Troup hopes to have vacant seat on Quincy City Council filled by April 7 meeting

QUINCY — Quincy Mayor Mike Troup hopes to have a replacement for Mike Farha’s seat in the 4^th Ward before the Quincy City Council’s April 7 meeting.

Farha told Muddy River News that he was “worn out” after serving for 26 years as an alderman when he announced his resignation on March 7. 

Troup said after learning of Farha’s decision that he had contacted Jon McCoy, chairman of the Republican Party in Adams County, for assistance in finding someone to replace Farha, a Republican. The mayor has 60 days by statute to appoint someone.

“I hope I’ll have someone next week,” Troup said after Monday’s City Council meeting.

Troup said McCoy has been contacting precinct committeemen to make a choice between two candidates.

“Jon indicated earlier today he hopes to have a name for me by Thursday,” Troup said. “Then that name would be on the agenda for Monday, and I’d like to get that person sworn in and get them started voting.”

Monday’s agenda was light, leading to a meeting that lasted only 36 minutes.

A proposed ordinance that would give the city the authority to place and enforce temporary signs, detours and other traffic control measures during construction, road repairs and other infrastructure projects was given a first meeting.

A proposed ordinance typically has three readings before aldermen vote on it, but Mike Rein (R-5) asked Adam Yates, chief of the Quincy Police Department, if the ordinance needed to be passed on Monday.

“We had talked about it, but I felt it was more appropriate that we give at least one week for folks to be made aware of it so if anybody had any concerns or issues, they could bring those up,” Yates said.

After the meeting, Yates explained that any traffic-related signage must have a representative city ordinance to make it legal and enforceable by the police department. The city recently installed a four-way stop at the intersection of 24^th and Monroe to help with traffic flow caused by bridge work on Harrison.

“We’ve had people complain about people running the signs,” Yates said. “I’m not aware of any traffic crashes at this point, but we wanted to get something in place. If we do have a crash or we do have people who continue to run the signs, we need to have a mechanism in which to enforce those stop signs. This will allow us to do that.”

Rein also asked Michael Seaver, director of inspection and enforcement, about the Q-RILE non-binding referendum which calls for the implementation of a proactive rental inspection program that utilizes a grading system to “reward” landlords with well-maintained rental properties and prevent “bad” landlords from renting out properties that are unsafe and unlivable. The Quincy Landlord Rental Association believes the ordinance would punish “good” landlords and drive up housing costs.  

“There’s a deal on the ballot tomorrow,” Rein said. “How you doing your job? OK? Is it working from your perspective?”

“From my perspective, it does,” Seaver replied. “Certainly there’s always room for improvement. … We could look at some sort of a proactive inspection program. There are thousands of different models out there, but given the resources we currently have, I think it’s an efficient way to address. It is complaint based, striking at the problem where it comes to our attention. I’ll agree with a lot of criticisms also the program, too. Obviously we don’t get into a lot of places that we probably need to, but by and large, I think it does work.”

Rein said he didn’t believe the Q-RILE proposal offers “concrete plans” for what it wants to have done. He asked Seaver what the estimated cost would be.

“We’ve looked at that in the past, but I should probably refresh that and look at staffing,  vehicles, other things,” Seaver replied.

“Well, if you would,” Rein said. “We’re being asked to vote on something and we’re really clueless about the cost.”

In other action, aldermen gave permission to: 

• Hold the Race Against Hunger 5K run and walk benefiting Horizons Soup Kitchen on April 12.
• Hold a Farmer’s Market on May 10 on the Sixth Street Promenade. 
• Hold the St. Dominic “Junefest” on June 7 at St. Dominic School, 4100 Columbus Road. 
• Hold the “Blues in the District” concerts in Washington Park on June 13, June 27, July 11, July 25, Aug. 8 and Aug. 22. 
• Hold the St. Francis Parish Picnic on June 21.
• BPOE Lodge 100 (Quincy Elks Lodge) to conduct a raffle and have the bond requirement waived from April 1 through March 31, 2026.
• Buy 500 residential roll-off garbage carts ($50.81 per container) for a total of $25,405 from Cascade Engineering of Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Enter into a grant agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Illinois Department of Transportation to update the airport layout plan for revision plans made to Runway 4/22 Reconstruction Project and for the city to match and pass through funding in an amount not exceeding $10,377 to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
• Agree to a proposal from Crawford, Murphy and Tilly of Springfield with an option to alter the snow removal equipment grant and buy two pieces of snow removal equipment using BIL 22 funding, with the amended amount not to exceed $35,000 for all costs associated with the project.

Aldermen sent to the Plan Commission requests from:

• Steve Schutte for a special permit for planned development to allow for a garage at
• 1603 Center Avenue, zoned R1C for single-family residential use, to be used for commercial operations/construction. Schutte also requested to subdivide property (one lot to two lots) at 1603 Center Avenue under the small tracts provision of the subdivision ordinance.
• Schutte to subdivide property (one lot to three lots) at 2208 S. 12th, zoned R1A under the small tracts provision of the subdivision ordinance.
• Ryan Aden for a special permit for planned development to operate an autobody and repair shop at 1518 N. Fifth.
• Steve Duesterhaus to subdivide property (one lot to two lots) at 2215 Oak, zoned R1C, under the small tracts provision of the subdivision ordinance.
• The YMCA to rezone property at 3101 Maine and from Marx Commercial to rezone property at 3011 Maine from single-family residential (R1A) to commercial (C1A) to align with the current use of the properties and with surrounding zoning classifications.
• Quincy IL Solar 3, LLC for a special permit for planned development to allow for the construction of a commercial solar energy facility on a 36-acre parcel contiguous to 3622 Ellington Road.