2010 looks like it will be a year of decision making for Decatur. After several years of planning and talking about future needs, projects and goals for the city. 2010 is the year when many of those plans will be, if not put in motion, at least made more clear.
A final vote hasn’t been taken but it looks like the new police station will most likely be located in the Wabash Crossing area. In the past, many different locations and options have been discussed and promoted by different groups and individuals but Wabash Crossing seems to be the most logical and realistic spot. The next step is getting the project “shovel ready” for federal funds. The city will have to spend some money upfront to get a detailed plan developed but that in itself is a big step – considering past disagreements about where any facility should be located. A new police station is not going to be built in 2010 but the preliminary planning to get it built, will begin.
The school district will also be putting their recommendations for improving Decatur’s high schools before the voters this year. It hasn’t been settled what plans will actually be voted on yet. Either a brand new single high school campus located in a site yet undetermined, or at least undisclosed to the public as of yet, is one option; completely remodeling Eisenhower and MacArthur high schools is also an option; lastly converting Stephen Decatur Middle School back into a single campus high school may be on the ballot.
However, the Stephen Decatur option fails to mention where the middle school students would be displaced to. Would MacArthur be converted into a middle school and Eisenhower sold to St. Mary’s Hospital? That’s still up in the air but we’ll probably be voting on something in 2010. The problem of course, with any plan, is how do we pay for it and what are residents willing to pay? A county sales tax has been suggested but that seems even more unlikely to pass than asking Decatur’s residents for an increase in property taxes. Of course, doing nothing is an option if voters reject whatever plan is placed on the ballot.
The plans for the lakefront at Nelson Park will also be unveiled this year. This has been a hot topic in Decatur as many residents fear losing public access to the lake through one of Decatur’s oldest and most beloved park. The Nelson Park golf course was closed in 2009 and plans for that land are still up in the air. The city, park district and Chamber of Commerce have all contributed time and money towards the planning but now it’s the public’s turn to contribute both with ideas and possibly money.
So, it looks like 2010 will be a busy one for Decatur.
You know – whether or not the district can get a county wide tax – I’m really really pleased they are willing to at least consider trying to get that. We might be surprised at what the rest of county would be willing to do to help Decatur. Knowing we are the core who bare brunt of the expenses of the industries that support us all. Who knows and it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Also I hope the park district follows the lead of the school district on the public input front. District 61 did an outstanding job trying to engage the public. I’ll not be surprised to see something similar from the park district.
I don’t know. I’d be very surprised if county residents would be willing to raise taxes to improve Decatur’s schools – even though the tax would be for their schools too. It’s going to be a VERY tough sale.
I’ve had discussions with some of the park district people and board members in the past and they’ve reassured me that they are going to be open to public sentiment. I think they’re sincere. But if the plans include condos along the shores of Nelson Park or on the golf course, I think Decatur’s residents will come out with pitchforks, torches and bazookas to stop it.
And as a side note, it’s been mentioned that the public would have to vote on any kind of sale of Nelson Park to a private entity but I don’t remember voting on selling Fairies Park to ADM. Do you?
Honestly I’d be totally shocked if the plans include condos along Nelson park. I think they really are intending on getting input from the public.
Yes we did vote on selling Faries. And if I remember right it passed with a pretty big margin inspite of my vote against it!!
I couldn’t remember if there was a vote about Faries Park or not. Well that helps calm some fears!
At one time condos at Nelson had been suggested but I don’t think that would fly. I’m not sure about the golf course though. I’ve seen plans for the lakefront and I wouldn’t be opposed to them. I just don’t know about all that land that was the golf course. I guess we’ll find out soon enough. Public meetings are planned for the future.
Read this on the H&R site: http://herald-review.com/news/local/article_b1ec87ff-cb93-5b6d-9238-0aa7597bda9c.html
This article is the first time I heard that MacArthur would be converted to a middle school if the Stephen Decatur option is chosen. They kind of danced around that detail during the task force meetings. It was assumed but never confirmed. The article should have mentioned that St. Mary’s and Southeast Elementary could possibly be sold to St. Mary’s. That’s kind of a big detail not to have in the article. Not that St. Mary’s has made any commitment to buy the properties, that I know of, but it was discussed at the task force meetings. It’s one of the pluses of choosing SDMS or building one new facility. The money from selling EHS and Southeast to St. Mary’s could help. And I hadn’t seen a price tag for the “do nothing” option before reading this article. I wouldn’t call spending $48.1 million dollars “do nothing”. That’s kind of misleading. It really should be rephrased.
