Kewanee council decides which streets in Kewanee will get fixed this summer

The City Council Monday voted to spend more than $600,000 on a summer street repair program.

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But before approving the program, some council members wondered why it didn’t include some of the most troublesome streets in the city.

For example, Mayor Gary Moore said the council must consider repairs for Main Street north of the tracks.

And City Manager Gary Bradley said West South Street on the way to OSF Saint Luke Medical Center also needs attention.

Bradley said the street program the council was approving only includes projects the city will pay for with its allocation of Motor Fuel Tax revenue. That’s the state’s tax on gasoline sold in the city, part of which is rebated to the municipality where it’s collected.

“This is just one part of the road program,” Bradley said. He said there are other sources of money for road repairs.

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The largest source, Bradley said, is the federal Surface Transportation Unit program. A replacement for the Federal Aid Urban program that funded some major street repairs in Kewanee, the STU program is for major projects — such as fixing Main Street and South Street.

Bradley said the cost projections for the Motor Fuel Tax projects is the engineer’s estimate plus 10 percent. If bids for the work come in under the estimate, he said, more streets could be included in the program.

While the street program focuses on the northeast quadrant of the city, it also includes East McClure Street, which is a main route to school for many Wethersfield families; and some sections of streets in the west end of the city.

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One of the major projects is resurfacing Cole Street in the east end, which Bradley said gets heavy traffic and has some “really bad areas.”

Also Monday:

• Bradley reported to the council on the Illinois Solar for All program, which aims to provide solar systems to low-income homeowners. Current plans are to install solar panels on the roof of the City Hall-police station-fire station complex which would provide low-cost electricity for the city.

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The council voted to approve participation in the program. “I have been pushing solar for the past 3 1/2 years,” Moore said. “I’m very much in favor of this.”

• The council approved an ordinance amendment that allows the sale of fireworks in the city. Vendors will need to buy a $250 permit from the city and may only sell the fireworks from June 20 to July 4.

• The council renewed the agreement with Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg to provide Emergency Medical Technician training for Kewanee’s firefighter recruits.

• Moore announced that the city’s annual spring cleanup will be conducted from 7 a.m. to noon at the former Kewanee Hospital location at Elliott and Division streets. The mayor urged people to volunteer to help with the cleanup.

This article originally appeared on Star Courier: Kewanee council decides which Kewanee streets will get fixed this summer