Du Quoin Health Center owner proposes fitness center in Pinckneyville
The Pinckneyville City Council heard a proposal from Du Quoin chiropractor Dr. Robert Eaton who would like to open a fitness center in Pinckneyville.
Eaton said the new facility would not be quite as large as the one in Du Quoin, which includes a basketball court. He is working with Economic Development Coordinator Carrie Gilliam to find a suitable location.
The Pinckneyville Fitness Center would have an indoor track, free weight room, cross training room and cardio equipment. Eaton said the facility would have 24 hour access for members. He expects the fees would be the same as the Du Quoin facility and that anyone who joined one location would have access to both.
He will complete the necessary paperwork for financial help from the city.
Doug Kellerman of Kellerman Feed and Supply requested that the city waive the $715 water service connection fee and $780 natural gas connection fee for his new store.
The council explained that the fees are set by ordinance and there is no provision for waiving them.
Mayor August Kellerman encouraged Doug Kellerman to apply for a different type of assistance from the city. The co-owner of the store said that he might apply for a revolving loan to help with inventory for the lumber yard which is set to open soon.
Kellerman Feed and Supply is owned by Doug Kellerman and Jim Brand and their wives. The store had 5,000 customers in August, 6,200 customers in September and over 6,900 customers in October. Sales tax figures for the first three months of the new store were $5,400, $6,500 and over $6,900 so far.
The council also declined to take action on a request for $10,000 from the business district tax funds from Ferrero's Apple Tree Kitchen. All of the work cited in the application had been completed long before the application was made.
Commissioner Leonard Heisner said the city would be happy to help with any improvements made going forward, but retroactively granting improvement funds sets a very poor precedent.
Heisner said things need to be done in the proper order and the council should consider a time limit on the work.
In other business, the council:
• heard from Commissioner Sam Fulk that the fee for leaf or yard debris pick-up is $20. When the Unit Road District was created, the city's real estate tax revenue for the Street Department dropped from $80,000 to $18,000 per year. At that time, a monthly leaf collection fee was added to city utility customers' bills. There were numerous complaints. Both the fee and the service were discontinued. The recently passed ordinance set the fee at $20. It is voluntary. Anyone who does not want to pay the city to remove their raked leaves may burn them between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., haul them away themselves or pay a private company to remove them. Fulk said any complaints about the new policy should be directed to the council. City employees had no say in approving the policy or setting the fee.
• passed an ordinance setting the minimum fine for city ordinance violation at $100. The ordinance was placed on file at the previous meeting.
• approved payment of the IEPA NPDES fees for the city's sewer plants. The fees are $7,546 for Treatment Plant #1 and $5,062 for Treatment Plant #2.