Galesburg Aldermen have on their agenda Monday night a discussion item regarding the creation of Deputy Chief positions within the Galesburg Police and Galesburg Fire Departments.
The measure is likely uncontroversial since aldermen approved the annual salary schedule two weeks ago that included these new jobs. Council documents say this is essentially an ordinance to finalize the creation.
As expected current Police Captain Rod Riggs will assume the Deputy Police Chief role. Council documents say ultimately the hiring power for the Deputy Chief lies with the Police Chief with the advice and consent of the city manager. Riggs will automatically be promoted with the passage of this ordinance.
Currently, there are four Galesburg Fire Battalion Chiefs, and the new deputy chief job would replace one of those. The selection process for Deputy Fire Chief is nearly identical to the Deputy Police Chief, with the Fire Chief ultimately making the call. Stevenson has been with the Department for 30 years and has been 2nd in command since 2009.
Aldermen are also primed to enter into an agreement with the city’s new tourism bureau, no longer overseen by the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce.
The group has already incorporated and taken steps to receive funding from the state but largely the city’s agreement will remain the same as before. $190,000 annually from hotel-motel tax receipts will still go towards funding the organization.
The Galesburg Tourism and Visitor’s Bureau will also sign a lease to use the Welcome Center on East Main Street.
City Administration is also recommending all bids received to construct a new street division building be rejected. The lowest bidder offering a price of about $2.4 million was nearly $700,000 over the project’s budget.
The administration believes the scope of the project can be revised to accommodate the storage needs and needs of the staff while lowering the costs.
The reconstruction of the building which is on a road inlet that can be reached from West Main or Henderson Streets. Reconstructing the street division building was a part of the city’s 2019 capital budget.
Council documents say that if the revised project can be rebid by early next year, work could start in the spring and be completed in the fall of next year.
