Media

Heat increases on Decatur landlord: City accused of moving slowly on complaints

From the Decatur Herald & Review -

By KENNETH LOWE - H&R Staff Writer July 28, 2008

DECATUR - Robert Maulding was angry when he spoke at a recent Decatur City Council meeting about the situation at the apartment building at 735 W. Decatur St. Maulding, whose house is near the 30-unit building, said its equipment is not in working order and the structure has become a site of criminal activity that keeps residents and the neighborhood inside after dark.

Maulding, who knows many of the tenants, said law-abiding residents of the apartment building live in constant fear.

"I spoke to this council two and a half months ago," Maulding said. "In that time, we've had six assaults, a murder, a rape and who knows how many burglaries."

The crime analysis office of the Decatur Police Department shows police received more than 300 calls from the 700 block of West Decatur Street within the past six months, many of them regarding violent crimes, ranging from unlawful use of weapons to domestic violence or battery.

For the entire article, click here.

Mattoon puts form of government question on November ballot

The City of Mattoon elected representatives voted to place on the November ballot a change in the form of government. Today's (7/16/2008), Herald & Review provided a report about this decision << click here. Mattoon currently operates under the commission form of government with a professional adminstrator and is placing the alternative of selecting an council/manager form of government before the voters. While we are not fans of the council/manager form of government, we understand that it works effectively in some communities.

Decatur Must Speak With One Voice (???)

Following last February's refernedum to vote to retain the manager form of city government (not a vote on adoption of a strong mayor or aldermanic system), the Herald and Review wrote another editorial and commented this time on the need for the community to "speak with one voice". Following below are key excerpts that we think are interesting and relevant to the current debate. We have also included below the start of the editorial and links to the actual search which brought it up. For our comments see the main blog.

....Voters on Tuesday retained the council/manager form of government by a 59 to 41 percent margin....

.... The numbers are significant. More than 18,000 people voted on the issue. Nearly 60 percent of voters said that the current form of city government is the best for the city of Decatur.....

...... But no one should be blind to the fact that 41 percent of those who voted, 7,464 voters, were upset enough with city government operations to change to the commissioner form of government for at least the next few years. The reasons for those votes vary, but they shouldn�t all be ignored.....

....It's also safe to assume that at least some of the 59 percent, 10,605 voters, who voted to retain the council/manager form of government also have issues with city government and concerns about the future of the city....

....Bringing more unity to the community will require some compromises. Maybe it's council members elected by districts, while retaining the city manager form of government. Maybe it's an agreement on the type of successor to City Manager Steve Garman. Maybe it's making sure more people have a voice on community issues. Most likely, it's all of those things and more.....

Relocate-America.com Selects America's 100 Best Cities

Many Decatur cheerleaders choose to ignore the ways to make Decatur better. Decatur has good qualities. It can have more good qualities if we address the challenges and opportunities to be a city that makes the "100 best cities list". Relocate America.com publishes a list annually of the 100 best cities in America. Bloomington made the current year's list. The criteria that the selection is based on are:

"... the site's editorial team ... takes into account an area's growth, its educational and employment opportunities, crime rates and housing options before granting it a spot in the top 100. Environmental highlights also play a role, with a city gaining points for good air and water quality or the strength of its recycling efforts, Nickerson said. ..... Home-price appreciation does get some consideration, however it's only one piece of the analysis, Nickerson said -- explaining why some struggling real estate markets in California and Florida, for example, still made the top 100. Areas that offer a comfortable climate and economic opportunity tend to be the most sought-after communities on the site, he said." Source: By AMY HOAK, Marketwatch.com 

(Amy used to write for the Decatur Herald & Review; now she is in Chicago and a writer for Marketwatch.com; congrats Amy.)

City Set to Study Council Representation

Herald & Review (Decatur, IL)

May 11, 2008
Section: News
Page: A3

City set to study council representation
Political Watch
   INGRAM & FRAZIER

The Decatur City Council in June will study the pros and cons of electing some council members to represent specific areas of the city. If the community seeks greater geographic representation, that goal can be achieved without throwing out the current form of government, Mayor Paul Osborne said.

Copyright, 2008, Herald & Review, Decatur, IL

Osborne and Councilman Dan Caulkins independently have suggested the council could be reconfigured to elect some members from wards without abandoning the council-manager system. Decatur currently is served by six council members and a mayor who are elected at large to represent the entire community. A city manager is hired by the council to administer its policies and run the city�s day-to-day affairs. Osborne and Caulkins� proposal came shortly before the Feb. 5 election, when voters rejected a plan by ChangeDecatur to abandon the council-manager form of government. Voters opted not to revert to a commission system, under which a mayor and four councilmen are elected to run various city departments. ChangeDecatur advocated the commission form of government as a first step toward enacting a strong mayor and aldermanic system at a future election. Osborne said some communities have adopted a "hybrid" council with some members elected at large and others elected to represent wards. He said a city manager would be retained under that system. If a majority of council members agree, the question could be put on an upcoming ballot. Voters ultimately would decide whether to reconfigure the council. Osborne said the city�s legal staff is researching the issue, and the council likely will hold a study session on the topic in early June. That is a slightly delayed timetable because the council has been busy in recent weeks approving a new city budget and starting the search for a new city manager. "Our plate has been pretty full," Osborne said. "I certainly look forward to a discussion on that. I�m anxious to have it as soon as possible." n n n U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, D-Rock Island, recently released his project requests - the "earmarks" he hopes will get funded in the fiscal 2009 federal budget - which include a number of projects in the Decatur area. The Decatur Park District could be a beneficiary. Hare requested $100,000 for planning the Lake Decatur lakefront development; $2.1 million for improving a segment of Twin Bridge Road to U.S. 36 to improve truck access to the Decatur Airport; and $100,000 for renovation of the barn at the Big Creek Riding Center. Hare asked for $5 million for Archer Daniels Midland Co. to conduct a comprehensive clinical trial to evaluate the health aspects of consuming different solid fat alternatives as a way to address heart disease. Richland Community College got four projects listed: $990,000 for its work force Development Center for ethanol and biodiesel process technology training; $750,000 for a sustainable environment education program in cooperation with the University of Illinois in the first LEED certified building in Central Illinois; $400,000 to develop a culinary arts institute; and $720,000 to develop learning resources to meet the education and training demands of students and businesses by developing new educational curriculum in biological science, food security, biofuels production and process technology. None of the requests is guaranteed to make it into the final budget. n n n U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, has signed on as a co-sponsor to a bill that would allow the Army Corps of Engineers to keep funds generated locally at the facilities where they are received. Services have been curtailed this year at corps projects such as Lake Shelbyville, Carlyle Lake and Rend Lake because of budget cuts. For example at Lake Shelbyville, 92 percent of the campgrounds will be open through the July 4 weekend, 85 percent until after Lake Day and 75 percent until the end of the camping season. The Army Corps of Engineers Recreation Improvement Act, HR 4304, was introduced in December by U.S. Rep. John Boozman, R-Ark. It is awaiting action by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Mike Frazier can be reached at mfrazier@herald-review.com or 421-7985. Ron Ingram can be reached at ringram@hereld-review.com or 421-7973.