Month: August 2011

HQBD image campaign nominated for regional Emmy

Posted by mhopf – August 31, 2011

The image campaign the Historic Quincy Business District launched last October is receiving recognition at the regional level.

The campaign video produced by local Table 16 Productions was nominated for three Mid-America Emmy awards.

Nominations were for best community/public service (PSAs) for single spots or campaigns, and Christopher Kelley, owner of Table 16 Productions, was also nominated for best editor for short form (promo, PSA, commercial) and best photographer for short form (promo, PSA, commercial) for the image piece.

Winners will be announced at an award ceremony Oct. 22 in St. Louis.

Travis Brown, executive director of the HQBD, said the organization was pleased with the results of the campaign.

“I think it really opened people’s eyes and gave people a look at downtown Quincy,” he said.

 

Finance Committee agrees to sell group of properties

Posted by mhopf – August 30, 2011

The Quincy Finance Committee agreed to forward a proposal to the City Council to sell off seven properties Monday night, one month after it tweaked the ad to sell more of the properties the city has obtained and had to maintain.

Five of the properties would go to Toni Hemming for use for the Domestic Abuse Re-Lief program, which makes houses available to women and children escaping domestic abuse situations. The Good Samaritan Home has donated several houses near 24th and Harrison to the organization.

Hemming offered bids of:

• $500 for 326 Chestnut with plans to repair and remodel the home.

• $500 for 614 Elm with plans to repair and remodel the home.

• $500 for 505 Sycamore with plans to repair and remodel the home.

• $500 for 1613-1615 N. Second St. with plans to relocate a home donated by the Good Samaritan Home.

• $500 for 410-412 and 416-418 S. Fifth St. with planes to relocate homes donated by the Good Samaritan Home.

Hemming previously purchased a vacant lot at 533 Van Buren for the program.

Hemming said that there would be advertising for a Sept. 15 workday for the program.

Other proposals that were also forwarded included:

• $1,500 by Ron McKenzie for 328 Chestnut with plans to repair and remodel the home.

• $1,000 by Rebecca Humke for 628 N. Fifth St. with plans to repair and remodel the home.

Sept. 11 artifact base taking shape

Posted by mhopf – August 27, 2011

The base that will hold the 9-11 artifact the city obtained is being installed near the current memorial.

The base that will hold the Sept. 11 artifact the city of Quincy received has been installed.

The 15-foot long, 7,000-pound steel structure is part of the antenna tower on World Trade Center Building 1 and supported a television broadcasting antenna that was designed and manufactured in Quincy by the Harris Corp.

The city will host a 10th anniversary remembrance of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, outside City Hall, 730 Maine. The artifact will be dedicated that day.

Quincy Mall proposal being called for a vote Monday

Posted by mhopf – August 26, 2011

The Quincy City Council will consider a resolution on Monday to modify the redevelopment agreement originally approved in 2006 with Peoria-based Cullinan Properties that would allow the company to recoup 50 percent of the 1 percent non-home rule sales taxes generated by five redeveloped spaces and three anchor stores — Bergner’s, Sears and JCPenney.

Under the original agreement, only 50 percent of the 1 percent non-home rule sales taxes generated by stores in new leasable space would be returned to Cullinan. Now those that same amount would be returned on the redeveloped spaces and the anchors. This included Starbucks and Petco, and the building that houses TGI Fridays. The 23-year agreement allows Cullinan to recoup up to $6 million. In return, the company agreed to spend $13 million to build 103,000 square feet of new leaseable space.

The Finance Committee approved the agreement earlier this week.

The City Council will also enter executive session “to discuss existing airport hanger ground lease, potential hanger acquisition and potential hangar lease.”

Aug. 29, 2011 Quincy City Council agenda

White Sox receive specialty plate

Posted by mhopf – August 24, 2011

The White Sox specialty plate was unveiled Tuesday by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.

The extra proceeds that are collected from the specialty license plates will benefit the Common School Fund.

The White Sox are the last of the five big teams in Chicago to receive a specialty plate, so no surprise that this came out. I’m not really sure why the White Sox plate came out after a team that hasn’t won a World Series since 1908, but White  did play minor league baseball in the Chicago Cubs farm system. As one of the area White Sox fans, I know I’m in the minority on the timing of the plate. I am aware that there are more Cardinals and Cubs fans statewide. It is nice to see that the White Sox still have a shot at the playoffs this year … barely.

No changes to non-union benefits for now

Posted by mhopf – August 24, 2011

New full-time and regular part-time transit drivers will be some of the first city employees to start paying for a portion of their health insurance premiums.

Under the new contract approved Monday, new full-time hires would pay 15 percent of the insurance premium with a maximum of $125 a month over the life of the three-year contract and part-time hires would pay the 20 percent of the premiums. Both groups would continue to pay for half of dependent coverage.

The city currently pays $659 a month for health insurance for each employee.

No changes are currently in store for non-union employees for health insurance premiums, according to Mayor John Spring.

Non-union employees received 1.5 percent raise earlier this year, which is slightly less than what employees covered under the Machinists Union contract that was approved in April. That deal provided a 38-cent-an-hour raise each year over the three-year contract, and it is projected to cost the city 1.85 percent more in the first year, 2.16 percent more in the second year and 2.01 percent in the third year.

