With some reluctance, the City Council Monday approved the purchase of a van for the Kewanee Police Department.
The price of the 2022 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid van — $39,173 — wasn’t the issue. The police department will pay for the van from the proceeds of a grant the department recently received.
But the council had some doubts about how the van would be used.
Deputy Police Chief Stephen Kijanowski told the council the department would use the van to transport people in situations where it wouldn’t be appropriate to use a squad car.
For example, Kijanowski said, sometimes people with mental-health issues need to be transported somewhere for treatment.
When the needed treatment isn’t needed locally, he said, the van could be used to take them out of town. Using a van for such transport would be “less dramatic” for the person that putting them in a squad car, he said.
Mayor Gary Moore, a retired police officer, had some doubts.
“I just don’t feel there’s been enough homework done on this,” Moore said.
He added that “We’re not a taxi service.”
Moore said state law puts the burden of transporting patients out of town on the county sheriff’s department. When he was an officer, he said, the sheriff’s department declined such services.
Since the county is receiving money from a special sales tax, the mayor said, they should be spending some of that money on transit of patients.
The van, purchased from Gustafson Ford, would be paid for with a grant the police department received for combatting crime in rural communities.
The purpose of the grant — and of purchasing the van — is taking “a proactive approach to trying to prevent crimes,” City Manager Gary Bradley said.
The purchase was approved unanimously, with Moore voting in favor “with some concerns.”
Councilman Chris Colomer said the real goal should be making mental health services available in Kewanee.
Also Monday:
— Moore announced that Steve Morrison has resigned from the Planning Commission after 47 years’ service.
Morrison has been chairman of the commission for much of that time.
The council appointed Kim Sellers chair of the commission, and named Dan Kuffel to the vacancy created by Morrison’s resignation.
— A payment from the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) fund was approved for the VanDeVelde Wellness Center at Hollis and West South streets.
The grant will be used for repairs to the building and parking lot. Bradley said the exact amount of the grant hasn’t been determined yet, but it will be less than $25,000.
— Hype Inc., doing business as Cerno’s, was granted permission to set up a beer garden in West Third Street during the upcoming Prairie Chicken Festival.
— A contract with Brandt Construction Co. for $299,736 for resurfacing and sealcoating local streets was approved. Bradley said the work will be paid for with funds that had been approved last year for street work that wasn’t done then.
— The city’s annual appropriation ordinance was approved, following a public hearing in which no one came forward to testify.
