Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Liveblogging City Council

Turned on the city council meeting about 15 minutes late:

7:18  Phi Rho Eta Fraternity requesting a Special Use permit to host a carnival in the University Mall parking lot.  some questions regarding how much insurance the Fraternity had for the event ($1 million).  After that, council approved unanimously.

7:20 Swearing in of the new city council members:  Lee Fronabarger, Jessica Bradshaw and Carolin Harvey

7:22 Resolutions commending retiring city employees, Earl Mitchell and Donald Priddy for service to the city upon their retirement.

7:35  Very long commendations of Mitchell and Priddy.  Now honorarily re-naming E. Jackson as Corene McDaniel Court and Hospital Drive as Chris Wissmann Way.  Lance Jack  Has now brought a motion up requesting that council members be listed on resolutions in order of their years of service.  No-one else seems to know why he is bringing this up now.

7:40  Apparently Jack wants to make sure his two separate terms as a councilman are counted in total for determining order of listing of council members.  Apparently he feels slighted because his total years of service were not counted when determining the order listed on the resolution.  Raining on McDaniels and Wissmann's parades to bring this up now.

7:46  City Attorney is now  smacking Councilman Jack for making a motion now when it should properly be put on the city council agenda ahead of time so the community is aware of it.

7:49  Jack apparently will bring this up later and has moved that E. Jackson be honorarily renamed Corene McDaniel Court .  Approved unanimously.

7:50  Lance Jack now bringing up his complaint again regards   Apparently, he feels this is a personal slight against him from Mayor Fritzler who responded that the order had been set by former Mayor Brad Cole.  Resolution changing the name of Hospital Drive to Chriss Wissmann Way (honorarily) passes unanimously.

7:55  Council voting to approve TIF payments for remodeling of the old Mary Lou's building on S. Illinois.  Some questions from the audience about whether this is a good use of tax dollars.

8:04  Councilman Jack is now lecturing the gentleman who just spoke questioning the TIF District funding, saying that the gentleman (Williams) should read up on the purpose of the TIF District and that one of council's purposes is to help revitalize blighted area.  Now the mayor is weighing it, saying that TIF Districts have been abused but the city is making minimal use of them, referring to downtown as blighted.  Another man is now questioning referring to the downtown as blighted.  As an aside, a big problem evidenced here is that how TIF Districts work was not clearly explained.  All people hear is that the owner of the property will get $250,000 back without really understanding from where than $250,000 comes.

8:20  Still discussing TIFs. SIUC Student Body President now speaking in support of TIF Districts and the S. Illinois property in particular

8:23 Voted to approve the TIF payment unanimously
8:25  Voting to create an intergovernmental agreement for the purpose of contesting tax assessment appeals   This would include about 90% of the taxing bodies in Carbondale.  Apparently the problem is that the various governmental bodies do not have the staff or time to contest tax assessment appeals by citizens so often the assessment appeals are passes without contesting by the governmental body.  According to City Manager Baity, John A. Logan College decided today they wanted to become a part of the agreement.

8:34  Eric Wilson (?) up again speaking about revenue loss in the TIF and quasi relating it to the tax assessment appeals proposal.

8:36  Intergovernmental agreement approved unanimously

8:37  Question from citizen about groundbreaking at Liberty Village today and a solar plant at the old Koppers plant.  Apparently old Saturn showroom next to Buffalo Wild Wings has sold and will be remodeled into a complex of doctors' offices.
8:42  During council comments, Jack is again questioning what council procedures need advance notice and what do not. Oh, Bradshaw and Harvey both thanked people for voting for them.

8:46 Meeting adjourned to a reception for the new council members.

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