Chester City Council says major work expected at Cole Park
The city of Chester is working to fix the ball diamond at Cole Park, which suffered the most erosion from the excessive rain this past spring and last fall - including losing right field when it slid onto the road below it.
Moreover, the slide sent the chain-link fence over and while it is still anchored by its poles it is laying at a 45 degree angle, the city council heard on Monday. The area has been closed to public use since February.
Mayor Tom Page told alderman that after making an inspection of the whole park, the recommendation is to removing the fencing, and use city equipment to improve the diamond.
Alderman Ray Allison instead suggested they offer the damaged fence to the public and allow someone to remove it at their own risk - saying he thinks removing it will be a costly project with the added headache of finding a place to store the fencing once it has been taken down.
Alderman Dan Ohlau asked about the light standard which is also leaning badly. Page said they would contact Ameren and see if they can help with removing it.
Page, meanwhile, reminded the council that they agreed to remove the fence back on March 2 and said he expects to see the project to proceed in the next several weeks. Page added that city workers will also begin cleaning the entire park area by trimming trees and weeds.
Other news
Alderman Mike Blechle spoke about the storm sewer pipes located next to Dr. Beck's former office. This area presented the city another problem due to the excessive rains which eroded the soil and caused the drain pipes to shift.
Blechle said the repairs were completed Monday morning. The repairs were huge and Page added that the city workers completed the project by laying 190 new feet of the large pipe necessary to carry away the rainwater.
Gary Stull came to the meeting but did not address the council. His property has been the topic of major discussion at the last several council meetings, as Harrison Street has had a major land slide causing much of the city street and Stull's property to wash away. State engineers are supposed to examine the situation and report to the city but Stull's presence at the meeting indicated that this has still not happened.
Fire Chief Marty Bert introduced Jered Meyer and Lake Fogerson and asked the council to approve both as regular paid firefighters for his department, which aldermen did. The council also ratified action to approve renewal of employee health insurance coverage with Aetna.
The meeting was adjourned with the next scheduled meeting to be held Sept. 8 due to the Labor Day holiday on the 7th.