Parking

 Attending a meeting on downtown Carbondale Parking this evening. There are 1183 public parking spaces downtown, 277 on street and 906 off street. There are 241 private residential and 1676 private business, significantly more private parking than there is public parking, though I guess the FirstMid/ Bombay Olive lot is all private parking. Not sure if that counts the SIH parking but that is a lot of private business parking.

Quatro's

 Quatro's has done some interior remodeling and gotten rid of the inside step leading down to the adjacent dining area. In its place is a sloping floor, making that section accessible to everyone

Skate Park

 Carbondale could use a skate park. Slabz has proven there is enough demand for one but we need one that skaters do not have to pay to use. I still see skaters on occasion using the Faner Hall breezeway area, despite the efforts of the city to stop them. it would be another activity for tween and high school students. Putting one in has been discussed for several years and the city does have open space available south of the new nameless entertainment venue on East Walnut.

Top City

 According to Yahoo Finance, Carbondale is listed as one of the top 10 cities in the midwest to which to retire if you are living on a fixed income. We have a livability rating of 70 and have the cheapest average rent of any city on the list, although other monthly expenditures are on the high end.

Big Chill

Big Chill closes today for the season so stop by for a traditional Carbondale snack. Will likely reopen for 2025 in February.

Preservation Commission Meeting

 The Carbondale Preservation Commission will meet in the Civic Center next Monday at 5:30. Not much on the agenda save for the following:

Brief overview/summary of current and recent projects:

1. Creation of Northwest Historic District

2. Historical/Architectural Inventory of the Northeast Quadrant

3. Attucks High School Designation

4. Annual Preservation Awards

Appears the Northwest Historic District will complement the West Walnut Street Historic District. I thought the Arbor District might have been designated as a historic district but not according to the city.

Candidate Petitions

 It looks as if three of the candidates for city council, Rye-Sanders, Hill and Reed, did not follow the directions for submitting their petitions for getting on the ballot and former councilman and local businessman Navreet Kang has filed an objection and there will be a hearing by the Municipal Officers Electoral Board at an unspecified date in the future.

Q Massage

 Q Massage has opened up in the University Plaza strip on South Illinois. That, by my count, makes at least 5 Asian massage locations in Carbondale. We must be a really stress filled community.

Little Grassy Lake

 The marina and campground at Little Grassy Lake will close permanently, at least until someone else buys it, on November 24. Despite some misleading comments, the lake, since it is a state operation, will remain open but with only state provided facilities. 

Traffic Signals

 The city is installing traffic signals at the intersection of Giant City and Pleasant Hill and should have them operational by Nov. 14. Apparently there have been a number of accidents at that location and the city hopes signals will reduce them. The most dangerous intersection in town, at least as far as I can tell, it Giant City and Hwy. 13. Signals have been there for decades but we still have one to two accidents a month.

Hemp N. Stuff

 According to this Hemp N. Stuff is moving out of University Mall into the Eastgate Mall, next to the Ashley Outlet store. The post says, with Maurice's closing, there is not enough traffic in the mall to sustain them.

Election Results

 Here are the final results for the 2024 election for Jackson County. Final results posted about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning.  Harriz/ Walz beat Trump/ Vance by a surprisingly small margin 50.1 to 47.7% and Mike Bost beat Brian Roberts by 3%. The Republican candidates for state office, Bryant, Jacobs and Friess won with no Democratic candidate opposing them. States' Attorney is still too close to call tonight., but other county offices and 5 of the 7 county board seats went Democratic.

Mike Bost

 Looks like Rep. Mike Bost keeps his seat for another 2 years as he defeats Brian Roberts 76% to 24%. Never saw any indications of a campaign by Roberts: no yard signs, no ads, no social media. Even the Southern Illinoisan said the paper reached out to his campaign multiple times for an interview and never received a response.

Election Day

 Town Square Parking lot is packed for voting at the civic center. So is the civic center parking lot. Waiting time is 30 to 45 minutes I heard while precinct wait time is about 10 minutes 

Food Truck Park

 According to posts on Facebook, the empty lot at the corner of College and Illinois, just north of the new Artistic Minds Tattoo studio, is slated to become a food truck park. Map shows space for 3 food trucks and open air dining tables.

Advisory Referendum

 apparently the three advisory referendum items on the Illinois ballot were put there because Democrats wanted to block out any competing referenda that others would try to put on it, such as one addressing parent's rights for which a Republican politician had advocated.

the one calling for a tax on incomes over $1 million , to be used for property tax relief, is markedly similar to a advisory referendum that passed 64% to 36% a decade ago. However, when the proposed income tax increase actually came up on the ballot to go into the constitution, a strong campaign against it caused the measure to fail.

Halloween on Glenview 2

 Appears preliminary numbers for S. Glenview were woefully understated. Over 2200 trick or treaters hit the area of West Walnut and S. Glenview last night. Pictures showed kids, in some cases, lined up for half a block to get candy.

Halloween on S. Glenview

 Once again, the city blocked off S. Glenview for Trick or treating on Halloween and the trick or treaters probably appreciated it. Estimates are that at least 1200 kids roamed the streets in the area seeking out candy. Some residents figured they spend about $250-$300 per year on treats for the kids.

City Council Candidates

 Here are the candidates for the 3 open seats on the city council.  LaCaje Hill and Ginger Rye Sanders are seeking a second term on the council. Jeff Dougherty opted not to seek re-election.

Fronabarger has served on the council previously but was defeated when he sought re-election. Colombo has run for mayor before but was defeated. Dawn Roberts recently moved back to Carbondale, I believe, after living elsewhere for a number of years.

Lottery - Nathan Colombo, 229 Hunt Road                          8:00 a.m., October 21

Lottery – Lee M. Fronabarger, 1140 S. Morningside Drive  8:00 a.m., October 21

Lottery - Dawn Roberts, 405 N. Allyn Street                        8:00 a.m., October 21

Lottery – Brian Stanfield, 604 W. Pecan Street                      8:00 a.m., October 21

5 – LaCaje Hill, 603 S. Skyline Drive                                    8:10 p.m., October 21

6 – Ginger Rye Sanders, 405 E. Willow Street                       10:52 a.m., October 21

7 – Jason M. Endicott, 707 N. McKinley Street                    12:37 p.m., October 28

8 – Dr. Ryan James Reed, Sr., 1704 W. Taylor Drive             3:57 p.m., October 28

Early Voting

 Early voting at the Civic Center has ended for this year. You can still vot early at the Student Center the rest of this week and at the County Clerk's office until Saturday 

County Clerk’s Office - Murphysboro

September 26 - September 27                        8:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

September 30 - October 4,                             8:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

October 7 – October 11                                  8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

October 15 - 18                                8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

October 21 - October 25                                 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

October 28 - November 1                              8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Saturday November 2 8                                  8:00 a.m. - Noon

Monday, November 4                                     8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Student Center                               

October 17 and 24                                          9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

October 30 and 31, November 1                     10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Town Square

 The city has really increased the brightness of the nighttime lighting around the square. The lights are about 2 times as bright as they were a couple of months ago. Classical music playing on the east side of the square as well, though I doubt it has its intended purpose or running hangers-on off as it does not seem to bother the ones I saw there.

