Mark Mahoney and John Higginbotham presented a “Street & Sewer Infrastructure Analysis” specifying repairs and maintenance for roads, sidewalks and sewers over the next 3 years at an estimated cost of $86.6 million. No funding has been proposed to pay for the plan; we are waiting on the City to propose a plan that would be acceptable to at least 6 members of the City Council. In addition to needed repairs, small expansion of sidewalks and possibly the addition of bike-friendly improvements would be done. Several reasons why we should invest in infrastructure repair & maintenance now:
1. Increased future cost of wages and materials.
2. Continuing and cumulative deterioration that will require even more work if we don’t address it now; savings from preventive maintenance and extending life of roads & sewers.
3. Possibility of Consent Decree mandating improvements and civil penalties from EPA for lack of acceptable progress in eliminating sanitary sewer overflows to groundwater. (Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District required to spend $4.7 billion over 23 years and fined $1.2 million.
Aldermen have a priority list of repairs in their wards. ICON has requested improvement maps and the priority list.
– Infrastructure expansion and modernization are not part of this plan, and would most likely need to be funded, at least in part, by state and federal funding and grant funds.
– Public Works continues to address garbage scofflaw issues, citing 100-200 garbage ordinance violators a week through a “very labor intensive” process involving confirming addresses without service, visual inspections, citations, Administrative Court, Circuit Court, a watch list for repeat offenders, and waivers only for senior citizens who can prove sharing garbage pickup.
– The waste & recycling changes are proceeding, with the $1/month increase effective April 1, 2013. The CWLP software vendor is providing a proposal to implement billing on CWLP bills, which will take effect no later than January 1, 2014. The City hopes to implement CWLP billing sooner.
– Consistency of waste hauling services continues to evolve, including garbage can size and routes and scheduling to facilitate citations for people who chronically leave garbage cans on the street. Changes are sent through the Circuit Clerk so Aldermen are aware of changes.
– In addition to our regular attendees, we were joined by 3 representatives of Springfield Lakeshore Neighborhood Association and 1 representative of the Springfield Bike Club – see below for details.
– Support our host, First Church of the Brethren for their Pancake BreakfastMarch 9 at 7am.
Next meeting Monday, March 25, 7pm.