The Metropolis City Council gave its approval for the city to move forward with the Outdoor Fitness Court, which contains seven zones with simple equipment for various exercises to target major muscle groups. The proposed location is Lincoln Park.
The council approved the project during its meeting on Thursday, Jan. 29.
The decision was tabled from the Jan. 12 Parks & Recreation Committee meeting after members had additional questions regarding the $232,000 project. Metropolis is one of three Southern Seven Health Department sites secured for a $50,000 grant funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for the National Fitness Campaign project. The city’s portion, $182,000, is an amount not in its budget.
During a Parks & Recreation Committee meeting held prior to Thursday’s council meeting, Jeffords said he took part in a Zoom meeting with the National Fitness Campaign and learned the city had a Friday, Jan. 30, deadline to submit a grant transfer application. Jeffords said he submitted the application on Jan. 29. An awards meeting is to take place the week of Feb. 2 to confirm the locations eligible to receive the $50,000 grant.
Jeffords emphasized the grant is “nonbinding. They are willing to work with us. They have to do this quite often in smaller communities. We would work into the next fiscal year and apply for an OSLAD grant [to go toward the city’s portion]. Everything that we do is nonbinding, so, if we don’t get an OSLAD grant or another source of funding, we are not responsible for the other $182,000.”
The Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD Program, is a state-financed grant program that provides funding assistance to local government agencies for acquisition and/or development of land for public parks and open space.
Jeffords said that with a timeline of when the city needs to have its funding portion of the project, it can now apply for OSLAD and other grants. “Our plan is to apply for an OSLAD grant in July; the funding award will not be until December. As long as we have the [OSLAD] award notice before the end of the year, we can begin work on the fitness court in spring 2027,” he said. “The original $50,000 grant that Southern Seven secured for the city will be held by the National Fitness Campaign until we have the all the funds for the project. Everything is nonbinding — if we don’t receive the OSLAD grant, we are not expected to move forward with the project from our general funds.”
The Parks & Recreation Committee consists of chairwoman Michele Longworth, Ward 1; Chuck Short, Ward 1; Wagner; and Jeremy Holley, Ward 4.
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The City of Metropolis can now issue administrative search warrants related to abating properties following the council’s adoption of the ordinance during its meeting on Thursday, Jan. 29.
Corporate counsel Andrew Leonard explained the chapter allows the city to request from the county’s resident First Circuit judge an administrative search warrant which “allows us to go into demoed proprieties or properties that look like they’re abandoned or are problematic. I can get a warrant signed by the judge and we can go on the premises and inspect it.”
Leonard noted it will allow the court process “to be a lot easier,” and the warrant gives the city’s abatement officer authorization to go further into the property.
“It will erase any legal ambiguity on the city’s part of where the abatement officer can and cannot go on private property, even if we know there are abatement/property issues that we cannot see from the road,” noted Mayor Gregg Jeffords.
Leonard gave the council an example that happened last week. “We had an issue today where we had a fenced-in back yard where junk was piled up. In order to see those violations, [the ordinance] allows us to go get a search warrant to go into the backyard premises, inspect that, write an abatement ticket, and we can use the warrant to go back out there and abate the property,” he said.
Through the administrative search warrant the city has “a little bit more access to clean up some back yards. It allows us a little bit more access to accomplish those things. It’s something that we’ve needed,” Leonard said, noting he has warrants “ready to go” once the ordinance is approved.
“This allows us better access to get a hold of problems before they start,” he said.
The ordinance amending Title 3 Administration of the City of Metropolis, Illinois, adds a new chapter, No. 38, entitled “Administrative Search Warrants.”
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Changes will come to 12th Street in the next few years.
The council gave its approval to HMG Engineers to begin designing pedestrian improvements on 12th Street from North Avenue to U.S. Hwy. 45. The maximum design costs of $110,899 will be billed over the next two years, with the improvements — including sidewalk ramp repairs, new sidewalk installation, storm sewer installation, curb ramp upgrades, crosswalk pavement marking and street lining — being built in 2027 using a Safe Routes to School Grant.
While there was no quorum for the Finance Committee meeting held prior to the council meeting, Jeffords took the opportunity to explain the project.
“This gives us an opportunity to get rid of the ditches and install sidewalk along the southside of 12th Street up to McDonald’s,” he said, adding that the design is preliminary work that must be done to apply for the Safe Routes to Schools grant.
He noted that because 12th Street is a federal roadway, the city can use Federal Aid Urban funds in addition to the grant.
Present from the Finance Committee were chairman Al Wagner, Ward 3, and Jeff Bullock, Ward 2. Committee members Koch and Lewis were absent.
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The council also gave HMG Engineers its approval to begin Phase 1 of the water main replacement project from Pearl to Williams streets along Fifth Street.
