“It’s important for the city to know what the commission is doing to improve things,” he said.
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Estrop said the goals were discussed during a retreat in February that four of the five city commissioners were able to attend. Once they returned, the goals were revised and fine-tuned before the commissioners formally agreed on them earlier this month.
One of the improvements already underway is the Safer Streets Task Force being put together by the Springfield Police Division. The task force was something the city had in previous years, but it was dissolved due to lack of staffing. Estrop said the division is already working to revive it by hiring and training new officers to patrol the streets, with a focus on helping detour drug and violent crime activity in the city.
“(Police chief Lee) Graf is already working on that, and we feel it will make an impact,” he said.
Estrop said the task force is expected to be on the streets sometime in May, and more hiring is planned for the task force throughout the summer.
Other improvements regarding city safety have also been made thanks to money generated from the increased income tax levy approved last May.
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City Manager Jim Bodenmiller said in an e-mail that a police substation on Johnny Lytle Boulevard and Fire Station No. 5 on Commerce Road have already reopened as promised. In addition, three new medical units for the Springfield Fire/Rescue Division and seven new vehicles for the SPD have been ordered for the city at a total cost of $710,000.
Bodenmiller said $2 million of the $6.7 million the levy is estimated to generate annually will also be dedicated to street repaving, the first round of which will also begin in late summer this year. The rest of the money will go toward discussed projects and building reserves, he said.
There are also plans to revitalize several areas around the city, including the downtown area. Plans are in the works to offer better parking options for people who work downtown now and will work there in the future, Estrop said.
“If we’re going to have more jobs, we need to have more parking,” he said.
A study of the South Limestone Street corridor has also recently been completed, and the commission is looking at ways to update the housing and businesses in the area. New incentives are also being offered to would-be homeowners in the area thanks to the Code Enforcement Strategy, including tax abatements for properties to which owners make improvements in the region.
“There is a lot of housing and business along that stretch,” Estrop said. “There are nice homes that are there, but there are also homes that are boarded up and some that just aren’t cared for. We have wonderful opportunities to purchase homes for people that will rehab them.”
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Mayor Warren Copeland said the corridor is important to the city because of the way it plays with traffic from the interstate and can be a good way to attract attention from potential business owners.
“It should be a place that attracts business,” he said. “We definitely want to improve the area from the interstate to downtown because we feel it will be very important going forward.”
Estrop said the city is also looking at ways to better manage itself for the future, so the commission has established a five-year economic forecast.
“Previously, we just looked at the past to see how we’re doing,” he said. “But now, we’re not just looking there, but we’re considering how we’re going to be doing five years from now. We feel this will allow us to plan accordingly.”
Copeland said he feels the forecast is a step in the right direction.
“I think that’s a good goal for any organization to have,” he said. “We’re hoping it gives us a better vision for what we need to be doing in the future.”
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Estrop said when the commission looked at the city’s finances and anticipated for needs for the future, it expected a two percent increase in the total costs the city incurs throughout the year.
The city commission will revisit the goals in July, Estrop said, and provide a new economic overview at that time. Until then, it plans on reaching out to city residents more to let them know about improvement projects the city is starting and allow them to give input on the things they want to see changed.
“We really want the community to be involved in this,” Estrop said. “We think this is a good start.”
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