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City Council to discuss plans for teen center tonight
Although Carbondale teens will walk into the newly constructed Carbondale Community High School near Giant City Road in August, they may still have a reason to use their school's former campus.
Carbondale Community Teen Center Inc. has asked the City Council to pass a resolution that would donate a small gym from the former Springer Street campus to the organization for use as a teen center. The non-profit group is hoping to acquire Lot 3 of the former campus' subdivision, which contains the gym. The Council had previously approved subdivision of the former high school property.
Councilwoman Sheila Simon said the group's request for the Council's resolution is, in her opinion, the most important issue at tonight's 7 p.m. meeting at City Hall.
"I'm looking forward to hearing more from the teen center and what their proposal is for the old gym at the high school," Simon said. "I think they have a lot of good plans. I'm particularly interested in whether they're going to have the financial means to do that."
Councilman Chris Wissmann said he has no objections to a teen center being built on the former high school property. He said the proposals he has heard so far seem to be practical and affordable.
"It looks like it's going to be a great deal for the city, because there's not going to be any massive ongoing city expenditure," Wissmann said. "It's not like this is going to be a city property that we're going to operate. It's going to go almost directly to the private, non-profit organization. I have no problem with it."
Carbondale Community Teen Center Inc. has been in existence since last year. Councilwoman Maggie Flanagan has served as the chair of the group's board of directors since its inception.
Simon said she believes one of the group's strongest selling points is its interest in adding space for more basketball courts in the city.
" I know one of their primary concerns is maintaining basketball court space in Carbondale, which I'm all in favor of," Simon said. "Anyone who wants to do that, more power to them."
Mayor Brad Cole also used the perks of his mayoral power to persuade Mediacom representatives to attend tonight's meeting to discuss the quality of Carbondale's cable TV service.
City Manager Jeff Doherty said the cable company will give an update of its operations and new services offered within the community at the end of the meeting. Doherty said the company's delegates will hear questions and complaints from the Council and the public.
The Council has also been requested to annex property at Bradford Pear Estates into the city. Simon said the Council previously approved annexation of some of the Bradford property and sees no reason why the rest of the property should not be within Carbondale city limits.
State Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, said he will attend tonight's meeting to give his annual legislative review to the Council. Bost said he takes time to visit each of his district's communities each year to give them an estimate on what could be happening in the Illinois General Assembly.
