QUINCY, IL (KHQA) — As expected, the Quincy City Council voted on several different ordinances and resolutions at its weekly meeting, the most important of which was arguably the $21 million bond ordinance for water and sewer projects across the city.

Not every resolution or regulation sparked debate and discussion, but this one did. After the vote, there were ten yes votes and three no votes. That was the most no votes of all the items on the evening’s agenda.

Sixth District City Councilman Jake Reed believed the bond was needed for modernization projects in the city.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us as we need to replace the water mains under Broadway and also do work on the water treatment plants,” Reed said.

Reed wasn’t sure where the money for various water and sewer projects would have come from without the bond. He didn’t want to have to potentially stop other ongoing road projects to get the funds, which played a role in his decision to vote yes.

Meanwhile, other important ordinances and resolutions were on the agenda. One of them, which passed by a vote of 13-0, was a new seat belt ordinance for the city. This new violation would impose a $75 fine on drivers, but is not expected to affect insurance premiums.

Another resolution that generated some debate was an 11-2 vote to give non-union city employees a 4.5% raise, effective May 1, 2024.

As an update on construction at City Hall, Council anticipates that the chambers will be accessible again in the next week or two while work continues. The construction team is still in the process of sourcing the correct materials and the project is not expected to be completed any time soon.

All other resolutions and regulations were voted unanimously. The agenda for the meeting can be found here.