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Warsaw road project on ‘wish list'
By Cindy Iutzi/Gate City Staff Writer
WARSAW, Ill. - Information about a main thoroughfare in Warsaw, Ill., could be near the top of the heap of infrastructure project requests considered by the next administration in Washington, D.C.
“When the new president (Barack Obama) gets in, he's going to sign an infrastructure bill,” said Mayor Robert Frank. “Anyone ready in 90 days could be funded.”
The project would entail rebuilding Sixth Street, which is “highly traveled in Warsaw,” Frank said.
The blacktop road, actually an extension of the Warsaw Road that runs north and south through town, is highly crowned in the middle and has serious culvert issues.
“The existing street has an asphalt surface with concrete curb and gutter,” Frank wrote in a letter to Congressman Phil Hare, D-Illinois. “It was constructed 60-plus years ago and ... has been patched and repaired so many times it is no longer feasible to continue trying to maintain the current street. It needs to be completely rebuilt.”
Frank has met with city engineer Charles Bach of Poepping, Stone, Bach and Associates, Keokuk, who estimated total project costs at $4 million. Construction could begin as early as April 15, 2009.
Sixth Street crosses Main Street at the city's flashing red light and extends south from that point for six blocks or about 2,100 feet. As a major north/south connector route in Warsaw, Sixth Street “is heavily used by local commuters and people traveling through Warsaw,” Frank said.
Sixth Street intersects Main, which runs east to Illinois Route 96 at its north end and to “recently reconstructed Federal Aid Secondary Route 1600, which runs north to U.S. Highway 136,” Frank told Hare. “Both routes are heavily used by commuters and commercial trucks.”
In other infrastructure construction news, a start date for moving the city's water intake to a more protected location in the Mississippi River is still pending.
Water Department Superintendent Joe Samuels said Lambourne Diving has indicated that it would start on the project Jan. 29, 2009.
In the meantime, the city is using a pump supplied by Lambourne to keep Warsaw's water supply intact.
“When visiting with Lambourne they said it would take seven to 10 days to put it in from when they start,” Samuels said.
“How can they do it with ice on it?” asked council member Chris Huston.
“They said they could,” Samuels said. “I'm going to hold them to it. We've had faith and we've waited. Now they have to step up and do it.”
Warsaw also is looking at a silt abatement job at the city's lagoon. The Mississippi River flood left a great amount of silt in the lagoon when the water subsided.
“Bach has written to get a lagoon repair extension,” Frank said. “We have a request in at (Washington) D.C. for $1.3 million (cost estimate by Poepping, Stone and Bach). We don't have it approved yet.”
Frank explained the Federal Emergency Management Agency request had to go to the capitol because it exceeds $1 million.
“We can't do anything unless we get it,” he added. “We're waiting on Washington, D.C.”
“When the new president (Barack Obama) gets in, he's going to sign an infrastructure bill,” said Mayor Robert Frank. “Anyone ready in 90 days could be funded.”
The project would entail rebuilding Sixth Street, which is “highly traveled in Warsaw,” Frank said.
The blacktop road, actually an extension of the Warsaw Road that runs north and south through town, is highly crowned in the middle and has serious culvert issues.
“The existing street has an asphalt surface with concrete curb and gutter,” Frank wrote in a letter to Congressman Phil Hare, D-Illinois. “It was constructed 60-plus years ago and ... has been patched and repaired so many times it is no longer feasible to continue trying to maintain the current street. It needs to be completely rebuilt.”
Frank has met with city engineer Charles Bach of Poepping, Stone, Bach and Associates, Keokuk, who estimated total project costs at $4 million. Construction could begin as early as April 15, 2009.
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Sixth Street intersects Main, which runs east to Illinois Route 96 at its north end and to “recently reconstructed Federal Aid Secondary Route 1600, which runs north to U.S. Highway 136,” Frank told Hare. “Both routes are heavily used by commuters and commercial trucks.”
In other infrastructure construction news, a start date for moving the city's water intake to a more protected location in the Mississippi River is still pending.
Water Department Superintendent Joe Samuels said Lambourne Diving has indicated that it would start on the project Jan. 29, 2009.
In the meantime, the city is using a pump supplied by Lambourne to keep Warsaw's water supply intact.
“When visiting with Lambourne they said it would take seven to 10 days to put it in from when they start,” Samuels said.
“How can they do it with ice on it?” asked council member Chris Huston.
“They said they could,” Samuels said. “I'm going to hold them to it. We've had faith and we've waited. Now they have to step up and do it.”
