Shafer started the presentation by giving the location of significant parts of the development. The North end of the 2300 North Road will be improved from its’ 14 foot nominal travel surface to a 24 foot width with A-2 seal coat surface up to the point of the second entrance. After that it will taper down to 16 foot and the plan is to seal coat the entire road. Coming down to the entrances to the public parking are anticipated to be seal coat on the North side and turf parking. The Northeast section of the property by the detention basin will remain agriculture at least for some time. Coming down from the north end will be the drag strip area with bleachers and a restroom area.

Shafer explained that there will be a landscaped berm of some sort to obstruct the visual interference of people passing by on Illinois Route 251. This is to keep people from slowing down along the road to try and take in part of the race and obstruct traffic. It will be 4 to 6 foot high landscaped berm.

Plans are to leave the existing farm entrance in at least during the construction phase of the project. The main entrance to the tracks will be south of the existing farm house. The main entrance is anticipated to be 4 lanes wide and will have a left and right turnout.

The commercial lot sizes will vary from four tenths of an acre to 2 acres. Lot sizes will be driven by market demand. As a point of reference 210 feet square represents one acre.

The pro parking (race parking) will be paved and roughly half will be asphalt and the remainder will be an A-2 seal coat surface. This is where the professional racers will be with their trailers and vehicles during events.

The oval track will be west and south of the "Jumbo" pile. Parking indicated on the south side of the drag strip where not specifically stripped will be turf parking at least in the initial stages. Most of the roads will be seal coat and where it demands it will be asphalt.

The plan is to include a helipad of some fashion and that will be off towards the eastern end of the project.

Adjacent to the main entrance will be the main office to the racetrack facility (2500 to 3000 square feet). The main entrance will be designed to the Minonk City Code as a public street and turning south, everything in this area is anticipated to be dedicated to the public as it is developed and accepted. These streets would match the Minonk City Code for a commercial street. The roads will be 28 feet wide with curb and gutter and 4 inches of asphalt.

Several detention basins are planned so that water will not leave the site faster than it currently does now. Along the paved roads will be storm sewers and open ditches in other areas where possible.

The road course geometrically is similar to what was presented 1 ½ years ago and no any major changes have been nade to that track.

Regarding public infrastructure Shafer said that plans are to end the public water and sewer somewhere north of the existing farm house. The sewer service based on the grade information at this time indicates that there will be a small ejector pump station to get the sewage from the restrooms back into the gravity sewer. It will be private and maintained by the developer. The water main and sewer sizes have not been set yet as there have been no calculations to determine what is needed as far as capacity and pressures. There are provisions to loop the water main and to provide easements for the City of Minonk if they decide to extend the water and sewer mains.

Shafer said that one of the items that are critical to this development plan for the commercial lots is  to require the City to accept jurisdictional control of County Highway 2. The reason this is important is because current county requirements of entrances would allow only one entrance on that road. One entrance between Burroughs and Sauder & Rippel drastically changes the development scheme and the location of utilities in this region.

Shafer emphasized that there is substantial benefit for the City accepting control of this section of the county highway. The county is more than eager to get it off their hands and has expressed a willingness to participate in some upgrades. He said that we are proposing shared entrances at every two lots and are looking at entrances every 400 to 500 feet. The county will allow one entrance every ¼ mile and that will not work in the scheme for development. The proposed development is showing a total of 5 entrances plus public roadway for a total of 6 entrances along that stretch of roadway.

Lastly, Shafer gave a detailed discussion of the Drag Racing Track. Areas that he covered included the following:

• 4 types of grandstands
• Covered pavilion on each side of the track to eat
• Restroom facilities on each side of the track
• Souvenir and arcade facility on each side for kids
• At least one playground for kids
• Raised party deck covered for shade
• Preferred seating at the base of the control tower
• Pedestrian underpass
• Landscaped berm will also have a retaining wall
• Equipment shed for track maintenance
• Access points in the barrier walls for emergency vehicles

Public Discussion of Development

Dave Shafer said that the developers would be responsible for the upgrade.

Alderman Cunningham asked Dave who he talked to in the county about County Highway 2.

Dave Shafer responded that he had a couple of conversations with county engineer Dave Bachman and he told me that the county would prefer not to maintain roads inside the city limit. The developer has no authority to force something like that to happen.

Mayor Koos asked if they had concerns about the main entrance not being wide enough with multiple events on the same day.

Dave Shafer responded that at this point in time no. We are going to have to do some traffic numbers for IDOT and that will tell us weather or not there is a concern and needs to be wider. We are looking at 600 feet of 4 to 6 lanes wide.

Mayor Koos asked about the area east of the “Jumbo” being agriculture.

Joe Spence said that it will remain agriculture until further development.

