Coleman Memorial Plans--and Funding--Are Progressing

Slightly more than six months after the murders of Sheri Coleman and her two sons, plans are progressing to create a lasting memorial to the victims in one of Columbia's parks.

Yesterday evening, Meegan Turnbeaugh--one of Sheri Coleman's best friends--met with the City's Play Commission to update them on her progress to date in planning and funding a memorial pavilion.  Meegan has formed a not-for-profit organization called SheriAnnHerBoys which has raised $30,000 to date, she reported; while the project's ultimate goal is $300,000, she hopes the memorial really won't cost that much--especially since she's heard from companies offering free materials and labor.

With the help of architect Killian Smith of St. Louis, Meegan's group has developed plans for a 51-foot pavilion that they are proposing to erect in Columbia's Bolm-Schuhkraft Park, a favorite gathering place for the Colemans.  As plans for the memorial progress, Meegan promised to work with the City to settle on a specific site within the 44.5-acre park.

Click here to read the report on the meeting filed by KMOV-TV in St. Louis.

Sounds Like a Plan (2010)

The Columbia City Council last evening approved the Community & Economic Development Department's 2010 Strategic Plan with a unanimous vote--here are the goals and objectives from the plan:

1. Encourage new businesses to form and grow in Columbia--work with the Monroe County Economic Development Council to develop program(s) that will encourage and support local entrepreneurs;
2. Retain businesses in the City of Columbia by supporting their long-term success--encourage Columbia’s citizens to support local businesses; provide direct services to current businesses; and support expansion of current businesses through loans and incentives, where appropriate;
3. Recruit new businesses to the community--maintain and distribute timely information on Columbia’s demographics, business mix, and economic potential; market available sites and buildings for businesses looking to expand and/or locate; and work with regional partners to recruit new offices/headquarters and retailers;
4. Stimulate more commercial activity on Main Street--enhance design consistency and historic character of the corridor; and increase private investment in Main St. properties;
5. Develop and market local tourist facilities that will entice visitors and locals to learn more about Columbia’s history and heritage--market Columbia and Monroe County as a tourist destination;
6. Expand resources for parks & recreational uses to make Columbia “a great place to play”--develop long-term facilities for youth, senior citizens and other community members; and pursue designation as a “Play City USA” and a “Tree City USA”;
7. Develop and implement a long-term strategic plan for municipal buildings--seek the community’s long-term preferred uses for properties; and pursue community goals for the Miller-Fiege Home;
8. Support community activities, celebrate milestones and add to the local quality of life--employ strategic analysis for all events to build traffic and increase economic returns to the community.

To support these goals and objectives, the Strategic Plan proposes the following activities:

* Continue to support “Think Monroe County First!”
* Continue the business retention program through the Monroe County Economic Development Council
* Continue to administer the Admiral Trost Redevelopment Area
* Maintain/expand the Revolving Loan Fund
* Develop City policy for awarding incentives
* Update community profile with the Illinois Department of Community & Economic Opportunity (DCEO)
* Assist in recruiting a full-service restaurant to support local lodging
* Identify and/or help develop new buildings and sites that will be appropriate and ready for new or expanding business operations
* Maintain listings via Location One Information Services (LOIS)
* Broaden Columbia’s visibility within the Greater St. Louis region
* Develop a comprehensive Main Street redevelopment strategy that includes market analysis, targeted street/building improvements and planning for adequate parking/transit service
* Explore use of incentives to support the Main Street strategy
* Secure attraction signage from I-255 and IL-3 to Columbia destinations
* Open the Monroe County Welcome Center
* Initiate a strategic marketing campaign to increase use of lodging and conference facilities
* Identify and evaluate sites for a community center
* Develop a comprehensive program of grants, planned giving and other mechanisms to fund long-term improvements
* Complete a leasing/improvement plan for the Oak Street Building
* Continue to explore highest and best use of other City-owned properties
* Secure National Register status for the Miller-Fiege Home
* Complete transition of the Miller-Fiege Home into a municipal history museum

Segobiano is New Schools Head

The Columbia Unit School District has hired Gina Segobiano of Belleville as its new superintendent.  She is currently superintendent of Harmony Emge School District #175, which serves approximately 800 students ranging from preschool through eighth grade.

Segobiano's education background includes a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Western Illinois University, a master's degree in school administration from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and a doctoral degree from St. Louis University. She worked six years as a fifth grade teacher at Signal Hill School District #181, then served as Signal Hill's principal for ten years before becoming that district's superintendent for three years. Segobiano came to her current position at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year.

Segobiano will be replacing Ed Settles, who has accepted the positon as superintendent of Jersey Community Unit School District #100, effective July 1st.  Segobiano is married, and her husband is an Edward Jones investment representative. They have two children: Kelli and Scott. Kelli attends the University of Illinois and Scott attends Belleville West High School.

School District Board to Preview Higher Taxes, New Leader

Residents and business owners may be especially interested in what the Columbia Unit School District Board of Directors has scheduled for this coming Thursday evening, December 17th.

First, the school board will be holding a public hearing regarding a tax levy increase to 15.81% on the following schedule:

6:45 p.m. (Tax Levy Hearing)

7:00 p.m. (Regular Board Meeting)

Later, the board is expected to name a new district superintendent during their regular meeting.  Current superintendent Ed Settles announced in September that he was stepping down to become superintendent of the Jerseyville School District.

The district office has now moved to Columbia High School (77 Veterans Parkway), and the Board of Education meets in Room 114.

Wold's 'Twelve Ways of Christmas' for Merchants

Small business expert Barbara Wold offers the following twelve ways to increase sales for merchants as we enter the "home stretch" to Christmas:

