To the Editor:
I was in attendance for the March 24 City Council meeting. There was an incredible turnout for it. This should be the case at every City Council Meeting. Surprisingly the decorum in council chambers was mostly under control. Not so much online.
Mayor Moore’s comment about social media blowing things out of proportion does have a lot of validity. It is easy to be a keyboard warrior and not in front of a group of people. Just read through the comments on the meeting video on Regional Daily News Facebook page.
The Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the city should have been separated if privatizing the systems was just an attempt at gathering information. The wording of the RFP added to the confusion. Also, with the current operators’ contract expiration date coming up at the end of April, it puts all parties in a pinch. The review and decision time noted was also too short of a duration. The council admitted during the meeting that they did not have time to review.
Most of the time, the bids or proposals that are to be discussed in a council meeting are published with the meeting agenda in the council packet and posted on the city website. In this case, the proposals received were not included in the packet published for the March 24 Council Meeting.
Our city is at a precipice. A decision will need to be made, one way or the other. Unfortunately, we will all assume some level of burden either by increased utility bills, taxes or both.
Everything needs maintenance. There are IEPA and EPA regulations that need to be met. Upgrades need to be made for future growth. Growth will absorb some of the burden to all of us. Planning for future growth is something that this community has not done very well at.
Keeping the cost of city utilities low does not entice economic development. Investors are using Enterprise Zone perks, TIF’s, local investment in infrastructure including roads, sewer and water systems, etc. This takes planning.
Updating the city’s Comprehensive Plan was done a few years ago-a few items have been updated since, but it is the same general plan. This was brought up at the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum on March 19 by one of the city council candidates.
More important than an updated Comprehensive Plan, the city needs to engage in better strategic planning. We have many highly intelligent people for this, but we also need people that can get things done to step up and execute a Strategic Plan.
So, with the upcoming spring election on April 1, let’s start with making your voice heard by voting. But just don’t stop there. Take them up on their words and start by reaching out to our local elected officials. Voice your thoughts. Give them your opinion. Take time and go to council meetings. Educate yourself on what is going on in our community, our townships, our county and our schools
Joel Hasse
Kewanee, Illinois
