Grant could aid improvement plans for community park in O’Fallon
Help to fund a new perimeter and interior trail and an all-abilities playground in the O’Fallon Community Park may be on its way.
The O’Fallon City Council agreed to seek an Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant at its Aug. 16 meeting — a necessary requirement.
The deadline to apply for the grant, which would be a maximum of $400,000, is Sept. 1.
The total project is not expected to exceed $1 million. It requires a 50% local match, and if the grant is received, the city will be committed for $400,000.
If awarded, the cost to the city would be a maximum of $600,000 in the FY23 annual budget.
Andrew Dallner, director of parks and recreation, said his department researched the projects’ feasibility, as the all-abilities playground and new perimeter and interior trail were ranked favorably by the community.
The department hosted a community input meeting July 28 regarding the Parks Master Plan, where results of an online survey were shared. They also gathered additional information during open public comments.
The all-abilities playground would include benches and shade trees, the report said. A recommendation to repave and widen the perimeter and trail — adding benches and increasing lighting — had also been made.
In the new Parks Master Plan, more work is planned for the Community Park, including restroom renovations, turf field replacement on one ball field, new dugouts and backstops on two fields, and the addition of a multi-purpose stage and pavilion.
Office Building Extension
The council agreed to a request from developer David Wittenauer of RE Investment for a one-year extension of the approved planned use so they could continue to market the development and secure an anchor for an office building at 811 W. U.S. 50.
The project’s preliminary site plan and planned use ordinance were approved Oct. 7, 2019. The time limit was to expire in two years from that.
The city’s code of ordinances allows for the council to grant no more than three extensions — not exceeding 12 months each — upon written request.
The 1.69-acre parcel of land — just west of the intersection of U.S. 50 and Green Mount Road — was rezoned for plans that included a one-story multi-tenant office building that measured 25,245 square feet.
New Ambulance
The council agreed to purchase an ambulance for the O’Fallon-Shiloh EMS from Emergency Services Supply and Osage Ambulance. The cost is not to exceed $286,280.
Police Chief Eric Van Hook said the ambulance would be a replacement already listed in the Capital Improvement Plan and included in the FY22 budget. However, the delivery may carry into the next fiscal year.
The company was the sole bidder when the bid opening took place July 30.
Annexation Request
The city approved a request from Brian Toennies and Ramona L. Westerheide-Toennies to annex 15.43 acres at 209 Bethel Road so they could build a home.
The property is currently zoned agricultural district in St. Clair County and will become a rural residential district upon its annexation to O’Fallon.
Virtual Attendance at Meetings
The council has adopted procedures for electronic attendance at municipal government meetings.
Virtual attendance became part of the city’s meetings as soon as the COVID-19 public health crisis happened statewide in March 2020.
When the coronavirus pandemic limited in-person gatherings last year, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order allowed elected officials to attend public meetings remotely.
That executive order has been extended to Saturday, Aug. 21. However, the city needed to revise its meeting attendance policies to comply with state law.
The ordinance states elected officials may attend public meetings remotely when sick, out of town on business, or due to acts of God. State law does not allow virtual attendance during vacations or other personal reasons.
Members of the public body may not remotely attend more than 20% of council meetings. But a chairman must be present in-person at a meeting.
City Attorney Todd Fleming developed the new ordinance from an Illinois Municipal League model ordinance.
IML is supporting a bill in the General Assembly’s fall veto session to expand virtual attendance, but, in the interim, this ordinance will provide allowances for remote attendance if the executive order expires.
City Administrator Walter Denton said the governor’s executive order supersedes the state’s Open Meetings Act.
Special Event Permits Approved
John Michel of Soulcial Kitchen was approved for a weekly food truck at both Menard’s at 1179 Central Park Drive and Auffenberg Kia at 106 Auto Court for six months.
Hours of operation would be from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. multiple days per week.
Soulcial Kitchen has been at those locations before without incident. Its food truck, A Fine Swine BBQ, is approved and licensed within the city, but El Guaqo Taco — or any additional Soulcial Kitchen food truck — would need to apply for a mobile food vendor license before opening within the city limits.
According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, food trucks must register with the state as a changing locations type of business. Selling food and beverages in O’Fallon means they are to collect 8.85% sales tax — with 7.85% report and remitted to IDOR, and the other 1% is reported and remitted to the city on its municipal food and beverage tax return.
Patrick Christensen of the O’Fallon Parks and Recreation Department received a special event permit for a Touch a Truck event from 10 am. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, at the O’Fallon Community Park.
A variety of emergency vehicles, tractors, garbage trucks and others will park around the park for children to interact with, and the vehicle lineup would start at 9 a.m.
Street closures on East Fifth Street and South Park Street were approved.
One food truck would be present at the event and must be licensed.
Moose Lodge Donation
The city accepted $1,500 from the O’Fallon Moose Lodge as a donation to City Fest. The organization raised funds through its monthly barbecues on the third Saturday of the month at the American Legion.