1. Have all salespeople read company ads, catalogs and distributed literature before customers come in with questions and inquiries...and check out the ads of the competition--if your competitor has a Facebook page, become a fan so you know what information it is passing on to customers;
2. Establish dress codes for employees and enforce them; employees are the representatives of the business and should project the image you want to convey;
3. Greet everyone who walks through the door with five different greetings so customers don't hear the same greeting over and over when shopping; have employees identify themselves when answering the phone to add a professional touch and provide the caller with a personal connection on the other end of the line;
4. Clean up the cash-wrap area as you go and put everything in its place--customers will be concerned about transaction accuracy  if this area is a mess;
5. Listen, really listen, to customers; if you don't really listen and show customers the wrong merchandise, they will assume you don't have what they are looking for and leave without buying anything;
6. Stock and clean during hours when the store is not open; doing these chores when the store is open is inconsiderate to shoppers and doesn't convey a professional image;
7. Stay in contact with your customer base--contact customers who shop in your store regularly, by email or regular mail, and call your very best customers yourself--and build your database; it's a very busy time of year, but don't forget to capture customers contact info to grow your database;
8. Add at least 30% more store and window display lighting in your store; it will affect the way your store looks and help sell more product…and it can be as easy as replacing light bulbs that have burnt out.
9. Get everyone on board--ensure that everyone in the organization understands what the winning advantage is and what their role is in supporting it--and focus on selling; teach your staff to show just one more item to every customer that they talk to (don’t forget add-on sales at the cash register);
10. Tone in the store--strive for enthusiastic, happy staff all pulling together to achieve this Holidays Seasons' goals with a focus on exceptional customer service;
11. Hands free shopping--offer customers a basket, a bag or cart, and take your customer’s coats and other bags--do whatever it takes to make your customers feel wanted and cared for; creating this type of shopping experience will keep customers in your store longer and will increase sales;
12. Set daily sales targets, and share them with your staff--they should know what is expected of them--but remember that you alone are the driving force in your business; get out on the sales floor more often over the next weeks and watch your sales increase!

2009: Making a List, Checking It Twice

How well did Columbia's Community & Economic Development Department do this past year in achieving its mission to "expand and enhance City and community revenues and assets so as to steadily increase available resources, broaden service delivery, and improve the quality of life for all citizens"?  City Council members will hear a status report tonight--warts and all.

The first departmental goal set for the year was to "encourage new businesses to form and grow in Columbia".  This goal was partly realized through formation of Columbia’s Resourceful Organization of Women Networking (CROWN) this year to assist emerging women-owned enterprises. Other programs to encourage and support local entrepreneurs are under development through the Monroe County Economic Development Council (MCEDC), a public-private partnership in which the City participates. Score: 60%

The City put a high priority on working to "retain businesses in the City of Columbia by supporting their long-term success" and achieved even better results here.  Local business support efforts and consulting were established, and a formal business retention program was developed that will launch in January. City policy regarding incentives has yet to be adopted--the one objective in this category that this year's efforts failed to meet. Score: 80%

Attempts to "recruit new businesses to the community" met targets despite the national recession.  City officials developed and produced—and are distributing—a CD with demographic and economic information, an updated community profile has been posted on DCEO website, commercial property listings have been posted and are being kept current on Location One Information System (LOIS), and staff continues to participate in Southwest Illinois recruitment efforts. Score: 100%

Efforts to "promote more commercial activity on Main Street" have had more mixed results.  Columbia continues designation as an Introductory Main Street community and has submitted an application for designation as a Certified Local Government, but other objectives are pending.  While programs like the one offering Main Street facade grants have helped spur improvements to individual buildings, staff contend that the need for an overall downtown redevelopment plan has hobbled success for the district. Score: 50%

The City moved forward significantly on its objective to "develop and market local tourist facilities that will entice visitors and locals to learn more about Columbia’s history and heritage" in 2009.  The Miller-Fiege Home is now open by appointment while renovation and display work continue with the help of a large private donation. Work is also progressing on the Shoemaker Schoolhouse, which is being restored for use as the Monroe County Welcome Center. A private developer is moving forward with work on restoring a Prohibition-era rum cave at the Old Distillery. Score: 90%

Efforts to "expand resources for parks & recreational uses to make Columbia 'a great place to play'" got off to a great start but fell short of the goal.  Although the City formed the Play Commission, the precursor to a Parks Commission, and was recognized a “Play City USA” for 2009, a comprehensive funding program of what facilities and programs are to be funded still awaits final determination. Score: 75%

The objective to "develop and implement a long-term strategic plan for municipal buildings" was largely achieved.  A leasing and improvement plan for the Oak Street Community Building is nearing completion, while staff have likewise inventoried and reviewed all other City-owned properties. Score: 90%
 
Finally, City efforts to "support community activities, celebrate milestones and add to the local quality of life" exceeded objectives set at the beginning of the year.  While staff and elected officials supported sesquicentennial events and sponsored other local events, they also assisted in the kick-off for the inaugural Art Walk event and launched a new Christmas parade. Score: 100%

Following presentation of the status report to members of the Columbia City Council, the Community & Economic Development Department will compile a new set of goals and objectives for 2010, which will be presented to the City Council for approval at their December 21st meeting.

FEMA Offers Public Forum in Columbia on December 16th

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will hold a public forum in Columbia on Wednesday, December 16th, to discuss impending changes to flood insurance and building requirements that may result from changes next year to the accreditation status of levees that protect the Mississippi River flood plain in Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties.  FEMA manages the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which assists local communities in adopting and enforcing floodplain management ordinances that will reduce future flood damage.

At the meeting, which will be held from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. at Columbia City Hall, FEMA and NFIP officials will provide a general overview for elected officials, businesses, community organizations and individuals in the 28 affected jurisdictions along the American Bottom. RSVP: (618) 274-2750 x.279.

FEMA claims that flood damage is reduced by nearly $1 billion a year through communities implementing sound floodplain management requirements and property owners purchasing of flood insurance; additionally, the agency calculates that buildings constructed in compliance with NFIP building standards suffer approximately 80 percent less damage annually than those not built in compliance.

Plan Commission Looks at Community Impacts from Aging

Increased life expectancy is creating record numbers of people aged 65 and older. While this age group represented only 13% of the population in 2000, it will comprise about 21% of the population in 2030. The group expected to grow most rapidly in the next 30 years is the one aged 85 years and older. What does this demographic shift mean for Columbia in the future?
 
Members of the City's Plan Commission are undertaking an assessment to focus upon the Columbia community's readiness for the impact of an aging population upon various aspects of community life. In this task, the Commission is using assessment tools provided by the Area Agency on Aging of Southwestern Illinois. The agency has already assisted other Metro East communities, such as Edwardsville and Waterloo, in completing similar assessments.
 
The Plan Commission expects to complete their assessment and have it ready for public review by April, 2010. In the meantime, public input is encouraged as the Commission reviews each area of interest. While identifying challenges confronting Columbia in the various areas assessed, the Commission also hopes to identify many of the positive features that already make this city a very desirable community for the aged—and for other citizens—now and in the future.
 
For a schedule of meetings and additional information, please visit the City of Columbia’s website.

