The first step in procuring materials to finally fix Valmeyer Road was taken during the Nov. 3 Columbia City Council meeting, with further updates provided as part of Monday’s meeting.

On Nov. 3, aldermen approved a motion to waive bidding requirements to allow a vendor to begin fabrication of concrete box culverts required to repair a failed section of Valmeyer Road, which has been closed since early April after part of the roadway and ground beneath the road collapsed following several rounds of heavy rains. 

The low estimate from the three vendors contacted by the city was submitted by McCann Concrete Products at a cost of $334,250.

Ward IV Alderman Steve Holtkamp clarified the council was not technically waiving the bidding process, but it was “trying to get a jump start” by skipping advertisement of bids since the pertinent vendors were already known, reiterating the fact three bids were solicited.

The action was predicated on the city receiving estimated project labor costs and material quantities last month from Millennia Professional Services.

City Engineer Chris Smith on Monday night reported the culverts have been ordered and will be delivered to the city by mid-January.

He also announced the labor contract for the project would be let for bid on Thursday, and he expects to have an item on the Dec. 1 council meeting agenda.

That bid is for installation of the culverts, any required dirt work and repair of the roadway.

Smith added the earliest work on the project would begin is early of 2026.

He also noted a Monroe County bridge project on Bluff Road just north of Valmeyer Road is running a little behind schedule, with that project not expected to be completed until January. 

Action to address the Valmeyer Road collapse and subsequent closure – now entering its eighth month – had been hindered by required oversight by a number of environmental agencies due to the road’s proximity to a federally-recognized waterway. 

Also on Monday, Smith reported progress on the oft-delayed Creekside Park and accompanying Creekside Trail projects off Rueck Road.

He said excavation work  for the park is nearly complete, also noting the recent installation of pavilions, restroom facilities and playground equipment.

Excavation work began in March, but was delayed following heavy April rains.

Work resumed late this summer.

The update on the trail project was not as favorable, with Smith noting some Illinois Department of Transportation projects involving federal money were “pulled” from the November letting to allow for a federally-requested recertification process to be completed.

He estimated the project would be placed on the January bid schedule.

The trail project will add over 4,000 linear feet of walking trails in and around the park in addition to a bridge over a planned pond at the park.

Smith also provided an update on an ongoing project on Centerville Road.

The project to lay new pavement and install new curbs and gutters, storm and sanitary sewers and water mains along this road from Columbia Avenue to Riebeling Street began in mid-October.

Smith reported the water and sewer infrastructure was installed, and pavement work began Tuesday. 

Depending on the weather, Smith said repaving work could begin next week with the project expected to be completed in mid-December.

The city also discussed its upcoming tax levy Monday night, with Columbia City Administrator Doug Brimm reporting an estimated 6.8 percent increase in the equalized assessed value of Columbia properties from last year.

He also noted a nearly $160 million increase in EAV from just over $300 million in tax year 2019 to $459 in 2025.

Even with a tax levy of 5 percent over last year, the value of property will create an overall reduction in the City of Columbia tax rate for the sixth consecutive year, Brimm explained.

Aldermen also approved the final subdivision plat for Country Crossings II and an accompanying memorandum of understanding with developer Marty Hubbard.

The topic was discussed during the Nov. 3 meeting, with Hubbard reporting he was aware of needed concrete repairs, offering a five-year maintenance guarantee bond for it. 

Hubbard said he sought approval of the final plat with a condition of not accepting the streets so he can start selling lots. 

In other business on Nov. 3, the council approved a proposal submitted by Quadrant Design, Inc., for architectural and related engineering services for the development of the future Columbia Municipal Complex located at 11800 Old Bluff Road.

The purchase of the existing building and property for $6.4 million was approved during the Aug. 4 meeting. 

Additional development at the site is planned at a cost of approximately $8.55 million.

Brimm noted the “well-established and satisfactory relationship” with Quadrant Design and its “knowledge of the city’s operations” as reasons for selecting the company to oversee this project.

Quadrant Design services are not to exceed $628,575 – roughly 7.35 percent of the additional development cost.

The project includes renovation of the existing structure and construction of new facilities to accommodate a relocated City Hall, police department and 911 dispatch operations and a new emergency medical services station.

Conditions at the current public safety complex which houses Columbia police, fire and EMS operations at 1020 N. Main Street have been a topic of conversation for some time. 

The city released the results of a 2021 environmental study in 2024 following the cancer-related deaths of two Columbia Police Department officers in 2000 and 2024. 

The new municipal complex will not house operations of the Columbia Fire Protection District – a separate taxing body from the city services to be relocated to 11 South.

Also during Monday’s meeting, longtime Columbia social studies teacher and coach Barry Krizan was honored – but not for his work at the school.

The city, along with Columbia Public Library Director Michelle Sawicki, thanked Krizan for his 50 years of service with the library.

Krizan thanked Sawicki for continuing the work of recently-retired longtime director Anne Bland.

He also gave a brief history of the library’s development over the past five decades, noting his teaching, coaching and involvement in the library have been a “pleasure.”