Buchheit Opens in Centralia

On November 13th, Buchheit of Centralia formally opened their doors at 9:00 a.m. with a Chain Saw Cutting Celebration. The public turnout was excellent and the parking lot was busy with locals who were present for the event. WJBD had a live broadcast for the event. Buchheit indicated sales have been beyond expectation and everyone was very pleased with the attendance. They also indicated that the evening sales are higher than anticipated.

On Wednesday, November 11th, local officials were invited to the store for a pre-opening viewing and appreciation night.

F&L Salvage is donating two cars for a 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning extrication demonstration by the local rescue unit. Following the extrication, the saw will be donated to the Centralia Fire Department.

Your Opportunity Sign Replaced

The "Centralia Your Opportunity" sign has received a much needed face lift. The historic sign had fallen into disrepair and has been replaced thanks to the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce, Centralia Image Committee and the City of Centralia. Image Committee Chairman Todd Dobbs said, "After seeking infput from a variety of interested parties and much analysis, it was determined that the simplest way to recreate the message the sign originally intended to deliver, was to replace the letters and to light the sign for all to see." The letters taken from the sign were found to be made of wood and in an extreme state of deterioration. The new letters have been made from exterior grade material, painted and sealed so as to not fall into the same state if disrepair.

Downtown Mural

Orphans Mural Goes Up Downtown

A new historic mural dedicated to the Centralia High School Orphan basketball team’s legacy, has been installed on the east wall of the Uptown Café. This is the second in a series of murals planned by the Chamber of Commerce Image Committee.

Image Committee Chairman Todd Dobbs said, “I am excited to see the year of work and planning that went into this project coming to fruition; what might seem like a fairly simple task, once again proved to be a tedious and painstaking process in order to achieve the desired outcome.”

The mural is a graphic artist’s rendition of an actual photograph taken by Centralia Sentinel photographer Brian Hunt at the last game the Centralia Orphans basketball team played in historic Trout gym. Not only does it recognize the fabled teams’ history but the accomplishment of being the nation’s most winning High School basketball team in the 20th century.

The goal has been to have the mural in place in time for this year’s Fall Fest & Halloween Parade according to Dobbs, “We were able to overcome some last minute technical issues to meet our deadline and are very pleased with the results.”

A plaque describing the Orphans’ record of achievement will be unveiled at a later date in conjunction with a dedication ceremony. Lighting for the mural will also be installed similar to the lighting on the American Legion’s building.

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bob Kelsheimer said, “The murals are a part of a long term plan and a coordinated effort between the Chamber’s Image Committee and the City of Centralia to attract new businesses and visitors to the downtown business district. The Image Committee’s artist’s renderings coupled with the City’s façade improvement program facilitated the building improvements we see today. This process began in earnest two years ago and kicked into high gear starting with façade improvements at the Stanford building on Third Street. The vision created by the Chamber’s Image Committee and City leaders has become a reality, and today we see an ever growing and vibrant “Towne Centre”.

The next two projects the Chamber’s Image Committee will be undertaking is a Civil War mural and a historic downtown walking tour guide.

Trick-or-Treat

Mayor Rebecca Ault would like to announce that this year’s Trick-or-Treat Night for the City of Centralia will be on Friday, October 30^th from 6 to 8 p.m. for children 12 years of age and under. Please be aware that rain does not cancel Trick-or-Treat; parents are urged to use their own judgment if inclement weather is present.

Collection Routes Change in October

Effective Monday, October 5, 2009 collection routes for garbage, refuse, yard waste and city wide cleanup will change for some citizens in Centralia. Veolia ES Solid Waste Management L.L.C. will be implementing the new collection routes in an effort to improve service delivery and expedite collection processes. The northeastern portion of the City, which formally received collection on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will now begin to receive collection services on Monday. This will include streets north of McCord Street (Illinois RT. 161) and east of the Canadian National rail line. Tuesday collection, which was previously an area in the south central portion of the city including Fourteenth Street on the south to Calumet Street, Sycamore Street east to Perrine and north to Second Street, will now, be west of the Canadian National rail line and north of Seventh Street, in the vicinity of Beech Street. Wednesday routes, which used to be an area west of Pleasant Street and north of McCord to Brookside Avenue then west of Brookside to the City limits, will now be streets west of Lincoln, south of McCord and north of Calumet with the west boundary in the vicinity of Beech Street. Thursday routes, which used to be the eastern side of the City from Gragg on the north to Calumet on the south, Perrine and Lincoln on the west will be the same with the addition of Lincoln to Perrine, north of Calumet to Second Street and eliminating collection north of McCord Street (Illinois RT. 161) to Gragg Street which will be moved to the Monday route. Friday collection, formally in the north, west and south areas of the City, will now be streets south of Calumet and west of Pleasant Street with the western boundary being Brookside Avenue.

