CHRIS BAKER NAMED THE 2009 CITY OF HERCULANEUM CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
Chris Baker has been selected as the 2009 City of Herculaneum Citizen of the Year. Chris is active with the Herculaneum Fire Department (Assistant Chief), Herculaneum Park Board (Chairman), Herculaneum Historical Society (Secretary), Herculaneum Today & Tomorrow (Secretary), the Herculaneum Bicentennial Celebration Committee (Secretary), the City of Herculaneum Master Plan Committee and other city related and fire service related committees. Chris was presented with the 2009 Citizen of the Year plaque at the January 11, 2010 meeting of the Herculaneum Board of Aldermen.
JEFFERSON COUNTY PORT FEASIBILITY STUDY OPEN HOUSE
An Open House for the Jefferson County Port Feasibility Study will be held on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, at the City Hall in Crystal City. The open house will be held from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM and will allow for public viewing of theport options as presented by TranSystems.
NEW SIGNS INSTALLED IN HERCULANEUM
The City of Herculaneum has installed new signs at secondary entrances that are similar in design to the entrance signs located along Interstate 55 and Highway 61-67 (Commercial Boulevard). The metal signs have been erected city entrances on St. Joseph Street, Wall Street, Riverview Drive, South Scenic Drive and McNutt School Road.
New blue directional signs featuring the City of Herculaneum logo have been erected at various locations in the historic areas of the city. The directional signs direct visitors to City Hall, the Police Department, the Public Library, the various churches and schools, the athletic fields and the Joachim Loop Trail. The signs have been erected on Joachim Avenue at intersections with Commercial Boulevard, Brown Street, Mott Street, Hill Street and North Main Street.
The signs are part of the overall new design for signage in the City of Herculaneum. All city streets have new blue and white signs featuring thee City of Herculaneum logo installed. The installation of the street signs program began in the fall of 2007 and is nearly complete.
WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR HERCULANEUM OUTDOOR LIGHTING CONTEST
The following entrants in the 10th Annual Outdoor Lighting Contest sponsored by the Herculaneum Historical Society are:
FIRST PLACE - STAN HELMS, Scenic Drive ($100)
SECOND PLACE- JOHN JENKINS, Union Place ($75)
THIRD PLACE - AMY COFFMAN, Oakholt Drive ($50)
HERCULANEUM FIRE DEPARTMENT TAKES DELIVERY OF NEW RESCUE/BRUSH TRUCK
The Herculaneum Fire Department has taken delivery of a new 2009 Ford F-550 light rescue/brush apparatus. The new vehicle was built by Central States Fire Apparatus of Lyon, South Dakota, a division of Rosenbauer America. The apparatus features a new blue over red paint scheme, roll-up compartment doors, a 300 gallon booster tank and skid unit. The truck will also be used to tow the department's water rescue boat, heavy rescue trailer and other utility trailers.
GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY HELD FOR NEW JOACHIM CREEK BRIDGE
A ground breaking ceremony for the new Joachim Creek Bridge was held on Monday, October 19, 2009, at the intersection of Church Street and School Street. Participating in the ceremony were Gary Hughes, Smelting Division Manager of the Doe Run Company; Jim Kasten, City Administrator; Bill Haggard, Ward 1 Alderman; Bill Whitmer, Past City Administrator; Chuck Banks, Jefferson County Chief Executive; Bill Yeida, Herculaneum Resident, Aaron Miller, the Doe Run Company, Carl Vogt, Engineer from CMV-Cochran Engineering, officials of Pace Construction and representatives of Bloomsdale Excavation.
The bridge will extend from Riverview Drive (near the new Herculaneum Fire Department engine house) and Church Street in the older part of town. The projected completion date for the new bridge is November 2010. The bridge is being constructed by Pace Construction of St. Louis. The bridge is engineered by CMV-Cochran engineering.
Funding for the grant is provided by 80% federal funding and 20% local funding which is being provided by the Doe Run Company.
Completion of the bridge will provide another route to and from the older part of town for emergency vehicles and residential traffic, a route for trucks entering and leaving the Doe Run facility and an access road to a potential port site in Herculaneum.
HERCULANEUM WATER RATES TO INCREASE
Effective on the October 2009 water bills for all residents of Herculaneum will be an increase in the water rates.
The rates will be increasing to $11.39 for the first 1,000 gallons and increasing to $6.39 for each additional 1,000 gallons used.
For those using 5,000 gallons, the new rate will be $36.95 or an increase of $8.04 a month.
This is the first time that the water rates have been increased in six years. The Board of Aldermen reluctantly raised the rates after much discussion. The increase is due in part to the increased in wholesale water being purchased from the Jefferson County Water Authority and from increasing operational costs, capital improvement costs and the increasing debt service payments toward the pay off of the water bonds.