Month: February 2011

FutureGen storage site awarded to Morgan County

Posted by mhopf – February 28, 2011

Two months after Quincy and Pike County were eliminated from contention for the location of a carbon dioxide storage site, the FutureGen Alliance announced that Morgan County will be home of the site, visitor center, and research and training facility, part of the FutureGen 2.0 project.

Morgan County was selected over proposals from Christian, Douglas and Fayette counties.

The FutureGen 2.0 project will retrofit a coal-fired power plant in Meredosia with “advanced oxy-combustion technology” with $1 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The emissions from the plant would be compressed to a liquid state, transported via pipeline and buried thousands of feet underground.

The Alliance said that the county’s high quality geology and its close proximity to Meredosia were two of the factors that led to the decision. Morgan County is the closest in proximity to the plant.

Quincy submitted a site near the Quincy Regional Airport, and Pike County submitted a site located in the northeast corner of Chambersburg Township.

Quincy was eliminated from contention because the amount of Mt. Simon sandstone was not enough for the carbon sequestration, and the Alliance wanted sites that were 20 miles away from state boundaries. The site near the airport was about 14 miles from the Missouri border.

Sandstone depth was a concern as well with the Pike County location.

Spring votes in 5th Ward Republican primary

Posted by mhopf – February 24, 2011

Quincy Mayor John Spring, a Democrat, admits that he voted in Tuesday’s Republican primary election that saw incumbent GOP 5th Ward Aldermen Jennifer Lepper handily beat back a challenge from Steve Kennedy. With no Democrat on the ballot for the general election April 5, Lepper is assured of earning another four-year term.

Although the practice of an elected official from one party voting in the primary election of the opposite party is generally frowned upon, Spring said a person’s right to vote — and who to vote for — is their decision. Spring said he voted for Lepper, who has been an ally for many of Spring’s initiatives.

“She studies the issues and I think she has done a good job in the 5th Ward, which I live in,” Spring said. “That was my right to vote in that primary. There is nothing that prevents that regardless what your affiliation is.”

The Adams County Clerk’s office confirmed that Spring took a Republican ballot and that his signature matched that on voter registration documents. Less than 10 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the election.

Spring went on to say he thought Kennedy, who stopped by Spring’s home to campaign, ran a good door-to-door campaign.

“A lot of those people who voted for Jennifer Lepper, they voted for me,” Spring said of his general election victories in 2005 and 2009. “They’re Republicans, and my job as mayor is not to worry about if I’m a Democrat or a Republican. It’s to provide what I can for the entire community.”

The move shouldn’t create any problems for Spring if he decides to seek re-election in 2013. Last fall, former state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger, a Republican, beat a challenge to candidacy on the ballot in the November election after voting in an earlier Democratic primary to support his sister.

Previous ‘deficiencies’ not part of FERC denial, appeal in the future

Posted by mhopf – February 22, 2011

Hearing that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission dismissed the city’s license application and preliminary permit application for the hydropower project on at Lock and Dam 21 reminded me of the November hydropower corporation meeting when “deficiencies” within the license application were complete.

The commission wanted a transmission line route selected and an environmental study on the routes. It turns out the contents of the application were not the problem.

It was the Great River Hydropower LLC that caused the problem as the city’s Mississippi River No. 21 Hydropower Company filed for a preliminary permit application. Great River filed the license application and submitted it on July 12. FERC sees this as an unfair advantage as it gives preference to states and municipalities. It doesn’t allow municipalities and non-municipalities to coordinate to use the municipal preference.

Expect the city to file for a rehearing within the 30 day time period.

Read the FERC order

Cape Air receives endorsement from Durbin

Posted by mhopf – February 16, 2011

Cape Air has received an endorsement to continue air service between St. Louis and Quincy Regional Airport from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL.

In a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Durbin said he supported the airline getting a four-year contract through the Essential Air Service program. The request for proposals from the DOT specified a two-year proposal.