Italian Village Sold

 According to this Facebook post, local pizza place Italian Village has been sold, taking it out of the Bridges hands for the first time in over 60 years. New owners say they will have everything finalized in December. Will be interesting to see what, if any, changes the new owners make in the menu.

Jennifer Fuller

 Just happened to run across Jennifer Fuller on Linked In. Formerly the morning host at WSIU radio, she is now the broadcast director at Capital News Illinois

Trick or Treat on Main Street

Not sure how other locations did but Castle Perilous had over 250 Trick or Treaters through the door for Trick or Treat on Main Street today. I believe that is down a bit from previous years as I recall hitting numbers as high as 400. Still, glad to see so many kids and parents out, though I do wonder what they were giving them at PKs?

Plan Carbondale

 In case you want to get involved with developing a vision for the future of Carbondale , you can sign up here for the Big Ideas workshop on November 11. which will work on developing yet another comprehensive plan. The focus needs to be on SIUC and ways to grow attendance there. If SIUC grows, Carbondale grows.

Interurban

 For about twenty years, an electric trolley called the "Interurban" ran between Murphysboro and Carbondale, its tracks roughly paralleling old Highway 13. It started running in the early 20th century but, with the increased use of individual automobiles, ridership dropped drastically and it was taken out of service in the mid 1920's

so popular was the train that a station was placed midway along the route, approximately where Midland Inn is located now. Traffic was such that the owner of the property next to the station built a popular dance hall, skating rink and baseball stadium, with the stadium occupying part of the property currently owned by the Jackson County Country Club. Several profession teams of the era played there and the stadium was the home field of a local semi-pro team called the "Murdales". Showing that things never change, neighbors often complained about the noise generated by the complex.

The Big Ditch

 Also from A History of the St. Louis Division and Carbondale IL, it turns out that downtown business resistance is not the reason there is not an overpass over the railroad tracks at the town square.

Placing the new depot further south on Illinois pulled passenger trains stopping in Carbondale further down the tracks, eliminating the problem of stopped passenger trains blocking Walnut and Main.

IN addition, freight traffic had declined significantly in Carbondale by the early 80s, with many branch tracks getting pulled up. However the city still had plans to put in a overpass on the square. The planning for this got pushed even moreso, when the Illinois Central announced plans to run six coal trains daily through the city. The city drew up plans for the overpass, arranged for contractors and even had construction equipment on site ready to go, when word came through that the IC's plans for the additional coal trains had fallen through and the city pulled the plug on the plan.

N. Billy Bryan

 I always mildly wondered who Billy Bryan was and why a street off West Sycamore was named after him. According to A History of the St. Louis Division and Carbondale IL, he was a brakeman and later conductor on the Illinois Central railroad, specifically the branch that ran from Cairo through East Cape, Murphysboro, Carbondale to Johnson City. So well liked and well known was he that the train he worked on became know as the "Billy Bryan". Bryan worked for the IC from likely the 1870s until his retirement in 1909, though the train that ran that route was known as the Billy Bryan until it stopped running in April of 1933.

If you want to pick up a copy of the book, it is available at the Station Carbondale Museum for $10

Bandana's

 According to their Facebook page, the Carbondale Bandana's will close on November 3rd. From what I have heard, the company tried to sell the restaurant a couple of years ago but no takers. Happily, for those who like BBQ, there is still plenty of it in the area.

Indigo Lounge

 From what I have heard, the police had to close down the Indigo Lounge the Saturday night of Homecoming weekend, due to overcrowding. Lines waiting to get in extended about a block east and west of the door at about 9:30 that night and the number of people inside made it a potential fire hazard. After the Indigo closed, the partygoers migrated over to a house party in the student district between University and Poplar but, again, so many people went there they were blocking streets and making so much noise that even other students complained, so the police got called again.

From there, the remaining group traipsed over the the Towers residence hall, making such a mess in the building lobby and overflowing to the grounds outside that the police got called yet a third time, finally getting the crowd to wander off early Sunday Morning.

Applebee's

 In case you missed it the Carbondale Applebee's abruptly closed last Thursday, without even giving a number of employees advance notice. According to several, they found when they showed up for work. From what I understand, the local Applebee's and IHOP will form what the company calls a "dual branded" restaurant, with Applebee's moving in next to the IHOP

Homecoming

 Quite a few people in town for Homecoming. I noticed lines a block long in either direction waiting to get into the Indigo Lounge on Saturday night. Not sure how busy the other bars were that night but town square parking was full both days.

Planning Commission Meeting

 Here is the agenda for next Wednesday's Planning Commission meeting

The main things of interest are the plans to shrink Wall Street from Main Street south to East Park, reducing the street from 4 lanes to 3, plus bike lanes. This plan was announced last year for implementation in 2024 but now  looks like 2025.

There is also a new business going into the old Yellow Cab location, which closed about 15 years ago. Going to be a combination motorcycle sales and gym/training facility. Certainly nice to see a new business opening in downtown.

1. Call to Order and Roll Call

2. Approval of Minutes: August 7th

, 2024 minutes

3. Citizen Comments and Questions

4. Report of Officers, Committees, Communications

Announcement from Staff: Public Input Meeting

There will be a public input meeting, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 17th

,

2024, at Carbondale Fire Station 1, 600 East College Street, in Carbondale, Illinois, to

present and receive comments on the following project:

The City of Carbondale plans on rehabilitating Wall Street from Main Street to East Park

Street. The project will be a ‘Road Diet’ (four traffic lanes reduced to three lanes with the

addition of bike lanes), resurfacing and ADA improvements.

5. Public Hearings/Plan Review

PC 25-04: Daniel Presley, owner of Southern Illinois Syndicate, LLC, is requesting a

Special Use Permit for Motorcycle Sales, in the BPR, Primary Business District, for

property located at 215 South Illinois Avenue.

PC 25-05: Applicant ECA Solar has submitted an application requesting a Special Use

Permit to develop a 5MW solar project on parcels 15-33-251-030 and 15-33-251-031,

south of Arnold Lane, which are zoned General Agriculture (AG).

