Month: March 2011

Durbin, Kirk send another letter to FERC

Posted by mhopf – March 30, 2011

The two U.S. Senators from Illinois sent a second letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chairman last week after asking for a quick action from the agency to hear Quincy’s appeal of the Feb. 17 order dismissing the city’s preliminary permit and licensing application to develop a hydropower facility at Lock and Dam 21 in Quincy.

This is the second letter form Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Mark Kirk asking for a quick action. Chairman Jon Wellinghoff replied to the first letter that the commission couldn’t act because the city had yet to file its request for a rehearing.

The senators once again asked that FERC review the appeal quickly. They argue that the city’s hydropower corporation, Mississippi River No. 21 Hydropower Co., and limited liability company, Great River Hydropower LLC, are arms of the city.

“In fact both Mississippi Hydropower and Great River are fully owned and controlled by the City of Quincy, and were formed, with encouragement from FERC, in order for the City to be able to access capital through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” they wrote.

Letter from Durbin and Kirk

Other items from Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting

Posted by mhopf – March 29, 2011

Monday night’s Quincy City Council meeting was brief, but multiple petitions were approved.

The council:

• Tabled a resolution renewing the lease with Abbott Supply LLC at 1016 Vermont. The company currently pays about $30,800 a year in rent. The new lease would lower the rent to about $24,000 a year. The renewed lease would be for 32 months, with the option for three additional three-year leases. The drop in the rent is related to the company’s installation of a radiant heating system in the building, replacing a boiler from the 1960s.  Gary Sparks, director of administrative services, has been involved with the lease renewal, but he wasn’t in attendance because he was sick. The facility previously housed the meter and distribution services for the Utilities Department, which is now housed at Central Services.

• Approved a request by The Quincy Herald-Whig and the Local Q to hold a music festival May 7 at QU-Stadium at 18th and Sycamore. They also requested to shut down Sycamore between 18th and 20th except to local traffic from 1:45 to 11 p.m., with gates open between 1:45 p.m. and 6 p.m. for the first event. They requested that Spruce between 18th and 20th be closed except to local traffic from 5 p.m. to midnight because of the large number of pedestrians moving from the parking lot to entrances off 20th Street. Gates will open at 6 p.m. for the second event in the stadium, which will end by 11 p.m. They requested the noise ordinance be waived until 11 p.m. and no-parking signs along residential homes surrounding stadium grounds so patrons do not block residential parking. The parking lot area will be fenced or roped off for vendors and people, with an approved drinking area and non-drinking area.

• Approved a petition for Johnny Bang Bang’s, 138 N. Front, to hold an outdoor party Sunday in conjunction with the Bret Michaels concert.

• Amended the request by Quincy High School class of 2011 All Night Party Committee to hold their all-night party from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. May 27 at Scottie’s Fun Spot. Curfew will be waived to allow participants under the legal curfew age to return home.

• Approved a request from the Dogwood 2011 Celebration Committee to close streets for the Dogwood Festival. Streets closures are Fifth between Maine and Hampshire from 1 to 6 p.m. on April 29, Maine between Fourth and Sixth, Fifth from the Mercantile Bank to Hampshire, and Hampshire between Fourth and Fifth, including the Fifth and Hampshire intersection closing on a diagonal between 6 and 8 p.m. April 29 through May 1. The committee also requested that no-parking signs be posted April 28.

• Approved the request by the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce to hold the Dogwood parade at 9:30 a.m. April 30 starting at 24th and Maine, heading west to Sixth. Lineup of the parade will begin at 7 a.m. on Maine between 24th and 36th. The chamber requested that no-parking signs be placed on Maine between Sixth and 36th, and Sixth between Hampshire and Jersey April 29.

• Approved a request from the Quincy Area Autism Support Group for a sidewalk walk down Maine Street at 10 a.m. April 9, starting at the Quincy Medical Group parking lot and proceeding down Maine to Fifth.

• Approved a raffle permit and waived the bond requirement for the Adams County Council for Senior Citizens between April 1 and May 26.

Offshore wind farm proposed for Lake Michigan

Posted by mhopf – March 28, 2011

One comment that often comes up when covering wind energy meetings in Adams County is that the energy produced is not used locally and usually benefits a larger city such as Chicago that doesn’t have to live with turbines.

However, there is  discussion of developing a wind farm near Chicago. An  Evanston committee is looking at the possible development of a wind farm in Lake Michigan.

The original concept that was submitted to Evanston officials called for 40 turbines.

Committee members heard about proposed legislation in the Illinois General Assembly would create the Lake Michigan Offshore Wind Energy Council. House Bill 1558 was passed the House and is now in the Senate. The council would study offshore wind development in Lake Michigan and report findings to the General Assembly and Gov. Pat Quinn by the end of the year.

Right now, this is just discussion, but it would not be the first offshore project in the country. In April, a 130-turbine wind farm was approved off the coast of Massachusetts. The development was subject to many critics including the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy and current Sen. Scott Brown.