City to Move Forward on Schoolhouse Restoration

A timely donation of $25,000 from local philanthropist Charles Todd has allowed the City of Columbia to move forward on pursuing a grant to fund restoration of the Shoemaker Schoolhouse as a new Monroe County Welcome Center. The Columbia City Council will vote Monday evening whether or not to authorize the submission of an application to the State of Illinois to provide roughly half of the funds needed to complete the nearly $59,000 project. Todd's donation--along with "in kind" contributions from the City and volunteers--will provide the matching funds needed for the grant.

The project will renovate a one-room schoolhouse built around 1850 for use as a facility to serve visitors. The schoolhouse is located on Illinois Route 3, the Great River Road Scenic Byway and—much earlier--the Kaskaskia Trace, in Columbia, three miles southeast of I-255.

Since Illinois 3 is the first exit for travelers crossing the Jefferson Barracks Bridge into the state, visitor use of the facility, when open, is expected to be high. The Tourism Bureau Southwest Illinois estimates that the Welcome Center could, conservatively, generate $50,460 per month in economic impact or $605,520 annually.

City Website Gets New Look

City of Columbia staff and colleagues from Monroe County participated last month in an economic development marketing workshop sponsored by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). A major theme of that workshop was the importance of marketing communities via websites and social media; as a consequence, the City's website will be getting a facelift over the next few weeks.

According to Bob Ady of Ady International Company, 62% of corporate leaders now use community websites as their primary source for evaluation of potential sites for new locations. This is a big change from even a few years ago--a change that corresponds with the rise of site selection consultants who have multiple clients and little time. Ady observes:

If a community doesn’t have a website, the website cannot easily be found or it doesn’t have the right type of information, the consultant moves on to other communities that have the information he or she needs.

Columbia's website will be undergoing reorganization and redesign as part of the facelift. Expect to find information more easily--and find more of it--and expect more graphics, links and features.

Dow Rebounds, But Economic Signals Remain Mixed

The Dow Jones industrial average yesterday rose past the 10,000-point milestone for the first time in a year--evidence of a Wall Street rebound from the financial crisis--but fiscal woes are likely to persist, especially for state and local governments.

State tax collections across the nation from April through June dropped by a record 16.6 percent compared with the same period a year earlier, according to a report released today by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. The report observes that tax collections were down by $63 billion for the year ended in June—roughly twice the amount the states had received in stimulus money up to that point.

This dismal data highlights a hard truth: there can be a long delay between the time the economy begins to improve, as some economists believe is happening now, and the time that the change is reflected in state and local finances. Many people were out of work or earning less, income tax collections were down 27.5 percent for the quarter, and sales tax collections were off by 9.5 percent.

Will the economic climate get better soon? Not if history is any guide. While the most recent past recession officially ended at the close of 2001, states faced their worst budget crises in the two years that followed.

Discover Columbia's Parks on September 19th

A scavenger hunt discovering Columbia’s parks, a variety of games, and kids’ art projects are just a few of the hands-on interactive activities planned for Play Day 2009 in Bolm-Schuhkraft Park (known to many residents as the “city park”) on Saturday, September 19th. Visitors will enter the park and rediscover play.

Created and hosted by the Columbia Play Commission, in collaboration with KaBOOM!, and with funding from the Kiwanis Club of Columbia, the Monroe County YMCA, the Columbia Rotary Club, Traube Tent Company and the City of Columbia, the free event is designed to discover the fun, education and recreation available in the city’s many public recreational areas and playspaces. Envisioned as a day to play by organizers, the event will feature interactive stations that will introduce visitors to the themes and activities found in Columbia’s parks, many of which are little known--or completely unknown--to many residents.

Events run from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. that day. Admission is free, and this is a rain or shine event.

“It’s really just a fun afternoon to get out and discover our parks,” states John Traube, chair for the Play Commission. “Our hope is that families and kids of all ages will come for the fun and leave with a better appreciation for where to spend unstructured afternoons year-round.”

KaBOOM! recognized Columbia this year as a “Playful City USA,” a national recognition honoring cities and towns across the nation committed to taking action for play. Columbia was the only community in the St. Louis metropolitan area so honored.

More details on this event are available via the Play Commission’s blog.

You're a Good Man, Charlie Todd

Charles Todd has a long and distinguished history in Columbia. Among other things, he founded the laundry cleaning company which today is Crown Linen Service and established Toddhall Retreat & Conference Center.

For the past two years, Todd has been an active member of Columbia's Heritage & Preservation Commission. He helped that group erect a columbarium in historic Warderman Cemetery and provide for burial of indigents with both his personal time and money. This week, it will be announced that Todd has donated $20,000 to the City of Columbia to spur renovation of the historic Miller-Fiege Home.

Members of the Heritage & Preservation Commission are now asking the Columbia City Council to name Charles Todd the first ever Commissioner Emeritas, in recognition of his long and sustained service.

Making a List, Checking It Twice...

One of the basic tenets of economic gardening--any well-planned economic development program, in fact--is that growth should arise from nurturing of enterprises already growing in the local environment. Columbia is well-positioned for such growth not just because of its many small firms but because of some of its larger companies, as well.

Inc. Magazine recently released its tally of the 5000 fastest-growing companies; two are in Columbia (Illinois, including Chicago and its suburbs, only has 224): MAVERICK Technologies and Traube Tent Company.

The Inc. 5005000 (as the tally is called) is ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2005 through 2008. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by the first week of 2005, and therefore able to show four full calendar years of sales. Additionally, they have to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent--not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies--as of December 31, 2008. Full-time and part-time employees are included in the head count; independent contractors and temporary employees are excluded.

Other Communities, Other Visions

Local leaders in many parts of the country are finding creative new ways to spur economic activity in their cities and counties:

In California, the City of Santa Clarita began hosting stakeholder meetings for business leaders as the economy turned sour and more businesses began looking for help from government. The mayor's economic development summit helped leaders from the chamber of commerce and the industrial association meet each other. The City’s strategy also included a luncheon for commercial brokers that was held to target rising vacancies and to share resources for attracting new tenants. The meetings were perceived as valuable, offering more ways that the City and the business community could proactively come together to address the downturn, and efforts eventually resulted in the City bringing Advanced Bionics Biomedical Company and its 350 jobs to town.

The City of Lake Forest, Illinois provides local businesses with a checklist of all events in the city so that owners and managers can synchronize their business goals, promotions, marketing and sales with opportunities available in the community. The City's Economic Development Department calls this service "Lake Forest’s Marketing Machine."

