Effingham awarded $50,000 for forestry program

May 14—Effingham is looking to improve and better maintain its tree population after receiving a grant for the establishment of the city's first forestry program.

During a recent council meeting, City Engineer Jeremy Heuerman said the city has been awarded $50,000 to cover the cost of creating an inventory of the city's trees and developing an urban forestry management plan. But the council must first authorize the execution of the Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The project would be funded entirely through the Inflation Reduction Act.

"We were approached by the Morton Arboretum about December of last year and had some meetings with them about the benefits and the odds of us acquiring some 100% federally funded projects to start this," he said. "We'll contract with a certified arborist company, and then we'll come down and actually inspect every single tree in the city right of way."

The inventory would include each tree's size, species, risk index and health. The company the city selects will help put together this inventory and make recommendations about where new trees should be planted and which trees are hazardous and should be removed.

The inventory would also be used to help develop an urban forestry management plan aimed at increasing the diversity of trees and promote the overall growth of tree canopies in the area. Heuerman explained that increasing the city's tree population could also have a positive impact on the health and overall mood of residents.

"It does a number of things that people don't even realize," Heuerman said.

The city has already received three proposals for the project, with the lowest coming from Great Lakes Urban Forestry for an amount not to exceed $50,000.

"We will probably be reaching out to them to have a contract with them here in a couple weeks," Heuerman said. "It's kind of an exciting thing to take on. We've never had one in the city of Effingham before."

The council did not act on the resolution for the authorization of the grant, but members are expected to revisit the matter during their next meeting on May 21.

In other matters, the council voted unanimously to rezone a property at 909 W. St Anthony Ave. from R-2 Single-Family Residence District to R-3B Two and Three Family Dwelling District. The petitioner, W Squared Properties, is looking to construct a triplex there.

"As we've discussed on many occasions, we're in need of housing and not wanting to throw out roadblocks when we're trying to move forward. We're trying to find some additional places for people to live," Mayor Mike Schutzbach said.

The Effingham Plan Commission first voted 5-2 to recommend the denial of a petition to rezone the property in March, and the commission again recommended its denial in a 4-3 vote in April after the council approved a request from the petitioner for another hearing with the plan commission.

"There were cited concerns with parking, traffic and drainage," City Planner Greg Koester said.

Meanwhile, Effingham Economic Development Director Todd Hull announced that the application for the annexation of Prairie Ace Estates Subdivision into the Effingham/Effingham County Enterprise Zone has been approved by the state. Property owners subdivision are now eligible for the residential development incentives available for the construction of new homes in the Enterprise Zone, including property tax abatements.

"So people can start construction and qualify for the benefits," Hull said.

Also during the meeting, Effingham Fire Chief Brant Yochum asked the council to consider a proposed agreement with Ascent Integrated Technology for tracking equipment and software for firefighters.

"Charleston and Mattoon are on board with it. It's a pretty new company," Yochum said. "They're doing firefighter tracking. It's taking accountability for firefighters, doing their biometrics."

According to Yochum, the software functions through smart watches and can track where firefighters are within a structure. It also alerts the user if a firefighter falls or stops moving.

"It's new, but we're really excited to be one of the early adopters of it," he said.

Yochum noted that the use of the tracking technology by firefighters would be voluntary.

In total, the department's contract with Ascent Integrated Technology would cost $31,500.

The council did not act on the agreement, but it will revisit the matter during its next meeting.

Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300132.