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Springfield ICON Monthly Meeting Minutes
September 28, 2015
The September ICON meeting was called to order at 6:30pm.
ICON Business
The September ICON meeting minutes were approved without discussion. Treasurer Darrell
Riffey reported 53 voting members, including five business or organization members. The bank
account balance is $1,974.62.
City Council Update
City Council Chair Sharon Riffey reported that extra fees on Republic bills were denied by the
Council and will be refunded. CWLP rate restructuring will start Jan 1, 2016. Customers can
find more information and calculate their future bills at BillCalculator.CWLP.com.
Annexation of Unincorporated Areas
“Donut hole” annexations and the effect on the rest of the City were discussed: will resources
going to the newly annexed area decrease the services to existing areas? Under Illinois State
law, municipalities are permitted to annex areas that are less than 60 acres and completely
surrounded by one or more municipalities; annexation does not require consent of the property
owners. ICON voted to speak to the City Council about annexation of the Ward 3 “donut hole”
for Woodside Township: ICON is not in favor of or opposed, but we are concerned about the
allocation of limited City resources and the possibility of adding to the current backlog of unmet
needs in our neighborhoods for infrastructure improvements, inspections, police and fire
services, and city legal resources.
Problem Properties
Ward 5 Alderman Andrew Proctor is working on an update to the problem properties / nuisance
properties ordinance. Members would like to see the numbers of properties classified as
“nuisance properties”. Landlords expressed frustration that they are not contacted earlier in the
process. There is confusion about the current problem properties ordinance. Carol will print out
the current ordinance and bring to the October meeting. Link:
https://www.municode.com/library/il/springfield/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIXGER
E_CH98NU_S98.06CHNU
Carol will invite Alderman Proctor to the October meeting.
Carol Kneedler talked about a request from MacArthur Boulevard President Michael Higgins to
work together to strengthen the current landscape ordinance and to hold leaders accountable for a
lack of action on improving the quality of economic investment in neighborhoods. The
consensus was that this is an ICON issue but without an action item. Carol called for intentional
economic development for key City gateways: North Grand and Walnut, the former BelAire on
S 6th, and 6th and Stanford.
Other Neighborhood News
The Avenue Neighborhood Association has several ICON members in leadership, including
Sharon Riffey as Treasurer and Darrel Riffey on the Governmental Unit. ICON member Kevin
Milhelcic from Harvard Park has been working with adolescents to clean up the neighborhood
and improve neighborhood morale and spirit.
Guest Speaker-Rail Relocation Project: Kevin Seals, Jimmy Austin, Lisa Branham
Goals of the project (total cost estimated at $315m) are to reduce accidents, traffic congestion
and train horn noise. There are 68 rail crossings in Springfield, and the current 200 trains per
day are projected to increase to 600 per day by 2030. The railroad companies were here before
most of the City was built and are not funding the relocation project. They are interested in
unfettered access to rail lines to move more freight through Springfield, which is currently a
bottleneck, and to reduce train accidents and the associated legal costs. The right of way is being
built for 2 tracks for each railroad, for a total of 4 tracks; not all tracks will be put in now. The
relocation is being funded by federal, state and local funds. Public transportation via high-speed
rail is a key factor driving rail improvements. Estimated timeframe to move all rail traffic from
3rd St tracks to 10th St. tracks is 10 years, assuming funding is approved.
The underpass at Carpenter St is proceeding on schedule. Underpasses are much less expensive
to build than overpasses due to the shorter vertical clearance and associated horizontal approach
distance needed for vehicular traffic vs. taller clearance needed for double-decker trains. Key
advantages for the new underpasses include pedestrian walkways separated from traffic and large
cisterns to temporarily hold storm water to prevent flash flooding of the underpass. North Grand
will be an overpass.
Historically significant sections of the project near Carpenter St. have been preserved and
protected for possible future action. The sites are linked to the Springfield race riots of 1909 that
led to the formation of the NAACP. The project has good minority workforce employment
numbers.
Underpasses at Ash and Laurel Streets would be completed next at a cost of $48m with bid
letting in the summer of 2016. Funding is dependent on a federal TIGER Grant; state and local
funds are already available.
The Rail Resource Center is located in the Office of Community Relations at 1450 Groth St
and is open Mon & Wed 1:30-4:30pm and Thurs 8:30-11:30am.
Fire Marshall Chris Richmond
The neighborhood around Feitshans School had 152 10-year battery smoke detectors installed in
74 homes at no charge to the resident during the Sept 26 Home Safety Visits. Fire Safety will
provide a free home safety test if you call them. Four additional neighborhoods have been
identified for future visits – volunteer should contact the Springfield Fire Department Fire Safety
Division at 217-789-2170.
Candidate for Circuit Judge Rick Verticchio
Mr. Verticcio is from Macoupin County but the Circuit Judge office covers some of the
Springfield area. His law firm sued the Union Pacific railroad after the Gillespie school caved in
due to mine subsidence on a property previously owned by Union Pacific. The school district
won a 9 million settlement from the railroad to build a new school.
Attendees
Jamie Adaire (BPNA), Bill Baskett (LPNA), Fletcher Farrar (EPNIA), Arlene Flury (VHNA),
Carol Kneedler, Dee Nelson (VHNA), Kerry Noonan-Lewis (LPNA), Tony Nudo (SALA), Paul
O’Shea, Polly Poskin (HPNA), Darrell Riffey (HWSNA), Sharon Riffey (HWSNA), Ernie
Slottag (Country Club HOA), Lisa Stott, Suzie Weissberg (LPNA), Larry Vinson (Aristocracy
Hill)
Guests
Shiela Little, Chris Richmond (Fire Marshall), Leza Ulrich (SALA, Harvard Park Resident),
Rick Venticchio (Candidate for Circuit Judge)
Submitted by: Carol Kneedler, Chair. Thanks to notes by Arlene Flury and Suzie Weisberg.