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20NOV2009

Video from Today's Media Briefing on the House Explosion

Mayor Jim O'Neal and several City and City Utilities representatives held a media briefing today on the house explosion at 2550 W. Chestnut St. yesterday.

posted by Louise Whall, Public Information

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16NOV2009

Council Committee Tackles Legislative Priorities

The City Council’s Plans & Policies Committee took its first look at legislative priorities for an upcoming General Assembly session expected to be dominated by the state’s tight budget situation.

City Attorney Dan Wichmer and Legislative Assistant Scott Marrs recommended to the Committee that the City boil down its usual long list of priorities into a short list of three key priorities, such as economic development, preemption and red-light cameras. The full document would still be available to give staff or Councilmembers authority to testify on approved issues, but they suggested a more easily digestible format as a companion piece.

The Economic Development priority focuses on coordinating federal, state and local efforts to encourage job creation and retention. The term “preemption” refers to allowing communities to retain local authority and refraining from imposing unfunded state and federal mandates. The red-light camera provision promotes the use of automated photo red-light enforcement as a non-point penalty to help municipalities create safer streets.

The City’s priorities for the 2010 session aren’t expected to differ much from last session’s legislative priorities. One addition being recommended is a greater emphasis on education funding and workforce development. City Manager Greg Burris said those two issues are key to addressing the poverty rate that has shown up as a red flag in a series of recent community assessment reports about Springfield.

Mayor Pro Tem Dan Chiles raised some additional topics to consider. He said he would like the proposed transportation priorities – those endorsed by the Ozarks Transportation Organization – to be more broadly defined to take into account the “complete streets” concept of addressing transportation needs other than cars.

He also raised an issue that has come up recently in enforcing state requirements for large water users to report water usage.

The Council Committee will review a last year’s priorities and initial draft changes for 2010 and reconvene to solidify its recommendation to the full Council.

posted by Louise Whall, Public Information

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16NOV2009

City Weekly Events & City Beat

The week ahead begins with a City Council Plans & Policies Committee meeting to discuss the City's 2010 legislative priorities. These are the issues the City and its representatives will highlight with Missouri's state legislature and local elected representatives during the 2010 session in Jefferson City. The full Council will have the final say on the list of priorities, but the Plans & Policies Committee will take the first step in narrowing that list today.

The Commercial Street Task Force meets at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Fire Station No. 1, 720 E. Grand St. The group is expected to vote on its final recommendations after several months of work. 

At its Tuesday lunch meeting, the Council will review applications for citizens interested in serving on the Board of Public Utilities. On Tuesday evening, the Police-Fire Pension Fund Citizens' Task Force will reunite to examine the pros and cons of migrating Tier I police and fire employees (those hire before July 2006) to the statewide LAGERS pension plan. (Following the passage of the 3/4 cent sales to bolster the City's self-owned pension plan, the City is now taking steps to move all new police and fire employees to LAGERS and Tier II employees hired after July 2006 will eventually vote on moving to LAGERS.)

The Landmarks Board meets Wednesday evening, the Airport boad meets Thursday morning and the Board of Public Utilities meets Thursday afternoon. The Planning & Zoning Commission meets Thursday evening.

At at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, the Council's Finance & Administration Committee will meet to begin discusison about a sales tax oversight committee, an idea that Mayor O'Neal and other City Council members have been interested in after hearing about a similar board set up by the City of Joplin.

On Saturday, the public is invited to join Mayor O'Neal and Santa Claus for the Mayor's Tree Lighting Ceremony in Jordan Valley Park. The event begins at 5 p.m. and serves as the kick-off to the six-week Festival of Lights Christmas celebration in Center City Springfield.

This week on City Beat: City Council considers urban deer hunts, surplus properties are still for sale, and the Yardwaste Recycling Center still has room for your leaves.

posted by Mike Brothers, Public Information

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16NOV2009

Police Chief Rowe, BDS Director Heatherly Set To Retire

This morning the City gave word that Police Chief Lynn Rowe will retire in January after more than 16 years on the job here. He started as police chief in 1993 after stints in Florida and Colorado, guiding the department to five successful accreditation reviews from the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies. Rowe also oversaw compurterization upgrades across the department, re-introduction of the canine unit, construction of the Southside District station and the renovation of the main headquarters building.

