In case you didn't catch this on the city's website or in the SI:

NEWS RELEASE
MAINTENANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Due to the inclement weather and the icy road conditions, the City’s refuse, recycling and bag and bundle collection programs have been SUSPENDED for the remainder of this week. Residents are advised to not set their refuse or recycling containers at curbside this week. Please hold them until next week.

Weather permitting, refuse and recycling will resume normal schedules next week.

Questions may be addressed the Maintenance and Environmental Services Office at 618-457-3275.

Labels: Carbondale, city government

Carbondale's website was down from Monday through Thursday morning, plus no-one in the building had external email access which was driving a few offices crazeeee. Apparently, someone (accidentally?) cut one of Verizon's cables which played hob with any commercial user of Verizon broadband throughout southern Illinois.

Labels: Carbondale, city government, infrastructure

If Mayor Cole was targeting every business he is accused of targeting, he wouldn't have any time for overseeing city operations. And isn't naming your nightclub Club SIN just asking for trouble?

Labels: Brad Cole, city government, Liquor Advisory Board

The fifth annual Neighborhood Alliance Meeting takes place Sat. Jan 17, at Our Savior Lutheran Church on S. University. Doors open at 9:30 and the meeting runs from 10 to noon. More details here.

Labels: Carbondale, city government

Got an email from Allan Keith, author of SIUC's Days of Dissent and, according to him, it was pretty common during the late 60s and early 70s for the city to appoint a non-voting student representative to not only city council but most city committees as well.

Labels: Carbondale, city government, siuc

Mayor Cole may have spoken too soon about Walgreen's putting a second location on the west side at the old Mugsy McGuire's location. However, Walgreen's has not confirmed a second Carbondale location yet and I've heard secondhand that the company is none too happy with the mayor for his premature announcement.

Something similar happened back in 2004 when the mayor announced the purchase of the American Tap before the completion of the negotiations. The city eventually purchased the Tap property, appraised at $39,000, for $150,000. BTW, the Tap property still sits empty, without even a "For Sale" sign on it.

Labels: American Tap, business, Carbondale, city government, economy, Walgreen's

The C'dale Energy and Environmental Commission meets tomorrow at 6 p.m at the Civic Center. Among other things on the agenda: Koppers status, Eco-Dawgs, recycling of domestic food waste,noise pollution and renewable energy.

Labels: city government, Energy, environment

In case you are planning to run for one of the three available seats, nomination positions are due by this Monday. Last time I checked, McDaniel and Wissmann had decided to run again, whilst Councilman Fritzler was still on the fence.

Labels: Carbondale, city government, election

City Planner Rob Keehn is departing C'dale at the end of the month. Interesting to see that the most notable thing about his tenure he recalled was the housing boom the city has seen over the past few years, the same boom the city ended last summer with a moratorium while it studies the situation.

Labels: city government

The City of Carbondale's Housing Study Committee meets at 5 p.m. today at City Hall. If you attend, you can help set the future agenda for the committee as the only items on the current agenda are discussing objectives and scope of work as well as setting dates for future meetings. More information about the announced purpose of the Housing Study Committee can be found on page 3 here.

Labels: Carbondale, city government

And on the dangerous side of Carbondale, according to the commenters here. Kevlar vest anyone? I think it was a good thing for Mayor Cole to do and I'd like to see him, or other city council members, walk in that area more often to listen to concerns of the residents. It shouldn't take a shooting to get the city's attention.

Labels: Carbondale, city government, Mayor

I could be wrong, and lord knows it happens often enough, but I thought metered parking was free after 4 p.m. and weekends. Not according to the information on the city's website.

Labels: city government, downtown Carbondale

Was scrolling through the comments section on this article and found this interesting comparison between the Carbondale and Marion city governments:

Carbondale... ONE Tif District...
Marion... TEN... That's TEN TIMES THE TAX DOLLARS being DIVERTED AWAY from the Taxing Bodies... AND YOU CHicken (and the rest of us...) MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE!

Carbondale... ONE Open Meetings Violation... THEIR Council contacts AG's office, who responds with Training and a STERN warning.

