Marseilles to beef up security at memorial, new City Hall with $180,000 purchase

The Marseilles City Council took a step Wednesday to protect two of its most valuable assets: the Middle East Conflicts Memorial Wall and its new City Hall and police station.

The Marseilles City Council approved expenses totaling almost $180,000 for security measures around the property at 200 Riverfront Drive, the riverside lot where the memorial sits, as the city is moving its offices and police into the old Illinois Valley Cellular building.

The city agreed to pay Per Mar Security of Rockford $35,662 and Ficek Electric and Communication Systems of La Salle $139,497 for video cameras and associated electronics.

Jim Buckingham, the commissioner of public property, said that the purchase was a necessity in that area on the edge of the downtown, that there has been substantial vandalism around the memorial, and that it is sure to spill over to the new City Hall, a purchase of which Buckingham opposed.

However, he’s putting that disappointment behind him and sees the need to protect the city’s future asset.

“I know I voted against this, but the council didn’t agree with me. It’s time to move on,” Buckingham said of the $1.35 million purchase finalized in November 2023.

Buckingham is not concerned about the people going behind the memorial to the river bank to fish on days when weather allows, but he does have concerns about those people and teens drinking in the area, mostly after dark.

The area also has been known to attract homeless people, in some cases looking for the coins and donations made to the memorial and its museum after hours.

“I worked in that building 24 years and know it inside and out, and security is the No. 1 thing, no matter where you go, even if it is our own police department,” Buckingham said. “There were not enough cameras there, and we needed more of them to keep that entire area safe.”

Street projects targeted

Commissioner of Streets Michael Scheib informed the council that the street department will target three projects for expected motor fuel tax revenue. Those are Union Street between Sherman and Day streets, Second Street, and West Prairie Street and Lincoln Street between Chicago and La Salle streets.

He added that he’s aware of a “structural issue” on Williams Avenue and admitted that it may take as much as $300,000 to repair, but he hopes there may be some of the $390,000 in general obligation bonds approved earlier in the meeting left to address that problem.

The GO bonds, Scheib was informed, are earmarked for the Broadway Park renovation, the Rutland Street sidewalk project and the “Safe Schools” infrastructure work.

Mayor Jim Hollenbeck also commended the firefighters and officers for their work in saving a resident from a home fire Jan. 30, and the police officers for apprehending the suspect.

In other action, the council:

• approved its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade for March 15, waiving the permit and fee.