer

[OCT. 2, 2001] The Illinois Humanities Council and the Smithsonian of Washington, D.C. have honored the Knapp/Chesnut/Becker Historical Society of Middletown by choosing the library-museum as one of the six sites in Illinois for the June 23 to July 28, 2002, exhibits of "Yesterday’s Tomorrows."

[Helen helps again! Helen Smith Staats (at left) presents a check for $2,000 to Shelly Dobey, chair of the Smithsonian exhibits committee, and to Bill Post, president of the Knapp/Chesnut/Becker Historical Society, hosts of the June-July 2002 exhibits at the library-museum in Middletown.]

Besides all of the pies, quilts and monetary gifts she has given in the past, Helen Staats has given a $2,000 check, enabling the K/C/B Historical Society to meet the requirement of matching the $2,000 grant awarded by the co-sponsors of the displays.

Plans so far include special events, focusing on themes suggested by the Smithsonian, to be at the Middletown Park pavilion on six Sundays. June 23 will be Transportation Sunday; June 30, Home and Country Sunday; July 7, Technology Sunday; July 14, Culture Sunday; July 21, Health Sunday; and July 28, Spiritual Sunday.

Shelly Dobey chairs the steering committee of Mayor Ken Davison, Jackie Sullivan, Kathy Sommers, Bill Post and Winnie Golden.

All-you-can-eat turkey supper

The annual "all-you-can-eat" turkey supper sponsored by the K/C/B Historical Society is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Middle School in Middletown. This benefit is known for excellent food and historical displays.

[News release]

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Domestic abuse and violence awareness event Thursday evening

[OCT. 1, 2001] Domestic violence hurts everyone. At a time when our country has been impacted by senseless violence and loss, we need to come together in a peaceful gathering and show of support for those in our own community being affected by violence every day.

In 2000 there were 147 reported incidents of domestic battery in Lincoln, according to a report compiled by the Lincoln Police Department. Sixty-three of these incidents occurred while children were present.

To increase community awareness of this problem, the Domestic Abuse and Violence Task Force of the Healthy Communities Partnership of Logan County is sponsoring its second annual candlelight procession and education event. The vigil and community gathering will begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, on the sidewalk surrounding the Logan County Courthouse and will feature a candlelight walk around the courthouse.

In the courthouse rotunda Timothy Huyett, Logan County state’s attorney, will speak on the legal issues surrounding domestic violence and its impact on the Logan County community. Shelley Musser, Sojourn shelter and services specialist, will also give a presentation.

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The "Silent Witnesses" and "The Clothesline Project" will be displayed in the courthouse rotunda during the day of the event. The Silent Witnesses are silhouette figures of individuals who have died as a result of domestic violence. The victim’s story is displayed on a plaque on each silhouette. The Clothesline Project consists of shirts and sweatshirts designed by victims of domestic violence and their families. These shirts tell the victim’s story in her own words. Information on available community services will also be available in the courthouse rotunda.

Please join the Domestic Abuse and Violence Task Force for this event. For more information or to find out how you can join the task force, you may call Debby Cook, chairperson, at the Logan County Health Department, (217) 735-2317.

[News release]

Task force will seek solutions for nursing home funding problems

[SEPT. 29, 2001] State Rep. Jonathan Wright, R-Hartsburg, will serve on the House Republican Long-Term Care Funding Task Force. Illinois House Republican Leader Lee A. Daniels announced the formation of a special task force last month. Their mission is to research possible solutions to a looming funding crisis in the state’s long-term care industry.

There are currently 85,000 seniors and disabled people living in Illinois nursing homes. Sixty-four percent of those rely on public assistance to help pay for their nursing home stays. Nursing homes are to be reimbursed by the state for the costs associated with providing care for these individuals. According to industry experts, in many cases, Illinois fails to provide adequate reimbursement for Medicaid residents. The reimbursement shortfall has forced numerous facilities to transfer the costs of doing business to their private-pay residents, or, increasingly, to file bankruptcy.

"I am looking forward to working on this important task force," Wright said, "Nursing home residents and their families deserve the very best we can provide. This industry is providing an invaluable service to thousands of Illinois families. State government must recognize that, and assure that the industry has the resources it needs to remain viable."

