Du Quoin Pledges Up to $150,000 to Alongi's Restaurant
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Du Quoin City Council Monday approved a Tax Increment Financing agreement with Alongi's Since 1933 that pledges up to $150,000 ($10,000 a year for 15 years) to the restaurant's expansion.
Commissioners were told that the restaurant is expected to spend up to $350,000--most of it private monies--to make kitchen renovations, expand out into the alley east of the restaurant and over into the adjacent West Side Drug Store building.
City administrator Blaine Bastien said essentially the agreement is a guarantee that Alongi's can take to the bank. The total investment can be less than that and the city can retire that agreement early.
Du Quoin set up the TIF district two years ago. In a TIF, any tax revenue from the natural growth of assessments after the origin of the TIF is set aside into the development fund. The council can grant or loan money from that fund to entities within the TIF in an attempt to achieve infrastructure growth.
Commissioner Cha Hill voted "present" on the agreement because he has a daughter involved in design work on the project. Mayor John Rednour voted "present" because of a longtime business friendship with the family. Essentially a "present" vote is a "yes" vote.
At this writing there have been only three such TIF agreements enacted--much of it for feasibility studies--and Bastien said the annual allocation expensed at this writing pales by available funds.
The restaurant has been cleaning out the interior of the Alongi-owned West Side Drug store building to prepare for the April start of its planned expansion.
The council approved a roadblock application submitted by Perry County Humane Society for April 24, 2010.
The council approve the roadblock application submitted by the American Legion 647 for April 30, 2010
The council approved ordinance 2010-O03-01: An ordinance amending sections 18-1-12 and 18-1-14 of the current Historic Preservation ordinance which changes, then sets the timetable for local properties to be identified as landmarks in the community.
Resolution 2010-R03-03: A resolution authorizing the City of Du Quoin to operate a business district grant in conjunction with TIF District's #1 and #2 (See Today's Downtown Page).
Resolution 2010-R03-04: A resolution authorizing the City to apply for a Delta Regional Authority Grant that would help build a small solar farm in the Du Quoin Industrial Park. The solar project would generate over 32 KW of electricity and reduce energy costs of businesses in that industrial park.
Approved and accepted with sincere regret, the retirement of Emma Williams from the Park Board
Approve the Memoran-dum of Understanding between the City of Du Quoin ESDA and the Pinckneyville Community Hospital District. The same agreement exists between ESDA and Marshall Browning Hospital.
Approve the $9,043 necessary to convert the Jackson Street Lift Station Control Panel.
Approve up to $50,000 in funds necessary to fund the repair and reline nine sanitary sewer manholes.
The council then went into executive session to discuss ongoing labor negotiations.