City of LaSalle 2008 Annual Report

City of LaSalle 2008 Progress Report

Business Growth
Residential Growth
Construction Projects
Maintenance Improvements and Upgrades
Community Enhancements - Tourism

Business Growth
Over 85 million in commercial and industrial investments over the last few years
44 new homes in this same time period
INVESTING IN LASALLE
Leading to. . .

Business Growth
INVESTING IN LASALLE

Business Growth
New Businesses
Con-way Freight opened in LaSalle in late October 2008. The new facility includes a 250-door, cross-dock truck terminal
Con-way Freight Truck Terminal Groundbreaking was held on Nov. 5, 2007

Business Growth
Machinery Maintenance continues to invest in LaSalle and began construction of a main office last year
New Businesses

Business Growth
Kentucky Fried Chicken rebuilt
“ We looked at moving out of LaSalle but saw revitalization and investment in the city and decided this was the best location for us”
New Businesses

Business Growth
Lock 16 Visitor Center Opened
New Businesses

Business Growth
Demolition makes way for new opportunities
Shea’s Building
Apartments @ 8 th & Joliet

Business Growth
Renovations :
Kaskaskia Hotel Work continues on the renovation of this historic hotel which was added to the Register of Historic Places on Jan. 22, 2007. More information can be found on their Web site at http://kaskaskiahotel.com

Residential Growth
Country Aire and Vermilionvue Subdivisions continue to develop with new homes filling up each subdivision
New Home Construction

Residential Growth
Prepared for the Future
~3000 acres of available land
7 TIF districts offering development incentives

Construction
Road Construction
Last year finished the road project funded through sales tax proceeds
Completed ~160 blocks total

Construction
Downtown Streetscape Improvements
The city has continued with the Downtown Beautification Project with the addition of the following amenities on several
blocks of First Street:
Decorative and stamped concrete
Trees
Additional handicap ramps

Construction
Improved Water Treatment
Improved and more efficient water plant treatment system went online in 2008

Construction
Increased Water Supply
Well 12 went online

Construction
Sanitary Sewer Extension – Road Repair
Extended sanitary sewer to original Golfview Subdivision & repaired road failures

Construction
Sanitary Sewer Extension to Oak Ridge Subdivision
With the cooperation of Senica’s Golf Course, the city finished the sanitary sewer extension to Oak Ridge Subdivision

Construction
City crews upgraded water main along Gooding Street
To save $$ city crews repaired portions of the road
Contractor used to upgrade curb and sidewalks
Innovative Construction Methods

Construction
Work continued in the parks with upgrades to walkways, increased landscaping, and accessible improvements
Park Improvements Continue

Construction
Meter Read System
City’s innovative water read system is 95% complete
Large meters primarily remain to be replaced

GIS IMPLEMENTED IN SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS
A geographic information system (GIS) was installed on computers throughout several departments
This software allows staff to monitor and research property information saving time and costs
Maps are easily generated for staff or residents
The GIS is also used by departments to inventory and map assets like signs and roadways

GIS IMPLEMENTED IN SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS

Street Sign Installations
The city began replacements of street signs in order to meet new federal requirements

Last year the city experienced the worst flooding ever in the area causing the loss of much of the city’s wastewater treatment plant facility
Staff responded quickly and professionally prior to and after the flooding emergency
Emergency Disasters - Flooding

Emergency Disasters - Flooding
While the plant was still flooded, staff immediately began preparing a recovery plan Staff posted much of the information online to be accessed internally and by other agencies seeking information Staff spent many hours processing insurance and FEMA paperwork to secure reimbursement

Emergency Disasters - Snow
The city has handled salt shortages over the last two winters due to innovative decisions Staff researched alternate suppliers and vendors to secure adequate supplies Because of this planning and use of different supplies, the city paid significantly less than other cities in Illinois

Community Enhancements
Emergency Notification System
The city implemented a code red system to notify residents of emergencies

Canal Boat Arrives
The canal boat arrived at Lock 14 in June 2008

Working with volunteers, the city helped begin a downtown open-air market
Downtown Market

Tourism Efforts Increase
Tourism group began meeting in 2008
Tourism group is developing a historic walking tour focusing on the downtown

Movie in the Park
The city of LaSalle continues to sponsor movies in the park night

City of LaSalle Online
The city of LaSalle continues to use new online tools to engage citizens
In 2008, the city used an online microblogging tool to keep residents up-to-date on construction activities for the Golfview project. This was at no additional cost to the city

City of LaSalle Online
The city is beginning to create blogs to increase government transparency and offer citizens information about city operations

Library Enhancements
The city received additional clocks from James Whitaker
The city also received 35,000 children’s books from Open Court Publishing

Looking to the Future
Stimulus Projects
The city submitted 20 projects for funding by the President’s proposed stimulus funding package including road, water, and wastewater projects

Green Energy
The city has started to investigate the use of green energy production not only for its proposed wastewater plant for to help serve existing and future industry

Transportation Alternatives
With the demand for rail increasing, the city of LaSalle has started researching possible rail routes to serve newly annexed areas

Recreational Opportunities
With the help of LaSalle Rotary and Illinois Cement, the city is looking forward to the development of a large park, almost 150 acres, lying between the Little Vermilion River and Interstate 39

Looking to the Future Proud of our past – Excited about our future Mayor Art Washkowiak

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City of LaSalle 2008 Annual Report

by cityoflasalle on Mar 12, 2009

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City of LaSalle 2008 Annual Report — Presentation Transcript