In Tennessee, Unicoi County officials are planning a sustainable tourism initiative with its goal to create new businesses that would support tourism. The county will use a $50,000 GEMS of Appalachia Grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission and matching funds from the Joint Economic Development Board and the Conservation Fund to sponsor educational workshops early next year for business owners and entrepreneurs in Unicoi County, the Town of Erwin, and the Town of Unicoi. According to Mayor Greg Lynch, the program is targeted to people "who are close to retirement, maybe wanting to start a bed-and-breakfast, something to sustain them for the rest of their lives, or young people wanting to start up their own guide business, [for example] to be river guides..." The county also is considering culinary tourism focusing on Appalachian Mountain cuisine.

For States and Cities, the Downturn May Continue

Most economists now believe that the national recession is drawing to a close, but the impacts of the downturn will continue to be seen in budgets for state and local governments for at least the next year.

While stimulus funding has allowed state and local governments to avoid laying off teachers, prison guards, police officers and firefighters, revenues are expected to remain depressed, even as the national economy improves. The depressed value of housing will continue to mean lower revenue from sales taxes and property taxes. Continued high unemployment will mean reduced income-tax receipts, higher expenditures for unemployment claims and more demand for public assistance. Federal stimulus aid is declining, and many cities and states have already used up their emergency reserves.

The Council of State Governments projects that for the next two fiscal years, the states face a combined budget shortfall of $350 billion.

IDOT Awards Columbia $70,000 for Pedestrian Safety

The City of Columbia will receive $70,000 from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to install fixed speed feedback signs on Main St. near Immaculate Conception School and Parkview Elementary School. The award was part of $13.1 million in Safe Routes to School grants announced yesterday by Governor Pat Quinn.

171 projects were funded in almost 90 communities across Illinois, including Columbia, ranging from sidewalk repair to safety training for students to equipment for police and crossing guards. The federally-funded program is designed to enable and encourage children to walk and bike to school.

“This grant request and the School Safety Plan that led up to it were a true community partnership,” Columbia Mayor Kevin Hutchinson observed. Both elements of the application process were assembled by a steering committee that included city and school district officials along with representatives from the Monroe County YMCA, Helmets First! and other groups.

The Illinois Safe Routes To School (SRTS) program applies to schools serving grades Kindergarten through 8th. SRTS encourages a holistic approach to make it safer and more practical for children to walk to school, using the Five E’s: engineering, encouragement, education, enforcement and encouragement. IDOT Secretary Gary Hannig indicated that competition for funding was especially keen this year, with the agency receiving almost 200 applications adding up to $27.9 million in requests.

“This innovative program reaches out to our youth, instilling in them the healthy habits of physical activity,” said Governor Quinn. “With Illinois ranked fourth in the nation for childhood obesity rates, providing children with a safe and secure means of walking to school is an important tool to improve the health of our children.”

Safe Routes to School is a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration. The program is designed to:

• Enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school;
• Make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation option, encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age; and
• Facilitate projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity of primary and middle schools.

...But Local Cities Still Feel the Pinch

While there are signs that the economy is starting to strengthen at the national level, Metro East communities continue to suffer from the effects of the downturn.

Sales tax receipts--which contribute a large portion of revenues to the balance sheets of all cities--continue to be weak across the board:

• In Belleville, sales tax receipts are down 7.64 percent, about $112,857, over the first quarter;
• Despite cutting $2 million from the city budget in the past year, O'Fallon is operating about $117,000 over budget after one quarter of the current fiscal year;
• Edwardsville's sales tax receipts are down about 6 percent.

Metro East cities are coping with the continuing revenue pinch via a variety of strategies:

• Collinsville leaders sliced $1.4 million worth of road projects out of the budget to make up for lost income;
• While July sales taxes were $20,356 lower in O'Fallon than last year--$518,940 versus $498,584--the City had budgeted an 8 percent reduction in sales tax.

Indicators Suggest National Economy May Be Poised For Growth...

The current recession--appraised by most economists now as the worst since World War II--is showing signs of easing. Three articles over the past few days in national business sources suggest that better economic times may be just ahead.

A front-page story in Saturday's edition of the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. gross domestic product contracted at a 1% annual rate last quarter, its slowest pace in a year, but a marked improvement from the first-quarter contraction of 6.4% and the fourth quarter's 5.4% pullback. "Consumer spending stabilized early this year," it was reported, "but businesses kept cutting back sharply on payrolls, inventories and new-equipment spending."

The Chicago Tribune on Saturday reported that economists, who were expecting GDP to be down at about a 1.5 percent rate in the second quarter, were largely heartened by the data. The report reflected much smaller decreases in business investments, a smaller drop in inventories and exports, as well as an upturn in government expenditures as the federal stimulus measures took hold. The GDP news, the article adds, "comes on the heels of a number of reports suggesting that the long-troubled housing market decline is bottoming and that manufacturing is also stabilizing." But the labor market remains troubled and, with the unemployment rate expected to keep rising until at least the end of the year, "many people will not feel a recovery."

In Bloomberg News this morning: "Manufacturing in the U.S. probably shrank in July at the slowest pace in 11 months as the recession eased and factories moved closer to stabilization, economists said ahead of a private report." The Institute for Supply Management's factory gauge increased to 46.5, from 44.8 in June, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey. Other reports indicate manufacturing, which accounts for about 12 percent of the world's largest economy, is improving.

Trim, But Prepare for a More Vibrant Future, Local Mayors Say

Do what's necessary to balance community needs against available revenue, plan strategically (and regionally) and get ready for the upturn--that's the course Metro East mayors are pursuing to lead their cities through the current downturn.

The mayors of Alton, Collinsville and O'Fallon spoke this morning at an event co-sponsored by the Southwest Illinois Council of Mayors (SWICOM) and the Leadership Council Southwest Illinois as part of a panel discussion moderated by Columbia Mayor Kevin Hutchinson. Despite a variety of city sizes and budgets, all four mayors are facing similar challenges and plan to meet them deploying--often--similar methods.

All four noted that the combined pressure of falling revenues and rising mandates--generally unfunded--from federal and state jurisdictions are requiring substantial changes in how their cities do business today compared with even a year of two in the past. All four are continuing to pursue economic development efforts despite a current paucity of proposed projects and all four cited the critical role of both incentives and "business friendly" policies in spurring economic growth.

