City approves track construction plans

Resolution to allow a rail spur to be built onto Continental Tire the Americas property 

MT. VERNON — The Mt. Vernon City Council on Monday approved a resolution allowing a rail spur to be built onto Continental Tire the Americas property.

City Manager Ron Neibert said the city applied for a $1.129 million grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation to facilitate the building of the railroad tracks onto Continental property.

The railroad spur at Continental Tire the Americas will be a strip of land 20 feet in width beginning at the intersection of the north right of way light of Woodlawn Drive and the east right of way line of the Union Pacific Railroad, information states. The spur will continue north about 809 feet.

“The grant money will be used to connect and construct a railroad spur from Continental Tire to a Union Pacific track, and that will assist them in their expansion projects they’ve undertaken,” he said. “The project will be coordinated and paid for entirely by the city through the grant; there will be no city funds involved in this project.”

Neibert said though the rail spur will go to an older part of the Continental campus, it will support the new construction at the facility.

He said the city received the grant in 2009 and it has taken since then to iron out the details of the project.

City Council member Dennis McEnaney said Neibert and Mary Ellen Bechtel of the Jefferson County Development Corporation deserved applause for arranging the project.

“All the work that went into getting this grant, it’s a lot of effort,” he said. “This is money that goes for a local business coming from the state. I just appreciate all the effort that went into this.”

Mayor Mary Jane Chesley commended the JCDC, the Jefferson County Tourism Department, and the police and fire departments for their work on the plans for the rail spur.

The grant will cover the total project cost, from erosion control to the hardware required for the railroad tracks.

The City Council moved to table a second reading of an ordinance that would rezone property located at 12188 East Harlan Road from the zoning classification AG to R-M2.

The property owner, Danny Ramsey, wishes to change the zoning classification so he may place a mobile home on the property; however, the City Council has proposed an ordinance that would prohibit the future placement of mobile homes outside designated mobile home parks.

City Council Member David Wood made a motion to table the ordinance until a City Council workshop, scheduled for Monday, Feb. 13 at 3 p.m., where the council will further discuss the proposed changes, as well as hear from the public.

In other business, the council:

• Approved a resolution approving a three-year audit proposal from Krehbiel and Associates, the city’s auditor since 1967, and;
• Approved a request from Neibert for reallocation of funds for the 2011/2012 budget, which included internal adjustments from department heads that Neibert said would have no affect on the city’s fund balances. 

 By RORYE O’CONNOR rorye.oconnor@register-news.com  February 8, 2012