 Items added to the consent agenda for next week include canceling
the last council meeting of the year, which was scheduled for Dec.
28, approving City Hall holiday closures on Dec. 24 and 31, and
issuing the last city payroll of the year early, on Dec. 23.
Parking enforcement spurs suggestions from two groups
Mayor Keith Snyder said the downtown two-hour parking enforcement
plan is going very well. Currently the city has two volunteers, Andy
Anderson and Glenn Shelton, who are making the rounds around the
downtown area and issuing tickets to violators.
Snyder said that what may not be well known is that the two-hour
parking rule does not apply to just the area around the city square;
it also extends into surrounding blocks in the area.
For one organization, this has become a problem that they are
hoping can be amended. The Logan County Genealogical & Historical
Society, located on Chicago Street, has asked if their street could
be exempt from the two-hour parking rule. They have contacted the
mayor, saying that when visitors come to the historical society,
they are there to do research that often lasts longer than two
hours.
Snyder said that in considering this, there was a problem in that
the historical society is located across from the train station. He
said that if the two-hour limit were removed, it was conceivable
that people riding the train could park their vehicles at 7 in the
morning and leave them there the full day, which would once again
deter parking for downtown visitors, including those to the
historical society.
Alderwoman Joni Tibbs wondered if the historical society could
implement a validation process whereby visitors could give their
tickets to the society for validation, then take them to City Hall
to have the fine removed.
Snyder said the big problem there would be that if the city does
that for one business, then they would be asked to do it for others.
Snyder said that he and police Chief Ken Greenslate have also had
discussions with members of The Oasis senior center. It appears that
prior to the resurfacing of South Kickapoo, the parking spaces
located on the west side of the senior center were designated with
signage as being for Oasis patrons. The signs were taken down at the
time of the resurfacing and have not been put back up.
The Oasis is asking for their designated spaces back. However,
Snyder said he wasn't sure the city could legally designate the
spaces for a civic organization. In addition, there could still be a
parking issue for Oasis patrons as there were no guarantees that
downtown visitors would respect the designation, and it would be
difficult for city officials to enforce.
Snyder said another suggestion has been that the city reduce the
area that falls under the two-hour rule, so that it would apply only
to a one-block radius around the square. This would solve the
problem for the historical society but cause new problems for other
businesses along Chicago Street in particular.
In a related issue, Snyder said he had been told that a one-way
alley behind the Scully Building is causing a problem.
The alley is currently one-way running from the south to the
north. Behind the Scully Building there are parking spaces that can
be accessed only by driving to Broadway, entering the alley from the
south, then driving to the other end.
Snyder said the gist of it is that there are a lot of drivers who
are not doing as they should. They are entering from the north and
zipping into the spaces. He has been asked if there are any changes
that could be made.
It was also noted that there is a similar situation at the alley
that runs behind Guzzardo's and The Oasis and that drivers are also
violating the law there.
A motion regarding the one-way alley will be on next week's
voting agenda.
In regard to parking changes, Snyder suggested that the issue be
tabled for now. He said that after the first of the year, he wants
to produce a map of the two-hour parking area so the council can
have a visual aid to help them decide what to do next.
City prepared to take bids on exhaust system for fire department,
replaces furnace in Bay 2
Interim fire Chief Mark Miller said he has a set of
specifications that are nearly completed so the city can put
together bid packets for an exhaust system for the city fire
station.
The fire department received grant funding to cover the cost of
this upgrade.
Miller said that a 35-year-old furnace in Bay 2 of the fire
station had to be replaced in the last month. The furnace had
stalled. When service personnel came in, they found that when
working, the unit was emitting 100 parts per million of carbon
monoxide into the area, which exceeds safety standards. Therefore,
they were forced to shut it down permanently.
Alderman Tom O'Donohue asked Tibbs, who chairs building and
grounds for the city, how this expense would affect her budget. She
said there were dollars in the budget to cover the expense.
Alderwoman Melody Anderson expanded on this, saying that when the
budget is built, the building and grounds lines include dollars for
the unexpected.
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City to purchase new sewer billing software
Denise Martinek, city clerk, is preparing to purchase new
software for the city's sewer billing.
The issue was brought up by Alderman Buzz Busby when he asked if
the software purchase had been approved and whether it was in the
budget. Martinek said it was.
Anderson, who chairs the finance committee, said the matter was
discussed during the budget-building process and had been added to
the current year's budget.
The current software is antiquated, and the company that sold it
to the city has told Martinek they will no longer offer technical
support for the outdated program.
Martinek said the new software is coming from a firm by the name
of Locis and will cost approximately $8,000. She said that in
comparison shopping, this was the best value, and the software has
been approved by the Illinois Municipal League.
She added that the new software can be modified to issue paper
statements, something that the city will eventually have to do due
to privacy laws, and that it can also be modified to issue an e-mail
statement, something that the city may want to consider in the
future as well.
Tibbs and Horn praise 911
Alderwoman Tibbs commented on the local 911 system. "We don't
know what we have until we have to use it," she said.
She said that in listening to a scanner on Sunday morning, she
was continually impressed with the female dispatcher who was
handling the enormous weather-related emergency. (See Monday
article in LDN.)
Alderwoman Kathy Horn also commented that the dispatcher was calm
and in total control of the situation.
Tibbs said she really appreciated the work of the 911 emergency
personnel.
Mayor visits abandoned orphanage in Normal
Snyder said that he and Joel Smiley of the Lincoln & Logan County
Development Partnership had recently visited the campus of an
abandoned orphanage in Normal.
The city had purchased the campus and developed it into a variety
of useful businesses.
Snyder noted that the campus is very similar to the campus of the
Lincoln Developmental Center. He offered aldermen an aerial photo of
the campus, which shows that currently dorms are being used for
small offices; former cottage residences have been converted to
Normandy Village; and a small business area, the former power plant,
has been revitalized, with half of it now being a computer software
company.
Snyder said the campus in Normal is an excellent example of what
could be done at LDC.
Wilmert looking at SeeClickFix
Alderman David Wilmert said he has learned of a website called
SeeClickFix and he is investigating to see if it is something the
city of Lincoln may be able to use.
The website offers citizens the opportunity to quickly report
neighborhood problems they feel need the attention of city
departments.
Wilmert said he has talked a lot about increasing communications
between city officials and constituents, and this website would be
one answer.
As an example, he said that a driver with a cell phone that has
Internet capabilities could identify a serious
pothole, photograph it with their phone and send a message to the
street and alley department via SeeClickFix, all in a matter of a
few minutes.
It should be noted the website specifically says this is for
"non-emergency" reporting.
Lincoln well bricks on sale for the holidays
Chuck Conzo, city treasurer, said that when the old well was
discovered in front of the Cronin Brothers American Legion Hall
across from Postville Courthouse, the bricks were removed and have
since then been sold at a cost of $25 each.
Conzo said that several have sold, but the city still has a
supply of them on hand for sale. For the holiday season, the city is
going to drop the price of a brick to $18.53, noting that the dollar
amount coincides with the year the city of Lincoln was chartered:
1853.
[By NILA SMITH]
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