County Market pharmacy will close Oct. 17

By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post

FARMINGTON – Farmington City Administrator Rollen Wright informed the City Council Monday night that the pharmacy at the local County Market store will close on Oct. 17.

Wright told the council he was contacted by a representative from Niemann Foods Inc. of Quincy, who informed him that Walgreens had purchased Niemann’s pharmacies.

The Farmington store will close at 4 p.m. on Oct. 17 and prescriptions will be transferred to the Canton Walgreens store. Patients can chose another pharmacy but must inform their doctor of their choice.

In other business, the council unanimously approved paying out more than $176,000 in TIF money, including $148,162 for three parking-lot repaving projects. The largest paving project is for the Farmington Moose Lodge, which had previously been approved for $90,000. The Moose had to approach the council for more money after the original contractor backed out and subsequent bids came in higher.

The council also approved an ordinance for the Moose TIF payment.
Anderson-Sedgwick Funeral Home will receive $31,500 of a $42,000 resurfacing and Conklin Insurance will get $7,350 of its $9,800 repaving project.

Other TIF payments included $2,500 to Lyn-Rob Properties LLC for the demolition of a residence; $1,500 to Jamie Young of 163 W. Fort St. for gutters; $1,725 to Natalie Hisey of 73 E. Vernon St. for a new garage door, storm doors and outdoor carpeting; and $22,643 to Hardesty Auto Parts Inc. for a new warehouse adjacent to its Napa Auto Parts store.

Hardesty is starting a mail-order auto parts business and has run out of room in its existing facility.

“This will be a big boost for our sales taxes,” Mayor Kenn Stufflebeam said.

The council accepted the resignation of Scott Cox, public works assistant superintendent, who has taken a job as an operator for the Canton Streets Department after 10 years in Farmington.

Hiring of a replacement in the public works department was tabled until the next meeting.

The council heard that petition packets can be picked up for individuals seeking to run in the April 4, 2023, consolidated general election. Two-year positions to be filled in Farmington are mayor and Ward 3 alderperson. Four-year positions are for alderperson in Wards 1, 2 and 3. Petitions with signatures can be submitted starting Nov. 21 and are due by Nov. 28.

Finally, the council voted to approve Stufflebeam’s appointment of Scott Voice to the Farmington Zoning Board of Appeals.

At its Sept. 19 meeting, the city council heard Farmington had received its second Cares Act payment of $151,258. A committee meeting will be held to discuss how to use the money, with some suggestions so far to add solar lighting and emergency sirens to the city bike path.

The council also approved TIF residential redevelopment grants to Tracy and Karen Bishop ($2,500), Helen Starcevich ($2,500), Keith Dollar ($2,500) and Steve Peters ($1,000). A commercial payment of $10,923 went to LynRob Properties.

At its Sept. 6 meeting, the council approved Austin DeWester of Farmington as a new full-time police officer and John Harmann to the Board of Appeals. DeWester is still training at the police academy.

Also, Arron Kevilus was given 30 extra days until Oct. 19 to vacate his residence at 512 E. Fort St.

Commercial TIF payments were approved for resurfacing of the parking lot shared by the Bank of Yates City and Super Pantry ($28,425) and a new concrete pad and sidewalk for The Nickel Plate bar plus relocating of an air conditioning unit to the roof ($33,023).

Residential redevelopment grants went to Jeff McVey ($1,000), Jannelle King ($983), Jason Thurman ($1,950), Jeff Brown ($637), Matt Watters ($2,500), Katherine Oldfield ($3,540) and Cramer Road Developers ($1,750).

Finally, resurfacing bids for three roads came in 17 percent higher than expected, but Tazewell County Asphalt was OK’d for the project, as money was available in the MFT Fund.