SAVOY – The village officially has ownership of a portion of Curtis Road after the board unanimously approved Wednesday night to approve annexation of approximately 18 acres of right of way.

By annexing the property, between Prospect Avenue and about a quarter-mile east of Mattis Avenue, the village will be able to continue construction of the nearly $11 million Curtis Road improvement project, despite opposition from Champaign Township.

"It's been a frustrating road that we've been following here," village Manager Richard Helton said. "It is usual that governmental bodies work cooperatively together. In this case that didn't happen."

In May, Savoy accepted a land transfer from the county, which had been buying land for the project. The annexation completes the process.

This phase of the project will involve the reconstruction of Curtis Road, between Wesley Avenue in Savoy and Wynstone Drive in Champaign, from a two-lane road to a four-lane road with curbs and gutters. The project is a collaborative effort among Savoy, the city of Champaign and Champaign County.

Helton said Savoy is continuing talks with land owners Adolph and Renee Lo about annexing additional property adjacent to Curtis Road.

In other business:

Prevailing wage ordinance passed. The village's standard prevailing wage ordinance was passed, which means the village has established the wages and benefits for each occupation that can be considered doing work for the public.

Mower sold. Some surplus public works equipment was put on the market. Two bids came in for a John Deere mower. The minimum bid was $5,000. It was sold for $6,556 to John Koontz.

Trustee Art Skelton asked what would be done with the surplus equipment – Ford Taurus and a small tractor – that was not sold. Helton said the village would try to sell it again.