By Jerry Lindsey, Assistant Editor.
The Morrison City Council convened on Monday, November 24, 2025, with all representatives present. They were greeted with an introductory presentation by members of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT.) Details of the preliminary engineering and environmental study for the improvement of U. S. 30 in Morrison and Whiteside County were introduced.
• Study limits begin 0.1 miles of IL78 north to 0.2 miles east of Jackson St. in Morrison
• Identifying transportation needs
• Conducting engineering studies
• Develop transportation solutions
• Study and document potential effects
• Recommend transportation improvement and address project needs.
The study will prepare an environmental inventory, avoiding sensitive resources where possible, while minimizing the impact to resources wherever avoidable. The study includes:
• Traffic Study
• Crash Analysis
• Existing Environment
• Bike & Pedestrian Assessment
• Stakeholder Meetings.
Noted were the existing poor condition of the current roadway; safety concerns at intersections; average vehicle usage (9000) per day, which includes over 1200 semi-trucks; drainage issues; traffic congestion that configure the plan of execution.
The study will provide information for the following plans of execution of redevelopment that are currently proposed.
• U. S. Route 30 pavement reconstruction
• Evaluate increasing capacity
• Intersections evaluated for appropriate traffic control–stop, or left and right lane signals
• Bike and pedestrian accommodations will be considered and new accommodations evaluated
• Existing drainage will be evaluated during the development of a proposed drainage system for the corridor.
IDOT values the public input and will welcome all comments that meet the criteria of: feasibility, practicability, adherence to project goals, and compliance to both State and Federal policies and laws.
• Stakeholder Meetings
• Public Meeting
• Project Website: https://idot.illinois.gov/transportationsystem/transportationmanagement/featured-projects/whiteside-county–u-s–30-inmorrison.html.
IDOT has a three-phase project development process that has an anticipated project letting in the spring of 2029.
IDOT identified their next steps as:
• continue engineering studies
• identify all environmental resources
• develop design alternatives
• meet with stakeholders
• Open House Public Meetings in 2026.
Council action following the IDOT presentation included:
• Ordinance 25-12 was unanimously approving the levy of taxes for the period of May 2026 and ending on April 13, 2027.
• Approved the placement of memorial benches at Odell Library commemorating retired employees.
• A change order by painting contractor Balayti Painting was denied, due to previous poor quality of work.
• A final payment request by Balayti Painting on the City’s exterior painting project was not acted upon, due to the failure to receive a motion to act.
Discussion followed concerning the implementation of software for financial management, human resources, utility management, and community development. The City’s current supplier received negative considerations for future usage. The upgrade in software, though expensive in comparison, would be “Well worth the expense to upgrade,” according to City Administrator Brian Melton.
The November City Council meeting closed with a comment from Mayor Vandermyde that the December Council Meeting would be considerably shorter in comparison to the November meeting.