Frankfort Board Approves Infrastructure Spending

At its Monday September 18 meeting, the Frankfort Village Board approved a number of spending items related to village infrastructure. In an effort to increase downtown parking capacity, the village is planning to create two new parking areas. The one at 11 and 19 N. White will tie into the existing parking lot that is part of the Prairie Park development. The existing parking lot at the southwest corner of Oak and Elwood Streets, commonly known as 2 Smith Street, will be redeveloped and expanded. The village’s fiscal year budget for 2023 – ’24 includes funding in the amount of $450,000 for downtown parking enhancements, with Frankfort receiving a grant to help cover the costs in the amount of $500,000.

Frankfort trustees also approved spending to make repairs to manhole covers at Jackson Creek. As part of the annual Sewer System evaluation, 159 covers were identified as places where inflow of storm water can make it into the sewer system. Kim Construction Company was awarded a contract in the amount of $411,350 to make the repairs.

Also, at its September 13, meeting, the Committee of the Whole reviewed a proposal from Layne Christensen Company to pull and chemically treat wells 11 and 12, at Jackson Creek Park. The Bryon Jackson pumps at wells 11 and 12 are exhibiting a 45-to-50 percent reduction in pumping capacity due to both degradation of wearable pump components and loss of permeability of the bedrock reservoir. The utilities department is seeking to rehabilitate these pumps and chemically treat the wells in an effort to restore pumping capacity.

Layne Christenson Company is the sole source regional representative and service provider for Byron Jackson well pumps. At its September 18 meeting, the Frankfort Village Board awarded a contract to Layne Christenson for $156,896 for the rehabilitation work on those wells.