Published: May 18, 2008 12:31 am         

City to consider railroad agreements

Pacts allow the removal of rails, bridge

DANVILLE — The Danville City Council will consider agreements this week for the Voorhees Street bridge replacement.

Ward 4 Alderman Terry Baldwin and Ward 2 Alderman Rick Strebing still had concerns last week about the agreements with the Illinois Department of Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway Co. for the removal of the bridge over the exempt railroad and replacement of the at-grade roadway at the railroad.

Strebing is concerned that the city is “moving too fast,” and it will have to foot the bill if the railroad tracks are ever reacti-vated.

But Mayor Scott Eisenhauer said it would be a major expense to the railroad company to replace about 2 miles of track.

Baldwin was concerned the city didn’t have a final agreement detailing all the work yet.

City officials said any further changes would benefit the city.

“It can’t remain open indefinitely,” Public Works Director Doug Ahrens said about the deteriorating bridge.

Ward 6 Alderman Jon Cooper said this is the city’s cheapest alternative in dealing with the bridge west of Bowman Avenue.

The next step is to take the agreement before the Illinois Commerce Commission for a draft order, City Engineer David Schnelle said.

The agreement with Norfolk Southern also is to remove the exempt railroad at-grade crossings at Hazel, Jackson and Bowman.

Engineering on the Voorhees Street work will occur this year, with construction expected to occur next summer.

In other business, the council will consider:

-- Donating the old fire station building at 705 N. Walnut St. to Habitat for Humanity.

The city received three bids: $775 from Terry Moreman who would use it for storage; no monetary compensation from Habitat for Humanity that would use it for storing materials, office space and meeting room; and $2,555 from the Human Relations Commission of Danville which would use it for storage.

-- Rejecting the lone bid of $30,100 from Charles Long for the city’s parks building at 615 N. Jackson St.

Public Works Director Doug Ahrens said an appraisal two years ago listed the building’s worth at $150,000.

He said the city needs the money from this sale to build a pole barn at the new public works facility on Voorhees Street.

-- Authorizing an application for financial assistance through the Illinois Department of Transportation to replace a 14-passenger, 8-year-old bus.

-- Approving a $157,000 agreement with Hutchison Engineering of Jacksonville for preliminary engineering for International Drive. The work involves revamping the entrance to ThyssenKrupp to serve the machining and forging plants, and make it a public road.

-- Changing agreements to reflect the owner of the new biodiesel facility to be served by Buchanan Street and the new bridge to Blackhawk Biofuels LLC.

-- Purchasing 60,000 yard waste bags from Great Scott Services of Danville for $24,840.

-- Approving $21,660 in additional costs with Schemel-Tarillion Inc. of Perryville, Mo., for asbestos abatement work on properties to be demolished.

-- Approving the acquisition of permanent easements for the Holiday Hills sanitary sewer project.

The city will purchase land for $500 from Immanuel Manor on Eastwood Drive, for $5,738 from Jane Hosch on North Bowman Avenue and for $200 from Jon Mourer on Eastwood Drive. Funding comes from the city’s sanitary sewer fund.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Danville City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Robert E. Jones Municipal Building, 17 W. Main St.