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www.cityofmarengo.com 132 East Prairie Street, Marengo, IL. 60152 Phone: 815-568-7112 Non-Emergency Police Number: 815-568-7231

CITY NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2016

Richard Solarz was sworn in by Mayor Don Lockhart as City of Marengo’s new-est Police Chief on November 28, 2016. Chief Solarz started with Marengo as a patrol officer in 1993. In 1997 he took on the role as a detective and then in 2003 was promoted to a Sergeant. Congratulations Chief!

Police Chief Richard Solarz

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Marengo Water Main Construction Projects Past, Present and Future In another effort to improve water distribu-tion throughout Marengo, the city partnered with Brookside Meadows, LLC to connect 12-inch water main underneath Maple Street at Courtney Lane. Completed in October, this 125-foot pipe is a very significant “missing link’ necessary to bring about the city-wide looping of the municipal water system. A previously committed annexation agree-ment amendment with Brookside called for the new owner/developer to link a dead ended 12-inch water main in Phase 3 of the subdivi-sion through a cost-sharing arrangement with the city. In making a $35,000 contribution toward the Courtney/Maple water main con-nection, the city recognized that some of work that had to be done offsite from Brookside, across the road in the Brayton Knolls subdivision. The city’s contribution comes from a funding source that was created from a payment to the city by Arnold Engi-neering/300 West, LLC as a part of their cost to gain access into Marengo’s water system. In addition to the water main connection, Brookside , LLC completed the improve-ments that included such projects as lighting installment, final lift asphalt paving, sidewalk construction in Phase 1 and Phase 2, and re-pairs to some of the existing underground infrastructure. Some of these “finishes” had been undone for 7- 8 years, due to the nation-

wide economic crash caused in large part by the collapse of the poorly financed housing market. The city had a letter of credit that totaled more than $700,000 to pay for these Brookside improvements if the new owner did not complete this work.

Linking these two 12-inch water system “arteries” will: • Give a more even distribution of chlorine

throughout the system. • Improve water pressure throughout Ma-

rengo’s south side. • Cause the South Street Water Tower to

fill quicker thereby reducing electrical

power costs for the pumping and wear and tear on the well pumps.

• Reduce the water pressure loss during the annual water main flushing process.

• Reduce the water turbidity on the west side of Marengo

Two more west side water main projects are needed to complete the water system’s arterial looping. First is the West Grant Highway water main extension out to Ritz Road, with a linkage under the Highway to the northwestern edge of the Indian Trails subdivision. The design of this project is planned for 2017. To be paid out of the 2014 refinancing and expansion of bond proceeds, the contract to construct this project is also expected to be awarded in 2017. Construc-tion start-up is expected to be in the second half of 2017 or the beginning of 2018. Second, is connecting the West Grant Highway water main, north and east through the 300 West, LLC (Arnold Engineering) property, to the current western terminus of the water system in the vicinity of the West Street/Railroad Street intersection. The con-struction start-up of this project is expected to be in 2017 or 2018. The construction of and the payment for this mile and half extension is the responsibility of 300 West, LLC and Arnold Engineering per court order.

The City of Marengo would like to thank Paul Hack-ett, owner of Walnut Creek Nursery for his donation of the “community” Christmas Tree. The nursery is a 260 acre wholesale nursery located on Coon Creek Rd, just south of town.

Christmas Tree Lighting Event with Santa

City of Marengo Tree Lighting Event took place on De-cember 9, 2016 at 6pm. Thank you to our Public Works Department for stringing the lights. Also, thank you to the girl scout troops for decorating our tree with your orna-ments.

After lighting the tree, residents were invited back to City Hall for a picture with Santa, cookie decorat-ing and some holiday mingling . Thank you to Sulli-van’s and Kay n Jo’s for the cookie donations and a thanks to City Staff for the coordination of this event.

