Pittsfield council announces ED advisory committee
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By BETH ZUMWALT
The Pittsfield City Council met May 5 and announced the members of the newly formed economic development advisory committee.
“We’re just looking for some ideas on things we could do to make the city a better place,” Gary Mendenhall, mayor, said. “We have tried to include as many cross sections of our populations we could.”
Serving on the committee will be Brittany Emrick, the city’s economic development director, Chris Little, a city council member and business owner, Nikki Nichols, a local realtor, Kristen Priest, a local business owner, Charlie Hull, a Unit 10 school board member and Cole McDaniels, a representative from Hometown, a company that assists municipalities with economic development. Also a student from Pittsfield High School will be named to the committee.
“It will be a think tank like experience,” Mendenhall said. “Ideas will be passed on to the council for further action. All members of the advisory committee have an interest in the community and a different perspective.”
Mendenhall said the committee idea has been tried in other communities and been very successful.
“They have gotten a lot of good ideas,” he said.
The council was expected to set salary numbers for employees,but, according to Mendenhall, the final numbers are not available yet and more information is needed.
However, the city police officers know what their salaries are going to be in the next three years.
The officers, belong to the Fraternal Order of Police and between negotiations between the union and the city, officers will get an 11 increase percent over the next three years.
“They will also get bereavement leave, mandated by the state and will be paid for time spent caring for the K-9, also required by the state,” Mendenhall said.
The council granted a request from David and Ashley Freesmeyer to re-configure the sidewalk in front of the their lodging establishment, Monroe Street Suites. The Freesmeyers plan to install charging stations for electric vehicle and will need to place them on the current sidewalk. The Freesmeyers have agreed to cover the cost of the re-configuration, directing pedestrians around the stations.
Next week,, city officials plan to meet with members of the Illinois Department of Transportation regarding future planning at the Pittsfield Airport.
Currently, there are two parcels on the airport property that are not and most likely will never be used by the airport. The city would like permission to turn one of those parcels into a shooting range for local law enforcement and the other for future development. IDOT officials will be in Pittsfield May 16 for a tour and discussion.