Executive session Monday night for transit drivers contract

Posted by mhopf – August 19, 2011

The Quincy City Council will enter executive session Monday night as expected to hear the details of the contract agreement between the city and employees represented by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1108.

When the City Council approved the Machinists Local 822 in April, aldermen discussed the contract behind closed doors for one hour before unanimously approving the contract.

Union members ratified the the contract Tuesday night.

Transit drivers have been operating without a contract since their previous one-year agreement expired April 30. That one-year deal offered no general raises.

The council also could take a final vote on a proposed subdivision that would be located on a 40-acre property west of Eagle Trace Condominiums and Spring Lake Estates Additions. The proposal has been tabled numerous times since March as the developer Adam Booth tries to acquire land for a second access road to the site.

Aug. 22, 2011 Quincy City Council Agenda

Asphalt program to cover eight city blocks, four blocks of alley

Posted by mhopf – August 16, 2011

The Quincy City Council awarded a contract for the $323,427 capital budget asphalt maintenance program Monday night. The work will cover eight city blocks and four blocks of alley.

This doesn’t include streets that were previously included in the motor fuel tax asphalt maintenance program and crack seal program.

2011 Capital Budget Asphalt Maintenance Program

Roads slated for work include:

• The alley between Seventh and Eighth streets from College to Oak.

• Maple Street between Ninth and 10th.

• Spring Street between Fifth and Sixth.

• The alley between Cherry and Cedar streets from 20th to 22nd.

• Lindell Court from Lindell Avenue to the cul-de-sac.

• Santa Maria Drive from Columbus Road to the cul-de-sac.

• South 23rd Street from Monroe Steet to the cul-de-sac.

• Woodside Drive between 28th and 30th.

• The alley between 15th and 16th streets from Payson to Ohio.

• The alley between Maine and Hampshire streets from Ninth to 10th.

• The alley between Ohio and State streets from Third to Fourth.

In other street news, the city concurred with Traffic Commission to deny a request to make the intersection of 18th and Oak a four-way stop.

The council agreed with the recommendation to establish a no parking zone on the North 18th between the Tom Awerkamp Bridge and Koch’s Lane, and to increase the speed limit on North 36th Street from 30 to 35 mph northbound starting 425 feet north of Melodie Lane but lower the speed limit from 35 to 30 southbound.

The City Council also:

• Approved a request by the Oakley Lindsay Center to host a music fest Sept. 3-5. Bands will perform on the south side of the property from 7-11 p.m. and inside from 8 p.m. to midnight. Alcoholic beverages will be allowed outside during the event. Tickets will be offered to the facility’s neighbors to the immediate east and south.

•Approved a request by Martinis at 515 to close the south end of Parking Lot G from 6 a.m. Aug. 27 to 3 a.m Aug. 28 for the Parrothead Street Dance. Martinis asked to sell alcohol outside the licensed premise, permit open liquor outside, and have noise level restrictions waived from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. The parking lot will be surrounded by a fence and security will be provided through the Historic Quincy Business District.

• Approved a request by Martinis at 515 to close the south end of Parking Lot G from 6 a.m. Sept. 17 until 3 a.m. Sept. 18 for a bags tournament fundraiser for Great River Honor Flight. Martinis asked to sell alcohol outside the licensed premise, permit open liquor outside, and have noise level restrictions waived from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.

• Approved a request by French Quarter, 113 N. Fifth, to allow the consumption and possession of alcohol on public streets, allies, sidewalks or parking lots and permit open liquor outside from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday for a block party closing the corner of Fifth and Cedar on the north side of the building.

• Approved a request by the Disabled American Veterans to hold its “Forget-Me-Not” tag days on Sept. 10-11 at various locations throughout the city.

Free rides for seniors on city buses set to continue

Posted by mhopf – August 16, 2011

The city of Quincy is likely to keep senior citizen bus rides free for fixed bus routes.

The city’s Transit Advisory Committee agreed to forward a resolution to maintain the program, though the state has ended it except for low-income seniors.

Marty Stegeman, interim director of the Quincy Transit Lines, said the free rides cost the department around $2,900 per year, and it would still be covered by its operating grant.

“We got reimbursed from the state, but not based on numbers,” he said. “We don’t get reimbursed as far as passenger count. With transit, we’re reimbursed based on expenses.”

Stegeman said many of the seniors who received free rides would likely qualify under the state’s Circuit Breaker program.

Rides for seniors 65 and older previously cost $.25.

The free-rides program was approved in 2008 under former Gov. Rod Blagojevich who added it as a provision to a bill that increased the sales tax in the Chicagoland area to fund mass transit.

Gov. Pat Quinn signed a law limiting free rides to seniors for low-income seniors in February.

Precinct maps for Adams County, Quincy

Posted by mhopf – August 10, 2011

Here are the precinct maps that were approved by the Adams County Board Tuesday night. None of the precinct boundaries cross Quincy ward or Adams County Board district lines.

Adams County Board district maps are available here.

Quincy ward maps are available here.

Precincts in the Quincy

Quincy Precincts

 

Adams County Precincts.