The Macomb City Council voted Monday to concur with Mayor Mike Inman’s decision to accept with regret the resignation of Ashley Katz as 5th Ward alderman. Inman said Katz, who served for more than five years, resigned due to a busy family life. The mayor has until the end of November to appoint a new alderman.
The Council voted to approve a contract, for a total of $70, between the Macomb Public Transit Department and the Macomb Area Economic Development Corporation (MAEDCO) for a bus shuttle this week to take Tri-State Annual Summit attendees to tour the Pella factory. Inman told aldermen that nearly 40 counties were sending representatives to the summit on the Western Illinois University campus In other business, aldermen voted to authorize the beginning of contract negotiations with Crawford, Murphy and Tilly Engineering Services. The firm was chosen from a field of five applicants to develop biological removal design work on phosphorus and nitrogen at the city sewer plant.
The council also voted to authorize a list of equipment to be purchased by the city street department, including a new street sweeper ($397,516), skid steer ($90,766) to replace a 2008 model, a two-ton truck ($115,873) to replace a 2012 model, a backhoe ($110,000) to replace a 2012 model, and concrete grinder ($16,571). City Administrator Scott Coker said the city will secure a bank loan to pay for the equipment.
The City Council also voted to accept the August activity report from the Macomb Police Department. Chief Todd Tedrow said the department received 1,432 calls for service and officers made 44 arrests, including 23 theft cases and four burglaries. Tedrow reported that a taser was fired Aug. 28 when a weapon was pointed at officers during a response to a home invasion.
