Mayor Chet Olson proclaims April 9-15 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Rochelle in honor of the men and women whose diligence and professionalism keep our city and citizens safe.
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ROCHELLE — On Monday evening, the Rochelle City Council approved an ordinance amending and updating a specific section of the municipal code in regards to liquor license classifications. Due to the wording that has been in place for over 20 years, some of the terms used to describe the licenses had become outdated or the meaning was difficult to understand.
“The terms have needed updating for quite some time, and we looked at other communities in our area and used their pattern of classifying different licenses,” said Rochelle Mayor Chet Olson.
Included in the changes is an increase of $100 to all of the licenses except the temporary (Class T) classification.
Council heard a presentation from Economic Development Director Jason Anderson in regards to a possible agreement between the City of Rochelle and the Greater Rochelle Economic Development Corporation (GREDCO).
In order to ensure operating capital, GREDCO was proposing a rail revenue sharing agreement with the city for a term of 10 years. The agreement discussed included a five percent share of the gross City of Rochelle Railroad yearly revenue, with a minimum share of $50,000 per year.
GREDCO has been a partner with the city for nearly 40 years, collaborating on many industrial economic development projects. One major industrial driver is the City of Rochelle Railroad (CIR), which was started by GREDCO in 1986.
Due to the increase in growth of rail-related businesses and expansions, CIR revenue now exceeds $1.5 million each year. Additionally GREDCO has purchased options for industrial properties that the CIR now serves.
Although no action was taken Monday evening, council is expected to vote on the agreement at the next meeting. Mayor Olson expressed concerns that clarification on specific past debts needed to be included in the agreement.