Turbines will be 5 miles off the coast covering 24 square miles.

Durbin talks about hydropower appeal

Posted by mhopf – March 25, 2011

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he supports the city’s effort to appeal the decision of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that dismissed both the preliminary permit and licensing applications to construct a hydropower facility at Lock and Dam 20 in Quincy.

Durbin and Sen. Mark Kirk , R-Ill., sent a letter to the chairman of FERC on Feb. 23 urging a quick appeal.  John Wellinghoff said in a March 14 response that the city’s limited liability company Great River Hydropower had not submitted its request for a rehearing. The appeal was filed late last week.

Durbin contended, as the city did in its appeal, that its hydropower corporation, Mississippi River No. 21 Hydropower Co, and its limited liability company, Great River Hydropower LLC, are an arm of the city and not violating municipal privilege as the FERC order stated.

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1st Ward Preview: Glenda “LeXze” Mann and Ben Bumbry

Posted by mhopf – March 25, 2011

Here are 1st Ward candidates Glenda “LeXze” Mann and Ben Bumbry introducing themselves.

Click here to view the preview.

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7th Ward Preview: Terri Heinecke and Rich Reis

Posted by mhopf – March 24, 2011

Here are 7th Ward candidates Terri Heinecke and Rich Reis introducing themselves.

Heinecke’s interview was done over the phone Wednesday. She is recovering from an illness and was unable to meet for an interview.

Click here to read the preview.

[local /wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Ward7.flv]

6th Ward Preview: Jim Musolino and Susan Peters

Posted by mhopf – March 23, 2011

Here is a video of 6th Ward candidates Jim Musolino and Susan Peters introducing themselves.

Both are hoping to replace long-time Democratic Alderman Raymond “Skip” Vahlkamp who choose not to seek an eighth term.

Click here to read the preview.

[local /wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Ward6.flv]

FERC responds to Durbin and Kirk’s letter on hydropower dismissal

Posted by mhopf – March 22, 2011

The chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission sent a response letter to Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill, in reference to the Feb. 17 order dismissing Quincy’s preliminary permit and license applications to develop a hydropower facility at Lock and Dam 21 in Quincy.

John Wellinghoff said in the March 14 letters that the city’s limited liability company Great River Hydropower had not submitted its request for a rehearing. The appeal was filed late Friday afternoon.

“I can assure you that if a rehearing request is filed, the Commission will carefully consider the facts and issues associated with the project when reaching a decision,” he wrote.

The senators sent a letter to Wellinghoff on Feb. 23.

“Given that the FERC had scheduled an environmental site visit to Quincy on March 8, local leaders had no reason to expect a decision would be made on Feb. 17,” they wrote. “Clearly, they were surprised by the dismissal as were other project supporters, including ourselves.

“As you can imagine, FERC’s sudden decision has left the city with the impression that the application was not given serious consideration on its merits.”

Kirk and Durbin also took issue with FERC not notifying the city that the permit application was under reconsideration, though Quincy has dealt with FERC for four years.

“Throughout this period, FERC has never identified the partnership between the city and the corporations as a potential problem,” they wrote. “In fact, the city followed FERC’s guidance and encouragement in pursuing its application through the two companies.”

Letter to Kirk

Letter to Durbin

Wind energy development restriction bill approved in Senate committee

Posted by mhopf – March 17, 2011

Legislation moved through an Illinois Senate Committee Thursday that would allow communities to restrict wind energy development within 1.5 miles of town without a zoning ordinance.

Senate Bill 167 passed on a 6-2 vote in the Local Government Committee.

Current law approved in 2007 allows communities to ban development in its “zoning jurisdiction,” though there are conflicting opinions on what constitutes a zoning jurisdiction.

Golden village trustees approved a 1.5-mile wind buffer in December even though it did not have a zoning ordinance. Clayton, which does have a zoning ordinance, approved restrictions in January.

Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, who introduced the legislation, said he was contacted by Golden officials about changing the law.

The Illinois Wind Energy Association expressed concerns over the legislation, with Executive Director Kevin Borgia saying it would allow towns to control land outside of their boundaries even though communities chose to not control land within their boundaries.

An amendment to the legislation was approved that allows wind turbines to move forward if they have received approval at the county level prior to the enactment of the legislation.

Quincy Amtrak numbers down in February; snow was large factor

Posted by mhopf – March 14, 2011

Quincy Amtrak numbers in February are down 3.3 percent. That figure is being attributed to canceled service for nearly four days during and after the blizzard that shutdown much of the state.

The Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg lines saw 13,793 passengers in February, down from 14,266 in February 2010. In the current fiscal year (October through February), the line has seen ridership increase to 87,901 from 81,486 (7.9 percent).

An Amtrak spokesman said ridership is up 7 percent in the Illinois corridor from last year.

Nationwide, Amtrak has seen an increase in prior year monthly ridership for 16 consecutive months. The intercity passenger rail system saw 2.099 million passengers in February, up 7.6 percent in previous years.

Amtrak Ridership Numbers