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.