Warsaw also is looking at a silt abatement job at the city's lagoon. The Mississippi River flood left a great amount of silt in the lagoon when the water subsided.
“Bach has written to get a lagoon repair extension,” Frank said. “We have a request in at (Washington) D.C. for $1.3 million (cost estimate by Poepping, Stone and Bach). We don't have it approved yet.”
Frank explained the Federal Emergency Management Agency request had to go to the capitol because it exceeds $1 million.
“We can't do anything unless we get it,” he added. “We're waiting on Washington, D.C.”
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of dailygate.com.
In the O wrote on Jan 2, 2009 12:41 PM:
" Warsaw might also have a little help coming its way with Congressman Ray LaHood (Long-time Rep. from Peoria) being called upon for Transportation Secretary. This certainly won't hurt Warsaw's chances--thought, on second thought it might work against them, as LaHood might be familiar with very little to invest in/revenue that is left in the town (Besides maybe a few bars and an elevator). "
Warsaw-ite wrote on Dec 31, 2008 7:17 PM:
" I have nothing against the police force in Warsaw, ecspecially after the recent firing. I would say that that has been the best thing the department has done since it was started. I am saying that this town spending money that they don't have by holding a police force, such as the one they have. Do I think we need the law in this town? With-out question we do. I do think that what we currently have is over kill for a town of 1800 that has a crime rate that has to be minimal at best. (I do not know the excact number.) I don't believe the Warsaw is a hotbed for major crimes in Hancock County. So I would agree with other people on here when they say that this money that we are paying them, could be used more wisely. By the time you figure in hours paid, gas, insurance, equipment, and other expenses, we could have paid the county a portion on that to patrol our town. How often do we really need a cop in this town, as I would be curious as to what the request for a cop is daily. I would have to say minimal at best, like .3 times a day. This is not county thier everyday patrol hours.
I for one would love to have new roads in this town. I would be willing to bet that Warsaw has the worst roads of any town in a 250 mile radius. Our roads are in poor, poor condition and past the point were we can really do anything to them except for completely replace them. Whatever money we can save will help us in the long run. You have to run a town like a business, and we are not doing that right now. "
I for one would love to have new roads in this town. I would be willing to bet that Warsaw has the worst roads of any town in a 250 mile radius. Our roads are in poor, poor condition and past the point were we can really do anything to them except for completely replace them. Whatever money we can save will help us in the long run. You have to run a town like a business, and we are not doing that right now. "
My town wrote on Dec 31, 2008 12:11 PM:
" The water could use a lot of help pretty nasty tasting and smelling. Smells like fish for a couple of days then it turns around and smells like chlorine so bad it burns your nose when you try to drink it. Prettty sad when you can't stand to drink the "CLEAN & SAFE" water that someone previously mentioned. Yea it might be free of all the harmful things but you still can't stand the taste of it. Just seems like there is a lot of change in the quality of our drinking water never know from day to day if you are going to be able to stand to drink it or not!
The police department are all amazing men they would do anything for anyone that needed it. Does it really matter how much the car cost if they are responding to something that YOU needed there help for? "
The police department are all amazing men they would do anything for anyone that needed it. Does it really matter how much the car cost if they are responding to something that YOU needed there help for? "
to man about town wrote on Dec 31, 2008 11:45 AM:
" hey DJ.......quit playing that broken record. This sound and lights show is getting a bit old. "
Warsaw-ite wrote on Dec 31, 2008 9:07 AM:
" Although some of this is ignorant at best, I do agree with some of it. Cross training is a good idea, so why not do it. Every other corp. in the country is doing it, while eliminating jobs and saving money at the same time. WWD does not even read the meters in town, they pay to have an individual from town do it for them. I was very good friends with a guy who had this particular job at the Water Dept. I could tell you to the "T" how difficult this job is. 95% of the time this job consists of watching levels on gauges and taking samples to run tests on. This is not a difficult job and I highly doubt it takes two to do it, although I do think this job is important, very important. I do not have a clue what these workers do all day, but I don't think the mayor or the city management has a clue either(most of the time). This town is blowing alot of money were it could be used more wisely. Our water intake has been an issue since day one, but instead we have chosen to advance a police force that gives minimum kick-back to Warsaw. Should we get rid of them, maybe...Use the county as before. This town has never been in the debt that it is in now, mainly due to bad choice's made by the people that we voted to do so. "
To Man About Town wrote on Dec 30, 2008 5:24 PM:
" Sounds like you were turned down for a job with a city position. "
