Chester will relax residency rules for part-time police officers
The Chester City Council will expand the residency requirements for part-time police officers to the entirety of Randolph County, to give Police Chief Bobby Helmers a bigger geographic area from which to find job candidates.
At Monday's city council meeting, Helmers said the department is down to two part-time officers, when it used to have 10. Currently, applicants must live within the boundaries of Chester Unit District 139 to be eligible.
Helmer, who said he would like to have five or six part-time officers on staff, said expanding the residency requirement to all of Randolph County would likely result in more job candidates.
Helmer added that when the residency requirement was relaxed for radio dispatchers, it helped a lot.
Members of the council indicated they support Helmer's request, and asked City Attorney Jeff Kerkhover to present a revised ordinance for the next Council meeting.
4 streets to get work
The council approved an Illinois Department of Transportation resolution for the 2019 Motor Fuel Tax maintenance program, in order to move forward with oiling and chipping four streets in Chester this fall. Councilman Mike Blechle presented the resolution before the council saying this would allow the city to get the work completed on Cole Street, Lochhead Drive, Third Street, and Fairway Lane before the weather turns cold.
Other news
The Chester water and fire departments are flushing hydrants from Sept. 16-20 and again Sept. 23-27. This may cause some residents to notice a fluctuation in water pressure or a change in color for a short period of time.
The council approved a $5,150 payment to J.T. Blankenship Inc. for their construction inspection on the Chester Center Turn Lane Project, as this project is near completion.
The council approved the hiring of Danielle Rude as a part-time radio dispatcher in the police department. Chief Helmers introduced her to the council, adding a part-time vacancy occurred when one of the department's previous part-timers moved into a vacant full-time position. He added Rude did well on the exam.
Next meeting: 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7. The public is welcome.