PAVE Community Breakfast highlights area projects

Apr. 16—A local group is continuing its efforts to shape the future of Effingham County and address some of the community's most pressing issues.

Effingham County residents and local leaders gathered at the Carriage House Event Center in Altamont Tuesday morning for the latest Promoting a Vision for Effingham County (PAVE) Community Breakfast.

Speakers discussed the progress being made in Altamont and throughout the county. The various topics discussed during the breakfast ranged from education to housing.

Residents heard updates on the five PAVE action teams that were formed to help implement the county's vision for its future, which was developed during a community mapping process.

Courtney Yockey, the president and CEO of the Effingham Regional Growth Alliance and a representative of PAVE, told attendees about the recent work of PAVE's housing action team and discussed its "push towards encouraging private investment" in new housing to help alleviate the area's housing shortage.

"This action team was a big supporter of the residential component for the Enterprise Zone," Yockey said of the incentives for residential development that are now available within the Effingham/Effingham County Enterprise Zone.

More recently, the housing action team worked with the consultants who developed a housing and economic recovery plan for the City of Effingham.

"We do a lot of research in trying to identify what has been successful for our neighbors, reaching out to other communities to see what they've done from a residential component," Yockey said.

The housing action team has also been working with Lake Land College to develop a web tool that will allow potential residential developers to view data on real estate trends and identify the areas in the county that need housing the most. Yockey said this will help developers make "educated decisions," and he said the tool could be ready as soon as this fall.

"It's a work in progress," he said.

The ongoing efforts of PAVE's child care action team to increase the number of quality child care slots and providers in the county were also discussed during the meeting. The team assisted with the implementation of several child care programs in the county, including a grant program for families in need of affordable child care and an increased capacity program for child care providers.

"Child care is definitely an issue in Effingham County," Yockey said. "We've actually helped and encouraged an additional 138 licensed child care slots."

Yockey also provided updates on PAVE's parks and recreation action team, which has been working with a local group as they continue to develop plans for a multi-million dollar sports complex, the Effingham Showcase Center. He said the team has also been working with the consultant group tasked with conducting a study for the proposed complex, Innovative Partnership Group.

"If you're not familiar, this is a 250,000 square foot dome for indoor sports," he said. "What this study will do is determine the value of the Effingham Showcase Center, the naming rights, highlight partnerships and other strategic business opportunities."

Additionally, Yockey announced that the second of three phases of the construction of a new addition to the skate park in Effingham is set to begin this fall. He said Deano Tull, the local skater spearheading the project, has done an excellent job raising funds for the park's expansion.

Residents at the breakfast also heard from Altamont Unit 10 Superintendent Casey Adam, who told attendees that the district is rolling out a new website and app. She said the new website will be "more streamlined" and "user friendly."

"If you go to the app store now, you can go ahead and start downloading the app. It is kind of in its soft launch phase, but by the end of the month, it will be fully in swing," Adam said. "You will be able to get updates, push notifications to your phone and many new exciting things, so if you want to get all the latest in the district, be sure to go to the app store."

Adam noted that the new website will have the same web address as the district's old website.

Adam also discussed some of the district's needs, particularly as it pertains to its facilities, and she said that funds from a proposed 1% sales tax could help the district address these needs. The 1% sales tax question will be included on ballots for Effingham County voters for the election on Nov. 5.

"We're taking a look at all the things that we need to upgrade and trying to figure out a long term plan to do those kinds of upgrades," Adam said.

If approved, the revenue from the 1% sales tax would be distributed among the county's school districts, and the amount given to each district would be based on enrollment.

"If you think about the region of education that Effingham County belongs to, we're the only county in our region that doesn't have it," Adam said of the sales tax. "We only need a simple majority for this to pass."

One thing Adam said the district needs is more classroom space, explaining that some learning spaces are currently "doubled up."

"Our health class for the junior high students currently meets inside of our library. We have several resource classrooms that have multiple teachers working the same space," Adam said. "We also doubled our preschool class size within the last year as well, thanks to a grant from the state."

If the 1% sales tax passes, Unit 10 would receive an estimated $1.25 million in tax revenue annually, according to Adam. However, county districts would only be able to spend their new tax revenue on facility improvements, mental health professionals and school resource officers.

"It's very specific with the law what that money can be used for," Adam said.

Adam explained that the purchase of items like vehicles, farm equipment, unprepared food and medication won't be subject to the 1% sales tax, while other products like gas and fast food will.

"This is a very huge opportunity for our school district to address some of those needs," she said.

Altamont Mayor Dan Milleville told attendees about the city's ongoing efforts to secure a couple of grants for local infrastructure projects.

"Right now, we are in the process of working on a $1.5 million DCEO grant for replacement of some 100-year-plus water main," Milleville "We are also going to be working on an ITEP grant for sidewalks, and that will be after the water main."

He also said the city recently approved a 20-year contract with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency, and he's confident that this will "stabilize" electric rates for Altamont residents.

Tuesday's breakfast also included a speech from Kurt Becker, an Altamont native and horse racing announcer, and Altamont Chamber of Commerce President Jessica Polk provided updates on some local businesses.

The next PAVE community breakfast will be held in Dieterich on Sept. 19.

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