Month: July 2011

Finance Committee tweaks property sale ad

Posted by mhopf – July 26, 2011

The Quincy Finance Committee approved minor changes Monday night in how the city will attempt to sell a batch of properties it has obtained.

Chuck Bevelheimer, director of planning and development for the city, said the committee agreed to readvertise the bids for a group of properties.

“Instead of putting in our cost that we have in them, we are just going to advertise to see if we can get them sold,” he said. “Last time, we put the cost we have in them, and we had very few people in them.”

The city attempts to get around $1,500 per property, the approximate cost to the city to obtain a property through its fix or flatten program. The city will ask for $1,500 or best offer on the properties.

The city has sold a few properties in recent months for less than the costs it put into it. While it doesn’t get back the initial investment, it puts the properties back on the tax rolls and city crews do not have to mow.

Bevelheimer said the change would also eliminate variable bids, such as a bid offering $500 more than the highest bid.

The committee also agreed to forward the sale of 533 Van Buren for $500 to the City Council. Bevelheimer said the bid submitted by Toni Hemming planned to move a small home onto the property.

Seeing the benefits of blood donation

Posted by mhopf – July 22, 2011

As you can see, he has recovered from his surgery.

The Red Cross is need of blood as they are seeing donations at a 12-year low this summer.

I’ll be the first to admit that while in high school, I gave blood mainly to get out of class for a little while, which is probably why the blood drive was always crowded. I never really gave much thought to who was benefiting from the donation.

Last year though, my family really saw the benefits of giving blood first hand. My nephew was born with a heart defect that required open-heart surgery when he was 4 months old to correct it, and that required blood transfusions. The little guy is healthy and happy today like most 1-year-olds.

If you would like to donate blood, contact the Red Cross. You can find a local blood drive and make an appointment through the link below.

http://www.redcrossblood.org

World Trade Center artifact one of many stored in Hangar 17

Posted by mhopf – July 15, 2011

The World Trade Center artifact that the city of Quincy announced it had obtained Thursday from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was previously stored in Hangar 17 at the John F. Kennedy International Airport along with thousands of other items.

City Engineer Jeff Steinkamp who traveled to New York City to pick up the 15-foot long, 7,000-pound steel structure said the hangar was full of twisted metal, fire trucks and police cars that have been flattened.

Here are couple news reports on what is in Hangar 17.


A tour of Hangar 17 from The New York Times

Maps for the Adams County Board districts

Posted by mhopf – July 13, 2011

Here are the district maps that were distributed to Adams County Board members Tuesday night. The new district maps were approved by a 12-7 vote.

 

Here is the map of districts within the city of Quincy that was approved by the Adams County Board Tuesday night.

 

Here is the map of the districts outside the city of Quincy that the Adams County Board approved Tuesday night.

The current district map

The current map within the city of Quincy

Amended map approved by the City Council

Posted by mhopf – July 12, 2011

Here is the amended ward map that was approved by the Quincy City Council Monday night. The amended map made adjustments Wards 1, 2 and 7. The remaining four wards remain the same as originally forwarded by the city’s redistricting committee in June. That map can be found HERE.

The amended city ward map was approved by a 9-4 partisan vote.

 

Youth showcase skills at Shredfest 2011

Posted by mhopf – July 9, 2011

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Ward map heading to city council next week

Posted by mhopf – July 6, 2011

Next week’s City Council meeting should be longer than the 30-minute meeting held Tuesday night. The redistricting map will be introduced and there will likely be an amendment to the map. I’ve run the map before, but in case you haven’t seen it, here it is.

 

This map will be introduced next week though an amendment is likely.

The City Council also:

• Heard the second presentation of an ordinance that would restirct parking on the west side of Second Street between York and Kentucky.

• Heard the second presentation of an ordinance to rezone 2130 Harrison from single-family residential to neighborhood residential.

• Concurred with the recommendation of the Traffic Commission to increase the speed limit from 30 to 35 mph on North 12th between Westwood Drive and Koch’s Lane.

• Concurred with the recommendation of the Traffic Commission to allow Craig Industries to temporarily block traffic flow at various times on South Fourth between Delaware and Payson for truck loading and unloading.

• Concurred with the recommendation of the Traffic Commission that a fire lane/no parking zone be established on the south side of Chestnut between 18th and 20th streets by painting the curb yellow and installing proper signage.

• Sent a request by Royce and Deborah Middendorf, 1624 S. 36th, for the approval of a one-lot subdivision of property at 1610 S. 36th, under the small tracts provision of the subdivision ordinance to the Plan Commission.

• Sent a request by the city of Quincy to rezone 1639, 1633, 1631, 1629, 1627, 1625, 1623, 1621, 1617, 1615, 1613, 1636 and 1638 N. Fifth. from two-family residential to single-family residential.

