Story courtesy of Jeremy Smith for TOC (The Original Company) News…
The Carmi City Council met in regular session Tuesday evening. The meeting began with a few moments of silence for the passing of former Carmi Mayor Jimmy Gaines.
The council approved an estimate from Scates Valley, Inc. in the amount of $23,370 to repair water well #4. Also approved was the Resolution for Improvement under Illinois Highway Code for drainage ditch improvements in Bradshaw Park from Sycamore to Stewart St, in the amount of $15,000 and an Engineering Services Agreement with Brown and Roberts, also for the Bradshaw Project, for $14,500 for preliminary and design engineering for the Bradshaw Park Project. Both amounts will be paid utilizing the Motor Fuel Tax. There is no completion date for the project at this time, and the project will cause some road closures.
Other items approved by the council included an Illinois Department of Transportation Resolution for Improvement under the Illinois Highway Code to commit $345,000 from the Rebuild Illinois Program for improvements on 0.19 acres of Saunders from Meadows to East End, and 0.04 miles of Meadows from Saunders to Sunnybrook. As-well-as a Local Public Agency Engineering Services Agreement from the Rebuild Illinois Program with Brown and Roberts for the amount of $33,529 for preliminary and design engineering for the Saunders and Meadows improvement project. Mayor Pollard explained to the council and media that the funds from the Rebuild Illinois Program must be spent, or turned back over to the state.
Mayor Pollard reports that on June 24th IDOT will start resurfacing Main St from 9th to the bridge. The City of Carmi agreed to pay for the parking so IDOT will be resurfacing from curb to curb. This will make parking for businesses on Main difficult for a short period. Also in the mayor’s report, over the next few weeks the city will be making changes to the Carmi Light & Water building. The middle section of the building will have a lower lobby with a pneumatic tube system and monitor to communicate with the office staff, for those who don’t want to climb the stairs. Lobby doors will be unlocked from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Also the building will be getting a fresh new sage green paint job and Street & Alley will be doing construction work on structure and roofing on the new addition. The mayor reports current MFT funds at $915,926.00. With the cost of the Bradshaw project at $29,500, the total Rebuild Illinois project at a cost of $345,000, and the city’s portion of repaving Main St having cost $46,000; this will leave the city with $495,426 in MFT funds.
Other items of note, the City of Carmi won the 2021 Water System of the Year Award, drag racing returns to the Carmi Municipal Airport on June 19th, and Peoples National Bank will be presenting Boots, Bull and Country Music at the White County Fairgrounds on June 19th.
The Carmi City Council will next meet on Tuesday, on July 6th.
