NORMAL – Looking to help generate income for the Town Water Department, Normal Town Council members unanimously approved a rate hike in water bills over the next five years.
The current usage rate cost per 1,000 gallons is $3.96. That will go up to $4.95 on Oct. 1, and go up roughly 30 cents a year through 2012, when the cost will be $6.07.
Maintenance costs will also go up as well. Currently, the flat monthly maintenance rate is $2.50. On Oct. 1, that will jump to $3.75. In 2010, it will increase to $4.05. From there, it will increase annually by 50 cents, finishing out at $5.55 in 2013.
Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan Accepted: Council members heard from an ad hoc committee which has been studying the Town’s bicycle and pedestrian system in an attempt to identify ways in which the system could be improved.
Mayor Chris Koos had the committee appointed in late 2007. By April 2008, Council members asked Town staff to develop a Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan.
At Monday’s meeting, Council members saw and heard a presentation by Rory Renfro, senior planner for Alta Planning and Design, based in Portland, Ore.
Renfro said that, even in this current financial climate, it would be possible for Normal to find funding sources which would help the Town pay to construct bike paths, and upgrade sidewalks and pedestrian crossings.
The ad hoc committee, made up of 17 members, met with citizens to find solutions to matters such as finding easier ways to get to the trails in the area. A new pedestrian/bike system would make it easier, Renfro said.
Renfro said Normal should consider establishing what he called “bicycle boulevards,” – streets located in residential areas, but which the Town would try to encourage the public to use. Renfro said part of that encouragement would be a campaign asking drivers to reduce their speed in order to match cyclists. He said that, in many cities across America, such streets are seen as “family friendly.”
Renfro also encouraged the Town to post wayfinding signs for bike riders, to improve railroad crossing signage, and update the community’s current road map.
Renfro said such ideas need to be coordinated with the City of Bloomington, Illinois Department of Transportation, and Illinois State University.
“One thing I like about this is that the people in Normal are so committed to this,” Renfro said. “It’s a 20-year plan, but we tried to make things that could be done quickly.”
Council member Jeff Fritzen asked Renfro if there were options in the plan for streets where cyclists could only go one way, thus preventing traffic problems for themselves or motorists. Renfro said that was possible and that Dayton, Ohio was one city where such one way biking streets were being used.
City Manager Mark Peterson said if the Town takes on this task, it should be done correctly from the start.
Mayor Chris Koos said there were things in the plan “that we’ll have to budget for…, and the public will ask for.” Koos suggested the Town investigate looking into grants to help finance part of the project.
On another transportation-related matter, Council members unanimously approved a motion accepting a report by and the recommendations of the Uptown Parking Management Committee for the Beaufort St. Parking Deck.
Annexation Agreement Approved: Council members approved a trio of resolutions concerning 106 acres of land which iDev, LLC is seeking to develop.
Known as the Schaefer Farm, the land is bounded by Raab Rd. to the north, Hershey Rd. to the west, Shepard Rd. to the south, and Eagle’s Landing Subdivision to the east.
The development plan iDev, LLC submitted to the Town calls for nearly 300 detached single family homes and 58 attached single family units.
Council members approved an annexation agreement with iDev, LLC, approved an ordinance annexing the property, and an ordinance rezoning the property. A total of 294 lots would be rezoned Single Family Residential, and 58 would be rezoned Mixed Residential.
Council members also unanimously approved annexing the property to the Town of Normal .
Virginia Ave. Bridge Replacement: Council members also approved two resolutions concerning the replacement of a bridge on Virginia Ave.
First, Council passed a resolution authorizing the execution of an agreement with Illinois Department of Transportation to use $1,414,977 in federal stimulus dollars for the bridge to be replaced. The federal law which the funds would come from is known as the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Council members also passed a supplemental resolution appropriating $275,500 of Motor Fuel Tax funds for the replacement of the Virginia Ave. Bridge over Sugar Creek, east of Main St.
Town staff estimates the construction cost for the bridge replacement to be $1,610,000. The Town is receiving $1,414,977 from the Federal government, with the Town being responsible for the remaining $105,000 in construction costs plus engineering costs of $180,000.
Water Treatment Filter Replacement: Council members conditionally accepted a bid from North Carolina-based Industrial Construction Services for the water treatment plant filter replacement project at a cost of $1,325,900.
Liquor Licenses Granted, Fines Imposed: Normal Liquor Commission members met prior to the Council session, granting a license to a restaurant that will be opening a beer garden, and the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, while imposing fines to six other establishments.
Commissioners unanimously granted a request for a hotel liquor license to Normal Catering Co., Inc., doing business as Bloomington-Normal Marriott, 210 Broadway Ave.
Commissioners also approved an Outdoor Garden and Sidewalk Café liquor license for Maggie Miley’s, 126 E. Beaufort St., for the area at the front of the building.
Four other establishments individually received fines of $250 each for a first offense of selling liquor to minors. One establishment was fined $1,000 for a second offense. The fines were the result of a liquor audit conducted on June 17.
The establishments and their fine amounts are:
Kroger Limited Partnership, IJ-347, doing business as Kroger’s, 1550 E. College Ave., $250, for a first offense.
Mac’s Convenience Stores, LLC, doing business as Circle K #139, 300 N. Main St., $250, for a first offense.
Casey’s Retail Company, doing business as Casey’s General Store #2267, 1930 N. Linden Ave., $250, for a first offense.
American Drug Stores, LLC, doing business as Osco Drug #3073, 901 S. Cottage Ave., $1,000, for a second offense.
Budget Liquors Inc., doing business as Budget Liquors, 200 S. Linden St., $250, for a first offense.
Omnibus Agenda Items Approved: Omnibus agenda items approved by the Council included:
Approval of the minutes of the reconvened public hearing of July 6, 2009.
Approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of July 15, 2009.
A motion authorizing Town Staff to purchase landscape plantings in an amount not to exceed $15,000 for the Uptown Streetscape on North St., from Fell Ave. to the Uptown Circle.
A motion to award the bid for a Water Department service truck with utility body to Eureka, Ill.-based Mangold Ford Mercury at a net cost of 31,403.
A motion to waive the formal bidding process and accept a quotation from Bloomington-based Rowe Construction Co. to complete street pavement repairs on Claremont Commons and East Raab Rd. for the total amount of $37,115.80.
A motion to waive the formal bidding process and to authorize Town Staff to execute a supplemental agreement with Chicago-based Cotter Consulting, Inc. for enhanced commissioning services for the Multimodal Transportation Center Project in the amount of $85,705 and approval of an associated budget adjustment.
A resolution authorizing a supplemental agreement with Chicago-based Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects LLC for the design of the Gateway Plaza in the amount of $53,750 and authorizing a budget adjustment of $3,750.
A resolution authorizing a supplemental agreement with Indianapolis-based Ratio Architects for additional architectural design services related to adding an additional floor of office space, one level of parking deck, and interior design for the Multimodal Transportation Center Project in the amount of $645,000 and approval of an associated budget adjustment.
A resolution authorizing the release of Executive Session minutes from Dec. 15, 2008; and Jan. 20 and March 16, 2009.
A resolution authorizing execution of a license agreement with Maggie Miley’s to occupy the alley for a rear patio.
A resolution conditionally approving a site plan for Bloomington-Normal Public Transit System.