Operators of overweight trucks seeking permits in Rochelle will see an increase after the first of the new year after City Council approved changes to the fees along with amending and updating the ordinance.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account and connect your subscription to it by clicking here.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active, online-only subscription then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
ROCHELLE — Operators of overweight trucks seeking permits in Rochelle will see an increase after the first of the new year after City Council approved changes to the fees along with amending and updating the ordinance.
Effective Jan. 1, 2018 the permit fees will reflect an increase of six percent. Since the start of this year there has been about $35,000 in overweight fees collected, which are primarily used for administration, service charges, equipment and other operational expenses.
The added funds are included in the budget as a supplement to maintenance and/or infrastructure improvements along the trucks routes.
City engineer Sam Tesreau explained the revisions to the ordinance helped not only to clarify specific terms, but also allows truck operators to utilize digital technology to eliminate paper copies.
“We clarified what a trip is, which is basically one movement to a destination point…We also allow up to five days for a single trip and up to 10 days for round trip,” Tesreau explained. “These are primarily for overweight construction equipment constantly moving back and forth to sites.”
Permit fees had remained the same since the overweight truck permit system started in 2013. Discussions of a possible increase began nearly a year ago between city officials and the Trucking Advisory Committee.
Tesreau noted that the city manager still has the authority to determine the fee if a permit is requested for above 300,000 pounds.
City council approved an ordinance to include the City of Amboy within the Lee Ogle Enterprise Zone, which consists of 9,600 acres divided between the two counties. The zone was established in 2015 to provide incentives to promote economic growth and encourage expansion among other things for a term of 15 years.
Council also approved a utility easement agreement regarding the soon to be constructed radium removal plant at well 11 near the high school. Due to local and state requirements a water detention pond will need to be expanded. The area affected is nearly seven acres. The agreement with Creekside Land Holdings LLC was approved at a cost of about $49,000, which includes crop damage protection over the course of four years.
Two more utility easements agreement were approved involving the Steward Road Transmission project at a cost of over $21,000. A total of 10 easement agreements are now completed with another two anticipated in the next month.