[News release]

Mock disaster exercise set for Saturday

[SEPT. 28, 2001] Area emergency agencies will participate in a mock disaster exercise coordinated by Logan County ESDA and the Logan County LEPC on Saturday, Sept. 29. There will be a number of emergency agencies from throughout Logan County working together in response to a simulated hazardous materials leak at the Illinois American Water treatment plant.

Lincoln Police and Lincoln Fire Department will coordinate their response with the Logan County sheriff’s deputies and auxiliary, member departments of the Logan County Fire Protection Association, Logan County Paramedic Association, Logan County coroner’s office and the Logan County ESDA. The unified response will involve a simulated leak of chlorine gas from the water treatment facility at Jefferson Street and Lincoln Parkway.

The Logan County Crisis Management Center, located at the safety complex, will be fully staffed and operational. Strategic and policy decisions required for the event will be made by government officials and emergency services command staff located at the CMC.

Evaluators from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Illinois State Emergency Response Commission will be at both sites to critique the operations.

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Citizens will be allowed to observe the exercise at a designated spectator area on North Jefferson Street. The exercise is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday and to be completed by 11:30 a.m. Please join us as your emergency services responders deal with the simulated emergency.

Schedule

8 a.m. — Participants begin to assemble at the North Jefferson Street site and the Crisis Management Center

8:15 a.m. — Optional press briefing at the Logan County CMC, 911 Pekin St., Lincoln

9 a.m. — Exercise begins at the Illinois American Water facility, 1730 N. Jefferson St., Lincoln

11:30 a.m. — Exercise finishes

Noon — Luncheon at the Logan County CMC for participants in the exercise

[News release]

West side box culvert repair addressed

Letter from Burwells to Lincoln Council

[SEPT. 28, 2001] The following letter from the Burwells regarding the repair of the box culvert on the west side of Lincoln was received by the mayor and the Lincoln City Council and was released to LDN by the city of Lincoln for publication.

[Unedited copy of letter]

September 14, 2001

Dear Mayor Davis and Lincoln City Council Members:

We write to clarify the mischaracterization of the position of Burwell family members regarding the repair of the box culvert on the west side of Lincoln. These misrepresentations were made by Greene & Bradford, Inc. representatives at the Tuesday, September 11, 2001 city council meeting.

The box culvert at issue was designed by Greene & Bradford, Inc. and constructed by R.A. Cullinan & Sons at the direction of Eric Burwell and Curt Burwell, then owners and developers of adjacent North Heitmann Park Addition lots. To be clear, the development on the north side of Route 10 has no relationship with Burwell Oil Service, Inc.

Greene & Bradford, Inc. maintains that it had an agreement with the former city engineer where the City of Lincoln would assume responsibility for the maintenance of the box culvert after completion. We cannot comment on the exact terms of this agreement because no member of the Burwell family was personally involved with these discussions. Instead, we were told by our agent, Green & Bradford, Inc., that the City would in fact take responsibility of the box culvert after its completion. Of course, this alleged agreement was never considered or formalized by the mayor or the city council. In other words and by its own admission at the council meeting, Greene and Bradford, Inc. did not complete the project it was hired to do. We learned of this incompletion only after the box culvert was damaged and the question of who should pay for the repairs surfaced

We do not believe that the City of Lincoln should pay for the repair of the damaged box culvert. The proper construction of the box culvert is, primarily, our responsibility and we assure you it will be completed. We firmly maintain that the damage is a result of Greene and Bradford’s negligence, and we have communicated this position to them on numerous occasions.

No member of the Burwell family authorized Greene & Bradford, Inc. to request any funding from the City of Lincoln at the September 11, 2001 city council meeting. Instead, we expressly told Mr. Jessen that we wanted him only to present the issue of whether the City would maintain a properly constructed drainage device, and we expressly told both he and Mr. Greene (on numerous occasions and in no uncertain terms) that we strongly felt Greene and Bradford, Inc. should pay for the entire new drainage device. To the extent Mr. Greene asked the City of Lincoln for any money to repair the box culvert on September 11, 2001, Mr. Greene was acting on behalf of his firm and not as a representative or agent of any member of the Burwell family

We have refused to pay for the damage insisting that Greene & Bradford, Inc. should pay for the repair. We have refused Mr. Greene’s invitation to file a lawsuit against his firm to activate his errors and omissions insurance coverage. Also and contrary to a previous misrepresentation by Greene & Bradford, Inc., we have never discussed or even considered legal action against the City of Lincoln. Quite simply: we don't think the City has any fault here.

