The Minonk City Council approved four TIF applications for facade improvement at their normal Monday night meeting. The applications are part of the City's facade improvement program introduced this summer. The approved applications are:
- Petri's Pour House - $2500 lump sum payment for facade improvement
- Minonk Auto Body - $5850 in two equal annual installments for facade improvement
- Minonk Bowling Lanes - $5247.50 in two equal annual installments for new doors and windows
- SMF Inc. - $11,000 for 6 years, $66,000 in total for machine purchase
Storm Sewer Project Update
Bob Kohlhase of the Farnsworth Group gave the City Council an update on the proposed Storm Sewer Project. He indicated that the main sewer line will run down Johnson Street rather than Walnut Street because of recent research revealing the water problems associated with Johnson Street.
A 24 inch pipe will run west from 8th and Chestnut to 7th Street and Johnson. From there an 18 inch pipe will run south from Seventh down Johnson Street to West Fourth Street. From the corner of Johnson and West Fourth a 15 inch pipe will run west to Jefferson Street while an 18 inch pipe will run east to Walnut Street.
Kohlhase said some of the lines will run across the berm on Johnson Street while the line for West Fourth will run down the middle of the street. Two bids will be let for West Fourth Street which is a brick street. One bid will include the replacement of brick while the other bid will include replacing the brick with concrete. The City Council will decide which bid to accept when submitted.
The field pond to the south of West Fourth Street will be drained into the storm sewer line although there will be a restriction on how much water will be allowed to drain from the pond into the storm sewer. Kohlhase said the field pond may become a retention pond if that area is ever developed.
The next step is for the Council to meet next Monday night to review the storm sewer plan. After that review, the sewer plan will be presented at a public meeting sometime in November. Kohlhase said the earliest that bids could be let is the first part of December since some surveying work still needs to be done, including the detection of utility lines. City Administrator Doug Elder said the goal is to have the bids due by the first part of January.
City Administrator Comments
City Administrator Doug Elder said the plans for the proposed handicap ramp at Sixth and Chestnut is posted at City Hall. The plan will include a bicycle rack at that location.
Mayor's Comments
Mayor Bill Koos heaped praise on the work of the Fourth of July Committee for their outstanding effort in the Pumpkin Patch Festival held on October 10. The Mayor said it was a cost effective event that brought out both young and old generations. He said the effort put forth illustrates there is still a volunteer spirit in the community adding that it is volunteers that make things work in a small community. Koos said their activities add to a better quality of life in Minonk.
The Mayor said that Joe's Pizza will celebrate its 25th anniversary in Minonk next month. He said it indicates that the community will support local businesses and that we should be proud to have a vibrant business community.
Merry-Go-Round Issue
Dave Uphoff of Minonk asked what the City's stance is on the merry-go-round located in the Westside Park. City Administrator Doug Elder said that he was told by the insurance inspector that the merry-go-round is incapable of being restored to a status that would make it safe.
Uphoff then asked if the merry-go-round could be moved to a private location like the New Millennium Park at the north edge of the city which is also a recreational area but is owned by private interests.
Elder said that is possible but he said he didn't think that anyone else would want to assume the risk of having the merry-go-round on their property either. He indicated that a private concern would be subject to the same safety issues as a public concern.
Uphoff asked if the city shouldn't seek another opinion on the safety of the merry-go-round rather than just accepting the opinion of the city's insurance inspector. Uphoff said that he didn't want the City to give up on the merry-go-round without trying all avenues of compliance.
Minonk resident Sherry Willis, who lives on the corner next to where the merry-go-round is located, said that she has never seen or heard of anyone being hurt on the merry-go-round. She agreed that the city should seek another professional opinion on whether the merry-go-round is a safety issue.
Minonk resident Larry Hill told the Council that Minonk has a history of losing their landmarks, citing the loss of the railroad depots and the City bandstand.