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Sewers and landfill
top city discussions
[JUNE 26, 2002]
Alderman Benny Huskins heard from Street Superintendent
Donnie Osborne that a number of contractors have expressed interest
in possibly using the city landfill for their refuse materials, such
as concrete and blacktop. "We take our own [blacktop, etc.] to the
landfill," Osborne pointed out. His main thought in suggesting this
is that fill could bring revenue.
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City Attorney Bill
Bates responded by saying, "Check with the EPA and see if we can do
that. Get it in writing."
Osborne said there
would be a fee charged to the contractors, since the materials that
were dumped would need moving around and there would also need to be
an attendant. The materials brought in would be closely monitored.
Concerns were raised as to whether there are issues and regulations
that might not allow outside companies to use the site because it is
already a declared landfill that is subject to specific EPA
standards. Osborne responded that he didn’t think there would be a
problem since the landfill already has a cap and the materials would
go over the cap.
Police Chief Richard
Montcalm announced that the department has received a grant that
allows them to finish purchasing tactical vests as well as a grant
for tobacco enforcement. More grant funds are being sought in order
to continue purchases of radio and communications equipment.
The city needs to
have a new look at their sewer ordinance, said Grant Eaton of EMC,
who manages the waste treatment plant. As part of his job he
monitors the sewage coming in from the prison. The agreement with
the prison allows their sewage to have 200 BOD (biochemical oxygen
demand) and 240 TSS (total suspended solids), with a surcharge added
by increments for anything over that amount.
The prison agreement
has become a concern however because they have a limit of 350 BOD.
They exceeded their limit this month. Eaton suspects they will
exceed it again next month. He said the current agreement kept the
sewage treatment plant upgrade costs down. Bates suggested that he
and Eaton get together to discuss what to do and make
recommendations.
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this article]
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Alderman Steve Fuhrer
announced that he would like to call a committee meeting to discuss
itinerant merchant definitions. He has received a lot of material
about how other communities handle it. "It is difficult to sort
out," Fuhrer warned. The meeting will be from 6:30 to 7 p.m. on July
9.
Bates then addressed
the council on the matter of the early retirement incentive proposal
that will come to a vote at the next council meeting. He strongly
advised them, "Before you vote, be aware of what those total costs
will be." A large number of clerical workers may qualify.
There have been some
concerned neighbors calling about the New Wine building project on
Woodlawn Road. Because the grading on the lot has been modified they
are concerned about the watershed and potential flooding problems.
City Engineer Mark Mathon has been out to look over the lot and
assess it for potential problems. He said he did not think the
changes would affect the current northwest flow of rainwaters that
currently flow toward Brainard’s Branch.
Bates pointed out
that a parking lot would accelerate the flow of water. For that and
other reasons he stated he felt that they probably need a building
permit. He found a statement in the zoning section of the city’s
code book, Article 1126, stipulating that "excavation" needs a
building permit.
Mathon stated that he
has already contacted New Wine, and their contractor will be sending
the building plans.
Alderman Michael Montcalm said to City
Building and Code Inspector Lester Last, "Stop them till they get a
permit."
[Jan
Youngquist]
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The Department of
Human Services, represented by the state, is appealing an injunction
by Logan County Circuit Judge Don Behle that has blocked the
downsizing of the embattled facility.
Behle’s ruling,
handed down in March, said that without a permit from the Illinois
Health Facilities Planning Board, Gov. George Ryan and DHS could not
move any more residents from LDC. Gov. Ryan had announced a plan to
downsize LDC to 100 residents by the end of the state’s fiscal year,
June 30. The injunction halted the movement of the remaining 240
residents as well as the transfers and layoffs of another 400 to 500
LDC employees.
The suit was filed by
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the
union that represents most of the LDC workers; Norlan and Eleanor
Newmister, parents of an LDC resident; Don Todd, president of AFSCME
Local 425; and state Sen. Larry Bomke of Springfield.
Defendants include
Gov. George Ryan, Illinois Department of Human Services Director
Linda Renee Baker, state Treasurer Jody Baar Topinka and state
Comptroller Daniel Hynes.
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this article]
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Since the suit was
filed, Gov. Ryan has made a decision to close the facility entirely,
based on four more allegations of abuse and neglect of LDC
residents. AFSCME, however, charged that the allegations were for
very minor infractions and that DHS and Gov. Ryan had "set up" the
facility to fail, in part as a cost-cutting measure for the
cash-strapped state budget.
Although the General
Assembly restored funding for LDC for the coming year, Ryan vetoed
the funding and the Senate failed to override his veto. However,
AFSCME and the Lincoln Parents Association, a group of parents of
LDC residents, have vowed to fight as long as they can to keep the
Lincoln facility from closing.
The injunction must be lifted before the
state can begin moving residents from the facility, and, according
to an AFSCME spokesman, a public hearing must be scheduled before
the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board.
[Joan
Crabb]
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