Elmwood OKs fixing noon whistle

 Published Date: February 18, 2021

By JOHN A. BALLENTINE
For The Weekly Post

ELMWOOD – The Elmwood City Council approved a motion to pay up to $2,500 for half of the cost to repair the noon/fire siren at its Feb. 4 meeting. The city’s contribution matches that of the Elmwood Fire Department, whose members voted on Feb. 4 to approve a $2,500 payment, according to Chief Bob Tannock.

Alderman Bob Paige explained that the siren has been repaired twice in the past nine years at a cost of $500 each time. Paige said the cost to replace the existing siren with a new one could be $3,500 to $4,000 for the city’s half. Total for both the city and fire department would be $7,000 to $8,000.

Paige stated that the city has $1,500 in the civil defense fund plus $1,000 could be used from another fund to pay the $2,500 – if necessary. Paige therefore recommended the repair be done and believes the cost will be below the $5,000 possibly approved by both the city and fire department.

The council again discussed selling city property to the Horeb Masonic Lodge, without any action taken. The Lodge has inquired about purchasing a 14-foot-wide strip of vacant city property on the south side of its building which houses the Uptown Cafe. The extra space would allow for a side entrance to the cafe and for a hood vent to be added to the south side of the building during a proposed remodeling of the cafe.

“I have concerns about the possibility of selling this for a dollar,” Mayor Brian Davis said. “I think that if we’re going to do that, we need to make sure that there is development on it and not just, ‘Here is the land the lodge can have to maintain the side of their building.’ We need a proposal from them to see what they’re wanting to do and we would type up a proposal based upon that criteria.”

Also approved was the 2020 year-end report for Motor Fuel Tax, which is filed with the Illinois Department of Transportation regarding last year’s spending.

Finally, during committee reports, Councilman Nathan Brunnelson said the city has hired Braden Collins as a backup for the street and water department for meter reading. In addition, Collins will maintain the city’s ball diamonds this summer.