The new Galesburg City Council voted to once again table the resolution to buy a property to provide city-run housing to the homeless.
The property at 435 E. Third Street is currently owned by the Bible Center Church & Rescue Mission, which plans to move their shelter to a new location in a few months.
City Manager Gerald Smith recommended approval of the resolution to purchase the property for $350,000.
The city would then partner with other agencies to create a permanent warming and/or homeless shelter.
The previous two winters, Galesburg helped sponsor a winter warming shelter at the Hawthorne Gym and the Knox County Housing Authority’s Moon Towers.
City officials have performed walk-throughs of the building and drawn up a sales agreement.
But the issue has yet to come to a vote.
The previous council was set to vote on this resolution at the April 17th meeting, and instead tabled the resolution.
The new council delayed the decision further.
“I think this is an unbelievably important cause, but we need to have more information, especially from those who can research, study and have the data that know about it much better than I do to really formulate a plan and see if we can go forward with that.” said new Ward 7 council member Steve Cheesman.
Five members of the council, including three newcomers, voted for tabling the resolution, with Dwight White and Sarah Davis voting no.
“There is a substantial amount of data that we have not been presented as new council members to justify buying a building without a clear and detailed understanding of what we’re trying to achieve and how big the problem is,” said new Ward 5 council member Heather Acerra, echoing Cheesman’s remarks.
According to the Salvation Army, 79 people were served by the warming center this winter, with up four to ten people coming each night.
The resolution was tabled to the June 5 meeting.
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