“We’ve discussed the project in council before, but we’ve never given HMG the full go-ahead,” Jeffords said. “They’re just in the design phase, so this would be a target date of 2027 to build.”
Jeffords explained during the Finance Committee meeting that project will roughly cost $1.7 million. He said the city is looking at an EPA loan and other funding sources for the project, including using Motor Fuel Tax funds, of which the city accrues roughly $20,000 monthly. The majority of the project is outside of any of the city’s current TIF districts, which restricts that as a funding source.
“We will be replacing a good portion of the mains throughout the city. It is a necessary step for the upcoming lead service replacements” Jeffords said.
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In other business, the council:
• Approved the hiring of two new engineers for the Metropolis Fire Department.
• Approved payment in the amount of $6,200 to SCS Engineers for professional services for December.
• Approved payment in the amount of $4,278.44 to Brown & Roberts Inc. for the replacement of the existing airport T-hangar with a six-unit T-hangar building.
• Approved payment in the amount of $5,913.60 to Fletcher-Reinhardt Co. for Light Department supplies.
• Approved payment in the amount of $7,152.79 to McCoy Construction & Forestry for mini excavator repairs for the Water Department.
• Approved payment in the amount $25,156 to Brotcke Well & Pump for the Water Treatment Plant.
• Approved the closure of Market Street from the Superman Statue to Sixth Street from 3-5 p.m. Friday, April 17, for MCDAC’s Prevent Child Abuse Event.
• Approved payment in the amount of $20,000 from from TIF District 6 Funds to Jones Building LLC for the redevelopment agreement between the City of Metropolis and Jones Building LLC for the 821 Pearl St. house building project.
• Approved payment in the amount of $20,000 from from TIF District 6 Funds to Jones Building LLC for the redevelopment agreement between the City of Metropolis and Jones Building LLC for the 813 Pearl St. house building project.
• And, approved payment in the amount $14,325 from from TIF District 6 Funds to Got Muscle for the redevelopment agreement between the City of Metropolis and Got Muscle for the interior renovation project at 618 Market St.
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Under department heads:
• Metropolis Police Chief Harry Masse announced he will be elected into the Hall of Fame of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics on Feb. 13 at the annual kickoff conference in Bloomington. Masse has been involved with the run since 1996 when he was serving with the state police. “I’m a firm believer in Special Olympics and what they do, and the Law Enforcement Torch Run is the single largest fundraiser for that. Worldwide, Illinois is No. 1 in fundraising,” he said.
• Metropolis Emergency Management director and Metropolis Fire Department Chief Micah Tolbert commended all of those involved with the city’s preparation and cleanup efforts from the Jan. 24-25 snow.
“The snow routes went well. Kudos to public works for getting out and getting the job done, and still working on it through the night. There weren’t any accidents, no fires,” Tolbert said. “We opened a warming center Jan. 23-26 and had one resident come in the first night, so it was decided not to continue those efforts.”
Jeffords continued the kudos. “Public Works essentially has not had a day off. They’ve been working from 6 in the morning until dark each night. They kind of got punched in the mouth with some equipment issues. I’m very proud of them. They did pretty well breaking their backs for us. I’d like to give a special shoutout to (the Street Department’s) Jimmy Sullenger and Caitlyn Parrish — they worked extremely hard over the weekend from sunup to sundown to keep the emergency routes clear.”
Public Works director Natalie Harris was also out through the entire weekend. Jeffords noted that all of Public Works equipment operators had to be called in on Sunday, Jan. 25, to help as the sleet caused an ice buildup to help clear the snow. During the week, Jan. 26-30, Public Works worked from 7 a.m. until dark to keep the roads clear, using backhoes and tractors after the snow plows suffered mechanical failures due to the extreme low temperatures and ice buildup on the roads.
“It was cold and miserable, and they worked all the way through it and haven’t had a day off. Just wanted to say congratulations to them and we really appreciate it,” Jeffords said.
The city council meeting was held three days later than the scheduled Monday, Jan. 26, meeting due to the weather. Aldermen Chad Lewis, Ward 4, and Cord Koch, Ward 2, were absent.
The meeting ended with a closed session concerning to pending litigation.
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Citywide cleanup weeks for 2026 have been announced. Bulk items are picked up on the same day as regular trash collection. Questions about what items are allowed can be directed to Bulldog Systems at 877-285-3479 or the Mayor’s Office at 618-524-4016. The service is offered quarterly: Feb. 9-13; May 11-15; Aug. 10-14; and Nov. 9-13.
Metropolis City Hall will be closed on Monday, Feb. 16, in observance of Presidents’ Day.
The council’s next regular meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9.
