[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6083976,"mediaKeyId","2925123-8ce0f4ea4c54f7d8ee2be0819abf80d2","parentId",2925123,"title","Council members report takeaways from IML conference on open-meeting law, retail trends and federal funding","audioSeconds",675,"startMs",4037000,"endMs",4712000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2925123-8ce0f4ea4c54f7d8ee2be0819abf80d2&start=4037&end=4712","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2925123-8ce0f4ea4c54f7d8ee2be0819abf80d2/thumbnail_4037000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6083976/OFallon-City/St-Clair-County/Illinois/Council-members-report-takeaways-from-IML-conference-on-open-meeting-law-retail-trends-and-federal-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083976-b3108d7efb038636a3b47e78066f8dd3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154297&Signature=XDPhDUp2avsolXwkIDZGk39hYS1KJa41I17kJKmVk3oLvT8nkaSK1zGEgLdIBTsj8SLO-OTS4~g1a9jNc7dlSysvFQCKVT06MvIzBgz6FcBOEcK5JNTbecv1hl~pijl-lQctM5yPJ-H0aXTaME2dYlncFfvedcJvPP3bsdKO9Rs6f4BH8q0fTZha2Js4y80Eh4U6CdhbFNMJACgHEtCzaL7l5pc0jq8Kms1gEEfmvvi5syiHTOyGgY70fkWD1iCznGoEayKhRbyrrOIr4C9WSVNZM5bBfuZvW3nHjcYH2rK0xKg0riPX~T9iaXxSa9w8WDIvUC9~FANXuJb81wAIGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council if O'Fallon, IL","date","2025-04-09T16:18:01.827Z","article","Mayor and council members reviewed what they learned at the Illinois Municipal League (IML) conference. Multiple councilors described takeaways including open-meeting and Freedom of Information Act guidance, retail and downtown-planning trends, cybersecurity for utilities, and approaches to serving older residents.

Why it matters: Council members said conference sessions provided practical tools for municipal governance, compliance and downtown economic planning and underscored the potential to learn from neighboring cities’ experiences. Several members said the sessions were useful to new and returning members alike.

Highlights from attendees (as summarized at the meeting):
- Council Member Blackburn said forums with other municipal officials improved readiness to be active on the council and helped clarify Open Meetings and FOIA expectations.
- Council Member Campbell noted sessions on community-development tools such as using mobile-device data to guide retail and sales-tax location decisions.
- Council Member Carney emphasized open-meeting compliance issues, including that public-communication channels such as chat and conference calls can implicate open-meeting rules.
- Council Member Foehne flagged sessions on services for older residents and potential township-dissolution implications under future legislation.
- Council Member Hudson highlighted discussions with IDOT and state officials on federal funding for downtown beautification.
- Council Member Roach cited retail trends, digital tools for service delivery and community engagement; the finance director noted Roach did not submit travel expenses for the trip.
- Council Member Rosenberg reported sessions on public-utility cybersecurity and domestic-violence response coordination with schools.
- Council Member Van Hook focused on proactive planning, financial oversight and retail recruitment strategies.

