Washington City Council sets speed limits for new Freedom Parkway extension

Speed limits are in place for Freedom Parkway, a new road in Washington that opened last month.

The city council on Monday approved a 30 miles per hour speed limit on Freedom Parkway from McClugage Road east 1,200 feet, and a 40 mph speed limit from that point to North Cummings Lane.

City Engineer Dennis Carr said those speed limits were recommended by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Also approved by the council were speed limits on a new portion of Dallas Road, part of the Nofsinger Road realignment project. The speed limits are 30 mph from Newcastle Road to West Cruger Road and 35 mph from West Cruger Road to U.S. Route 24.

These speed limits were adjusted: 35 mph on North Cummings Lane from the intersection of Washington Road to its north terminus, and 40 mph on West Cruger Road, except where lower speed limits are posted.

The council held its first meeting Monday in its new meeting room at Five Points Washington, without the bells and whistles that are on the way.

Technology that will professionally televise and videotape meetings wasn't up and running, and neither was an audio/visual system in the meeting room. Mayor Gary Manier said both should be operational next Monday at the council's monthly committee of the whole meeting.

The council has held most of its meetings the past few years in the training room at the Washington Fire Station. Hearing what was said at the council table there was sometimes problematical and residents complained that meeting videos recorded on Zoom were difficult to hear.

In an agreement hammered out by former City Administrator Jim Snider and Five Points officials, the city was given permission to hold council meetings and make physical changes in Banquet Room A, one of Five Points' revenue-producing facilities, without being charged, in exchange for the city's cancellation earlier this year of $600,000 that Five Points owes the city in annual payments over the next eight years.

Those payments won't need to be made as long as revenue from a .25% sales tax the city imposed several years ago covers the money the city owes each year on a $5 million construction bond for Five Points.

The sales tax has produced more than the needed revenue for many years.

The council meets on the first and third Mondays of the month and holds its committee of the whole meeting on the second Monday of the month. Planning and Zoning and Historical Preservation Commission meetings also are covered by the city's agreement with Five Points, as is the city's wellness health fair for employees.

Camping is not allowed on Washington city property.

An ordinance modeled after one written by the Illinois Municipal League was approved Monday by the council. The ordinance addresses public health issues communities across the state are experiencing with unhoused people setting up campsites on public property and establishes fines and jail sentences for violators.

While camping on city property hasn't been a serious issue in Washington, city officials said, they wanted to be proactive. Pekin, East Peoria and Morton are among the area communities that have enacted similar no camping on public property ordinances. Peoria is having a meeting on Nov. 19 to discuss a proposed ordinance.

Carr provided some construction project updates in his report to the council Monday:

• Nofsinger Road realignment: Striping work has been completed in the new Nofsinger Road and U.S. Business Route 24 intersection and new traffic signals have been installed.
• Catherine Street reconstruction: The first phase, which includes bricks from Main to High streets, should be completed by Thanksgiving.
• Felker's Subdivision storm water project: The project has been completed.
• Safe Routes to School project: A March bid letting is expected for the project on North and Grant streets.

Here are some highlights from other city staff members' reports Monday to the council:

• Finance Director Joanie Baxter said 37 water leaks were detected recently by the city's water leak software and residents and businesses were notified. Also, 32 residents moved into the city in October.
• Public Works Director Brian Rittenhouse said his staff is trimming trees on snow routes, a yearly task that involves removing low-hanging limbs that may hit snow plows when snow or ice builds up on them.
• Jon Oliphant, the city's planning and development director, said work is continuing on the former Prep Freeze Cook and Knights of Columbus buildings at 126 Walnut Street and 120 Walnut Street, respectively, owned by the downtown square restaurant developer, but there is no timeline for occupancy.