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By Steve Metsch
The McCook Village Board earlier this month approved what Mayor Terrance Carr calls “preventive maintenance.”
The board on May 6 unanimously approved paying Rose Pest Solutions $12,000 for a 10-week rodent control program throughout the village.
It’s not that the McCook now has a rat problem, Carr said.
It’s that officials do not want to see an encore of several years ago.
“We had a huge problem four years ago. What we’ve been doing is preventive every year (since),” Carr said. “It was pretty bad.”
How bad was it?
“You were getting rat holes outside houses more and more and more. So, we did a program every year since. Preventive maintenance they call it. They will bait for 10 weeks,” he said.
He’s been told rats are coming from the quarry west of the village.
“Hopefully, we’re good. The problem is, if you stop one time, you’re going to get them (again). You’ve got to keep going,” Carr said.
In other business, the board unanimously approved a contract to not exceed $69,650 for Rezzar Demoltion to tear down a former oil refinery building at 7601 W. 47th St.
That’s across the street from the bowling alley in Lyons. Rezzar was the lowest bidder on April 11, Carr said.
“That’s a property the village took over six years ago. It’s very contaminated,” he said of the soil.
“We’re doing this with the U.S. EPA,” he said. “We’re taking all the tanks down.”
The board approved a $10,560 bi-annual service agreement with Planz Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. for the MAX.
Maddie Martino, general manager of the MAX, said the agreement provides maintenance twice each year – before winter and summer – for the building’s heating and air conditioning systems.
Much like the afore-mentioned rodent control, it’s a bit of preventive maintenance.
The board approved receiving a small equipment grant of $25,897 from the Illinois State Fire Marshal to purchase equipment needed when working with larger trucks involved in accidents.
Fire Chief Dave DeLeshe said the equipment will be used by the department’s rescue squad to extradite people from wrecks involving those larger trucks that can weight up to 100,000 pounds.
“It’s a good grant, saves us money and we don’t have to worry about it,” Carr said.
The board unanimously approved its annual $1,000 donation to the I&M Canal National Heritage Area Civic Center Authority.
The board also approved buying a sectional pusher for the front of a tractor – to be used in snow removal – for $11,900 from McCann Industries.
“We tried to get it last year, but they didn’t have it. We budgeted for it,” Carr said. “It’s kind of funny, buying a snow plow now.”