Ending: The mayor closed the recap and the council moved on to remaining agenda items. No council action was requested or taken related to the conference summaries.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee of the Whole - March 31, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Several council members summarized sessions they attended at the Illinois Municipal League conference, citing sessions on Open Meetings and FOIA compliance, downtown beautification and federal funding, cybersecurity for public utilities, and retail and technology trends.","taxTitle","O'Fallon City, St. Clair County, Illinois","taxId",52736,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6083981,"Mayor says county is reviewing O'Fallon proposal to take over Saint Allen Mine area",219,3755000,3974000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2925123-8ce0f4ea4c54f7d8ee2be0819abf80d2&start=3755&end=3974","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2925123-8ce0f4ea4c54f7d8ee2be0819abf80d2/thumbnail_3755000.jpg","/articles/6083981/OFallon-City/St-Clair-County/Illinois/Mayor-says-county-is-reviewing-OFallon-proposal-to-take-over-Saint-Allen-Mine-area","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083981-2eb138124fa5f54790b1b60cdcd44fe6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154297&Signature=Lq4f7Ie74VTyCjFGPoeKRBdeRabnmDXhoqXuEzX6-tRmci3KfwO3GF8n4mNjaUi1vjgU8KQ9imaDJ8q5us9ix4xSEMO8TSLwK7nR1GlskTyaJl87ZrrBk1hqSMNN3sxw54py8mcQuCxCO1jM-G8HxdJHE~wkxCW9eVlZ5d2gBpJGe-7Pyu~Bv2wS744TMYQVakzU9hvvOPB1j47e3sQkUQdc6Q-OncZc8uW1ufXX2ASWxqRdITJYhgOkKksdefKYd-QGx0LjhKaRhH7BieSLzZzReMeyzeUYUe8dOiALPvX54nmkwIpgJjq3eU~xojw0UlI9gzGt7DQgoDGFJEYRNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Roach reported that the city submitted a formal proposal to St. Clair County for the county to take over management of the Saint Allen Mine area and that the proposal is currently under review in the county state's attorney’s office. \"We have submitted a formal proposal, to the county. We have not heard back from the county,\" the mayor said.

Why it matters: The transfer could shift responsibility and costs for reclamation or development of the mine area to county authorities. Council members asked whether the council would be provided the proposal; Roach said that the final agreement would be brought back to the council for approval after county review and any negotiated changes.

What the proposal contains and next steps: The mayor said the submitted proposal included a payment schedule from the county to the city over a four-year period to help remediate or bring the area \"back up to speed\" before a full transfer, but he did not specify dollar amounts. He said the city attorney drafted the formal proposal and that county revisions are expected; if the county agrees and final language is negotiated, the council will receive the document for formal approval and will retain the ability to accept or decline the final agreement.

Ending: No vote was taken. The mayor asked councilors to await the county's response and said staff would return the item to the council for action if negotiations produce a final agreement.","Mayor Roach told the council that a formal proposal asking St. Clair County to assume responsibility for the Saint Allen Mine area has been submitted and is under review by the county state's attorney; councilors will receive the final agreement for approval if the county accepts or modifies it.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6083986,"O'Fallon library officials propose new 40,000-square-foot building; board, council to weigh funding options",1033,2688000,3721000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2925123-8ce0f4ea4c54f7d8ee2be0819abf80d2&start=2688&end=3721","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2925123-8ce0f4ea4c54f7d8ee2be0819abf80d2/thumbnail_2688000.jpg","/articles/6083986/OFallon-City/St-Clair-County/Illinois/OFallon-library-officials-propose-new-40000-square-foot-building-board-council-to-weigh-funding-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083986-74d3fefead22c72955cdd04ada3f1890/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154297&Signature=DPy2pfHkA3dayqC21U4Z9-j15oEty3XrnJClYTJ36~N6WLy5y1YFw1tBDPuxds-k6TVz9k~9oJ6~K5xaqW-FUa6Carw3CeUbf3zdWiOpPv9OI7GCjtEFdDHQL389KOBIeUXAITb6HFq0odBaHdSzxJuiYlaE0alt9lgHrEpm48Y7ka7jLFC~gQqrHkrmMbZo2JM~iXsd-ZD2ELsRICoTt5drs3bwSqd5dnevjEq-iNmNfw4cYtj5GJK8EIK~wg~3lE8j3BUDPyvO2MLcodEmOWmbFQYtGnfKBJb3WpjaNsUsjrHH4lRAqevCe4b4U~AvLepn9HvXgAefIAiUmpgdmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ryan (library director) briefed the City Council on the library’s March 2023 master plan and the board’s work toward a potential new facility, saying the board is pursuing new construction after finding an addition to the current building would be costly and would not correct site limitations. \"Libraries are no longer about books only,\" Ryan told the council, outlining program growth, circulation and visit statistics that library leaders say support a larger facility.

