Keeping Wyanet’s buildings in good shape

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WYANET — Wyanet Mayor Bruce Hand, who is also the village’s liquor commissioner, along with village board members approved three liquor licenses within the village limits at Tuesday evening’s village board meeting.

Hand sent out letters, informing all businesses who carry a liquor license within the village limits, that they need to come in and address the board with their renewal application either at the March or April village board meetings.

Casey’s, The Out House represented by its owners Steve and Connie Fairbanks, along with the VFW represented by Bob Oloffson addressed the board with their renewal applications for their 2010 license at the village meeting.

After short deliberation, all three licenses were approved for the following year.

Fairbanks also had additional questions regarding the building next to his tavern. The vacant building, located at 130 E. Main was sold again, this time to Dave Grebner from Betty Burwell.

Fairbanks concerns are stemming from bricks falling onto his building, causing enough damage that he had to replace them. Fairbanks is still trying to get compensated for his roof damage but with the building being resold again, he is questioning who is culpable to reimburse him for the damage.

Heavy discussion regarding this building as well as others throughout the village, which are in many views considered safety issues, have the board trying to decide the best way to handle the repair and conditions of this building as well as others — now and in the future.

A motion to adopt the following codes with regards to all buildings, structures, homes within the village limits, include the International Building Code, the International Property Maintenance Code, the International Fire Code, CABO, the Illinois Plumbing Code and the National Electric Code.

Village board members hope that by adopting these codes, they will be able to enforce an ordinance which requires all property owners to keep their buildings in good shape or penalties and fines can occur.

In the mean time, village members asked Hand to send letters to Betty Burwell, the seller of the property at 130 E. Main and to Dave Grebner, the new owner, requesting their presence at the April 14 board meeting to address safety concerns about the building.

Board members also discussed raising the reconnect fee to have water turned back on from $10 to $100.

As of now, residents of Wyanet who have their water turned off due to unpaid bills have to pay a $10 reconnect fee. If the board approves this new service charge, residents will have to not only pay their past due bill in full, but also pay the additional $100 service charge in order to have their water turned back on.

Village board members will be deciding this issue at their April 14 board meeting, and if the new service charge passes, it will go into effect 30 days from that date.

In other business, the village board:

• Will be applying for a EPA revolving loan to assist in future water/sewer projects.

• Hired Joe Birkey, CPA, of Princeton to be the village auditor beginning in 2010.

• Approved payment of bills in the amount of $14,181.23.

• Will be moving the April board meeting to April 14 due to a conflict with the township board meeting.

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