September 20, 2024
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Yorkville City Council approves revitalization construction projects

Yorkville council approved apply for grants for East Hydraulic Streetscape

By Joey Weslo
Yorkville City staff plan on installing a one-way street in the downtown district with a multi-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians to improve safety and traffic flow.

Yorkville City staff plan on installing a one-way street in the downtown district with a multi-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians to improve safety and traffic flow. (Provided by Yorkville City Staff)

The Yorkville City Council continued the city’s revitalization trend of the downtown district and upgrading infrastructure, approving multiple construction projects at the Sept. 10 meeting, including their grant proposal for the East Hydraulic Avenue Streetscape Project.

The project, which includes turning East Hydraulic Avenue into a one-way street and creating multi-use bicycle and walking paths connecting to the larger trail system, is part of an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant proposal. The project is estimated to cost $5,310,300, with federal grant funds covering $3,000,000, and the city investing $1,310,300.

“This is the type of project that 10 to 15 years ago, when we were in the middle of our fiscal distress, we could not do because we did not have the reserve funds available. Now we do,” Yorkville City Administrator Bart Olson told the City Council.

While maintaining the downtown’s historical aesthetic, the project is designed to revitalize the visual character of the district and improve safety along the railroad tracks by redirecting traffic and improving pedestrian crossings.

City staff are procuring feedback from downtown businesses but have not yet received comment on their design plans.

The plans also connect the 10-mile recreational trail along Route 47 through the downtown district.

“It enhances connection points for everybody that’s traveling through town on a bike, running, or walking,” said Olson to the council. “We haven’t done any significant public investment in this area in 30 to 40 years. We have repaved the streets, but lack of private investment in some of the buildings in the adjacent area shows.”

City staff previously moved forward plans to rejuvenate the downtown district by creating a community gathering area for outdoor events and concerts and improving building facades of the district’s businesses.

The final ITEP grant proposal is due Sept. 30, with winners announced next spring.

The City Council also moved forward with multiple construction and infrastructure projects throughout the city.

Aldermen unanimously approved an engineering contract with Engineering Enterprises Inc. to resurface East Van Emmon Street. Construction is planned to begin in spring 2025. City staff estimate the project will cost $461,400, with Yorkville responsible for $92,280, and the remaining covered by the federally funded Surface Transportation Program.

The Yorkville-Bristol Sanitary District water main extension will run along Jaycee Pond and across Blackberry Creek.

The Yorkville-Bristol Sanitary District water main extension will run along Jaycee Pond and across Blackberry Creek. (Provided by Yorkville City Staff)

The council also moved forward a water main extension for the expansion of the Yorkville-Bristol Sanitary District. According to city documents, the expansion is needed to accommodate the region’s fast growing population and the expanding City boundaries.

A $49,928 engineering contract with Engineering Enterprises Inc. to plan and supervise the project was unanimously approved by the council. The city is directly responsible for $9,800, with the YBSD covering the rest.

The water main extension will run down W. Center Street and along Jaycee Pond. The extension also crosses Blackberry Creek and River Road, fully connecting the extended water main to the YBSD plant expansion.

The City Council approved, with Alderman Arden Joe Plocher voting “present” and all others voting “yes,” a contract with Winninger Excavating Inc. to complete the actual construction to the total amount of $517,247.

City workers also are getting a pay bump after the council unanimously approved a 5.5% mid-contract wage increase for Public Works and Parks Department staffers.

The Public Works and Parks employees’ union, Local 150, argued that their previous 3% wage increase approved in May 2022 needed to be increased to match the raises approved by the council for non-union personnel and other city unions, like the police officers’ union.

According to the Social Security Administration, responsible for tabulating federal cost of living adjustments, the 2024 cost of living has increased 3.2% on national average.

“Thank you all for your support. I know the employees appreciate it as well,” Yorkville Mayor John Purcell told the council.

The new memorandum of understanding between the city and the Local 150 union runs through April 2026.