Manlius waits for stimulus funds

MANLIUS — While Jack Kusek, engineer for the village of Manlius, had good news with regards to some lower bids he received concerning the village’s sewer project, the joy was short-lived. Because Manlius is still waiting for the state of Illinois to release stimulus package money, the village, once again, has had to put the project on hold.

While the board did go ahead and approve bids from Fischer Excavating of Freeport for the waste water collection system and D.J. Sickley of Peru for the waste water treatment plant, the village cannot move forward until the state monies are released.

In other business, the board invited Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson to speak to the board about police protection within the village, due to several “nuisance” problems. Thompson explained the costs involved in hiring part-time officers and said he “understands the problems that small towns face.”

Thompson said the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department has limited manpower, which causes his office to have to prioritize when a call comes in. This means that while all calls made to the department are important, he has to decide which ones are priorities, and at times, a village may have to wait for assistance. Thompson offered to come back and address the board in whatever capacity they needed, and with that, the board decided to table discussion for another time.

In other business, the board:

• Offered a moment of silence for Harold (Eric) Ericson. Ericson died July 6. He was the former fire chief for the Manlius Fire Department and a village trustee for 12 years. “He was a man who lived to help his community,” Mayor Gene Menard said. “He will be missed by many.”

• Thanked the Manlius Lions Club members for donating their time and labor to install the new slide at Mullin Memorial Park.

• Encourage all residents to notify the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department with the ongoing problem of illegal use of mini bikes on village streets and sidewalks.

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