|
City of Lincoln
Road closure requests, financial items reviewed at Committee of the
Whole Meeting
[March 13, 2026]
The Lincoln City Council held a
Committee of the Whole meeting March 10 at City Hall, where
officials reviewed several agenda items including street closure
requests for upcoming events, financial investments for the general
fund, an updated employee handbook and road closures.
Mayor Tracy Welch called the meeting to order shortly after 6 p.m.
before leading the council through the Pledge of Allegiance. Welch
then opened public participation, but no residents spoke.
The first item on the agenda was a presentation regarding Heartland
Community College’s regional strategic plan. Representatives from
Heartland discussed ongoing efforts to better understand community
needs across the college district. One speaker, Joshua Crockett,
explained that the process included data collection and listening
sessions with local communities.
“So we kick that process off with listening sessions for both
community leaders and community members… to share their input as to
what they feel the college should be focusing on,” the
representative said.
After the presentation, the council
moved on to requests for street closures.
The first request came from the Lincoln Park District for a 5K run
scheduled for Aug. 29. City Clerk Peggy Bateman explained the event
is a recurring one for the community.
“This was given for the park district. They do this 5K every year,”
Bateman said.
Mayor Welch also raised a procedural question regarding how road
closures are handled on city agendas.
“We put road closures on the consent agenda last time, and it
required some discussion,” Welch said. “So I’m just asking.”
Alderman Sam Downs responded that he preferred keeping road closures
grouped together.
“I would prefer to keep road closures on the consent agenda. It’s
worked for a long time,” Downs said.
The council then discussed another street closure request for the
“Up in Smoke on the Square” barbecue event scheduled for Aug. 28 and
Aug. 29.
Alderman Kevin Bateman noted that managing parking and traffic
during last year’s event created logistical challenges, leading them
to request a full street closure for the upcoming festival.
“Last year it was a disaster for us,” he explained. “We had barbecue
teams lined up down the street because we had eight or nine cars
parked that weren’t supposed to be there.”
The alderman said closing the street earlier would help prevent
similar issues this year and allow crews to safely set up equipment.
[to top of second column]
|
“We can’t just
partially close the street,” the organizer said. “We’re trying
to lay three miles worth of electrical cable to get all the food
trucks hooked up.”
Council members also discussed details of the closure area.
Kevin Bateman clarified that access near the post office would
remain open.
The meeting then moved to financial
matters involving certificates of deposit for the city’s general
fund. City Treasurer Chuck Conzo explained that the city had several
CDs reaching maturity and reviewed their performance.
“I think we were up over just over four percent as I recall,” Conzo
said when discussing interest returns.
Council members reviewed an intergovernmental agreement between the
City of Lincoln and the Lincoln Park District, a loan agreement
involving Heartland Bank and Trust Company, and a proposal from
Lexipol for policy management services.
City officials explained that Lexipol helps public safety agencies
maintain updated policy manuals and training materials.
“Lexipol is a policy management company… a risk management expert,”
Police Chief Joe Meister said while describing the service.
Another item on the agenda involved proposed updates to the city’s
employee handbook, which council members briefly reviewed before
agreeing that the item should move forward for additional
consideration.
The next discussion of the evening was centered on the Fifth Street
Road project. City Street and Alley Superintendent Walt Landers
provided an update on the project’s cost and construction timeline.
“The low bid that was awarded by IDOT was $8,590,596.90,” Landers
said.
Kevin Bateman explained that several
factors contributed to the cost, including engineering requirements
and railroad coordination.
“If you know anybody who works on a railroad or count how many times
you see a train actually cross Fifth Street, you’ll be sitting there
for quite a while,” He said. “But that’s what drove the cost up on
this thing.”
City officials also discussed financing options for the project,
including potential bond issuances and the impact on the city’s
capital projects fund.
After completing agenda items, council members shared announcements
about upcoming community events before adjourning the meeting.
The next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for March 16,
with the next Committee of the Whole meeting planned for March 24.
[Sophia Larimore] |
