City Council Appoints Members of Comprehensive Plan Committee

(RETIRING CITY PUBLIC WORKS STAFFER BOB RHODES)

Work is getting started on a new Comprehensive Plan for Effingham.

The Effingham City Council named the 15 members of a stakeholders and steering committee. The group will work with various interest groups as well as the general public during the months-long planning period during which the Plan will be developed.

Those on the body will include an Effingham High School student yet to be developed. City Plan Commission Chairman Brian Hayes will chair the committee. The members will also include realtor Jeff Speer, Greg Sapp of Premier Broadcasting, Kim Jansen of Effingham Performance Center, local surgeon Dr. Ruben Boyajian, Effingham Park District Director Jeff Althoff, City Commissioner Libby Moeller, Unit 40 Superintendent Andy Johnson, builder and developer Andrew Grunloh, Effingham County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Katie Koester, downtown area representative Sara Ruholl, local banker Mel Stock, David Vukelich of Flex-N-Gate and local retailer Bob Lakin, 

The process will be getting underway with distribution of surveys to the public on Cruise Night in downtown Effingham in September. All of the meetings will be open to the general public.

Also Tuesday, the Council voted to sell 9.83 acres of land next to Koerner Distributor to the business for $35,000/acre; granted a special use permit at 113 South Raney to Bluebird Network to locate a signal booster north of Comfort Suites, rezoned land at 1103 East Fayette for limited office and retail district for a produce stand, rezone lots at 403 and 409 West Franklin to general commercial district for a new Country Financial office, replatted two lots in Katrina Estates Subdivision for Brian and Mandy Henning, approved an agreement with Ascent Integrated Technology for tracking devices for Effingham firefighters, and approved a plat for BHR Maple Street Subdivision at Maple and Clinton. 

The Council voted to issue liquor licenses to Wandering Whistler Cafe at Jefferson and Banker and to the Home2Suites hotel under construction at Avenue of Mid America and Raney, amended the makeup of the Effingham Electrical Commission to allow the fire chief to choose a designee to serve, authorized a public hearing on an exchange of real estate involving four parcels of property on September 17 at 5pm, formally appointing City Economic Development Director Todd Hull and City Commissioner Hank Stephens to another term on the Alliance, and recognized City public works employee Bob Rhodes who is retiring after 39 years' service.