Author: joeward7

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

Despite concerns raised by a resident and a couple of aldermen, the Springfield City Council on Tuesday approved more than $354,000 to contract with Sangamon County for animal control services.

Springfield resident Eric Reiss told aldermen he’s called animal control several times to report incidents with an aggressive dog in his neighborhood, but has gotten little response.

Still, Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner encouraged patience with animal control,

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

While Sangamon County covers most of the cost to shelter stray and lost animals in the city of Springfield, one alderman wants to be sure the city is getting services it’s paying for after the cost to the city has risen 30 percent in the last three years.

The amount the city pays for animal control has been climbing in part because of increases to the rate the county charges for boarding animals. Officials from Springfield and the other towns and villages that use

Joey talks with Ward 7 Alderman Joe McMenamin about what was on the minds of the big crowd that showed up for the Ward 7 meeting last night. –  Length: 5:45

http://wtax.com/podcasts/alderman-joe-mcmenamin-on-the-ward-7-meeting-2/

Eric Feldman
WICS News Channel 20

One Springfield alderman said he would like to propose a two-cent per gallon gas tax to help improve Springfield roads and equipment needs.

In every ward meeting so far, plenty of Springfield residents have said they want to see their streets and sewers in better condition. And Public Works Director Mark Mahoney said the improvements they want, the city cannot afford.

Ward 7 Alderman Joe McMenamin said his proposal could help

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

While the permit process for a supplemental water source for Springfield continues, the city has plans to purchase another property for Hunter Lake. Tuesday night, the Springfield City Council put the purchase of land on Brunk Cemetery Road for up to $125,000 on its consent agenda for next week’s meeting. Items on the consent agenda typically pass without opposition.

“We are committed, (Hunter Lake) is our preferred alternative,” Mayor Jim Langfelder said

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

With its rows of marble vaults, the Oak Ridge Cemetery Abbey provides a final resting place for about 1,000 people. The century-old building’s sagging concrete roof and chipped ceiling are only the beginning of the cemetery’s problems. “The long and short of everything is, the entire cemetery industry, maybe with the exception of small, rural cemeteries, most cemeteries are experiencing financial difficulties,” said executive director Mike Lelys.

The primary reason is people opting for

Bruce Rushton
The Illinois Times

While Pawnee questions the design of Hunter Lake, an engineering firm that has worked for the village questions the need for a 3,000-acre reservoir, which would stretch to the burg south of Springfield. Mudflats and mosquitoes are Pawnee’s “number one environmental issue,” village attorney John Myers wrote in a Sept. 14 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which must issue a permit and so solicited public comment on the proposed lake.

“The potential for rotting vegetation, odors and insect infestations is obvious, and will significantly degrade the quality of life in

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

When Dana Chaney, property manager for the 184-unit Boulevard Townhomes on MacArthur Boulevard, moved families in to the newly renovated townhouses in July, she said they were thrilled. The apartments furnished with new stoves, dishwashers, carpets and cabinets are a far cry from the condition city inspectors found the housing complex, then the MacArthur Park Apartments, in five years ago.

With the help of $15 million in financing and approximately $1.3 million in tax credits through the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Kansas-based Cohen-Esrey Affordable Partners purchased

Bruce Rushton
The Illinois Times

Once considered an armpit of apartment complexes in Springfield, a 187-unit complex on the 2700 block of MacArthur Boulevard, formerly called MacArthur Park, is being transformed under new ownership that acquired the property late last year and has been working ever since to change the image.

“We need to get the word out to people: It’s not MacArthur Park anymore,” said

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

The 5.5-inch deluge in early August that did major damage to the Illinois State Fairgrounds also highlighted the city’s aging sewage infrastructure as hundreds of residents’ basements flooded.

The Springfield City Council is set to discuss two programs Tuesday that could help with sewage issues. Homeowners could have access to more city funds to pay for upgrades to their houses’ plumbing. The city’s public works department could also have more money to remove sweet gum trees, which drop spiny seed capsules that find their way into sewers and contribute to backup problems.