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Serving Bureau County Since 1847
Thursday, June 27, 2013
DePue enters into agreement with Selby Township By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
DEPUE – The DePue Village Board has approved an intergovernmental agreement with Selby Township. The agreement gives the village and township legal rights to work together, share equipment and man power, and help maintain each others roads. DePue Mayor Eric Bryant confirmed the village and township has never had a written agreement. “It will save both of us time and expenses,” he said. “We’re using our equipment on their roads and they are using their equipment on our roads.” Bryant said the legal agreement is important to have on file and will lay out legal understandings on issues such as who is responsible for covering the insurance in cases where an employee is injured while on the job. For example, If a township employee is injured on village streets, the agreement will clearly state the township will cover the insurance of its employee although the employee was working within village limits. Bryant gave a couple examples of how the agreement will benefit both parties. “(The township) has certain equipment for gravel roads, like a grater, we own a gravel road and don’t have that equipment to take care of it,” he said. “The agreement will allow (the township) to maintain the road and DePue will pay for the materials.” Also in the winter, since the township’s plows have to drive through the village to get to the township roads, the agreement will now allow them to drop their plow and clear the snow on the roads that lead out of the village.
See DePue Page 4 Year 167 No. 77 Two Sections - 36 Pages
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No decision yet on closing Reagan school By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — The future of the Reagan Middle School in Tiskilwa is still an unknown for the Princeton Elementary School District board, staff, families and residents. After a lengthy discussion at Monday’s meeting, the PES board agreed to wait until September to get a Building Fund Reduction Plan recommendation from Superintendent Tim Smith and his administrative team on how to cut expenses in the district’s building fund,
which could include closing Reagan. Those savings are needed, in part, because of decreasing transportation funding from the state and also the uncertain costs to the district from any of state’s pension reform plan. As reported earlier in the Bureau County Republican, the possible closing of Reagan has been projected to save the district an estimated $90,000 in transportation costs, as well as other savings in custodial staff, bus fleet reduction and bus service reduction. At its May meeting, the PES board had looked to its July meeting for decision-
time on the Building Fund Reduction Plan and possible closing of Reagan. The possible closing of Reagan would not affect the 2013-14 school year. At Monday’s meeting, board member Terry O’Neil voiced his concerns about the recommendation to close Reagan coming from the school board itself, rather than from the superintendent. The board hired the superintendent to handle problems and the board should not usurp the superintendent’s position, he said.
See PES Page 4
BCR photo/Becky Kramer
Cleaning up the mess Jon Splitt of Walnut makes a stockpile of fallen branches from a tree which fell in his yard during Monday’s thunderstorm that crashed through Bureau County. The tree fell on Splitt’s house, damaging the roof and awning. Also, a back window of the house was blown out and a part of the roof was ripped off, Splitt said.
Manlius discusses changes to water billing fees By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
MANLIUS – The Manlius Village Board met in a special meeting on Tuesday night to comb through the village’s water billing ordinance and make recommendations for changes to current fees charged for water usage. The issue of water fees has been a topic of discussion at the last couple village board meetings, therefore village president Rob Hewitt scheduled a special meeting to discuss changes that would better benefit residents and the village.
Village board members Dawn Reglin and Darrell Anderson joined Hewitt, village clerk Lori Roush and water billing clerk Susan Marie Elmendorf on Tuesday. The changes board members discussed and agreed upon will have to be brought to the full board at the next meeting to be voted on and put into affect. The first water fee brought to light was the $25 monthly fee charged to property owners regardless of whether their structure is occupied or not. Board members all agreed the $25 fee should be scratched for property owners who have a residence, but don’t have running water.
The board also discussed changing the current $50 fee to have a name change on a water bill account. Reglin believes the current fee amount is “steep.” “Wouldn’t you rather have people calling you and making sure bills are in the right name and not worrying about paying the $50?” she questioned. Reglin recognized changing a name on an account takes time, but suggested reducing the fee to $10 so residents are not discouraged to call and change the account name.
See Manlius Page 4
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