GOVERNMENT GLANCE

BLOOMINGTON

Appeals board OKs permit for complex

Meeting: Zoning Board of Appeals

When: Aug. 17

Key action: Approved parking and height waivers and recommendedthe City Council approve a special-use permit for Luther Oaks SeniorLiving, 611 Lutz Road. The complex would include 90 independentliving apartments, 40 assisted living units and 16 memory-supportunits on 10 acres south of Trinity Lutheran School.

CLINTON

Official: Fund reserves will continue to erode

Meeting: School board

When: Aug. 16

Key action: Approved a tentative 2006 budget that includes $16.1million in revenue and $18 million in deficits. The deficits will becovered by reserves. Business manager Rick Imig cautioned the $5.5million anticipated in reserves at the end of the June 2006 schoolyear will erode further with expected 2007 deficits.

LEROY

School board plans hearing on budget

Meeting: School board

When: Aug. 15

Key action: Saw the tentative 2005-06 budget, which includesdeficits in the education and operations, building and maintenancefunds. A public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 19.

Other action: Heard personal identification numbers, necessary forparents of junior/senior high school students to access studentinformation over the Internet, are available in the office the weekof Aug. 23 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Council OKs pact with Tri-Valley

Meeting: City Council

When: Aug. 15

Key action: Approved a one-semester contract with the Tri-ValleySchool District to provide an officer for traffic control at the endof the school day. LeRoy will provide an officer for an hour eachschool day at the intersection of the school drive and U.S. 150.

HEYWORTH

Board approves pact for new subdivision

Meeting: Village Board

When: Aug. 15

Key action: Approved an amended pre-annexation agreement with St.Louis developer Oscar Wood, paving development of the 98-acre GreenTrails subdivision.

NORMAL

City to add lanes, light near Meijer

Meeting: City Council

When: Aug. 15

Key action: Accepted a $297,465 bid from Rowe Construction ofBloomington to add east- and westbound turn lanes on College Avenuefrom just east of Susan Drive to just west of Hershey Road. The lanesand a new traffic signal on College would accommodate shoppers of theMeijer store under construction.

Other action: Eliminated three streets from its 2005 resurfacinglist and approved a $498,520 contract with Rowe Construction toresurface seven others. Bids to resurface all 10 streets on thisyear's list came in nearly 8 percent over the town's estimate andmore than $160,000 over the amount budgeted for the project. Projectseliminated this year are Dillon Drive from Veronica to George; FellAvenue from Vernon to the railroad tracks; and University Court fromBowles to University Street.

City appoints two to Discovery board

Meeting: City Council

When: Aug. 15

Key action: Appointed Linda Bowman and Jill Jones to theChildren's Discovery Museum Foundation board of directors. Bowman isan academic advisor in the Speech Pathology and Audiology Departmentat Illinois State University. Jones is director of corporate andfoundation relations at ISU.

STREATOR

Council approves loan to aid business growth

Meeting: City Council

When: Aug. 17

Key action: Approved $76,000 from the revolving loan fund to aid alocal business' expansion. Streator Drugs' officials said the moneyrepresents about a third of the money being marked for theconstruction project.

Next meeting: 7 p.m. Sept. 21.

High school students could move this week

Meeting: Township high school board

When: Aug. 16

Key action: Heard students could move into the west addition thisweek as the $31.5 million project moves forward. Final work will becompleted by the start of 2006-2007 school year.

Other action: Candidates are still being screened to replaceSuperintendent Bill Mattingly, who resigned. The candidate will beselected in a year, with interim superintendents until one is hired.

Next meeting: 6 p.m. Sept. 19.

STANFORD

Olympia moves off early warning list

Meeting: Olympia school board

When: Aug. 15

Key action: Heard the district spent more than $2 million dollarsless in the 2004-2005 school year than in 2003-2004 and would receivefinancial recognition status from the state. The district will moveup two steps from the "early warning" status.

PONTIAC

Pontiac force adds new police dog

Meeting: City Council

When: Aug. 15

Key action: Met the new Pontiac Police Department dog, Draco, aBelgian Malinois. He is trained to track and search for drugs. He andpartner Brad DeMoss started patrol last week. Draco replaced Lump,who retired earlier this year.

STREATOR

Woodland budget will cover expenses

Meeting: Woodland school board

When: Aug. 15

Key action: Heard the tentative budget has about $5.7 million inrevenue and $4.8 million in expenses.

Other action: Heard 587 students were enrolled this year in thegrade and high schools, about the same as last year.

Next meeting: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18.