Columbia Awarded Certified Local Government Status

The City of Columbia has become the newest Certified Local Government in Illinois. In a recent email, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency informed City staff that state designation has been awarded, with certification by the National Parks Service expected to follow in 4-6 weeks.

Members of Columbia's Heritage & Preservation Commission have worked several years to bring the City's historic preservation program to the level required for designation. The Certified Local Government Program, which was established by the National Historic Preservation Act Amendments of 1980, gives cities the opportunity to participate as partners in state and federal preservation activities.

To become certified, a local government must have a historic preservation ordinance, establish a preservation review commission, have an active local survey program to identify historic resources, and provide for public participation. As a certified local government, Columbia may participate in state and federal incentive programs and is now also eligible for matching grant funds to assist in the implementation of its local preservation program through surveys, preservation plans, staff support, and public education.

Admiral Parkway Redevelopment Continues

The success of Columbia's Admiral Parkway Redevelopment Area has been demonstrated in the construction of a bank branch, a pharmacy and the city’s first hotel over the past few years in the redevelopment area without continued provision of tax increment financing incentives. While the pace of new investment has slowed during the recession, the area will remain attractive to future investment as elements of the redevelopment plan continue to be completed.

Since the 33.8-acre parcel retained along Carr Creek for future development as a park remains almost totally undeveloped at this point, and since the parcel’s location almost wholly within the 100-year flood plain of both Carr and Wilson creeks presents some special challenges, the City decided to undertake a master planning process before making any additional improvements on this site. Since future development of the park property will help further the redevelopment plan, TIF funds are being used to underwrite part of the costs of planning, with the remainder coming from the school district.

City staff have also continued analysis of drainage and other hydrological processes in the redevelopment area. Engineering assessment of the Valmeyer Rd. bridge deck, calling for replacement of this aging infrastructure, is being reviewed by Columbia’s City Engineer. A hydrological study of the Wilson & Carr Creek basins came in with a higher than expected price tag and will have to be completed during the next fiscal year.

Under Illinois regulations, the TIF district has seven years remaining. This year, two businesses received their final reimbursements and three more agreements will likely to be satisfied in the coming year. Looking ahead, members of the Joint Review Board (JRB), made up of one representative from each taxing authority affected by the district along with at least one member of the general public, are being asked to approve the following actions:


1. Complete review of Valmeyer Rd. bridge analysis;


2. Pursue state grant for drainage basin hydrologic analysis;


3. Defer decision on bridge replacement until completion of drainage basin hydrologic analysis;


4. Complete Admiral Weinel Blvd. bridge overlay;


5. Prepare 2013-2019 cash flow & expenditure proposal for JRB review.

Monroe County to Host Meeting on Financing Initiative for Smaller Firms

Small businesses (especially start-ups) and financial institutions are invited to a presentation regarding how they can work together to increase economic growth in Monroe County utilizing Governor Pat Quinn’s small business financing initiative, Advantage Illinois. The presentation takes place on January 20th from 10:30 a.m. to 12 Noon on the second floor of the Monroe County Courthouse in Waterloo.

The Advantage Illinois initiative will leverage $78 million in funding from the federal State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) to increase investments and ease the credit crunch for small businesses. The program is meant to encourage institutional lending to small businesses and also provides a mechanism for the state to leverage venture capital for high-growth enterprises.

Advantage Illinois is comprised of the following bank programs: the Capital Access Program (CAP), the Collateral Support Program, and the Participation Loan Program (PLP). The State administers the Invest Illinois Venture Fund (IIVF).

The presentation is open to the public. Sponsors include the Southwest Region Office of Regional Outreach for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, University of Illinois Extension and the Monroe County Economic Development Council.

State Representative Jerry F. Costello II will be in attendance to lend his insights and participate in the discussion.

For more information, contact University of Illinois Extension Community and Economic Development Educator Nora Feuquay at (618) 939-8681 x.309.

Columbia's Past May Have a Future

Last week's forum regarding location of Piggot's Fort drew a robust crowd of people and sparked community interest in pursuing what is arguably one of the most significant historic locations in early Illinois.