Alton Mayor Tom Hoechst has had to oversee cuts in the number of city employees while struggling to meet payroll for the remaining workers. "In cashflow terms," he observed, "the City is broke" with only $2 million in reserves; fortunately, economic investments in "one of the premier marinas on the Mississippi" and a new amphitheater, as well as private investment in venues such as an anticipated new downtown hotel, promise new revenues as the recession eases.

Meanwhile, Collinsville Mayor John Miller is shaving costs through increased efficiencies. Instituting a City-wide improvement program to improve performance, restricting training to opportunities arranged in house, and freezing hiring have all contributed to the City's ability to keep its current positions that deliver expected services to citizens. Collinsville has an aggressive economic development program, a regional convention center and five-star hotel, and strategic location among its assets supporting future development.

In O'Fallon, Mayor Gary Graham is struggling to overcome the St. Clair County assessment system--which he claims is "broken"--and a lack of incentives for new development; nevertheless, he deploys the attitude that "we really want to have you here" to full benefit in attracting new businesses. O'Fallon today has more than 1000 hotel rooms as well as a new conference center, and the City is "sales tax rich," according to the mayor.

In summing up, Columbia Mayor Kevin Hutchinson described how dealing with the ongoing fiscal crisis has helped him (and presumably other city leaders) distinguish more clearly between "wants" and "needs" in the budgeting process. He said that Columbia's fiscally conservative leadership over many years--avoiding the maximum carrying capacity for long-term debt, for instance--and well-managed initiatives like a successful Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district have given his City a firm foundation for growth. He anticipates that future growth will benefit from a more regional perspective coupled with strongly-supported local efforts like the Think Monroe County First! campaign.

It’s OK to Play in Columbia

Columbia has been recognized as one of 39 new communities across the nation to achieve the status of a “Playful City USA,” the non-profit organization KaBOOM! announced today. The city was one of three cited in Illinois and the only designee this year within the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Like other designees, such as Indianapolis and San Antonio, Columbia was selected for its dedication to play. Columbia used the Playful City USA application process to identify facilities, assess local resources, develop an action plan and create a citizen group—the Play Commission--to help direct activities. Excited about the opportunity to be nationally recognized, the Play Commission is using social network media such as Facebook and a blog to help gather public input and encourage involvement from the community.

“We’re excited about this prestigious designation and the serious work that the Play Commission is accomplishing to make our community a better place to live,” said Columbia Mayor Kevin Hutchinson. Support from local government is a key element for winning the Playful City designation.

Each of the 2009 Playful City USA communities demonstrated creative commitments to the cause of play in the areas of quantity, quality and access. Quality relates to the number of usable, open playspaces. Quality involves subjective factors that encourage repeated use and make playspaces engaging, exciting, interesting and fun. Access entails the ability to get to a playspace (roads, trails) and a lack of barriers to the playspace (cost, safety, traffic, locked gates, and equity).

“Our country is facing two monumental deficits: a lack of unstructured play among children and a lack of resources to address this very issue,” said Darell Hammond, KaBOOM! CEO and Co-founder. “Columbia took a stand and determined that the future of the community—its children—deserve a commitment to the cause of play. This is an investment in the future, and cities and towns across the country can replicate initiatives from this and other Playful City USA communities so that they too can bring play back into the lives of their children.”

KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since 1995, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,600 new playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including an online community, free online trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers--a national network of individual advocates for play.

Columbia's Count is Up, But By How Much?

According to estimates released yesterday by the U.S. Census Bureau, Columbia's population steadily increased from 2000 census estimates, when 7,996 people called Columbia home, to the latest census estimate in which that number grew to 9,342--an increase of 16.8 percent.

The increase is good news for the community, since some regional and state funds are distributed based upon population. During the same time period, nearby municipalities such as Venice, Brooklyn, Fairmont City, East St. Louis, Washington Park and Granite City have all seen decreases, according to the new Census estimates. It's not an entirely accurate benchmark for Columbia, however, since a special census conducted for the city in 2007 pegged the local population at 9,818.

The estimated census numbers released by the Census Bureau do not include the numbers from any special census counts held by individuals cities, towns or villages and performed in collaboration with the federal government if only a portion of the city is counted or if the city has annexed land. That's the case with Columbia, so final figures from the 2010 count should show an even bigger increase.

Flood Prevention Council Staffs Up, But Faces Funding Challenge

The recently formed Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention District Council has hired Lester Sterman, the long-time executive director of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, to serve as its chief supervisor of construction and works. While the addition of this veteran administrator increases the Council's odds for success, the effort faces huge financial challenges.

About 35 percent of the funding for the levee repairs was expected to come from the new quarter-cent sales tax that has been being collected in Madison, St. Clair, and Monroe counties since January 1st. The rest--about 65 percent--was expected to come from the federal government; unfortunately, the economic recession has hurt collection of the new sales tax revenues, while reports indicate an unwillingness for the federal government to provide its anticipated share.

Jim Pennekamp, special assistant to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's chancellor for regional economic development and executive director of University Park as well as chairman of the Madison County Flood Prevention District, serves as president for the Council. Dan Maher, director of administration for St. Clair County and chair of the St. Clair County Flood Prevention District, serves as vice president of the Council. John Conrad, editor and publisher of the Monroe County Independent and chair of the Monroe County Flood Prevention District, serves as secretary/treasurer. Two additional commissioners from each county round out the nine-member Council.

City Launches New Blog: Playing Around Columbia

In April, the City of Columbia joined the National Campaign for Play (organized by a national organization with the remarkably playful name of KaBOOM!). This movement has begun to combat such social ills as childhood obesity, attention deficit disorder and violence among our nation’s children.

At that time, the Columbia City Council adopted Resolution 13-2008, endorsing the Playful City USA campaign and committing the City’s support to that effort; they also began assembling a list of likely candidates for the Play Commission, the community-based group that will be tasked with making this city-wide commitment to play a real accomplishment. On May 19th, the Play Commission was officially created with adoption of Resolution 02-2009.

The Play Commission will soon be hard at work finalizing its action plan, and the City has launched a new blog, Playing Around Columbia, to chronicle its achievements.

Miller Fiege Home Open This Wednesday

The Columbia Heritage and Preservation Commission (CHPC) welcomes the public to an open house at the Miller-Fiege Home this Wednesday from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

The open house is being held partly to inform the public of the City of Columbia’s intent to designate this home as a local historic landmark, which has been recommended by CHPC. Comments about this proposed action may be shared during the open house or submited in writing at City Hall no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26th. CHPC has also planned this event as a celebration of the building, the families who have lived here, and Columbia’s heritage in general.

