Committee Openings

 Carbondale has several openings on various boards and commissions, including planning, preservation, Liquor Advisory Board , human relations, personel and Board of Fire and Police Commissioners. If you want a close view at the operations of city government, serving on one of these boards is a good way to do so. Not sure what is going to happing with the Tourism Board, now that Carbondale Tourism no longer handles tourism outreach for the city.

Planning Commission

 The Planning Commission will meet on April 5 to discuss the following

The City of Carbondale Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on

Wednesday, April 5th, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the following:

PC 23-07: The City Council of the City of Carbondale, Illinois has directed city staff to

initiate a text amendment to Title 15 of the City of Carbondale Revised Code (CCRC)

to define and allow for community gardens and their associated accessory uses.

PC 23-08: The City Council of the City of Carbondale, Illinois has directed city staff

to initiate a text amendment to the City of Carbondale Revised Code (CCRC) to define

and establish parameters for pollinator-supportive landscaping.

Geez, Carbondale has had two community gardens for a number of years now and the council is just getting around to define what they are? Similarly with pollinator landscaping.

The problem with regulations is that people will do something that is not covered by the regulation and then the political body will have to make additional regulations to deal with that situation not covered by the regulation. 

Hence our reall complicated federal tax code.

Community Survey

 The city of Carbondale reaaaaaaly wants you to complete this community survey.  Of course, You do have to create yet another account in order to do so.

Carbondale Tourism

 Looks as if Carbondale Tourism will lose its funding as the city voted to change its official tourism office to Southernmost Tourism, which operates out of Anna, Illinois.

Looking at the website for Carbondale Tourism, there are no active events listed on the events calendar and the shopping section of the website has at least 4 businesses listed that have either shuttered or moved to Murphysboro. 

Levels

 It appears that Levels, located back behind the now shuttered Pinch Penny Pub complex at 706 East Grand Ave, may reopen in the near future. The company that owns Levels has applied for a Beer Garden Liquor Licence Rider

Plaza Records

 Heard a rumor that Plaza Records is looking to move back into downtown Carbondale. Unfortunately, it is looking for a location with decent amounts of foot traffic and there is no location with much pedestrian traffic save down at the south end of Illinois Avenue or the strip where Quatro's and Shawnee Trails are located. Most of the rest of downtown either has too many empty storefronts or too much space between stores to generate much foot traffic.

Energy Grant

 City just got approved for an $80,000 grant to support those affected by fossil fuel or mine closures. Not sure how $80,000 will help as that sould like just enough to cover 1 year's salary for two laid off workers in the field. While I am glad Carbondale received the grant, who will it target? unlike areas to the north and east of the city, Carbondale has not depended on the energy field for employment for years.