2019/06/24 - Mayor's Column: Fireworks in O'Fallon and New State Laws
“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
The City Council will not have a quiet summer as we review the various new pieces of legislation that were passed in Springfield this past session. I will really appreciate hearing any comments that you may have on the new state laws, which include changes to gambling (online and video gaming), legalization of cannabis sales and use, and many others that will impact our community. I’m sure that your council members would also like to hear your comments or concerns prior to us having discussions on them.
Many of the new laws won’t go into effect until next January. So, we will have multiple public meetings to discuss them.
On a slightly different note, I wanted to invite everyone to the next quarterly Town Hall Meeting. It will be held on July 10th at City Hall, beginning at 6:30 p.m. I hope to have some good discussion on the new state laws and more.
Two weeks ago, I was invited to go to Washington D.C. along with six other individuals from Southwestern Illinois to present to a group of Japanese manufacturers. These manufacturers have shown an interest in locating facilities in the Mid-West. And, it was our job to share with them the benefits of setting up shop in our region.
I was extremely happy to be the only Mayor asked to join in the presentation. Others involved were the Chancellor of SIUE; VP of Ameren Illinois, Madison County Board Chairman, Senior Principal from Clayco Corp., Executive Director of America’s Central Port and the Executive Director/CEO of the Southwestern Leadership Council. Although he was originally meant to also present, unfortunately, Congressman Bost was not able to attend due to the passing of his mother.
The initial feedback was very good and some of them have expressed an interest in coming to the area later this year. This is part of our push for development in the Mid America Commerce Center, the 1,500 acres along I-64 between Reider Road and Rt. 158. This development can accomplish four major goals for our community and the region.
- Diversification of our economy, which will help during economic downturns.
- Produce thousands of jobs.
- Produce additional tax base for our schools and other taxing bodies.
- Reduce the tax pressure off our residents.
It was my pleasure to introduce these firms to the Mid America Commerce Center, the advantages of our central location, the quality of our workforce, and the quality of life available here in O’Fallon.
Lastly, I also want to remind everyone that for the first time in over 30 years, the residents of O’Fallon will be able to enjoy a firework display right here in O’Fallon on July 7th at the O’Fallon Family Sports Park. The show will begin at sundown.
The display will be fired off from the southwestern corner of the Family Sports Park. I encourage many to park in the Family Sports Park and other safe spots around town. Due to its central location, the show should be visible from many locations. Please do not park along major roads which will block traffic. There will be no parking along Venita Drive. During the fireworks display, Venita Drive will be closed to traffic. It will be reopened as soon as the show is finished.
We will be sharing a map that will show the available parking in the Family Sports Park and immediate area.
I want to thank our Fire Department, Parks Department, and Police Department for their help on putting this together.
As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open!