GREENVILLE TOWN HALL MEETINGS ON BUDGET
Greenville City Manager Dave Willey conducted two Town Hall meetings Wednesday regarding the budgeting process for the city and the difficult decisions the city faces. Willey told WGEL the budgeting process they have is large and complex and difficult to explain. Ultimately, balancing the city’s budget is no different than your home budgeting process. All budgeting is making choices about including one thing or cutting another and those choices all have consequences. If you want to include a service, you must also have the personnel to provide that service. If you want to cut personnel, some services will also be cut. Willey said the purpose of the meetings was to let Greenville residents know there are difficult choices to be made. They were not making any decisions about items currently in the budget.
The meeting included information about current and possible cost issues facing the city and attendees reviewed 19 ways the city might raise revenues, cut costs, or address other spending needs. No decisions were made because the meetings were for education only. Nineteen persons attended the noon meeting and nine were at the 5:30 p.m. meeting.
Willey said there will be at least one more such meeting before the budget is due to be reviewed by the city council at their regular May meeting.
BOND COUNTY BOARD APPROVES PERMIT TO PLACE BUILDING AT PATRIOT'S PARK
The Kingsbury Park District applied for a special use permit to place a donated building at Patriot’s Park and the request was unanimously approved at the Bond County Board meeting Tuesday night. KPD Director Jerry Sauerwein said Bechtel Corporation donated the building to be placed at Patriot’s Park and used as an indoor pavilion, available for renting for events. The building will be air conditioned and heated and will be a great addition to Patriot’s Park. Sauerwein said the only cost to the KPD will be transportation of the building and pouring the concrete pad. The building had been used by Bechtel as an office building during a construction project.
The board gave chairman Brock Willeford authority to extend the Special Services District Contract with Greenville Regional Hospital for 120 days while negotiations continue on a new longer contract. The Special Services District is the agreement in partnership with Greenville Regional Hospital to provide ambulance service to the county.
There might soon be a new sign welcoming people to Greenville. Watson Tidball attended the meeting and said a generous donor had offered to pay for a lighted sign that could be located at the bottom of Mill Hill to welcome travelers to Greenville, along with Greenville College and other non-profit local organizations. While the process is just getting started the sign could be a nice addition. State’s Attorney Chris Bauer said since the area where the sign could be placed touches a state highway, IDOT approval may be needed. Bauer said he would get clarification on that issue and be in touch with Tidball. The land where the sign might be placed belongs to the county.
