Harrisburg hears feedback on annexation plans
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Harrisburg City Council voted to annex three lots into the city after hearing from four residents, two of whom supported annexation and two of whom did not.
One of the lots is near Wal-Mart at the northeast corner of state Route 34/145 and U.S. Route 45 and two are residential areas near the cemetery on portions of Ogara Street.
Sandra Pankey said she does not wish her property at 1103 W. Ogara St. to be part of Harrisburg. She said the area will be a challenge for the city to improve the area to its standards with no sewer -- her house uses a septic tank, no gas lines -- she has a propane tank, no sidewalks, a street so narrow two vehicles cannot safely pass and she enjoys deer in her yard.
"We do not want to be a part of this city," Pankey said.
Kerry Jones purchased property at 1105 W. Ogara St. and said the improvements needed are many. The water pressure is below Environmental Protection Agency standards, he said. Jones said he is willing to consider granting an easement to the city to install utility lines across his property. He said he supports the annexation, but expects the city will have to install a sewer lift station that may serve only three houses.
"Our intention is to get you water and sewer. Sewer is the hardest," Commissioner Ron Fearheiley said.
He knows half of the road is brick and half is concrete and said council has the intention of overlaying the entire road. He said the city hopes to have the larger water line in this year, but the sewer may take longer.
"We're not just going to annex this and then forget you," Fearheiley said.
Bill Evrard lives at 1105 S. Hazel St. and receives city water and city sewer.
"My concern is I really don't want to be in the city of Harrisburg for not a lot of reasons other than I've been there since 1988," Evrard said.
He said his neighbors are over age 65 and their taxes are all frozen so the city will not get a great boost from their tax revenue. He said it will cost the city in that the road is not wide, the ditch along it cannot handle the water that flows through it and there are no streetlights, which he knows are expensive to install.
Council told the residents -- who are paying a higher price for city water -- once they are in the city there are advantages. Their water rates will drop and they will receive the aid of Harrisburg Police and free fire calls whereas now police are not supposed to handle their emergencies and they will have to pay $2,000 for any fire that gets out of hand. Though their taxes are frozen, a larger portion of their property taxes will go to the city than the county and their home insurance rates should be lower.
Tim McRoy of McHaney Road across from the cemetery said he is in favor of annexation.
"One thing I'd like to know is where is the sewer going?" McRoy said.
Fearheiley asked the residents not to be expecting sewer lines any time soon. The Garden Heights Sewer project took an entire decade before it was completed last year.
"It took a little over 10 years to get the money and get the project done," he said.
But he said the city has its own incentive to get the sewer lines installed.
"Anything that has a septic tank that leaks out through our town is not sanitary," Fearheiley said.
The possibility of EPA punishment for malfunctioning septic tanks is plenty incentive for the city to pursue sewer lines.
City street construction
Council heard from Mike Roberts of Brown and Roberts on the progress on the water main installation on Granger Street.
"It's a war zone down there," Roberts said.
"It's going well cost-wise. We're about 25 percent done."
Commissioner Bart Schiff said he has been queried by concerned residents about the work that has involved closing off major portions of the street and tearing up of the street and sidewalks.
Roberts said an abandoned gas tank found during the project was removed earlier Thursday. One more directional bore is scheduled.
"By the end of the month the water main should be completed," he said.
As to when the street will be back to normal, his response was probably not what residents wanted to hear.
"We're hoping to wrap it up by the end of summer," Roberts said.
"I know, it's messy."
He said residents he has spoken to have been understanding as the construction crews work with their schedules as best they can.
Roberts reported a sewer line break discovered through the work at Granger Street and Raymond Street. It cannot be fixed until the water main is installed and the repair will exceed $3,000. Water and Sewer Department Lead Foreman Bobby Brown said the line has broken in the past.
The board authorized Mott Excavating to perform the repair.
Roberts told council they have a chance to apply for an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant of the same type that has funded the recent bike trail construction. The grant involves a 20-percent match from the city and cannot be used to build sidewalks, but can be used for destination-oriented bike trails.
