Eurma Hayes Center

 According to this, the Eurma C. Hayes Center will receive a $25,000 grant for repairs and upgrades from State Farm. There were 200 finalists competing for grants and the top 40 each received money from State Farm.

Combined with the $450, 000 the city committed Tuesday night to the Center from the COIVD-19 America Rescue Funds it will receive from the federal government, the money should go a long way towards long needed repairs on the building.

Eurma C. Hayes Center Vote

 today is the last day to vote for the Eurma C. Hayes Center to get a $25000 grant from State Farm. 

The award of $25,000 would support some of the Center’s infrastructural needs, including automatic doors and new windows. These improvements are necessary to enhance American Disability Act (ADA) accessibility and energy efficiency. The anticipated timeframe for opening the Center is in September of 2021. This grant would assist in restoring a historic commercial property for the betterment of the African American community within Carbondale. Like State Farm, we recognize that being a good neighbor is about giving back to one’s community. The ECHC’s board members and community stakeholders have already begun investing in the Center; however, without outside funding sources such as the State Farm Neighborhood Assist Program, the progression towards reopening may be prolonged. The community has a 30% poverty rate with fully subsidized government public housing projects adjacent to the Center. Therefore, the ECHC will provide some of the programs for free through income-producing tenants.

Also the 31st is the last day to vote for a similar grant for the Carbondale Dog Park.

Carbondale deserves a PetSafe® Bark for Your Park™ grant because the need is great, the community has shown its support, and the region lacks areas where people from diverse backgrounds and their dogs can socialize informally. The Carbondale area has a limited economic base, with few tax dollars for public amenities. The Carbondale Park District manages several parks but lacks the resources for this project. In 2017, community volunteers created Friends of Carbondale Dog Parks to build an off-leash facility using only private funds. Sustained outreach and media coverage have earned it widespread support from individuals and organizations. At 2.5 acres, Carbondale’s first public dog park will be the largest in the region. It aims to attract dog lovers from near and far with events and activities. This community effort deserves – and needs – to win the $25,000 grant to fulfill Carbondale’s vision of an off-leash dog park for all.

Eurma Hayes Police Resource Center

 Not certain the community is split  on the idea of a police resource center at the Eurma Hayes center. From reading the article, it sounds as  if the BOD for the Center is looking at the resource center as a way to bring some much needed funds to help cover costs at the center, while others are concerned about expanding the police footprint in the city. Since the Center is supposed to provide much needed services to the northeast side of Carbondale, I  am not sure if running the center "like a business" is the best way to approach the Center's problems. 

I would like to see Carbondale police out and walking around more. I remember a few eyars ago the Arbor District, after a few break-ins in the area, pressed the CPD to put more police on foot in the area instead of relying on officers in cars. I don't think anything came of that  initiative though although it does appear the Department reported over 5000 foot patrols in 2020

Koppers Meeting

As requested by the city council, the first meeting of Brightfields Development, regarding the proposed development of the Koppers site, with members of the Carbondale community will take place on July 30 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Eurma C. Hayes Center. Will be interesting to see how many actually show up and of those, how many want to find out more about the project and how many just want to express their opinion. I am betting the majority do not want to find anything out, they just want to express their opinion and have already made up their minds that the project is bad.

Koppers Meeting

In order to address concerns about the ongoing cleanup at the Koppers wood treating site, and its potential home for a solar array, the EPA will host an open meeting from 6 to 9 p.m.  on April 9th at the Eurma C. Hayes Center, 441. East Willow.

The session starts with a poster session, whatever that is and someone feel free to post a comment or email me explaining what a poster session it, then moves to presentations and Q&A at 6:45 until 7:50, followed by another poster session until 9.

Since most of the controversy over the Koppers cleanup has come from residents of the northeast side of Carbondale, I would hope there is a good turnout from that area.  I also hope those who attend come ready to ask questions in order to clarify points about the development, rather than wanting to confront the EPA in order to re-confirm their own beliefs.

City Council

Caught most of last night's city council meeting (thought I did miss the section of the meeting wherein I got appointed to the city's sustainability commission). The warrants got passed with minimal discussion with questions only about Duncan Associates as a consultant for the Zoning Ordinance update and extending the city's contrat with Marion Pepsi-Cola Bottling Companies.

The council then passed a series of resolutions commending Danny Piquard, Charles Vaught and Janet Vaught (yes, they are married) on their service to the city and congratulating them on retirement.

The new order of business, consideration of community and economic development organization funding requests should have been pretty short, since it typically just acknowledges that the city has received these requests, with the actual presentations occurring at the March council meeting. Someone forgot to tell the organizations that though, as Randy Osborne from the Boys and Girls Club launched into a full fledged presentation, complete with letters of support from the community.

After this, 90% of the orgnazations that had submitted funding requests made a presentation to the councils, cumulating in a 15 minute long presentation from Attucks Community Services that the mayor finally interrupted, asking why the organization sought $153,000 in funding when it still owed the city two months in rent and had only received $35,000 in rent and cash last year. The presentation then descended into a mild argument between the Attucks representative and the mayor regarding what what appropriate for discussion during the presentation. Under prodding from Councilmen Haynes and McDaniel who pointed out Mayor Cole planned to direct $150,000 to the school systems for a summer math and reading tutoring program, the mayor agreed to revisit funding for Attucks and the I CAN READ program, both of which had been zeroed out in the proposed funding budget.

Council went into closed session about 9 p.m.

City Council Meeting

Want to really get into the holiday spirit? There's a city council meeting tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Lot of giving going on as the council awards contracts, annexes half a dozen or so areas adjoining the city, and sells off the Eurma C. Haynes Center.

