Tagged: Monmouth

Rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, and hip hop all have their roots in the blues. Yet it seems as though the blues does not get its due. That will change – at least for a day – in Monmouth.

The Deep Blue Innovators Blues Festival begins Saturday afternoon at the Rivoli Theatre. The doors open at 2:00 and the music begins at 2:30. Ticket information can be found here.

Monmouth will receive $10,000 from the inaugural Illinois Broadband Innovation Fund. The state received 113 applications for the grant program. Just 14 winners were selected.

Monmouth Director of Community Development Paul Schuytema said his city was the only municipality chosen.

“That’s pretty exciting, and to be a municipality that’s not like Chicago but a little bitty town of 9,400 people in the cornfields, it’s a great honor,” Schuytema said. “We’re looking forward to delivering some good work and sharing it.”

Monmouth allowed the use of video gaming for “amusement purposes” only. That did not include gambling although the ordinance was difficult to enforce.

The discussion was prompted by changes to state law that will allow video gaming this year. The proceeds will help pay for capital improvements.

City Administrator Eric Hanson says the city council discussed keeping the ban in place.

Monmouth's city council and the firefighters union each ratified the three-year contract by a unanimous vote.

Firefighters will receive a 2.5% pay raise each year of the deal.

The city and the union each wanted similar changes in the time-off policies. The city wanted to reduce overtime. The union wanted to reduce the likelihood firefighters would be called in on their days off.

City Administrator Eric Hanson said the major change was to vacation policy.

Six buildings on the southeast corner of Monmouth's town square will receive a $2 million facelift.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa developer Frantz-Hobart will turn the buildings into condominiums and retail space.

City Administrator Eric Hanson calls it “the biggest development project” in the downtown area in decades. He says it advances the city's vision for the downtown area.

The legislation that established Enterprise Zones in Illinois was passed in the mid-1980s. Many are nearly at the end of their 30 year lifespan.

Enterprise zones abate the property taxes on improvements for up to 10 years. The zones also offer a state sales tax exemption on building materials that are purchased in the state and are used in an enterprise zone.

Monmouth will disrupt traffic downtown for about six weeks while it  replaces an old water main.

The work will take place near the southeast corner of the town square. It will involve two-and-a-half blocks of blocks of South First Street and a block of First Avenue.

City Administrator Eric Hanson said the city has repaired leaks in the main many times. He said the renovations of several nearby buildings prompted the project.