This home was built in 1850 adjacent to a blacksmith shop run by P.W. Miller (the shop was located approximately where The Medicine Shoppe stands today). The shutters on the home, iron fence surrounding it, and the pump out back all date from this period. Miller purchased the house in 1857, and it remained in his family’s hands until the death of his descendent, Winnifred Fiege, last year; subsequently, the City of Columbia purchased the home and its many antiques, and the home is now being prepared as a historical museum for the whole community to enjoy.

All Greek To See...And Hear

Those who love cool jazz should mark their calendars for Saturday evening, August 1st--that's when Perry Danos and his 10-piece orchestra will perform a live dinner show here in Columbia.

Danos will visit Columbia as part of a breakout tour promoting his new album, "Swingin' on the Moon", from Grand Vista Music. He will make his only St. Louis area appearance at The Falls Reception & Conference Center, and packages are available that include dinner and even overnight accommodations at the new Hampton Inn.

Danos is an up-and-coming Chicagoan of Greek descent who blends the smoothness of Tony Bennett with the heart-on-his-sleeve grit of Rod Stewart. Moving interpretations of some of his own favorites, such as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "The Long and Winding Road," and "Lately," are new and exciting renditions of some of the world's best -loved classics from the great American songbook.

The concert is sponsored by The Falls, the Hampton Inn Columbia, and the City of Columbia as part of an ongoing initiative to boost visits to this city.

Put the World in Your Palm May 13th

If Facebook were a country, it would be the the eighth largest in the world. Large-scale adoption of social media and the use of other new technology is impacting your small business, whether you choose to participate or not. With the current economic downturn, can you afford not to keep an open mind about the chance to receive more visibility, more referrals, and a new avenue for sales?

Gain a business perspective on new technologies and learn how to leverage one of the most powerful marketing opportunities ever invented—all for free. Technology 101: New Strategies to Market Your Business will be held May 13th from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at the Monroe County YMCA - HTC Center. The Monroe County Economic Development Council, in partnership with HTC - Harrisonville Telephone Company, will be hosting this workshop as part of the Think Monroe County First! campaign.

Whether you are proficient in current technologies or just want an entry level introduction to technology, this workshop is for you! Any business with a physical location in Monroe County is invited to attend with participation limited to two (2) individuals. There is no cost to attend and light refreshments will be served. In order to attend, you must RSVP by May 8th to Nora Feuquay, U of I Extension - Monroe County Community and Economic Development Educator, at 618-939-3434.

Mid-Sized, Mid-West Cities Weathering Downturn Best

As banks pull back on risk-taking across the nation, consumer lending is rising in places like Columbia. Many midsize cities are outperforming their larger counterparts, owing to more disciplined economic development strategies in those cities, more diverse employment and lower costs.

States in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain West are experiencing either mild recessions or none at all. Lingering effects of high commodities prices have helped, but the lack of a real estate boom may be the more important factor.

Columbia may be able to learn from Germany, where the Mittelstand (small- and mid-sized enterprises) are acting as a shock absorber against the economic smash-up. Firms with up to nine employees are the backbone of the German economy, making up 93 percent of the country's 1.6 million enterprises. While small and middle-sized firms hire two-thirds of new employees--an even greater percentage than in the US and Britain--the Mittelstand has avoided large-scale layoffs so far.

Playing Through the Downturn

Quality of life is becoming increasingly recognized as integral to local economic development, so it should be no surprise that communities are seeking to boost their appeal to potential new businesses by improving local assets like parks and playgrounds. Columbia is one community that hopes to leverage its better-than-average quality of life as an economic incentive.

That's why Columbia may seek designation as a Playful City USA community, signifying commitment to a national recognition program honoring cities and towns across the nation taking action for play. By ensuring the prominence of play in the community's agenda, members of the City Council hope local citizens will reap the benefits that result from happier, smarter and healthier children as well as stronger communities--one of them being more active consideration as a business location.

In addition, designated Playful City USA communities will:

• Receive highway signs, awards and special incentive opportunities in honor of the Playful City USA status;
• Be included in a national media campaign and be provided local media support receive priority status in accessing resources including playground builds, trainings, and grants opportunities;
• Be given access to online resources and communication vehicles to keep them connected to Playful City USA communities nationwide;
• Receive recognition at national municipal leadership and recreation conferences.

Communities become Playful City USA communities by meeting five commitments:

1. Creating a local play commission;
2. Designing an annual action plan for play;
3. Conducting a playspace audit of all publicly accessible play areas;
4. Identifying current spending on capital projects and maintenance of playspaces;
5. Proclaiming and celebrating an annual KaBOOM! Play Day in September.

After the Bust, Retail Leasing Shrinks, Shifts

Within the next several years, the amount of U.S. retail space devoted to specialty stores will contract by about 10 percent, according to a study just released by UBS Securities LLC. This trend will be driven by reductions in store size, closures of malls and the retrenchment of chains that had launched concepts for new demographic groups during the retail building boom.

According to Costar Tenant, a national commercial property service, landlords "have no choice but to be creative and think of alternative uses" as they seek to lease space in this new environment. Analysts expect that retail centers--especially those in less than prime locations--will increasingly seek to fill vacancies with alternative, non-traditional uses such as state and local government offices, satellite colleges and universities, medical offices, family fun centers and churches. Second-hand or overstock dealers and seasonal outlets--which have been considered less desirable uses--will also find more space available in this new environment.

Locally, Crestwood Court mall is experiencing success by turning vacant space into an artisan community. At ArtSpace, local artisans rent space for studios where they can create, display and sell their works; space for art classes as well as live theatre is also on the premises. While ArtSpace was originally planned as a temporary use, it's caught on in the community.

Not Just Another Brick in the Wall

A federal judge last week ruled that mandating brick use in home construction in a Texas city doesn’t discriminate against minorities. This ruling supports Columbia's adoption in 2006 of an ordinance requiring significant amounts of brick to be used on new homes.

Columbia has been followed by Ellisville, Town & Country, and several Metro East communities that have subsequently adopted ordinances requiring new home construction to have certain percentages of brick or stone masonry facades. The Brick Industry Association, a national trade organization, lists numerous such ordinances across the country on its website.

Researchers from the University of Michigan studied four Chicago suburban communities to identify the impacts that the adoption of a masonry ordinance had on housing price and the fiscal health of each community. Their comparison of two communities with masonry ordinances (Orland Park and Tinley Park) with two otherwise similar communities without such ordinances, found that adoption of a masonry ordinance not only enhanced the durability and aesthetic value of local properties but it also increased property values, tax base, and overall fiscal health of each community. In addition, the research indicates that the adoption of a masonry ordinance supports population growth and does not significantly impact affordability of housing or rental costs.

