06-22-2010, 02:53 PM
Interesting to see where the money goes.
Waukegan City Council delays bond vote
Review meeting planned June 28
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/2417670,waukegan-city-council-062210.article">http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/news ... 10.article</a><!-- m -->
June 22, 2010
By DAN MORAN <!-- e --><a href="mailto:dmoran@stmedianetwork.com">dmoran@stmedianetwork.com</a><!-- e -->
The City Council delayed action Monday on proposals to issue more than $11 million in bonds to fund such things as street repairs, sewer line improvements and bridge repairs.
Though a proposed list of improvements was released in March, 7th Ward Ald. Patrick Needham, who chairs the Finance Committee, announced that the plan will be reviewed at a June 28 public meeting.
âWeâre going to try to fine-tune it during the upcoming week, (meet) with department heads and see what we need and what we want,â Needham said.
The funding proposals before the council on Monday called for the city to take out $9 million in general obligation bonds and $2.5 million in waterworks and sewer-revenue bonds to fund a lengthy list of improvements.
The city introduced the proposals during this springâs budget process, announcing that the overall goal is to maintain and improve buildings, infrastructure, equipment and vehicles for the current fiscal year, which runs through next April.
Overall, the plan calls for $4.5 million in street and sidewalk improvements; $3.6 million in improvements to water and sewer systems; $3.4 million in building renovations and land projects; $1.9 million for new vehicles and equipment; and $1.1 million in lakefront environmental work.
Some of the funding would be pursued through grants, but the bulk would require the bond issues.
Among the specific proposals:
* $1 million toward rehabilitation of city-owned buildings in the downtown or lakefront areas. One candidate mentioned by the city for âredevelopment or demolitionâ is the former News-Sun building on Sheridan Road.
* $1 million toward acquisition of downtown and/or lakefront property. Possible projects mentioned include buying land for the modernization of Pershing Road, relocation of rail lines, and extension of the Belvidere Road bridge across the Amstutz Expressway to the lakefront.
* $1.1 million for improvements to slip No. 3 in Waukegan Harbor, which is currently a containment cell for 1991 PCB dredging material and is proposed to be used for boat storage.
* $740,000 for engineering on two proposed bridge projects â the Belvidere Road extension, and rehabilitation of the Genesee Street bridge over the Waukegan River. City officials report the Genesee bridge, last renovated in 1984, has deteriorated to the point where it could be closed to traffic.
* $550,000 for improvements to the police station on West Street, including upgrading the heating and cooling system. Another $300,000 is proposed for repairs at fire stations 1 and 4, both of which are reported to need new roofs.
* Transportation improvements include $1.5 million toward repaving of about five miles of streets that have yet to be designated; $200,000 toward a Lake County project to widen Delany Road north of Sunset Avenue; and $130,000 toward construction of a proposed $2 million lakefront bike path from the Waukegan Metra station to Gate 4 at Naval Station Great Lakes..
Waukegan City Council delays bond vote
Review meeting planned June 28
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/2417670,waukegan-city-council-062210.article">http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/news ... 10.article</a><!-- m -->
June 22, 2010
By DAN MORAN <!-- e --><a href="mailto:dmoran@stmedianetwork.com">dmoran@stmedianetwork.com</a><!-- e -->
The City Council delayed action Monday on proposals to issue more than $11 million in bonds to fund such things as street repairs, sewer line improvements and bridge repairs.
Though a proposed list of improvements was released in March, 7th Ward Ald. Patrick Needham, who chairs the Finance Committee, announced that the plan will be reviewed at a June 28 public meeting.
âWeâre going to try to fine-tune it during the upcoming week, (meet) with department heads and see what we need and what we want,â Needham said.
The funding proposals before the council on Monday called for the city to take out $9 million in general obligation bonds and $2.5 million in waterworks and sewer-revenue bonds to fund a lengthy list of improvements.
The city introduced the proposals during this springâs budget process, announcing that the overall goal is to maintain and improve buildings, infrastructure, equipment and vehicles for the current fiscal year, which runs through next April.
Overall, the plan calls for $4.5 million in street and sidewalk improvements; $3.6 million in improvements to water and sewer systems; $3.4 million in building renovations and land projects; $1.9 million for new vehicles and equipment; and $1.1 million in lakefront environmental work.
Some of the funding would be pursued through grants, but the bulk would require the bond issues.
Among the specific proposals:
* $1 million toward rehabilitation of city-owned buildings in the downtown or lakefront areas. One candidate mentioned by the city for âredevelopment or demolitionâ is the former News-Sun building on Sheridan Road.
* $1 million toward acquisition of downtown and/or lakefront property. Possible projects mentioned include buying land for the modernization of Pershing Road, relocation of rail lines, and extension of the Belvidere Road bridge across the Amstutz Expressway to the lakefront.
* $1.1 million for improvements to slip No. 3 in Waukegan Harbor, which is currently a containment cell for 1991 PCB dredging material and is proposed to be used for boat storage.
* $740,000 for engineering on two proposed bridge projects â the Belvidere Road extension, and rehabilitation of the Genesee Street bridge over the Waukegan River. City officials report the Genesee bridge, last renovated in 1984, has deteriorated to the point where it could be closed to traffic.
* $550,000 for improvements to the police station on West Street, including upgrading the heating and cooling system. Another $300,000 is proposed for repairs at fire stations 1 and 4, both of which are reported to need new roofs.
* Transportation improvements include $1.5 million toward repaving of about five miles of streets that have yet to be designated; $200,000 toward a Lake County project to widen Delany Road north of Sunset Avenue; and $130,000 toward construction of a proposed $2 million lakefront bike path from the Waukegan Metra station to Gate 4 at Naval Station Great Lakes..