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Post by dog on May 13, 2014 8:19:22 GMT -6
I saw on the news that the governor is promoting sustainability at his mansion in Springfield and now has nine laying hens. I'm sure that there are some people on here that are appalled by this and will be calling him out to tell him that chickens only belong on farms. It was promoted as a small way that individuals can help preserve our planet. I also think that living more sustainably is important and becoming more popular. They say that they get 50,000 visitors a year and that the hens have become the most popular part of the tour. A few months ago, our City Council was very motivated to change our ordinances in the opposite direction without even allowing any public input. The night before a Special 8:00 am Thursday meeting, a council member told my son that he would not vote to delay their decision to hear public input, because he had all the information he needed on chickens. Maybe he has a Phd in chickens, but how could he pretend to know how the citizens of Streator, that he is supposed to be representing, feel about them? They did end up delaying the vote and then at the next meeting, I gave them a lot of information on the benefits and dispelled the negative fallacies, asking that they allow residents to have few laying hens. I find it strange that now we hear nothing from them about the issue after they felt it was such an emergency to take immediate action, trying not to allow the public a chance to comment. I hope it wasn't just because they didn't like me and couldn't separate the person from the issue like oldtimer. I doubt that we will see any change by waiting for them to take action to provide people more personal choice, but I do think hens should be allowed. Along with cleaning up our community and its image, being more inviting to business, and following our laws, perhaps allowing residents to live more sustainably with a few hens will be an election issue next year too. That's interesting that the chickens have become so popular in the short time they have been at the mansion. I guess it really shows just how dis-interested visitors are in everything else that is there, including our governor. From what I read, he is only there 40-50 nights a year. Appears to me he might be trying to appeal to the downstate farmer vote. While laying hens are a good idea, I hope they see thru Quinn's BS and vote him out anyway.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on May 14, 2014 22:13:24 GMT -6
At Tuesday's Council meeting they were discussing the problems(other than the leaders) at City Hall.
I think I'm remembering and understanding these numbers and details right from what they said, but find it hard to believe.
They budget $45,000/year just to service the A/C system, but typically go over. The system is down now and needs $12,000 for the immediate repairs. The current pattern of repairs matches those needed ten years ago before the compressor gave out and they fear a $48,000 replacement will be needed. However because of the condition of the rest of the system, they recommend replacing it entirely, which would be $820,000. The building also has plumbing problems.
I deal with having to cool large spaces but those numbers just seem very unreal to me. Did their highfalutin attitude have them pricing a gold plated system? I think that if many businesses had to cover those type of expenses, they would just close.
I noticed that the Canale Real Estate building still hasn't sold. Maybe the City should buy that building, move back in there, and just tear down the current City Hall, it would probably save taxpayers a lot of money. With their highfalutin attitude and so many vacancies, I hope that they don't start talking about having us foot the bill for a new building.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on May 15, 2014 7:16:20 GMT -6
The Times says that our school district administrators and board members picketed in front of the capital for state aid.
I wonder why Mayor Lansford doesn't share his take on the First Amendment with our state leaders to be able to deny public speech when they don't like the subject matter being discussed. I doubt that they would allow it in Streator.
The school district’s total local property tax revenues extended from last year decreased by $228,102, from $5,242,729 to $5,014,627.
"The continued loss of EAV has resulted in a significant loss of local property tax revenue for the school district," Wilkinson told The Times. "Basically, our local property tax revenue losses have more than doubled this year".
I know that dog says that his client list is growing and FOT says that two houses sold in his neighborhood, but I feel that these numbers are a result of so many vacant buildings with no use and so many people not wanting to live or spend their money here.
Perhaps City leaders and their supporters shouldn't tell people to leave just because they don't agree with the direction that they keep our community heading. Maybe they should honor free speech and work on solving the problems that citizens voice instead of ignoring them. Perhaps they shouldn't publicly declare people illegal until after they read our laws. Maybe they shouldn't give out requirements that are not supported by our laws to stop businesses.
I don't see Illinois or Streator (our leaders don't want Streator's problems even being talked about) changing any time soon, so maybe we just need to look at closing more schools. The City is talking about cutting the services that they provide, but are keeping which services a secret (golf would get my vote).
I really think that we need a different attitude and direction from City Hall, but that's just my insignificant opinion.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on May 16, 2014 5:58:42 GMT -6
It was great to see an article in the paper about the Municipal Equipment Expo.
At Tuesday's Council meeting, the Mayor called out the media, saying how disappointed he was that there was no coverage at the event.
Despite the problems that I voice about our Mayor, I credit him for this great idea and look forward to seeing what this event grows into ten years from now. I bet that it creates business connections that end up generating sales throughout the year.
They also talked about the City's matching funds for a grant to conduct a regional feasibility study for a multi-modal.
They are also working on a Facade Improvement Grant program. I like the 80% up to $10K option if we can afford it. I think it could attract new business since many other communities are only 50%. There was talk of lowering the percentage and increasing the limit. I could even see a combination, 80% to one limit, then 50% to a higher limit. They've only budgeted $50K for it now, but it's a start.
