Regional Newsletter

Serving Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Moultrie & Shelby Counties

IDOT Funding Opportunity

Stan Metzger, Chairman

Brandon Bell Jeremy Doughty

Kurt Crail John Doty

Rick Hall Jon Althaus

Paul Daily Dennis Malak

Elaine Komada

The Coles County Regional Planning office received notice from IDOT of the Statewide Planning and Research Fund (SPR) program. The deadline for applications is March 13, 2020. SPR funds are federal funds for planning and research activi-ties. The funds are used to establish a cooperative, continu-ous and comprehensive framework for making transporta-tion investment decisions and to carryout transportation research activities throughout the State. There is approxi-mately $20 million funding available in FY 2021. A 20 per-cent non-federal match is required for these funds, except in certain circumstances including if the project benefits a disadvantaged/economically distressed community. All proposed projects should be related to studying or im-plementing a goal, strategy or objective within the state’s Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) or one of its associ-ated plans, implementing performance based program de-velopment, implementing asset management or benefiting a disadvantaged/economically distressed community. IDOT will evaluate proposed projects based on those criteria. Program guidance can be found here: http://idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/transportation-management/planning/index To register for the informational Webinar on February 14, 2020, 10:00am-12:00pm Click Here

The new logo was selected to give our of-

fice a new updated and modern look and

be more inclusive of both Housing and

GIS.

COLES COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING (CCRP) NEW LOGO

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The Coles County Regional Planning & Development Commission, in coordination with other county and local governments, have created a Complete Count Committee made up of county wide participants with the primary goal of reaching out to “hard to count” areas. The Committee hopes to educate the public on the different methods available to fill out the cen-sus and how the census impacts our community. Please contact our office if your community would like additional information on how you can help with the Complete Count effort. You can also join the 2020 Census Team, by going to 2020census.gov/job they offer weekly pay, flexible hours and great pay.

2020 Census

Charleston Lake, Photo by Jackie Galletano

Cemetery Mapping Project

Once complete, this project will allow any user ac-cess to information about a cemetery, grave, or de-ceased individual buried in Coles County. Users will be able to search by date of death, name, family name, etc. The mapping of cemeteries in Coles County has slowed due to winter weather and resources. Our office recently sent out letters to 29 property owners, requesting permission to cross private property for access to cemeteries located on the property. We have received several back with posi-tive results. We will continue mapping once the weather cooper-ates.

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The Farmer’s Almanac Weather Prediction Weather Prediction for the Midwest/

Lower Lakes Region

The Coles County Regional Planning & Devel-

opment Commission has completed the up-

date to our website.

The new site has the same address and in-

formation it always has and more.

With a more modern look the site provides

more information on each of the different

areas our staff works with: GIS, Grants, IT,

Housing, and Solid Waste.

It features new address forms and fillable

housing applications for all of out available

communities.

Click Here to visit our website and see our

new look.

New CCRP&DC Website

Annual Weather Summary

Winter will be warmer than normal, with above-normal precipitation. The coldest periods will be from late January into early February, and in late February. Snowfall will be below normal. The snowiest periods will be in early to mid-January, from late January into early February and late February into early March and in late March. April and May will be warmer than normal, with precipitation above normal in our area. Summer will be hotter and rainier than normal. September and October will be warmer than normal with below-normal precipitation.

Best Days:

Make Jams or Jellies Jan 27 & 28; Feb 23, 24 & 25

Can or pickle Feb 14 & 15, Mar 12 & 13; April 9

Get Married: Feb 12 & 13; Mar 14 &15; April 7

Set posts/Pour Concrete Jan 23; Feb 18-20; Mar 16

Quit Smoking: Feb 3, Feb 7, Mar 7, Mar 16 & April 3

Prune Trees: Jan 29-31; Feb 26 & 27

10 Daily habits that will change your life! 1- hour of exercise 2- liters of water 3- cups of tea 4- colors on the plate 5- minutes of meditation 6- songs that motivate you 7- minutes of laughter 8- hours of sleep 9- pages of a book 10- reasons to be thankful

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Feb 12, 2020 Lincoln’s Birthday (CCRP Closed)

Feb 17, 2020 President’s Day (CCRP Closed)

Mar 8, 2020 Daylight Savings Time Begins

Apr 1, 2020 Census Day

Apr 10, 2020 Good Friday (CCRP Closed)