Wanna Buy a Center?

the city just announced it is putting the Eurma C. Haynes Center on the block. Bids are accepted now, with bidding closing the end of September. Imagine this will creat a bit of controversy.

City of Carbondale Issues Request for Proposals for Sale of the Eurma C. Hayes Center

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The City of Carbondale is requesting proposals from interested parties for the sale of the Eurma C. Hayes Center located at 441 East Willow Street in Carbondale. The City will accept proposals from all interested parties. Non-profit and for-profit organizations are acceptable, but non-profit organizations are preferred. The building was constructed in 1974 as a community center and priority will be given to entities providing services beneficial to the community and region, in an effort to preserve the facility’s original intent.

The building is a one-story masonry structure, of concrete block and brick. A new roof was recently installed and energy efficient air handlers were recently installed on the HVAC system.

The interior is arranged as offices, classrooms, and a large multi-purpose room. It would be feasible to separate the interior for use by multiple tenants. The total building area is 30,785 square feet and it is currently zoned R-1-5. There are no known environmental restrictions or concerns, as the property lies in an established residential neighborhood. As a City-owned building, there is no property tax currently assessed on the property. Annual utility bills are approximately $48,100. The Fair Market Value on the property has been estimated to be $460,000.

One wing of the building was built to house a child care center. The child care portion of the building contains six classrooms which range in size from 930 square feet to 1,490 square feet. There is also a 533 sq. ft. office area and a small janitorial supply room. There is a commercially equipped kitchen (with adjacent food storage areas) and a 2,400 square foot multi-purpose room. There are three sets of bathrooms in the former child care wing. Each of the classrooms opens directly onto the fenced playground which has modern playground equipment. A paved parking lot is located to the west of the building,

The sale of the property will include equipment and cooking and serving implements in the kitchen. This includes a commercial stove, dishwasher, refrigerator units, freezers, pots and pans, dishes, silverware, etc. The sale does not include equipment, furniture, and materials (books, toys, etc.) in the classrooms in the former child care wing. This includes audio/video equipment, cribs, cots, lockers, chairs, tables, changing tables, etc. Also not included is the furniture in the child care offices: desks, chairs and file cabinets.

The City will provide the building “as is” under current conditions and configuration. If the proposed use would require building modifications or remodeling of the space, to accommodate the proposed use, the purchaser will be responsible for these.

All proposals are to be submitted in writing and must be received by 12:00 noon on September 30, 2010 at the office of the Purchasing/Risk Management Coordinator, City of Carbondale, 200 South Illinois Avenue, P.O. Box 2047, Carbondale, Illinois 62902-2047. No late proposals will be considered.

For further Information and to obtain a copy of the Request for Proposals, contact Allen D. Gill, City Manager at (618) 457-3226. The Request for Proposals is also available on the City’s Web site www.explorecarbondale.com.

City Council Meeting

Got to last Tuesday's City Council meeting about an hour and a half late but apparently it didn't start until 7:30, due to the goings on at the Liquor Control Commission. Lance Jack apparently had about a hundred supporters there for his third (failed) attempt to get a liquor license for Fat Patties. The commission split 3/3 with Cole, Wissmann and McDaniel supporting the application and the other three opposing. Beer garden applications for Upside Downtown and Hangar 9 went through OK, though there were some questions about Hangar 9's putting its garden next to the street rather than behind the building. Express Burrito got the nod for its change over from fast Mexican to bar and grill, while the Spotlight Bar and Grill failed to get its application re-approved. too much liquor sold and not enough food for the class of licnese they have. Not sure what that means for the future of the restaurant/bar.

When I arrived, Councilman Wissman was finishing his mea culpa for his probably vote to close the Eurma Haynes Child Care Center, saying as a liberal it was hard for him to do. Councilmen McDaniel and Fritzler followed suit, lauding the center, its staff and his service to the community BUT...(when you are in a negotiation, if the other side says "But", it's shorthand for "ignore everything I've said up to this point"), they didn't see how the city could continue to support the center to the tune of $200,000 a year for only 33 families, half of which don't even live in Carbondale.

Councilman Haynes, a graduate of the Center, as he mentioned several times during his speech, argued for keeping the Center open, saying that maintaining the social support for the families was more important than then Center "making a profit or breaking even", which he said other council members had argued for. Must have been Pohlman or Jack (whose supporters had left by then: beer important, child care, not so much) as I didn't hear McDaniel or Fritzler (or the little bitt of Wissmann I caught) argue for the Center making a profit, so much as fewer people using it with ever increasing city support. One anecdote by McDaniel especially struck me. She mentioned seeing children, who lived only a couple of blocks from the Hayes Center, boarding a bus to go to a different day care center in the community.

After the Mayor's closing homily (and he did call it a homily) about the support the city had given the Center the past 5 years, the vote was called. Six to one in favor of closing the Center, the one being Councilman Haynes. After 34 years, the Eurma C. Hayes Child Care Center closes August 1st, except for HeadStart, which remains until August 18. Mayor Cole then directed City Manger Gill to look into alternative uses for the building and closed the meeting.

You can read unhappy parents' reponses here and here.

Eurma Hayes Child Care Center

As D. Gorton points out in the comments, based on past experience, there's no reason the council should not be able to come to a decision on the Eurma Hayes Center at its next meeting. Dragging out the decision will just drain more limited resources as whomever is studying it comes to a concclusion. Either decide to fund it or don't.

City Council Meeting

Ought to be a good turnout at tonight's city council meeting given that the Eurma Hayes Center is on the block again. The city is losing $71,000 next year on a child care facility that serves only 44 children from 35 families, with 13 of those families not even living in Carbondale. I guess the council expects quite a few people there as earlier today, I saw the walls were moved back to double the size of the meeting chamber.