6. Old Business

a. Update on City Council Business

b. Comprehensive Plan Update – staff

Turning Point Event

 Last's nights Turning Point event featuring Kaitlynn Wheeler attracted more protestors than it did event attendees.  From what I saw the ad hoc event counterprogramed at the Civic Center attracted far more people.

Street Closure Reminder

 Just a reminder that S. Illinois will be closed from College to Elm tomorrow from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to noon from Cherry to the SIUC Student Center on Saturday

Please note Illinois Avenue, from College to Elm, will be closed from 11 AM on October 11 until 2 AM on October 12, and then again at 9 AM, Oct. 12, extending from W. Cherry all the way down to the SIU student center, for the SIU Homecoming Parade, which starts at 10 AM, and will last roughly until 11:30 AM. Starting at 7 AM on Oct. 12, E. Mill will be closed from S. Wall St. To Illinois Avenue and S. Washington from E. Grand through E. Mill Street will all be shut down for parade lineup. 

Alchemist's Brew

 Formerly 9 3/4 Expresso , Alchemist's Brew has opened (reopened?) in its old location in the E. Clair Salon Building at the corner of University and Walnut. The original business shuttered back in April 2023

Tom's Place

 The building that housed Tom's Place from the 1920s until 2023 and Big Nate's BBQ for a few months after that has been demolished. tom's Place started as a roadhouse designed so patrons could enter and dine without be observed by other customers and for the last 20 years was considered the finest place to dine in southern Illinois. I never ate there or even went inside but certainly sorry to see it razed.

Early Voting

 Early voting in Carbondale will take place the last week of October with the polling place open MWF in the Civic Center and Tues and Thursday and the following Monday in the SUIC Student Center. You can also go to the Jackson County County Clerks office in Murphysboro to vote or drop off a ballot as well.

Street Closure

 Street Closures for Homecoming this weekend

Reminder: We're Shutting Down the Strip for Special Homecoming "Off the Rails" Concert! 

Southern Illinois University’s Homecoming weekend kicks off with an epic Off the Rails concert on Friday, October 11, from 7-10 PM on the “iconic strip” in downtown Carbondale.  

The City of Carbondale, Carbondale Main Street, the SIU Alumni Association, and River Radio are going to be shutting down The Strip to host this special SIU Homecoming edition concert in the very heart of downtown. 

Long-time local legends, Jungle Dogs, will be taking the stage from 8:30-10:00 PM for their farewell show. Opening for Jungle Dogs are another regional favorite, Modern Day Saints, playing from 7-8:20 PM. Our emcee for the evening will be Steve Falat of River Radio, which is also a corporate sponsor for the concert.  Join us as we kick off the fun at 6:30PM with a special appearance from the Saluki Spirit Squad, some wise words from the event coordinators, and Touch of Nature’s very own Brian Croft! Join in for football game ticket giveaways and excitement as we amp up the crowd for the final farewell of Jungle Dogs!  

To celebrate Saluki Spirit, all guests can enjoy complimentary public transportation on the JAX Mass Transit Fixed Route Bus (formerly known as Jackson County Mass Transit).  

Free event parking can be found at many of the lots throughout downtown Carbondale such as lot 8, lot 24, lot 25,14, lot 16, and lot 11. Check out the interactive downtown Carbondale Map to get acquainted with the city layout.  

Businesses in the downtown entertainment district will have the opportunity to engage with concert goers directly outside of their establishments, and several of these venues will host after parties. Cristaudo’s will be set up outside offering drinks and football-shaped cookies! Be sure to check out the newly opened Neon Tiger Tattoo and newly relocated to the strip, Plaza Records & Mike’s Music. The Thrift Shopp will be offering 25% off on Friday and Saturday, Chango’s is offering a free side of queso with every purchase! Check out our social media and event page for more details about businesses deals & specials!  

The concert event space will offer local vendors such as Jared Davey with Tree House Printing, Carla’s Unique Bling, Steezy Streetwear, and more! Local food trucks such as Taste & Live, Get Dipped, Haute Wheels, and more!  

With our open container ordinance in the downtown entertainment district, visitors are welcome enjoy public consumption of alcohol in non-glass containers. Drinks may be purchased from bars and taken outside to enjoy the vibrant musical culture of Carbondale on the iconic strip (just as long as the drinks are in a plastic cup) between Jackson and Mill Street and University Ave and Washington. Carbondale Main Street will also be serving beer on site. Remember to bring your own chair and enjoy the food trucks and vendors as you take in the music and lively atmosphere. 

This night of Carbondale legends doesn’t end with our “Off the Rails” concert- once our show is done head on over to Hangar 9 to catch the local blues icons, Tawl Paul & Slappin’ Henry Blue! Chicago artists, Off with Their Heads and St. Louis’ Yard Eagle will keep the party going in PK’s.  

Please note Illinois Avenue, from College to Elm, will be closed from 11 AM on October 11 until 2 AM on October 12, and then again at 9 AM, Oct. 12, extending from W. Cherry all the way down to the SIU student center, for the SIU Homecoming Parade, which starts at 10 AM, and will last roughly until 11:30 AM. Starting at 7 AM on Oct. 12, E. Mill will be closed from S. Wall St. To Illinois Avenue and S. Washington from E. Grand through E. Mill Street will all be shut down for parade lineup. 

To learn more stay tuned to the Carbondale IL Tourism FaceBook page for more details! 

Nomination Petitions

 The city starts accepting nomination petitions for the three open City Council seats on Oct 21. From what I understand, Councilman Doherty will not run again, leaving an open seat. Also, I have heard former mayoral candidate Nathan Colombo and the daughter of former councilwoman Jane Adams, Dawn, will both seek a council seat. 

Announcing that the Carbondale City Clerk’s Office, located at 200 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, Illinois, will accept nominating petitions for three (3) four-year CityCouncil member terms for the 2025 Consolidated Election held on April 1, 2025 (or the Primary Election held on February 25, 2025, if necessary).

This election will be for the seats presently held by Councilmembers Jeff Doherty, LaCaje Hill, and Ginger Rye Sanders.

Informational documents and petition forms are available in the City Clerk’s Office; these same forms and other useful information are available in the 2025 Candidate’s Guide, which can be found on the Illinois State Board of Elections website. Signed, completed forms are to be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office during the statutory filing period of Monday, October 21 through Monday, October 28, 2024 (circulation and filing dates amended by Public Acts 103-0586 and 103-0600).

Candidates should carefully examine the 2025 Candidate’s Guide available through the Illinois State Board of Elections’ website at www.elections.il.gov and are strongly advised to obtain legal counsel regarding their qualifications for office and how to correctly circulate, complete, and file their petitions.