Apr 12, 2020 Easter Sunday

May 25, 2020 Memorial Day (CCRP Closed)

July 3, 2020 Independence Day (CCRP Closed)

Sept 7, 2020 Labor Day (CCRP Closed)

Oct 12, 2020 Columbus Day (CCRP Closed)

**CDBG grants are typically due in the summer

now. However, there is quite a bit of work that

goes into these, so if your community is inter-

ested, please contact our office as soon as possi-

ble. **

The FHLB Grant program is progressing, we current-

ly have a waiting list in Coles, Douglas and Moultrie

counties. We still need applications in Clark,

Cumberland and Edgar counties. Please visit our

website or call our office to apply for this housing

rehabilitation program. We partnered with First Mid

Bank & Trust for this grant program. The grant will

cover 75% of repairs, up to $15,000 and homeown-

ers are responsible for the other 25% of costs. First

Mid has offered to entertain loans for any residents

interested in applying and needing a loan to cover

their portion of the costs, however a loan is not a

requirement for participation. Other funding

sources may be used as well.

Most home repairs and code updates are included

in this program, however mobile homes and de-

tached garages are specifically excluded from being

rehabilitated. We are currently prioritizing roof re-

placement and HVAC.

Any low income homeowners in these counties who

are interested in participating in this program can

contact our office at 217-348-0521 for further in-

formation.

INGREDIENTS FOR BREAD:

• 1 box wild rice mix

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

• 2 stalks celery, diced

• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped

• 1 red onion, diced

• 1 C light mayonnaise

• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

• 1 tsp Salt, or to taste

• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 8 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• Bread crumbs (optional)

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

GRANT INFORMATION HERE

DIRECTIONS: 1. Prepare rice according to package directions 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 baking dish 3. Place chicken in the bottom of prepared baking dish 4. In a bowl, combine cooked rice with celery, tomato, onion,

mayonnaise, pecans, salt, pepper and nutmeg. 5. Spoon rice mixture around chicken. 6. Sprinkle chicken and rice with cheese & bread crumbs 7. Cover and bake for 30 minutes 8. Remove cover and bake for additional 15 minutes or until

cheese is bubbly and chicken is cooked throughout. Makes 4-6 servings

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David grew up in Tuscola, IL. He attended SIUE after graduation and after 2 years he worked in conservation in Utah for 2.5 years. He enrolled in EIU’s Geography program upon returning to Illinois. He plans to gradu-ate in May 2020 with a BS in Geography. David started as a GIS Intern with the Coles County Re-gional Planning office, in the Fall 2018. He is typically out in the field collecting data on roads or utilities. He is currently working on the Christian County 9-1-1 pro-ject, updating the GIS map. He has assisted with elec-tronics recycling and county clean-up events. David plans to apply the skills and experience learned through our office, working in conservation.

“Bola” moved to the U.S. from Lagos, Africa in August 2017. This move was so that he could obtain a Master’s degree in GIS from EIU. Bola brings his past experience as a research assistant, an intern with the Village of Mount Prospect, Public Works, and Grad Assistant in the Geology-Geography department. Bola is our newest edition to the Regional Planning, Planning staff. He began as an intern in the Coles County Regional Planning office as a GIS Intern, in the Fall 2019. He can be found in the office working on GIS data entry, cemetery mapping or out in the field mapping. He is a member of the Illinois GIS Association. Bola plans to merge his obtained knowledge to become a GIS data-base administrator. He is a music lover and self-taught pianist, and created the gospel music band, D’Levities at EIU. He recently became engaged and is planning a November wedding.

Allison is the newest edition to the CCRP & DC GIS staff, as a GIS Technician. Alli-son graduated from EIU with a Master’s degree in GIS. She began working as an intern with the office in February 2019. She has been working on multiple projects like, Next Gen 9-1-1 mapping for both Coles and Christian counties, producing maps for housing grants, utility mapping and assisting with Coles County cemetery mapping project. Allison is a Windsor, Il native, and after graduating with BA in Communication Studies and BS in Geography from EIU, she went on to earn a BA in Cinema from SIU-C. Allison moved to Los Angeles for six months, before returning to EIU in 2017.