Rowe will retire on Jan. 15, 2010. City Manager Greg Burris said plans to name an interim chief before beginning a nationwide search for a replacement.

This is the second retirement announcement from a member of the City's management ranks in as many Mondays. Last Monday, Building Development Services Director Nick Heatherly announced his intention to retire effective Jan. 29, 2010. A Navy veteran and Springfield native, Healtherly has worked for the City for more than 23 years and has been head of BDS since 2000.

posted by Mike Brothers, Public Information

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13NOV2009

"America Recycles" on Nov. 15

Nov. 15 is "America Recycles Day" and to mark this event, the City is releasing the latest version of its Guide to Recycling in Springfield. You can also request a hard copy of the publication by calling the Public Works Solid Waste division at 864-1904. Our recycling centers are now operating under winter hours (even though it feels far from it outside), so keep that in mind and do take advantage of them if you're wrapping up yard work under the sun this weekend.

posted by Mike Brothers, Public Information

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10NOV2009

City to Ask HUD to Okay Funds for Square, Quarry

UPDATED: Video of this meeting is available on City View.

The City Council gave informal approval to a plan today to ask the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to shift earlier grant funds for Springfield to revised uses for the interior of Park Central Square and the Quarry project.

Springfield has about $2.4 million in Economic Development Initiative funds pending that were originally targeted for a multi-purpose arena across from Jordan Valley Park. Since that time, new arena projects have been built or are under construction at Missouri State and Drury University; the former arena land has been sold for future hotel development to John Q. Hammons Enterprises.

The money is designated for “community gathering” facilities and both the Quarry at East Trafficway and South National Avenue and the Square would fit the designation, said Mary Lilly Smith, Economic Development Director.

The goal for the Quarry would be to clean up the southern third of that property, which has for the most part finished settling enough to warrant some development, with grass, landscaping, fencing and a methane gas flare that would burn off the underground gasses.

The northern two-thirds of the property continues the settling process at a rate too fast to justify any significant development for a couple of more years. The Jordan Valley Advisory Committee has been monitoring the Quarry progress and has approved design plans that can be adapted for the southern section.

The funding for the Square would address some interior renovation following the completion of the outside perimeter’s new sidewalks and other amenities.

The outside and inside perimeter projects were switched around after a controversy arose a couple of years ago regarding the significance of the Square’s design. Noted architect Lawrence Halprin, who died recently, included many of his trademark design principles on the Square.

Smith said the integrity of the Halprin design could be maintained, while making other necessary improvements such as disability access, lighting and electrical infrastructure, repairing the fountain’s infrastructure and repairing the gazebo. The goal also would be to include a community room for public use in the vicinity of the Square.

Mayor Pro Tem Dan Chiles, a vocal proponent of maintaining the Halprin design, said he supports the new plans to maintain its integrity while accommodating issues such as disability access that weren’t factored into the era of Halprin’s original design.

Two Councilmembers expressed some skepticism about the plans. Councilwoman Cindy Rushefsky said she will be disappointed if the City has to spend much more of the funding on revising the original Square plans; Smith said she thought most of the original plans could be adapted, but some modifications would be necessary. The original redesign would have brought the inner Square up to street level, but under the new scenario, it would remain sunken, with improved access, to maintain the Halprin design. She also would like to tie future Square redevelopment to the Heer's renovation by owner Blue Urban.

Councilman Scott Bailes questioned whether the City should commit the funding to the Square unless it would reduce situations where people loitering or congregating make other visitors feel uncomfortable. He noted the number of times the Square has undergone past transformations and wondered why this one would be more effective.

Mayor Jim O’Neal acknowledged the Square's past, but said he thinks the new Council has one shot at “getting this done right.”

He pointed out that the funding can't be used elsewhere in the City’s budget.

“Let’s make the best of what we have in front of us,” he said, encouraging citizen involvement to take a fresh look at the project.

No formal approval was required; the Council gave informal approval to send the request to HUD to redirect these funds one final time for these two projects.

posted by Louise Whall, Public Information

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