Repair Concerns Piling up for Hennepin — Asphalt, Fountain, Riverfront Steps
Village engineer Bill Shafer said he knows residents along High Street in Hennepin are tired of waiting for lawn repair after the street reconstruction project last summer.
However, Shafer said during this week’s village board meeting, the contractor is responsible for restoring landscaping, grass and soil elevation along the curbs. He said people who do their own planting or dirt fill won’t receive compensation.
He said landscape repairs should take place after the contractor puts down the final layer of asphalt. He said soil temperatures need to warm before the asphalt will set properly.
Around the town
Source: News Tribune
However, Shafer said during this week’s village board meeting, the contractor is responsible for restoring landscaping, grass and soil elevation along the curbs. He said people who do their own planting or dirt fill won’t receive compensation.
He said landscape repairs should take place after the contractor puts down the final layer of asphalt. He said soil temperatures need to warm before the asphalt will set properly.
Around the town
- Shafer is trying to find a cost-effective way to repair and preserve the large, rounded concrete base of the St. Francis of Assisi statue, which dates to 1995. He said some stones were replaced in 1997. He continues to search for a craftsman or company that can provide a coating for the stones as a temporary fix, and is looking at options for replacing damaged or weakened sections of concrete with new, dyed concrete. He said it’s not easy, because the concrete’s not flat, but rather angled and smooth. “I was hoping we could come up with a coating and get a few more years in,” Shafer said.
- Three sets of steps leading down to the Illinois River need repair or other work for safety and to meet codes, village trustee Quintin Buffington said. One is at the boat launch area, the other leads down from the business district to the river and the other is in the park. Buffington asked Shafer to have Illinois Valley Surveying examine the steps.
- A restaurant owner notified the board about a contractor that, on one occasion, failed to pick up the business’s garbage for about three weeks. At other times, the contractor has been late or skipped one of its biweekly pick-ups. She said since the village soon will negotiate with refuse businesses for a village-wide garbage contract, she wanted to register her concerns about the contractor.
- Hennepin’s 2017 bicentennial commemorative T-shirts and wine still are available, Mayor Kevin Coleman noted. If interested, contact village hall or officials.
Source: News Tribune