Published: January 06, 2009 10:21 pm      

Hoopeston tables bids again

HOOPESTON — The city council tabled bids again Monday night on the engineered barriers at the tentative site of the new motel at Illinois routes 1 and 9.

Alderman Bill Goodwine said it was never really done right. No one knows where the area is for the engineered barrier, he said. The city received only one bid for the engineered barrier, said Goodwine and added that he thought the ad for bids was only placed in the Danville newspaper, none locally for local construction businesses to place bids.

“We want to do it right,” said Goodwine, “or not at all. I don’t think we should award the bid. We need to redefine the bid, tighten up the specs, flag the specific area for the engineered barrier, and do it right.”

Jean Minick, VISTA volunteer for the city, said that the city received a letter in September 2007 stating what had to be done at the site, and the city did not start on it until 12 months later in August or September of 2008.

“It should have been done,” said Minick. “It’s frustrating with our lack of getting ahead in this community. It feels like we present something and then city sits on it and waits.”

The other area of contention at Tuesday’s meeting was the purchase by the city of 31 acres at a price of $201,500 for a $2 million dollar housing development project. It is also in limbo waiting on the council to make a decision. There was no follow up by the council for the purchase of the land after a petition was presented at the Dec. 16 meeting.

“I am in limbo on this project,” said Minick. “We have worked on this project since 2005. I talked to the state person tonight and they are setting up the option agreement to purchase the land. If the city does not gain ownership of the

land, the housing project cannot move forward.”

In other business:

--Scott Strawser, Hoopeston Emergency Management Agency representative, received certification for Hoopeston as a certified storm center and presented the certificate to Mayor Bill DeWitt. Strawser also requested help from the city to write a grant for replacement sirens for two existing sirens, one on the water tower and one on the Willdon Building. The grant to the United States Department of Agriculture would help the city pay 50-70 percent of the sirens’ cost.

“The sirens we are looking at can be activated outside the town and, in case of a power outage, can run on batteries for 21 days,” said Strawser.

--The Dixie Business Plaza approached the city for TIF funds to open an

Indoor Paint Ball arena. It was tabled until the next meeting.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Hoopeston City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Hoopeston Municipal Building.