Collinsville City Council Waives Licensing Fees For Raffles, Increases Maximum Payouts
By Stephanie Malench
smalench@timestribunenews.com
The Collinsville City Council approved updates to the ordinance governing Licensing and Regulation of Raffles as a way to help nonprofits raise money and simplify the customer service experience with the city.
The revised ordinance also ensures compliance with the Illinois Raffles and Poker Runs Act.
In addition to eliminating the $50 annual license fee and eliminated the one time raffle license fee of $5. Only annual licenses are required.
The other fee schedule change is the addition of a $25 building board up fee in preparation for the new ordinance regulating the boarding of buildings.
In other business,
• a supplement to a professionals services agreement for the parking lot and roadway improvements on St Louis Road from Maple to S. Jefferson to proceed with the north side of the street at the same time. Construction is almost two years out as the water main and storm sewer designs still need to be completed and pipes cannot be ordered
•Christ Bothers Asphalt was awarded a bid for $385,959.36 to resurface Collinsport from East Port to Commerce Drive, Eastport Plaza from 157 to the Illinois State Police Complex, Eastport Executive Drive and Commerce Drive. The project includes ADA improvements, signal looping, and striping. The project will be paid with CIP funds instead of TIF funds.
•An intergovernmental with the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois was renewed for the next year. The Collinsville Police Department is a charter member and provides the city with access to 15-20 drug agents for help with cases.
•An application to St. Clair County for a Parks grant of up to $25,000 was approved to purchase trash cans and picnic tables that can continue to be used as the Sports Complex grows.
• A presentation on the Gateway Center’s Key Performance Indicators was given by new Gateway Convention Center Operations Manager Dave Allison. Prior to COVID shutdowns, the Let’s Go Fishing Show in January of 2020 broke all attendance records for the show in previous years. The Convention Center saved $110,000 by using staff to do painting of the Convention Center during the shutdown instead of contracting the project out. Goals for 2021 include guiding the Convention Center toward recovery of event business to pre-pandimic revenues, looking at sponsorship opportunities for events and parts of the building, and developing an in-house beverage service which will increase revenue by three to five times over having the service catered.
The next City Council meeting will be August 10 in the Council Chambers at 6:30 p.m.