The dates and hours during which petitions will be accepted are as follows:
Monday, October 21 8:00 am – 12:00 pm 1:00 pm -5:00 pm
Tuesday, October 22 8:00 am – 12:00 pm 1:00 pm -5:00 pm
Wednesday, October 23 8:00 am – 12:00 pm 1:00 pm -5:00 pm
Thursday, October 24 8:00 am – 12:00 pm 1:00 pm -5:00 pm
Friday, October 25 8:00 am – 12:00 pm 1:00 pm -5:00 pm
Monday, October 28 8:00 am – 12:00 pm 1:00 pm -5:00 pm

Simultaneous Petition Filing Lottery:
If a lottery is required due to two or more petitions being filed simultaneously at 8:00 a.m. on
Monday, October 21, or if two more petitions are filed between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on
Monday, October 28, such lottery will be held in the foyer of City Hall at 3:00 p.m. on
November 5. Lotteries are open to members of the public.

Golden Corral

 I hear someone is looking at the shuttered Golden Corral building on the east edge of town. Possibly looking at putting another Chinese buffet in the location.

Plaza Records

 Plaza Records will move back to Illinois Avenue this Friday. Long time Carbondale residents will remember that years ago Plaza/Wuxtry Records was located on South Illinois in the section where Harbaugh's Café is. The business moved about 20 years ago to its East Main location and is now moving back next to Cristaudo's . From what I understand, the eventual plan is to move the business into the old Walnut Street Baptist Church location, once renovations to the building get completed.

Neon Tiger

 Neon Tiger Tattoo looks as if it is having a soft opening. Hours posted online are 12-6 Tuesday through Saturday but nothing in the store windows yet.

Geologic Oddities Closing

 According to the banner outside the store, Sunday is Geologic Oddities last day in business. Located on South Illinois in the old GameTable location, the store sells rocks, crystals and minerals. 35% off the entire stock and 50% off selected items.

Hemp, Hops and Shrooms

due to Likely bad weather, the city sent out the following press release tomorrow's Hemp Hops an Shrooms Festiva.

 Due to the forecast of inclement weather, Hemp, Hop & Shrooms Festival & Groundbreaking Ceremony, will now take place Saturday, September 28, at the Varsity Center with events starting at 3:00 p.m. and the concert starting at 7:00 p.m. 

While we’re saddened that we won’t be able to accommodate our beloved arts and crafts vendors at this time, our food trucks, Taste & Liv, Sidney & Solmon, and Taqueria Jimenez will still join in on the fun. Please support your local artists by shopping these folks' online stores, or coming out to our next event. 

All of our incredible presenters and demos will still take place, and we’ll wrap up the evening with the “Off the Rails” concert, featuring the amazing performances of Off the Rails and UNCHAiNED. We look forward to sharing this special day with you!

The schedule will proceed as follows:

Presentations

3-3:45PM Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Downtown Entertainment and Events Plaza with City of Carbondale

4-4:45PM Cooking with Mushrooms & Mushroom Extracts with Jessica Hatfield of Flyway Family Farm

5-5:25PM Terpene Aromas with Susie Lighty with Southern Illinois University Fermentation Science Institute (FSI)

5:30-5:55PM Using Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) technology to grow cannabis with Dr. Jose Leme, Gorman Saunders (Master's degree) and Lindsay Shupert (Ph.D.). SIU Cannabis Science Center

6-6:45PM Fun and Freaky Fungi with Mike Hatfield of Flyway Family Farm

Demonstrations 3-7PM

at the FSI & SIU Cannabis Science Center Event Tables

The Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) with Dr. Jose Leme, Assistant Professor of Cannabis Biology & Cultivation Systems College of Agricultural, Life, and Physical Sciences at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Gorman Saunders (Master's degree) and Lindsay Shupert (Ph.D.)

Growing Hemp for Fiber with Karla Gage Associate Professor of Weed Science and Plant Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences / School of Biological Sciences

Making Hop Infused Pours of the FSI’s King Ale, showcasing the various terpenes of the hop plant with Dr. Matt McCarroll, Director of the Fermentation Science Institute

Live Music 7-10PM

7-8:20PM UNCHAINED

8:30-10PM Off the Rails

Bost Vote

 Not a huge surprise but Rep. Mike Bost voted against the short term funding bill keeping the government open until December, since it did not have provisions in it requiring proof of citizenship to vote. Meanwhile, the Heritage Foundation found about 2 dozen instances of people actually voting illegally in the 2020 election. Certainly a crime, but not the widespread fraud touted by Rep. Bost and others.

Carbondeli's

 The long awaited Carbondeli's has finally opened on the west side of town. From what I have heard, the deli has adopted the names of a number of favorite sandwiches from the late lamented Arnold's Market for its own menu of sandwiches. No idea if anyone associated with Arnold's also works with or at Carbondeli's

Grand Opening

 Although it has been open since August, Tandoor and Tadka will have its ribbon cutting this Thursday at 11 :30 . Although not as two decades ago, SIUC and Carbondale still has a sizable population of residents and students of Indian descent. We have one good Indian restaurant, Bombay Olive, already and another one in a different part of town is welcome.

Denny's

 No we are not getting another Denny's. However, I have heard that some national chain has an option to build on the location where Denny's used to set. Carbondale could certainly use some more business growth on that side of town but I am not sure if there is enough traffic there to justify it. Last time I checked, street traffic drops by over two-thirds from the east side of town, coming in from Marion to the west side heading toward Murphysboro.

Deficit

 Looks as if SIUC is running a deficit of about $10 million. Not as bad as the $19 million it was down in 2019 but still not good. Appears that athletics accounts for about $8 million of that and health services another million. Handing out optional bonuses to top administrators is certainly not a good look when the university is running in the red, but then neither is  an extensive focus on athletics to the detriment of other areas, such as infrastructure.

Gym

 It looks as if the Southern Illinois Syndicate will open a boxing/kickboxing/circuit training gym and motorcycle resale shop in the long empty Yellow Cab location. As I recall, there have been 3 other gyms in downtown in recent years. There was one open for a few months on S. Illinois in the Attitude Designs building; there was a MMA studio on the ground floor of the Island Building for a few years and, before it became a restaurant/bar/event space, years ago there was one in the current Indigo Lounge space. 

Shawnee Wine Trail

 A travel blogger wrote a pretty lengthy ( and complimentary) piece about the Shawnee Wine Trail. it does appear that Southernmost Illinois invited her to visit so that likely skewed her perceptions. Still, it is a pretty nice and detailed piece, with the focus on Murphysboro and the Shawnee region south of Carbondale.

