Pinckneyville Council Obligates $600,000 in TIF Funds for Two Projects

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Pinckneyville City Council agreed to allow the Foundation for Pinckneyville to apply for an IDNR OSLAD matching grant to expand the City Park by building six new soccer fields, a road and a parking lot. The city would have to provide $400,000 in matching funds if they receive the grant.

The soccer fields on the west side of town will be removed when Route 13/127 is expanded from two lanes to four.

The city would also be expected to pay all costs up front and wait for reimbursement from the state if the project moves forward.

Tibretta Reiman said the Foundation is still working on some legal documents to make the project possible. The soccer fields are part of Phase 1 of a 15-year plan.

Engineer Louis Curl of ?Curl and Associates in Centralia said the total cost of the soccer fields, road and parking lot is $1 million.

The council also voted to give Pinckneyville Community Hospital $250,000 in TIF funds to build a new facility on White Walnut Road if the project moves forward.

Mayor August Kellerman said the hospital has 137 full-time employees.

"There are three things we need to advance: a new high school, a new hospital and the highway,"?Kellerman said. "If we have those, we can grow."

In other business, the council:

agreed to give the Foundation for Pinckneyville $3,000 in hotel/motel tax funds to pay for a brochure put out by the Illinois Tourism Bureau South.

agreed to give the Chamber of Commerce $2,500 in hotel/motel tax funds to help pay for the Mardi Gras celebration.

agreed to loan the Foundation for Pinckneyville the paintings by Nevins Ware that hang in City Hall for a display at the Illinois Rural Heritage Museum in October. Reiman said the paintings would be picked up the last week in September and returned the first week in November. The Foundation will insure them during the show at the Museum. Nevins Ware was a local artist. Many of his paintings depict buildings which are no longer standing.