Why it matters: The library’s plan would require substantial capital funding and likely a city bond issuance to finance construction. Because the library is governed by a board that sets levy and budget, the council’s role would include approving any municipal bond issuance; the council would also vote to put a nonbinding advisory referendum on a future ballot to test voter sentiment before a bonding decision.

Key proposal and costs: The library board is evaluating a 40,000-square-foot facility on a city-owned site north of the Public Safety Building on 7 Hills Road. Holland Construction provided a preconstruction cost estimate of about $25,000,000 for a new building, a figure Ryan said includes soft and hard costs and an allowance for escalation. The current library is roughly 17,000 square feet; the master plan found the children’s area, meeting and multipurpose space, acoustics and staffing/workspace are insufficient for current demand.

Usage and funding context: Ryan presented activity figures: roughly 130,000 visits in the prior year; nearly 500 events with about 12,000 attendees; about 64,000 digital checkouts and approximately 200,000 physical checkouts. The library has about 14,000 active unexpired library cards; using census household numbers presented in the meeting, the director said that equates to an active card in roughly 62% of households. The library has about $5,000,000 in reserves earmarked for new construction and is also considering sale of the current facility and state grant opportunities to reduce bond reliance.

Taxes and voter process: Ryan and city staff described household tax implications at various bonding levels. The director said a $20 million bond would add roughly $149 annually to a median household’s property tax bill, increasing the median household’s total library-related tax from about $135 to about $284 per year (an increase from $11 to roughly $24 per month). The city attorney and staff clarified governance: the library board controls levy-setting under the Illinois Public Library Act, although the city council approves the levy ministerially; the city would be the bond issuer and would need to approve bond issuance or place a referendum on the ballot. Ryan said the library is considering a nonbinding advisory referendum in fall 2026 to gauge voter sentiment before any council bond vote.

Next steps and partnerships: The library board is deciding size and budget parameters and will work with partners including Holland Construction (cost study), FGMA (master plan), Bernardi (bond counsel/financial advisor), EveryLibrary (campaign strategy), and a marketing firm to solicit community feedback. A mailer and an online survey will be distributed to gather resident input. Ryan emphasized the concept remains conceptual at this stage and that the board is considering shared amenities (museum space, cafe, banking/postal functions, YMCA adjacency) to increase utility and lower operating costs through partnership.

Questions from councilors focused on prioritization of community-room space, the board/council role in bond issuance and referendum mechanics, and schedule for public engagement.

Ending: The library board will further refine size and cost scenarios and continue community engagement; if the board pursues bond financing, the council would later consider bond issuance and could place an advisory referendum on a future ballot for additional public input.","Library director presented a master-plan driven recommendation to pursue a new 40,000-square-foot library at a city-owned site; estimated all-in cost is about $25 million, with $5 million already reserved and additional funding options including bond issuance and grants under consideration.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6083991,"O'Fallon officials outline emergency operations plan and public communication after recent tornado",1545,1125000,2670000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2925123-8ce0f4ea4c54f7d8ee2be0819abf80d2&start=1125&end=2670","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2925123-8ce0f4ea4c54f7d8ee2be0819abf80d2/thumbnail_1125000.jpg","/articles/6083991/OFallon-City/St-Clair-County/Illinois/OFallon-officials-outline-emergency-operations-plan-and-public-communication-after-recent-tornado","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083991-964751bf4e9a7f5756388315bb31e4eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154297&Signature=mOANf-46TkWH4ZwGv9htPREzubE1NAzJr~RO60BefRTwQYgObATiroqmnUmd-X7qS2p41VG244uNfYstXpLtNaXpF2BzCLK65w2s7YrGAZtRMOe~wYQcnlp46ooK5OIfbmj1ifbVuy1njppsHAFN-AMnbAwKGshUmYVOo4hANU7yK2erU8qTrVIF-kYB5YBVrHZkgm7RMJU5LJmBfEHHopCBZZAf0kR8x1vcJ-mAYd-YkbJvbUY8-~TZ0P0NgiGuYfjDDtPH7BIktd0mry3ol3iP479Oh2iph2rVWLE9F07zeR-MgfvaeZagyN26uDgChjrImEsdDejsnnsrqGLSCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief Brad White, the city’s director of public safety, told the O'Fallon City Council that the city maintains a comprehensive emergency operations plan (EOP) that guides prevention, response and recovery for disasters but is not published in full because some operational details would raise public-safety risks. \"The entire emergency operations plan is not something that is... published as a whole,\" White said, adding that the EOP is \"a roadmap, it's a guideline in case there is an emergency.\"

