Category: City Government

Aeronautics Committee exploring options for supervisor at airport

Posted by mhopf – May 21, 2013

The Aeronautics Committee will continue looking at options to have someone oversee the Quincy Regional Airport, after the Federal Aviation Administration told the city it would like an on-site manager.

Director of Human Resources Doug Olson told the committee Monday that a union employee has taken a “quasi-supervisor” role at the airport, potentially causing issues, as union employees are not allowed to hold supervisor roles over other union employees.

“We feel we need to move forward with some type of either manager or supervisor to alleviate that problem,” he said.

The airport hasn’t had a manager or director whose sole responsibility was the airport since Marty Stegeman also began serving as interim director of the Quincy Transit Lines in 2009.

Stegeman is now serving as the airport director on an interim basis. He is the director of Central Services and the Quincy Transit Lines.

“Marty can’t be in all these places at the same time,” Olson said.

Stegeman said the city will have to get specific criteria from the FAA on what type of supervisor they would like to see at the airport.

“Even back when I was doing it as interim transit director, (the FAA) had expressed some concerns that (duties) might slip, which through time it has,” he said. “(The FAA’s) concern is without someone on site managing day-to-day business … that this will continue to slip.”

City Council meetings now replayed online

Posted by mhopf – May 14, 2013

Those who can’t attend Quincy City Council meetings are now in luck. Replays of the meeting are now available online.

Mayor Kyle Moore announced the new platform for the meetings Monday and said he hoped it would be used by residents to become more active in their city government.

Meetings are broadcast live and also replayed on Comcast channel 15, but people only receive it if they have Comcast. The online replays will make it much easier to catch for residents. While he was an alderman, Moore suggested that the city start posting meetings after a resident had to buy a DVD of the meeting.

Sadly, the videos can’t be embedded, so you will have to head to the city’s website to watch them.

Dunn part of movement against easing restrictions on gay Scouts and leaders

Posted by mhopf – May 13, 2013

Lonnie Dunn, Quincy Mayor Kyle Moore’s nominee for corporation counsel, has recorded a video for On My Honor — an organization that opposes allowing openly gay Scouts and leaders to be more involved with the Boy Scouts of America.

A proposal unveiled last month that would allow gay Scouts but continue the ban on gay leaders is up for a vote by the organization’s Board of Directors later this month.

Dunn is expected to be confirmed to the post Monday night.

Finance Committee recommends refinancing of Good Samaritan bond

Posted by mhopf – March 12, 2013

The Quincy Finance Committee approved a request by Good Samaritan Home to refinance a $12 million bond it took out in 2009 to help fund its expansion.

The home used the city’s bonding authority to finance the construction of the Anna Brown Unit, office space and the parking lot. The bond was originally for $12 million, and $8 million is being refinanced.

City Comptroller Ann Scott said since the bond is being refinanced,  it should not affect the city’s $10 million bond limit that it has available to non-profits. The city will receive a $10,000 fee for Good Samaritan Home’s use of the bonding authority.

This is similar to a refinancing plan approved last year for Quincy University. Aldermen voted in 2007 to allow QU to issue up to $14 million in bonds to refinance two $7 million bonds issued in 1997 and 2001.

In other business, the committee recommended that it accept the bid of $11,643 from Area Distributors for janitorial supplies.

Emerald ash borer costs staggering in Galesburg

Posted by mhopf – January 24, 2013

After two public meetings in Quincy last year on how to prepare for the emerald ash borer, the costs appear staggering to another community that is starting to deal with the invasive species.

Galesburg could spend more than $900,000 on ash tree removal and treatment through 2019. The Register-Mail reported that the bug will affect 600 trees lining streets and parks.

It is expected to take five years to remove the trees. Treatment and tree removal could continue beyond 2019.

In November, Jeff Palmer, a certified arborist with tree injection technology company Arborjet, told Quincy officials that treating trees can help stem removal costs. It costs about $60 per tree, and it has to be administered every two years.

A 2000 survey showed 1,042 ash trees on city-owned property in Quincy, representing 9 percent of the city’s 11,592 trees. While the emerald ash borer has not been discovered in the area, it is only a matter of time.

