Monmouth Aldermen this week approved a pair of water infrastructure repair projects. Last month, the city council was made aware of a water tower that had sprung a leak. This month, they approved a proposal to repair the leak for around $65,000. The plan was to drain the tower before work was done but Public Works Director Andy Jackson says that would cause water main breaks and cause damage to the high service pumps due to back pressure. City Administrator Lew Steinbrecher tells WGIL that a diver must apply a seal inside the tank before a weld can be made to the outside. "They have some sort of a rubber seal that they place over the crack – the leak. And then, it's sealed and the water pressure keeps that seal in place." It was originally believed to only cost the city about $10,000, but with the diver needing to apply the seal inside the tank now, it is estimated to cost over six times more. Aldermen on Monday also approved emergency work for a water softener for the
Aldermen in Monmouth approved a resolution this week to support the state's current Tax Increment Financing district laws, something that could be coming under fire in the new legislative session. City Administrator Lew Steinbrecher tells WGIL that the Illinois Municipal League has encouraged municipalities to pass resolutions in support of the current TIF laws. Steinbrecher said that changes could include requiring cities to get the sign-off of other municipalities that share taxable property, such as the county government or area school districts. Steinbrecher says the IML has warned its members that that legislation is likely to be re-introduced this legislative session. "IML, through their lobbying efforts with state senators and state representatives regarding what they think will be proposed legislation to restrict TIF, will use that to try to convince legislators not to vote for those additional restrictions." He says that tax increment financing has been a very i
Monmouth Aldermen next month will consider a property tax levy of over $2.623 million. The tax levy is an increase that captures only the growth in the city's Equalized Assessed Value and is reflected on a minimal increase to the tax rate, which is 2.93 percent – or $2.93 for every hundred dollars of assessed value. In the last year, the tax base in Monmouth has increased by over 3.4 million dollars. City Administrator Lew Steinbrecher tells WGIL that the overwhelming majority of the tax levy is going towards the unfunded pension liability that the State of Illinois controls. "Of that $2,623,000, $1,873,000 of [the levy] is going to be used to make contributions to the police and fire pension funds," Steinbrecher said in a Tuesday morning interview. "And, that represents about 72 percent of the total property tax levy." Steinbrecher says that the city has contributed over $16.6 million towards the police and fire pension funds over the last 13 years. And, in
A significant road construction project in Monmouth is moving forward. A bid of $1,203,826 was approved by the Monmouth City Council on Monday night from Brandt Construction out of Milan to improve about 40 blocks of city streets in the Maple City. City Administrator Lew Steinbrecher tells WGIL that the work will include making some of the sidewalks compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and improving drainage problems. "Some locations will require some drain improvements as well as sidewalk improvements, particularly the ADA handicap accessible ramps from the street to the sidewalk," Steinbrecher told WGIL on Tuesday. Steinbrecher adds that the work requires additional approvals from the Illinois Department of Transportation because it is using motor fuel tax money. He says the hope is work starts in November and would wrap up by early next year. "We don't think we're going to get that approval until the end of October. Hoping that the weather
A city streets maintenance project in Monmouth that was being delayed by the Illinois Department of Transportation has been given the green light to move forward. WGIL reported earlier this month that, because of the scope of the work being done, IDOT reclassified a streets maintenance project as a construction project and required additional review. A $1.3 million road resurfacing and improvement project could see upwards of 45 city blocks worth of roads improved as a result of the work, which Monmouth Aldermen are expected to consider at the October 3 meeting. "We're hoping that we'll be able to get our streets resurfacing project underway this fall," Monmouth's City Administrator Lew Steinbrecher told WGIL on Tuesday. "1.3 million is one of the biggest contracts that we've had for [local street improvements] in town for quite a few years." Steinbrecher tells WGIL that part of the delay was there was also some drainage issues that were to be ad