With strong support from the Illinois War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, the event surfaced new resources and new people that will help local groups move forward on four proposed projects that will help Piggot's Fort achieve the widespread and lasting recognition it deserves:

1. Completing transfer of a proposed park site along Bluff Rd. from the Columbia Historical Society to the City of Columbia, a process begun in 2007 but not yet completed;
2. Convening an expert panel to identify the true site of Piggot's Fort, if such identification is still possible;
3. Developing the above mentioned park site as a location commemorating Piggot's Fort and interpreting its contribution to the European settlement of Illinois;
4. Working with the appropriate groups and agencies to identify and commemorate genealogies and other historic records, gravesites and building sites for the Piggots, Whitesides and other pioneer settlers.

Each of these efforts received a boost from the turnout at last week's event, but more help will be needed.  Interested individuals should contact the Heritage & Preservation Commission about opportunities to get involved. 

In Columbia, Volunteers Are Tops!

Dozens of community volunteers turned out last evening to celebrate Columbia's designation by the State of Illinois as the inaugural winner of the "Outstanding Community Volunteerism" award.

As pictured at right, volunteers gathered at Tiny's Pub & Grill to raise a glass and cheer one another while highway signs announcing Columbia's designation were unveiled on Highway 3 entering town from both directions.  "Volunteers are the heartbeat of a community," said Community & Economic Development Director Paul Ellis at the event, "and in Columbia, that heartbeat is particularly strong."

The "Outstanding Community Volunteerism" award is part of the Governor’s Hometown Awards program, presented continuously since 1983, which gives formal recognition to those who have answered contributed to their community’s quality of life. 

Sounds Like a Plan (2011)

Each year, the City of Columbia's Community & Economic Development Department presents a strategic plan with goals & objectives for the coming year for approval by the City Council.

This year's plan, which was approved December 20th, presented the following goals & objectives:

Encourage new businesses to form and grow in Columbia
Work with the Monroe County Economic Development Council (MCEDC) to develop program(s) that will encourage and support local entrepreneurs

Retain businesses in the City of Columbia by supporting their long-term success
Encourage Columbia’s citizens to support local businesses

• Continue to support MCEDC’s “Think Monroe County First!” campaign

Provide direct services to current businesses
Continue business retention/expansion visits through MCEDC

• Use a team approach to address identified needs of local firms
• Continue to administer the Admiral Parkway Redevelopment Area

Support expansion of current businesses through loans and incentives, where appropriate

• Maintain/expand city & county revolving loan programs
• Identify possible new incentives for business expansion

Recruit new businesses to the community
Market available sites and buildings for businesses looking to expand and/or relocate

• Initiate a marketing campaign to promote Columbia with office & retail users throughout Greater St. Louis
• Engage local & regional partners (i.e., Columbia Chamber, MCEDC, Leadership Council, Regional Chamber & Growth Ass’n.) in this effort
• Upgrade the City’s website in support of this effort
• Maintain building & site listings using Location One Information System (LOIS) as the primary platform

Maintain and distribute timely information on Columbia’s demographics, business mix, and economic potential

• Update community profile with the Illinois Department of Community & Economic Opportunity (DCEO)

Stimulate more commercial activity on Main Street
Enhance design consistency and the historic character of this corridor

• Develop a comprehensive Main Street redevelopment strategy that includes market analysis, targeted street/building improvements and planning for adequate parking/transit service

Increase private investment in Main St. properties

• Work with the new Main St. Business Association (MSBA) to support business expansion and recruit new businesses into the corridor

Develop and market local sites & facilities that will entice visitors and locals to learn more about Columbia’s history and heritage

Market Columbia and Monroe County as tourist destinations

• Secure attraction signage from I-255 and IL-3 to Columbia destinations
• Finalize Intergovernmental Agreement & staffing for the Monroe County Welcome Center
• Continue the strategic marketing campaign to increase use of Columbia’s lodging and conference facilities

Develop community signage that blends aesthetics and commercial promotion in the highest & best manner

Assist MSBA in securing signage on I-255 for “Historic Main St. Columbia” and installing banners along Main St.
Review community entrance signage and informational banner use to reduce clutter and improve aesthetics

Enhance Columbia’s reputation as one of the most desirable communities in the region through adoption of updated planning

Review and update the City’s Master Plan (recommended every five years)

• Incorporate the new Main St. redevelopment strategy into the Master Plan
• Incorporate Plan Commission recommendations from the Senior Services Assessment into planning

