The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by: Michael Rodeffer, The Quill
Mayor Kat Hasten-Reed opened the meeting at 7 p.m. on July 10th, leading everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The mayor praised all the city workers, council members, family, all the volunteers and community residents, for pulling together and helping with the clean-up of trees, limbs, and damage throughout the town after the June 29th storm, which turned the town into shambles.
There were tree limbs everywhere. Every block seemed to have extensive damage. Some trees hit houses and caused major damage.
Power line poles and wires fell onto some streets. The mayor also praised the Ameren Power Company for the quick response to the storm and excellent job they did.
The mayor praised all the workers and volunteers, many who were from out of town as doing an outstanding job.
Council member Randy Shumaker also commented on the great job the town’s volunteer fire department did as they responded to several calls for gas smells and power lines and tree limbs down in the the streets.
The fire department also housed the ambulance while power was out since the fire department had a generator.
The mayor had asked for assistance from the Illinois Department of Transportation and a state highway crew came in and cleaned up trees and branches along Main Street and along the highway north of town. Inmates from the Kewanee Department of Corrections were sent in and helped for several days in cleaning up the cemetery.
All in all, it was a community pulling together and working together to clean up the massive destruction.
Todd Stevens informed the council some poles were rotted off at one of the city sheds and some sky lights were broken out.
Tim Graves informed the council that the sludge has been removed from the Reservoir and the EPA has approved clean-up.
ESDA Representative Max Owsley informed the council the town should be eligible for grants since Owsley has been going to mitigation programs.
Police Chief Lynn Hoyt informed the council that Assistant Chief Scott Rosson had arrested a hardened criminal and transported him to Knox County. The criminal had been traveling from Galesburg to La Harpe and was wanted for several crimes.
Council member Randy Shumaker stated, despite the past storm damage, the town had a heck of a July 4th celebration with the fire department serving breakfast, bounce houses for the kids, provided by the Park Board and Lions Club providing an evening meal.
“The Bar” owners Medardus and Heather Bundy ask the council if they could close off a street by the city park so they could participate in a motorcycle fundraiser for Hospice on Saturday the 15th of July. The closed street would allow bikers to park while they make their stop. The council unanimously approved closing the street for the afternoon of the 15th.
The council also unanimously approved:
Those present at the meeting were: Mayor Kat Hasten-Reed; council members Randy Shumaker, Todd Stevens, Jim Lenix, Dave Clover, Amanda Donaldson, Miranda Cole; Treasurer Monalisa Graves, Clerk Lucretia McPeak, Police Chief Lynn Hoyt, Assistant Chief Scott Rosson; city employees, David Little, Tim Graves, Trevor Finch, Daniel Carpenter; guests, ESDA Representative Max Owsley, Medardus and Heather Bundy, Dan Gillett and Michael Rodeffer. Council was adjourned at 9:02 p.m.