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2020/05/26 - Mayor's Column: The Wheels Are Still Moving!

 

­­­“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
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One of the most important values in government is transparency and accountability. In times like this, with City Hall being closed and virtual meetings as the new norm, we continue to take great steps to make sure that the City of O’Fallon is working hard and being good stewards of your tax dollars.

At times, its common to think that very little is happening in the City of O’Fallon during this COVID-19 Pandemic. I assure you, a lot of happening and we remain very busy. I would like to share with you some of the things that our staff and myself have been doing over the past few weeks, in addition to the normal day to day work of the city, to work with our businesses, other governmental agencies and protect the safety of our citizens and employees.

  • We have daily contact with the Illinois Municipal League by our City Administrator, Assistant City Administrator, and me.
  • Weekly calls with the Director of the Illinois State Police by our Police Chief and Public Safety Staff.
  • Researching how we can reopen as quick and safely as we can for the citizens of O’Fallon and staff by talking with cities across Illinois and in other states. Watch for new provisions allowing our restaurants and bars to reopen to outdoor seating for patrons.
  • Contacts with other park districts around the state by our parks department on what programs can be continued and how to do it safely.
  • Making sure that the actions taken are going to be productive and protected by our insurance companies in case of legal challenges.
  • Work with other local mayors to see what we can do to move up the reopening of our communities.
  • Held discussions with the St. Clair County Treasurer on the delay of real-estate taxes.
  • Put in place programs to help individuals with payments of water and sewer bills.
  • Delayed and/or reduced some fees and licenses required of businesses that were impacted.
  • Daily discussions with Illinois and U.S. Congressional and Senate Staff.
  • Work with other local mayors and the St. Clair County Board Chairman to send a letter to the Governor to allow Southern Illinois to open up earlier than the Governor’s plans because of how well we are performing on the measurements compared to Chicago.
  • Participate twice a week in conference calls with the Governor.
  • Have communications with the military on COVID-19 actions being taken.
  • Participate in discussions with about 25 mayors from around the state and the governor to express concerns over continued closure of small businesses and statistics being used.
  • Have a one-on-one call with the Governor.
  • Participate in two podcasts on the effect this is having on small businesses and their employees.
  • Worked with Charlie Meier to feature the Downtown District on a primetime news broadcast.
  • Hold numerous discussions with local businesses and Chamber of Commerce on ideas for reopening and / or challenges they are facing.

This is just a short list. As the Governor’s Restore Illinois plan progresses forward, we anticipate a lot of work to be completed in the coming weeks.

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 (virtually, at least)!