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Tollway Bridge Construction Starts Next Spring Bidding for Interchange Ramps Planned for 2018

The bids have been received, and the Tollway Authority’s bid review is underway with a formal award expected to be made early next year. Yes, the first phase of construction of the new I-90 / State Route 23 interchange - the five lane bridge – is quickly moving forward. If the weather cooperates, re-placement of the bridge will start and may be completed in calendar 2017. In a very competitive letting, eleven bids were received with Lorig Con-struction of Des Plaines, Illinois coming in as the apparent low bidder. The bids ranged from Loring’s $6,873,730.15 to $8,299,510.57. Because there is no nearby state highway detour alternative, traffic man-agement over the bridge will be complicated. Alternating passages of one-lane traffic will go over the bridge during the initial phases of construction. The traffic will be managed by a temporary stop-go light which will allow north bound traffic to move over one-half of the old bridge surface, while the south bound is stopped. Following this cycle, south bound traffic will go through while the north bound is stopped. Once the first half of the bridge is done, the two lanes of opposing traffic will go simultaneously over the new portion during the last phase of construction. (Remember, the bridge is being expanded from three lanes to five lanes, so there will be room enough for the two lanes of traffic during the second half of construction.) While all of this construction is going on, our city’s engineering firm HR Green will be designing construction plans for the interchange ramps. This design work will be funded by the overall project contribution coming from McHenry County’s commitment to the interchange’s development. Bidding for this work, under the Tollway Authority’s oversight, is planned for 2018.

Since financial commitment to build the I-90 / State Route 23 interchange on the City’s south side was formalized in September, Marengo is starting to experience a new and different type of development. On a noticeable increasing basis, the City Administrator is assisting property own-ers in planning their ground’s development, addressing annexation inquiries, and talking with realtors and developers about potential construction projects. With land acquisition negotiations directly related to the interchange also being added to his responsibilities, the tenor of the City Administrator’s job is changing. All of this work is being done under the guidance of the Ma-rengo Comprehensive Plan’s amendment of the Southern Sub-Area. Approved in 2013 with the looming potential of Tollway Interchange construction in mind, this development plan shows areas for interchange-related commercial development and business/ industrial development nearer to the I-90/State Route 23 crossing. The plan also shows a transi-tion into a mix of residential usages and perhaps some neighborhood commercial development, as it extends north and west of the interchange toward the developed portions of the city. While this is a broad plan that will take many decades of development to implement, slight modifications to the plan may be needed once the routing of underground infrastructure is more formally recog-nized. The City already has an approved water system development plan that includes the Southern Sub-Area. Although the City Engineer and City Staff have an understanding of the city’s capabil-ities and system needs, planning for the development of sanitary sewer lines and lift stations in the Southern Sub-Area is a little more complicated and will be more dependent upon development project needs. With a couple of key annexations and more clearly defined development planning for some properties nearer to the Tollway, it is expected that the sanitary sewage transmission/treatment plan for the Southern Sub-Area will evolve in the next year or so.

The first of what may be a few annexations that could be contemplated by the City Council in the next few months, will be introduced on January 9, 2017. The Super Aggregates group has acquired the Prairie Aggregates quarry, located on the west side of State Route 23 between Pleas-ant Grove Road and Grange Road. Super Aggregates intends to con-join their proposed quarry located a half mile south of Pleasant Grove with the Prairie quarry to its south. If approved, the combined quarry operations would exit and enter from Route 23 at the current Prairie Aggregates access point. About 250 acres of land, about half of which has already been mined, would be brought into the city.