Plaza Records

 From what I hear, Plaza Records is following Mike's Music back downtown. Years ago, if I remember correctly, Plaza records was located in the strip of stores where Harbaugh's Cafe and Legal Smile are now. It moved out to its current location about 20 years ago. Now it is moving back into downtown, taking over Cristaudo's dining area, which I guess is not getting much use.

spirit Halloween

The Carbondale Spirit Halloween store opened for the season in the old Bed Bath and Beyond location. Second time it has located there. 

Mural

 New Saliki mural going up on the south Wall of The Big Chill. Artist expects to have it done by Tuesday, in time for next weekend's SIUC Family Weekend. As far as I am aware, this is the first mural designed for selfies in town.

Neon Tiger Tattoo

 Neon Tiger Tattoo will open later this fall in one of the spaces left empty by the closure of Sound Core. From what I understand, the owner used to work at Artistic Minds Tattoo. When the owner of that studio decided to buy the building that used to house Chicago Hot Dogs and move Artistic Minds over there, Neon Tiger's owner took the opportunity to open their own studio. By my count, that makes 4 tattoo studios in the downtown area.

Colligate Supply and Demand

 I was listening to this episode of Freakanomics Radio and it was pointed out that top tier colleges have no problem attracting students. Schools such as Harvard, Yale and UC Berkley routinely receive 50,000 applications per year and only admit 2% of them. Meanwhile most regional and community colleges, such as SIUC, SEMO and John A Logan, admit 92% of applicants and still have trouble attracting students. Makes me think they ought to spend less money on welcome centers and administrator bonuses and more money on attracting instructors and repairing infrastructure.

Signage

 Really wish the city would get some signage up around town directing people to places like Marberry Arboretum, bike paths, Campus Lake walking path, Boo Rochman (Castle Park) etc. We have so many cool places in town that are hidden away unless you know where they are.

Hot Dog

 No, literally. New hot dog vendor opening soon in the locating briefly occupied by Natcho Fries and for years by China Express at the south end of the Strip.

Entertainment Venue Part Deux

 Following up on the entertainment venue post from earlier this week, I am somewhat worry that the powers that be will wind up choosing a generic name for the venue like the Town Square Entrainment Center. After all, instead of naming the freight depot pavilion something memorable that reflects Carbondale, such as the Daniel Brush Pavilion, the city went with Town Square Pavilion.

Of course, we also chose "All Ways Open" as the current community motto, which does nothing to set the city apart from thousands of other communities. At least Marion has "Marion, Center of the Universe". It's brash but it sticks in your mind.

Tattoo Parlor

 A new tattoo parlor plans to move into part of the old Sound Core location. Apparently the artist worked at Artistic Minds Tattoo prior to their move to the new location across the street and decided this was a good time to open their own studio. By my county that will make 4 studios in the downtown area, almost equivalent to the number of bars in downtown.

Wendy's

 Looks like they are gutting the old Wendy's location on East Walnut. From what I here, going in there will be... a Wendy's. Significantly renovated. Wonder if it will take a cue from the west side Burger King and do away with inside dining?

Entertainment Venue

 Appears the powers that be in Carbondale have decided not to name the downtown entertainment venue after a particular individual and are now looking for a more inclusive or general name.  However, I bet if someone made  a large enough financial donation to help build the pavilion, the city would name it after whomever they wanted. I do like the idea of putting bricks in the pavilion with the names of important contributors to Carbondale's Musical Scene.

ATTENTION CARBONDALE! You are cordially invited to join the Stage Name Brainstorm ROUND TWO!    

 Last January, we issued a similar call for ideas, and were so blown away by the response.  A great many of you suggested naming the venue after individuals who have made important contributions to Carbondale’s music scene. Rather than naming this space after a specific individual, we are striving to broaden the scope of this venue name to be inclusive, diverse, unifying. We are seeking ideas that highlight a broader venue name and that do not directly focus on any one individual.   

  The timing for this is perfect – the City is about to break ground on Phase One of the Entertainment and Events Plaza in downtown Carbondale.  Phase One will include a state-of-the-art stage that will host entertainment and the performing arts, and attract visitors from across the region and beyond to the heart of Carbondale!   

  We were humbled by the amazing response from our first call for naming suggestions of the Entertainment and Events Plaza, and want to thank all of you who submitted your ideas and input! A multitude of responses highlighted impactful community members who have left their mark on Carbondale in various and important ways.    

  In order to celebrate all of those who used their talents to help make Carbondale’s music scene so special and unique, we are currently exploring other ways to honor and recognize these individuals.   

  If you feel called to submit an idea to the team with this new direction in mind, we welcome you to submit your suggestions via the form in the link below: 

https://www.explorecarbondale.com/FormCenter/EcoDev-23/Downtown-Entertainment-Events-Plaza-Nami-206 

Mike's Music

 From what I have heard, Mike's Music will move from its longtime East Main location into half of the shuttered Sound Core location later this year.  Nice to have another business moving into downtown though somewhat bemused it will be half a block from the Practice Pag.

Stop Lights

 I know I have complained about this before but I really with the city would synchronize the red lights on Illinois and University better. It really wastes gas for the light to change, you drive two blocks, stop again, wait, the light changes and you drive another 3 blocks before having to stop again. All of those cars idling wastes a significant amount of gas.

Register to Vote

 The Carbondale NAACP is registering people to vote in the SIUC Student Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow. Get registered if you aren't or stop by and say Hi if you are.

Raisin' Cain

 Raisin' Cain opened in Marion today and people were just a bit enthused. Just imagine if we could get that sort of turnout for a local business opening. Certainly did not see that kind of enthusiasm when Taste Buds Snacks opened

Solar Bear

 Solar Bear still is lumbering along, even without the support of Pinch Penny Pub. I saw one group of students on West Mill at 10 a.m. with a "U Honk We Drink" sign out in front of their house and reports are there are over 1000 people congregating on West College, with red Solo cups abounding and even an inflatable water slide.

Off the Rails Concert

 Thee is another Off The Rails Concert tonight with Jeremy Todd playing from 7 to 8:30 and Doom Gong from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Concert will take place in the Washington Street Event Space. Still not sure why the city has the south end of the space fenced off. Seems they would leave it open for concerts until construction started.

Wendy's

 From what I have heard, the work being done at the Wendy's location on East Walnut is remodeling the restaurant for a reopening later this year. Hopefully they will be able to staff the location as they did have some problems there under the past management.

Student Arrested

 It didn't take long for an SIUC student to get arrested on campus, less than a day after move in started. Apparently, said student took a liking to another student's bicycle and, not understanding the concept of personal property, decided to appropriate it. The original owner took umbrage at this and, when confronted, the first student decided discretion was the better part of valor and decided to flee

Appears they were not very practiced at the whole fleeing business as the police caught and arrested them quite handily. No other major problems, so far as I have heard.