Maybe the county sales tax won’t be as tough of a sale as I thought but it also looks like it would be coupled with a property tax increase too.
In the H&R there was a public notice (Jan. 2,2010) the Park District wants public comments on a proposal to sell bonds in the amount of $3,600,000. Public comments can be given at their meeting of January 20th. It is to re-fund debt certificates, land condemned and purchased, building, maintenance, etc.. Selling Bonds to re-fund debt certificates is that robbing Peter to pay Paul?
February 11, 2010 there will be a Community Leaders Breakfast it is advertised as a kickoff for Decatur’s Lakefront. Public meetings are suppose to start in February – when do they start?
In a November meetings of the Park Board Rick Anderson reported the golf courses had a profit of $165,000, and said he shows they made the right decision in the Spring (closing Nelson) – December he said they were in the hole on the golf courses, no pun intended. We had a lot of rain, couldn’t get out on the course and so on. Wasn’t the same information true in November, but it was implied they were making a profit because Nelson closed, apparentely it didn’t help in December. Maybe three golf courses is too much for Decatur. Maybe that money would be better spent on other things.
The cost for the “design” for the Lakefront is approx. $250,000. Don’t you think that money could be spent on actually improving the park? $250,000. would go a long way in sprucing up the park.
I didn’t see that notice in the H&R. Thanks for informing us of the Community Leaders Breakfast for Feb 11th. I’m going to try and make it there, if not I think WSOY usually carries it.
Maybe we’ll find out when the public meetings are supposed to start at the breakfast.
If anyone wants to go to the leaders breakfast, it’s Thursday, Feb 11th from 7:00am-9:00am at the Decatur Convention Center & Hotel (Holiday Inn). Tickets are $16. 421-6911
Their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#/photo.php?pid=2880274&id=206561688118
St. Teresa is currently raising money to pay for tuckpointing on the 1930 & 1954 buildings along with a new roof for the 1930 building. They don’t have the luxury of a tax base to pay for it. District 61 needs to live within their means. There is no way the county residents or the city residents will vote for a tax increase. New buildings will not increase the quality of education!
Anthony, I have my doubts about any tax increases passing either. They’re hard to get through when the economy is good.
That is an interesting point about St. Teresa. Private schools have the ability to raise money to improve their buildings through various ways. I think they’ve also maintained their buildings better throughout the years. St. T always seems to be successful in getting the funds they need for new building projects. Public schools don’t seem to have that luxury. They’re totally dependent upon tax revenue and once in a while a donation from an individual. It sure would be nice if the community could step up for the public schools like they do for the private ones. I’ll admit I’m a much bigger fan of public schools than private but I think the public system could learn some good business practices from the private schools.
St. T’s per student cost is probably even less than the public schools dollar figure, yet they’ve kept their ancient buildings clean and updated. Even if you factor in the occasional fund drives, the private number is probably about the same as the public number. The difference is in student accountability, and parental involvement. My wife and I volunteered constantly in the Decatur schools, only to have our daughters openly assaulted by undisciplined criminal children. The borderline minimal punishment dished out by the D.P.S. system didn’t make our children whole by a long shot. Now you’re chasing me out in the county to make me contribute to that catastrophic failure? Our story is a common one, not an aberation in good ole Decatur. Tell me what that tax is going to be, and I’ll gladly just make a like kind contribution to St. T, LSA, or Decatur Christian, preferably to their underpriviledged scholarship program. That might change someone’s life, not just perpetuate a societal embarassment.
J.T.
It’s a shame that a family had to relocate to avoid the exact problems that you described. No wonder every community around Decatur is growing!! I would rather pay $5,000.00 dollars a year to send my kid to St. Teresa then subject them to the violence that your children had to endure. God Bless You!
You may want to check out the web site for the lakefront development. http://www.decaturslakefront.com