BreakDown: Danville City Council (12/2/2014 Meeting)

We told you what happened at Tuesday’s Danville City Council meeting and we did it LIVE! Now let’s analyze it in more detail. Let’s do a BreakDown.

BreakDown time. Let’s put it on a Big Board.

• Although the meeting starts at 7:00 PM, I usually get there early. I walk in at 6:15 and there’s already somebody sitting at the media table. It’s Leonard Harville! I’m actually impressed at him covering “real news” until I realize that he’s there simply to harass Gracie Mays.
• By the way, I asked him about his story that he totally made up by combining three different police calls. He said he’s sticking to his story because it’s true. LIE. He said he was there. LIE. He said he saw it happen. LIE. I asked him why didn’t he post any photos then? I got no answer. Oh well. Let’s get to the business.
• The city’s public works department worked quickly to get the “In God We Trust” over the top of the entrance and on the back wall of Council chambers in only two weeks. That’s compared to the 64 years it took to complete the Main St. project.
• It was good to see that Buddy Rawley could finally speak again in open session, even if it was the opening prayer. Heh.
• It was good to see Gracie Mays present the softball game trophy. We’ve got photos on the original article’s page.
• The city sold their annual bonds and got ~$2.9 million on proceeds. Here’s where that money goes.
  Circuit Courtroom Renovations $420,000  * American Legion Stadium Renovations $400,000 *Adult Detention Facility Improvements $350,000 *Juvenile Detention Parking Expansion $51,150 * River District Video Surveillance $189,000 * Public Safety Radio Upgrade $405,000 * River District Street Improvements $500,000 * Stormwater Drainage Improvements $200,000 * Roof Replacement – City Buildings $200,000 * General Street Improvements $200,000
• River District Video Surveillance. That’s friggin’ sad. Sigh.
• Next, Council approved ~$4.1 million for the Comprehensive Services Act. No worries there, Lillie Jones manages that program and she’s awesome.
• The new business was just routine things, so nothing really to talk about there. We will be getting a pedestrian walking signal at the Bridge Street & Patton Street. I’m not sure how that will work, because there’s no traffic lights at that intersection to stop traffic when pedestrians want to cross. I’ll ask about that.
• The around-the-horn comment session brought some interest as James Buckner brought up the idea of using compressed natural gas to fuel city vehicles. Later in the work session, Public Works director Rick Drazenovich said that idea would not be cost-effective and he got a good amount of pushback from council members on that. I expect that issue will be revisited soon.

That’s a BreakDown of what happened on Tuesday night. We’ve got more coming up on SouthsideCentral!