Greene & Bradford, Inc. has consistently maintained that fault should be placed on R.A. Cullinan and Sons, however we’ve seen no credible evidence suggesting any fault on Cullinan’s part. From every indication we have, the box culvert was constructed according to specifications

We're embarrassed by the suggestion that the City of Lincoln should pay for the box culvert because of past development in the city, Mr. Greene’s statements regarding what Gene Burwell may or may not have done for the city or community are irrelevant to this situation.

We do encourage the City of Lincoln to strongly consider taking control of the box culvert after its proper construction. We firmly believe that the City should maintain this drainage device to ensure its proper operation for many years. Properties are bought and sold, individuals and firms move or dissolve, and we feel the City of Lincoln is the most reliable and consistent entity that will ensure proper maintenance and operation of this important drainage device for many years into the future

Needless to say, we’re seriously troubled by the representations made purportedly on our behalf at the September 11, 2001 meeting. Please be advised that Greene and Bradford, Inc. did not represent any member of the Burwell family in this matter at the September 11, 2001 meeting. Should anyone wish to discuss this matter further, we invite your comments and questions.

Finally, we will take immediate steps to resolve this matter and construct the proper drainage device.

C. EUGENE BURWELL

ERIC E. BURWELL

CURT E. BURWELL

Spring construction date set for
Brainard Landing development

[SEPT. 27, 2001] Construction of Phase 1 of Brainard Landing, an affordable apartment complex to be developed at 21st and State streets, may begin as early as March of next year, the Lincoln City Council learned Tuesday evening.

Thomas Koontz, senior vice president of PEDCOR, the Indianapolis firm which is building the complex, told the council that the company was allocated its tax credits a month ago and hopes to begin construction early next year. Phase 1 will include four of the eight planned housing units and the clubhouse, which will have fitness facilities, a computer center, a laundry and a playground. Cost of Phase 1 will be about $4.5 million.

The entire 56 units in the finished development will be rented to those at or below median income — in the $18,000 to $36,000 range, depending on family size, Koontz said. The rental units will accept Section 8 housing vouchers.

When completed, the complex will have 16 one-bedroom, one-bath units; 24 two-bedroom, two-bath units; and 16 three-bedroom, two-bath units. Each will be equipped with refrigerator-freezers, electric stoves with self-cleaning ovens, dishwashers, garbage disposals, washer-dryer hookups, window blinds, central heating and air conditioning, and carpeting. Each unit will also have a private balcony or patio and a storage area, according to a PEDCOR handout.

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Although wall units may be pre-panelized, the units are not prefabricated, according to Koontz. The units will be on concrete slabs, and no carports or garages are planned.

The facility will have three to four full-time employees, a full-time manager on the site, a leasing agent and a maintenance staff, and will use local contractors whenever possible, Koontz told the council. Staff will be hired 60 days ahead of time and trained at other PEDCOR facilities.

Koontz said he has already had requests for about one-half of the units. According to Mary Elston of Central Illinois Economic Development Corporation, CIEDC’s yearly community needs assessment shows that low to moderate income rental units have always been a high priority.

PEDCOR specializes in building affordable housing by taking advantage of income tax credits that allow it to get financing at a lower interest rate, according to development assistant Kitty Campbell. The company presently has 6,000 units in Midwestern states and manages all its own units, she said.

[Joan Crabb]

Council must approve
sewer rate hike soon

[SEPT. 26, 2001] The final design of the $9,804,009 improvement to Lincoln’s wastewater treatment plant has been completed and sent to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for approval, and what remains to be done, besides waiting to see when funding will be approved, is for the city’s council to approve a rate increase to pay for it.

Members of the sewer and water committee and others on the council who attended the 6 p.m. meeting heard the report on the sewer plant upgrade from Carl Alsbach of Environmental Management Corporation, the firm which manages the sewer plant, and Joseph Pisula of Donohue and Associates.

In order to get funding, a 20-year loan from the IEPA, the city must have a "dedicated revenue source" in place, and in order to do that, it will almost certainly be necessary to make some adjustments to the rate structure. The IEPA will not fund the project unless the city can show it is able to repay the loan as well as manage all other sewer plant expenses, Alsbach said.

Pisula presented a 12-page user charge study which recommended rate increases and other changes that would pay for the upgrade in a "worst case scenario." The "worst case scenario" means the city has no other funding source except the loan.