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• Moultrie County Comprehensive Plan— • Cottonwood*—EJ Water — New Rural Public Water lines • Humbolt PI Grant *— Sewer Plant improvements • FHLB-Coles, Douglas, Moultrie— Housing improvements • FHLB Clark, Cumberland, Edgar —Housing improvement • SFR Arcola and Shelbyville– Single Family, owner-

occupied rehab • HAP– Rehab for owner-occupied disabled households • Windsor Housing Grant— Housing rehab (target area) • Martinsville Housing Grant—Housing rehab (city wide) • Martinsville PI Grant—New Water Tower • Brocton PI Grant*— Water lines • Cumberland County PI Grant *— New Rural Public Water

lines • Casey PI Grant—Water lines • Charleston Housing Grant—Housing rehab (target area) • Marshall Housing Grant—Housing rehab (target area) • LCBP—Abandon property rehab/demo • ArcGIS Server—Upgraded to new version • Arthur Sidewalk—Sidewalk study entire village • Recycling Events—Planning/Organizing • Christian County 9-1-1—NextGen 9-1-1 mapping Up-

dating road data and old data to new standards • Oakland Utilities—Mapping Utilities (water) • Mattoon Utilities—Mapping water & sewer-ongoing • Story Maps for Cemeteries—Creating story maps for all

Kelly Lockhart—Executive Director — Kelly is in charge of keeping everyone on task. He works with community leaders and the county board to ensure the office continues to pro-vide for the communities we represent. Beth Kastl—Admin. Asst. — Beth is in charge of invoicing and billing for the office. She maintains the financial records for the office, In addition to providing support to the entire CCRP staff.

Kevin McReynolds—Grants Compliance Manager, Kevin is in charge of compliance with Grant requirements, applica-tions, clearance, and follow-up. Cliff Shaw—Housing Associate Cliff is in charge of contrac-tors and inspections. Cliff inspects the homes prior to and following rehab work. He meets with homeowners and con-tractors to sign contracts and ensure contractors are paid for work completed. Jackie Galletano—Community Planner, Jackie receives the applications and maintains the list of upcoming jobs for each project. Jackie ensures all financial and home owner docu-ments are on file. She also assists Kevin & Cliff with grant requirements and compliance.

COLES COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

Noah Spence– GIS/IT Manager—Noah oversees the GIS Projects and ensures they are progressing on schedule. Noah oversees the technology for the county. Susan Summers—GIS Analyst—Susan is the person to see for property parcel spits and boundary maps. She also assigns 9-1-1 addresses in Coles & Moultrie Counties. She is currently working on the 2020 Cen-sus and the Cemetery mapping project. Sarah Mummel—GIS Technician/Solid Waste Coor-dinator—Sarah is in charge of planning and arrang-ing recycling events and clean-up days in the Coun-ty. She assists with GIS Projects and mapping Allison Hudson—GIS Technician—She can be found in her office working on mapping and GIS projects. James Beech—IT Technician —James keeps the computers working for county staff. He is never at his desk.

Current Projects

STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES * In cooperation with Milano & Grunloh engineers

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PROJECT HIGHLIGHT

SOLID WASTE and RECYCLING REIMBURSEMENT GRANT A letter was sent out to Coles County villages, cities and townships in regards to the new Solid

Waste and Recycling Reimbursement Grant. The funds are intended for projects which may in-

clude but are not limited to: cleanup days, roadside pickup dumpsters, recycling drop off contain-

ers and events such as paint collections, carpet collections and pharmaceutical collections. If

your community is in Coles County and is interested in applying for these funds the deadline to

apply is February 14, 2020 at 4:30 pm. If there are still remaining funds available, applications

will still be accepted after this deadline. If you did not receive a letter and are interested in this

grant opportunity for your community, please contact Sarah Mummel, Solid Waste Coordinator,

CCRP&DC, at smummel@co.coles.il.us.

CCRP&DC Staff

The Village of Arthur recently hired our office to com-

plete a sidewalk study, We are collecting sidewalk infor-

mation and measurements to determine ADA Compli-

ance and create a Sidewalk Study for the Village of Ar-

thur. In this study, we will be outlining current condition

as well as current ADA compliance and then will high-

light areas in need of improvement, as well as provide

approximate costs to complete these improvements. This

will give the Village of Arthur the information needed for

project planning as well as possible grant opportunities.

Currently we have completed 8.9 miles out of a total of

13.9 miles of sidewalk. If you village or city would like to

complete a sidewalk study, contact Noah Spence in our

office.