Kewanee city officials plan to notify the Kewanee Economic Development Corp. (KEDC) that they will cut off the city’s contributions to the organization.
But that message will leave the door open for the contributions to be resumed in the future, although possibly at a lower level.
At the last council meeting, Mayor Gary Moore said he didn’t feel that the city is getting its money’s worth for the $30,000 contribution it makes to KEDC each year.
Kathy Albert, the KEDC’s executive director, responded with a lengthy listing of her agency’s actions on the city’s behalf.
At this week’s council meeting, City Manager Gary Bradley said a 90-day notice to KEDC is required before the funding can be ceased. He said that as far as he knew, the most-current payment to the agency hasn’t been made yet.
Bradley and Moore met with Chip Eastman, president of the KEDC board of directors, in the days following Moore’s comments. Bradley said Eastman proposed continuing the city’s financial support of KEDC, but perhaps at a lower level.
The city manager said his letter will say city officials are willing to “discuss future relationships with them.”
Moore said KEDC is “not a bad partner to have.” But he added, “We’re not getting the best for our investment,”
He said he sees no short-term or long-term goals that KEDC has set, and there has been “nothing new” coming out of the monthly meetings city officials have with KEDC.
Moore pointed out that when the Henry County Tourism Council sought financial support at a level that city officials didn’t feel was justified by the amount of effort Kewanee received, an agreement was reached to lower the amount the city pays. He said he feels a similar course could be taken with KEDC.
The mayor said he wants the city and KEDC to “move forward in a positive, constructive way,” and suggested that the council and staff hold a public meeting to discuss how the city government and KEDC can improve their working relationship.
Council members expressed support for this, but no vote was taken.
Also Monday:
— After a prolonged discussion, the council agreed to purchase a Kubota skid loader from Pillar Equipment, a Quad-Cities dealer, for the public works department.
The $71,119 bid was just over $600 lower than a bid the city received for a John Deere loader, and Councilman Steve Faber said he felt the Deere equipment would be a better purchase when there was such a small price differential.
Faber, who spent more than 30 years working for the Henry County Highway Department, said there’s no question that the John Deere loader is a superior piece of equipment.
But Public Works Director Kevin Newton said the public works employees prefer the Kubota machine because they feel it is easier to operate.
Faber voted against the purchase.
— The council authorized Bradley to “enter into a new agreement with the lowest responsible energy supplier” to choose “the most cost-effective option for its energy needs.”
The city’s current contract with Constellation Energy sets the price of electricity at 4.434 cents per kilowatt hour.
— The city’s contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for the self-insured employee healthcare plan was renewed.
— Bids will be taken for a now-vacant lot at 1105 Roseview Ave. The city demolished a condemned structure on that lot earlier this year.
— Mark Strandberg and Joe Cervantez were named to the Fire and Police Commission.
