The Minonk CIty Council approved TIF funds for two downtown Minonk
businesses at the CIty Council meeting Monday night. The council
approved the payment of 50% of the $3,996.61 price estimate ($1,998.30)
from the TIF II pool to Cunningham Candies for the lighting upgrade
project under the TIF business retention/expansion guidelines on their
building located at 550 North Chestnut Street.
The council also approved $490.00 (1/3 of $1,470.00) to Roger Gaspardo
for the façade repair project to his building located at 516 North
Chestnut Street from the TIF II fund pool. Both businesses are
located in the Tax Increment Finance district in which money
accumulated from property taxes is used to help businesses in
underdeveloped areas improve their property in order to raise property
value and promote development in the area.
City to sell land along IC right-of-way
City Administrator Trent Smith reported that Mr. Nick Peiffer has asked
to purchase a strip of land of the old railroad right-of-way located
behind his building located at 617 North Chestnut Street. Because
there is a storm sewer running through the property along the
right-of-way Smith said no one can build over the top of the
property. It can be used only for storage although a fence can be
put over it because that can be easily moved if access is needed to the
property.
Because no one can build on the property a price has been set at
$0.10 per square foot with the stipulation that no one can ever build
on the property. The recommendation from the Economic Development
Committee was to sell a 30 foot strip of the railroad right-of-way (pin
# 06-07-402-102) located adjacent of the eastern boundary of 617 North
Chestnut Street (pin # 06-07-402-090) to Nick Peiffer at a cost of
$0.10 per square foot. Further, that an easement be placed on the
property such that the buyer shall not be allowed to construct any
permanent structures on the property.
Smith also said that one of the stipulations that were not in
the EDC motion was that a privacy fence be put up for the storage. He
said that if the Council is in favor of going forward with this, an
ordinance will have to be drawn up and other documents will have to be
prepared. Smith said that he can have this ready for the next meeting
on July 17, 2006.
Alderman Cunningham asked Smith if the 30 foot strip sold will leave a large enough strip for us to have a walking path.
Smith responded that there is a 50 foot strip in the middle
between Mr. Peiffer’s property and the 75 foot wide strip where the
City tore down the old Kent Lumber building at the corner of Oak and
East Sixth Street.
The Council approved a motion that Trent Smith prepare the necessary
paper work for the sale of the 30 foot strip of railroad right-of-way
to Nick Peiffer according to the guidelines discussed.
Council approves mortgage extension
City Administrator Trent Smith reported that the City has a loan
with Alpha Community Bank and the city has been paying off the
principal as lots are sold in the Carolyn Subdivision. The intent was
to pay off the loan as the lots were sold. However, there
are still 3 lots remaining to be sold. There is a $60,000 balance on
the loan and in the last few years, since no lots have been sold, only
the interest is being payed. Therefore the loan needs to be
extended, according to Smith. He added that the city could pay it
out, but it was decided to pay some of the larger loans with higher
rates of interest.
The council approved a motion by Alderman Petersen that the $60,000
loan with Alpha Community Bank be extended again from June 26, 2006 to
June 26, 2007.
Public comments
Larry Hill (403 Walnut Street) inquired about the walking path that was
discussed in the proposed sale of railroad right-of-way strip to Nick
Peiffer.
Mayor Koos said that it was the Miner’s Trail that is going to come out of
Sutton’s Park and go off to the right and come down the side of the
funeral home and then curve back and come back down the center of the
railroad right-of-way and hook up with the sidewalks to get
everybody over to the Westside Park. It also includes putting the Coal
Miner Museum somewhere up in this area, the downtown area. That is why
it is called Miner’s Trail. Koos said that you will be able to leave
Veteran’s Park and go all the way to the Westside Park on a hard
surface. He added that you will be on a trail in a park system.
Larry Hill also asked Mayor Koos if has heard anything from the racetrack people.
Mayor Koos said that at the last Council meeting it was reported
that as far as the language in the redevelopment agreement we have come
to some kind of an understanding with the racetrack developers. He
added, "Now the other part of the redevelopment before we will sign
anything is the engineering drawing that will tell us where everything
is going to be on the property. That is where it is right now. The
language is in place and all of the definitions of what everything is
has been verbally agreed upon. Nothing has been signed and will not
until we have the engineer’s drawing and timetable. We are hoping to
have this by the end of July. All of our correspondence with the
racetrack developers has been done through our City Attorney so there
is no confusion to what the City is wanting. Our number one priority is
getting a redevelopment agreement signed with Randy Hellyer. His option
expires March 1, 2007 and the City is very cognizant of that date. The
City will not sell any property until a redevelopment agreement is
signed. After March 1, 2007 the City can purchase the option to buy the
property for $10,000 and can market the property to anyone it so
chooses. The progress that takes place in the next 30 to 60 days is
probably going to play a major role in the attitude as to what this
Council is going to start looking at as that March 1, 2007 date
approaches."
City Administrator's comments
• Thanked Woodford County for helping the city to cover some of the
on-call time with the police department over the past few weeks.
• Police Chief Nick Cavera will be starting on the job July 5th.
• The EDC committee reviewed the proposal for a community sign made
from sandblasted western red cedar. This is a budgeted item and we will
be moving forward with the project by contracting with Prairie Signs to
produce and install two signs.
• The bakery sidewalk has been poured and the cubing should be
completed in late July or early August followed by grading and seeding.
• The sidewalk area around the gazebo in the Westside Park will be
replaced and then the other sidewalk projects will be started.
• Jim Baumann will be finishing up the 3rd Street extension soon
and I would like to thank him and Minonk Township for their help. The
street extension will be oiled and chipped next year after the winter
freeze/thaw cycle has settled the ground.
City council comments
Alderman Buchanan wanted to thank the 4th of July Committee for all
their hard work and said that they need more volunteers to step forward
and help.