Limestone and levy: City still has cleanup work to do, and council approves tax increase
Limestone building
The city will file two
A public meeting for the grant applications was held at Tuesday's
"The results came back on the soil and groundwater, which show elevated levels of VOCs and metals," City Administrator
VOCs are volatile organic compounds, gases that are emitted from solids or liquids. They include a variety of chemicals that can impact health, and some are known to cause cancer.
"It wasn't a big surprise because there was a paint shop in the building that used lead-based paints," Blackert said.
The public meetings are often called for grants, in part to demonstrate community engagement, but only one person was in the audience.
Two areas, the lower dam and
"The lower dam is the number one fishing spot here, and we wouldn't want that closed to fishing," Sterba said. "The park district wants to be a good partner to the city in the grant process, just as they have been to us in the past."
As a resident, Sterba said he owns several pieces of property in town, and that any tax dollars spent to clean up the area and improve the quality of life is money well spent.
The applications will be submitted Monday, just ahead of the
Tax levy approved
The council OK'd a proposed 4.99 percent increase in the city's portion of residents' tax bills. The city's levy is 17 percent of the tax bill. The largest percentage of the bill is the 55 percent that goes to the city's high school and grade school districts, while about 10 percent is levied by
Based on a
The city's line item would be
The rising cost of funding police and fire pensions once again told the story at tax levy time.
"About 55 percent of this year's levy is for pensions," Blackert said. "The EAV was up 1.39 percent, but we were about
The city's total unfunded liability is
Developers looking at city property
The city took action on a real estate matter after going into closed session. A resolution was passed to enter a listing agreement with a broker, allowing them to offer 11 acres of city land to an interested local investment group.
Mayor
"They want 11 acres, and they've looked at the Schmitt property and Glen's Garden Subdivision near the interstate," Wescott said. "The 11 acres could be on either side."
Per the agreement, the potential investors will have 90 days to make an offer on the city's property.
NEXT MEETING
The agendas will be posted at rockfalls61071.net and at
The council meeting also airs live on
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