Under this plan, fixed residential rates for users in the city would go from $11 monthly to $16.39 monthly, and for residential users outside the city, from $12 a month to $22.31. Fixed rates for commercial, industrial and institutional users would drop, but rates for volume of wastewater treated and for other surcharges would go up, so that the overall rates for these users would also increase.

An example given in the Donohue study was the Logan Correctional Center, an institutional user, going from $11,550.37 per month to $26,772.74; Eaton Corporation, an industrial user, going from the present $3,060.25 to $6,955.09 monthly; and Cracker Barrel, a commercial user, going from $172.65 to $304.29 per month.

Under the worst-case scenario, the city would have to borrow the entire $9.8 million, according to sewer plant manager Grant Eaton. However, because the sewage treatment plant also serves three state institutions, the Lincoln and Logan Correctional Centers and the Lincoln Developmental Center, Eaton hopes to get the state to fund their share of the cost of the upgrade in one lump sum at the beginning of the project, thus decreasing the amount of money the city would have to borrow.

Eaton said he was working with Jonathan Wright, state representative and former Lincoln city attorney, to help the city get the institutional funding or possibly an Illinois FIRST grant.

The study also recommends several other changes, including the way in which industrial and institutional customers’ wastewater bills are computed. At present, sewage billing is based on a percentage of the water meter reading. According to the Donohue study, the IEPA will not accept this method of billing. Instead, these users should install flow meters to measure the actual amount used, which would be the basis of the billing. Eaton said he has already been talking to industrial users and there are "no problems" putting in flow meters.

The study also said that many small commercial customers are billed as if they were residential users. There is no basis for doing this in the municipal code, and the Donohue firm recommends billing all commercial customers as such.

The study also noted that both correctional centers are outside the city limits. The ordinance requires that customers outside the city be billed at a higher rate than those in the city, but the correctional centers are billed as if they were in the city. This practice should be stopped, the study said.

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Eaton said he hoped to present a final proposal for rate increases to the council at the Oct. 1 meeting and see a new rate structure approved in October. He said that even if the council approves a rate increase, the actual increase put into effect could be lower than the amount approved if other funding can be found.

Another open question is how soon the city can get its funding and begin work. For construction to begin in the spring of 2002, the IEPA must complete its review in 90 days so the bid package can be issued in late November. The city can then hope money will be available in January so bids can be awarded in February of 2002 and construction can begin in March, Alsbach said.

However, the IEPA can always ask for a 90-day extension of the review, and if that happens, the project will not qualify for funding in January of 2002. Lincoln’s project might get funded in October of 2002 if it gets a high enough priority, but if it doesn’t make the October list, it will not be funded until January of 2003. All of these delays will result in increased costs, Alsbach pointed out.

In any case, Eaton said, the sooner the city can show it has a source of revenue to pay for the 30-year loan, presently calculated at 2.68 percent interest, the better its chances of getting the work done soon. He said even after the council passes the new rate structure, the IEPA will take up to 90 days to approve that as well.

The sewer plant is operating at near capacity, and if it is not upgraded, the IEPA may prohibit the city from connecting any new users, thus stopping both residential and commercial-industrial growth. Also, the plant must now meet new and stricter federal standards for ammonia removal, Eaton said.

Integrity Data loan request withdrawn

In other business, Patrick Doolin of Integrity Data withdrew his application for a $100,000 Community Development Assistance Program loan for the present. Doolin said changes in his organization, a computer programming company, make it necessary for the firm to "regroup" and move in new directions.

A Lincoln native, Doolin said he chose to locate his firm here and still hopes to add 12 additional full-time people in the near future.

City may have right to buy water franchise

City Attorney Bill Bates told the council that according to a 1970 agreement, the city’s water franchise must give the city the right of first refusal if it is to be sold. The city would then have 180 days to decide whether to purchase the franchise.

The franchise, currently owned by Illinois American Water Co., is being sold to a German firm, Bates said. He asked the council if they would like him to send a letter notifying American Water that the city has the right of first refusal. The council authorized him to send the letter.

[Joan Crabb]

Sen. Stone hears gambling expansion proposals

[SEPT. 26, 2001] State Sen. Claude "Bud" Stone from the 45th District attended a meeting of the Senate Executive Subcommittee on Gambling and heard testimony about proposals to expand legalized gambling in Illinois to include video gaming. The August hearing was at the Capitol in Springfield.

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