Manhattan board approves grant application and awards three water‑main contracts; annexation hearing continued

The Village of Manhattan board on Oct. 7 unanimously approved a resolution to submit an Illinois Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School application and awarded three contracts to replace or repair water mains; the board also opened a public hearing on an annexation agreement for the Butternut Ridge South subdivision and continued that hearing to the Oct. 21 meeting.

The Safe Routes to School application would seek 100% IDOT funding for projects that would help students walk or bike to school safely. The board voted in favor of submitting the application in a roll call vote with no recorded dissent.

In a series of contract awards the board accepted low bids for three water‑infrastructure projects. For the Manhattan Road water‑main improvement project Ares was the low bidder at $599,847; the village has a $500,000 grant toward that project, leaving about $100,000 as the village share. The board recorded that the segment to be replaced is roughly a half‑mile long and said part of the local share will come from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

For the Front Street water‑main improvement project PT Farrell was the low bidder at $455,958. Board discussion described that project as largely grant‑funded by ARPA, with a small local match…