By EVERETT CRAVEN

Eagle Copy Editor

At Monday night’s regular meeting, the Bushnell City Council approved requests from the local VFW and Bushnell Park District to have the parking lot and a portion of Hail Street fenced off for the Sept. 12 Grills Gone Wild barbeque cook-off. The event, though officially starting at 4:30 p.m., would require the street closure at approximately 8 a.m. Council also agreed to loan snow fences to the event.

Alderman Kevin Crawford reported progress of city restrooms the Lion’s Club has been refurbishing. “We are close to being done with them. We got a little touch-up painting to do,” Crawford said. New lights and urinals have been installed. He added, “The outside is shining a little bit better than in the past.”

Alderman David Norton told Crawford, “It’s good to have you back.”

When asked if he would be there for all the night, referring to his early departure from the last council meeting after not feeling well, Alderman Crawford respond, “Well, I’m planning on it. It depends if anyone here gets on my nerves tonight.”

In other business:

• Ald. McDonald reported some of the Pin Oak trees in the park have an incurable disease. There are $300 injections that can treat the disease, prolonging the tree’s life but never curing it. McDonald suggested it would be prudent to cut down the trees now and get new ones planted.

 

• Council approved two payments to McClure’s Engineering, one for $16,058 for Wells and Hail sanitary sewers and a second for $29,218.54 for southwest sewer design.

• Alderman Jon Fayhee said the cemetery has asked for help to have sewer and water lines extended to a building the cemetery has constructed. Some council members expressed concern about the costs of such a project. Gas lines are already in place. The issue will be discussed more at a later meeting.

• Council approved resolution to set usage and fees for the city copy machine. Customers may have up to five copies free each week, but any copies beyond that will be $0.25 each.

• Council approved second reading of Ordinance 2009-6. The ordinance adds a $10 handling fee to each liquor license payments made on a quarterly basis. It also states a $50 late fee shall be assess for any late payments. In addition to the fee, any licensee who has not paid within 10 days of the due date shall be closed for operating without a valid license.

• Council approved minutes from Aug. 3 meeting.

• Council accepted July 2009 Financial Statement Report.

• City Clerk Donna Coates expressed concerns with the state of the stage in the park.