Why not wrote on Dec 30, 2008 5:06 PM:
" Maybe Warsaw should do away w/ the Water Dept., Police force, street crew,city council, taxes, etc., etc. and just become its own third world country. That may be the only way to get some of the people to quit complaining. Nice town with great folks...to bad a couple idiots can try to give it a bad name by talking about things they are too ignorant to understand...and yes Man About Town, that is aimed at you! "
set the record straight wrote on Dec 30, 2008 3:32 PM:
" what is wrong with all you people? do you have nothing better to do than bash this town. If you hate it that much then why don't you move. I'm tired of the city workers being bashed on, you people really have no clue what these workers do all day. Man about town I don't know who you are but you are dead wrong in everything you say and I don't know where you get your information so just stop posting things you know nothing about. "
TO MAN ABOUT TOWN wrote on Dec 30, 2008 3:14 PM:
" I guess you would prefer to go down to the river and carry your water up to your house and when you get there don't forget to treat that water and run the proper tests and samples so you know it is clean, safe and free of stuff like E.coli , trihalomethane , criptosperdiam and all of the viruses and bacteria that is in that river. Or i am sure you could go down and show the guys how to run the plant, and for goodness sake don't forget to do something with all that water when all the residents are done with it. Enough arguing I'm just saying I like to have clean safe water in my house so stop complaining about everything you don't have a clue about. "
Man about town wrote on Dec 30, 2008 11:56 AM:
" If we do get the taxes will probably go up... because then we will have one street that we can actually use our street sweeper on. Our town throws away $100,000 a year in wages so two guys can do nothing all day at the water department....So two guys can ride together to Keokuk and get a bolt to put on another vehicle that they can both ride around in...So we can have a police force that in larger than New York City's(per capita-look it up). I think they need to do a little cross training so this town can save some money. The engineer that put this water intake in should be responsible for his handy work, not the goverment. I wish I had a job like that. "
This will turn ugly quick wrote on Dec 30, 2008 8:17 AM:
" Maybe we could have used some on the thousands of dollars that we have spent on out police department to help the push to repair the things that this town could actually use. But, one the otherhand I do feel alot safer now that we have a new $20,000 plus cop car. Why does it take two guys to do every job on the city department? There probably is another $30,000 a yaer that this city throws away that could have been used for the things that we actually need. The city department obviously does not take care of these roads or we wouldn't be put in this position. WAIT, 3 guys to run the water department....God only knows how many cops. There roughly another $60,000 that we could have used on things that this city could actually use. "
man of the town wrote on Dec 29, 2008 5:27 PM:
" maybe if we get all the roads fixed in this town there wont be a need to have too guys ride around in the same truck day and night to spread salt. i mean i guess it takes one man to drive and one to run the controls. "
Ken S. wrote on Dec 23, 2008 4:45 PM:
" Isn't it wonderful that every local project in America might get funded as soon as Santa Claus takes office in January? Don't get me wrong -- I'm not necessarily saying there isn't a need for this project, but it bothers me that financial institutions, mortgage lenders, investment banks, homeowners, insurance companies, auto manufacturers, and government entities are lining up at the government trough to gorge on our children's futures.
We can't afford to keep spending like this with the expectation that government can solve all of our problems. I know Mr. Obama plans to grab his share of the wealth of the rich and "spread it around", but the problem I have with this is that when the rich run out of money, where do you think he'll tap for the next round of cash? That's right -- the rest of us. The only ones who will be immune from a tax increase will be those who don't work.
Then they'll have us where they want us: broke, jobless, and destitute. We can all go on the dole and sing songs together and watch Mother Earth retake control of "her" planet.
And to think, this whole mess got started one "easy payment at a time".
So -- what's in your wallet?
Keep your change -- it's all you'll have left! "
We can't afford to keep spending like this with the expectation that government can solve all of our problems. I know Mr. Obama plans to grab his share of the wealth of the rich and "spread it around", but the problem I have with this is that when the rich run out of money, where do you think he'll tap for the next round of cash? That's right -- the rest of us. The only ones who will be immune from a tax increase will be those who don't work.
Then they'll have us where they want us: broke, jobless, and destitute. We can all go on the dole and sing songs together and watch Mother Earth retake control of "her" planet.
And to think, this whole mess got started one "easy payment at a time".
So -- what's in your wallet?
Keep your change -- it's all you'll have left! "
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Joe the Plumer wrote on Jan 4, 2009 2:39 PM: