Speed and traffic were central topics during Monday evening’s Galesburg City Council meeting, with officials approving a lower speed limit on South Lake Storey Road and residents raising safety concerns about a busy city intersection.
The council unanimously approved an ordinance, 7-0, formally recognizing a reduction in the speed limit on South Lake Storey Road from 45 mph to 35 mph. While Knox County had already posted new signage along the roadway, which is a county highway, the ordinance allows the Galesburg Police Department to enforce the change within city limits.
Council Member Steve Cheesman, 7th Ward, said he supports the reduction but would like to see the speed lowered further at curves along the road.
“Even at 35 mph, the curve is still dangerous,” Cheesman said.
Additional guardrails are planned as part of the construction of the Lake Storey walking path, a project that council members said will increase pedestrian traffic and heighten the need for slower vehicle speeds.
Intersection concerns raised on Seminary Street
Safety concerns were also raised about the intersection of Seminary and Grove streets during public comment.
Kyle Thierry and the Rev. Greg Vickers asked the council to consider installing a crosswalk at the intersection, noting that a nearby bus stop is frequently used by patients visiting the Graham Medical Group Clinic, requiring them to cross heavily traveled Seminary Street.
Both said traffic at the intersection is not only heavy, but fast.
City Manager Eric Hanson said the intersection presents challenges due to its location at the bottom of a hill near the base of Bickerdyke Bridge. He said a crosswalk would likely not be feasible or effective under those conditions.
Hanson said the issue remains under discussion and suggested that relocating the bus stop may be the most practical solution.
Council Member Heather Acerra, 5th Ward, echoed the concern during closing comments, saying the intersection “can be quite dangerous.”
Public transit funding approved
The council also unanimously approved an ordinance and resolution related to public transit funding.
The ordinance authorizes submission of a grant application for the Section 5311 and Downstate Public Transit Operating Assistance Program, which fund the majority of the city’s public transit services, including city buses and handivan service.
The total cost of the program is $3,574,775, with 80 percent funded by the state and 11 percent by federal sources.
Originally scheduled for a first reading, the ordinance was advanced to a second reading and approved at the recommendation of Council Member Dwight White, 4th Ward, who cited the importance of the funding.
The accompanying resolution confirms the city’s compliance with grant requirements.
Other business
The council also approved several additional items:
• Appointment of Hannah Lyon to the Landmark Commission. Lyon said in her application that she has spent the past six years restoring her home in the Chambers Street Historic District, which dates to the 1870s.
• An ordinance initiating the sale process for 13 city-owned vacant lots. Bids will be opened in June for properties located at 694 U.S. Highway 150 E, 2069 Windish Drive, 494 Clark St., 286 Fulton St., 1911 E. Main St., 751 Michigan Ave., 325 S. Chambers St., 84 Division St., 793 S. Seminary St., 946 S. Pearl St., 526 W. South St., 404 W. Brooks St., and 362 W. Fourth St.
• A $117,770 bid from Mechanical Services of Galesburg Inc. to replace piping on the police department side of the Public Safety Building. It was the lower of two bids. Piping on the fire department side was replaced in 2024.
• A $31,163 bid from Davies Imperial Coatings Inc. for white and yellow traffic paint, the lowest of five bids received.
• Purchase of a used 2019 Vactor Jet-Vac truck from the Galesburg Sanitary District for $150,000, an estimated $80,000 below market value.
Public comments
Residents also raised concerns about the city’s use of Flock traffic cameras and their potential as government overreach, the need for a community center, and bike path safety.
Closing comments
During closing remarks:
• Chuck Reynolds, 3rd Ward, congratulated the Galesburg Fire Department and the Red Cross on a recent smoke detector installation event.
• Dwight White, 4th Ward, noted his attendance at a Rooting Out Poverty conference in Bettendorf, Iowa, and recommended the books “The Burglary” by Betty Medsger and “War Is a Racket” by Maj. Gen. Smedley D. Butler.
• Heather Acerra, 5th Ward, reiterated concerns about the intersection of Seminary and Grove streets and invited the public to a May 2 fundraiser for the American Legion baseball program at Smokin’ Willies BBQ.
• Greg Saul, 6th Ward, expressed concern about speeding and thanked the city for addressing plumbing issues at the Public Safety Building, noting similar concerns at the Knox County Courthouse.
• Steve Cheesman, 7th Ward, recognized National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and Jackie Robinson Day, highlighted local fundraising efforts for Habitat for Humanity, and reminded residents not to allow grass clippings into the street.
• Angelica Mangieri, 1st Ward, noted the Galesburg Public Library Foundation’s “Savor the Story” fundraiser and encouraged residents to attend her public forum Thursday at the library.
• Wendel Hunigan, 2nd Ward, said the city’s water infrastructure is aging but that current levels of “forever chemicals” remain within Environmental Protection Agency standards.
• Mayor Peter Schwartzman noted a recent EF-0 tornado within city limits, recognized a local restaurant’s statewide distinction, and highlighted the planting of 40 fruit trees at First Street and Avenue A.
