Published: July 16, 2009 09:52 pm      

Tilton to see interchange update

TILTON — The $31 billion Illinois capital improvement bill signed by Gov. Pat Quinn this week contained a large ¡§plum¡¨ for the village.

At Thursday night¡¦s village board meeting Mayor David Phillips informed the board that Tilton will receive $15.2 million for a newly-designed interchange for Illinois Route 1 and Interstate 74 and it will include smoother access to the 14th Street interchange on Route 1.

Phillips said the village would immediately begin interviewing engineering firms to complete the interchange design. Once a firm has been chosen and a satisfactory design completed it will have to be approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.

According to Phillips, design work will probably take a year with an actual construction date sometime in 2011.

¡§I want to personally thank (state) Representative Bill Black and (state) Senator Mike Frerichs for their assistance in getting this project included in the capital improvements funding bill,¡¨ Phillips said.

Also included in the bill was $75,000 for restoration work on Stoney Creek behind the Big R store. The village will clear the channel for better drainage. Workers also will slope the sides of the creek to allow for them to be mowed.

In other action, trustees:

ƒÞ Approved final payments for the Coachlight Mobile Home Park sewer project. The board approved a final payment to Central Illinois Tile Company of Champaign for $16,635 and to Gleisner Engineering of Danville for $2,090.

ƒÞ Approved a contract with Terminix of Danville for termite control at Fire Station No. 1 for $2,168.

ƒÞ Agreed to have a village battery ordinance for juveniles. Anyone under the age of 18 will now be charged with battery under the village ordinance, which would allow the police to cite the juvenile and take them home instead of transporting them to the Public Safety Building.

ƒÞ Approved the donation of old bookcases from the former Tilton School building to Colonial Manor Nursing Home.

ƒÞ Approved a lease/purchase agreement for Lot No. 12 in Southgate Plaza to Michael Rortvedt to construct a funeral service business. Rortvedt will handle funerals, sell caskets and make other funeral arrangements from a building to be constructed. A chapel will be added at a later date according Phillips.

ƒÞ Approved the lease/purchase agreement for Lot No. 13 in Southgate Plaza for Tony Piatt. Piatt plans to operate a dog kennel and sell pet supplies from a building to be constructed.

ƒÞ Bob Martin, coordinator of the Tilton Farmer¡¦s Market, spoke to the board about a need for an ordinance restricting fruit and vegetable sales to the Farmer¡¦s Market. Martin said Danville has a similar ordinance that restricts such sales to the Farmer¡¦s Market. Several trustees questioned how an ordinance would affect Pearson¡¦s Market at the corner of Georgetown Road and Ross Lane and Lingley Brother¡¦s sweet corn sales in the parking lot of Gutteridge Harley¡VDavidson.

Martin said he was more concerned about Lingley Brother¡¦s operation because it deters people from driving to the Tilton Farmer¡¦s Market, which is located in the parking lot of the old Eagle store. Phillips said any ordinance would have to protect Pearson¡¦s because they have a permanent building on site, but he would see if an agreement could be worked out with the owners of Lingley Brothers.

ƒÞ Agreed to have an ordinance drawn up to require either a Dumpster with a secured lid or an enclosure with 5¡V8 foot sides to keep garbage containers in for any buildings with three or more units. There have been repeated problems with garbage blowing in the neighborhood at some apartments from overflowing garbage cans.

ƒÞ Learned that the fire department raised $2,800 from its recent family photo fundraiser. The money will be used to purchase extrication tools for auto accidents.

NEXT UP

The Tilton Village Board will meet at 6 p.m. Aug. 20 in the village hall.