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St. Francisville residents share grievances on bridge toll, stray dogs  Share
A raise of the toll for passage on the Wabash Cannonball Bridge in St. Francisville was one of the issues that brought a crowd of residents to the St. Francisville City Council meeting on Wednesday, August 12. Each toll fee was raised by 50 cents on August 1. Councilman Stan Williams explained that his reasons for introducing the rate change was due to costs of the bridge inspections, as well as upkeep. According to Williams, federal and state mandates were quickly handed down following the collapse of a bridge into the Mississippi River in Minnesota two years ago. This years cost for bridge inspections is $50,000. The government has also recommended that the small bridge be repaired at an estimated cost of $250-300,000. This involves making the bridge two lanes. The city may get 80 percent of that cost back through funding. However, it is not guaranteed. Mayor John Guite said that the three bridges make liability insurance higher. The costs of employee coverage are also a factor in the toll raise. Guite said that in a four-year projection for the future of the bridges, it is anticipated that eventually there will be stop lights on the one-lane bridge. Ultimately, the wooden trestle bridge will need to be widened, he said.
Other community concerns were the continued problem of dogs running loose, attacking other animals and threatening citizens. Although ordinances are in place, court costs actually constrain upholding the legal process. ''It's all dollars and cents,'' St. Francisville Police Chief Billy Darnell told the residents. Citizens and the Council discussed the matter further to devise ways in which to control the problem. ''Defending yourself and your property is not a problem,'' Mayor Guite said, referring to using licensed guns in a responsible manner for protection. Councilman Dave Deckard suggested that a holding pen could be built for ease of pickup of the unrestrained animals for the county dog catcher. While the council approved the action, they did question the costs of the county service. According to Mayor Guite, the municipalities of the county are charged a fee for picking up stray animals. Those out of the city limits are not charged, he said. Improvements around the city have been taking place with the replacement of sidewalks on Main Street (using Motor Fuel tax money and a section paid for by Orvil Klein) and sidewalks around the school (paid for by the Community Improvement Corporation). Ameren CIPS will also be replacing electric poles on Main Street. Once they are installed, upgrades will need to be made by the city to meet the Illinois electric code. Mayor Guite said that most of the Christmas lights would only be on the north side of the street due to the electric availability. In other business, the council: - was reminded that the beginning of school warranted that motorist take extra precautions for awareness of youngsters and school buses. - approved request from Darnell for the Haunted Trails Halloween event on October 23 and 24 at River Park. Those wishing to volunteer help for the event may call the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department at 943-5766. - committees were designated by Mayor Guite. - Mayor Guite announced that a Bi-Centennial celebration would be planned for 2012. - approved the purchase of a timer for the tennis court lights with a 10 p.m. shutoff hour and the installation of a dusk to dawn light (provided by councilman John Tussey) on the basketball courts. - approved the purchase of a sand spreader at a cost limit of $8,000. Barbara E. Allender is editor of the Bridgeport Leader.
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