O’Fallon Update The Official Quarterly Publication of the City of O’Fallon, Missouri Spring 2014 • www.ofallon.mo.us
Please vote to help shape our future O’Fallon’s new Disc Golf Course to open in April Don’t miss the grand opening of “The Fort,” O’Fallon’s new 18-hole disc golf course in Fort Zumwalt Park. At noon on Saturday, April 12, Mayor Bill Hennessy will lead a ribbon-cutting ceremony and officially throw out the first disc. A commemorative disc will be given to the first 100 people who attend. Golf pros with Gateway Disc Golf will demonstrate techniques, offer tips and sell game merchandise. All ages will be invited to try out “The Fort.” There is never a charge for open play.
In this issue 2
Senior Tax Rebates
3
Propositions J & P
4
Roscoe’s Den
5
Public Works
6
Upcoming Events
10 Volunteer O’Fallon, Media Center
A
s we close the books on one of the coldest winters we’ve had in a long time, we’ll start spring off with our annual municipal election on April 8th. This year, O’Fallon’s voters will elect more than half of our City Council members and will consider two propositions that I believe will help shape the future of our great City, Proposition J and Proposition P. Proposition J allows for the construction of a new Justice Center. Here in O’Fallon, we are extremely proud of our ranking as one of the safest cities in America, and we want to keep it that way. As our City grows, the need for more police officers also grows. This year, we will be hiring six new officers. Right now, when we hire these new officers, we will literally have to put their lockers in a basement hallway. The current Police Department already has outgrown our station, and that problem will only worsen in the future. With your support, we can build a Justice Center that addresses this need. Proposition P provides for the construction of two significant new parks projects: a new park off Highway DD and a major renovation of Civic Park to add a new Civic Hall and double the capacity of the Alligator’s Creek Aquatic Center. Our residents have continuously cited the need for more park space, playgrounds, nature trails and meeting and program space as their top parks priorities. Proposition P will address all of these needs. Page 3 of this newsletter includes a detailed overview of both propositions. You also can find more information on our website at www.ofallon.mo.us. I am strongly in favor of these propositions, and believe they will make our City better. I encourage you to research them carefully, and I hope that you will consider supporting them in April. Thank you! And, please remember to check out all of the great activities going on around O’Fallon this spring, shop local and “Keep it in the O!”
Bill Hennessy, Mayor The information on this page is intended only to help inform residents about what issues they may find on their ballot and not to advocate for or against the issues or persuade anyone how he or she should vote on April 8.
City Council candidates to meet at MYAC Forum Hear the candidates running in the April 8 municipal election give their views on City issues at the annual Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council (MYAC) Candidate Forum, Tuesday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at the O’Fallon Municipal Centre. The public is invited to attend the event or watch it live or on demand on O’FallonTV (Charter Channel 991, AT&T U-verse Channel 99, or www.ofallon.mo.us).
11 Police Bulletins 12 City Calendar
See reverse for the Spring Parks & Rec Guide