Three condemned houses in Kewanee will be demolished, following action by the City Council Monday.
Boers Excavating was the low bidder to tear down a house at 210 S. Walnut St. for $7,000, one at 701 E. Fifth St. for $5,500 and a third at 717 Florence St. for $9,000.
The city has received grants to help pay for tearing down condemned buildings, and in a memo to the council, City Manager Gary Bradley wrote that Keith Edwards, the city’s community development offer, is preparing an application for another demolition grant of $80,000.
Also Monday:
— DeReu Construction received approval for rezoning two lots in the 1100 block of West Church Street to M-1 manufacturing district. Representatives of the company told the Planning Commission last week that they plan to store vehicles on the property, and eventually hope to put up a building there.
— The council approved a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreement with Ken Westefer for a building he owns at 325 W. Fourth St.
The agreement calls for the city to loan $15,000 in TIF funds to Westefer, and to forgive one-fifth of the loan amount per year for five years. The city will also reimburse Westefer for 50 percent of the annual increase in property taxes on the property until he has received $25,000.
Westefer told the council he will use the money to fix the building’s roof and sewer hookup.
— The council voted to accept the bid of Gustafson Ford for a 2024 Ford Escape for the police department.
The Gustafson bid was the highest of three the city received for the vehicle, but Police Chief Stephen Kijanowski recommended accepting it because it was from a local dealer and it was for a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Mayor Gary Moore said he agreed with preferring a local bidder but felt the bid, which was more than $2,000 higher than the next-highest bid, was too much. Moore voted against the purchase.
