CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

COCKRELL LANE CLOSURE

On Monday, March 6, Cockrell Lane will be closed completely for emergency repairs needed to the overhead railroad structure that is located just north of Mathers Road. The closure will last through Thursday, March 9. Motorists should be aware that Cockrell Lane will be closed to all northbound traffic at Mathers Road. Cockrell will be closed to thru traffic southbound at Constitution Drive. Access to Great Northern Avenue and to residential driveways will be maintained but no thru traffic will be allowed south of Constitution Drive. Detour signs will be posted.

OVERNIGHT WORK ON LAUREL

Beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 6, Laurel Street will be closed between Second and Fourth Street. The closure is for railroad crossing repairs and work will occur overnight. The road will be reopened by 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 7.

LANE CLOSURES ON LAWRENCE

On Tuesday, March 7, the two left lanes on Lawrence Avenue will be closed between Second and Fourth Street. The closure is for railroad repairs. Two lanes will remain open for traffic. The closure will last one day, weather permitting.

LOOKING AHEAD: DOWNTOWN ROAD CLOSURES ON MARCH 11

The St. Patrick's Day Parade will take place on Saturday, March 11 beginning at 12-noon. The Office of Public Works is announcing various roads that will be closed or impacted to accommodate next Saturday's activities.

The parade staging area and parade route will be closed no later than 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 11. The parade staging area is on Jefferson between Seventh and Ninth Street. The parade route will start from the staging area and continue west on Jefferson to Fifth Street; south on Fifth Street to Capitol Avenue; east on Capitol Avenue to Sixth Street; north on Sixth Street to Washington; and east on Washington to Ninth Street, where the parade will conclude.

In addition to the above streets,

• Monroe at Fourth Street will be closed for the parade and may remain closed into the evening.
• Jefferson, Capitol Avenue, Washington, and Sixth Street will reopen after the parade. Approximate time of reopening is 3:00 p.m.
• Fifth Street between Jefferson and Monroe will remain closed until 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 12 for the annual St. Patrick's Day Street Party.

Motorists are asked to pay attention to parking restriction signs and bagged meters while parking downtown on Friday afternoon and into the evening on Friday, March 10.

Those traveling downtown for the parade on Saturday are asked to use caution and allow extra travel time due to the various road closures and number of people walking in the area. For more information about the parade, please visit www.stpatsdayparade.com.

NEXT WEEK: LEAF/YARD WASTE CURBSIDE PICK-UP

Starting the week of March 6, the City's "no sticker", bi-weekly curbside leaf/yard waste pick-up will occur in the South Zone, which is the area south of South Grand Avenue and Old Jacksonville Road, including residential properties around the lake.



Reminders:

• Bags must be placed curbside by 6:00 a.m.
• Bags should not be placed on boulevards.
• To estimate when your yard waste will be picked up, crews always work from west to east in each zone. An interactive map and pick-up schedule is available on the City’s website.
• If you believe your bags/containers were missed, email [email protected].

FIRST BRANCH PICK-UP BEGINS MARCH 6

The City of Springfield's 2023 curbside branch pick-up will begin March 6 in the Northwest Area. The city's branch program provides four curbside collections each calendar year, and this is the first pick-up for 2023. The other pick-up months are May, August, and November.

The curbside pick-up schedule is pre-set and crews will work in specified areas of the city each week. Each resident will receive one pick-up in March and branches must be placed curbside by 7:00 a.m. on Monday of their area's pick-up week. Below is the March branch pick-up schedule.

Week of March 6: Northwest Area - area north of South Grand Avenue and Old Jacksonville Road. West of Walnut Street/J David Jones Parkway.

Week of March 13: Southwest Area - area south of South Grand Avenue and Old Jacksonville Road. West of Walnut Street.

Week of March 20: Southeast Area - area south of South Grand Avenue and east of Walnut Street, including the properties around Lake Springfield.

Week of March 27: Northeast Area - area north of South Grand Avenue and east of Walnut/J. David Jones Parkway.

Complete information including resident instructions and a map indicating where branch pick-up crews are working is available on the city's website. Weekly notification will also be included in this e-newsletter and on the City's social media pages. To download a copy of the 2023 branch pick-up schedule, click here.

PLEASE BE MINDFUL WHERE YOU PLACE BRANCHES CURBSIDE

The City’s Public Works crews utilize a grappling truck to collect a large quantity of branches at one time. Consequently, any structures around or underneath the pile may be damaged during collection. The City asks all residents to look out for and avoid placement of branches and/or yard waste on any of the following locations. This will help maintain the structural integrity and safety of our crews. Avoid placing branches and yard waste on:

• Manholes
• Handholes
• Junction Boxes
• Meter Pits
• Standpipes
• Sprinkler heads
• Inlets
• Drains
• Poles/Posts
• Guy Wires
• General Equipment or Structures
• Sidewalks
• Bike Lanes
• Boulevards

CWLP POWER OUTAGES TODAY

CWLP Crews and its Electric Dispatch were responding to a number of power outages that began late morning today (3/3) affecting multiple areas around the City. Strong winds were the major factor causing electric trouble. Since the start of the outages, crews were able to restore power to approximately 900 customers before 12-noon.

When bad weather or other circumstances cause a large number of power outages, CWLP customers may want to view and track their electric service status from the utility's Outage Map available on CWLP's Outage Center webpage. During large outages, additional information and updates on outage status are often posted on the CWLP Facebook and Twitter pages.

