Seven business improvement grants totaling $240,555 were approved Monday by the Washington City Council.
The city budgeted $300,000 for the new program in its 2024-25 fiscal year, which began May 1.
The grants were awarded based on a scoring system.
Three businesses — Nena Ace Hardware (1880 Washington Road), Washington Family Restaurant (1269 Peoria St.) and Mt. Vernon Plaza (1217 and 1255 Peoria St.) — received the maximum $50,000 grant for their projects.
The estimated project cost at Nena Ace Hardware is $225,000; the estimated project cost at Washington Family Restaurant is $130,000; and the estimated project cost at Mt. Vernon Plaza is $112,673.
Brooks Accounting & Tax Service (2165 Washington Road) received $14,531 for an estimated $54,249 project; Brad's Lawn Care (290 and 304 Muller Road) received $3,274 for an estimated $13,096 project; and Russell's Cycling & Fitness (10 Valley Forge Plaza) received $3,250 for an estimated $6,500 project.
Countryside Banquet & Catering (659 School St.) received $69,500 for a $139,000 parking lot improvement project. Business owner Kristi Cape applied for a grant during the city's 2023-24 fiscal year, but the council put her request on hold so a more detailed grant program could be established.
Because of the delay, the council considered her grant request separately.
Each grant approval vote except Nena Ace Hardware and Countryside Banquet & Catering was scheduled for a first reading Monday. The new owners of Nena Ace Hardware requested the waiving of a second reading so the project could be done in time for an Aug. 23-25 grand opening.
Council member Lili Stevens asked that second readings be waived for all the grant requests.
"They all should be treated the same," she said.
Each grant request was approved 6-0. Council members Bobby Martin III and John Blundy were not at the meeting.
No project could start until the business' grant request was approved.
In other news from the council meeting:
Carol Crocker replaces Abbey Strubhar as the city treasurer
The city has a new treasurer.
Abbey Strubhar, who was elected to the office in 2021, resigned effective Monday and was replaced by Carol Crocker, who will serve the remaining nine months of Strubhar's four-year term.
The council accepted Strubhar's resignation and approved Crocker's appointment Monday. Crocker's first day on the job is Tuesday.
Strubhar told the council she resigned because of an unexpected job offer, and the extensive training she'll need for the job over the next several month. She's been the controller for the Boy Scouts of America W.D. Boyce Council since 2009 and will be moving into the financial planning field.
"I don't feel good about leaving before I served my full term as city treasurer, but this was a job opportunity I couldn't pass up," she said.
Strubhar said she enjoyed being the city treasurer. In addition to serving the community, she said, she was already off Mondays from her job with the Boy Scouts. The council meets on Monday nights three times a month.
Crocker has been a certified public accountant for nearly 40 years. She's currently a director at CliftonLarsonAllen in Peoria after being a senior staff accountant at Caterpillar Inc.
City Finance Director Joanie Baxter said she anticipates a smooth transition from Strubhar to Crocker because of Crocker's work experience.
The city treasurer's primary duties include receiving money paid to the city, keeping the books, depositing funds in the proper accounts, and putting together an annual report.
Police sergeant selection committee can interview inside and outside candidates
The council will vote Aug. 5 on the creation of a police supervisor selection committee would hire sergeants in the police department. A first reading of an ordinance establishing the committee and its duties was held Monday.
The selection committee would consist of the city administrator and two council members appointed by the mayor. The city administrator would serve as the committee chair.
Candidates from inside and outside the department would be able to apply for a sergeant's position.
Police Chief Mike McCoy did not want to open the hiring process to outside candidates, but several council members expressed opposition to that idea during a July 8 committee of the whole meeting, saying it could limit the field of qualified candidates.
Grant money for proposed police evidence storage building has limited uses
In his report to the council Monday, City Administrator Jim Snider responded to council questions on how the grants secured for a proposed police evidence storage building can be used.
A $583,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice can be used only for construction. Of the two grants totaling $295,000 from Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, only $25,000 can be used in the first year to cover lease costs.
The council is debating the cost and location of the evidence storage building after rejecting a request June 17 to add $600,000 to the city's 2024-25 fiscal year budget to cover the cost of low bids of $2,337,500 for the building and $2,376,900 for the building with seamless epoxy systems on the floor and walls.
The window to accept the bids has closed.
Police help other agencies; Eagle Street sidewalk project begins; roofing materials arrive at square restaurant site
Here are highlights of Police Chief Mike McCoy and Deputy Police Chief Jeff Stevens' report Monday to the council:
- Det. Steve Hinken aided the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in a case that resulted in the conviction of 43-year-old Jack Nimrick of Peoria, who was sentenced to 10 years and one day in prison June 24 for possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.
- The police department's drone helped the Woodford County Sheriff's Department in a nighttime search for a subject who struck sheriff's department squad cars and fled on foot after a crash.
- Here are highlights of City Engineer Dennis Carr's report to the council:
- The Eagle Street sidewalk installation project near the Central School District campus is underway. Temporary mailboxes are in place and sidewalks have been poured near Eagle's intersection with U.S. Business Route 24 (Peoria Street).
- Traffic lights at the intersection of Freedom Parkway and North Cummings Lane should be installed this week. After the signals are operational, the traffic control devices in the intersection will be removed.
Here are highlights of Planning and Development Director Jon Oliphant's report to the council:
- Roofing materials have arrived at the site of the downtown square restaurant project, which means the building should be weather-tight soon and the fencing adjacent to the sidewalk can be removed.
- Three inoperable vehicles were towed as ordered by the city's new code hearing officer, and 10 were moved voluntarily. Oliphant said city staff continues to be pleased with the work of the code hearing officer, who is handling cases that were challenging for the city to resolve.
Two new members join the Historic Preservation Commission
The appointments of Shelly Marshall and Johnathan Neis to the Historic Preservation Commission to replace members with expired terms were approved Monday by the council.
Mayor Gary Manier, who recommended the appointments, said two other spots on the commission need to be filled and he has two candidates, but they couldn't be reached prior to Monday's meeting because they're on vacation.
