Pinckneyville Council Votes $75,000 Loan to Rolando's
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The City Council passed a resolution approving a $75,000 revolving loan fund loan to Rolando's Pizza.
Rolando's has purchased Ferrero's Italian Restaurant on Water Street.
The loan is for five years at 3.5 percent interest. In addition, the city will have proprietary interest in the equipment purchased for the restaurant and a secondary position to the bank on the mortgage. The owners have also offered a personal guarantee on the loan.
The council discussed, but did not approve a $240,000 loan to Hush Bullet Inc., which would be contingent upon a co-signer approved by the city and a signed lease for space at the former TUMS building purchased by Higman LLC.
In exchange for the loan, Higman would create 20 jobs.
Economic Development Coordinator Carrie Ford said that the Revolving Loan Committee met and recommended loans for three of the four applicants.
The council discussed only two of the applications.
In other business, the Council:
authorized Mayor Joe Holder to sign an agreement and application to develop 1.5 acres of wetland west of Mildred Drive, per an agreement with the Corps of Engineers. The city had cleared brush from protected wetlands on the west side of town, hoping to sell the property to a business. After realizing their error, Holder asked Robert Spencer of the Perry County SWCD for help in resolving the issue. Spencer helped negotiate a 1.5 acre mitigation to be added to a three acre parcel that was created when the prison was built.
approved the expenditure of hotel/motel tax funds for promotion and advertising for the Illinois Rural Heritage Museum- $750, Perry County Fair- $1,066 and American Thresherman Association- $3,000. Each of the groups will meet or exceed that spending on their own.
approved a long-term purchase agreement with the Illinois Municipal Gas Agency which promises a $.40 per decatherm savings on gas purchases for the next 20 years.
extended Jim Boyd's contract for maintenance at the City Park for another year. The terms remain the same as the previous contract.
approved the sale of surplus property from the Police and Fire Departments. The big ticket items are a pick-up truck that needs repair and a 1965 fire engine that no longer meets service requirements.
approved spending of up to $5,000 to update the city's website. Mayor Joe Holder and Ford will work with Craig Williams Creative on the new web site. City Clerk Fran Thomas said that once the city has a site up and running, agendas and approved minutes will have to be placed online, as well as access to the city's Freedom of Information officer.