In 2010, I thought it was ridiculous that we only put something like $22,500 out of a $32 million budget towards economic development and there didn't seem to be much being done. When I started asking then that they put more resources towards it, I received opposition saying that what they were doing was working just fine, that Walmart was coming.
It is great to see that they are now pursuing some more business activity.
I wonder who they will appoint to the empty council seat. I hope it is someone with a open-minded, business friendly, progressive attitude, as opposed to someone wanting to put all of our eggs into being a retirement, bedroom community.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on May 17, 2014 7:31:20 GMT -6
Easements were being talked about in another thread, I thought that I'd bring what I have to say here because of the chance that it could draw cesspool filled comments from my tag team attackers. job, dog, greek, oldtimer, job, dog, greek, northsider, job, dog, greek, FOT, job, dog, greek, anonymous, job, dog, greek, cmon, job, dog, greek... I lose track of whose turn it is.
I own to the backside of the curb along Main Street. The City wanted an 8' easement and brought me paperwork offering $1 for it.
I had concerns other than the value, but was planning to give it to them and had the paperwork with me to turn in after a council COW meeting. When they publicly declared me an illegal resident at that meeting, even though I wasn't, but then refused to publicly acknowledge that or apologize, I decided that I didn't want to give them the easement at all.
The City of Streator has survived 146 years and has built sidewalks, installed street lights, etc. without the easement, I see no reason why they even need it now.
I raised money for SDAB's downtown beautification efforts that was supposed to include new street lighting. I believe that SDAB had raised the funds, but it was the City that would not allow the work to be done.
It didn't seem like the City liked SDAB (the B does stand for business) very much. They still haven't responded to the parking issues for downtown business that have been brought to their attention many times over the years. It took many years for them to only address part of the snow removal issues.
From my previous involvement in SDAB, I wouldn't say that our City has had a very good relationship with the business group in the past. Hopefully they are changing.
SDAB has really done some good things.
I don't think I should have to wonder if the City has any respect for Streator Downtown Area Businesses, but with the way I hear them refer to the group, I wonder if they even know what their name is.
Even though I do own to the back of the curb, I still can't display merchandise there or participate in sidewalk sales without risking a fine, unless I get a Special Use permit.
Some businesses are allowed to display merchandise outside without one, while others are fined for it. I do not agree with their over restrictive laws and then selective enforcement. I do not think it is good for our community.
I feel that when people drive down the street and see some mums sitting outside a flower shop, unique items in front of the Secret Garden, etc. it says to them that an otherwise closed looking downtown is actually open.
For some reason, it seems that our City just does not want to address the outdoor sales or parking issues. This doesn't seem very friendly or inviting to business to me.
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Post by chevypower on May 17, 2014 14:39:51 GMT -6
Snobs up in that place, if you are not a regular........then they gulk at people..... seen this for my own eyes, and about 50 other people said the same thing. too bad people are like that.
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Post by job on May 17, 2014 18:05:18 GMT -6
In one of Kyle's recent utterances, he said in part:
" Easements were being talked about in another thread, I thought that I'd bring what I have to say here because of the chance that it could draw cesspool filled comments from my tag team attackers. job, dog, greek, oldtimer, job, dog, greek, northsider, job, dog, greek, FOT, job, dog, greek, anonymous, job, dog, greek, cmon, job, dog, greek... I lose track of whose turn it is."
I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but somehow Kyle has a highly inflated view of himself and his abilities. By now, most posters have learned that he been a failure at whatever he has tried to do for many years. What amazes me is that he really must believe that he is not a flop, a phony, a blowhard, etc. He really must believe that his posts require a "tag team" to deal with them. In fact, any of the people he listed as members of the "tag team" can easily bounce Kyle around and make him look foolish. Ironically, however, I have only met a couple of people on the supposed tag team.
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2014 18:13:35 GMT -6
Snobs up in that place, if you are not a regular........then they gulk at people..... seen this for my own eyes, and about 50 other people said the same thing. too bad people are like that. "gulk"??