• Approved a request by the New Hampshire Bar, 1000 Hampshire, to close 10th Street between Main and Hampshire to hold an outdoor, one-day event between 1 to 10 p.m. July 31. The council also approved the sale and consumption of alcohol outside the premises. The area will be fenced with on entrance.

• Approved a request by the Salvation Army to close Vermont Street between Fourth and Fifth and barring through traffic from Fourth onto Vermont from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 18 for the grand opening of the Kroc Center.

• Approved a permit for encroachment of city right-of-way by Johnny Bang Bangs, 138 N. Front, to allow the placement of tables and chairs on city sidewalks outside the business for the purpose of serving food and alcoholic beverages during normal business hours.

Cleaning up the city

Posted by mhopf – July 1, 2011

Storm damage off RJ Peters Drive between Eighth and 12th streets

Central Service crews are going to be quite busy for the next few weeks cleaning up from Monday morning’s storm.

After streets are cleared, crews will hit city right-of-ways.

Thanks to the Central Service crews for talking to me.

By the time I pulled up to the crew working on RJ Peters Drive, the street was looking pretty clear, though there was more to be done.

Just off the road was the better part of a whole grove of trees taken down during the storm. The cleanup on RJ Peters Drive would have taken a lot longer if many of these trees made it to the road.

[local /wp-content/uploads/2011/06/StormCleanup.flv]

 

Majority of hydropower discussion prior to start of the meeting

Posted by mhopf – July 1, 2011

Aldermen spent about 1 hour talking about hydropower Monday evening with the majority prior to the meeting.

Here is the unedited audio from the hydropower corporation counsel Joe Duesterhaus, who spoke to the council prior to the start of the meeting. Aldermen talked about hydropower for about 40 minutes.

Joe Duesterhaus Audio

Question and Answer session with aldermen

Aldermen Kyle Moore introduced a plan that could payoff the $6.6 million hydropower bond within 10 years.

Moore proposed that the city use $3 million of the bond not spent and pay off a portion of the bond and roll the remaining $4.2 million, which includes the interest from the general obligation bond, into a 10-year bond with a 3.2 interest rate.

The current repayment plan of the hydropower bond includes a $4.78 million payment in the 2013 fiscal year, which would have to be levied this December for property taxes payable in 2013. The city also would have a payment of $1.96 million for the 2016 budget year.

Moore suggested the 10-year bond be paid off with revenues from the remaining nine years of the city’s franchise agreement with Ameren Illinois and to transfer 1.4 percent of the city’s general fund for four years, which by his estimates would amount to a little over $2 million.

Bond repayment plan introduced by Moore

In other business, the council also approved a petition by the Quincy Noon Kiwanis Club to waive the circus permit fee of $75 and the exotic animal permit fee of $500 for the Carson and Barnes Circus for Sept. 3-5 at the Quincy Mall. The Kiwanis Club is bringing the circus to town as a fundraiser.

Alderman Steve Duesterhaus, D-2, voted against the petition, saying that the city shouldn’t give special treatment to organizations and that the fees are to defray any costs the city may see.

The council approved the request two previous times.

The council also:

• Approved a resolution entering into an agreement with GEM Electronics purchasing narrowband radio equipment for $58,118, with $8,323 coming from a grant.

• Approved a resolution authorizing the use of $11,192 tax increment financing funds to install concrete sidewalks around the Adams County Health Department.

• Approved a resolution approving the low bid of $23,854 from Wally Hunter Oil Co. for motor oil, transmission and hydraulic fluid for one year.

• Approved a resolution authorizing an application for public transportation financial assistance.

• Approved the sale of property at 826 and 836 N. 10th for $550 to Pamela Baze, who plans to use the properties as a garden and flower bed.

• Approved an ordinance increasing a line item for the Utilities Department by $16,040 so it can pay its share of a financial system upgrade and maintenance.

• Approved an ordinance granting a special use permit for a planned development at 520 S. 21st  for a beauty salon.

• Heard the second presentation of an ordinance make the intersection of Fifth and Vermont a four-way stop.

• Heard the first presentation of an ordinance to restrict parking on the west side of Second Street between York and Kentucky.

• Heard the first presentation of an ordinance to rezone 2130 Harrison neighborhood residential.

• Approved a request  of the Quincy Society of Fine Arts to place signs at all parking areas and roads at Kesler and Clat Adams parks from 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 18 for Riverfest 2011. The organization also requested barricades for the circle drive near the Pier Restaurant, Clat Adams Road just south of the circle drive, north of the Boat Club, the Kesler Park exit and the north end of Kesler Park. A request was also made that the Central Services clean Bonansinga Drive as well as roads and parking lots in the parks before and after the event.

• Approved raffle permits and waived the bond requirement for the St. Peter Parish Picnic through Aug. 27 and the Quincy Senior High School Athletic Department from Nov. 1 through Nov. 31, 2012.

• Approved the prevailing wage ordinance and identification protection policy ordinance for Quincy Township.