The National Association of Home Builders, the National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin sued the City of Kyle, an Austin suburb, over a municipal brick ordinance that they say prices minorities out of the single-family housing market. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel issued the ruling on Monday, saying he could find no discriminatory effect against minorities.

The Song That Started It All (Maybe)

The first settlers of Monroe County, Illinois were pioneers from the territories of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware who arrived about 1783, but their settlements were scattered following bloody skirmishes with the natives. The settlers who came into this area between 1793 and1795 probably reasoned that this area was a favorable place to settle as the nearly 700-feet high rise between the Bottoms and the bluffs made the plateau safe from floods, protected from storms by a rise of hills on the north and east, and abundant with clear spring water.

The origin of the name "Columbia" for this place has been the subject of much discussion and conjecture among local residents. The name Columbia came into popularity at the close of the American Revolution with the sentiment that Columbus, the discoverer of America, should be memorialized. The first time the name Columbia appeared in legislation was the legislature act of the State of New York, giving the name to the Columbia University on May 1st, 1784.

During the American Revolution, a military chaplain named Timothy Dwight composed a song entitled "Columbia, Columbia to Glory Arise" which idealized the new republic as the symbol of liberty and patriotism:

Columbia! Columbia! to glory arise,

The queen of the world, and the child of the skies,

Thy genius commands thee, with raptures behold,

While ages on ages thy splendors unfold:

Thy reign is the last and the noblest of time, Most fruitful thy soil, most inviting thy clime;

Let crimes of the east ne'er encrimson thy name,

Be freedom, and science, and virtue thy fame.

Columbia subsequently became a popular name. Since the early settlers of this area had fought in the Revolution, it is possible they heard the song and decided it was a patriotic and appropriate name for the town they founded: Columbia, Illinois.

More Input on Columbia's Streetscape Project

City staff once again presented an overview of the proposed Main St. Streetscape Project--this time to the Columbia Rotary Club--and answered more questions from members of the business community:

1. Why not make Main St. one-way and Rapp one-way (suggesting that this would create traffic circulation around a “town square” and would allow angle parking)? The current project scope does not include this re-routing of traffic--which would be a major project in its own right--but the team will take the idea under consideration.
2. How will this project maintain available parking along Main St. and how will it allow for future growth of businesses in the district? The Civic Progress Committee raised this concern during its review of the project last March, and the project team has reviewed the design accordingly--further study may be required to address the long-term parking needs of Main Street merchants.
3. Will the sidewalk expansion and bump-outs choke traffic lanes? The current roadway is extremely wide, so narrowing the overall roadway will tend to slow down traffic, but the proposed sidewalk changes (two feet added to all sidewalks and eight-foot bump-outs at some corners) will not reduce the lane width for moving traffic.
4. Downtown Belleville’s decorative light standards look very similar to those proposed for Columbia’s project, and they appear (to the casual viewer) to be placed too close together in Belleville—how will Columbia’s be different? While the light standards in both cities come from the same manufacturer, Columbia's will be five feet taller and will be spaced further apart in keeping with Illinois Department of Transportation requirements (Belleville's Main Street is owned by the city while Columbia's roadway is owned by IDOT).
5. Columbia’s light standards will support banners and other decorations throughout the year courtesy of the Columbia Chamber—how will the project orient the hanging equipment so as to prevent damage from passing vehicles? Banners currently in place hang over the street and have not suffered damage, but the team will consider turning the hanging brackets so that decorations are internal (over the sidewalk) rather than external (over the street).
6. How will the street trees be maintained (observing that this could be a major undertaking)? Lewisites (the landscape architects for the project) is selecting trees that will look good, grow at an appropriate rate and to an appropriate height, and reduce required maintenance.
7. How will the City and its partners minimize disruption to Main St. merchants—and help them keep their doors open? That's the purpose of the outreach effort--to communicate throughout the process, helping merchants and others to know what's coming and develop an action plan collectively and in advance!

Leaders Promote Arts Growth in Area

The non-profit arts industry, with $36.8 billion in annual revenue, is a potent force in economic development nationwide. Communities large and small across the country have integrated the arts into their economic development arsenal to achieve a wide range of economic goals.

Should Columbia choose to follow these examples, some local leaders are emerging to carry the effort forward:

Christina Sterman and other community members have recently come together to found Artistic Expressions, an organization established to "provide an outlet for our youth to express, grow and share artistic talents" in Columbia. Members are redeveloping a house near Metter Park into an arts center and are planning an Opening Celebration on Sunday, May 24th--the same day as Maifest.

The Monroe Actors Stage Company's production of "Nunsense" has been nominated for six awards by the Arts For Life Theatre Recognition Guild, which honors excellence in community musical theatre in the St. Louis metropolitan region. "Nunsense," which was the MASC season opener in September, is among the five shows nominated for Best Musical, Small Ensemble, for 2008. Director Lynn Venhaus has been nominated for Best Director, and performers Tammy Duensing (Sister Robert Anne) and Liz Sawyer (Sister Mary Amnesia) are up for recognition for Best Actress in a Comedic Role. For technical achievement, the set design team of Venhaus, Sawyer and John Campbell are nominated, as is Tim Foederer for Best Lighting Design.

With artistic talent like this in the community, Columbia has a good foundation for growth in the arts.

Columbia, We Have Ignition: Streetscape Outreach Launches!

The City of Columbia launched an aggressive new public outreach effort yesterday in support of the upcoming streetscape project on Main Street. Key City staff and a representative from Oates & Associates, the project's lead engineers, presented to a standing room only crowd at the monthly meeting of the Columbia Chamber.

