By Staff
NILES – A full evening faces the Niles City Council tonight as they prepare for their regular council meeting.
Council members are slated to decide whether to go forward with the $11.9 million capital improvement project for the city's wastewater treatment plant. The project, which will be funded by a loan from the state's revolving fund, will upgrade critical parts of the wastewater system's infrastructure that have reached the end of their useful span.
Prior to the meeting, the council will conduct a Committee of the Whole meeting from 6:30 p.m. to approximately 7:15 p.m. The purpose of the meeting will be to review with consultants pending wastewater treatment plant upgrades and the possible use of state revolving fund grants.
Other outlays to be approved are $17,991 for an animal deterrent system to be placed around the industrial park substation on Terminal Road, $34,200 to hire House Works, Inc. of Dowagiac for janitorial work, $45,331 to purchase distribution transformers from WESCO of Chicago and $39,862.85 for three home improvement loans.
The council will also have three public hearings to hear comments about the proposed amendment to rental certification fees and industrial facilities exemptions for Cut-Tech, Inc. and Toefco Engineered Coating. The hearing begin at 7:15 p.m. and run five minutes each.
In order to begin closing out the joint downtown redevelopment project, the council is expected to approve a public hearing date for the public to address the project. The project, which was required to create 39 new jobs on Niles' Main Street to avoid having to repay the state loan for the downtown's street revitalization, recently surpassed its job goal when the new Chemical Bank branch opened on Jan. 8, providing 12 new jobs and pushing the total to 45 jobs.
Juan Ganum, community development director for the City of Niles, said the hearing is a required part of the state program.
Ganum added that although the 12 new jobs did not meet the requirement that 51 percent of new jobs be for low to moderate income workers, he is hopeful the fact the city exceeded the goal be six jobs will act as an offset. He also said the 33 jobs created before the bank opened did meet the state requirement.
The hearing, if approved, will be on Feb. 12 at 7:20 p.m.
Lastly, the council will hear the second reading of a proposed amendment to the city's zoning ordinances and zoning map. Afterwards, council members are scheduled to vote on the amendment.