The Washington City Council on Monday is expected to approve a recommendation rejecting a nearly $600,000 bid to repair the historic Candlewood Bridge so the project can be rebid.
Morton-based Otto Baum Company's lone bid for the project came in almost $242,000 more than the city's estimate.
City engineer Dennis Carr says the move will allow contractors to rebid, changing the project's pavement from asphalt to concrete.
"There's a concern of putting the vibratory roller for the asphalt on top of those arches might do some damage" Carr told the council during this week's committee of the whole meeting. "When they told me that, that made a lot of sense. So I could see the benefit of having a concrete pavement there."
The Candlewood Bridge was built in 1894 and is the oldest bridge in Tazewell County and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. It has been closed to traffic since 2023.
Carr said the change from asphalt to concrete should encourage more companies to bid.
Carr's suggestion to rebid the project was supported this week by the council at its committee of the whole meeting.
"It seems like $600,000 could be used on a project that has a bigger impact in the city," said Alderperson Brandon Moss.
The bridge on Candlewood Lane near the city-owned Glendale Cemetery is a two-span arch bridge over Farm Creek that spans about 27 feet.
After the bridge had showed significant deterioration and a wingwall collapsed into the creek two years ago, the city's bridge inspector recommended closing the bridge and the Illinois Department of Transportation supported the decision.
Door-to-door solicitors facing tougher rules
Council agreed at its committee of the whole meeting with Police Chief Jeff Stevens' recommendation that the city's door-to-door solicitation rules need to be rewritten and toughened, , in response to residents' complaints.
"Our current rules are unenforceable because they're too broad. Our enforcement of them has been suspended," Stevens said. "Updating the rules with clear, objective controls would both reassure residents that they're being protected, and provide enforceable standards for staff and police."
Among the new rules suggested by Stevens are the requirement of a permit for the solicitor, criminal history exclusions for solicitors, a limit of two solicitors at a time at a residence, restricted hours of solicitation, and a "no solicitation" home registry.
"I'd make the rules as restrictive as possible," Moss said.
The monthly Washington Police Department report provided at the meeting for the council showed year-to-year increases of 10 to 30 DUIs from July 2024 to July 2025, 48 to 190 vehicle seizures, 145 to 411 property damage accidents, 18 to 37 personal injury accidents, 517 to 648 positive community contacts (lock-outs, motorist assists, found property, house checks, etc.) and 5,562 to 6,606 total calls.
City seeks foreclosure on vacant property on North Lawndale
Also at the committee of the whole meeting:
• The council gave the go-ahead to City Attorney Mark Walton to pursue a foreclosure lien on vacant property at 400 N. Lawndale Ave. A lien of $14,435 has been placed on the property to cover the city's demolition of a dilapidated house there and other expenses. If the foreclosure is successful, the city would own the property and put it up for sale.
• The council expressed support for a transfer of responsibility of North Main Street from Cruger Road to the city limits from Tazewell County to the city. The county recently did a mill and overlay of that stretch of North Main, work that had been requested by the city if it was going to take ownership of the road.
• The council expressed support for a $150 fee to be charged to families who prefer placing a cremation urn inside a monument at Glendale Cemetery inside of digging a grave.
