After a City Administration Presentation and follow up Council discussion that took a combined one hour and 33 minutes, the Danville City Council passed the proposed $24.7 million ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) COVID relief plan Tuesday night, with the one no vote coming from Alderman Heidi Wilson. There is plenty involved in this plan, and leading the way is the Garfield Park and Pool renovation.
Despite much talk about how more feedback from the public would have been nice, the overall consensus was that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that must not be wasted. City Engineer Sam Cole was firm that putting off a vote would eventually cause a rushed process for infrastructure projects that will take time and need to be bid out. Cole was smiling afterwards, but said he was ready to make alternate plans if needed.
AUDIO: I was open to either solution, and obviously they had the support to it; but the conversation was thorough, let’s say that. So I guess I’m glad it was well thought.
Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr said despite the long discussion, the near unanimous ‘yes’ vote did not surprise him. The mayor stated there had actually been much communication with the public, though most of it informal.
AUDIO: Maybe we had small official numbers, but there had been lots of unofficial correspondence with me, with the aldermen, with our city staff; of people saying that they support the plan and the things that we planned to do. So we’re very excited about that, and thrilled about the things were going to be able to do for the people of Danville with this money.
Former Public Works Director Doug Ahrens once again spoke during public comment, telling us afterwards that if the city wants more official public feedback, there’s an easy way to do it.
AUDIO: Public engagement can be done. You just need to want to the information. We all get a bill from them every month. All they need to do is put a survey in the bill; you don’t have to worry about computers or anything else. That’s only if they really want to know the information and what the people feel.
(Left) Bresee Tower owner Chris Collins addresses Danville City Coucil. (Right) Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr swears in new Danville Deputy City Clerk Rachel Haun.
Meanwhile, with Mayor Williams still working on legal proceedings to clear the way for the demolition of Bresee Tower, the tower’s owner Chris Collins, a Danville native who now lives out of state, made an appearance at the meeting; and said during public comment that the mayor is wrongly calling him a liar. Collins told us afterwards that he does have investors that want to work with him on turning Bresee Tower into a 1920s era hotel, with plans for the surrounding property as well.
Mayor Williams, however, repeated what he’s been saying about the situation all along; that much time has passed, and it’s time for Bresee Tower to come down.
AUDIO: Mr. and Mrs. Collins have had four years to do what they said that they would do, and they have not even kept the very first promises that they made to me when we met in November of 2018. This is a legal matter, so I can’t comment any further.
But Collins, (who’s voice was bad and could not speak on tape), stated that the mayor is scaring away his investors, and says the investors are game, but do not want to work with Mayor Williams.
