The Danville City Council Public Services Committee has taken a look at some future needs. Perhaps the most urgent one that came up during Tuesday (May 28th) evening’s committee meeting involved the Danville Fire Department. Thursday, May 30th is the deadline for the department to apply for a grant that would help with the purchase of five units of equipment that measure oxygen levels in the blood stream. Total cost involved in the purchase would be $4,500, and the fire department was given the okay to apply for the grant. A note from Fire Chief Aaron Marcott; read by Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr; stated that their current units cannot be used to measure blood oxygen levels in pediatric patients. Mayor Williams stated after the meeting that it must be remembered that firefighters rescue patients of all ages.
AUDIO: And I think sometimes, when people think of medical care, or urgent medical care; they think of elders or senior citizens. However, as we all know, things happen to people at all ages. So we’ve got to make sure that we take care of our children as well.
Danville Police Chief Christopher Yates speaks during Tuesday, May 28th Danville City Council Public Services Committee meeting.
In addition, the Danville Police Department was also given a “thumbs up” to apply for a grant. Chief Christopher Yates says their current taser guns are a couple generations old, and replacing them could be a total of between $140 and $150 thousand. So finding out a “no match” grant was available was very good news.
AUDIO: It’s getting close to the end of the life of the tasers that we use now. It’s just time to upgrade. Once we apply, we’ll see whether or not our city is selected for it or not through ILEAS (Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System). Anything electrical can age out. They stop working, they’re not as reliable. So we want to make sure our officers and the public have the right tools available.
Meanwhile, a long term effort that’s part of the Garfield Park renovation continues. Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk says it was noticed long ago that the nearby Dines Machine and Manufacturing building would need to be moved. Cronk says this Public Works issue was put on the Public Services agenda because time is running short on the city’s option agreement to purchase the former Del Storm building at 2003 East Voorhees. The city needs to acquire the property, and then do a study on what needs to be done to remodel the old Del Storm building so it can house Dines Machine and Manufacturing’s equipment. Cronk says the city hopes to have that move occur by October of 2025. He’s also hoping to stay near what the city originally estimated the total project cost would be; around $2.1 million.
AUDIO: There’s a lot to do. Like I said at the meeting tonight; we have a complete bid set, we have a semi-understanding of what it’s going to cost to move the machine shop from the Garfield Park location. But we still have a long way to go. We need to go out for bid, and then just kind of let the procedures fall from there.
As for the new Garfield Park Pool, they are aiming for a mid-June opening at this point. The next Illinois Department of Public Health inspection is set for Monday, June 3rd.
