Pinckneyville plan is a 'first step'
The Pinckneyville City Council Monday unanimously approved the long-awaited Comprehensive Plan.
A committee began working to update the 1965 comprehensive plan 15 to 20 years ago. Once completed, it languished in the Greater Egypt Regional Planning Commission office for many years.
Most recently, Economic Development Coordinator Carrie Gilliam has updated the plan with the 2010 census data.
City Attorney Roger Seibert wrote in a letter to the council that "One of the weaknesses of the Comprehensive Plan is that it relies heavily on the 1990 and 2000 census and fails to incorporate the 2010 statistics, except incidentally. It would appear to me that the demographics are inaccurate, at least in regards to the schools and the hospital."
Overall, the plan does form an adequate basis for future planning for development within the city, Seibert concluded.
"It is the first step," Mayor August Kellerman said. "There is more work to be done."
Mike Kovic, who served on the planning commission to create the comprehensive plan suggested a new planning commission be appointed to update the newly adopted plan and to work on zoning.
Seibert's letter suggested creating both a planning commission and a zoning commission.
Many grants require the city to have a comprehensive plan on file.
In other business, the council:
• discussed updating the lighting in city-owned buildings. A&D Electric Supply toured the facilities then submitted a grant application to DCEO on Dec. 14 to pay for the new lighting. DCEO pays up to 75 percent of the cost plus an additional 14 percent if the work is completed by Feb. 14, depending upon the type of lights chosen. Pinckneyville would be required to pay $40,590 for the total cost of the project then be reimbursed by DCEO for $19,177 or 43 percent of the cost. This is the second such offer the city has received in the past year. Both times, the council was urged to immediately approve a contract because "the offer expires soon." The council questioned whether or not the city would be better off asking Gilliam to apply for a DCEO lighting grant and hiring a local contract to install the new fixtures. Commissioner David Stone did not have a cost break-down showing what materials and labor would cost and how much would be made for administering the grant. A local contractor would be used to install the new fixtures.
• heard from Commissioner Leonard Heisner that he will work with City Attorney Roger Seibert to update the municipal internal control policy to reflect changes in electronic communications.
• approved the purchase of $5,530 in mosquito insecticide from Mug A Bug.
• approved the purchase of a professional range for the fire station. It will replace two 22-year-old stoves. One of the older stoves is no longer working and the other is in poor condition. The purchase will be made form the 2% fire fund.
• agreed to allow Fire Chief Jim Gielow to apply for a 100% grant from the State Fire Marshal's office. The funds, if received, will be used to purchase five sets of new gear. The maximum amount available is $25,000. The equipment will cost about half of that.
• approved the purchase of materials and repair for a gear drive at Sewer Treatment Plant #1 at a cost of $3,542. The gear drive was removed recently and replaced with a back-up. Once repaired, it will be the new back-up.
• agreed to give $500 from the hotel/motel tax fund to Dick Conner of Misfits Motorsports Productions to advertise the Feb. 24 swap meet to be held in the grandstand. Conner pays $500 to rent the facility.