Published: November 02, 2009 08:37 pm      

Road opening expected by end of week

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — City officials are expecting South 42nd Street and Veterans Memorial Drive to be opened by the end of the week, if weather holds.

“It’s been very disappointing,” Mayor Mary Jane Chesley said. “It wasn’t opened for the ribbon cutting, there still needs to be striping on Veterans, then there was the weather, and the machine which was coming in from St. Louis broke down enroute.”

Chesley said she spoke with Illinois Depart-ment of Transportation officials on Monday, who told her the striping should be completed this week. The new interchange is still on hold, as a controller for lighting has not been received yet.

“Everyone wants to know when they can use those streets,” Chesley said. “It’s been a big item on the city concern site. ... It will be opened, rest assured. The weather will cooperate, and the part will come in.”

The ribbon cutting for the interchange and Veterans Memorial Drive was held last week, and council members commented on the opportunities for development the interchange brings to the area during its board meeting on Monday night. In addition, council members reported on the ribbon cutting for South Water Tower Place and the new walking path at Veterans Memorial Park.

In council business, a bid for a one ton dump truck were approved for the public works department as well as a bid for two monitor/defibrillators for the fire department.

Two bids were received for the truck, with the lowest from Badger Truck Sales at $26,673 and the second bid from Ford Square at $28,378. The council approved the low bid.

Four bids were received for the minitor/defibrillators, however, only one bid came in at specifications. The council approved a bid from Medtronics at $57,600, which came in under the amount budgeted for the items.

The council also approved a request for authorization to seek bids for two police squad cars. According to City Manager Ron Neibert, the cars have been budgeted, and the request is being made at this time due to a grant application which was not awarded.

“We applied for a grant from the federal government for these, but unfortunately, we did not receive the grant,” Neibert said. Police Chief Chris Mendenall said there were limited funds available through the competitive grant, which was open to departments across the United States.

In other business, the council:

Approved a conditional use permit for a home day care at 1102 S. 25th Street, but did not approve a requested waiver from Anna Coomer for a fence at the property; and

Approved an ordinance amending the number of members for the Zoning and Planning Commission from 11 to nine.