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.