Chester City Council approves street projects
<span>CHESTER -- The Chester City Council had a short agenda for its Monday session, the majority of it dealing with street projects.</span>
<span>The council approved oil and chipping two streets, replacing a portion of the sidewalk along Opdyke Street and adding a concrete strip between the gutter and sidewalk on Garfield Street.</span>
<span>The council approved oil and chipping High Street from German Street to Knapp Avenue at a cost of $7,770 and approved Maple Lane from High Street to the dead end at a cost of $633.</span>
<span>The streets were two of six locations previously being considered by the council and motor fuel tax funds will be used to pay for the projects.</span>
<span>"When we decided to do that sidewalk, we decided to back off on some of them," said Chester Mayor Tom Page in a follow-up interview on Tuesday in regard to the other streets being proposed. "That (sidewalk) wasn't in the initial plan."</span>
<span>Page was referring to the project to replace the sidewalk on the east side of Opdyke Street from William Street to Frederick Street for a price not to exceed $17,000. During Monday's meeting, it was said that replacing that portion of the sidewalk wasn't included as part of Haier Plumbing and Heating's contract to install the new water line.</span>
<span>The council also approved Red Dot Construction and Equipment Rental's price of $5,906 to concrete a 14-inch strip on Garfield Street that has been a green space.</span>
<span>"That includes hand excavation between the two spaces," Page said during the meeting.</span>
<span>Also on Garfield Street, Red Dot will construct a concrete radius in an alley that will aid with trash collection. The project also involves lowering the gas line underneath the roadway.</span>
<span>"We've got to cut some of the top of that off so when a trash truck comes in there, he doesn't scrape the road," Page said. "The angle is too high and he'd screw up that brand-new street."</span>
<span>In other action, the council approved a new docking agreement with the American Queen Steamboat Company. The American Queen riverboat is tentatively scheduled to dock in Chester on July 3 and October 13.</span>
<span>According to a copy of the agreement acquired by the Herald Tribune, the city is not charging the steamboat company for use of the boat ramp.</span>
<span>"The parties hereto agree that sole consideration shall be the economic benefit to the community surrounding the facility (boat ramp) derived from the passengers' visit to such community," the agreement stated.</span>
<span>A docking schedule, included with the agreement, shows an increased investment in Chester in the years to come. Five American Queen dockings have been scheduled for 2016, 2017 and 2018, with an unnamed second vessel also making five dockings each in 2017 and 2018.</span>
<span>Combined, American Queen Steamboat Company vessels will tentatively be making 27 visits to Chester in the next four years.</span>
Roundup
<span>The council approved an agreement to renew health insurance coverage with Coventry Healthcare. According to City Clerk Nancy Eggemeyer, premium rates will increase by 12 percent.</span>
<span>The council approved the Prevailing Wage Rate ordinance discussed at its last meeting.</span>
Reports
<span>Alderman Russ Rader, who is chairman of the city's Water-Sewer Committee, reported he and Chester Water Treatment Plant Superintendent Tim Crow are working on getting a water leak at the plant fixed prior to the repainting project.</span>
<span>Alderman Mike Blechle spoke on the recent baseball tournaments at the Cohen Complex and wanted to publicly thank those involved with organizing them, including Trevor Kelkhoff, Mike Heffernan, Aaron Eggemeyer and Josh Howie.</span>
<span>"They do an outstanding job of putting these on," said Blechle, who added that the tournaments bring people to Chester.</span>
<span>Four raffle licenses for the Knights of Columbus were approved.</span>