Author: joeward7

Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register

While state highways are strictly governed by regulations that limit the potentially driver-distracting elements of digital advertising signs, the city of Springfield doesn’t have its own local law on the books. That was highlighted last week when the city council approved a digital sign for White Oaks Plaza at the northwest corner of Veterans Parkway and Wabash Avenue, a decision one alderman wanted to hold off on to analyze accident data and whether adding a digital sign could further complicate the traffic situation at that busy intersection.

Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, who represents the area east of Veterans Parkway, was mainly concerned about what the decision will mean for future requests, because “the city has no rules on digital billboards at this time,”

Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register

One alderman on Thursday downplayed the need for a City Water, Light and Power electric rate increase, saying he’s “not as worried about a technical default” as the people running the utility. Other Springfield aldermen suggested making temporary a proposal pitched this week to help fix the city-owned utility’s finances by increasing customer charges.

CWLP must come up with a combined $8 million — between increasing revenue and cutting spending

Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register

A combination of a City Water, Light and Power electric rate increase and some financial restructuring could get the city-owned utility out of an $8 million hole. Chief utilities engineer Eric Hobbie on Tuesday, for the second week in a row, addressed aldermen about CWLP’s precarious situation.

Hobbie presented a package of possible options that could allow, but doesn’t guarantee, the utility avoiding a technical default when the fiscal year closes Feb. 28. The utility was in default at the conclusion of fiscal 2012, meaning its cash on hand did not meet the requirements of its debt.

Bernard Schoenburg
The State Journal-Register

Ernie Slottag, who retired two years ago as the city of Springfield’s communications director, said Friday he’s running in the spring election for Ward 8 alderman. Slottag was press secretary to Illinois Attorneys General Neil Hartigan and Roland Burris before joining city government in 1995, at first working for then-Mayor Karen Hasara.

“I figure I’ve got 17 years in city government, so I know how it works, how it functions and who does what,

Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register

City Water, Light and Power revenue fell short of projections for July, and city officials hashed out possible short- and long-term solutions to help the city-owned utility avoid its second technical default in four years. At this point, CWLP needs to make up about $8 million to achieve the required debt-coverage ratio so it isn’t in default when the fiscal year ends Feb. 28, 2015, CWLP chief utilities engineer Eric Hobbie told aldermen at their committee of the whole meeting Tuesday night.

Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register

The swiftly pooling water that makes certain streets impassable and floods basements in some of Springfield’s older neighborhoods has become a theme during heavy rains, like the torrent that struck the city just over a week ago. And while work on the city’s sewer infrastructure and the Springfield Metro Sanitary District’s facilities is both underway and planned for the future, it’s unlikely even those sweeping efforts will eliminate all of the issues.

“It was a 50-year event. It was a severe weather event. We were anticipating showers, but not that much,” Springfield Public Works Director Mark Mahoney said. “And it varied across town. Some areas got 5 inches, while others got 2.5 inches.”

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Newly flooded areas, too

Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register

Springfield aldermen were divided Tuesday about how to replace city council coordinator Joe Davis when he retires early next year, but ultimately decided to create a subcommittee to lead the process.

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Joe Davis has served as council coordinator since the post was created in 1993. Among his duties are serving as a go-between for aldermen and city department heads, fielding phone calls for aldermen and helping draft ordinances.

Aldermen voted 6-3 in favor of creating a subcommittee now, rather than waiting, with Ward 2 Ald. Gail Simpson, Ward 5 Ald. Sam Cahnman and Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin opposed. Simpson and McMenamin

Bernard Schoenburg
The State Journal-Register

Michael Higgins, runner-up for alderman in Ward 7 in 2011 and owner of Maldaner’s Restaurant downtown, said Thursday he will try again in the spring to get elected to the Springfield City Council. The seat was open in 2011 because former Ald. Debbie Cimarossa did not seek re-election that year, and Ald. Joe McMenamin won a three-way race.

Higgins said he knows that it’s difficult to take on an incumbent, but he said, in public and private roles, he has “brought new ideas to the community” and will challenge McMenamin

Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register

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The council also OK’d an ordinance accepting a grant from the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for $424,266 that requires a local match. The money is through the Local Tourism and Convention Bureau Grant program, and Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin suggested some of it could go toward the planned 2015 Abraham Lincoln funeral re-enactment in Springfield.

Tim Landis
Business Editor

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The former ESQUIRE THEATRE took up much of the monthly meeting Thursday of the MacArthur Boulevard Association. Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, whose ward includes the former theater at MacArthur Boulevard and South Grand Avenue, and Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe, a former association president, had definite differences of opinion on local developer Chris Stone’s decision to drop plans for a strip center on the site.