August Coffee with Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch yields discussion on many topics

 

[August 19, 2024] 

On Saturday August 17th, Lincoln Mayor Tracey Welch once again held Coffee with the Mayor at Guest House to address Lincoln citizens on questions and issues they are having.

Mayor Welch was joined by Building and Safety Officer Wes Woodhall, Street and Alley Superintendent Walt Landers, and Ward 3 Alderman Kevin Bateman in answering questions.

The first question asked was about what is being built near Walmart. Mayor Welch informed the audience that this would be a senior living community called Lincoln Senior Flats for people 55 and older. Welch informed those in attendance that ground would be broken on that project soon.

The next question addressed crime in Lincoln. The man asking the question stated that it seemed as if crime was on the rise with little to no presence of authority. The authority that is present does not seem to dissuade those who would commit the crimes. The crimes he listed included speeding, burglary, and others. He also argued that it seemed there is a lack of punishment for those who are arrested for the crimes they commit.

Mayor Welch answered this question, stating that the police force here in Lincoln is understaffed, but our officers are doing everything they can. He also addressed the fact that the Safety Act of Illinois has severely limited what the Lincoln PD are able to do. Many times, Welch shared, people who are arrested for a crime are processed at the Safety Complex, then released. Since the court system in Logan County is backed up for three or four months, and the Safety Act of Illinois prohibits holding most offenders without bail, they cannot be held accountable for their actions until the court can get to them. Welch even shared a story of someone who was apprehended by the Lincoln Police and attempted to get the officer’s gun, only to be released after they were processed.

Mayor Welch was also able to speak on graffiti, as this was another topic that was asked about. Welch assured those in attendance that the city is doing something to address the graffiti, as well as crime in general. The Downtown Safety Initiative has allowed the city to install cameras at all four corners of the Courthouse Square. Welch also stated that there are plans to put another camera under the viaduct on W Kickapoo St. Welch shared it is likely that security cameras may be put in other locations throughout Lincoln as well. The most important and helpful thing a citizen can do is contact the Lincoln Police when they see something illegal going on, Welch said.

The next issue that was asked about was the increase in illegal solicitors throughout the town. It was shared that yellow stickers were created that can be displayed at the front of your home dissuading solicitation. These stickers can be purchased for $1. Solicitors must get a permit from the city to conduct solicitation within city limits, and a list of the companies that hold such a permit, as well as when those permits expire, can be found on the city’s website here.

The next concern brought up was that of the Lincoln Speedway races that were held at the Logan County Fairgrounds the previous night. The races went quite a bit later than usual, and the man in attendance who brought this up asked about why that was. Bateman shared that these races generate a lot of income for the community and are allowed to go over so many minutes past quiet hours each year. It is likely that they went so late because many of the races have been canceled this year, so Lincoln Speedway still has a lot of unused time. There were also several wrecks that caused delays in the starting of several of the races.

The next thing asked about was the condition of the streets in town, with it being mentioned that many streets need to be redone. Landers informed the audience that Tremont Street will be the next major road project, with that being scheduled for next year. Landers also shared the city only has so much funding for roads each year. It helps when members of the community reach out and let the city know about roads they feel need to be done. Landers shared that when a company is selected through a bidding process to complete work in Lincoln, they usually come with a heavy fee to “mobilize.” This term refers to the company having to acquire all of the tools and equipment they will need to complete the project, as each company may have tools at different job sites. Since this fee is usually so large, it makes more sense to pay the fee once and have the company fix as many of the road problems as they can before the company finishes and leaves.

Another person in the audience asked about Illinois American Water’s prices, as they felt their bills were going up. Illinois American Water’s rates have gone up, and Mayor Welch shared part of this was due to the fact that they have new infrastructure. He also shared that since they have an electronic estimator system for measuring how much water each house has used, it is possible that there may be errors. A member of the audience seconded this, stating that he was listed as having used thousands of gallons in a single day one month when that was not possible. Welch urged those in attendance to call Illinois American Water if there were any issues they need addressed. If you have trouble getting a hold of them, Welch suggested that you reach out to someone in Lincoln’s local government, as they can help you get a hold of Illinois American Water and your problem resolved.

A discussion was then had on the state of Lincoln’s businesses, and the frequency of new businesses starting as well as established businesses going under. Mayor Welch shared that, while it might seem like lots of businesses are leaving, there are a lot opening as well. Welch stated that he has gone to a lot of ribbon cuts for new businesses recently. He also shared that Andrea Runge of the LEAD program is working with our local representatives to make a comprehensive business plan for Lincoln as well as Logan County.

The men leading the discussion also addressed the fact that, because of Lincoln’s location, a lot of businesses get pulled from the community. Since the town is a relatively short drive away from places like Springfield, Bloomington-Normal, and Peoria, many businesses choose to open up there. Many potential customers also tend to be patrons of the locations in these bigger cities as well. At the end of the day, Welch shared, it is up to the people of Lincoln to make sure they are supporting their local businesses with their patronage to help them keep their doors open.

A conversation was also had about houses being torn down in Lincoln. The men shared that it is never their goal to tear down houses, but that sometimes they have no choice. They shared a bit on situations they can and cannot do anything about, and then shared that there is one house on 5th Street scheduled for demolition. They also shared that there is one more home they are looking at for demolition as well.

At the end of the meeting, all of the men shared an app that Lincoln has to communicate with the local government and representatives. The app is called GoLinc and can be downloaded on both iPhone and Android devices. Once you make an account, you can do anything from report the condition of a road to file a report with the Lincoln Police. Every department is on the app and uses it regularly. The app will also send push notification updates to you as the issue is addressed and will notify you once it is resolved. They also made sure to tell everyone that if you feel the app is lacking anything, to call and let them know so that it can be updated. While the app was being discussed, someone in the audience downloaded the app and made an account. He then shared that it was very intuitive to install and set up.

[Matt Boutcher]