Expand resources for parks & recreational uses to make Columbia “a great place to play”

Develop a comprehensive plan for use and development of grounds and facilities

• Complete a parks & recreation plan that will be incorporated into the City’s Master Plan
• Continue to pursue grants from the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources and other sources
• Develop a program of grants, planned giving and other mechanisms to fund long-term improvements

Enhance parks & recreation services and expand public access to facilities

• Continue to review facility use and special event practices to improve service
• Incorporate maintenance & scheduling of American Legion Fields into day-to-day operations

Support community activities, celebrate milestones and add to the local quality of life

Employ strategic analysis and community partnership for all events to reduce costs, build traffic and increase economic returns to the community
Initiate an ambassadors program to increase volunteer support for events

Implementation of these initiatives begins today.

'Team Columbia' Promotes Community With Midwest Retailers, Developers

Three Columbia boosters spent the latter part of last week working to tell the community's story and attract new retail and new development into the city.

The venue was the Chicago Deal Making event, a trade show that assembled more than 2,000 developers, retailers, real estate brokers and city officials for the express purpose of making connections and facilitating new deals.  The annual event is sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers, the global trade association of the shopping center industry.

The City of Columbia had a booth at the event this year, staffed by Paul Ellis, Director of Community & Economic Development.  He was supported by Craig Hiser, owner of CMJP Properties (a brokerage based in Columbia), and David Wittenauer, vice president for NAI DESCO (a regional brokerage with an office in Columbia).  While the two brokers have business interests expanding beyond the city limits, all three worked together as "Team Columbia" to identify and, subsequent to the show, follow up with potential new development.

Columbia was only one of several Illinois cities exhibiting at the show, which drew participants from across the Midwest.  From Southwest Illinois, the City of Mascoutah and Village of New Baden also sent representatives who worked the show.

Columbia Wins Inaugural Home Town Award

The City of Columbia yesterday received the inaugural award in a new category established for the Governor's Home Town Award program to recognize the community's outstanding volunteer spirit.

Mayor Kevin Hutchinson and representatives from five local volunteer efforts accepted the first-ever "Outstanding Community Volunteerism" award as part of a ceremony held at the Governor's Mansion in Springfield. Governor Pat Quinn announced 26 projects as 2010 Governor’s Home Town Award recipients. The awards recognize the contributions of thousands of Illinois’ volunteers for their hard work and dedication towards improving their communities.

Projects recognized in Columbia's award were the following:

Art on the Bluffs
The Art on the Bluffs Art Walk was created to highlight Columbia's art and architecture during the community's sesquicentennial. Ten months of meetings culminated in historic Main Street's transformation to an "Art Walk" staffed by more than 100 volunteers. Sixty‐seven professional artists lined the street both outside and in thirty‐one locations. The Kid's Area was a great success, as children were encouraged to actively participate in creating a variety of artwork, including using recycled materials as well as painting a large mural. The broad range of artists, musicians, and dancers assured all of the 2,500 patrons attending would find something of interest and enjoy the Art Walk.

Friends of the Library
In 10 years Columbia's population has doubled, causing an increasingly cramped children's area in the Library. The Friends of the Library recognized the need and decided to hold a Holiday House Tour to raise funds for additional space. Volunteers solicited hosts for the tour and goods for the raffle, prepared refreshments for the registration point, created promotional materials, and sold tickets. The Tour raised $3,597. The funds provided a larger space for the children's area with fixtures scaled to their sizes and needs.

Kiwanis Car Show
The Annual Columbia Kiwanis Car Show has evolved into a yearly event with 100% of the proceeds used to fund the Kiwanis Educational Enrichment Program at Parkview Elementary. Better known as K.E.E.P., the program fills a gap in the educational process for at risk youth between the 2nd and 5th grades who were in danger of falling behind in reading skills. $5,000 has been donated annually for after‐school tutoring. The success of the program has been determined through increased standardized test scores in reading. Consequently, the school district worked the reading program into their budget. Now funds from the K.E.E.P. program assist in tutoring in mathematics.

Besides the long‐term educational benefits to the area children, more than 250 cars, music, and good food combine for the largest show in the area.