Why it matters: Several residents at the meeting said they could not find the EOP online and asked how the public is informed when incidents occur. Council members pressed staff on how the plan is exercised and how the city coordinates with schools and county agencies during incidents that exceed local capacity. The discussion followed a recent tornado touchdown in the area that prompted multi-department responses but did not lead to a mayoral disaster declaration.

White said the plan is built on federal and state authorities including the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and applicable provisions of Illinois administrative code, and is implemented under the city's ordinance (chapter 37) that defines emergencies. He said the mayor is the official who may declare a local disaster in writing and under oath, which would formally activate the city's emergency operations center (EOC) and certain statewide support. In the most recent storm, White said, the city responded using EOP procedures—police and fire patrolled and checked for life-safety needs while public works addressed infrastructure issues—even though the mayor did not issue a disaster proclamation.

White described the EOC setup and common systems used in U.S. emergency planning: Firehouse 4 is the designated primary EOC (the fire training/community room) with a secondary EOC in the public safety community room. The plan relies on National Incident Management System (NIMS) principles to enable interoperable response with county and state partners, and contains functional annexes for damage assessment, evacuation, hazmat, health and medical coordination, mass care (including Red Cross), public information, volunteers and more. \"We want our citizens... to be self-sufficient for the first 48 hours,\" White said, describing a planning assumption that residents should be prepared for initial delays in public assistance.

Council members and staff said the EOP includes memoranda of understanding with schools, hospitals and utilities and that many partner organizations maintain their own plans that the city can access when needed. Jeff Taylor of public works confirmed mutual-aid arrangements exist with neighboring jurisdictions and that public-works staff were mobilized after recent power outages to restore lift stations and ensure treatment-plant backup systems functioned. Mayor Roach noted the city has submitted mutual-aid contacts and that county and state EOCs are engaged when incidents cross jurisdictions.

Residents asked about exercise frequency and communications. White and other staff said departments train regularly: the fire and police command staffs run trainings and incident-management exercises, and the city held a tabletop exercise in the prior year; however, an integrated, large-scale council-level exercise has not been held recently. On communications, the city said it uses multiple methods: automated callouts tied to utility billing accounts, a CodeRED geotargeted alert tool to reach mobile devices in specified areas, social media and routine messaging to elected officials. Destiny Penager (Ward 5) and resident Vern Miller raised concerns about ensuring messages reach neighbors who do not use social media.

Council member Jerry asked when the EOC was last formally activated; staff said the chief recalled a significant activation during an ice storm earlier in the chief’s tenure but the exact year was not specified during the meeting. The council and staff also discussed a potential volunteer program modeled on Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) to provide trained civilian support for nontechnical tasks during incidents.

Ending: City staff said the EOP materials are available to department heads and directors, and that the chief will continue to brief the council and the public on exercises and improvements. Several council members encouraged more public outreach and routine exercises involving elected officials to improve shared understanding of the plan and communications tools.","City public safety leaders described the structure, legal basis and practical limits of O'Fallon’s emergency operations plan, noting much of the full plan is withheld from public release for safety reasons and describing how the city coordinated response and communications after a recent tornado touchdown.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council members report takeaways from IML conference on open-meeting law, retail trends and federal funding

Mayor says county is reviewing O'Fallon proposal to take over Saint Allen Mine area

O'Fallon library officials propose new 40,000-square-foot building; board, council to weigh funding options

O'Fallon officials outline emergency operations plan and public communication after recent tornado