MinonkTalkNews

CIty sells downtown lots for $20,000

Monday, May 06, 2024 Posted by Dave Uphoff

The Minonk City Council approved the sale of 7 lots at the northwest corner of Chestnut and 5th streets in downtown Minonk for the minimum bid of $20,000 by John Crowley of Crowley Physical Therapy. The lots are on the site of the terrible Minonk fire that destroyed all the buildings several years ago.

In other business the council approved an amendment to the Minonk Zoning Code pertaining to a special use in the C-1 Commercial Zoned district at the north end of Minonk's business district to enable storage units to be put in that area.

The council also approved a request from Chris and Heather McKay to have property they own on east First street to be annexed into the city as residential so they can build a house on the property and connect to city water and sewer. The land currently is farm ground located between the house belonging to the late Glen Carls and property belonging to the estate of the late Eldon Rich.

The council approved the 2024 MFT(Motor Fuel Tax) program in which City Administrator Bill Moline estimated $100,000 will be used for chipping and spray patching this year on the city's streets.

City Administrator Moline said we're close to getting the sewer lining project completed. So that is all done and paid for he said. He said we did an out of cycle to get that paid for in this fiscal year. There's a few little remnant pays to come yet. But he thought that for the most part, that whole project is paid for. He thought it went very well adding that the company was very professional, and did a good job.

Mr. Moline said the sewer surcharge, based on the schedule that was put in prior to his start, as well as the water and sewer rates will increase starting in the next water bill that comes out in May. He said it's not a huge increase. He said if you use 600 cubic feet of water, your bill is going to go up four dollars and 60 cents a month. He said about, 75, 80% of it, 90% of it's the payback of the sewer debt for redoing the sewer. He also added that the new meters are unbelievable that they put in.

Mr. Moline said the summer helpers are starting the week of June 10th. As part of that motor fuel tax, he said we will be resealing and crack sealing and resealing the city parking lot up here and then re-stripng that. The stripe, it'll be at street costs, but everything else falls into the motor fuel tax funds.

Mr. Moline gave an update on the restaurant across the street from City Hall at the corner of 6th and Chestnut streets. He said the Woodford County Health Department is having them change a few plans. They need to get a little bit more water coming to there because of the dishwasher. So they are working through what they have to change. So it's been stale for a while, but it is coming. They're just trying to get that approved through the health department.

Mr. Moline said it sounded like a Wendy's was going to come in to where the former Woody's restaurant was located in the Carolyn Addition in the Road Ranger gas station. Right now, they're still thinking it's gonna be Wendy's or some similar national name like that. They put a survey out there. The survey in the existing conditions determined what's best gonna fit out where the Woody's restaurant was. But something is going in there. We just don't know, but more than likely, I would pretty much guess Wendy's because it is tied to a lot of road rangers in other states.

Minonk resident James Liner asked what's the status of the picnic tables on Main Street and the South Block? He was hoping that last year was the last year of it since COVID has been over with now for five years. City Administrator Moline said a lot of people like it, more people like it than dislike it.

Mayor John Marcoline said he asked Bill Moline to take a survey and go ask all those people. Everyone has been asked so far. It said they want those table houses. I have two or three left to reply back. Everyone, they said it's great. It surprised me he said. The Mayor said he thought a lot of people really enjoy it and said Bill is going to all the businesses and so far he hasn't had a negative reply from any of them.

Mayor Marcoline asked Bill to send a message out to people about the air compressor, so that the people in town could have free air instead of paying for it at Casey's. And the Mayor explained why he is asking for this. He said he's seen elderly people trying to figure out that thing that was air in their tires and I've seen a kid up there trying to put air in a basketball. And just tonight, I saw two kids out there with bicycles trying to figure out that they didn't have money, so they walked away. So I don't want anything elaborate. And Bill and I haven't figured out where we'd put it, but I like to have an air compressor someplace up here, and a sign put up there come to City Hall for free air. Because that Casey's drives me nuts with that. I mean, you've gone for an air up there and it costs $1.70 for 3 minutes. So I mean, talk about the height of greed said the Mayor!

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CIty sells downtown lots for $20,000