Oil & chip work begins September 4 in Tamaroa
The Village Board awarded the contract for asphalt to Illini Asphalt for $28,129 which was $800 below the estimated cost.
Overall, the village is spending $43,000 on street maintenance this year.
Oil and chip work will begin Sept. 4.
Village employees will have a considerable amount of prep work to be ready for the oil and chip.
The board agreed to employ a co-op student on a month-to-month basis at the village's expense. He will continue to work through Sept. 10. The board will revisit the issue at that time.
In other business, the board:
• agreed to offer Tamaroa Grade School a new contract for use of the gymnasium. The new contract keeps the utility payments at the same rate, but drops the lease to $1 per year in exchange for the school doing all of the janitorial work on the gym during the contract. The school leases the gymnasium from October through April each year. Last year the rent was $6,300 and utilities cost $4,800.
• approved a contract with property owner Mike Frost with two amendments and authorized Mayor Curtis Stube to sign it. Frost signed a contract and easement to allow the village to fill in a pond on his property at the village's expense provided the village remove large rocks from around the pond and have the initial work done in one year. The pond is lined with brick and rock. Employee supervisor Chuck Zoeckler said it would take a lot of work to remove all the rock. The board amended the agreement to allow them to push the rock into the depression that makes the pond, ensuring that the rock is at least 24 inches below the surface of the top soil which would allow the land to be used in the future. The board also asked for two years to complete the initial work since it is already August. A bad winter like last year might make it difficult to complete the work.Village Attorney Calen Campanella was heartily congratulated on his work and asked to contact Frost with the village's amendments and sign the new agreement.
• heard from Campanella that he also had spoken with property owner Butch Kabat about the former lumber yard. Kabat has health issues and plans to rebuild the property in October. The board agreed to table action until October. Campanella was asked to direct Kabat to place 'No Trespassing' signs on all sides of the building and cover any openings in the meantime.
• heard from Gerald And Debra Suttle that there is a drainage problem in their back yard. Gerald Suttle asked if the village could change the angle at which the water drains from the neighboring property. The current 90-degree angle causes problems. Trustee Bill Place said that there have been water problems in that area of town for more than 30 years. The engineering to build a holding pond and diversion ditch has been done. However, the village cannot afford to do the work. He offered Suttle a copy of the engineering and asked Suttle to give the village a copy of the survey of his property that he had done.
• heard from Zoeckler that he will find work for PCHS co-op students who need to do community service hours.
• heard from Campanella that the current rate the village charges for an ordinance violation ($195) does not cover the costs of filing and prosecuting it. The board agreed to raise the fine for initial offenders to cover costs. Subsequent offenses could cost more. The ordinance allows fines up to $500.