Sangamon Sun

The Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission met Aug. 17 to discuss developing an app.

Here are the meeting's minutes, as provided by the commission:

Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission is located at 200 South 9th St., Springfield.

MINUTES OF MEETING Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission August 17, 2016

1. CALL TO ORDER.

Chairman Eric Hansen called the meeting to order at 9:32 AM.

2. ROLL CALL.

Mary Jane Niemann called the roll.

COMMISSION MEMBERS

X X Eric Hansen, Chairman X X Val Yazell, Vice-Chairman X X Larry Hamlin, Secretary X Mayor Jim Langfelder – K. Davis X Andy Van Meter – B. McFadden X X Alderman Joe McMenamin X Alderman Andrew Proctor

Greg Stumpf - J. Stone X X George Preckwinkle – C. Stratton X X Leslie Sgro – E. McKinley

X Frank Vala – R. Blickensderfer X X Brian Brewer – F. Squires X X Dick Ciotti – G. Humphrey

X Jeff Vose X X Kenneth Springs

X Brad Mills

Bill Moss

Others Staff

Molly Berns Emily Prather Steve Keenan Jason Sass Mary Jane Niemann Norm Sims

3. MINUTES OF MEETING.

Chairman Hansen asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes of the July 20, 2016 Regional Planning Commission meeting. There were none. Commissioner Frank Squires moved to approve the minutes as mailed. Commissioner Larry Hamlin seconded the motion and the minutes were accepted as mailed.

4. MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE POLICY BOARD.

There was no meeting of the Executive Policy Board.

5. REPORT OF OFFICERS.

There was no report of officers.

6. REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

A. SSCRPC Staff – Norm Sims stated that Jordan Leaf, who interned with the SSCRPC this summer, officially joined the staff on August 1 as a Planning Specialist. Leaf is a recent graduate of Illinois State University with a degree in Geography.

Sims introduced Emily Prather, who joined the staff as an Associate Planner in late July. Prather will be assisting Steve Keenan in land use/environmental planning. She is a graduate of Iowa State University with a degree in Community & Regional Planning. Prather’s previous experience includes serving as Community & Economic Development Coordinator for the Village of Forsyth, IL, Planning Coordinator for the City of Storm Lake, Iowa, and Transportation Planning Intern for Region XII Council of Governments in Carroll, Iowa.

Sims reported that Linda Wheeland, Senior Planner-Transportation, will be retiring on September 30. Her departure will be a tremendous loss to the office and her leadership will be missed. She and the transportation planning staff have largely been responsible for millions of dollars in transportation funding in the metro area.

B. Neighborhood Factors That May Affect The Loss of Historic Structures – Sims stated that Jordan Leaf recently completed a report regarding neighborhood factors that may affect the loss of older structures that are eligible to be landmarked, but are not. The report looks at identifying common risk factors that lead to the loss of those structures. Over 600 identified demolition delay sites in the city were reviewed. The report is available on the SSCRPC’s website (www.SSCRPC.com).

C. Land Use Evolution Impact & Assessment Model (LEAM) – Sims noted that a contract with the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign (UIUC) regarding the LEAM model has been approved and sent to the UIUC trustees for their signature. Staff is currently getting data ready to be put into the model. This model is similar to the Travel Demand Model, but shows the impact to land use such as when a road is added or if other land use is changed in the area. The model is precise – 30m x 30m blocks, a smaller area than a residential lot.

D. Springfield Comprehensive Plan – Sims reported that the staff continues to work with the City on its Comprehensive Plan. 5,000 surveys will soon be mailed out to the public to collect input for the update. Surveys will also be available to complete online.

E. App of the Month – Sims said staff is currently working on an app where the public may go to a map and identify what they may want to see more of or less of, such as a road improvement, commercial development, etc. A similar thing was done with the Regional Strategic Plan.

7. CORRESPONDENCE.

There was no correspondence.

8. PUBLIC HEARING.

There was no one who wished to address the Commission.

9. COMMITTEE REPORTS.

Land Subdivision Committee – There were no projects to be reviewed by the Planning Commission this month.

10. UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

There was no unfinished business.

11. NEW BUSINESS.

There was no new business.

12. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Sims noted that the 2016 Springfield Preservation Awards, sponsored by the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln and Springfield Business Journal will be held on September 7 at the Elijah Iles House. A reception to benefit the Community Foundation’s Historic Preservation Fund begins at 5:00 PM with the awards ceremony at 6:00 PM. The event is free with guests asked to make a donation to the Preservation Fund. This year’s awards were selected by the Springfield Historic Sites Commission. More information is available on the SSCRPC’s facebook page.

13. ADJOURNMENT.

There being no further business, Larry Hamlin moved to adjourn. Brad Mills seconded the motion and the meeting adjourned at 9:43 AM.

Respectfully Submitted,

MJN

Mary Jane Niemann Recording Secretary