East Peoria wants to clear out some of the vegetation growing alongside the Illinois River shoreline.
A contract with JIMAX for just under $44,000 would remove overgrown trees and shrubbery from certain sections of the shoreline adjacent to the Bob Michel Bridge: one section located by the former Granite City Restaurant, and the other located in front of Bass Pro Shops.
Commissioner Mark Hill said East Peoria has been actively seeking development alongside its riverfront shoreline for years. The Council has already signed agreements for development projects seeking to use their riverside location to the best advantage.
“We’ve entered into development agreements for properties along the riverfront…[and] as we entered into those agreements, we agreed to clean some of that up,” Hill said.
The Council moved to tentatively accept the low bid to begin the clearing work- which would include clearing trees and shrubbery, application of stump and brush killer to affected areas, and deforestation as appropriate to make way for coveted river views.
Mayor John Kahl said the city had performed a similar clearing in the same areas a few years back, but had failed to properly maintain it. Kahl supported the resolution in hopes that it would be better maintained this time around.
The resolution is to be laid on the table for no less than one week for public inspection.