A detailed map of the new collection schedule may be found on the City’s website: www.cityofcentralia.org. For more information or general inquiries on collection schedules or services, please contact Veolia toll free at (888) 867-8066. Residents may also contact the City Yards (618) 533-7640 or City Hall (618) 533-7623 with additional inquiries.

City Receives $4.2 Million In Grant Funding For Roadway Project

The City of Centralia, in a joint application with the City of Wamac, has received $4.2 million in grant funding for the Wabash Avenue and East 17th Street road and drainage improvement project. $2.2 million of that funding has been awarded by the Illinois Department of Transportation Truck Access Route Program (TARP) combined with $2 million from the Economic Development Administration American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The money will be used to widen Wabash Avenue to a 3 lane road, two traffic lanes with a continuous turn lane to facilitate safe truck traffic turning radii, covered ditches with upgraded and upsized storm sewer inlets and piping as well as curb and guttering. The funding and slated road work all come at a time where both Wabash Avenue and East 17th Street will be receiving considerably heavier traffic due to an increasingly active Industrial Park, now welcoming new teneats, Hawkins Inc and American Machine & Equipment. Both companies combined, representing over an estimated 150 new jobs to the area.

In June of 2009 the City of Centralia mailed 6,300 citizen surveys to all water customers along with the City's Consumer Confidence Report. The City received 378 completed surveys or 6% of the total mailed, the results of which were tabulated in August and may be viewed above. The survey contained questions regarding City services, taxes, economic development and spending priorities. The City will use the citizen input for the planning, budgeting, allocation of resources and priority setting for the 2010 Fiscal Year.

Click Here to download a PDF version of the results
Click Here to view Previous Years Results

City Wide Cleanup Week October 5th through October 9, 2009

The City of Centralia would like to announce that this year’s fall city wide cleanup event is scheduled for Monday, October 5th through October 9, 2009. The pickup of unwanted household items will take place on the same day as regular scheduled trash pickup. Participation is limited to single-family residences, town homes, condominiums and apartments that do not exceed four units per building. All items are to be placed where your garbage is placed for pickup by 6 a.m. on the assigned pickup day.

Any item(s) not longer than 5 feet or more than 50 pounds at any of the above defined residential units will be picked up except for the following:

1. Yard waste, including grass clippings, leaves, brush and tree material
2. Household refuse/garbage that should be put out for normal collection
3. Large quantities of rocks, concrete and construction materials including roofing materials,
siding and lumber (not more than a five gallon bucket full)
4. Large appliances such as freezers, refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, dryers, etc. even
if broken up, cut up, crushed or flattened
5. Tires or cans of paint
6. Large automobile parts such as engines and transmissions
7. Lawnmowers or small engines which still contain gasoline or oil
8. DO NOT mix with trash to be picked up on normal collection days and DO NOT pile items on
top of other items.

Crews WILL NOT sort through material. If an unapproved item is on top of an approved item, your items will not be collected.

Residents are also asked to place smaller items in a container such as a box or a bag. Please consider recycling any cardboard, glass, aluminum and paper products at Clean & Green’s Recycling Center located on West McCord Street.

All items must be out by 6:00 AM on your normal garbage pickup day. The route WILL ONLY BE COVERED ONCE, NO EXCEPTIONS. This is a service provided by the City of Centralia. The City requests each resident’s cooperation in this project.

