MENDOTA – The Mendota City Council heard a report on efforts to spur economic development in the region during its March 5 regular meeting.

Ivan Baker, president and CEO of North Central Illinois Economic Development Corporation, gave a presentation to members of the city council on the organization’s effort to create shared prosperity and economic opportunity in the region by aggressively marketing locational advantages for business investment. The city of Mendota is one of more than 50 investors in NCIEDC, which markets LaSalle, Bureau and Putnam counties.

“This is a region that needed to be marketed,” noted Baker. “We market the three-county area for business development to create more investment, jobs and tax revenue for those three counties.”

Baker said this is a phenomenal area for businesses to make money. He stated that the I-80/I-39 corridor is an area that Chicago-based businesses did not know much about. Baker told the council that since July, there have been 96 inquiries primarily from brokers for possible investment in the area. He said that of those 96 inquiries, the area met the requirements of 21, and 10 of those NCIEDC was able to market Mendota.

Baker added that the area has a big advantage because of its close proximity to Chicago. He said that a lot of businesses want to be 90 minutes or less from Chicago and O’Hare Airport, which Mendota is.

“I am very pleased with what’s happening,” said Baker. “I believe we are making progress.”

For more information about NCIEDC, log on to www.northcentralillinois.org.

ALDERMANIC REPORTS

In Aldermanic reports, John Hessenberger informed the council of a petition to rezone lots 1 & 2 of the ICR addition from M to B-3. The matter will go before the Zoning Committee at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 12.

Alderman Jim Fitzpatrick said that the city’s solid waste and recycling contract expires at the end of July. Bids are being sought for the contract and will be due on Wednesday, March 28. The bid will be awarded at the April 2 council meeting.

MAYOR’S REPORT

During Mayor Boelk’s report, the council reaffirmed the awarding of the bid for the ADM utility project. The winning bid of just shy of $1.1 million went to SKI Seal Coating & Maintenance of LaSalle. This is for Phase I of a project to extend water and sewer lines across I-39 to the new ADM flour mill facility, which is currently under construction.

The next regular meeting of the Mendota City Council will be Monday, March 19 at 6:30 p.m.