Closing the Strip

 Carbondale Main Street announced that the State has approved officially closing Illinois Avenue from the intersection of College all the way north to Elm street for a Homecoming concert. This will be quite a long closure with the three block stretch shutting down at 11 a.m. Friday morning and reopening at 2 a.m. Saturday morning, then I figure it will close down again later Saturday morning for the Homecoming parade.

Rather interesting that the first concert starts at 6 second concert starts at 8:30. I would think, if they are targeting college students, they would start later in the evening as that is when students would start coming out.

Square Hangers-on

Drove around the square to see what the situation is about 10 p.m. Thursday night there were only about 4 people sitting around but Friday night there were well over a dozen in the eastern half. Police or the city had put up barricades partially blocking access to the parking area but it was fairly easy for anyone who wanted to drive a car into the parking area if they wanted. The only businesses I saw open in the area at that time were Tres Hombres and ABC Liquor. I am not certain as to what the answer is but, if the people there are driving away customers from Tres Hombres and keeping students away from downtown, something needs to be done.

Welcome Center

 I do wonder if $6 million is enough to cover the cost of the new Welcome Center going up across from the Student Center and it seems like something else the University does not really need. Instead of fixing the already existing buildings on campus, the university has decided to put up this new unneeded building.  Quigley Hall has had leaks in the ceiling for well over a decade now and most of the HVAC systems on campus have to be repaired with parts sourced from eBay, rather than from normal parts suppliers.

Parking is not really the issue as current demand only uses a bit less than 50% of the available spaces. However, convenient parking will be taken away as the new building will remove about 100 commuter spaces used by students attending classes in Quigley, Faner and Parkinsons.

Downtown Crime

 Several representatives from downtown organizations and businesses spoke to city council about the alcohol, drug use and homeless congregation on the east side of the town square. Tres Hombres has even had to reduce its hours because customers are worried about all the illicit activity taking place in the parking lot across from the bar and grill. Carbondale Police average one call to the parking lot per night.

Part of the problem is the ordinance allowing public consumption of alcohol in the downtown area. Councilman Loos says the ordinance was passed in expectations of creating a Carbondale version of Memphis'  Beale Street. Unfortunately the problem with that is that Carbondale no longer has a concentration of bars along Illinois Avenue. The plan was for patrons to go to one bar and then spend the evening bar hopping, without having to worry about carrying open containers from one bar to another. That was fine back in the 1990s, when patrons could move from Tres Hombres to The Cellar to PKs to Boobys to Hangar 9 to Stix to American Tap to Sidetracks to 611 Pizza to Gatsby's and back. 

Now, if my count is correct, there are Tres Hombres, The Cellar, PKs, Booby's, Hangar 9 and Trax. Hardly enough to create a steady flow of foot traffic from one location to another, much less justifying carrying an open beverage out on the street.

Vandalism Suspects Arrested

Well that was fast. Police have announced 5 suspects arrested in the case of the Splash Park Vandalism last week. All juveniles, one went to a juvenile detention facility and the others were released to their parents.

If found guilty, I hope they get multiple  thousand hours of community service. Much more useful than locking them up.

Saluki Express

 I see the Jackson County Mass Transit Authority is taking over Saluki Express operations. From what I understand, JCMTA lost a significant amount of grant money, so in order to recoup some funding, the organization bid on Saluki Express transit. Saluki Express will now have 4 main routes, one serving locations on campus every thirty minutes, one serving the east side of town, one the west side and a fourth coming in from the South side to the center of campus.

JCMTA will still serve outlying areas of Jackson County and paratransit services will still be available as normal. However, the service will no longer provide door to door transit for those not registered with the operation.

Tandoor & Tadka

 New Indian restaurant Tandoor & Tadka opening this Saturday in the vacated (and short lived) Gud Fud location at 715 N. Giant City Road. Same strip location as Moe's Southwestern Grill.

Splash Park Vandalized

 The Super Splash Park is closed today. Someone broke in last night and vandalized the pool area throwing furniture into the pool and overturning counters. Hopefully the pool will reopen tomorrow

Not sure how much of a coincidence it is but a group of thugs also vandalized the Brookside Apartment complex last night. Shortly after midnight, they pulled fire extinguishers off the walls and knocked on residents doors. When the door opened, the vandal sprayed whomever opened it with fire extinguisher foam. This happened to several residents of the apartment complex.

Chango's

 It appears, according to posts on Facebook, that Chango's has reopened in its old location at 519 S. Illinois, next to Sal's Bistro.

Veo Scooters

 Not sure if the city will do any enforcement but here are the regulations regarding Veo Scooter usage in Carbondale. I have noticed the "lucky" zones marked off at various locations around town, primarily downtown, and a number of scooters parked there, though I am not sure how many of those are parked by riders and how many by the Veo Scooter Collectors. since users have to pay by credit card and must submit a photo of the scooter to end the ride, charging fines for improperly parked scooters should be easy to charge and collect:

-Ride in the same direction as traffic and obey all lights, signs and signals

-Riding on sidewalks is permitted when deemed to be the safest option, but ride slowly and exercise extreme caution in pedestrian areas

-Must be 18 years or older to ride

-Only one person on an e-scooter at a time

-E-scooters should be parked in the following locations:

-in designated parking hubs

-in public right-of-way areas – for example, the grassy space between the curb and sidewalk

-on the edge of a sidewalk leaving at least 3 feet unobstructed (some sidewalks may be too narrow for e-scooter parking)

-E-scooters may NOT be parked in the following locations:

-on private property-in a way that blocks pedestrian, wheelchair, or vehicle access

-E-scooters should be parked up-right, using the kickstand

In coordination with City staff, VEO has taken the approach to financially incentivize the service to encourage safe riding and parking. At any given time, various parking hubs are designated as “lucky zones”, labelled on the app’s map with a $ symbol. Riders that park in a lucky zone will receive a discount on their ride!

Alternatively, riders not parking correctly may notice a difference in violations. Riders who improperly park an e-scooter now receive only one warning, as opposed to two as was the case previously. Fines have increased from $5 for the first violation and $10 for the second, to $10 for the first and $15 for the second violation.

Improper parking is detected by VEO with the assistance of the photo required to be taken by the rider in order to end their ride.

VEO and the City encourage community members to report improperly parked e-scooters when possible!

There are several ways to report:

-Use the City’s SeeClickFix app

-Use the Help Center in VEO’s app

-Call 1-855-VEO-2256

-Veo’s social media: @VeoMobility

For more information contact Public Relations Officer via call or text at 618-713-0711.

