Anna Council hears updates on projects
Updates on several major projects were shared at a recent meeting of the Anna City Council.
The updates were shared by city administrator Steve Guined at a council meeting which was held July 19. The meeting was at Anna City Hall in Anna.
The city administrator shared information about an Anna-Jonesboro Water Commission project, proposed improvements at the Anna City Park and the next phase in work along South Main Street in the downtown area.
The water commission is in the midst of a multi-year improvement project at its Dutch Creek plant near Jonesboro.
The City of Anna receives its water from the commission. The city administrator is Anna’s representative on the water commission board.
The commission also supplies water to Jonesboro, Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna and the Lick Creek and Shawnee Valley water districts.
Guined said that the project will be the biggest undertaking of its kind at the water plant since the 1960s.
The project at the water plant began last year with the construction of new wells at a cost of about $3 million.
The second phase is scheduled to get underway with construction in August or September. The project will involve new construction and renovations.
River City Construction in Benton submitted a bid of $4,195,897 for the second phase of the project. The work is expected to take about a year to complete.
A low-interest loan has been secured from the federal Rural Development agency for the project.
Guined said that a minimal increase in rates is anticipated for customers served by the water commission.
Letters have been sent to municipal and water district leaders which addressed rates as they are related to the project.
The city administrator also shared an update at the July meeting about the status of an improvement project at the Anna City Park.
In October 2014, the city was notified that it had received a grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for the project, which is expected to cost about $300,000.
The proposed project includes restrooms and improvements at the tennis and basketball courts at the park.
Under terms of the grant, the state would allocate half of the funds needed for the project; the city would pay for the other half.
Subsequent to learning about the grant, funding for such programs was suspended in 2015 by Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Now, with a new, stopgap state budget in place, the city administrator said that he has been trying to determine if the state funding will be made available.
The city administrator also reported on progress related to the third phase in improvements along South Main Street. The work will be part of a multi-year project and will involve improvements in the Davie, Lafayette and Washington street areas along South Main.
The project is expected to cost in the range of $350,000. State motor fuel tax funds will pay for the project.
The city administrator said it was hoped that bids for the project could be approved in August, with work slated in September/October.
Maintenance work also is planned on multiple streets in the city. The work is expected to cost around $200,000. Motor fuel tax funds will be utilized to pay for the maintenance work.