Went to the Effingham City Council meeting last night.  For the most part, it was uneventful, and cut and dry.

Some points discussed:

- Finishing the northern part of the Outer Belt West
- Authorizing the Effingham County Compensation and Benefits Survey (we will be examining this survey here more in depth very soon).  Cost: $3500 with half that money coming from TIF.
- Purchase of a security system for the new Effingham Visitors Center.  Cost: $760.00
- Lease of a copying machine for the Visitors Center.  Cost: $212.50 per month.
- Discussion of printing the Culture Guide

The discussion of phone services in the Visitors Center brought some discussion.  The city is to pay $897.00 to install 3 phone lines, internet and fax at the Visitors Center via Consolidated Communications.  The bill would run $119.85 per month for the services.  Commissioner Flach questioned the need for 3 phone lines.  Acting Director of Administrative Services Rick Goeckner responded that there are 3 full time staffers for the Visitors Center and at least 2 lines were needed, though a 3rd could be added if the council wished at another time.  I wonder if 3 people, plus additional volunteers are needed for the upcoming Visitors Center.  I hope the city doesn't have a problem scaling the staffing back if the numbers don't warrant the number of people staffed.

Another item passed was the hiring of Voorhees Associates of Deerfield, Illinois to find a permanent City Administrator for Effingham.  Cost: $16,900 + plus advertising costs of around $1500 (according to Voorhees Associates) + traveling and accommodations for City Administrator candidates.  Acting DAS Goeckner stated that potential candidates would be here during July 11 - 13th to meet with elected officials, most likely Sunday July 11th.  There will be an open forum, I assume open to the general public, on July 12th.  Goeckner responded to the City Council questions of deadlines by stating that he would like to have a final list of candidates by October 1, 2010, and that the new DAS be hired by November 1, 2010.  I am still firmly opposed to a City Administrator, but I plan on participating in the selection process as much as allowed.

Finally, during Announcements/Commissioner comments, Goeckner alluded to a project that costs $3 million that I guess he or the Council want to see constructed, or implemented.  I'd tell you more, but that's all the information that was let out of the bag.  He led this project talk off by talking about some $3 million in bonds that Effingham could be eligible for to help pay for construction costs, etc. called Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds (see more here).  Goeckner said he was going to talk to the Effingham County Board about gaining access to these bonds, but it takes the County Board's approval to do so.  The deadline for these bonds is December 31, 2010.  There is also another $4.5 million in Recovery Bonds that can be used as well.  I need to research this further, but just looking at a few documents, I worry about what has to be done to get these bonds.  In order for a county or municipality (larger than 100,000 people which I don't know how Effingham city (13,000) or county (34,000) applies) to receive money, it must:

"RZEDBs must be used in a “recovery zone.” A recovery zone is defined as any area designated by the issuer of the bonds as having significant poverty, unemployment, rate of home foreclosures, or general distress; any area affected by military realignment pursuant to the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990; or any area designated as an “empowerment zone” or “renewal community.”

I'm not sure I like the idea of the Effingham County Board designating the city of Effingham as having significant poverty (which might be true since half of Effingham High School is eligible for free or reduced lunches), or is in general distress.  I don't think Effingham has a high rate of foreclosures either and we don't have a military base (let alone one closing anywhere near us).  We do have a high unemployment of 8.6% though.  The long term effects of being labeled a "distressed" community might outweigh the benefits of getting some cheap bonds.  We'll have to see how this one plays out.