Open House Set for Saturday at Savanna Skateboard Park

Chip Colgan of Colgan Excavating laying down some donated dirt on top of the existing gravel that rings the concrete base of the new City of Savanna Skateboard Park, located just off Rt. 84 on Portland Ave., south of the 4-way traffic lights.

“The park may be located in Savanna, but we want to stress that it is a regional park, and kids from everywhere are always welcome,” said Kurt Dreger, coordinator of the event.

Work is underway this week, as the equipment arrived by truck Monday evening. Construction is expected to be completed by Friday. A Ribbon-Cutting Open House is set for Saturday, June 5, starting at 10:00 a.m. Sen. Mike Jacobs, a strong supporter of the park in word and deed (Jacobs acquired a $75,000 state grant towards the project) will be at the Park for the ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m. There are also over $4000 in prizes that will be given away, but you’ve got to be present to win! “Fat Jack” Fosdick will prepare some delicious food.

“Kids are urged to come early and use the facility up to the beginning of the open house,” Dreger added. “Then after the ribbon cutting and prize give-aways, they can get back on the equipment and enjoy this new attraction.”

Anyone that is planning to attend the Open House and use the equipment is reminded to wear their helmets, a requirement of the facility. For more information, call Kurt Dreger at . (PA photo/Michael Miller)

Savanna Skateboard Park Opening Ceremony Set for Saturday

Michael Miller For The Prairie Advocate News

SAVANNA – Savanna Councilman Jack Fosdick announced at the Council’s May 25th regular meeting that the City’s long sought Skateboard Park will officially open with a special opening ceremony on Saturday, June 5th.

The meeting was attended by Council members Fosdick, Lois Hunsaker, Jeff Griswold, Bill Grummitt, Peg Haffey, Merle Long, and Bill Robinson, with Rosalie Hansen absent. Also in attendance were Mayor Larry Stebbins, City Clerk Paul Hartman, Paul Jensen (sitting in for City Attorney Phil Jensen), and Treasurer/Comptroller Sheryl Sipe.

Committee reports were up first, with Grummitt reviewing the events of the last Hotel/Motel Committee meeting. Among the highlights of the report included the news that the County Tax Board is considering erecting a billboard south of Savanna which will welcome visitors to Carroll County for a cost of $600.00, at times in which the display isn’t being used by other parties. Grummitt said that organizations who would like to utilize the sign to publicize upcoming events should contact the Hotel/Motel Committee. He said that Connie Zink had requested $100.00 to copy flyers advertising the upcoming Garden Walk (the profits of which will go to the Savanna Historical Society), and that this request was approved.

Grummitt said that Paul Meyer of the Website Committee has been asked to improve the City’s website. Long commented that there is no real information about upcoming events on the City website and that he’d like to see something more along the lines of the Chamber of Commerce’s site which provides much more information about events. Sipe replied that the City employees don’t currently possess the expertise to encode more information and that the City site was intended merely intended to provide a calendar for events, nothing more. There was general consensus that perhaps the Chamber website should therefore be the one named on the sign outside the City offices when it was pertinent.

Robinson followed with the Water/Sewers/Streets/Alleys/Refuse Committee report. He said that Superintendent of Public Works Lindeman had ordered new scales to test for accuracy on determining transfer station fees. The Committee also reviewed the lists provided by the Council members for the citywide street improvement project. Robinson added that the Committee had looked at the “grind and mix” method of street improvement and weren’t very happy with the results. He also reported on a letter the City had received from IDOT stating that the City’s share of the repair work on Chicago Avenue and Main Street would be $47.922.00. A second letter was then received, revising this estimate to $55,241.00. He said that the Committee decided to “wait until they were locked in to a better price” to bring it back to the Council for final approval, though paperwork had been sent back that the City did want to participate in the project.

Fosdick was up next with the Finance Committee report. He said two items had been discussed at the just finished committee meeting. John LeCompte had given a review of the Savanna Historical Society’s energy grant, saying that the proposed grant for geothermal wells was no longer useable and that the Society was now going for a new grant. This grant was for $59, 461.00 and needs to go through the City in order to be implemented, with the Finance Committee recommending approval by the Council. The grant would be for windows, doors, insulation and other energy related items.

The Committee also reviewed an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Grant for $600,000.00 but took no action on this item, and will deal with it in the next meeting.

Skateboard Park Update

Fosdick said the Skateboard Park made a request for funds (already in budget), for $5,000.00 for a park fence and miscellaneous items. After looking at quotes for chain link fences at approximately $7,000.00 the Committee received an offer from Kurt Dreger to use limestone boulders to ring the park in order to keep motorized vehicles off the park. Lars Colgan offered to move these boulders and put gravel down for $3500.00. Fosdick motioned to pay for ‘perimeter protection’ for the skateboard park and to allow Colgan to begin work and the motion was unanimously approved. A related request for an amount not to exceed $500.00 for gravel for the skateboard park parking area was likewise unanimously approved.

Fosdick also delivered the Skateboard Park/Snowmobile Committee report. He talked about the proposal from Colgan and added that Colgan would be donating dirt to firm up the concrete base to make things safer for the kids. He also made a motion to instruct Lindeman to core out a section of the park to allow parking and to use the City’s “brush hog” to clear out other sections, with the total amount of work being less than two hours. The motion was unanimously approved.

He reported that the park will have a grand opening ceremony at 10:00 A.M., on June 5th of this year, with Senator Mike Jacobs slated to appear and cut the ceremonial ribbon. Kurt Dreger and others were able to get local businesses to buy skateboards, with B.P.Graphics agreeing to do all the graphics and Arnold’s Bicycle in Thomson has sold $100 boards to the City for 40 dollars. 31 of these boards will be given away at the opening day ceremony. He added that Dennis McFadden of the Park District was present and that he seemed pleased with the way things were progressing.

In this Council’s review of the annual Police and Fire Commission report, Mayor Stebbins acknowledged “one of this committee’s longest serving volunteers”, Bill Wright. He also mentioned Harry Grissinger who has been a volunteer fireman since 1967.

The Council reviewed a number of items in New Business. They read by title only an ordinance (#1947) dealing with definitions relating to circuses and carnival, and likewise read by title only Ordinance #1948, which repealed earlier language involving the same issue.

Acting on a recommendation from the Hotel/Motel Committee, the Council considered then approved a contract renewal for the committee’s paid consultant, Ashley Hatteberg. They also unanimously passed Resolution #1004 dealing with determining the prevailing rate of wages under the Prevailing Wage Act.

Hotel expansion discussed

The last item of business concerned a request by Scott Sullivan for a development and re-zoning agreement. Stebbins explained that Sullivan expressed a desire to add 28 rooms onto his motel. Mr. Sullivan needs a building permit take advantage of the area’s enterprise zone. Robinson suggested adding language stating that if nothing happens with the zoning issue within 90 days, the agreement stops. Jensen said that the word “expeditious” (describing the developer’s pursuit of the rezoning) was “vague”. Fosdick suggested the building permit be issued with a “90 day sunset clause”. The Council moved to add language to the agreement stating that if the property in question wasn’t rezoned from an “R2” to a “B2” classification within 90 days of the issuing of the building permit, the City could issue a stop work order. This motion was unanimously approved.

In comments, Kurt Dreger told the Council “thank you” for their support in the skateboard park project.