Water Supply

 Missed the cutoff point by .3%

o our residents- 

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this was not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation. Surface water systems (or groundwater under the influence of surface water) using conventional filtration treatment (enhanced coagulation or enhanced precipitative softening) must demonstrate that Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removals are in compliance with either the Step 1 TOC removal requirements or meet the requirements of alternative compliance criteria. Our supply was unable to meet the requirements during the 2024Q2 monitoring period (2nd quarter 2024). 

What should I do? 

You do not need to use an alternative (e.g., bottled) water supply. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor. 

What does this mean? 

This is not an immediate risk. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. 

Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health effects. However, total organic carbon provides a medium for the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs). These byproducts include trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). 

Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL may lead to adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or nervous system effects, and may lead to an increased risk of getting cancer. 

What happened? What is being done? 

The City of Carbondale tests monthly for TOC removal in the treatment process. A 45% removal rate is required as a precaution to limit the formation of DBPs, which are potentially harmful above certain levels. TOC compliance is measured as a running annual average (RAA). The City of Carbondale’s RAA is typically 46 – 50%. In June, the RAA was 44.7%, falling short of the 45% required for compliance. DBPs, which are directly affected by TOC, were also sampled in June, with all samples testing safely within compliance. Additionally, the monthly TOC removal for July was 48.4%. 

Customers do not need to take any action. The water is safe for normal use. TOC does not have any health effects, but is monitored since it may affect other water quality parameters. This is a required public notification. 

For more information, please contact Clayton Greer, Water Treatment Plant Superintendent at (618) 529-1731 option 2. 

Old Phoenix Cycle Location

 From what I am hearing, the plans are to put a cannabis smoking lounge in the old Phoenix Cycle location. Consume wanted to put a lounge in the Newell Building but apparently plans for that fell through, possibly because, from what I understand, a location with a cannabis store cannot have any other businesses in the same facility.

I would figure a similar regulation applies to a smoking lounge which would be why the other businesses in the Phoenix Cycle building were moved out. 

Charging stations

 Unless you want to charge up at your home, there are five EV charging stations located in Carbondale, one bank at Vogler Ford, Bantera Center, Home 2 Suites, Ward Chrysler and Auffenberg's .

Free Water at Schnucks

During the hottest parts of the day, Schnucks is offering free water. Limit one bottle per person. During the week, the civic center is also open, though I do not think the city is promoting it as a cooling center. Water fountains are available there as well.

Hollywood 22 Vape

 Hollywood 22 Vape has expanded to a second location. It has taken over 618 Vape, which was located in the Wall & Grand Center at the corner of, well, Wall and Grand. By my count, that puts three vape shops in Carbondale, about half what the city had about 10 years ago but still shows there is a significant demand for the product.

Event Space

 It looks as if the city will break ground on the Washington Street Event Space in the near future as the grassy area where the stage will stand has been fenced off.  Of course, given that the first Off the Rails concert takes place on August 10th, the construction company will have to work really fast to get a pavilion built in less than 2 weeks.

I do not expect them to have the stage built of course. Still I wonder why fence off the area when the city knows the Off the Rails concert series starts so soon.

Humane Society

According to posts on Facebook, the Humane Society of Southern Illinois is closing down after 70 years. The facility will no longer accept animals after July 31 and, barring an influx of funds, will shutter the facility in December with plans to reopen in some way in 2025.

Elections

 Wanna have a say in the government of Carbondale? Three city council seats are up for election next year. You can pick up petitions starting July 30 (Hey that's tomorrow).

CARBONDALE - On April 1, 2025, the City of Carbondale will hold an election to select three City Councilmembers to four-year terms. Informational documents and petition forms will be available in the City Clerk’s Office beginning on July 30; these same forms and other useful information are available in the 2025 Candidate’s Guide, which can be found on the Illinois State Board of Elections website. Signed, completed forms are to be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office during the statutory filing period of Monday, October 21 through Monday, October 28, 2024 (circulation and filing dates amended by Public Acts 103-0586 and 103-0600).

This election will be for the seats presently held by Councilmembers Jeff Doherty, LaCaje Hill, and Ginger Rye Sanders.

Candidates should carefully examine the 2025 Candidate’s Guide available through the Illinois State Board of Elections’ website at www.elections.il.gov and are strongly advised to obtain legal counsel regarding their qualifications for office and how to correctly circulate, complete, and file their petitions.  

If thirteen or more candidates file petitions for the three City Council positions, a Consolidated Primary will be held on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. The Consolidated Election will be held on April 1, and the elected representatives will take office at the first City Council meeting in May.

The City Clerk's Office is located in Room 165 of City Hall, 200 S. Illinois Avenue. Regular office hours are 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Phone inquiries may be addressed to the City Clerk’s Office at 549-5302.

Growth At SIUC

 The University announced a third straight semester of growth, adding 163 for a summer total of 5025 students which is still pretty anemic given the days when summer attendance averaged 9000. 

Last spring attendance was 10,525 and the university has a target of 15,000 by 2030, by my calculations about a 30% increase. Averaging a 5% increase per year which is about what the university has had during its recent years of increase, SIUC would reach 15000 by the 2031-2032 school year, one year behind its target.

Boys and Girls Club

 It looks as if the Boys and Girls club will reopen next month, the Marion club at its old site and the Carbondale one in the First United Methodist Church. $200, 000 raised which will not fund the organization for very long, especially once it hires an executive director.

Steering Committee

 If you want to help develop the next comprehensive plan for Carbondale, the steering committee is now seeking members. I still have a copy of the last comprehensive plan on my shelves someplace and it has been used by citizens to point out when the city is proposing a program that appears to veer away from the plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CARBONDALE -

Do you love Carbondale? Do you have ideas about how Carbondale could continue to thrive? If so, you have an opportunity to be involved in shaping the City of Carbondale’s future. Since the 2010 plan, Carbondale has evolved, along with market preferences. Now is the time to update the plan to reflect the changes the city is experiencing and set a positive course of action for the future.  

The City of Carbondale is calling all interested applicants to apply to serve as a volunteer member of the Steering Committee for the updated comprehensive plan for the City. As a member of the committee, you will help bring insight and perspective to the planning process and ensure that the community’s voice and vision are a central part of the plan. 

We are seeking committee members who are connected to our broader community. Whether you are a long-time resident, a business owner, student, or someone who simply loves Carbondale, your perspective is valuable. This is an exciting opportunity to work with fellow community members and city leaders to create a plan that will guide Carbondale towards a vibrant and prosperous future for years to come! 

The application process will close on Friday, August 9th. 

We encourage you to join your fellow community members in this exciting opportunity. If you have any questions, please reach out to Carbondale’s Senior Planner, Molly Maxwell at mmaxwell@carbondaleil.gov. 

