Pinckneyville passes beautification, business district grant guidelines

The Pinckneyville City Council Monday approved two separate policies governing how business district funds may be disbursed. Both are matching programs.

The first covers beautification projects and is limited to the facades of buildings. The city council can grant no more than 50 percent of the project cost up to $10,000.

The second covers general business district funds which may be used to purchase, clear, renovate and do other projects geared toward creating new jobs in the community. The limit on those grants is again 50 percent of the project cost up to $25,000.

Per the new policy, the council then agreed to pay $4,125 toward an awning for Arthur Insurance Services, located at 4 East Water Street.

In other business, the council:

• approved the purchase of a Vermeer vacuum machine from Vermeer Midwest in Chesterfield, Mo. at a cost of $17,425. Commissioner David Stone said the city has rented similar machines in the past to for use by the utility department. The machine washes and removes water from areas such as manholes.

• placed on file for public inspection a contract with James R. Boyd for maintenance ant the city park. It is a one-year contract for $16,000, which is a $2,000 raise from the previous contract.

• authorized the Fire Department to purchase an automated external defibrillator for $2,600. The city received an IPRF safety grant to for the equipment.

• appointed Bill Stotlar to the Pinckneyville-Du Quoin Airport board.

• approved a request from the American Legion Post 2504 for their annual poppy sales at locations around the square and four-way stop from 12 to 6 p.m. on Friday, May 24.

• heard from Commissioner Leonard Heisner that Governor Quinn is working to reduce the share of income tax disbursed to cities. If he is successful, Pinckneyville stands to lose $63,580.

• heard from Commissioner Heisner that the city recouped all of the funds loaned to Big Cat Motors through the TIF program.