Presentation on a potential community building.
Todd Hitt and Jim Page
In 2018-19 Tami and Jim Page put together a group of community members to see if there was interest in a community building.
Tens of thousands of dollars go to other communities to rent these facilities.
“A village the size of St. Joseph really needs a facility.”
They did a lot of leg work before hand and got copies of other communities and how they rent the building, ect.
Covid stalled the community building plans.
“We are here tonight because you are getting ready to put solar panels on our location.”
Covid stalled the community building plans.
“We are here tonight because you are getting ready to put solar panels on our location.”
The new village hall could handle small group meetings of about 40-50 people, Page said.
“If you want to have 200, 300, 400 people that’s not it,” Page said.
The site we are looking at is right at the dead end of Grand Street.
“It’s farm land now.”
“Sports complex parking could be overflow.”
Saying the community center could be used during the day for events at the fall festival. and then at night the events would be in the park.
Envision this to be a public/private partnership.
Then it would be revenue neutral to the village, they hope.
You would have to have a staff person managing that.
They are going to do another community survey.
Jim Page said he is going directly to the general assembly to see if he can get money earmarked for it if the board is supportive.
Page said they could discuss financials at a later time.
It will cost between $1.8 and 2.2 million dollars to build this building.
Asking for permission to continue working on this project and come back with a more detailed proposal.
Terri Cummings pointing out that they have discussed how they can’t fund the parks currently and just because Jim Page sees this as a revenue source for the parks doesn’t mean it will be a revenue source and make money. #hardfacts
Tami saying she thinks its doable financially.
Will not be a athletic facility- no basketball courts, ect. Just a community building.
Here is info about the villa grove center. It’s a community center with a gym, ect. It cost $7 million and they are going to put a splash pad near it.
https://www.news-gazette.com/news/new-villa-grove-community-center-to-open-sunday/article_9da517b4-af07-5b9d-90f4-468fe9ccb06d.html
The village has roughly $300,000 set aside for a community building.
The village would use that $300,000 for the new village hall and then sell the current village hall and put that money towards a community building.
Jim Page saying if it’s not financially viable he won’t recommend them doing it.
This would take 2 to 3 acres.
Art- I am not against it but I am concerned about the financing more. We don’t have any money to do anything.
Jim Page- it is our job to go find money.
Angela Page saying she is in favor of the building.
Sidney’s building cost $1 million.
Todd HItt saying the fire department building cost $2 million.
Jim Page saying there is no emergency evacuation location so he wants a generator so it can be an emergency evacuation location.
The board wants them to continue working on it.
Discussing the event application for the fall festival. Discussing financials of the festival and who pays for what. For example, Todd at the IGA pays for the band, the legion does the carnival rides, ect. The only thing the festival committee makes money on are the vendor booths. (We don’t make a lot.) #yesiamonthefestivalcommittee #ionlydealwiththevendors
With the community center, I am really curious to see the financial aspect of it and who they recommend to be in charge of it because honestly it wouldn’t be a job for the administrator or the office staff. It would almost have to be an additional person and I don’t know how they would pay for that.
With the community center, I am really curious to see the financial aspect of it and who they recommend to be in charge of it because honestly it wouldn’t be a job for the administrator or the office staff. It would almost have to be an additional person and I don’t know how they would pay for that.
They need new backhoes, desktop computers and a bunch of other stuff. They are discussing that now. #money,money,money
They aren’t approving actual expenditures tonight, they are just setting the budget authority to spend it.
Art is questioning what they use the equipment for and the maintenance schedule.
They are discussing how public works maybe needs a car instead of trucks or if they even need five trucks.
Discussing the equipment replacement schedule.
Terri- “This board is asking public works to think outside of the box. We don’t want to micromanage, we want to be fiscally responsible.” She made a motion to approve the budget for what they are asking but is asking them to be open to evaluating the need for the pick up, ect. and “feel free to spend less.”
They are discussing the backhoe now. Apparently, the lease is up and they are trying to determine what to do.
They are still discussing what equipment is used for. I am not going to go into details. They use the equipment to take care of all our public works needs that we all appreciate and really don’t even notice every day. #draggingdiamonds #mowing #brushpickup
Max asking if they should get quotes from a company to mow because they use man hours, gas and equipment to mow.
Would any local companies like to mow the parks?
Discussing the solar panels again at the sports complex again.
The village is hosting a summer fest on June 8. More details TBA. The village event planning extraordinaire Ashley York is planning it.
Tami saying she’s discussing with the high school whether they could put the community christmas tree at the high school.
Art is sending around a proposal to fund parks with video gambling taxes, ect. $30,000
And a cannabis tax which gets $5,900.
This all comes from the state, Art said.
adjourned.
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