Farmington hires resident Kyle Welker
Welker
By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post
FARMINGTON – The City of Farmington has added one full-time police officer and lost another.
The City Council on Monday welcomed Farmington resident Kyle Welker to the police force as a full-time officer. Welker will replace Officer Timothy Herink, who has accepted a full-time position as a police officer in Canton but indicated he would be willing to still work part-time for Farmington.
Welker is a 2016 Farmington High School graduate who has served in the U.S. Army, spent time stationed in Afghanistan and is a 2021 graduate of the University of Illinois police training institute.
The council also offered its thanks to Paul Watters, who has retired after serving 19 years as a part-time officer.
Current full-time officer Dorian Utsinger will take over Herink’s role as the school resource officer.
The council also heard a report from Mayor Kent Kowal on progress in the Rails to Trails project with Hanna City and Peoria County. A federal grant to pay 80 percent of the nearly $2 million purchase price for 24.7 miles of railroad right-of-way has been approved, but money will not be paid out until after the property is purchased from Union Pacific.
At present, the plan is for Hanna City to borrow money to finance the purchase until grant money is paid out. Kowal said any interest costs incurred would be split between the three entities involved.
That is one of several new wrinkles Kowal outlined to the council Monday. The mayor also noted that Union Pacific wants to sell the property “as is” with no future liability and blanket indemnity for the length of the proposed trail. The railroad abandoned the 100-foot wide strip of land in 1980.
Fred Winterroth of Hanna City has proposed having an environmental study done to make sure the proposed trail bed does not have major structural issues. But that will take time and would likely require another extension from the Surface Transportation Board, which has already granted 23 extensions and said its March 30 deadline was final.
Even so, Kowal said Winterroth is going to ask for more time.
Kowal told the council he would like to hire an attorney with experience in similar contracts to review the Union Pacific proposal. The council agreed.
Other possible issues Kowal outlined include illegal use of the right-of-way by four-wheeler operators in the Bellevue area and “bridges that may need to be repaired.”
At present, Farmington would pay approximately $110,000 toward the purchase of the property and an estimated $10,000 per year for maintenance, Kowal said. He said additional costs would be shared “proportionally” by Hanna City, Farmington and Peoria County.
“It’s not a done deal yet, but it’s close to a done deal,” Kowal said.
In other business, the council approved a Residential Redevelopment Grant for James VanHouten of $1,181.25 toward a $1,575 cost to remove a tree and stump at 55 N. Hickory St.
The council heard that railings downtown should be up within three weeks.
The council also approved two ordinances: one detailing an already-approved $17,700 grant payment to the Farmington Moose Lodge, the other involving a state-legislated change in providing free benefits to police officers and firefighters hurt or killed in the line of duty.
The council also approved minutes from its Jan. 17 meeting, during which it accepted Kevin Snyder’s resignation from the Police Commission. Snyder said he was moving to Michigan for his job.
Clark Evans was appointed to replace Snyder.
At the Jan. 17 meeting, the council heard that the city will allocate $50,438.19 from the TIF to Farmington Central School District. That annual allocation from the TIF is based on the school’s enrollment and is recalculated each year.
