Mayor Mike Inman told aldermen at Monday’s city council committee of the whole meeting that he has received questions from state and federal officials as to why Macomb is not involved in a land bank. City Administrator Scott Coker then met with Prairie Hills Resource Conservation and Development director Victoria Livingston and found out that her agency is working to develop a land bank to serve McDonough, Hancock, Warren, Knox, Fulton, and Henderson counties.
Macomb has now received an invitation to join the Prairie Hills Land Bank Authority.
The cities of Carthage, Galesburg, Monmouth, and Canton have also been asked to join. Coker said the land bank has the resources to aid the communities and counties in improving distressed properties. Coker said Macomb has budgeted $45,000 to pay its land bank fees.
Livingston spoke to Macomb aldermen Monday, providing further details about the land bank. She said Prairie Hills has received an EPA grant to pay for property assessments. “We want to clean up property and send it back into positive ownership,” Livingston said. The land bank authority has established an annual budget of $120,000 and anticipates up to $1.2 million in grants over the next two years. Livingston said there are 10 land banks in Illinois and all are supported by the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
Also Monday, Doug Erickson of Benton & Associates presented an outline of the city’s grant-funded Active Transportation Vision Plan. The engineering firm has coordinated analysis into a walking and bicycling network. Erickson said work started in March with the involvement of a large steering committee.
A community survey yielded 238 responses, most citing a lack of infrastructure for biking and walking. Erickson said, “Most people don’t feel safe biking or walking along Highways 67 and 136.”
Erickson said the steering committee reviewed roadway designations, shared lane markings, on-street bike lanes and buffered bike lanes, physically separated bike lanes, and off-street trails and side paths. He said that a subsequent grant could support detailed planning. Erickson said grassroots support could be utilized in fleshing out the plan.
Mayor Inman said, “We’re pleased that the federal Department of Transportation handed this project over to us.”
The mayor concluded the city council committee of the whole meeting by discussing his recent visit to New York City to attend a Carnegie Hall concert by the Western Illinois University Wind Ensemble.
