The city voted Monday night to lease some land from the New Millenium Committee Center
committee so that a government grant can be applied for in developing outdoor recreation
facilities and parking spaces on the land. Neil Finlen, a Farnsworth & Wylie representative
for the committee, said that the committee will lease the land for $100 a year until a park
district can be formed, at which time the park district would take control of the land from
the city.
Finlen said that the grant proposal must be submitted by July through the city. If the grant is approved,
about $300,00 will be made available to the project with the other $300,000 being contributed by the
New Millenium Community Center committee.
Alderman Dean Barth said that grants for an updated sewer system and
a new well are more important to the city than a grant for recreational facilities. He said that the
public has not been informed about the project yet and he didn't think it was appropriate for the
city to get involved in a project in which the city had basically no control.
Alderman Koos wanted to make sure that the city would not be responsible for contracts undertaken
on the project or in the enforcement of governmental policies. Finlen said the city would have
no liability in the project. He indicated that the obtaining of the grant would give the community center
the momentum it needs to elicit public interest and support. He also mentioned that the public will be
given an opportunity to vote on a park district as early as next spring.
The council approved the request from the community center to lease the land at the north edge of
town with Alderman Barth the sole dissenter.
Doug Melton of Farnsworth & Wylie told the city council that the Eighth Street sewer
project was almost complete and all that remained was to the jet the trenches with water.
The jetting was held off until Well # 3 could be brought back online. John Rupe, the contractor,
will complete the project next week and will be responsible for hauling away the debris and excess
fill used during the project.
Melton also indicated that Farnsworth & Wylie has completed the design of the main street
sewer system which will continue on from the Eighth Street sewer system. The new sewer line
would run from the corner of Eight Street south on Maple Avenue to Seventh Street and then
west on the south side of Seventh to the former IC tracks along Chestnut Street. From there the
line would run south to First Street. Melton was given approval by the council to go ahead and
do a study on the easements that may be needed to complete the project.
Melton told the council that 4000 feet of sewer line has been televised and that quite a few
problems, including blockages, leaks and cave-ins were found. He indicated that $5,000 of the
allocated $12,000 for the project has been spent. He recommended that another $2,000 be spent to
televise more sewer lines. He indicated that some of the sewer lines will probably have to be
rebuilt.
Melton said that due to the new residential and commercial development in Minonk, that another well
must be dug in order to meet EPA standards that dictate that all of the city's water needs can be
handled with the largest well out of service. Currently, the city cannot meet its water demands
with Well # 3 down. Melton said that a pre-application for a low interest loan has been submitted
for funding the digging of well #4 that could cost well over $400,000.
Next month