The current structure for the Kewanee Cemetery Department is at least 75-years-old and is in need of major repairs. A new building for the Cemetery Department was budgeted from the American Rescue Plan Act funds but the current estimate is higher than originally anticipated. The City Council approved the lowest bid from Valley Construction of $560,000 and up to $879,550 including the alternate bids for Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC, interior and site work. Public Works Director, Kevin Newton, said the city can bid out the work for Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC, Interior and site work and possibly receive lower bids.
According to the City Council Packet for the March 13th Meeting “The facilities used for Cemetery and Parks operations are 75 plus years old and have become dilapidated to the point where the cost of repairs exceeds their value. They no longer provide a safe and clean environment, and are not compliant to building codes and standards for carrying out cemetery operations and business. The City has attempted to address this issue over the last 25 years but due to organizational priorities and budget challenges the issue has not been able to be addressed. ”
Also at Monday’s meeting, we met the new K-9 and his handler, Officer Josh Carpenter. The winning name from Kewanee and Wethersfield Schools was Maverick. Officer Carpenter and Maverick started a 10-week training program on Monday. Read more here.
Pavement Marking has been a topic discussed at meetings and on social media. The City Council accepted the bid to “piggyback” off the proposal to Henry County do the striping work. The new striping will be thermoplastic material that is melted and sticks to the road and lasts significantly longer than road paint. Thermoplastic markings last 4 to 5 times longer than a painted alternative.
The Downtown Parking Ordinance was amended to allow parking for 24 consecutive hours. The police can issue a $5 ticket if vehicle is parked more than 24 hours. The rules regarding areas for the rules was removed as well as the parking permit requirement.
The City Council approved the new Mobile Home Park Improvement Program. This provides incentives to bring in new or used mobile homes. The program could reimburse up to $500 for a used mobile home or up to $1,000 for a new mobile home. See the program below.
The Council discussed the possibility of increasing fees for Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals requests due to the rising costs of doing business. Community Development Director, Keith Edwards, said it costs $152.50 to publish the information in the Star Courier Newspaper, plus the cost for stamps and postcards to send to residences in the area of the request. Keith Edwards suggested raising the fee to $200 from $150. Council Member Chris Colomer suggested reevaluating the rate adjustment in six months.