Native to Asia, the beetle was first discovered in Detroit in 2002. Millions of ash trees in the Midwest have been decimated by the bug. The insect was first discovered in Illinois in 2006, and ash trees in Chicago and the Bloomington/Normal area have been lost because of the destructive bug.

Moore has more cash on hand than Spring

Posted by mhopf – January 16, 2013

Quincy Republican mayoral candidate Kyle Moore maintains a cash advantage over Mayor John Spring, a Democrat who is trying to win a third term.

For the reporting period for last three months of 2012, Moore reported that his campaign brought in $9,979 and spent $3,871. His campaign account had $36,420 on hand at the time. Notable contributions include $2,000 each from Harold Knapheide III and Harold Knapheide IV.

Spring reported raising $1,525 during the same period with expenditures of $423. His campaign reported available funds of $19,111. The only contribution that required reporting was the $375 from the Bank of Springfield.

This is the last report on campaign contributions until the April 9 election, except for larger contributions. Since Jan. 1, Spring has reported receiving $5,000 from Foresight Energy Services of St. Louis, while Moore received $5,000 from State Rep. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy.

VIDEO: Spring, Havermale offer ‘state of the city’

Posted by mhopf – January 9, 2013

Down to the wire on electric price negotiations

Posted by mhopf – December 21, 2012

The city of Quincy scheduled a press conference for 11:15 a.m. Thursday to announce the new electric supply rates in the city, but final negotiations dragged on longer than expected.

Four media outlets — The Herald-Whig included — were all on time and were waiting in a conference room at City Hall for the information. At around 11:25, Doug Olsen, the city’s human resources director, stuck his head in the door to let us know the city and the other communities were still negotiating the electric service contract.

After another 15 minutes of waiting, Mayor John Spring walked into the room and said the group was almost done. He had three separate releases with different options the communities were considering, but the final details were being worked out.

Director of Administrative Services Gary Sparks called him a few minutes later from downstairs to give him the final rate of 4.194 cents per kilowatt hour for three years.

Lawmakers looking to eliminate Christmas Eve filing deadline

Posted by mhopf – November 30, 2012

While setting the date for the special election to replace former U.S. Rep Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Chicago, Illinois lawmakers this week also are trying to adjust the last day of filings for 2013 local races.

The last day for filing for non-partisan candidates in city elections and also local school boards, park boards and the John Wood Community College Board of Trustees is Christmas Eve, which means local governments must make sure someone is in the office to accept petitions that day. The filing deadline would now move to Dec. 26. Senate Bill 3338 was approved without opposition in both chambers and now heads to the Gov. Pat Quinn for consideration.

Quincy City Clerk Jenny Hayden said the clerk’s office would have closed at noon Christmas Eve and reopened from 4-5 p.m. If signed into law, filing will end at 5 p.m. Dec. 26.

City Finance Committee recommends debt recovery program

Posted by mhopf – November 6, 2012

The Quincy Finance Committee recommended that the City Council approve entering an intergovernmental agreement with the state of Illinois comptroller’s office for the Local Debt Recovery Program during a brief meeting on Monday.

If someone owes money to the city, the state’s comptroller’s office would reduce any state checks, such as a tax refund, vendor payments or lottery winning and give it to the city. The program was in legislation signed into law in December 2011.

City Treasurer Peggy Crim said the city would only use the program after the city has used all of its options. She said it could be used for nuisance abatements.

“If you don’t pay your bill, you get a statement from me saying you owe still us money,” she said. “Then you get a letter from me telling you if you don’t pay your bill, we’re going to turn it over to the attorneys. After that we turn it over to the attorneys, but even then sometimes it can’t be collected.”

People would receive notice from the state if they will be docked. People will also have 60 days to protest the deduction.

The committee also forwarded an agreement to cede approximately 2.8 acres of city-owned land to Quincy University. The university asked for approximately 1.2 acres to use for its new soccer complex, but the city is including an 1.6-acre parcel with a pond.

In exchange for the land, QU will mow about 2.3 acres of city-owned land next to North Campus for 10 years in exchange for the land.

QU originally offered to mow for five years, but the  the committee asked  if the university would agree to mow for an additional five years.