There could be some changes to the infrastructure projects Rockford leaders decide to tackle that would fix more of our neighborhood streets, but ax other key projects.

A new 2010-2014 Capital Improvements Project for the city of Rockford would mean some major and long-overdue projects would finally get off the ground. Those include reconstruction to the crumbling Morgan Street Bridge, plus West State and South Main Streets.

But the plan is stalling out over concerns about a 37 percent cut to the neighborhood streets program. Monday night, a city council committee recommended cuts to other areas instead, to free up more money for repairing neighborhood roads.

"Which god knows we all need," says Rockford Alderman Pat Curran.

Aldermen are proposing shifting funds from arterial sidewalk repairs, a bike path project, savings from projects that came in under bid this year, and bond payments for buying out homes in the Keith Creek flood zone.

That frees up more than a million dollars in all, but Mayor Larry Morrissey isn't so sure it's the right move. The city owes 600 thousand dollars a year for the Keith Creek buyout project and Morrissey wants to know...
"How they hope to pay for that gap. If it's coming out of our operating budget, which they can certainly make the choice to do so, then where is that other $600,000 going to come from?"

Aldermen chose to table the capital plan and could vote on it next week.

The council did approve changes to its roughly 20 million dollar health care plan for employees. City workers can choose between Echo or River Valley for health insurance and River Valley now includes coverage under SwedishAmerican Hospital, as well as Rockford Memorial.

The city could not reach agreement on a separate plan that could have saved up to 400 thousand dollars with a switch to Blue Cross Blue Shield. But the plan runs month-to-month, giving aldermen flexibility.

Also Monday night, the council gave final approval to a one-year contract with the city's AFSCME union that includes wage freezes. All that's left now is to strike a deal with the police union. Mayor Morrissey says meetings are ongoing and he's hopeful for a swift conclusion.