Salem gets two new councilmen tonight. Frank Addison and Gerald Molenhour will be sworn in for four-year terms after winning the April 1st election. Current Councilman, Royce Bringwald, who lost the election, was later appointed to complete the two years remaining on the term of City Councilman Tracy Crouch who earlier resigned. Councilman Jim Koehler decided not to run for another year but has been appointed to the Historical Commission to continue work on promoting William Jennings Bryan and improving his birthplace home.
The Salem City Council Monday night will consider two downtown tax increment financing district building renovation projects. One of the projects is to convert the building at 207 East Main into a medical office for Crea Rose with a maximum of $45,000 for TIF eligible project costs. The second is for the renovation of a building by Jered Gambill at 210 West Main Street with a maximum reimbursement of $110,000.
The council will consider an agreement with Milano and Grunloh Engineers, LLC to enter into a Professional Service Agreement for a proposed sewer system improvement project through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Funding. Under the proposal, the city would have to pay $80,000 for Design Engineering and $ 70,000 for Construction Engineering. But in the event funding is not secured, the city will not be responsible for any payment to the consultant.
The city council will be asked to bring the city into compliance with the Illinois Paid Leave Act. The act requires employers to allow paid time off work to be used after 90 consecutive days of employment. The city’s current personnel policy had a 12-month waiting period for newly hired employees before the accrued time off could be used.
There will be a reception for outgoing and new city council members at 5:30 Monday afternoon at Salem City Hall. The meeting will follow at six Monday night.