Play Commission
When Columbia was named "A Playful City" in a national recognition program for communities creating an agenda for play, they celebrated by having "A Play Day". The free day was full of activities and fun including Frisbee Golf, Punt/Pass/Kick, Parachute Toss, Yarn Spider Web, Recycle City and many more. A scavenger hunt was held to help participants "discover" Bolm‐Schuhkraft Memorial City Park. Attendees had the opportunity to become "Park Pals", a program to engage young citizens to read and obey park rules, control litter and report abuse or safety issues.

Sand Bank School Restoration
The historic Sand Bank schoolhouse would likely have been demolished if not for the efforts of volunteers. The one‐room white clapboard school, built in 1855 was in poor repair and up for sale. A retired high school principal and his friend purchased the school. Carpenters donated their skills to straighten the eastern wall of windows and reconstructed the foundation of the old coal shed. A local philanthropist provided funds to meet the immediate need of roof repair. The Monroe County Highway Department cleared the overgrowth of weeds that had overtaken the site. Others donated the septic system, concrete, and window glazing.

An innovative partnership was created with the high school Construction Trades classes. Students gutted the inside of the building, helped run electricity, installed plasterboard, and assisted in the heating and cooling system. The students learned valuable skills through hands‐on experience as well as helped to save a historic icon of education.

Columbia (Once Again) Named Playful City USA

For the second year in a row, Columbia has been named a Playful City USA--once again, the only city to be so recognized in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Playful City USA is a national recognition program honoring cities and towns across the nation committed to taking action for play.  Columbia was selected, in part, for its deployment of the popular Park Pal program--cited as a national "best practice"--as well as for the strong supporting role of the community's nine-member Play Commission.

Each of the 2010 Playful City USA communities has demonstrated creative commitment 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, equity).

Playful City USA celebrates and highlights these unique initiatives developed by communities across the country. A primary goal of Playful City USA is to encourage cities and towns to share creative ideas, concepts and programs in an effort to increase play opportunities for children.

Making Sustainability Sustainable Here

Sustainability has been defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Given the limited amount of natural resources, the current economic crisis and society’s growing concern for good stewardship, cities everywhere must work hard to achieve their potential as environmentally responsible communities.  While many of the nation's larger cities are already pursuing sustainability, it's often harder for smaller cities to do more with less.

To that end, the City is seeking to improve its energy efficiency, increase recycling and develop a general sustainability plan to direct the "smart growth" of Columbia over the next 20 years through development of a program called Columbia’s Sustainable Total Efficiency Plan (CSTEP), which leaders hope will serve to guide the city’s growth in an energy efficient, environmentally responsible, economically vibrant manner. The City of Columbia proposes to implement this program via a four-pronged approach:

I. Development of a community-wide energy efficiency program reducing emissions coming from existing buildings, ensuring new construction maximizes energy efficiency, and improving transportation options;

II. Retrofitting an office building owned by the City as a demonstration project (which is initially conceived as an efficiency and conservation program but which may eventually include a renewable energy aspect) for other commercial property owners within the city;

III. Establishing a whole-neighborhood building energy retrofit project using a sustainable business model that will identify and help fund cost-effective energy upgrades for a large percentage of the older building stock along Columbia’s Main Street;

IV. Supporting a “challenge” program that will identify ways for homes and offices to recycle more and use less energy, recognize exemplary achievement, and reward cooperative effort towards community goals

The City of Columbia will seek funding through all available regional, state & federal grant and loan programs to help the community and participating homes & businesses evaluate, plan, finance and implement activities that leading to greater sustainability in Columbia & Monroe County.

New Strategy Hopes to Rearrange Regional Pieces Into a Vibrant Whole

A tectonic shift is underway in how the St. Louis region pursues economic development--a strategy that may be a real "game changer" in how region partners work together to build economic vitality.

Steve Johnson, Senior Vice President for the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association previewed an ongoing revision of RCGA's Economic Development Strategic Plan today for members of the Greater St. Louis Economic Development Network.  The Network affiliates more than 100 economic development agencies at the state, county and city levels in both Missouri and Illinois--including the City of Columbia.