Marion... 1,159 violations (Y A W N) and still counting.

Labels: city government

I didn't know this until I was in City Hall last week and was watching Channel 16. The City Clerk's office offers a free notary service. City Clerk Janet Vaught says most people coming in to get papers notarized expect to pay for the service and are happily surprised to find out it's free.

Labels: city government

Looks like the new fire station and public safety/police station will be costing a wee bit more than originally estimated. The estimated cost of the fire station, according to the Aug. 2007 city council action sheet was $1.25 million. According to the 2009 Community Investment Plan, available at City Hall, the cost is now projected at $1.875. The police station was estimated at $6.2 million, now it's estimated to run about $7.6 million.

I don't remember if the amount generated by the sales tax increase was projected large enough to cover the additional $2 million now needed for these two projects. I hope so, otherwise I see the money coming out of the already endangered general fund.

Labels: City council, city government, sales tax

According to this article in today's Southern, even with this year's sales tax increase, the city is coming up about $440,000 short in projected revenues for fiscal year 2008. While the difference can be made up out of the general fund, the city's pension funds are also underfunded and will reduce the general fund by about $4 million over the next few years. This year's sales tax increase was not designed to add revenue to the general fund, but rather to pay for needed improvements to the city: fire station, police departments, greenway improvements, SIUC sports complex. If the economy keeps heading south, we can expect to see the general fund take major hits to pay for keeping pensions at the mandated level.

Labels: city government, economy, sales tax

Checked with the city's Tom Grant regarding the status of these two buildings and the demolishing orders for both apparently are on hold. The Horizon was tested for mold last week and the owners of the Tuscan Lodge had obtains the services of an architect to evaluate the building (yet again).

Not sure about the Horizon Inn but I recall the Tuscan Lodge building was evaluated back in the 1990's and the estimate was in excess of six figures, close to seven, to make the building habitable. I remember hearing some talk of a company's plans to purchase the Tuscan building, gut it but maintain the facade, and convert it to offices. Doesn't look as if anything has come of that, though.

Labels: city government, downtown Carbondale

If you want to stay at the Horizon Inn, better do so quickly as the order to repair or demolish it takes effect at the close of business this Wed. The order was issued last May 12 and, according to this story from the Southern, the roof is collapsing in some places, mold is covering the walls of some rooms, and there's fungus growing from the carpet of others. I've gotten copes of the pictures taken at the time of the inspection and boy does the place look bad: Broken windows, holes in walls, flooded rooms, doors falling off hinges, ceilings collapsing.

The owner is a company called Carbondale Hospitality LLC out of Morris Plains NJ but no indication of how many other holdings, if any, the company has in the C'dale area.

Incidentally, according to another Southern article, the Tuscan Lodge was issued a repair or demolish order at the same time.

Labels: business, city government, downtown Carbondale

As was pointed out in comments, the Historic Preservation Commission doesn't have the authority to authorize demolition of buildings, Rather it advises the City Council on ordinances and reviews applications for alterations and demolitions. If you're intersted, there are still two openings on the commission:

Historic Preservation Commission

The duties of the Preservation Commission are to investigate, hold public hearings and recommend to the City Council the adoption of ordinances designating certain properties, improvements and areas having special historic, architectural or community value as historic districts, landmarks and neighborhood preservation districts. Other duties are to review applications for alteration, construction, and demolitions affecting property(ies) formally under consideration for designation or designated historic districts, landmarks, and neighborhood preservation districts.

Members of the Preservation Commission are:

Evelyn Koine (Chair)

Mary McGuire (Vice Chair)

Shirley D. Booker

Kevin P. Clark

Dorothy Ittner

Helen Deniston

Ed VanAwken

Vacancy

Vacancy

Labels: city government, Preservation Commission

Was looking through the warrrents from the last city council meeting again and found this payment to the Arthur Agency. Apparently they did something worth 4 grand to the city:

01 41708 ARTHUR AGENCY INC 4,275.00 2966 9917 51608

Labels: city government