Aldermen to reconsider (again) resolution to share costs with county on $5.2 million roundabout project

QUINCY — Maybe it won’t be as historic and memorable as the Thrilla in Manila (Google “Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier” if you’re not a heavyweight boxing fan), but the Debate at 48^th and State certainly figures to be just as hotly contested next week if a third vote becomes necessary.

One week after the Quincy City Council voted 8-6 to share costs with the Adams County Board on the construction of a roundabout at 48^th and State, aldermen approved a motion by Jeff Bergman (R-2) and seconded by Greg Fletcher (R-1) during Monday night’s Quincy City Council meeting to reconsider the resolution. Only Kelly Mays (R-3) voted against the voice vote.

The Quincy City Council voted 9-5 in April not to partner with the county to share the costs for the $5,2 million roundabout. When aldermen voted on Oct. 15, the proposal called for the county to pay $3.25 million and the city to pay $1.95 million. The county recently offered $650,000 to the city to compensate for additional jurisdictional transfers of sections of Seminary Road and North 18^th.

Three aldermen switched their votes from April to Oct. 15 — Kelly Mays (R-3), Mike Farha (R-4) and Glen Ebbing (R-5).

Four people spoke during the window for public comments at the beginning of the meeting, expressing their dissatisfaction with last week’s City Council vote on the roundabout.

At the end of the meeting, Fletcher spoke about his frustration about how taxpayer money is being spent by both the city and county on the roundabout.

“A good friend of mine told me it’s the same pair of pants. You’re pulling money out of two different pockets,” he said. “Anybody who says the county is doing this, the county is doing that, we are doing this and doing that too. … I’m tired of hearing that the county’s paying for a chunk of this and we’re going to pay for the other chunk. It’s for something that nobody wants. I’ve been (on the City Council) for almost four years, and I’ve never seen such a pushback on how stupid this thing is, and here we are voting on it.

“Last week’s vote, I think that was crammed down our throat. I don’t think it was right. Any of my colleagues who claim to be conservative, I don’t know if they even know how to spell the word. … I don’t know if we could afford this, for something that we really don’t need. I’m just pretty upset with some of my colleagues who claim they’re conservative. This is a bad, bad move.”

Bergman followed by questioning Director of Engineering Steve Bange. 

“One of my concerns here is there’s this misconception, and there’s this hope from the John Wood community, that they’re wanting some sidewalks and some bike paths to help alleviate some safety issues for their students,” Bergman said. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but this roundabout does nothing to help that.”

Bange explained the roundabout project would provide a bike path, an area for bicyclists and sidewalk from State Street approximately 1,200 feet to the south. 

“It does not go all the way (to the entrance to JWCC),” he said.

Bange also told Bergman that a path for cyclists and walkers to go to the JWCC entrance would cost an estimated $4 million, and extending the path north from State to Maine Street would cost an additional $400,000. Bergman said he understood that the County Board hopes to access grant money to offset the cost for the path from State to JWCC.

“But again, grant money is not free money,” Bergman said. “There’s no money tree out there. This is not a tree that Bernie Sanders planted and it’s giving us free money.

“If we’re going to do this right, and if we’re going to do that roundabout and that is the starting point, trust me, we will get that paved between Maine and State. Eventually we will get the work done between the roundabout and Harrison. That’s about 9½ million dollars right now, and that’s not two, three, four years down the road when the cost will go up.”

Bergman said the County Board has had the “jurisdictional ability and responsibility” to alleviate and fix safety issues from John Wood to State. He then pointed out the dissatisfaction about the project he’s reading from people on social media.

“I’m not big on social media. I despise it for the most part,” he said. “Unfortunately, with the world we live in now, social media is an avenue for people to express their opinions and to communicate. I think over 90 percent of the people in the comments that I’ve heard — in person for the past week and on social media — are against us and think this council should be prioritizing other infrastructure needs.”

After the meeting, Bergman said he wants more detailed information about the financing of the project and how safety will be addressed. He said he wants to hear more from the public.

“My frustration, a lot of times, is people like to get on Facebook and be a keyboard warrior and rant, but they don’t want to get involved,” he said. “If you really are against this, if you really think there’s a better use for your tax dollars, if you really are frustrated with the infrastructure in town and you want that to be the priority instead of this roundabout at 48th Street, I beg the public to call or contact your aldermen and tell them what their priority should be.”

In other action, aldermen:

• Heard the second presentation of an ordinance that would give landmark status to St. Boniface Church. They also heard three people share their support of the ordinance during the public comment portion of the meeting. Aldermen can vote on the ordinance next week.
• Recognized Mark Schwindeler, a Central Services employee, for his 30-year anniversary.
• Denied the installation of a streetlight on Noel Court. The Traffic Commission reported Noel Court has two functioning streetlights, and an additional light is not warranted.
• Denied the installation a streetlight on North 11th between Spruce and Sycamore. The Traffic Commission reported that section of road has two functioning streetlights, and an additional light is not warranted.
• Recommended an ordinance be drafted for the implementation of a no parking zone on the east side of Sixth between State and Kentucky.
• Hear a proclamation declaring Oct. 23-31 as “Red Ribbon Week.”
• Approved an ordinance rezoning 1900 Seminary Road from M1 (light industrial) to C2 (commercial) and 1840 N. 18th from R1C (single-family residential) to C2 (commercial).
• Approved an ordinance amending discharge wastewater containing pollutant levels for the following pollutants (mg/L):
  • Arsenic .180
  • Cadmium .240
  • Chromium 4.4
  • Copper 3.38
  • Cyanide 1.2
  • Iron 124.4
  • Lead 1.4
  • Mercury 0.001
  • Nickel 2.11
  • Selenium 0.22
  • Silver 0.43
  • Zinc 2.610