City Embraces Latest Technology

City Launches New Community Information Service

The City of Centralia is launching a new Community Information Service designed to deliver important and timely information to residents in our area using the latest technology. This service, created by Nixle, delivers trustworthy and important neighborhood-level public safety and community event notifications by web, email and cell phone.
Nixle is completely free, simple and trusted.
The City of Centralia is encouraging all local residents interested in recieving community updates, in real time, to enroll and spread the word.
About Nixle and the Municipal Wire network:
Nixle is a new community information service provider built exclusively to provide secure and reliable communications. Its authenticated service connects municipal agencies and community organizations to residents in real time, delivering information to geographically targeted consumers over their cell phones (via text message), through emails, and or through web access. Nixle is offered at no cost to all municipal governments, their agencies and orgainizations.
Message from the City Manager:
"By going to www.nixle.com and learning about the system, citizens can research the benefits of enrolling in the program. The City of Centralia will use this tool to communicate important local information regarding public safety alerts, traffic hazard information, advisory data and planned community events directly to the public . Best of all, the service is free and users can determine what information they wish to recieve and how they want to use it." - Grant Kleinhenz
Message from the Assistant City Manager:
"Nixle and the Municipal Wire networks that have been created are another example of local governments remaining progressive and finding new and budget friendly ways to communicate with residents and provide important information. Nixle is capitalizing on the technology behind the popular social networking site, Twitter, and focusing it to provide useful localized information." - Alex McElroy

City Recognized For Performance Management Successes

The City of Centralia was recently recognized by the International City Managers Association (ICMA) for their performance measurement and management efforts with a Certificate of Achievement from the ICMA Center for Performance Mesurement (CPM). Centralia is one of only 20 jurisdictions in the nation and one of only 2 municipalities in the State of Illinois to receive such an honor.
(Click the picture above for the whole story)

Looking For Your Input
Annual Citizen Survey

The City of Centralia is asking its citizens to help shape the future of the City by completing and returning the 2009 Annual Citizen Survey (embedded above). The survey contains questions regarding City services, taxes, economic development and spending priorities. Answers to this survey are anonymous and participation is voluntary, although strongly encouraged as the City Council and administration relies on the survey results to determine how best to allocate your tax dollars and to set priorities. As an additional incentive, this year the City is offering the option of having your survey entered into a raffle for a chance to win a $30 gift certificate to a local restaurant. The Survey takes approximately 8-10 minutes to complete, and can be returned City Hall through the mail or dropped off at the Utilites drop-box located on Poplar Street; or to the Clerks Office at City Hall. The deadline to return the survey is August 7, 2009.
Click Here to view Previous Years Results

Award Winning City

City Receives GFOA Budget Document Award

City Receives Prestigious Distinguished Budget Document Award from the Government Finance Officers Association of America and Canada.
The City of Centralia was recently honored by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA), by announcing that the City has received the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its 2009 budget.
The award represents a significant achievement by the City. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the City had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well the City’s budget serves as:

• a policy document
• a financial plan
• an operations guide
• a communications device

Included in the budget, were a 50 page Strategic Plan which outlines the priorities of the City and gives citizens an idea of what long-term goals and plans are; and a 40 page Capital Improvement Plan that authorizes and provides the basis for control of expenditures in the acquisition of significant City assets and construction of all capital facilities. These two plans, along with the City’s Comprehensive Plan, guide both policy and budgetary decisions each budget cycle.
The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving 16,800 government finance professionals throughout North America. Of this number, only 1,069 entities received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award (or 6%), with only 76 entities receiving the award from Illinois. This award has been earned by cities in Illinois such as Chicago, Peoria, and Champaign. The City of Centralia joins with Carbondale as one of 2 cities south of Interstate 74, and one of 6 cities outside of the Chicagoland area to receive the award.
This year marks the third year that the City of Centralia has successfully applied for the award. The budget was reviewed by three randomly-selected independent reviewers from a cadre of GFOA qualified professionals. Those who reviewed the budget stated that it was "Outstanding," "A great overview of the city along with an assortment of demographic and statistical information." "This document is attractively formatted and well organized with an appropriate level of detail" and "Just an excellent document, many outstanding items!" City staff worked very hard to create such a valued policy document to Centralia which will guide the budgeting process for many years to come.

May 30th, 2009 Memorial Day Ceremony held at the Elmwood Cemetery

The Centralian

Spring 2009 - Vol.2 No.1

(Click picture to download the latest edition of the Centralian)
The Centralian, the official newsletter of the City of Centralia, is released twice a year in efforts to keep citizens apprised to local government projects, events, plans and goals for the future. The newsletter is mailed to all resident water customers in the fall and spring and may also be picked up at City Hall or downloaded by clicking the picture above.

