Mayor hopeful busy month brings Red Bud funding for projects
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Red Bud Mayor Ken Mueller announced Tuesday that he's starting a ten day vacation next week. He's earned it after a busy month of August, during which Mueller spoke with a number of state and federal officials on the city's behalf.
During the past month, Illinois Senator Dave Luechtefeld, a Republican, and Illinois Representative Dan Reitz, a Democrat, called on the mayor to talk about the city's grant request for the purchase of a former Baptist Church to be converted into a new home for Red Bud's Senior Center and the progress of improvements at Lincoln Park.
Luechtefeld mentioned that he had put $80,000 in the Capital Bill for infrastructure projects for Red Bud, Mueller said.
Reitz had previously said that Red Bud would be receiving $40,000, Mueller said, with that amount also being earmarked for infrastructure projects only. Reitz also said, according to Mueller, that he and Luechtefeld were trying to put in place a process whereby cities, including Red Bud, would get funds up front. But, Mueller added, "I'm not sure when the money will be distributed.
Mueller said he also spoke with Illinois secretary of Transportation Gary Hannig at a meeting sponsored by the Leadership Council of Southwest Illinois in Collinsville on August 21.
Hannig and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Congressman Jerry Costello (D-Belleville) were the speakers at the meeting for a transportation roundtable.
Mueller mentioned the need for an engineering study of an intersection in Red Bud, where three state highways intersect, causing some really serious problems. "I informed him that IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) told me that the city would have to have a study before they could look into it," Mueller said. Such a study would cost the city around $60,000, Mueller added. Noting the city didn't have that kind of money. Hannig "did take my name and phone number," Mueller said.
"I try to attend as many of these types of meetings to keep the city out there," Mueller said. "Probably," he added, the biggest reason is to keep on top of those things that could affect the City of Red Bud. You never know what you can learn."
The subject of the roundtable was a high speed rail system linking St. Louis and Chicago. Red Bud has an interest in the proposal, Mueller said as a connector. "I have spoken to Congressman Costello often regarding the Red Bud connector," Mueller said. So much so that when Costello sees him the first thing out of his mouth, according to Mueller is, It (the Red Bud connector) is on the "To be funded list."
Mueller said he also attended a meeting in Okawville, sponsored by the Southwestern Illinois Planning Commission and toured the Prairie State Energy Complex. "It was an amazing sight to see the 600 acre complex, he said.
The plant, which is within a couple of city blocks of the mine will be one of the cleanest coal burning plants in the country, according to a spokesperson, Mueller said. "The process to clean the coal is very interesting," Mueller said. The plant's first start up is scheduled for the fall of 2010.
The Prairie State Complex is the largest construction site in the state and presently employs 2,300 workers and expects to reach 2,600 before completion. There will be approximately 500 permanent jobs when the project is complete.