CWLP Electric Dispatch can take new outage and electric system damage reports as well, 24-hours a day, seven days a week by calling 217.789.2121. When call volume is high, customers should leave a detailed voice message with address for trouble reported plus the caller's name and contact number. It is recommended to save the phone number in your mobile device so you can access it at anytime. Helpful Hint! Save the Electric Dispatch phone number (217.789.2121) in your mobile device so you can have it available anytime. You can also bookmark the Outage Map as a website quick link.

UPCOMING PUBLIC MEETINGS

ADIRONDACK TARGETED TIF PUBLIC HEARING

On Monday, March 6, at 1:00 p.m., the City of Springfield will hold a public hearing focused on the Adirondack Community Development project, also called "The Lofts on Madison" regarding the development of a targeted TIF. This project is proposed as a six-story structure located at the corner of 5th Street and Madison in downtown Springfield. The ground floor would be retail and commercial space, with five upper stories consisting of apartments. The project is seeking to use $4.5 million in targeted TIF money generated by the project to cover some of the $28 million project cost. This public hearing will take place in the City Council Chambers, 300 S. 7th Street, 3rd Floor. The community is invited to come and learn about the proposal and share their comments and feedback to the targeted TIF request. The meeting will also broadcast live on Comcast Cable Channel 18 and AT&T Uverse Channel 99 and stream live to the City's website and the City's YouTube Channel.

HISTORIC SITES COMMISSION

The Springfield Historic Sites Commission will meet on Monday, March 6, at 4:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at Lincoln Library, 326 S. 7th Street on the 2nd floor in the multi-purpose meeting room. The meeting agenda is available online.

PUBLIC COMMENT & HEARING FOR HOME-ARP

The City of Springfield will receive $2,380,397 of HOME - American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) that was appropriated under section 3205 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 from the U.S. government. The purpose of these funds are to address the needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness and other households that face housing instability. The City has posted a draft proposal of how the funds will be distributed on its website, www.springfield.il.us/PublicComments.aspx.

The community is invited to review the draft proposal and provide feedback and comments to the plan. Feedback is accepted through various methods:

• Filling out the form on the website at the above link;
• Emailing your statements to [email protected];
• Send your comments via U.S. mail to the Office of Planning & Economic Development, 800 E. Monroe, 1st Floor, Springfield, IL 62701.

Feedback must be received by Friday, March 10 at 4:30 p.m. (CST). The City is also hosting a public meeting for residents to share their thoughts and feedback about the document. The hearing will take place on Monday, March 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 300 S. 7th Street, 3rd Floor. The meeting will also broadcast live on Comcast Cable Channel 18 and AT&T Uverse Channel 99 and stream live to the City's website and the City's YouTube Channel. 

MUNICIPAL BAND CONTRACT POSITIONS

The City of Springfield's Municipal Band is seeking contractors for their 2023 season. They are seeking a band librarian, band manager, and band conductor. These positions each receive a stipend for their work. The information is available on the City's website. Anyone interested in the opportunities are encouraged to apply. Questions? Email [email protected].

WEBSITE LIVE STREAM AUDIO FIXED

Some residents were aware that the audio was not working properly on the City's website stream during our live Tuesday evening Council meetings. This past Tuesday the audio was repaired and working for the February 28 meeting. We hope this has resolved any outstanding issues.

As a reminder, in addition to the website stream, the City also carries the Tuesday evening meetings LIVE on the City's YouTube Channel, WMAY's YouTube Channel, and via broadcast on Comcast Cable Channel 18 and AT&T Uverse Channel 99. We appreciate your patience as we repaired the website issue and now the Tuesday live meetings are available across all platforms.

EXTERIOR REHAB HOME PROGRAMS

Residents in need of financial assistance to complete much needed exterior home repairs are encouraged to review the Office of Planning & Economic Development's (OPED) home repair programs. OPED has various exterior rehab programs and one interior/exterior rehab program for residents who live in specific areas of the City and meet the income qualifications. Residents can review the different programs on the City's website. You may also reach out to the Office of Planning & Economic Development with questions at [email protected] or call 217.789.2377.

NEW! CITY OF SPRINGFIELD JOB OPENINGS

The City of Springfield is hiring! NEW job postings are available on the City's website. Remember to keep the search box empty and click "Search" to see ALL available jobs. If you have questions about applying or the status of a current application, please call Human Resources at 217.789.2446 or email [email protected].

• Outreach Manager with Lincoln Library
• Seasonal Ground Maintenance with Oak Ridge Cemetery
• Technical Support Specialist with the Information Systems Division
• Facilities Maintenance Worker I with Public Works
• Cashier I with CWLP
• Utility Security Officer with CWLP
• Technical Specialist I (Safety Trainer) with CWLP

CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY

The City Council will meet Tuesday, March 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 300 S. 7th Street, 3rd floor. A copy of the meeting agenda is available online.

HOW TO WATCH TUESDAY'S MEETING LIVE

• On Comcast Cable Channel 18 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99
• Stream the meeting on the City's website 
• Stream the meeting on the City's YouTube Channel (On Tuesday evenings, a "Live" box will appear before the first section of videos.) 
• Stream the meeting on WMAY's YouTube live stream. (On Tuesday evenings, a "Live" box will appear before the first section of videos.) 

Missed a meeting? Visit the City's YouTube Channel for past recordings.