Published: February 18, 2008 11:10 am      

Trails grant on City Council’s agenda

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By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — A public hearing for the review and discussion of a bicycle and walking trail as well as a grant application for the trail will be held prior to Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

The hearing will be to receive comment on the grant application, which is through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and would be used by the Southern Illinois Trails System board to create the first leg of multi-use trails in the area. The deadline to apply for the $200,000 matching grant is March 1, according to SITS president Bonnie Jerdon. The trails would eventually connect to trails at Rend Lake, but the first portion, known as the Cedarhurst Trail, would connect the Jefferson County Historical Village, Cedarhurst, the United Methodist Children’s Home and Casey Middle School and be about 2.4 miles long.

The hearing will be held at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday at the Rolland Lewis Community Building. Following the hearing, the council will meet in regular session.

In addition to the IDNR grant, items to be discussed tonight by the council are a resolution to create a Tax Increment Finance Board; bid results for the annual July Fourth Salute to Freedom fireworks display; a request to seek bids for trash service; and an ordinance to annex property at 648 Fairfield Road.

The council will also be discussing a water rate increase for municipal customers. The increase would affect the six entities which purchase water from the city — Belle Rive Water Department, Bluford Water Department, Dix-Kell Water-Sewer District, Northeast Water Co., the village of Waltonville and Woodlawn Water Department.

The move to raise municipal water rates is being made due to a decision by the Rend Lake Conservancy District to raise rates over the next five years. The first increase of 2.5 percent goes into effect on May 1.

Other action expected to be taken tonight includes the reappointment of Robert Brown to the Fire and Police Commission, the reappointment of Linda Short to the Historic Preservation Commission and the appointments of Larry Griffin and Robert Herr to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The hearing will be held at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday at the Rolland Lewis Community Building at Veterans Park, followed by the regular City Council meeting at 7 p.m.