Rejuvenation of City Hall a Harrisburg goal

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Harrisburg City Council is looking for ways to rejuvenate the city's landmark structure: City Hall.

The building was renovated morethan a decade ago under guidanceof David Taylor, but now there are some serious problems.

During Thursday's meeting, council discussed with representatives of the Southeastern Illinois Regional Planning and Development Commission possible methods to get funds for renovation,

Especially critical in the need for repair is the front facade of the building, council indicated. Pieces of the stucco high up on the building's front are breaking loose and falling to the steps below.

Aside from the front of the building, an architectural review has indicated there is a need for expensive roof replacement and parts of the interior of the building need revamping.

Public Properties Commissioner John McPeek, who has taken a keen interest in the condition of the building, pointed out the carpeting in the utilities' office is 36 years old.

Leaking guttering recently was repaired by city workers and work was done to halt mold in the office.

About a year ago an assessment was made of city hall, McPeek said. The total renovation cost at that time was estimated at a half million dollars, he said.

With the city's current financial condition, council indicated the most critical items will be examined first.

Mayor Eric Gregg asked McPeek to put together a plan to handle the exterior stucco work and bring it to the next meeting of commissioners.

Julie Patera of SIRPDC indicated the state might have some money for emergency funding of the work.

She suggested council put together a listing of the repairs needed at the building and bid the project, with the city going down the priority list until funding is exhausted.

While grant money is limited, some is available, she said. "It's not as easy these days. You have to be creative," Patera said.

During discussions, Public Works Supervisor Gerald Mahan indicated another project might be needed before stucco is replaced.

He said he has been told tuck pointing may be necessary before stucco is replaced.

ANNEXATION

During Thursday's meeting council made a huge leap in the long-discussed forced annexation of property that is not a part of the city but is surrounded by the city.

After a presentation by consulting engineer Jim Brown, members of the body directed that paperwork be prepared to force annexation of several properties surrounded by the city, owners of which enjoy all city services without paying city tax rates.

Included in the first round of forced annexations will be three properties on Marshall Street, The Old National Bank property near Wal-Mart and property on Brooks Lane at Robinson Street.

Other properties are on the list as possibilities, including three large areas off Lovers Lane.

The Lovers Lane properties currently drain into Harrisburg, adding to the city's water problems. The properties have available water but no sewer service.

Brown was asked to prepare estimates as to the cost of adding sewer to the area.

Council also is continuing to look at annexation of Fairway Drive.

Brown pointed out Fairway Drive is not surrounded by the city, making annexation of the lucrative area a bit more difficult.

Fairway Drive residents enjoy both city water and city sewer services but do not pay city taxes on their properties.

The discussion of Fairway Drive on Thursday took a turn that has been repeated on several occasions: At the time of provision of water and sewer services to the properties, a pact was signed regarding annexation at a time set in the future - a time that most believed had passed years ago.

The pact, one which many could remember seeing, can't be found in the city's records, according to City Clerk Sally Wofford.

PANKEY BRANCH

Turning Pankey Branch into a grassy waterway was topic of a brief discussion of council.

Funding for the project area could amount to as much as $1 million in federal money and would be from Sloan Street in a westerly direction.

Applications for jobs funded from money allocated because of the flooding this year recently were taken at City Hall and Pankey Branch is one of several potential work areas.

Before any work can be done on Pankey Branch, it was indicated the city needs to recover any records as to rights-of-way at the time when the drainage was installed.

Daily Register files indicate the start may have been in 1921.

In the April 19, 1921, issue, the newspaper reported, at the regular meeting of City Council the Pankey Branch ditch proposition came up for discussion.

"This has been under fire for the past few months. Upon the digging of the Pankey Branch ditch to the Middle Fork Creek depends the betterment of the southern section of the city. C.V. Parker said the cost of digging the ditch was almost prohibitive from an agricultural standpoint. However, 'the best thing to be done in the matter, and about all that can be done now, is for the city to go ahead and dig the ditch.'"

BARGAINING

Council met in closed session to discuss personnel matters of an undisclosed nature and collective bargaining.

No action followed the session.

Gregg said negotiations are continuing smoothly between the city and two unions, Local 318 and Fraternal Order of Police.

As had been generally expected in City Hall offices, health insurance has been a prime item for negotiation.

Gregg on Thursday said he soon will be selecting an insurance committee to study the issue.