Mayor Koos asked about the Road 2700 east going north and south (Mary Street Extension) and do you anticipate any improvements for the road.

Dave Shafer said that the only thing I can envision is some drainage improvements as far as the ditching along that side. We do not want people coming to the race by this road and I believe that it is in the redevelopment agreement that the developer can make 2300 North a one-way street during race events if it is necessary.

Jim Ford asked Dave Shafer what the expected costs would be.

Dave Shafer said that the drag strip track itself turnkey from where we are today to put a car on the track is in the neighborhood of $15,000,000.

Jim Ford asked how many full-time jobs will be created with the project.

Randy Hellyer said 4 to 6 full-time jobs and many part-time jobs.

Charlie McGuire asked about the time frame of the development.

Joe Spence said that we hope to meet the first deadline in the redevelopment agreement.

Gene Oncken said that he has heard the word anticipate here about 15 times in the last 20 minutes. Is anticipating enough for the City Council to make a decision on this?

Mayor Koos responded that is why the drawing is important. "This development may not end with this Council. The reason for my insistence on this preliminary drawing was that in the redevelopment agreement we will address the major changes to the drawing. In the event that they make major changes to what we actually see here, it has to come back in front of this Council. That is the way the redevelopment agreement is going to be signed and that is why we are having a drawing and a presentation. That is why it is going to Public Works and the Zoning Board so everybody is going to be able to see this and have an interpretation and give us the input necessary to make this decision. Any changes that are made in the signed redevelopment agreement must be approved by the City. Both parties have agreed in language what has to be done to accommodate each side. Yes, what I am seeing tonight I am comfortable with and with this drawing I see some minor details that will be addressed. When the signatures go on the agreement they are bound just as we are bound to the agreement. The redevelopment agreement is a very fair agreement. We needed a drawing in order for us to have something to base our decision on. Is this facility good for Minonk to be constructed this way and that is about what we are about to find out."

Gene Oncken asked when the redevelopment agreement would be signed.

Mayor Koos said that he was shooting for the next meeting. We have already agreed on language and one of the key components of that agreement was this engineers’ drawing on how the facility was to be organized and they have provided that.

Joe Spence added that all construction plans must come back to the City for approval.

Dave Shafer said that when we talk about things that are anticipated there are a number of things that we simply do not know. And without spending tens of thousands of dollars in engineering fees we are not going to know. At this point in time it is not practical or possible to make many of these determinations.

Gene Oncken asked Mayor Koos if the City will demand a performance bond for the developers.

Mayor Koos said that it has all been addressed in the redevelopment agreement. "When we get to the final point of this agreement, then we will release all of the details. Yes, we are addressing that issue. Until everybody has approved this agreement we cannot release any of that information."

Jim Ford asked Mayor Koos if this project has gone through environmental impact statements.

Mayor Koos responded no.

David Timmerman asked what is going to happen to the tiles that run across this property.

Joe Spence said that we will get with you to share your knowledge with our engineer and all tiles on the property will be reconnected.

John Oncken asked how big of a retention pond area are you talking about for the project.

Dave Shafer responded that we have not sized any of that at this point in time. We may have 3 or 4, but right now on our drawings we are showing 6 different basins.

Durre Bros. Annexation into City

Mayor Koos said that one of the key reasons for putting this on the agenda is that this has a lot of different things that it must go through. (Annexation agreement, zoning, and engineering) Mayor Koos said that "I think they would like to annex into the City and I think they would like the City Council to move at as quick a pace as it can."

Marc Durre of Durre Brothers asked the City Council about the possibility of annexing to the City of Minonk and getting the proceedings going as soon as possible.

Mayor Koos said that we need to get our engineering group involved. "We have not shot any grades or come up with any costs and we need to start that process. We need a motion to go ahead and authorize the City Administrator to start settings up committee meetings and getting our engineers involved on a necessary basis in order to see about annexing Durre Brothers into the City of Minonk."

Alderman Petersen moved that the City Council authorize the City Administrator to get the process going on the annexation of Durre Brothers into the City of Minonk, seconded by Alderman Fortner.

NIMEC Proposal - Electricity Purchase Option

On behalf of all municipalities that join NIMEC, Hoover will negotiate with the electric suppliers directly to obtain a bid on electricity. If it is lower that the Com Ed rate, the city would pay based on the lower bid. If Hoover is unable to obtain a lower bid, the city will simply pay the Com Ed bill directly. "To join the group that he would negotiate on behalf is a $100 one time fee and I would like to go ahead and join that group", said Smith.

Alderman Fortner moved that the City Council pay $100 to join NIMEC (Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Co-operative), seconded by Alderman Cunningham.

Mayor's Comments