Certified Local Government

The City of Centralia is pleased to announce that the City has recently acquired Certified Local Government (CLG) status. This past winter, the City of Centralia and the Centralia Preservation Commission applied to acquire CLG status from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) in order to better serve the interests of those who value the preservation of our historic landmarks and buildings. Obtaining CLG Status would enable our Commission to participate in the various training and educational opportunities that come from belonging to a larger network of preservation commissions within the State. Furthermore, the financial resources available from IHPA would help assist in the implementation of our local preservation programs. Owners of historic homes or buildings can apply for the property tax assessment freeze program and tax credits through the IHPA.

2009 Band Shell Schedule

(Click the picture above to download 2009 Schedule)

The Pittenger Memorial Band Shell is the place to be this summer for free concerts, entertainment, and movies! The City of Centralia and the Centralia Parks Advisory Board is pleased to announce the 2009 schedule of events at the Band Shell. The Band Shell is located at the corner of S. Sycamore and E. 2nd behind the Centralia Regional Library. New benches in 2006 bring the permanent capacity to 128 seats. Additional improvements include roof replacement, a new marquee sign, and interior painting.

All movies start at dusk. You may want to bring a blanket or chair. The school or organization listed on the schedule will be selecting the movie and theme, but the entire community is invited to attend all movies. Movies are free and concessions (popcorn, nachos and soda) are available for sale. All concerts are free. Show times & rain cancellations (if necessary) will be announced in local media, www.cityofcentralia.org and Channel 99.

Wamac Dedication to the No.5 Mine Disaster of 1947

To view the event click the player above or for slow connections Click Here to download the video

On Wednesday, March 25th the City of Wamac hosted a memorial dedication to those 111 men who lost their lives in the Centralia Coal Co. Mine No. 5 tradgety. More than 300 people gathered at the Wamac City Park to attend the ceremony as Wamac Mayor Jackie "Butch" Mathus unveiled a massive black granite memorial with coal lining the pathway. The event concluded with the reading of the 111 men's names by Wamac Mayor Jackie "Butch" Mathus, Centralia Mayor Becky Ault and Central City Mayor Elect John Johnston.

Click Here to view the City's web article

2009 Budget Document

(Click Picture to Download Document)

For the third consecutive year the City of Centralia’s Budget Document has been submitted to the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for consideration of their annual Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. This award is considered the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting. In the past two fiscal years the City has received this honor and is once again proud to present the document for consideration.

The City’s budget document is a powerful tool used by City staff to measure performance, document City and departmental goals and visioning, report tax dollar revenues and expenditures and inform residents of completed, active and ongoing projects. A copy of the Budget Document is always available at City Hall for review and is also posted on the City website for citizens to download.

Elmwood Cemetery Improvements

At the Work Session held on February 23, 2009, staff discussed a special project for Elmwood Cemetery which entailed improvements to the two circles located on Chapel Lane. The improvements will include landscaping, new sidewalk ramps, flag poles, brick paver sidewalks and various repairs to existing curb and sidewalks. The project will also include extending water and electric to the two circles to aid in the maintenance of the new landscaping and to allow for flags to flown at night. The main purpose of the improvements is to create spaces for cremains to be buried and a way to honor our veterans at the Pittenger statue. City staff will be starting the project as soon as the Council authorizes the expenditure in an effort to get the area ready for our annual Memorial Day celebration in late May. Staff will order the sod, which is being used to make the project ready for May, and the brick pavers and flag poles and will start immediately with the demolition of the sidewalks and the damaged curb. We will most likely ask the Council to approve a Change Order to the Lincoln Boulevard Sidewalk project due to the low price extended for the ramps and those will be complete by May 1st. Staff is also working with Jim Shoemaker of Howell Paving to get the first half of Chapel Lane from Gragg Street north to the first circle paved in May. This project is budgeted from the General Fund.

The project will be paid using funds from two accounts in the 2009 budget; Special Projects and TIF #6. Staff has proposed using $15,000 from Special Projects 05-02-0-0-502 and $8,500 from TIF #6 63-02-0-0-503. This will leave an unexpended balance in the Special Projects fund of $23,993 and $24,250 in the TIF #6 fund.