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Post by job on May 17, 2014 19:16:26 GMT -6
Snobs up in that place, if you are not a regular........then they gulk at people..... seen this for my own eyes, and about 50 other people said the same thing. too bad people are like that. "gulk"??I have eaten there at least five times in the last five years or so. Obviously, I am not a regular. I always thought that the service was first rate. Actually, any place I have eaten in Streator in the last ten years, I have thought that the service was exemplary. In the old comic books, the characters used to say "gulp" fairly frequently. I was never sure how to pronounce the word, and I never heard anyone saying anything like "gulp" in the real world. Also, I never heard anyone saying "gulk" either. I guess that this post is probably off topic.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on May 17, 2014 23:50:44 GMT -6
I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but somehow Kyle has a highly inflated view of himself and his abilities. By now, most posters have learned that he been a failure at whatever he has tried to do for many years. What amazes me is that he really must believe that he is not a flop, a phony, a blowhard, etc. He really must believe that his posts require a "tag team" to deal with them. In fact, any of the people he listed as members of the "tag team" can easily bounce Kyle around and make him look foolish. Ironically, however, I have only met a couple of people on the supposed tag team. Hey job, thanks for keeping the conversation going. Actually, I am very aware of how insignificant I am and what I have failed at. Yes, I failed at getting the bar violence reduced so that we wouldn't read in The Times about Streator having 34 incidents last year as compared to just 7 in Ottawa. I admit that my attempts at hearing candidates' ideas in City Park and discussion from our City leaders to clean up Streator and its image were flops. I failed at being able to get a requirement for a business from our Mayor that is supported by our laws. I don't believe that a tag team of attackers is required, but that is basically what has been happening. Most of the posts have no reasonable argument concerning what I have to say, but are just personal attacks and insults. Your post for instance. You did not address any of the issues that I talked about, but called me names. I suppose that if you have no intelligent reason why a simple sidewalk sale or some mums displayed on the sidewalk is not allowed without a Special Use permit, calling me some names is about all you would have to fall back on. You remind me of our City leaders, they seemed to have no intelligent reason why they shouldn't take some action to start cleaning up the bar violence that I talked about, instead they declared me an illegal resident, even though I wasn't. You, supposedly an attorney, didn't provide justification in our laws for the Mayor's industrial zoning requirement or his restricting subjects allowed to be discussed in City Park, yet advise me to take legal action against our City that already can't afford to have enough officers on the streets to cut down on the bar violence. Have you ever given any valid argument against anything I have talked about, or has it all just been personal attacks and insults? Not providing any intelligent discussion of the issues and just calling me names, is that how you bounce me around and make me look foolish? Are you really an attorney? I am not worried about looking foolish for talking about what I believe is right.
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2014 8:34:50 GMT -6
Pretty good reply there, Kyle.
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Post by oldtimer on May 18, 2014 15:15:59 GMT -6
I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but somehow Kyle has a highly inflated view of himself and his abilities. By now, most posters have learned that he been a failure at whatever he has tried to do for many years. What amazes me is that he really must believe that he is not a flop, a phony, a blowhard, etc. He really must believe that his posts require a "tag team" to deal with them. In fact, any of the people he listed as members of the "tag team" can easily bounce Kyle around and make him look foolish. Ironically, however, I have only met a couple of people on the supposed tag team. Hey job, thanks for keeping the conversation going. Kyle, Do you still have those chickens in your apartment or are they outside now that it is warmer? How many were in your apartment? The smell must have been intense at times? Is it safe to breath in the dust of the chicken waste? Is it safe for that dust to go throughout the building for other people to breath? Like the customers of the second hand store? I wouldn't want to live my life with a bunch of chickens in my apartment.
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Post by chevypower on May 18, 2014 20:28:11 GMT -6
Snobs up in that place, if you are not a regular........then they gulk at people..... seen this for my own eyes, and about 50 other people said the same thing. too bad people are like that. "gulk"?? Gawk thank you for the correction BB
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on May 19, 2014 9:31:07 GMT -6
Kyle, Do you still have those chickens in your apartment or are they outside now that it is warmer? How many were in your apartment? The smell must have been intense at times? Is it safe to breath in the dust of the chicken waste? Is it safe for that dust to go throughout the building for other people to breath? Like the customers of the second hand store? I wouldn't want to live my life with a bunch of chickens in my apartment. Hey oldtimer, it must be that job tagged you? I notice that you also have no response to the issues that I've been talking about, but instead are trying to attack me for having some hens. The chickens were not in my apartment. We have an entire third floor that is not really used for anything. Odor really hasn't been a problem. We have windows that are left open most of the time and I do clean up after them. I've read and posted here before that eight hens create less waste odor and noise than an average dog. Their waste is composted outside and used on our roof top garden. I really don't think there is much dust from their waste in my building and doubt it is making its way to the first floor. I'm not saying that I think breathing the dust of chicken waste is good for people, but it's not like I have a huge egg production facility. This guy not wearing any type of respirator or dust mask is typical of the images that I see when I look up commercial egg production facilities. If it was really dangerous, don't you think that the people like him, around thousands and thousands of chickens, would at least wear a dust mask? I see a lot of pigeons downtown going in and out of upper floors of buildings. I wonder if anyone is cleaning up after them like I clean up after my hens. Is pigeon waste dust any healthier than chicken waste dust? When people go into the first floor businesses of those buildings, I would bet there is a better chance that they are breathing more pigeon waste dust there than chicken waste dust in my building. Who are you going to tag now?
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Post by Anonymous on May 19, 2014 11:33:21 GMT -6
Easements were being talked about in another thread, I thought that I'd bring what I have to say here because of the chance that it could draw cesspool filled comments from my tag team attackers. job, dog, greek, oldtimer, job, dog, greek, northsider, job, dog, greek, FOT, job, dog, greek, anonymous, job, dog, greek, cmon, job, dog, greek... I lose track of whose turn it is. Aw, sorry you've missed us. I did notice you were talking to yourself there for awhile.
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