Collinsville City Council Hears Results of Greenhouse Gas Inventory

By Stephanie Malench

smalench@timestribunenews.com

The Collinsville City Council received the results of its greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, completed by sustainability intern Waleska Do Valle Santos from SIUE during its September 28 meeting at the Gateway Convention Center.

The numbers that Santos used for her report were from 2019 because they point a more realistic picture of government and residential habits in energy use.

Objectives of the GHG inventory include providing a baseline for measuring future progress on reducing GHG emissions, which are outlined in the city’s sustainability plan created by the Cool Cities Committee in 2020.

The City will complete a new GHG Inventory every three years to track its progress.

The biggest GHG producer in the community is residences, followed by transportation.

At the Government lever buildings and facilities is the biggest offender, followed by streetlights and traffic signals.

During reports from City staff, Public Works Director Dennis Kress informed the council that Madison County Transit was asking for permission to close Horseshoe Lake Rd at Illinois 157 during the 2023 construction season to build a tunnel under the road for the Schoolhouse Trail.

This closure would make it safer for the crews. The city will also take advantage of the closure to make permanent repairs to sections of Horseshoe Lake Rd that are buckling by removing the concrete several feet, placing  new steel rods in and pouring new concrete.

The detour for the project will be East Port Plaza Drive for local traffic and trucks will be diverted on the interstates.

City Manager Mitch Bair also asked Department heads to start making lists of their “Mission Critical Needs” for the 2022 budget.

This followed comments by Council members when councilman Jeff Stehman asked the city staff to make a list of what projects should be the focus of the upcoming Capital Improvement Plans and which ones can be put off until a later time.

In other council business:

•an ordinance was passed authorizing Mayor John Miller to sign an agreement with Bellefeuil, Szur, & Asssociates (BS&A) to purchase new financial software. The new software will replace software that is 35 years old and allow accounts payable to go 100% paperless, be more efficient, and implement an automated budget process

•Chief Financial Officer Kris Mooney will then be able to execute a TIPS vendor agreement for a new timeclock system that will integrate into the above software system.

•An ordinance authorizing Miller to sign a legal services  agreement pertaining to  PFAS groundwater contamination detected by the IEPA in tap water during a statewide investigation. The plastic containments were found to be in most all community water supplies throughout the state.

•An ordinance authorizing the city council to exercise power of administrative review of a special use permit requested by Miles Maggio in relation to Kingdom Stays Short Term Rental Accommodations at 710 St. Louis Rd. The city council may affirm, reverse, or modify the planning commission’s findings within 60 days. The Planning Commission narrowly approved the permit for the bed and breakfast 4-3 in its September meeting.

The next City Council meeting will be October 12 at 6:30 p.m.