City Council Approves Burning Guidelines, Looks at Police Station Designs

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Published on May 17 2016 8:25 pm
Last Updated on May 18 2016 8:54 am
Written by Greg Sapp

The Effingham City Council Tuesday approved guidelines for open burning of landscape waste within the city limits.

The new guideline restricts burning of landscape waste to Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays only. Exceptions are included for recreational and culinary-related fires. The measure also enables the Fire Chief to restrict open burning when environmental or local circumstances warrant such a restriction.

The vote to make the change was 4-1. Commissioner Merv Gillenwater voted against the measure, saying he had concerns over the days where burning is being allowed. Commissioner Kevin Willis said he'd received calls from residents concerned that the days when burning will be allowed are concentrated and could make for smoky situations, but voted for the change. Commissioner Don Althoff said he would rather a comprehensive measure be introduced to include recycling and collection of landscape waste, but said this is a step.

Mayor Jeff Bloemker said the gift is no burning on Sunday, a smoke-free day on the weekend. The mayor said allowing burning on Fridays and Saturdays is a concession to working people who need the end of the week to get their yard work done.

(A CHECKLIST FOR THE PROPOSED POLICE STATION AS SHARED BY F-G-M ARCHITECTS TUESDAY NIGHT)

Council members also reviewed the first proposals for a new police station. The plan is to move the police department into the basement of City Hall for about 18 months. The current police station would be torn down and a building will be built on the same site, including a basement and two above-ground floors. The square footage would go from just over 10,000 square feet currently to 30,500 square feet.

Brian Wright from FGM Architects said the price tag could range from $8.5 million to $10 million.

The project has a ways to go before construction would begin, including a means to finance the work. Wright said he'd have another report within two months as to the design of the structure.

The meeting also featured the State of the City address by Mayor Bloemker. The mayor also tapped City Administrator Jim Arndt, Director of Public Works Steve Miller and Economic Development Director Todd Hull to share on efforts they oversee.

The mayor said he loves the job as much as when he took office. As pluses for the city, Bloemker noted the work of The Alliance to promote economic development, 25 business visits that have been made by the "City Team" to existing firms, the city's water and sewer systems, and the safety of the city.

As challenges, the mayor noted a need for recycling, need for more people in the workforce, more rental properties, and more land for residential and industrial development.

The mayor thanked the city staff, but thanked, "most of all, the citizens, the people who care" that make Effingham go.