“Quincy has not had as much success with previous carriers and is eager to maintain and grow the type of reliable service Cape Air has consistently provided to the community,” Durbin wrote.

It isn’t much of a surprise that Durbin added his support to Cape Air. Quincy Mayor John Spring has made it clear that he is happy with Cape Air.

Cape Air has proposed continuing service to St. Louis, and has asked for a four-year contract. The airline offered two proposals, one offering 36 round trips to St. Louis and the other offering 42, which would mean six round-trip flights daily. Currently only three are offered on Saturday and Sunday.

Air Choice One has proposed three options for a two-year air service contract to Quincy. One would provide 36 round trips per week — 18 to St. Louis and 18 to Chicago. The other two would provide 36 round trips to either Chicago or St. Louis.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Essential Air Service program is being looked at as a way to trim the budget. Cape Air currently receives a $1.95 million subsidy from the federal government.

Reaction from the ‘State of the City’ address

Posted by mhopf – February 11, 2011

Quincy Mayor John Spring gave his “State of the City” address Friday at the Quincy Exchange Club meeting.

Alderman Dan Brink, R-6, who was in attendance, said he thought the mayor did a good job.

“I thought the mayor did a nice job of outlining the positives,” Brink said.

He said he was excited about the prospective hydropower project, but with the project facing a $1.4 million tax bill in Missouri, he also was concerned.

“I’m disappointed that the Missouri tax issue was not brought up sooner,” Brink said, adding it could kill the project.

The city’s hydropower corporation recently hired a St. Louis firm to draft legislation and lobby the Missouri Legislature to change the tax structure.

The mayor also touted developing an intermodal transportation center that would encompass Amtrak trains, Quincy Transit Lines buses, Trailways buses and taxi service. He expects a public hearing on the center in the near future.

Brink said he would wait to see a final proposal before making a decision on the project.

One item that Brink wanted addressed that the mayor didn’t mention is the city’s debt obligations and fire and police pension obligations.

More than 60 percent of the $5.81 million tax levy approved in December was for the public safety pensions.

The Illinois General Assembly approved public safety pensions reforms in December that would increase the retirement age from 50 to 55 for public safety employees hired after Jan. 1.

The legislation requires communities to make sure pension funds meet 90 percent of their obligations by 2041. The covered obligation of the police pension fund in Quincy as of December was 62.2 percent and the firefighter pension fund was at 46.8 percent.

One thing that Spring mentioned that may raise a few eyebrows on the City Council would be using motor fuel tax money for the city’s matching share to install lights to illuminate the Bayview Bridge. The city received $500,000 from the federal government in 2005.

Thoughts?

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Snow engineers

Posted by mhopf – February 4, 2011

No school for four days this week means students in the area are finding ways to keep busy. Building the biggest igloo I’ve seen in the area so far is quite impressive. Any time you can camp out in it, it is impressive, and their work is not yet complete as you can see.

Hats off to Jeremy Hinkamper, James Hinkamper, Jason Hinkamper, Logan Grifford, Jacob Happel, Julia Happel, Tighe O’Conner, Cullen O’Conner and Amanda Arns.

Thanks for giving me the tour guys.

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Getting the mail out

Posted by mhopf – February 3, 2011

Postal carrier Roger Bell was delivering mail in downtown Quincy Thursday afternoon. He has been a postal worker for 33 years, and said that this is the most snow he has seen.

After delivering to many downtown businesses, Bell was heading to a residential neighborhood to finish up his route where it would likely be more difficult to get to the mailboxes because of the mounds of snow.

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Digging out

Posted by mhopf – February 2, 2011

Quincy is working to dig its way out of 18 inches of snow. Plows have been operating around the clock, and many services such as garbage and recycling pickup and city buses are not operating today.

And the snow emergency has been declared as of 10 a.m. Those parking on a snow emergency streets need to get their cars off the street.

Look out for the blue signs if you have to park on the street. Violators could be fined and towed.

Both the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Missouri Department of Transportation are reporting many roads are icy. So drive safe.