City leaders review the impact of COVID-19 on O’Fallon, burnout, plans moving forward

Now that Illinois has entered the Bridge Phase, full reopening is anticipated for June 11, which is Phase 5, if all goes according to plan.

However, as municipalities have learned during the past 14 months, if COVID-19 cases, hospitalization and death numbers escalate, tougher restrictions can return.

“It looks like we are trending in the right direction and getting some of our normalcy back. As we have all learned, this continues to be a fluid process and can change quickly,” said O’Fallon Police Chief Eric Van Hook after St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency released a statement May 6.

O’Fallon Mayor Herb Roach recently detailed how the city has been impacted since a public health emergency was declared in mid-March 2020.

Roach pointed out 10 effects during the O’Fallon City Council meeting May 3 but created a longer list to indicate the many challenges of the pandemic.

Roach said to minimize the impact on residents, they developed plans quickly. To keep the staff safe so they could serve citizens and businesses, they switched to operating most of the city’s functions remotely.

“Early on we reached out to other cities in other states to see what types of programs were working and what was not,” he said.

They held group meetings for churches, businesses, day cares and other organizations to keep everyone up to date on what the city was doing, what alternatives were available to them and the impact state regulations had on their activities.

Roach said they communicated daily with churches, day cares, schools and businesses as to what was occurring, what they saw coming down the line and answered questions.

They established protocol and procedures to conduct city meetings and have them open to the public.

To keep businesses open and employees working, he cited some of the city’s efforts:

• Reduced licenses to businesses
• Made accommodations to close streets for businesses to use
• Worked to expand outside dining
• Kept open lines of communication
• Worked with groups to do things to benefit local businesses
• Worked to get a $750,000 grant they then awarded to more than 50 of O’Fallon’s impacted businesses.

Other efforts to help residents included working with the county, local organizations and individuals for funding the local food pantry.

They gave accommodations on water and sewer bills and advised those impacted on how to get other needed assistance, he said.

They worked with the county on delaying real estate taxes.

For safety, the city furnished face masks to schools and worked with them on other programs. They helped educate citizens on the availability and benefits of tests being offered. They educated citizens on the vaccines being offered and locations available.

During this coronavirus crisis, they maintained open communication with the governor’s office, other state agencies, the county and other organizations to give input and stay abreast of changes and be aware of programs that could help citizens and businesses.

COVID-19 Burnout

The mayor noted 40 mayors and hundreds of trustees/council members had terms that expired May 1, he learned from the Southwestern Mayors Association. Only 14 of those 40 are staying on.

There were two reasons why there was such a turnover of those not seeking re-election, he said: Frustration and burnout over dealing with COVID-19 and citizens not understanding the complications being placed on cities by the state with various pieces of legislation, civil unrest and coronavirus restrictions.

The mayor noted this can have a real impact on the region’s ability to retain and attract new businesses and to stop the loss of population in many local communities.

Scott AFB and its relationship with O’Fallon

During his report May 3 and his weekly newspaper column, Roach brought up the continuity factor of O’Fallon’s administration in relationship to Scott Air Force Base.

“This really struck home to me when I attended the Abilene Trophy Award ceremonies at Scott Air Force Base. Mayor Jerry Daugherty of Mascoutah and I were the only two mayors present,” Roach said.

“After the ceremony, a couple of the commanding officers talked to me about the work that many of the mayors have been involved in to help the transition of Air Force families to our area when they are transferred to the base. This includes state legislation to make it easier to transfer many different types of licenses from other locations to Illinois,” Roach said.

Base leadership pointed out, of all the cities close to the base, Roach was the only returning mayor. Leadership changes had occurred in Belleville, Lebanon, Mascoutah and Shiloh in the April 6 municipal election. Roach, re-elected for a second term, has been part of past discussions on what some of the challenges are that face the base.

“I assured them that I would continue to work with the base and that our city would continue to work to help our service men and women who move to O’Fallon,” he said.

May 3 Council Action

The council approved designating the Hillesheim Building at 102 S. Vine St. as a historic landmark, as recommended by the O’Fallon Historic Preservation Commission.

The council approved engineering work for the Watermain Replacement Program at a cost of $154,000 by Gonzalez Companies, with additional easement costs as needed, for Wards 3 and 4: The area north of U.S. 50 includes Second Street from Smiley to Weber, Third Street from Smiley to Weber, Agnes Drive from Third to Weber, Edna Drive from Second to Weber, Annice Drive from Second to Third, and Weber Road from First Street to U.S. 50.

The area south of U.S. 50 includes Jamestown Road from U.S. 50 to Monterey, Holliday Drive from Jamestown to dead end, Monterey Drive from Jamestown to dead end, Pinehurst Drive from Jamestown to Matthew, Matthew from Desoto to Dartmouth, Doral Court from Matthew to dead end, Broadmoor from Monterey to Matthew, Dartmouth Drive for Matthew to Woods Way, and Oaktree Court from Dartmouth to dead end.

The council OK’d a project in Ward 6 to replace the culvert under U.S. 50 near Cambridge Boulevard causing localized flooding during heavy rains. The storm water detention pond in the Cambridge Condominiums development overtops in similar storms, which adds to the flooding. Millennia Engineering Services will be paid up to $31,500 for the drainage design.

More moves by O’Fallon City Council

The city will put a crosswalk at State Street and Vine Street and designate it as a no parking area.

The council approved a special event permit from Ekcan Holdings, doing business as Lillie’s & Dedo’s, for a weekly food truck at 2020 W. U.S. 50 for the next six months. The food truck will be there four days a week, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from April 30 to Oct. 30.

A contract to extend legal services with attorney Todd Fleming until April 30, 2025, was approved. He has been the city attorney since May 2017. The contract includes a $2,500 monthly retainer ($30,000 annually) and for projects outside the scope of items included as part of the retainer, he will be billed at $150 per hour.

The council approved the appointments of Elizabeth Jennings and Charla Morton to the library board for two-year terms until 2023. They replace Dennis Grimmer, the board president who died March 31, and Harriet Baker.

The mayor announced a town hall meeting would take place Wednesday, May 19, and the topics would include the Public Works projects scheduled for this year and the impact of the state legislation on police reform.

This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 7:00 AM.