Presenters said that the City and its partners will deploy public forums, one-on-one meetings with business and property owners, press releases and community newsletters, direct phone access to the contractor, and a Twitter feed over the next several months to keep up communication. The staffers and elected officials in attendance (Mayor Kevin Hutchinson and Alderman Candace Hejna) solicited and answered questions from merchants and property owners in the audience:

1. How can we have better pedestrian connections between Main Street and outlying areas of the city? Mayor Hutchinson explained that the City adopted a Bicycle & Greenways Alignment Plan in 2006 to link areas of Columbia together, and that this plan requires future funding to complete.
2. How will sidewalk width change and what's the width of the bump-outs?When completed, the new sidewalks will be two feet wider in most areas than they are now, and the bump-outs will be eight feet wide.
3. Will the stamped brick be slick when wet and will it be more difficult to walk on due to its texture? Those sections are not designed to be walked on--the areas designed for pedestrian travel have been examined and approved by an organization that works to improve accessibility.
4. How can my business survive the disruption of major construction? That's the purpose of the outreach effort--the City and it partners will be working with individual businesses, the Chamber, and others to keep communication strong, as well as to help plan and execute joint activities that will help keep business traffic moving.
5. Will the Chamber lose its banners and decorations that have been mounted on a different style of light standards? Alderman Hejna related that the City Council had asked to have the standards raised by five feet to accommodate the street decorations.
   

Obama Takes Stimulus to Main Street

Small businesses historically have created about 70 percent of the economy's new jobs. That's why many economic observers have to date criticized the federal government's stimulus program for focusing, they say, on Wall Street rather than on Main Street.

Working to restart the economy's engine of job creation, President Obama announced yesterday that the Treasury Department will invest as much as $15 billion to boost lending to credit-hungry small businesses. Under the new program, the Treasury Department will buy as much as $15 billion in loans made by banks and guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA); the SBA's loan volume has fallen from roughly $20 billion a year to below $10 billion this year, projections show. The funding for the program will come from the government's $700-billion financial rescue package enacted last fall.

In addition to buying loans, the administration is proceeding with plans to eliminate fees for borrowers and reduce fees for lenders in its two signature small-business lending programs and to increase temporarily the percentage of each SBA loan guaranteed by the government. The Internal Revenue Service also released information Monday on a provision of the stimulus bill passed last month that would allow small businesses to use losses incurred in 2008 to get refunds of taxes paid on income earned as far back as 2003--an increase over the former two-year limit.

Main Street Twitters Over Streetscape Project

Columbia's Civic Progress Committee has set up a up a feed on Twitter.com to keep members of the community abreast of progress in planning, funding, constructing and promoting the Main Street streetscape project. This electronic "bulletin board"--the first of its kind in the nation for a streetscape project--is part of a larger outreach effort that is launching this month.

Twitter is a website where a sender can broadcast very short messages--140 characters, maximum--to anyone who’s signed up to receive them. It’s like a cross between a blog and a chat room. Twitter feeds can be accessed from a variety of platforms--in other words, followers can receive its short messages from a website, via email, even over their cell phone or Blackberry device. Local governments across the country are experimenting with Twitter as a means to inform the public about hearings, impending legislation, events, and other public doings. This is the first time that any group has deployed Twitter for informing followers about a streetscape project--what the feed refers to (in Twittereze) as "tweets from the street".

Public outreach on the project will continue to rely on existing venues like the City's website and traffic from a recently-launched Facebook page, as well as more traditional activities like door-to-door canvassing of business and property owners along Main Street. The Columbia Chamber will host an informational briefing about the project at their luncheon next Wednesday, March 18th, at Bully's Smokehouse.

'Stimulus' Comes to Main Street

The Wall Street Journal reports today that many cities, counties and states across the nation are launching home-grown economic-stimulus plans aimed at spurring local spending and keeping small businesses afloat during the recession.

Strategies are as diverse as the local governments employing them, including:

• Cutting corporate taxes;
• Paying residents to shop in local stores;
• Giving real-estate brokers bonuses for bringing tenants to empty strip malls;
• Reducing fees on new development;
• Critiquing local restaurants and giving owners feedback on how best to bring in customers.

Leaders of many struggling cities and states say they can't afford to wait for their slice of the federal pie. Although their tax revenues are declining, forcing some to slash budgets and, unlike the federal government, they're constrained by balanced-budget requirements they're floating bonds, raiding reserves and shuffling money among various accounts to free up capital for local stimulus efforts.

Guarded Optimism Accompanies February Retail Sales

In February, chain store sales across the nation stopped declining as fast as they have been for the past several months, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Too soon to call it a trend, but retail experts are viewing the figures with guarded optimism.

Warm weather conducive to spring merchandise sales, lower gas prices and leaner inventories helped many chains recover some from the economic doldrums of recent months. Wal-Mart led with a year-on-year comparable-store sales rise for the month of 4.5 percent--the big box retailer's best performance since last June, when sales rose 5.8 percent (February represents its fifth consecutive month of traffic increases). Department store and specialty apparel chains fared the worst, down 9.8 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively. Luxury department stores were hit particularly badly, with sales down 19.2 percent.

ICSC expects March sales nationwide to be flat to one percent off from a year ago. ICSC is the global trade association for the shopping center industry, representing 70,000 members in the U.S., Canada and more than 80 other countries.

While recovery may be beginning, it is spreading faster in areas considered essential by most consumers. Fast food, discounted apparel, haircuts and cable television are four items people won’t cut, according to a survey of about 4,000 consumers by the National Retail Federation (NRF). Among items respondents consider expendable are luxury handbags, specialty apparel and high-end cosmetics, and they say they can dispense with fine dining as well, according to the survey. Some 80 percent of respondents said they refuse to give up Internet service, 64 percent said they would hang onto cell phone service, and 61 percent would cling to cable/satellite television--come what may. Ninety-two percent said they will give up luxury handbags for now, and 91 percent said the same about specialty apparel and cosmetics.

NRF is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services.

Report from Chicago

City of Columbia staff joined more than 1600 other economic development professionals this week in participating in the 2009 National Main Street Conference at the historic Palmer House hotel in Chicago. This year's event focused on the emerging role of social media in supporting revitalization efforts across the country.

One highlight of the event was a rousing address by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, who affirmed the vital role that Main Street programs play in stimulating his state's economy. Other highlights included:

• A "nuts and bolts" presentation on how best to plan, fund, facilitate and evaluate a successful streetscape project, offered by Donna Dow, manager for the Main Street program in Durant, Oklahoma;
• Advice from Tom McGilloway, a landscape architect, on how to make the best use of open spaces like parks and trails;
• A new approach to facade renovation that restores whole blocks at one time, presented by Randy Wilson, director of design services for the Mississippi Main Street Association;
• "Every Business Has a Billboard," a session led by Main Street Arkansas Small Business Consultant Mark Miller, that tied signage and advertising, and social media into a strategic bundle;
• Great new ideas for promoting restaurants, boutiques and antique shops presented by Blagica Bottigliero, a social media consultant.

Columbia's Civic Progress Committee will enjoy an overview of these presentations and more at their next meeting.