Du Quoin Council to Revisit Enterprise Zone; Joyce Poole Case May Be over

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Du Quoin City Council has until early August to decide whether it will renew its Enterprise Zone, a development incentive that waves sales tax on construction materials purchased in the community.

The program was popular and well-publicized at the outset years ago, but has lacked utilization in more recent times.

Development director Jeff Ashauer told the council Monday night that if the council intends to extend the program for another 10 years it must do so by December 31, 2011 and the state would like to have the paperwork in its hands within the next month,

Pinckneyville has shown interest in renewing the program. There is lackluster interest among other participants.

Ashauer and the council will fully gauge support for the program in the next two weeks and revisit the issue at the next meeting.

Du Quoin city attorney Aaron Atkins advised the council that the city's decade-old property maintenance case against Joyce Poole may be over.

Atkins said he received a letter from the clerk of the 5th District Appellate court which states justices have dismissed her appeal as "moot" since the City of Du Quoin has found legal grounds to demolish the property in question at the end of North Linden Street on the city's west side.

"We believe the case is over, but this may not be the 'be all, end all'," said Atkins.

Poole has fought the city at every turn in trying to maintain a ramshackle trailer and derelict cars on the property for years. The city finally towed the vehicles based on the fact they were on city property and demolished the trailer as a safety hazard.

The court entered its order on July 6.

The city is also hearing complaints of Du Quoin City Lake residents throwing debris into the lake and Mayor John Rednour instructed the police department and health officer to begin interviewing suspects and file complaints if necessary.

Perry County?Health Department director Jodi Schoen appeared before the council and thanked it for her appointment to auxiliary police roster. She went on to say that by attending council meetings she wants to find ways the health department can serve Du Quoin.