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Wednesday, November 1, 2017 - Vol. 118 Issue 30
Council negotiates pool agreement By Isaiah Herard news editor The proposed management and operations agreement with the YMCA for operating Glenwood Pool in 2018 overshadowed discussions at Macomb City Council’s second consecutive Committee of the Whole meeting Monday. According to City Administrator Dean Torreson, the city of Macomb will endure a $12-13,000 deficit to uphold the Glenwood pool. “Our cost model shows about $31,000 worth of revenue and about $43,000 worth of expenses on average per year,” Torreson said. “The $12-13,000 deficit for running the pool that’s very acceptable. You check around other communities and it would be very hard to find a community that makes money off a municipal pool; it’s one of those services you figure you have to pay for. You need an outdoor pool for kids, it’s an important community asset that we need.” Later in the meeting, Transit Director Nathan Cobb presented to the Council a memo advocating the solicitation of bids for the construction of 11 new bus stop pads and shelters.
“The project was going forward two years ago and now we’re getting it started back up and hopefully the state will approve it,” Cobb said. “We’re going to have a shelter at Horrabin Hall and hopefully one at Campus Pointe and Campus Manor. The one at Horrabin will be a very large one because a lot of people stand there and wait. I think it’ll be a good project for the community.” In addition, Cobb also presented his resolution to the Council that authorizes Mayor Mike Inman to execute and amend the downstate operation assistance grant agreement for the public transportation program. “It’s just a standard document that gives the mayor the approval to enter an agreement with the state of Illinois to receive state funding for operating the transit system,” Cobb said, “so we can provide the bus, the GoWest service and command response service that we do.” The City Council held discussions on an ordinance to amend Appendix A Use Matrix to add Special Use, S, Recreation Center under Service Businesses Heading, to Residential districts R-1 and R-2 One Family, R-3 Two, R-3A Limited Multiple, and R-4 Multiple Family
Residential Districts. “This would be an amendment to the Use Matrix to allow recreation centers to be processed under the special use application,” said Ray Heitner, Community Development Coordinator. “This issue is separate because it’s trying to assess whether or not the use matrix will take place.” Finally, the Committee of the Whole adjourned last night’s meetings with discussions on a bid from Collins Concrete for sidewalk improvements at the Depot. In his memo, Torreson described the importance of Collins Concrete sidewalk improvement due to public safety issues and meeting the requirements of the American Disabilities Act (ADA). “We need some fixing of the sidewalk surrounding the train depot,” Torreson said. “There are places where it’s not safe and it also needs to be ADA compliant, handicap accessible and so forth. Amtrak Corporation itself made some improvements to the building and put in a ramp and the sidewalk leads to the ramp so that all has to be ADA compliant.” The next City Council meeting will take on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. in City Hall.
JASMYNE TAYLOR/COURIER STAFF
Mayor Mike Inman (top) and City Administrator Dean Torreson (bottom) discuss the Management and Operations agreement with the YMCA.
SGA considers new venues By Isaiah Herard news editor
GARRY CARTER/COURIER STAFF
Inter-Hall Council President Killian Tracey proposes a change of meeting locations for the Student Government Association's (SGA) weekly meetings every Tuesday to increase external student activity, legislation and overall productivity of SGA..
The Student Government Association (SGA) attempted to create diversity and gain a bigger following in yesterday’s meeting with discussions and presenting the idea of conducting their weekly Tuesday night meetings in various residence halls to attract students on campus. Introducing the idea to change locations was IHC president Killian Tracey, who insisted the change of locations would increase external student activity and increase the audience of SGA. “Obviously, people aren’t coming to our meetings now and that’s on us and so hopefully this is something we can do to change that to get people to be more interested and do something differently so that way these meetings can be more productive and we can do more things for students,” Tracey said.
Speaker of the Senate Patrick Quinlan, who advocated Tracey’s sentiment, said the lack of attendance at Hall government meetings on Mondays is detrimental to the connection and networking from SGA to students. “Everybody knows that Hall Government meetings are on Mondays and no one goes to them,” Quinlan said. “That would be the number one way to connect with somebody if you’re a hall representative is to go to Hall Government, but if no one shows up to Hall Government there’s nothing you can do. As an organization we need younger people to come up and be the face of the organization after we’re gone, so reaching out to freshman is a great way to do that. Having meetings in say, Tanner Hall, would be a great way to do that.”
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