Southern Sub-Area Plan Integral to Southside Development Annexation Discussions Start Next Month

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A Piece of Industrial History is Fading Away A Part of McGill Metal Products’ Building has been Razed

Before

After

We’re getting a Taco Bell!!! After spending a few years determining the most cost effective location, Taco Bell is mak-ing a commitment to build another fast food restaurant in Marengo. To be located on the northwest corner of Lindow Lane and USH 20 – East Grant Highway, the restaurant will be located on the outlot in front of Sullivan’s Grocery. The 2,053 square-foot building is planned to have dining room seating for 42 patrons, and an outside patio that could seat another 31. With access coming off of Lin-dow, the building will also feature a drive-through for carry-out service. While the building’s plan is currently under permit re-view, and knowing that construction start-up is somewhat weather dependent, for now it is anticipated that the restaurant will open up mid-2017.

Dorothy Otis in a February, 2014 article in the Marengo Union Times, were once used in the White House. McGill Metal Products relocated from Chicago to a larger factory site in Marengo during the Great Depression Era of the 1930’s. It prospered. Over the years, what was once a family owned corpo-ration, saw a succession of owners expanding and diversifying product lines, which were later reduced or sold off to other manufactur-ers. Products like ticket punchers for train conductors and the like, data processing punchers (which were used at Cape Kennedy during missile launches) and coin change makers for in-person vendors became rather obsolete; the world famous mouse trap busi-ness was sold off in the 1980’s. In one form or another McGill was pre-sent in Marengo for 81 years until it closed down in 2013. Its employment increased from about 60 in the mid-1930s to 125 in 1971. The company was known to have low employee turnover. But at the end just a handful of employees were working at McGill. With big end loaders taking down the walls and digging up the concrete floors, and with a six-man crew (for a week) cleaning and stacking pallets with reusable bricks, the eastern half the of the factory’s foot print has been removed. What will happen to the rest of the old factory is still up to the Church. Until now very few, if any, have ever seen the unobstructed view of the Marengo United Methodist Church, looking south from what is now City Hall. A view through a site that previously had a great deal of activity which impacted many lives in and around Marengo.

The Marengo United Methodist Church recently purchased an empty factory building and now has torn down a part of the building. With it, a remnant of Marengo’s manufacturing history has further receded to memory. The crumbling walls (literally) of a portion of what was the McGill Metal Products Company, which stamped out a variety of small contraptions, is making way for a much needed church parking lot. And in the wake of this demolition, according to many, the aesthetic of the downtown is improving. Located on the south side of East Prairie Street, across the street from City Hall and the Po-lice Station, the one-story portion of the McGill Metal Products Company has been disassem-bled over the past few weeks. Notable for making rat and mice traps which, according to

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Residents Please Prepare It Looks Like we are in for a Cold, Snowy Winter

IT IS SNOW SEASON AGAIN

The Marengo Public Works Department decides whether to plow and/or salt the streets based on a variety of factors including the current weather conditions and the weather forecast. In order to plow there needs to be 2 inches or more of snow but lesser storms might result in road salt application. The City is committed to keeping all of our streets safe and passable. With your cooperation we will all be able to travel safely throughout the City this winter. Please adhere to the following guidelines in order to keep Marengo roads safe: • Do not put snow from your driveway into the street. It creates a hazard and interferes with the City's snow plowing operations. Please pile your snow next to your driveway or in the parkway next to the street. • Whenever possible remove parked cars from the street during a snow event to allow our trucks to clear the entire road.

FROZEN PIPE SEASON TOO

Another concern as temperatures drop is frozen pipes. Here are some helpful tips to prevent, thaw and repair frozen pipes:

Prevent Your Pipes from Freezing:

• Disconnect all gardening hoses and install covers on all outside faucets. • Keep your house temperature at 68 de-grees or higher, even if you're leaving the house for an extended period of time. • Open cabinet doors below sinks to allow heat from the home to circulate. • Identify the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater. (Learning the location of these valves may come in handy during an emergency.) • Wrap pipes nearest exterior walls and in

crawl spaces with pipe insulation or with heat-ing tape. This can prevent freezing, especially for interior pipes that run along outside walls. • Close all windows near water pipes; cover or close open-air vents. Freezing temperatures combined with wind drafts can cause pipes to freeze more frequently. • Heat your basement and consider weather sealing your windows. • Insulate outside walls and unheated areas of your home. • If you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time, shut off water supply valves to your washing machine.

