Tamaroa to Bore Beneath Rt. 51 to Make Water Repair

The Tamaroa Village Board asked Doug Pollex of Southern Engineering to oversee the repair of a water line break at the intersection of Route 51 and West 2nd North Street. The road there is closed between N. Hickory Street and the highway.

Pollex said two six-inch water lines cross under the highway there. He had contacted IDOT and contractor Haier Plumbing. Crews worked Wednesday evening to temporarily fix the line so that customers in the area could have water.

Pollex said the cost of the repairs should not exceed $20,000, which is a very rough estimate. A significant portion of the cost will come from boring under the highway and repairing the highway surface.

Once the boring is completed, water service will be shut off while new lines are installed.

Customers in the area are under a boil order until further notice. Tamaroa Grade School may close the day the new lines are to be installed since there will be no water for a portion of the day.

The repair work is ongoing.

In other business, the board:

•voted two to three to give $.25 per hour merit raises to all hourly staff and to increase Treasurer Margaret Lee's pay from $900 to $975 per month. Trustees Lisa Haycraft and Kim Woodside opposed the merit raises. Trustees Bill Place, Fred Schultz and Betty Roberts voted in favor of the raises. Trustee Kirk Pestka was not present.

•heard from Steve Marek of Country Financial in Du Quoin that the village would be better off setting up individual retirement accounts for employees instead of creating an elaborate pension program. Employees could choose either an annuity or an 401k. The board voted to match up to four percent of an employee's gross income. Pension benefits begin after an employee has worked 1,000 hours.

•set trick-or-treating for 6 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 31.

•accepted a bid from Steve Tanner of Designs Unlimited to refinish the gym floor at a cost of $1,577.

•agreed to vacate a 20-foot roadway behind Jason Marlow's home. The village has not maintained the road for many years. Marlow's pool sits on the property. The board was not sure if the property was inside the village limits, but had no object to signing the property over to Marlow. Village Attorney Matt Foster said he would check on whether or not Marlow is within the village. If not, a public hearing must be held before the roadway can be vacated. If he is a resident of Tamaroa, the board can pass an ordinance to vacate the roadway.