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Chester receives partial payment from state

Posted December 22, 2015 10:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Staff Writer

Not all, but some.

During Monday's meeting of the Chester City Council, Mayor Tom Page reported the city received a check from the State of Illinois that day for $169,088.52.

On Dec. 7, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2309, which allowed for $3.1 billion in already-collected funds from 112 special state accounts to be released for the funds' intended purpose.

Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the law on the same day.

In a media interview after the meeting, Page said the money was intended for water and sewer costs incurred during the months of July and August.

According to documents received from the City of Chester earlier this month, the state owed the city more than $968,000 in utility (water, sewer and natural gas) costs to various facilities at the end of November.

Page previously stating that he may be forced to shut the water off at Menard Correctional Center and Chester Mental Health Center due to nonpayment.

Page noted that the check was a one-time payment until the budget impasse in Springfield is finally broken.

"It's certainly put me in a better mood," Page said in a follow-up interview with the Herald Tribune. "We have our motor fuel tax money, our gaming money and I think that's all paid up now.

"The check we received for the utilities, it makes my hand stay away from the trigger as far as shutting the water off."

According to other media outlets, Rauner has predicted the impasse could end sometime between January and April of next year. The Illinois House and Senate are not due back in session until Jan. 13 at noon.

During his mayor's report, Page recognized two retiring employees, Sewer Superintendent Kenny Surman and Parks Superintendent Kevin Diercks with plaques for their longtime service to Chester.

Page noted that combined with retiring City Clerk Nancy Eggemeyer, who was honored during a similar ceremony at the council's previous meeting, the trio represent almost 100 years of experience.

In March, the council presented Surmon with the Illinois Rural Water Association's Wastewater Treatment Plant of the Year award.

The IRWA, the state's largest rural utility association, had selected Chester at its 33rd Annual Technical Conference in Effingham.

"Kenny Surman has got 41 years and just that alone is an extremely difficult task to try and fill that experience," Page said in the follow-up interview. "His abilities to rebuild pumps and all the contacts with contractors he has out there. Instead of buying new, he likes to fix and that's saved the city a ton of money."

Diercks, with 21 years of service to Chester, is also "heading out to pasture," according to Page.

"Kevin is one of those guys where if I asked him to put his head through a wall instead of walking through the door, he'd do it," Page said. "He cleans the bathrooms at the Welcome Center, at Cohen Complex and does a lot of maintenance. He is one of those guys who would do about anything."

Diecks also becomes the city's last parks superintendent, as Page told the newspaper that the position will be filled from the Maintenance Department - which is under the jurisdiction of Superintendent Randy Eggemeyer.

"We are not going to appoint another parks superintendent," Page said. "It will fall under the Maintenance Department, which would be Randy Eggemeyer.

"We will assign someone from the maintenance department to fulfill that role."

With only three items on its "new business" agenda for Monday's meeting, the council - with no discussion - declared that a vacancy exists within the Chester Police Department and authorized the city's police commissioners to appoint a full-time officer from the eligibility list.

The council also authorized the Chester Gas Committee to purchase natural gas future for February. Committee Chairman Dan Ohlau said that with low gas prices, the decision was made to make the purchase.

Finally, the council approved an Illinois Department of Transportation resolution for the reconstruction of Garfield Street.

Harold Sheffer, owner/engineer of J.T. Blankinship, Inc., said the original bid price was $160,000, but came to $165,000 after appropriations.

A resolution was made to appropriate another $10,000 out of motor fuel tax funds.

Roundup

The council approved the Cemetery and Finance Committe's payment of bills in the amount of $106,153.90.

The council approved an IDOT engineer's final pay estimate to E.T. Simonds Construction Company in the amount of $4,454.58 for the Swanwick Street resurfacing project.

The next meeting of the Chester City Council is scheduled for Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. at city hall.

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