Memorial Hospital

 SIH is requesting a rezoning of properties on West Oak and N. Almond, including the old Regions Bank parking lot, from residential to professional/administrative. I would guess that the  rezoning is a precursor to pulling down the properties and expanding the Memorial Hospital campus.

Home Rule

 Had it pointed out to me that if the electorate fails to pass a home rule ordinance this fall, any future taxes the city might want to implement would have to be passed by a referendum. That would mean that, I think, the city council could not amend the sales tax ordinance to keep the Saluki Way tax on the books. Instead, the tax would expire unless a referendum was passed keeping it in place.

Why talk about this now?  Because people need to be discussing it now, rather than a few months before the tax expires. I still remember when the CCHS box tax was due to expire. There was little discussion of it in the months before the expiration and the night council voted to amend the ordinance to keep the tax in place, there were only about 3 people in the audience.

Saluki Way Tax

 The portion of the sales tax funding bonds for the  the new stadium, Arena remodel and Saluki Way project is scheduled to expire in 2027. I would be willing to bet though, unless people start pushing for its expiration. The city will likely argue, as it did when the tax funding bonds for repairs at CCHS was due to expire, that it needed the funds from the tax and had already figured the revenue into its budget.

 The argument made at the time for passing the sales tax increase was that the enhancements to the campus would attract more students and draw more people to campus to attend events in the new stadium and remodeled Arena, despite evidence that revenues do not increase when tax payer money goes to fund sportscapes and attendance at SIUC has trended downward for 3 decades. Still it will be easier for the council to argue it needs the money from the tax and vote to extend the ordinance that established it, rather than letting it expire and passing a new one. 

Flags

Since no one was available this morning to put them out, the Chamber of Commerce, as a test, left a row of Saluki flags bordering Main street out all night. Came in this morning to find all of the flags on the south Side of the street bent over so that likely will not happen again. Of course, someone lit one of the bushes around the trainman's statue on fire so it wasn't just target at the flags.

Carbondale Spring Fest

 The first Carbondale Spring fest takes place this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Out on the Town Squar Pavilion though which means that the vendors get to spend most of the day sitting in 50 degree F temperatures, at least accounting to the current weather forecast. If it is sunny that day, that should bring outpeople but if the day is grey, expect turnout to be pretty light.

Streetscape

 Looks as if the city is starting on the streetscape north of Marion on Illinois Avenue. The street here is a lot flatter so we will likely not see the "walls" put in further south on Illinois to adjust for the changes in gradient on the sidewalks. I just wish the design could make getting up on the sidewalk easier as there is quite a step up to the sidewalk if you park on the street.

Tourism 2

 Following up on the last post, the Carbondale Tourism office has moved into the old Nest storefront, next to The Cellar. Not sure why they made the move now, since it involved shifting quite a bit of office material. the plan eventually is, when the multi-modal transport station opens, to move the tourism offices as well as Carbondale Main Street and the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce into offices on the north side of the building. Maybe the rent is cheaper in the new location? Since Carbondale Tourism is funded, last time I checked, by the hotel tax, COVIC may have hit its revenue stream pretty soundly, causing it to need a less expensive location. No evidence to back this up on my part but moving less than a block away does seem a bit odd.