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Busby wants the city of Lincoln to respond to announcements from
President-elect Barrack Obama that there would be funds offered all
across the nation for improvements to infrastructure. When the
matter opened for discussion, Mayor Beth Davis-Kavelman said that
she had a couple of concerns. She first inquired as to the authoring
of the letter, saying that generally these letters are issued by the
mayor and the city council.
Busby responded by saying, "I think it's better coming from the
treasurer when we're asking for money."
The mayor moved on to the second concern, which was that there is
a similar proposal being prepared by Joel Smiley, executive director
for the Lincoln & Logan County Development Partnership. She offered
the floor to Smiley to explain it.
Smiley read a letter from Vickie Clark, senior vice president of
the Economic Development Council for Central Illinois.
(Side note: The
Economic Development Council for Central Illinois is a regional
consortium that represents Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Mason and
most recently, Logan County.
Lincoln and Logan
County were accepted into the regional council in October. This
action was in conjunction with the request and approval for Lincoln
and Logan County to write a Comprehensive Economic Development
Strategy and have it attached to the regional council's CEDS.
CEDS is a
long-range financial plan that allows access to federal funding for
economic development projects. Joining a regional effort strengthens
a community's position in the application for both state and federal
funding.)
The regional council had been informed by the Federal Economic
Development Administration that there is a possibility of an
economic stimulus package being passed soon after President-elect
Obama takes office that would include funds for economic
development. The projects had to be ones that could be quickly
started within the first two quarters of 2009. The letter from Clark
was to invite Logan County to prepare a list of projects that need
funding.
Smiley told the council that he received notice only late last
week, and he must have all the information submitted to the regional
council on Wednesday. The matter is so important and timely that he
has already submitted the list, so that it would only take a phone
call to confirm it.
He said that when he received the communication he sent out
e-mails to all the members of the development partnership, which
includes all the mayors in the county and county officials. And then
he spoke with the city of Lincoln engineer, Mark Mathon, and the
county's highway engineer, Bret Aukamp.
There are four projects that he would like to include in the plan
for Lincoln and Logan County. For the county it would include funds
to improve Highway 10 from the Viper coal mine to Illinois Route
121, at a cost of $5.6 million, and an improvement project for
County Highway 1, leading from the Mount Pulaski business district
to Illinois Route 54, that would carry a $350,000 price tag.
For the city of Lincoln, the proposal would include $1.1 million
for a new 700-foot roadway and intersection with traffic signals to
be added at Lincoln Parkway between Woodlawn and Fifth Street. This
is where the new Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital campus and other
future related facilities would be located.
Also for the city is a request for slightly over $6.6 million for
Fifth Street Road. This would cover costs for the renovations needed
from the Lincoln Parkway intersection westward to the Interstate 55
overpass. The work to be done would include two traffic lanes, a
bidirectional turn lane, curb, gutter, and all associated storm
sewer and drainage work.
At the end of Smiley's presentation, Alderwoman Marty Neitzel
expressed her concern that Lincoln and Logan County are not
officially in the regional CEDS plan yet, and we may be left out if
money is granted.
Smiley said that Lincoln and Logan County have already been
accepted into the regional council and that our CEDS with them would
be completed by February.
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Smiley also agreed with another concern she raised -- that there was
a good chance that the larger dollar amounts would go to Peoria
because of their greater population numbers -- but he added that
acting on this request from the regional council would get "our foot
in the door" with them. It would also likely gain us more attention
at the federal level so that we might get one or two projects, where
we might get none by ourselves.
He added that if the city council wished, he could remove Fifth
Street from the project summary.
The mayor thought that perhaps that would be a good idea, as she
is concerned about duplication of the request, and the complications
that might evolve.
Busby said there was no duplication, and Smiley reinforced
Busby's statement by saying that this would be requesting funds from
two different pots of money.
Alderman Dean Henrichsmeyer added that he felt like the more we
asked for, the better. He would rather see it asked for twice than
not once.
Smiley explained that with this program there would be a match
required. This match could be local funding or it could be state. He
said that if we could get this money from the federal level, it
would give the city leverage with the Illinois Department of
Transportation, and matching funds could come from them.
The council voted 8-0 in favor of Busby's motion to send a letter
requesting funds for Fifth Street Road. Aldermen Prather and
Hoinacki were absent for the vote.
In addition, Smiley will go forward with his request for federal
funds through the regional Economic Development Council request for
funds for economic stimulus projects, and it would also include a
request for funds for the Fifth Street Road project.
[By NILA SMITH]
Past related article
Related sites on the Web
Heartland Partnership's mission -- The
Heartland Partnership provides strategic leadership, coordinates
resources and brings to life initiatives focused on developing,
growing and nurturing the heartland economy. The partnership serves
as a catalyst for regional visioning and strategic thinking and
provides a forum for identifying regional issues and recommendations
to be considered for action by the Economic Development Council for
Central Illinois, the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, other
subsidiaries and other appropriate nonaffiliated entities.
Strategic principles:
-
Develop
shared solutions through broad central Illinois region
stewardship and collaboration.
-
Target and
encourage quality economic innovation.
-
Increase
economic opportunity by assuring the community is highly
livable.
-
Fortify
and expand the entrepreneurial climate.
-
Broaden
prosperity.
-
Communicate progress and opportunity to regional constituents
and varied external audiences.
-
Generate and manage Heartland
resources.
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