Mayor Keith Cain: A standing ovation

PRINCETON — Tears filled the eyes of Mayor Keith Cain as a standing ovation filled the room and Cain said his farewell to the Princeton City Council, Monday, April 20.

“Keith and I always didn’t agree on a lot of things, but what we did agree on was parting our ways as friends and co-councilors. So my hat’s off to Keith; thank you for your service, and I hope you have a fruitful retirement,” said commissioner Bob Warren.

“It’s time for me to retire from this and move on,” said Cain.

Cain reminisced, after working with 21 different commissioners and one other mayor, there have been a lot of very different personalities on the council. Throughout his long career — three years as a commissioner and 16 years as the mayor of Princeton, he said he believed these individuals along with himself have worked to move Princeton forward.

“I think that’s positive. It will continue, hopefully, and I think I will see that happen with the new council coming in, to keep moving this city in the right direction. No one wants to see their city move backwards.”

Cain thanked commissioner Ray Swanson, who was also attending his last meeting as a commissioner, for his 12 years of service on the council before he thanked his family and friends for their gracious support throughout his career and for being present Monday evening.

Commencing Cain’s final meeting as Princeton mayor, he led his nephew Aaron Querciagrossa in Querciagrossa’s oath of office with the Princeton Police Department.

Cain said he had not known his nephew was going to be taking the oath of office with the city. He also commented on how this great surprise was a demonstration of how the police department could take the politics out of the business.

“Aaron, I know you will do a great job for the city,” said Cain.

In other business the current council approved on its second and final reading the final plat for the Princeton Diamond Development on South Gosse Boulevard.

“I am still concerned as many are about the sewer systems with this new project. The traffic crossing, the cut through on Gosse; it’ll create other problems for the crossing of children at school time,” said local resident Geraldine Woodleaf.

“Our job market is limited; where will these people come from? … Our population is going down; we are losing our youth. Is this what we want to call growth?” she asked the council.

Previously reported in the Bureau County Republican, the Princeton Diamond Development is proposing to build 40 units of senior housing for those 55 years and over on 7.5 acres of land just east of South Gosse Boulevard and west of Westside Park.

Ben and David Porush are the developers of the project that will consist of eight buildings with five rental units per building plus a community center and office, said Daniel Kramer, an attorney of Yorkville, representing the Porushes. There will be eight standard two-bedroom units, 23 two-bedroom units and the rest being a mixture of handicapped accessible and handicapped adaptable units. All of the buildings are single-story ranch units.

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In other business:

• Approved the ordinance rezoning the property at the Princeton Logistics Park from a Manufacturing M-1 to a Manufacturing M-2 at its second and final reading.

• Tabled the Regional Economic Development Funding until its next meeting, so the new council could hear the proposal and make the approval if they wish to. Princeton City Manager Jeff Clawson agreed to bring in the same proposal presentation he had presented to other councils in surrounding communities.

• Accepted the proposal for the purchase of a new Princeton Fire Truck at around $210,000. Clawson explained funding for the truck will be supplied by multiple entities including $25,000 from the Illinois foreign fire tax (tax collected from businesses outside of Illinois), $25,000 from the memorial and donations fund and $100,000 from the rural fire district. The council agreed to collect the remaining $60,000 from the electric cash reserves. Over time, the Princeton Fire Department will pay this money back.

• Agreed to extend the BueComm lease by 90 days.

• Appointed Mike Smith to the Industrial Development Commission on a partial three-year term expiring in June of 2017.