Author: joeward7

Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register

Springfield City Council members unanimously voted Tuesday to strengthen an ordinance that encourages contractors to have city residents work on at least half of the hours needed for city construction projects worth more than $100,000.

With the changes, contractors who don’t make any effort to hire locally can be barred from bidding on city construction projects for up to three years, and those that do use a crew made up of more than 50 percent local workers will be awarded.

Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register

Springfield’s Winter Warming Center, the emergency shelter open to the homeless between November and April, will begin offering mental health and case management services this year. The city contracts with the all-men shelter Helping Hands to run the center, 1015 E. Madison St. An ordinance to solidify the contract for this winter is in front of the Springfield City Council for final approval next week.

The biggest change between last year and this year is the level of services Helping Hands will provide, according to executive director Erica Smith.

Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register

Citing concerns that the lowest bidder wouldn’t follow a city ordinance to use local workers, city council members voted to hold off on awarding a bid to Denler Inc., a company out of Mokena.

The contract is for filling cracks along the city’s roadways. The company bid was for about $364,500; the next highest bidder was Complete Asphalt Service Co. out of Pittsfield for $447,000.

The $83,000 difference between the bids raised a red flag for some aldermen, who

Bernard Schoenburg
The State Journal-Register

BRAD CARLSON, a Capital Township trustee and chief of staff at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, says he’s giving “very serious consideration” to running for Springfield Ward 7 alderman in the spring.

That would pit him against Ald. JOE McMENAMIN, who said he plans to seek a third four-year term.

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Carlson, who is married and has two children, is a Roanoke native and graduate of Illinois State University. He worked on House Republican staff, and in the secretary of state’s office and old nuclear safety department. He was

Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register

Mayor Jim Langfelder told Springfield City Council members Tuesday he will collect signatures to put a question on the April ballot about whether Capital Township should dissolve into the city.

The push comes after an ordinance to put an advisory question on November’s ballot failed to get out of city council committee last week. The township has almost the exact same borders as the city, but is unique in that the Sangamon County clerk acts as the township’s assessor and its treasurer serves as the township’s supervisor and collector. The township board voted earlier this year to pose the question to November voters as to whether the township should merge with the county, saying

The State Journal-Register

The SJ-R editorial “Council made right call in backing off referendum” in the Aug. 2 edition of the newspaper ignores a most important issue — representation.

It says in effect that it is OK to let elected Sangamon County Board members from Chatham, Auburn, Sherman, Rochester, etc., decide how real estate taxes derived exclusively from Springfield taxpayers get spent for Springfield city purposes. The editorial fails to respect a core concept of democracy, “taxation with representation.”

It is unbelievable that six Springfield aldermen voted the county government’s interest instead of the city’s.

Joe McMenamin

Ward 7 Alderman for Springfield City Council

The State Journal-Register

Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register

A resolution to add an advisory referendum to the November ballot on whether the city of Springfield should absorb Capital Township was tabled by a 6-4 vote of city council members during Tuesday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting.

To pull a resolution from committee once it’s tabled requires a supermajority vote of council members, which equals seven votes. The deadline for getting the question placed on the ballot is Aug. 20, and unless council members revisit the issue next week, the question most likely won’t be added.

The question would compete with one already on November’s ballot, asking whether

Brenden Moore
The State Journal-Register

Despite a rash of high-profile closings in Springfield’s retail sector over the past few years — part of a larger trend of consumers moving toward online marketplaces like Amazon — there has been a slew of good news for brick-and-mortar in town. Take toys, for instance. While TOYS R US closed its doors a couple of weeks ago, a new independent toy store is slated to open at 3450 Liberty Drive, near Target, this September.

Named LITTLE LINCOLN’S TOY SHOP, the store will feature specialty products from across Illinois and around the world, according to owner Ryan Leake.

Most of Leake’s business will focus on the brick-and-mortar with limited online sales, with the focus being on “experience of going into a toy store.” He said there will be

Staff reports
The State Journal-Register

Marshalls, a discount clothing retailer, has signed a lease to become the latest tenant in a new shopping center constructed at Wabash Avenue and Veterans Parkway, on the site of the former Kmart.

Springfield Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, who represents that area, said that Marshalls will occupy a space next to Burlington Coat Factory.

Construction should begin in the fall or early winter, and the company hopes to open the store in June 2019, he said.

Crystal Thomas
The State Journal Register

A divided Springfield City Council on Tuesday rejected a proposal that would have closed Lincoln Library grounds after hours.

The ordinance, which was proposed by Mayor Jim Langfelder, was drafted after the library had seen an uptick in the homeless population who have been sleeping under the brick overhangs. The ordinance would have allowed Springfield police officers to ask those on the grounds from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. to move along or face a ticket or possible arrest, if there was disorderly conduct. Homeless people would still be welcome during the day.

At the committee meeting, aldermen were divided on whether the ordinance was