from the... DIRECTOR'S DESK

The State Sanitary Water Board has presented a trophy to the Village of Antioch for efficiency in operation of its sewage plant and waterworks. Plant superintendent is Walter I. Scott... The Village of Washington Park is justifiably proud of its five year traffic safety record. During that time there has not been a major traffic accident in the village jurisdiction. The National Safety Council recently notified police chief Carl Parker that, "no other community of equal size can boast such a record." . . . The Illinois City Managers' Association recently completed a three day institute held in Highland Park. Managers from 34 Illinois cities attended. Charles Miller of Winnetka was named president of the association ... The residents of Galesburg have voted to adopt the council-manager plan of government, while the citizens of Rockford have voted to continue the aldermanic form. . . . McHenry County's newest municipality is Sunnyside which incorporated this month. . . . The Bloomington council has passed an emergency water resolution asking water users to voluntarily conserve water. The resolution called for curtailment of such activities as car washing, lawn sprinkling, etc., the council also approved an $80,000 project to pump water from a nearby stream into Lake Bloomington. . . . Peoria and Eureka join the growing list of Illinois cities fluoridating their water. . . . Springfield's purchasing agent Joseph Gerzin has estimated that the city will use 200,000 gallons of gasoline during the next fiscal year at a cost of $40,000. Estimated gasoline consumption by department is: police, 35,000 gals.; street and garbage department, 100,000 gals.; public health and safety (including fire department), 84,000 gals.; department of public property, 45,000 gals; Lake Springfield nursery, 15,000 gals.; and Oak Ridge Cemetery, 6,500 gals. . . . The Illinois Municipal Utility Operators recently completed their annual meeting in Springfield . . . The Association of County Officials have adopted a resolution favoring legislation to permit counties to levy a half-cent sales tax in unincorporated areas, and a resolution asking for legislation to abolish co-extensive municipalities. . . . Springfield City Council is considering expansions of its power and light plant and system following a report by Burns and McDonnell engineering firm. The report recommends the expenditure of $2,904,200 on new transmission facilities. . . . Mayor James P. Hennessy, Joliet, in cooperation with civic leaders is discussing the possibility of forming a port authority in order to secure their share of traffic and commerce when the St. Lawrence seaway is completed in 1959. . . . East St. Louis engineers are preparing plans for a proposed expressway to connect the municipal Veterans Memorial Bridge with U. S. Highways 40, 50, 66 and 67. Cost is estimated at $4,100,000. . . .Evanston now has 24 off street parking lots with a total capacity of 1,295 cars and is planning more. Evanston also has a sidewalk replacement plan placed in effect in 1955. The city pays half the cost of replacing broken or obsolete walks. In 1955, the city appropriated $15,000 for the program, and in 1956 have increased the appropriation to $40,000. They now have 140 applications for the 1956 program.

An article by Mayor Nelson Howarth, Springfield, appeared in the April issue of the Illinois Municipal Review. The article described the creation of a public building commission under the

(Continued on page 100)

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Volume XXXV, No. 5, May, 1956, Total No. 375, THE ILLINOIS MUNICIPAL REVIEW is published monthly at Springfield, Ill., by the Illinois Municipal League. Editorial and Executive Offices, 537 S. Fourth St., Spring-field, Ill. Subscription per year: Domestic, $2.50; Foreign, $3.00; Single Copies, 30c each. Entered as second class matter at the postoffice at Springfield, Ill., January 3, 1944 under the Act of March 3, 1879.

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CITY HALL GOSSIP

(Continued from page 87)

authority granted by a new statute passed by the last session of the General Assemly. Since this article was prepared the City of Springfield has progressed rapidly toward the creation of a commission.

Resolutions have been passed by the Sangamon County Board of Supervisors, the pleasure driveway and park district, school district 186, Springfield airport authority and Springfield sanitary district signifying their intention to become members of the commission. Certified copies of these resolutions have been filed with the County Recorder of Deeds.

The six local governments have banded together to form the commission for the purpose of construction of an office building to house their administrative offices.

Next step will be for the five of the governments to appoint their member of the commission with the city of Springfield appointing six, a total of eleven. After all appointments have been made and recorded in the recorder's office the commission will have been officially created.

Mayor Howarth predicts that a lawsuit to test the constitutionality of the 1955 legislation will be filed within the next two months and if the courts approve the law, a new municipal building can be under construction in 1957.

Rantoul, $100,000 issue to construct a swimming pool . . . Barry, $80,000 general obligation bond issue to in part finance a city water supply . . . Belleville $150,000 parking meter revenue issue to construct a parking lot in connection with a proposed new city hall . . . Gillespie, $429,000 improvement and refunding bond ordinance for the construction of a new city water reservoir ... Wood River $210,000 issue to erect a new public library . . . Lansing $560,000 general obligation bond issue to improve streets and install mercury-vapor lights . . . Joliet $800,00 revenue bond issue to improve the waterworks system . . . Springfield $3,200,000 sewer bond issue to be used in a sewer rehabilitation program . . . Keyesport, $19,000 general obligation issue to be used with a $100,000 water revenue issue to construct a waterworks system . . . Kenney, $39,000 general obligation issue and an $80,000 revenue issue for construction of a waterworks system . . . Clinton, $360,000 water revenue issue to improve water treatment and supply systems . . . Effingham, $1,200,000 revenue issue for construction of a water supply lake . . .

Macomb, a $35,000 general obligation issue to purchase a fire truck . . . Dalzell, $10,000 issue to drill a city well.

Lincoln Bathrick as trustee, Laze Zurich . . . Leon Toussaint has been elected mayor of Toluca . . . Ray C. Graceffa elected alderman in Rockford . . . Dr. E. H. Ibbotson elected city treasurer and Richard H. Lamberton elected alderman in Lake Forest . . . Anthony Schmieg to be Highland Park's police chief . . . Paul Lehman to be city treasurer at Winchester . . . Lloyd Johnson to be city engineer of Moline. Mr. Johnson has been Moline's traffic and planning engineer . . . Jay B. Boyd has been appointed Urbana public works commissioner . . . Eugene Moody is Bloomington's new city manager . . . Walter Bailey to be city clerk of Champaign, succeeding John Upp who has been appointed treasurer at Champaign. . . Eugene Bird to be water superintendent at Herrin, succeeding Lester Jordan who resigned to accept private employment . . . Richard Halstead, city engineer, Woodstock . . .

Ralph L. Maddy, commissioner of public works, Urbana . . . William McLaughlin, treasurer, Winchester . . . Alderman Stanley F. Witek of LaSalle.

Village President Louis D. Jantzen, Jr. of Bartelso . . . Charles Barnett, former mayor of Pana . . .