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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Sept 9, 2013 8:46:50 GMT -6
With the spectacular capabilities of the $18,000 video surveillance system our City put in, I would think that they already have better images.
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Post by OutlawwithaSnipeSniper on Sept 9, 2013 14:02:08 GMT -6
With the spectacular capabilities of the $18,000 video surveillance system our City put in, I would think that they already have better images. Ouch, that one's gonna leave a mark......
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Post by ~MnM~ on Sept 9, 2013 15:03:36 GMT -6
Ummmmm....someone used their phone to take a picture of this, but couldn't use that same phone to call the police? How does anyone expect to change things, if they won't get involved? I agree and whomever took the pictures and did not report it, should be ashamed of themselves. They'd be great pictures on the fb page, YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM STREATOR. Let ppl see them and their stupidity. MnM, please tell you friend to take photos to police or post on the FB page. I know that she wouldn't do that TOSH......but the more I continue to think about this issue, then the more irked I get! I am going to get her to send them to my phone...then I can unload them off and yes post them, take them up to the SPD.....or both. These weren't little inquisitive children either, these were just idiot teenagers...with absolutely NO respect or regard for anything! M
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Post by toshiko on Sept 9, 2013 17:02:31 GMT -6
With the spectacular capabilities of the $18,000 video surveillance system our City put in, I would think that they already have better images. Maybe they better review the tapes.
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Post by dragonfly on Sept 9, 2013 19:20:31 GMT -6
Someone told me the cameras aren't working. Not sure if they meant they have never worked, or are just down for now. Has there been any reports of arrests due to the cameras? I know at Marilla Park they caught kids driving through the park with the cameras out there.
Don't be afraid to stand for what you believe in, even if that means standing alone..
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Post by chisoxgrl on Sept 10, 2013 15:06:37 GMT -6
mix alcohol, heat ,testosterone and stupidity and you get these types of problems. VIOLENCE is the only reason for these problems. I feel as though if people would stop blaming other reasons for violence & owning up to their own decision making and violence, help would be given and people would make healthier decisions. It's blaming heat, alcohol, it just being a "man," thing that lets society overlook the real cause of violence, and it helps perpetuate domestic violence and sexual assault, as well. Just saying.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Sept 18, 2013 19:52:27 GMT -6
I saw pictures of kids CLIMBING up the City Park's fountain.......... <<< WTH?!?! This fountain IS fenced in and I guess not working and slated for repair/ replacement......and teenagers that night were climbing TO the top of it......................... Unreal........................ M $138,000.00 is what that replacement will cost us. Our City sure has a lot of money to spend on amenities. Kudos to Councilman Phelan, the lone no vote. I'm sure it will be nice, but I can think of better ways we could spend that much money. I hope we start investing more into the future of our community. We could be doing a lot more to bring livable wage jobs here.
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Post by longarm on Sept 19, 2013 8:29:59 GMT -6
Kyle are you saying the city is replacing the fountain in the park to the amount of $138,000?
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Sept 19, 2013 9:07:05 GMT -6
I rounded up a little: mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=481984The council approved 4-1 the waiving of competitive bidding and awarding of a contract to Art Casting Illinois, Inc. of Oregon, Ill. for the recast in bronze of a cherub statue at city park. Councilman William Phelan was the dissenting voter and questioned the cost and timing of the action. The agreement is for $70,450 for the bronze recast, but the total cost of the project is $137,950 to include redoing concrete bowls around the fountain and landscaping. Mayor Jimmie Lansford said the council is soliciting public donations to offset the cost of the project.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Sept 19, 2013 10:11:02 GMT -6
I think we'd be smart to start planting a few more rows.
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Post by hawk on Sept 19, 2013 11:17:19 GMT -6
I saw pictures of kids CLIMBING up the City Park's fountain.......... <<< WTH?!?! This fountain IS fenced in and I guess not working and slated for repair/ replacement......and teenagers that night were climbing TO the top of it......................... Unreal........................ M $138,000.00 is what that replacement will cost us. Our City sure has a lot of money to spend on amenities. Kudos to Councilman Phelan, the lone no vote. I'm sure it will be nice, but I can think of better ways we could spend that much money. I hope we start investing more into the future of our community. We could be doing a lot more to bring livable wage jobs here. How should they use the money? Apparently you think $138,000 goes a long way. That won't even blacktop a city block on it's own. Maybe they should use it for a city pool, right? No wait that's an "amenity". Be careful how you use that word amenity. Now, don't you think it would look quite strange to outsiders to have all this work done in the city park, nice band shell, new bathrooms, new parking lot, and have a fountain that is completely past its prime sit there rotting into non existence. Doesn't all of that fall under quality of life, which falls under economical development. I agree with you about bringing in more livable wage jobs, but how many jobs will $138,000 give us? You seem to have forgotten to also post what the city is doing to help Vactor by adding 30 more jobs to the facility or the ifiber. iFiber project coming along City Manager Paul Nicholson reported at Wednesday's regular council meeting the iFiber broadband system should be active between Friday, Nov. 15, and Tuesday, Dec. 31. As part of the agreement with iFiber, service will be installed at city hall, Streator Fire Department and Streator Police Department. At the October Committee of the Whole meeting, the council will discuss service providers for those locations. Possibly under a different provider, it also will go to the library, schools and hospital. "This is part of a combined partnership between NCICG (North Central Illinois Council of Governments), the city of Streator and the Chamber of Commerce to bring this for long-term economic development purposes,"Nicholson said. "It's our belief it's a prudent public policy to pursue." Tell me how this doesn't fall under investing into the future of the community.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Sept 19, 2013 11:54:07 GMT -6
I think $138,000.00 could pay for a year of a full time trained economic development person dedicated to bringing jobs here and who could give out the proper information to perspective businesses looking to locate here.
