City Officials Provide Updates to First Friday Audience

Effingham city officials were on hand Friday for the September Chamber First Friday Luncheon, sharing about various projects underway in the city.

Interim Police Administrator Mike Schutzbach, who recently retired as Police Chief, spoke about plans for four additional police officers on the city force and on a proposed new police station.

(MIKE SCHUTZBACH)

Schutzbach said the testing process for the additional officers is underway with the hope of having four individuals in the Police Training Academy by January.

As to the new police station, Schutzbach two key reasons are the current co-mingling of witnesses, defendants, office personnel and the general public, as well as a lack of space.

The co-mingling is supposed to be avoided by statute, but Schutzbach said it also hurts investigations since two alleged defendants in the same case sometimes can hear what each other is telling officers. Any available space is being utilized, with many areas designated for other purposes being instead used for storage.

Schutzbach said the building is estimated to cost between $8 million and $9.8 million, and would take 12 to 14 months to complete. The City Council is yet to vote on whether to proceed with the project.

Fire Chief Joe Holomy shared the many code changes that have occurred nationally are direct outgrowths of fire disasters, and said the old St. Anthony Hospital is an example. Holomy said within one year of the 1949 hospital fire, the code was changed.

(JOE HOLOMY)

Holomy also discussed the hiring of Matt Kulesza as assistant fire chief, and Kulesza's work to oversee the City's fire inspection program

Kulesza noted he will handle most of the fire inspections in lieu of on duty crews as has been the case until now. He did say if a problem is discovered during an inspection, the on duty crew will assist with seeing whether corrections have been made.

(MICHELLE WILKINS AND MATT KULESZA)

New City Building Official Michelle Wilkins also spoke, sharing about some of the requirements for developers to consider when ready to build or start a remodeling project.

(TODD HULL)

City Economic Development Director Todd Hull shared about work on the new Triangle Business District in the northwest part of town. Hull also shared about efforts to get a new Enterprise Zone established since the existing zone will end in 2018. An Enterprise Zone promises abatement in property taxes on improvements undertaken in a zone and an exemption in sales taxes on materials used on projects in the zone.