The city is completing plans for how to use a 399 thousand dollar grant from the state of Illinois. Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk told the Public Services Committee that the city will be able to tear down blighted houses with the money…
He said this should remove all of the residential structures the city owns and can demolish. Mayor Rickey Williams said unfortunately, there are a lot more structures that need to be torn down.
The discussion saw several aldermen say that the city needs to develop a program of incentives to help homeowners before a house is beyond help. The city does have the Community Development Block Grant program to help homeowners, but it is a limited fund.
