Livingston County State’s Attorney Randy Yedinak appeared before the Fairbury City Council Wednesday night for an update on the county’s criminal justice system.
“We have an embarrassing drug problem,” Yedinak admitted while reminding the council that there are problems all over the state and country.
Yedinak pointed to a decrease in drug overdoses and trafficking in Fairbury and Forrest and credited local police for the success. The law enforcement community is hearing that drug dealers are becoming more aware of county boundaries and avoiding major highways such as Routes 24 and 47.
“I think word is getting out,” Yedinak said.
Local officers are being proactive, according to Yedinak, which means drug arrests often start with traffic stops. He believes officers don’t do their jobs for thank-yous but to make the community a better place by decreasing crime.
Forrest Village President Lewis Breeden also appeared before Fairbury City Council members and expressed his appreciation for the law enforcement partnership with Fairbury Police.
“We are very, very pleased with what goes on in Forrest with the department you let us use,” he said.
Lingering dumpsters were another topic of discussion Wednesday. Alderman Gary Norris noted he received information from a citizen about a dumpster sitting in a residential area for several weeks which was spilling over. Perishable items were reportedly thrown into that dumpster.
“They need an ordinance to cover what the city rents,” stated Fairbury resident Wayne Varner. “Somebody is going to get seriously hurt.”
Mayor David Slagel believes the city can handle the issue on a complaint basis rather than writing an ordinance. He suggested the possibility of having a meeting to discuss the matter but does not want to discourage people from keeping large dumpsters around for building materials and other waste purposes. Alderman Jon Kinate said he also received a dumpster complaint from a location near Route 24.
In other business, the council purchased three sets of turn-out gear for the fire department at a cost of $7,785. This includes three coats, three pants and three boots. Fire Chief Martin Steidinger is hoping to replace a few each year until they get caught up.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the Fairbury City Council:
-Approved a request from Angie Taylor to host the second annual High Octane Show & Shine on Locust Street Saturday, June 1.
-Authorized pay request 7 for the Long-Term Control Plan sewer project at a cost of $1,711,476.48.
-Granted a request for Superintendent Ashburn to attend WATERCON in Springfield March 18-21 in the amount of $371.54 for hotel accommodations.
-Allowed City Treasurer Dale Diller to attend a payroll law workshop in Bloomington July 11 at a cost of $199.
