City lays groundwork for bridge panel

Batavia officials expect a citizens committee looking into a second bridge in town to take a year and a half to do its task.

The Batavia City Council approved an application and tentative timeline on Monday for the committee, which is supposed to lay out the pros and cons of potential new bridge sites.

The committee will not make a recommendation to the council regarding what action to take.

Officials have stressed that no decision has been made about whether to have another bridge in town. But they said it is important for downtown redevelopment to know where a possible new bridge would be.

Alderman Victor Dietz, who cast the only dissenting vote, said the city should decide whether to have a second bridge and whether it would be designed to handle local or regional traffic before asking residents to donate their time to a committee.

The group is scheduled to meet about once a month until the project is finished in spring of 2009. In that time, members will work with facilitators and consultants, review research, hold an open house and prepare a final report.

The council is now soliciting members of the committee, which will include a resident from each of six town areas, a Holmstad or other retirement community resident, a high school student, a downtown business or property owner and a Randall Road business or property owner.

The committee process will be funded through an $80,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation. The city will have to pitch in about $20,000 worth of staff time.

Anyone interested in applying for the group can contact City Administrator Bill McGrath at (630) 879-1424 or by e-mail at bmcgrath@cityofbatavia.net.

Applications are due Nov. 1.