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City Council wrap: Village Locksmith in Collinsville to get makeover

By   /  September 9, 2014  /  No Comments

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The Collinsville City Council voted Monday to provide Tax Increment Financing to Village Locksmith to help pay for new windows, exterior paint and a new roof.

Collinsville City Hall / Photo by Roger Starkey

Collinsville City Hall / Photo by Roger Starkey

The owners of the building at 409 W. Main St. will be reimbursed $12,665, which represents 40 percent of the total cost of the low bids for the work. The Council members voted unanimously in favor of the measure.

The Council also unanimously approved the purchase of new software by the Collinsville Police Department. The New World Systems software will replace the CODY Systems software that has been in place since 2000, Police Chief Steve Evans said.

The improved records management system and computer aided dispatch system will be purchased in conjunction with Madison County and allow the Collinsville Police Department to more easily share information with other Madison County agencies using the New World product, Evans said.

Glen Carbon, Maryville, Madison County and Granite City are currently using the product. Troy, Highland and Ewardsville have recently committed to use the software also.

The software will give CPD officers greater access to jail records and other information that can be critical when dealing with a suspect, Evans said. Currently, officers only have access to Collinsville specific information, unless there is a need to access a full criminal history.

“This is huge for our guys on the street,” Evans said.

Although it is not currently planned, the software will also allow the department to submit information directly to the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

The initial fee for the software is estimated to be $74,530, with an annual maintenance fee of $10.805. If the present system was upgraded to match the New World Systems offer, it would cost $56,637 up front with an annual maintenance fee of $28,710, Evans said. The current annual maintenance cost is $19,267.

The Northeast Business District Fund expenditure budget was increased by $240,000 in 2014 and $830,000 in 2015 for the Keebler/Beltline project. The project will add a right-hand turn lane at every entry to the four-way intersection.

The expenditure was removed from the Motor Fuel Tax Fund to allow more work to be completed in other areas of Collinsville, Councilman Mike Tognarelli said. Citing South Clinton Street and others in poor shape, Tognarelli said the money for most street repairs in Collinsville is currently coming from grants. If improvements are being made to streets in a business district, the money for those improvements should come from the business district fund, Tognarelli said.

Councilwoman Nancy Moss, the only councilmember to vote against the measure, said there would be very little money remaining in the fund at the end of 2015, and she was concerned about the liquidity. City Finance Director Tamara Ammann estimated the 2015 remaining balance at about $57,000.

City Manager Scott Williams said the expenditure could be redirected to the MFT fund in the future if there was a need to utilize Northeast Business District funds for another purpose.

“Nothing we’re doing her tonight can’t be undone,” Williams said.

The Keebler Crossing shopping center is located in the business district.

A grant of $390,000 in 2015 will help offset the cost of the project.

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