Monitor Freezing Pipe Conditions • Allow a faucet to drip slightly (lukewarm water) in order to minimize freezing. • The first sign of freezing is reduced water flow from a faucet. • Check your faucets for water flow and pressure before you go to sleep and again when you wake up. • Check pipes around your water meter, in unheated areas, near exterior walls and in crawl spaces. • These tend to be vulnerable to freezing

conditions. • Identify cold air drafts coming in from a flue or chimney chase and caulk gaps that are near pipes. If a Pipe Freezes

• If a faucet or pipe inside your house freezes, you can thaw it using a good hair dry-er. (For safety purposes, avoid operating a hair dryer around standing water.) • To thaw a frozen pipe, heat water on the stove, soak towels in the hot water and wrap them around cold sections of the pipes. • When thawing a pipe, start thawing it nearest to the faucet. Make sure the faucet is turned on so that melted water can drip out.

If a Pipe Bursts

• Shut off water at the main valve. • If the break is in a hot water pipe, the valve on top of the water heater should be closed. • Call a plumber. Keep an emergency num-ber nearby for quick access. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Public Works at 815-568-2669.

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E-Pay As part of our ongoing commitment to improve service to our residents, we are offering the following electronic payment options at www.cityofmarengo.com: • Water/Sewer Payments • Vehicle Sticker Payments • Parking/Bond Ordinance violations Payments can be made by Mastercard, American Express, Discover or E-Check. The convenience fee charged for using cred-it services is not charged or collected by the City of Marengo. Email Updates Want to stay connected with City hap-penings? Have Marengo City Council agen-das, news releases, calendar’s of monthly meetings and general updates delivered right to your inbox. To register, go to www.cityofmarengo.com and enter your email address in the “subscribe to email updates” box or stop by City Hall. Overnight Street Parking Parking is not allowed on any residential street between the hours of 12:01 A.M. and 6:00 A.M. Central Business District parking is not allowed between the hours of 2:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M. Violators are subject to a $25 ordinance violation fine. 2016/17 Vehicle Stickers The 2016-17 Vehicle Stickers are on sale. The cost is $40 per vehicle or $10 per vehicle for those aged 65 years and older. Fees have doubled after August 1, 2016. Residents not displaying a current City vehi-cle sticker are subject to an ordinance viola-tion fine of $150. Travel Trailers & Recreational Vehicles Parking of travel trailers, utility trailers

or other recreational vehicles shall only be permitted behind the front property line be-tween the dates of April 15 and October 15. After October 15 and prior to April 15, the parking of travel trailers, utility trailers and other recreational vehicles shall only be per-mitted behind the building setback line.

Garage Sales A $5.00 garage sale permit is required. The ordinance allows for 6 days throughout the calendar year. You are allowed three signs for advertisement. Signs must have their own support, they can not be placed on trees, poles or traffic signals.

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Regalia, Reminders and other References

The December 2016 Marengo Newsletter has been produced by the following staff members: Article contributors: Gary Boden, Megan Lopez and Howard Moser. Desktop publisher: Megan Lopez

Approved Resolutions and Ordinances September, October and November 2016 September 16-9-1 An Ordinance Authorizing the Sale or Disposal of Surplus Property 16-9-2 An Ordinance Amending Section 33.05 Application Fees & 33.07 Creating a New Classification 16-9-3 An Ordinance Amending Section 33.07-B, Number of Licenses 16-9-4 An Ordinance Amending a Special Use Permit 421 E. Grant Hwy October None November 16-11-1 An Ordinance Authorizing the Sale or Disposal of Surplus Property 16-11-2 An Ordinance Amending Section 33.07-Establish a New Liquor Classification Wine Bar 16-11-A Determining the Amount of Funds to be levied for the 2016 Tax Year