Monday, August 17, 2009

City Council approves no parking restrictions

Monday, August 17, 2009 - Posted 8:13:15 PM

The Minonk City Council approved an amendment to Ordinance 2009-08 to enforce a no parking ban near Fieldcrest High School and Fieldcrest South Elementary School.  Specifically the new parking restrictions bans parking on the west side of Maple Avenue between 4th and 6th streets, the west side of Johnson street between 5th and 6th streets, the south side of 5th Street between Lincoln and Johnson streets, and the north side of 6th Street between Lincoln and Johnson streets.

The restrictions are intended to allow the movement of emergency vehicles along those routes.  City Administrator Doug Elder said that the new No Parking signs will be up by tomorrow morning, August 18th, just in time for the start of school.

In other news, Mayor Bill Koos read a letter from the city attorney explaining his findings on the dispute between City Clerk James Liner and Alderman Corey Ruestman in which Liner explained that he had no knowledge of any improper actions in the installation of a water line on property owned by Randy Ruestman and that he did not notify the State of Illinois of any possible violations as it was rumored.

The city attorney stated that he found no derogatory statements on the part of Liner and that he also found no evidence of wrong doing or illegal use of water on the part of Ruestman.   The city attorney did say that Ruestman will be billed $265 for the water hookup as part of the normal city fee.  Alderman Ruestman asked Public Works Supervisor Charlie McGuire if other residents have been charged this fee for water hookups.  McGuire said that others have been charged this fee.  Alderman Ruestman then asked McGuire to provide him with a list of those who have been charged this fee to which McGuire agreed to do.

City Administrator Comments

City Administrator Doug Elder said that Christmas decoration bids will be going out tomorrow so that work can begin the latter part of September to remove the old lights and to install the new ones in time for Christmas.

Advertisements for the hiring of a public works employee for the City have been published.  Applications are due by August 31st at City Hall.  Up to 5 candidates will be interviewed for the position.

A water heater failed in City Hall and a new one was installed by Joe Milashoski this past week.

Several residents and business owners have been asked to tidy up their places to improve the appearance of the city.  So far good cooperation has been received.
                        Viewer comments on this article

Free2Bme wrote on 8/21/2009 at 18:06:22

Emo:  Have you been anywhere near the schools in the morning and afternoon?  If you've been there at all you would see that there is no need for a study.  A car could barely get through during those times, which would then mean that if an emergency arises during those times, emergency vehicles cannot get through.  I hope these areas are enforced.  Unfortunately many people do not care and will park there anyway.  A way to avoid it is to start walking.  Maybe our kids won't be so lazy if we should start showing an example.

Traffic studies are done in larger communities...not here.  There's nothing illegal with any of our stop signs.  Our public safety committee deems what's good for our community...not some study that ends up costing the taxpayer at least twice the cost the device would have cost to begin with.
emo wrote on 8/20/2009 at 10:42:15

Jason B.  Legally to put up a stop sign you have to do a traffic study, showing a stop sign is need other than to slow down traffic.  Most all the stop signs that Minonk has put up in the last 10 years is to slow down traffic which are illegal.
tihsho wrote on 8/19/2009 at 19:59:12

Laws are only as good as those who enforce them, Wiggins and his posse will see to it that no one is parked wrong. even if its at church. We have the man power and police car fleet to control crime in a town twice our size so I would obey any parking restrictions they deem applicable at any time or place.
Jason B wrote on 8/19/2009 at 15:05:23

Emo what makes the stop signs illegal in Minonk? I wouldn't think anything the Public Safety Committee and the "Governing Body" of Minonk the City Council passes would be illegal.
emo wrote on 8/19/2009 at 08:40:00

I would like to see the traffic study from the no parking zones.  Or is these no parking zone illegal like most of the stop signs and speed limit in the city of minonk?

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