Thursday Nov. 19, 2015 Vol. 3, No. 37
The Weekly Post
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Peoria County facing road work funding shortfall By BILL KNIGHT
Peoria County faces a shortfall of millions of dollars in infrastructure funding for 37 road projects over the next few years, a committee of the whole heard Nov. 9 at Wildlife Prairie Park, where different options were discussed to meet highway needs. Of the 37 road projects identified by the Highway Department, 15 are in The Weekly Post circulation area, making up 48 percent of the miles needing work For The Weekly Post
and almost 40 percent of the funding. (See box.) Ways to pay for the $215,390,500 county-wide total in projected repairs range from a dedicated tax to a bond, but County Administrator Scott Sorrell told The Weekly Post the Board asked for more information before considering a path forward. “It could be a sales tax or it could a property tax, depending on what the policy decision is,” Sorrel said. “They really don’t want to
rush things and try and get it on the March primary ballot but rather look at getting it on the November ballot if that is the decision that they choose.” A big part of the problem is that federal and state Motor Fuel Taxes haven’t changed since 1990, and since then vehicles’ fuel efficiency has improved, also lowering MFT revenues. Area projects range from a half mile of PrincevilleJubilee Road between IlliContinued on Page 2
Peoria County Road Projects in Weekly Post Area Road Radnor Road Stone School Road Princeville Jubilee Rd. Akron Road Cottonwood Road Maher Road Grange Hall Road Koerner Road Cottonwood Road Taylor Road Princeville Jubilee Rd. Trigger Road Brimfield Road Graham Chapel Rd. Wiley Road TOTALS
Route Willow Knolls to Alta Lane Fulton County line to Graham Chapel US 150 to BNSF Railroad Princeville Jubilee to IL 40 McAllister Road to IL 8 IL 8 to I-74 Princeville Jubilee to IL 91 IL 8 to US 150 McAllister Road to Texas Road IL 116 to IL Route 8 BNSF Railroad to IL 90 US 150 to Grange Hall Road US 150 to Brimfield village limits Stone School Road to Wiley Road Graham Chapel Rd. to Elmwood
* costs include engineering and construction
Miles 2.5 9.5 9 7.5 2.5 2.5 5 3.5 3.5 3.5 0.5 2.25 0.75 2 1.25 55.75
** grain route/truck route
Project Cost* 11,250,000 10,400,000** 9,900,000** 8,200,000 7,780,500 7,350,000** 5,500,000 4,200,000 3,900,000 3,875,000 2,650,000** 2,650,000 2,500,000** 2,400,000 1,650,000 84,205.500
SOURCE: Peoria County
Brimfield open to possible sale of water system
PALACE SALE DEC. 9
By BILL KNIGHT
BRIMFIELD – The largest privately owned water utility in the state is interested in purchasing Brimfield’s water system, and Village officials are interested in talking. “We’d always be open to any conversation,” said Village President Dan Fishel. “Anything we’d do would be based on what’s best for the Village long-term.” Roger Goodson, senInside ior manager of produc• The Elmwood tion and field services City Council apfor Illinois American proved prelimiWater Co., said the cornary engineering poration responds to in- for Maple Avenue. quiries and looks for See Page 9. opportunities. “Sometimes we approach communities and sometime we’re approached by municipalities or by the EPA (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency) or by individual customers,” Goodson said. “I was in Farmington last week after a customer contacted us. And Chillicothe has contacted us about the possibility of operating their system.” The advantage to towns selling their water systems is that they not only escape some financial obligations, but have new revenue to use. Weekly Post Staff Writer
The Palace Theatre in Elmwood is scheduled to be sold Dec. 9 at the Peoria County Courthouse if a buyer does not materialize before that. Photo by Jeff Lampe.
Court schedules sale of Palace Theatre By BILL KNIGHT
ELMWOOD – A Saturday Open House for the Palace Theater has been cancelled, according to Elmwood Economic Development Director Dick Taylor, who cited a lack of publicity, but a scheduled sale of the century-old theater is scheduled for Dec. 9. The sale – set for 1 p.m. on Dec. 9 in Room 203 of the Peoria County For The Weekly Post
Courthouse – was ordered by Judge James Mack in connection with a foreclosure proceeding brought by Farmers State Bank. The Open House had been proposed to attract a few serious investors and curious moviegoers, according to Realtor Phil Harvey. “I understand there’s a group of people who’ve shown some interest,” Harvey said. “But I didn’t know what to expect. It would’ve been my first
commercial Open House in 30 years.” The foreclosure concerns four defaulted loans taken by Vern Reynolds and Reynolds Theaters Entertainment, Inc., according to Farmers State Bank. Those loans also include the shuttered Garden Theater on Main Street in Canton. Court documents say no payments have been made on the first mortgage Continued on Page 8
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