The Village of West Salem’s Board met on Monday. At the meeting, Mayor Jeffrey Bradham reported on the damage caused by the storm that passed through the area the evening of March 14, 2024. A building on the Main Street in West Salem was severely damaged, and was demolished the following morning due to safety concerns. There were a few limbs down, but no injuries or other major damage was reported due to the storm. The Mayor thanked the building’s owner Kelli Clodfetter, the Edwards County Sheriff’s Department, West Salem Police Chief Mark Weber, West Salem Utility Worker Mike Clark, Steve Thompson, and Guisewite Excavating for their quick responses, cooperation, and action to resolve this situation in a timely manner.
Jeff Vaughn of the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Association (GWRPC) shared that the Village’s Sewer Lagoon Project was near completion. The project is being funded by a $300,000.00 grant from the State of Illinois. Mr. Vaughn invited trustees and the public to the next GWRPC Hazard Mitigation Plan meeting which is scheduled for May 8, 2024 in Albion.
New bleachers have been installed at Centennial Park (400 Boundary St). The bleachers were purchased and installed by the West Salem Athletic Association. A second set of bleachers, which is being purchased by the school district, will be installed in a few weeks by the Association.
Work on the Village’s new website is progressing. The domain name (westsalemil.com) and hosting package have been secured, preliminary content has been submitted, and logo concepts, tagline, and website layout are in progress.
In action items, the Board approved proceeding with an application for the 2024 Illinois Public Water Supply Loan Program. If approved and accepted, funds will be used to replace 2” water supply lines with 6” water supply lines.
The Board approved an estimated $21,000.00 in road repairs using the Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) funds for the Village.
The Board approved equipment purchases for the West Salem Fire Department, and the West Salem Utilities Department. A MSA Air Pack and two new pagers will be purchased for the Fire Department. A new leaf blower will be purchased for the Utility Department.
The Board approved the proposal from Wright Housekeeping to provide janitorial services for Village Hall; and the proposal from Kemper CPA Group to conduct the annual audit for the Village.
The Board approved the hiring of Tom Smith to fill a temporary/seasonal position at the West Salem Utilities Department.
The Board approved two proposals from Guisewite, Inc to demolish two (2) abandoned properties for a total of $17,100.00. The properties are located at 108 Albion and 306 Cooper.
The Board approved the purchase of property at 105 S. Main and 107 S. Main in West Salem.
The next West Salem Village Board Meeting will be on Monday, April 22nd.