Johnson began by itemizing the lessons that RCGA has learned while pursuing previous strategic plans over the past decade:

• The region needs to continue to overcome "knockout factors" like a slow growth rate and relatively low levels of educational attainment;
• When regional partners come together as they are designed to do, the region wins deals;
• The region struggles to compete for general manufacturing jobs, so efforts should focus on attracting those manufacturers that already have direct ties;
• Neither Missouri nor Illinois is competitive with other, neighboring states;
• Lack of access to capital remains a major impediment to business growth and--since neither state is likely to address this challenge--it must become a regional initiative;
• The region needs to address its need for talent as an economic driver;
• The region must work together as a region.

How can Greater St. Louis build upon this environment to be consistently ranked among the top ten of the twenty largest metro areas in terms of economic vitality?  The conversation is still continuing, but Johnson suggested four principles and five priorities that may shape the next strategic plan for the region.

Four Principles:

1. Balance recruitment, retention/expansion, and innovation;
2. Recapture the region's relevance as a center for commerce, transportation and distribution;
3. Achieve a purposeful alignment of supply and demand for talent;
4. Be regional in scope and highly collaborative.

Five Priorities:

1. Support growth in key industry sectors (e.g., financial & information services, medical science & services, advance manufacturing for aerospace & defense);
2. Target marketing & recruitment efforts;
3. Increase the rate of start-up ventures;
4. Better leverage all transportation assets;
5. Address talent as a strategic imperative.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Palmer/Quarry Rd. Wins ARRA Dollars

The East-West Gateway Council of Governments decided today to award $350,000 to the City of Columbia for improvement of Palmer/Quarry Rd. from DD Rd. to Ghent--one part of the $58 million in federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to 75 transportation projects across the St. Louis region.

The decision was made during a board meeting today at the agency's headquarters in St. Louis. Columbia Mayor Kevin Hutchinson represents the city on the board, and participated in today's meeting.

City Engineer Ron Williams reports that the project has been designed and is ready to go, and he expects that work will begin within ninety days.

Are Incentives Failing to Spur Growth?

An interim report from an ongoing study by research staff at the East-West Gateway Council of Governments has concluded that commitment of more than $2.5 billion in public money over the last 15 years for local development incentives has not resulted in real economic growth, and that focusing on expanding retail sales is a losing economic strategy for the region. The interim report was presented to the organization's Board of Directors last week.

In addition to those findings, the interim report suggests that the provisions for uniform reporting of revenues, expenditures and outcomes for all types of incentives are “remarkably weak,” and that there is no mechanism to require a private project sponsor to deliver economic outcomes, or to allow taxpayers to recoup the value of local tax incentives if those outcomes do not happen.

While the report is well-researched, it is still interim and East-West Gateway staff are seeking further input from cities and developers who actually deploy the incentives. The report makes little distinction between wide differences in how incentives are disbursed and reported in Illinois as compared to Missouri, for instance--a failing that should be corrected in any final document. It should also be noted that use of incentives in Columbia--such as Tax Increment Financing for redevelopment of the Admiral Trost Redevelopment Area--have been made and reported in a manner that the report, even in this interim stage, would support.

Established in 1965 to provide a forum for cooperative planning and problem-solving, the East-West Gateway's programs are continuously evolving in response to a changing region. Gateway’s 21-member policy and decision-making board is comprised of chief elected officials in Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles and St. Louis Counties and the City of St. Louis in Missouri and Madison, Monroe and St. Clair Counties in Illinois, six regional citizens and the chair of Metro. Columbia Mayor Kevin Hutchinson currently serves as a director.

Waiting for the Bus?

With the growing number of senior citizens, persons with disabilities and low-income families, there is a definite need for a more robust transit system. So why isn't better transit service becoming available to Monroe County residents?

Transit providers, of course, are being hit with the same economic limitations facing the rest of the community. The downturn--and citizen resistance to new taxes--has severely curtailed regional services through Metro and may eroding services provided by St. Clair County Transit to Columbia at the current time. Even those services are severely limited.

Despite the ongoing work of the Monroe/Randolph Transit District, communities in Monroe County and other downstate parts of Illinois are facing a substantial shortage of funds for transit. Nothing in the economic forecasts suggest that this fact will change anytime soon.

Nevertheless, Pike County community members and area agencies met yesterday with the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs to discuss how to get the first phase of a public transit system up and running. Pike is one of twenty-four counties in downstate Illinois that have little or no public transit services.