Author: joeward7

Unfortunately, we will never know how much our city could have saved from privatizing our automotive parts operations because Mayor Mike Houston’s administration never competitively bid $3.7 million of business.

Instead the administration gave a risk-free contract guaranteed to produce 10 percent profit to privately owned NAPA stores.

On May 13, Mayor Houston asked the city council to reaffirm the administration’s NAPA contract and wrote to aldermen that should the resolution of support fail, he was prepared to rebid.

Clearly, Mayor Houston’s resolution failed. In fact, it had so little support Tuesday night that no alderman would move it to passage.

Now Mayor Houston has decided to ignore the council and says he is going forward with the NAPA contract regardless. This is bad business for the city and bad faith with the city council.

Ald. Joe McMenamin

Springfield

Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register

After the Springfield City Council’s inaction this week on a controversial contract with NAPA Auto Parts, Mayor Mike Houston said Thursday he’ll implement it anyway, to the dismay of some aldermen. The city will go forward with the $3.75 million contract the council approved April 15, Houston said.

The procurement process for the contract came under fire after it was OK’d, and some aldermen who called for the contract to be terminated so it could be rebid said Thursday they believe Houston’s decision will affect his relationship with them

Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register

The Springfield City Council on Tuesday opted to contract with a Chicago-based firm for up to $79,000 for recommendations on implementing an inspector general position to look into wrongdoing in city government. Some aldermen, during a lengthy discussion, fixated on the need for an inspector general post that would be independent from the mayor’s office.

After a lot of back-and-forth about how the position would be set up

Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register

Springfield Fire Chief Ken Fustin fears that, with current staffing levels, further delays to the opening of the city’s consolidated vehicle maintenance garage could pose a threat to public safety. “Further delays I think will cause … well, we’re going to run out of safe fire apparatus to send our members on.

Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register

The Springfield City Council is considering a study of the feasibility of putting electric vehicle charging stations throughout the city, an idea inspired in part by the stations at the new Hy-Vee grocery store. The ordinance, which Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin introduced

Tim Landis
The State Journal-Register

The former Esquire Theatre in Springfield is facing a fix-or-demolish deadline this fall under a city ordinance that took effect in 2011. More than a decade after the last movie rolled, the vacant former theater building on MacArthur Boulevard near South Grand Avenue would be among early tests of an ordinance that took effect in October 2011 intended to crack down on abandoned properties. The ordinance required that buildings be brought up to code or demolished after three years on a city boarded-up property list.

The Esquire went on the list Nov. 29, 2011, according to city records. “I think the tipping point will be in the fall,” said Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin

Jamie Munks
The State Journal-Register

No state records have been found that show an intergovernmental agreement between the state of Illinois and the National Joint Powers Alliance, the entity the city used to procure its controversial NAPA Auto Parts contract. The Illinois Department of Central Management Services responded late Thursday to a Freedom of Information Act request

Jamie Munks
May. 7, 2014
The State Journal-Register

The city of Springfield is in a much healthier financial state than five years ago, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to ramp up spending. The city ended its fiscal year Feb. 28 with a $5 million surplus, revenue that exceeded expectations, lower-than-anticipated expenses and a $20 million fund balance, McCarty said during a presentation at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

“All in all, ’14 was a very good year

Tim Landis
The State Journal-Register

Hy-Vee will open a supermarket and convenience store on MacArthur Boulevard in Springfield on May 13. The corporate announcement on Facebook Monday came more than 2 1/2 years after the project was announced and 11 years after Kmart left the spot at 2115 S. MacArthur Blvd. that is now home to Hy-Vee.

Dan Petrella
The State Journal-Register

A handful of businesses that have already received the zoning approval necessary to open storefront video gambling parlors in Springfield could see their plans disrupted by a proposed restriction the city council is expected to discuss Tuesday night.

Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe and Ward 1 Ald. Frank Edwards are sponsoring an ordinance that would require businesses that receive their liquor licenses on or after May 15 to earn at least 60 percent of their annual revenue from food and beverage sales if they want to offer video gaming.