Click the link here: https://forms.gle/cgEocw4KteJkwort5 to apply! The application can also be found on the City’s website, www.explorecarbondale.com, under Permits and Applications. A printed application can be completed at the front desk at City Hall.  

More Business Opening

 jackson County has seen an 88% increase in the number of businesses opening since 2019, putting the county among the top 25 in the state in terms of new businesses over the last five years.

Shootings AND Stabbing

 Two reports of shootings, a stabbing and a vehicle theft all yesterday on Lewis Lane and East Sycamore.. Busy day for the police. Apparently a busy night as well according to a friend who was doing a ride along and did not get finished until 5 a.m.

City Council and Liquor control commission

 Here is the agenda for next Tuesday's Liquor Control Commission and City council Meetings.  According to the agenda, The Hilton appears to want a secondary liquor license so it can sell package liquor on site. In addition, This & That wants a secondary restaurant license so it can run a bakery out of its kitchen. Also, I think SI Pawn is applying for a zoning variance so it can move to North Illinois next to the Thrift Shop, as that area, for whatever reason, is zoned for automotive and wholesale businesses. 

Saluki Takeover Tours

 Originally I thought these were a form of outreach to new students but now I see they are instead outreach to alumni. with the steady decline of state funding, reaching out to alumni for support is becoming more important to all universities, not just SIUC. Of course, given the steady decline in students, it is hard to create a lot of excitement about campus events. Until the university manages to come up with something to significantly turn around enrollment, and not by just 1 or 2 percent, it will be hard to create much excitement. 

SCOTUS Lawsuit

 Yep, this lawsuit is likely why the city council held a special session to repeal its bubble ordinance. Council does not want to spend the money defending an ordinance that has a good chance of getting struck down before the current Supreme Court, especially when the city already has ordinances on the books that accomplish the same thing.

Southern Hills

Drove into SIUCs now abandoned Southern Hills residential complex. A gate blocks vehicles from driving past the first parking area but it is easy to see that SIUC is letting the entire area, save for one building, go back to nature. It looks as if one building is being used for maintenance offices but the other building are getting covered with vines and parts of the structure are falling off. Seems quite a waste of the buildings, which thirty years ago were used for graduate student and family housing.

When SIUC started shrinking dramatically, there was talk, 20 years ago,  of converting the buildings into a upscale retirement community for SIUC alumni but adapting the buildings for retirees, especially the 2nd floor units, was too costly to pursue, I guess. Nothing ever came of the plan and the rehabilitation of the buildings would be too expensive now.

Ordinance Repealed

 The city council met last Saturday and voted to repeal Ordinance 2023-03, dealing with limiting protests at women's health clinics in the city. Vote was 6-0.  I would guess the executive session was called in response to pending litigation against the ordinance and council decided it was better to rely on already existing ordinances to prosecute disruptive protesters, rather than using the power of government to target them specifically. 

SIU Leaders Get More Money

 Given the number of unfilled positions at SIU and that the university still has not seen a consistent increase in attendance during Lane's term in office, a raise for top administration seems a bit pre-mature, especially since the numbers are still less than half the number of enrolled students at its peak in 1990

Preservation Commission

 Preservation commission meets next Monday. Agenda is below. Not a lot of reports from the committees. going to see if I can make the meeting and ask about plaques for places identified as historically significant in Carbondale.

1. Roll Call & Introductions

AGENDA

The City of Carbondale Preservation Commission

Monday, July 15th, 2024

5:30 P.M.

Civic Center, Room 112

200 South Illinois Avenue

2. Approval of Minutes: June 17th, 2024 regular meeting

3. Communication and Reports:

a) Educational and Technical Assistance Committee

a. No Report

b) Nomination and Hardship Committee

a. No report

c) Work Plan Committee

a. No Report

d) Certificate of Appropriateness Committee

a. No report

e) Preservation Month Subcommittee

a. No Report

4. Old Business:

a) None

5. New Business:

a) Discussion on the consultant recommendations made in the Historic Building Survey

for the Northeast Quadrant

b) Identify possible next local register nomination(s)

6. Comments from the Public, Commission Members, or Staff

Cannabis Tax

 Carbondale received just under $35000 in revenue from cannabis in the fiscal year that ended last month. Carterville got a bit over $9000 and Murphysboro, $11,000. 

special City Council Meeting

 It appears the city council will hold a special meeting this Saturday, July 13, to vote to repeal Ordinance 2023-03, which had been enacted last year to limit the ability of protestors to approach clients at women's health/abortion clinics in Carbondale. According to the reasoning, there are other ordinances on the city books providing sufficient protection so this ordinance was not needed. Although I am not a lawyer, I would guess there was some pushback or threats of legal action for passing an ordinance targeting protests by a specific group.

Carbondale Vision 2030 Goal 2

 The second goal in the Carbondale Vision 2030 Strategic Plan. As with Goal 1, there are a lot of strategic initiatives for the city to address and DEI programs have really been a target of Republican lawmakers in recent years.

Goal 2:  Establish programs, processes, and networks to address diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice.

 Strategic Initiatives

  Explore possibilities for revising responsibilities for the Human Relations Commission or another entity to address citizen complaints. 

 Develop processes to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and equitably. 

 Create a diversity action plan for City operations. 

 Identify ordinances that contribute to exclusionary zoning.

  Create a Police (or Civilian) Review Board to address citizen complaints and advise the city on potential policy changes. Couldn't the Human Relations Commission do this? Seems what the first Initiative is aimed at.

 Identify and address systemic racism in institutions within Carbondale. 

 Publicize the purpose of the Human Relations Commission. 

 Identify areas of unequal opportunity and access in Carbondale and begin creating a plan to improve resources for all

  Create a staff report identifying codes and regulations that hinder opportunities for minority entrepreneurs. Despite its reputation, Carbondale is a business friendly town. Just follow the codes and regulations.

  Develop business training seminars tailored to the minority community to assist with business startups. 

 Require planning staff and Planning Commissioners to attend trainings and compile research on current zoning philosophies, such as Form-Based Code and Unified Development Zones, as they work on the update of the Comprehensive Plan. 

 Explore opportunities to address poverty and food insecurity in the community. Grants to already existing programs?  No need to create new one when we have existing food pantries. Could use more shelters but need staffing for that. 

  Create a Youth Advisory Board. Could a subcommittee of the HR Commission do this rather than creating a new board? 

 Provide targeted assistance to the minority business community. How? Grants? Seminars?

 Review alternatives for encouraging minority representation in the workforce. How?

 Consider a city-supported program to assist minorities to learn about and obtain employment in the trades.