Robert also reminded council the city received $96,000 in federal money through U.S. Rep. John Shimkus for the raising of Missouri Street to ensure passage to the hospital in case of flood. If that project is to be completed during this summer's construction season, council will need to figure out where the city's $96,000 match will be coming from.
Electricity savings
Commissioner John McPeek introduced Stephen Thayer, an electricity broker from Southern Illinois Municipal Electric Company who says the city could save all citizens money on their electric bill. If council votes to place a referendum on the November ballot and citizens vote to approve it, he will seek bidders for electric service for Harrisburg. A large number of customers on board will mean better bargaining power.
Thayer said many electricity sellers are pursuing customers through mail and even by telephone hoping for their business since the deregulation of electricity. Thayer said if the city goes along with his plan, each resident could save $141 to $200 per year which amounts to $400,000 saved and hopefully spent locally.
Thayer said should the city decide to pursue his offer he would like to become involved in community activities such as sponsoring a Little League Team.
Council said they would review and discuss the plan.
Pumping station problem
Greg Hite of Flanders Electric told council one of the two motors at the West Harrisburg Pumping Station is down and in need of a complete overhaul.
To fix it will cost $75,000 and six weeks of labor -- three weeks to strip the old copper windings out and three weeks to put new ones in, Hite said.
He said there are cheaper fixes, but they could break down any time.
Fearheiley said the city has no choice with flood season upon us.
Hite said the motors were made by tractor company Fairbanks Morris between 1943 and 1945 and are the only ones he knows of in existence. The city has four such motors and three of the four are in need of attention. Only one needs emergency repairs prior to flood season.
City water superintendent for years, Fearheiley is all too familiar with the temperamental pumps that luckily have always worked when they have been critically needed. When they have not been run regularly is when they seem to have problems.
"You know our situation. It comes and it goes and when it comes it comes with a fury. Now is the time when the rain starts," Fearheiley said.
Council approved Flanders Electric fixing the pump and asked Hite to look into the cost of new pumps for consideration in the future.
Fearheiley asked Hite to make the repairs quick, being nervous having one pump out of commission for six weeks in mid-February.
TIF
Tax Increment Financing coordinator Bob Vancil said a transfer of 30 acres of land from TIF 1 to TIF 2 could result in the city seeing $3 million generated instead of $9,000.
The only thing Vancil's claim generated in council members was confusion and -- in one audience member -- frustration.
Vancil asked council for a motion allowing him to file the transfer with the county clerk to notify taxing bodies of the change.
Fearheiley, McPeek and Ron Crank said their reading of the information Vancil provided them indicated the TIF was being set up to create low income housing rentals.
"I don't think the state needs any more of that," McPeek said.
Vancil said they were reading the information wrong. They were reading information regarding the law regarding TIF districts. Council would have full control over any entity wanting to locate in a TIF district.
The council's plan for a TIF district is to use tax money generated by a new commercial, industrial or housing businesses in the district for infrastructure improvements within the district.
Mayor Eric Gregg told everyone to keep information on businesses contained in the TIF information to themselves as he does not want any talks with potential businesses to break down.
Fearheiley said he was not ready to vote on anything regarding the TIF districts until he had a chance to study Vancil's handouts that he said he had just received that night. He said he understood TIF 1 was the Veterans Drive area.
Vancil said if the city does not make the transfer by May 31 it will lose $300,000.
Gregg said council would be ready for a vote by the March 1 meeting.
Audience member Elizabeth Woodworth indicated she had heard enough vague discussion of the mysterious TIF 2.
"I'm still waiting to know what area this new TIF is in your going to approve," Woodworth said.
"We'll be laying it all out, Elizabeth. We'll bring maps and everything," Gregg said.
Junk cars
Gregg said he is tired of seeing "junk cars parked all over the place" and asks citizens with junk cars in their yard to get rid of them. He said the city ordinance officer is ready to begin ticketing vehicles.
Crank complained about seeing people parking on the wrong side of the road in the wrong direction.