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Come for the candy, WARRIORS’ SEASON ENDS stay for the boos
BOYS SOCCER, B1
FOOD, A9, A11
dailyGAZETTE Wednesday, October 28, 2015
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
ROCK FALLS
City wrestles with tax levy bump First draft recommends 8.56 percent increase BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
ROCK FALLS – The city hasn’t yet decided on the exact percentage, but its 2016 tax levy increase will trigger the need for a Truth in Taxation hearing. City Administrator Robbin Blackert told the finance committee Tuesday
that changes in the way actuarial calculations are made for police and fire pensions have effectively doubled the city’s pension obligations going forward. “We’re fortunate we put away money in a rainy day fund, but the actuarials and new accounting rules are basically legislative mandates that are forcing our hands,” Blackert said. LEVY CONTINUED ON A3
What’s next The Rock Falls City Council will discuss the tax levy when it next meets at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 3, at City Hall, 603 W. 10th St. The agendas will be posted at rockfalls61071.com and at City Hall. Call 815-622-1100 for more information. The City Council meeting also airs live on Channel 5.
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I was walking a tightrope – I wanted to draw some out without putting reserves in peril, while still saving the taxpayers some.
POLO | SPOTLIGHT ON CAMP
MORRISON
DIXON | BUSINESS
Excess It’s a little bit of land at heaven on Earth Christian camp offers sewer something for everyone site sold Word expected this week on loan application
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/ apaschal@saukvalley.com
T
BY KAYLA HEIMERMAN Special to Sauk Valley Media
ucked away in the far northwestern corner of Ogle County, Rock River Christian Camp and Retreat Center beckons for the faithful to glorify God under the sun, the stars, the trees. The camp, which has been around since 1945 and at its current site for more than 60 years, serves some 1,500 youth in the summer, plus hundreds more youth and adults throughout the year through camps, retreats, and other special programs,
Camp Manager Dan Augenstine said. The camp boasts almost 100 acres that straddle state Route 64. It has two yearround lodges (one is underground) that sleep 40 people, plus two large multipurpose halls. It also has nine summer cabins that house 180 people and an old chapel that’s been converted to sleep 56 people. There also is a wilderness camp with three small cabins that sleep 36 people out in the woods.
• Address: 16486 W. state Route 64, Polo • Phone: 815-493-6622
• Online: rockrivercc.net
Paintball is one of the more popular activities at Rock River Christian Camp, which offers programs yearround.
The Morrison City Council next meets at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Whiteside County board room at 400 N. Cherry St.
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HEAVEN CONTINUED ON A2
Rock River Christian Camp and Retreat Center
Next meeting
TODAY’S EDITION:
City wants to create development district, entice developers
Katelyn Graham, 15, of Streator streaks across the sky on the zipline at Rock River Christian Camp, nestled in the far northwestern corner of Ogle County.
LAND CONTINUED ON A4
$1.00
Focus shifts to interstate BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM
BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
MORRISON – The city hopes to soon receive word on a loan application for its planned wastewater treatment plant, but in the meantime, extra land at the site has been sold. The city had decided to wait until October to submit its loan application to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to get a better interest rate. By waiting, the rate was expected to drop from 2.2 percent to 1.85 percent. “The interest rates made the decision easy,” Mayor Everett Pannier said. “The savings will be significant for a $15 million to $17 million project.” Officials still think there is a chance construction can begin before the end of the year. “We’ve been told we can expect to hear about the loan sometime this week, and we will see the contractor as soon as that’s taken care of,” City Administrator Barry Dykhuizen said. If the weather cooperates, there is still a good chance that some work can be done before winter hits, he said. The city had bought 25 acres of land to accommodate the sewer plant, which will be built on the west side of state Route 78, just south of the Morrison Institute of Technology, but only about half that is needed, so some of the parcels have been put out for bid.
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Robbin Blackert, Rock Falls city administrator, on the challenge of determining which tax levy increase percentage to propose to the finance committee
INDEX
ABBY ................... A8 BUSINESS ......... A12 COMICS ............. A10
CROSSWORD....B11 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
NATION/WORLD .. A7 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
DIXON – The state has disbursed more than $16 million in business district sales tax this year. Dixon officials want in on that. On Monday, Mayor Li Arellano Jr. said he’s hoping to kickstart city efforts to create a Business Development District near the city’s Interstate 88 corridor. To that end, Arellano and Interim City Manager David Nord have issued a request for qualifications from firms to create a new business development plan; the current one hasn’t been updated since 2005, Arellano said. The city is going to be “a lot more active” in hunting down development of the area, and BDDs are one of the tools cities can use to entice prospective developers, Arellano said. Dixon is uniquely situated to capitalize on the interstate: From the Quad Cities to the Chicago suburbs, there is little commercial development bordering the highway to draw in travelers, he said. “There’s a lot of room for development out there – acres and acres worth. Whoever developed that would be visible immediately from the highway,” Arellano said. By creating a BDD, the city could use sales tax revenues similar to the ways cities use property taxes to encourage development in tax increment financing districts, or TIFs, he said. “Now that the recession is over, there’s a lot more opportunities with developers sniffing around,” Arellano said. I-88 CONTINUED ON A4
Manager candidate named Dave Nord, Dixon’s interim city manager, is one of two candidates for the permanent position. The other candidate was named Tuesday. More on A4
Today’s weather High 57. Low 37. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B6.
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