It could pay for another officer on our streets to clean up more of the negative elements and would improve the quality of life more than a fountain, in my opinion.
I didn't forget to mention the reactionary move of putting a drainage system in the industrial park. I just think that is something that could have been done years ago if we were serious about wanting businesses to locate there. Better now than never though.
What has the City invested in the I-Fiber other than agreeing to pay for service in the future? Isn't it a federal grant that is bringing it to town? Are we investing into making it available to perspective businesses that may want to come here?
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Post by hawk on Sept 19, 2013 12:56:53 GMT -6
I think $138,000.00 could pay for a year of a full time trained economic development person dedicated to bringing jobs here and who could give out the proper information to perspective businesses looking to locate here. It could pay for another officer on our streets to clean up more of the negative elements and would improve the quality of life more than a fountain, in my opinion. I didn't forget to mention the reactionary move of putting a drainage system in the industrial park. I just think that is something that could have been done years ago if we were serious about wanting businesses to locate there. Better now than never though. What has the City invested in the I-Fiber other than agreeing to pay for service in the future? Isn't it a federal grant that is bringing it to town? Are we investing into making it available to perspective businesses that may want to come here? Do you realize that the annual wage for the professional you speak of? Median annual wage and salary earnings are $77,010, so your going to get maybe 2 -3years out of them. Then what? Another police office, $52,810 per year approx. Again 3 years, then what? Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't you adamant in your disapproval for the money spent on Vandewalle & Associates for the downtown redevelopment and comprehensive plan? Are they not "a unique collection of highly talented individuals with diverse expertise in economic strategy, planning, design, energy systems, food and water systems, redevelopment, architecture, marketing, and real estate". According to their website. So which is it. Do you want to spend the money or don't you? "I didn't forget to mention the reactionary move of putting a drainage system in the industrial park. I just think that is something that could have been done years ago if we were serious about wanting businesses to locate there." So your blaming the current city council for something that should've been done years ago. Am I understanding this right. That is so ridiculous it's laughable. It was this city council who approached Vactor and asked them what they could do to help them. What did the city council do years ago? "Are we investing into making it available to perspective businesses that may want to come here"? Do you have proof that isn't an option?
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Sept 19, 2013 13:38:53 GMT -6
A couple years of an economic development person could very well create enough extra revenue to keep that position going.
I welcome seeing the economic development portion of the comprehensive plan, but we had another comprehensive plan that just sat on a shelf for years.
They couldn't even remember that it recommended people living above storefronts; just one of them remembered reading it somewhere, but couldn't recall where.
Blaming the current council? I was just explaining a reason why I didn't mention it in my first post.
The majority of the current council has been there for years and has had plenty of opportunity to put more resources towards bringing more jobs here.
Why would I need to provide proof that making fiber optics available isn't an option? I never said that at all.
All I did was ask some simple questions.
Since you were the one that brought it up as a way our City is investing in our future, why not just provide some answers?
How much has our City invested in fiber optics?
Are we investing into making it available to perspective businesses or not?
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Post by hawk on Sept 19, 2013 15:03:06 GMT -6
A couple years of an economic development person could very well create enough extra revenue to keep that position going. I welcome seeing the economic development portion of the comprehensive plan, but we had another comprehensive plan that just sat on a shelf for years. They couldn't even remember that it recommended people living above storefronts; just one of them remembered reading it somewhere, but couldn't recall where. Blaming the current council? I was just explaining a reason why I didn't mention it in my first post. The majority of the current council has been there for years and has had plenty of opportunity to put more resources towards bringing more jobs here. Why would I need to provide proof that making fiber optics available isn't an option? I never said that at all. All I did was ask some simple questions. Since you were the one that brought it up as a way our City is investing in our future, why not just provide some answers? How much has our City invested in fiber optics? Are we investing into making it available to perspective businesses or not? Alright since we're just handing out "what ifs" What if $138,000 was spent on E.D. person an nothing happens. No gain, no growth. We're back to square one and out $138,000 and 2 -3 years wasted. Pretty big risk to put towards a savior to all. At least with it spent on the fountain the overall project is done for the park, we've improved quality of life (even a lil bit) and it last indefinitely. I welcome seeing the economic development portion of the comprehensive plan, but we had another comprehensive plan that just sat on a shelf for years. Again blame the current council for something the past councils were responsible for. It was this council within the last couple of years that took it off the shelf and did everything on the comprehensive list. "I just think that is something that could have been done years ago if we were serious about wanting businesses to locate there." Sure sounds like blaming the council to me. I mean who is responsible for doing it years ago. The current city council is doing it now, so wouldn't it have been the city council that would've been responsible for it years ago. "The majority of the current council has been there for years and has had plenty of opportunity to put more resources towards bringing more jobs here." ALM Wal-mart Results Vactor - in progress. Hell these guys are looking for more people even before the current 30 jobs, but cant find anyone to pass the drug test Tractor Supply - in progress Was in the running to have a major factory build here a year ago One of the past council members is now the Mayor. Who has been in charge of or a part of all the things I just listed. He has done more then the last Mayor in the last couple of years. Maybe if they didnt have to read the umpteen letters you send to them and expect a reply to each one, they would have some more time to put towards resources. "Are we investing into making it available to perspective businesses or not?" It hasn't even be initiated yet. It won't be until November. Why put the cart before the horse. Lets get it up and running first. And besides how do you know the city hasnt offered it yet to any potential business coming to town. Do you even know of potential businesses coming to town and did you talk to them about this? An even better question since its being paid for by a grant, maybe the grant says it has to go to schools hospitals police ect first before it can be offered to any incoming businesses. Grants are very specific to how the money is spent.
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