Farmington hoping to collect on debts
Global database might benefit city

By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post

FARMINGTON – Signing up for a global database may eventually help the City of Farmington collect from a decades-old list of deadbeats.

Earlier this year, the Farmington City Council approved a subscription to LexisNexis, a service whose databases are often consulted by government, law enforcement and risk-management agencies for a variety of uses.

The council heard at its Monday meeting that the database will assist in locating residents and former residents who have not paid various city-related bills.

By sending invoices to current addresses of non-payers and by providing a deadline for payment of Dec. 20, City Administrator Bettina Bohanan said the city can then enter any unpaid bills into the state’s Local Debt Recovery Program. Under the program, administered by the Illinois Office of the Comptroller, Farmington can be compensated for unpaid bills by intercepting a portion of state income-tax returns due to late payers.

Mayor Kenn Stufflebeam said the overdue bills date back more than a decade and the total owed is “north of $100,000.”

Unpaid bills include sewer, water, garbage and ordinance violations.
“We think we could recoup at least 60%,” Bohanan said.

In other business, the council voted Monday to pay for Maurer Stutz, Inc., engineers to research a possible extension of Wilson Street to Lightfoot Road on the east side of the city. Wilson Street currently terminates at Jacobs Park, but the city owns a 109-foot-wide strip of land that could be used for a road.

 Stufflebeam said extending the road would create a second egress to and from Jacobs Park and could be beneficial for the city. Among the benefits Stufflebeam mentioned were attracting large baseball and softball tournaments, possibly holding a fireworks show, a more centralized Italian Fest and a better entrance to the Farmington Area Public Library District’s 10-year old library.

Stufflebeam said a Maurer Stutz engineer previously offered a ballpark figure of $250,000 for the road expansion.

“Maybe it will be cost-prohibitive when we look at it, but I think we should look at it,” Stufflebeam said. “If we could open that up, maybe that could lead to future development.”

Stufflebeam said engineering will include installing traffic-calming devices for the road extension so it does not become a “race track.”

The council also approved selling a lot at 99 E. Vernon St. to Todd Abraham, who submitted a bid of $3,950 for the lot. That was the lone bid. After paying for the appraisal of the property, all proceeds will go toward the Farmington Community Center.

In TIF matters, the council approved a redevelopment grant of $2,500 to Meagan Schuyler. The council also voted to approve an ordinance for a $19,812.94 payment to Spoon River Home Health Service, Inc., and Susan Platt for renovation of the company’s facility on 38 and 48 N. East St.

Bohanan reported that leaf-pickup dates will tentatively be held in the first two weeks of December, depending on weather. She also said that John Frank will retire from the public-works department on Nov. 1.

She said work is underway on a notification system that will allow the city to call, text and email residents with updates and information.

Bohanan said signups are being held through Nov. 1 for biddy basketball at the community center and added that work on a new concession stand is “coming long nicely.” Walking in the center will resume Nov. 1.

Herb Stufflebeam of the Oak Ridge Cemetery board of managers reported that a concrete approach to the mausoleum is being replaced and raised slightly. A tree is also being planted in memory of Bud Stobaugh behind his grave in Section 8.