End of the Road for Du Quoin Lake Residents: Park District Only Option

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ There was a lot of empathy for Du Quoin City Lake residents during Monday's meeting of the Du Quoin City Council, but empathy won't maintain the miles of deteriorating roads around the once-pristine recreational area.

City attorney Aaron Atkins told Mayor John Rednour and members of the council that the only viable option for residents and vacationers at the lake is to establish a recreational tax district where homeowners would tax themselves, then pay to have the oil and chipping and winter snow removal work done.

It's not what lake residents want to hear, but it's as good as it gets as far as the mayor, Du Quoin street commissioner Kathy West and members of the council are concerned.

It's the proverbial end of the road.

Achieving a solution for lake residents dominated the closing minutes of the meeting.

"We need to have the problem resolved. The folks up there have to want it to happen," said Atkins. "They are paying taxes to the county, but they are not benefitting from the taxes. They would have to vote on it to establish a park district," he told the mayor.

Atkins has offered to accomplish all of the legal work required to put a park district issue on a general or special election ballot, then have lake residents vote on it. "If they are so disposed they can 1.) be annexed into the city, or 2.) establish a park district," he said.

"I can do the work, but I cannot get them to come to a consensus," said Atkins in a thoughtful tone.

Atkins said, "Most do not wish to be bound by our ordinances--zoning and property maintenance." The mayor nodded in agreement.

"If they don't want to come in (annex) into the city, we don't want them," said Rednour. It wasn't drawing a line in the sand. It was a statement of fact that no one wants to force a situation that no one wants to be in. "I guess if the roads get bad enough, they will do something," he said.

When the lake property was purchased during the era of the Great Depression, the property was dammed up, an intake tower constructed and a water filtration plant was built on North Division Street and the lake served as the city's source of water until 1968.

The site became an attractive recreational retreat. The city rented lots to cabin owners. In recent years those lots were sold to cabin and homeowners at deep discounts. But, when it was all surveyed in advance of the sale, the city kept the narrow roads in tact. "If we had established 60 foot right of ways for roads that the county would accept, some of the roads would come up to the front parlors," said Atkins.

Commissioner Rex Duncan said lake residents didn't think past the attractive deal they received when they purchased their properties. He said the lots were a bargain. "They benefitted from the roads being as they were," said Duncan.

Duncan added the observation, "It seems to me there is a lack of community (there)." In other words, there is a lack o the cohesiveness of lake residents to understand that they need to agree together to form a district that would allow them to fund their own needs--to operate as a community.

Commissioner West said she fully understands the ice and snow problems two weeks ago caused residents at the lake. She said most of the calls she received were about snow removal at the lake. "Some people couldn't get to work for three days," she said.

"We'll do the city first. Now is the time for them to take some action," she said.

In other action, the council voted to reorganize the city's revolving loan committee to better accommodate meeting schedules. Mayor Rednour will serve as chairman with members Jeff Ashauer and Mike Krisfaluzy. City Clerk Blaine Bastien will serve as loan administrator.

Work continues on a new city code of ordinances as changes keep being suggested to the council and clerk's office.

The council heard from Steve Quinn of the Du Quoin Ministerial Alliance who spoke about the alliance's "Angel Food Program" where residents can obtain food boxes containing approximately $70 in food items--including high quality meats--for $30. Anyone qualifies and 10 percent of the proceeds help fund the work of the ministerial alliance. Mr. Quinn is pastor of Liberty Church in Du Quoin.

An ordinance annexing approximately 25 acres in the Industrial Park in to the City of Du Quoin won final approval.

An ordinance amending the rules, regulations and restrictions on bicycles in the downtown area of Du Quoin-downtown proper was approved. The new ordinance offers more latitude in enforcement.

An ordinance authorizing the establishment of the Du Quoin Industrial Park Conservation Area Tax Increment Financing District "Interested Parties Registries" and adopting Rules for such Registry was approved. Anyone who may be impacted by the new TIF district may have their name placed on a list at city hall for any informational or legal mailings.

An ordinance establishing a Special Tax Allocation Fund for the Industrial Park Conservation Area TIF was approved.

An inducement resolution for the proposed Industrial Park Conservation Tax Increment Financing Area as it relates to reimbursement costs to the city was approved.

A resolution authorizing submission of an application to the State of Illinois for a Tourism Attraction Development Grant was approved.

The TIF No. 2 redevelopment plan was approved.