City Wide Cleanup Week April 13th through April 17, 2009

The City of Centralia would like to announce that this year’s spring city wide cleanup event is scheduled for Monday, April 13th through April 17, 2009. The curbside pickup of unwanted household items will take place on the same day as regular scheduled trash pickup. Participation is limited to single-family residences, town homes, condominiums and apartments that do not exceed four units per building. All items are to be placed on the curb by 6 a.m. on the assigned pickup day.

Any item(s) not longer than 5 feet or more than 50 pounds left at the curbside at any of the above defined residential units will be picked up except for the following:

- Yard waste, including grass clippings, leaves, brush and tree material
- Household refuse/garbage that should be put out for normal collection
- Large quantities of rocks, concrete and construction materials including roofing materials,
siding and lumber (small amounts will be taken)
- Large appliances such as freezers, refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, dryers, etc. even
if broken up, cut up, crushed or flattened
- Tires or cans of paint
- Large automobile parts such as engines and transmissions
- Lawnmowers or small engines which still contain gasoline or oil
- DO NOT mix with trash to be picked up on normal collection days and DO NOT pile items on
top of other items. Crews WILL NOT sort through material. If an unapproved item is on top
of an approved item, your items will not be collected.

Residents are also asked to place smaller items in a container such as a box or a bag. Please consider recycling any cardboard, glass, aluminum and paper products at Clean & Green’s Recycling Center located on West McCord Street.
All items must be at the curb by 6:00 AM on your normal garbage pickup day. The route WILL ONLY BE COVERED ONCE, NO EXCEPTIONS. This is a service provided by the City of Centralia. The City requests each resident’s cooperation in this project.

Job Skills Workshops

The Crossroads Workforce Center will be hosting Job Skills Workshops in March and April. The events aim to inform and educate members of the community about services that are available to assist in career placement. Some of the services provided include resume building, interview techniques and application advice. All of the strategies learned at these workshops will help to prepare citizens for upcoming Resource/Job Fair on April 8th, where they can meet with local employers and apply for available jobs in the region.
Hosted By:
- City of Centralia
- Illinois Department of Employment Security
- Kaskaskia College
- Crossroads Workforce Centers
- Marion County Housing Authority

Date & Times:
- Wednesday, March 25 10am - 11am
- Thursday, March 26 10am - 11am
- Tuesday March 31 6pm - 7pm
- Thursday April 2 6pm - 7pm

Location:
Crossroads Workforce Center
325 S. Poplar
Centralia, IL 62801

For more information or to register for a workshop, Please Call:
Kaskaskia College Continuing Education Center
(618) 545-3255

Use your legs to save a life! Join the Legs For Life 5K and run or walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!
Date: March 21, 2009
Time: 8:00 am start
Pre-register by: March 14, 2009
Entry Fee for 5K:
- $15 before 3/14/09
- $20 after 3/14/09,
Entry Fee for Little Legs 1-Miller:
- $10 before 3/14/09
- $15 after 3/14/09,

For more information email: ships93@yahoo.com

There are many charitable events happening in Centralia and the City is eager to applaud and promote all volunteers, organizations and citizen efforts to better the lives of those around them. If you have such an event, program or project you would like to make the City aware of please inform the City Blog staff by sending your flyer and any other pertinent information to: cityofcentralia@gmail.org.
DID YOU KNOW!?
The City also has a comprehensive list of recreational activities on our official website:
- City of Centralia Recreation Department
- City of Centralia Recreation Department list of events
- Chamber of Commerce List of Events

City of Centralia Scenic Tour

The City of Centralia offers many unique and aesthetically appealing amenities from our historical sites, one of a kind carillon, large parks and family friendly lake. City staff is pleased to present some of their favorite photos taken in our community. If you have pictures that make you proud to live in Centralia please share them with us via email at cityofcentralia@gmail.com.

New Staff

The City of Centralia hired Alex McElroy as the new Assistant City Manager. Mr. McElroy completed a master degree in Public Administration from Maxine Levin Goodman College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, OH and a bachelor degree in Political Science from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, OH. Mr. McElroy previously served as the Assistant to the Administrator for Pierce Township where he acted as head of the technology committee, provided aid and support to the fiscal office and assisted the administrator with the daily operations of the township.

An Ohio native, Mr. McElroy stated: "I have certainly been honored with the opportunity to serve the residents of Centralia. Our community has a lot of exciting potential and it is a great time to be a resident of Centralia".