My oh my what an interseting article this morning inthe newspaper about Forsyth. They don't want anybody but Forsyth folks to come to their little fun fest. It's financed with sales tax dollars from the people from all over Macon County, and even outside the area such as Springfield and Champaign folks. But, that doesn't matter! They want to keep outsiders out! And,the same page has an article about Forsyth slaes tax figures remain strong. So it can't be about the money. Hap and Trustee Johnson, what were you thinking? Somthing smells fishey here, and it ain't lake decatur. 

                                                                                                                       Hello White Oaks/Market Place/Eastland , see U soon.           Gilda

Wow are they kidding?  Forsyth has went to far.  They owe their whole economy to our past City leaders falling asleep at the wheel and to the population of Decatur shopping at the stores there!  We have no choice but to buy many things in Forsyth, BUT we do not have to buy anythingelse.   I hope they cancel next year or I say all us unwanted should crash their nose in the air party!   I am going to break out my best bib overalls and go shoeless.   By the way the Arthur fireworks were great and the people there were FRIENDLY!

I agree with you Gilda and Robert....Wow!...That says an awful lot about the Village of Forsyth – and it's not a good thing...I'll say it again...Wow! There's a word for the attitude displayed in that article: Hubris.

 

Please correct me if you disagree.

 

As many of you know, I'm a native son of Cerro Gordo where the “Fat Hill Fest” was held just a few weeks ago...Believe me – everyone is welcome, and CG promotes the heck out of it...Everyone can attend, participate, and conclude CG is a pretty nice place to live! Who needs Fosryth – If you feel urban(-ish) – then move to Decatur; if you prefer to be rural, move to Cerro Gordo! ;-) (or Argenta, or Oakley, or any other of the non-snooty satellite towns around Decatur) lol – I like Cerro Gordo, though!

 

With respect to the article on sales tax receipts, I absolutely agree with your point, Gilda. The bright spot (and it may sound a bit mean at first) is that last time I went to HPM, there were quite a few empty spots in the building. That tells me, for whatever reason, the location (Hickory Point Mall in Forsyth) is not as competitive as it used to be. By the same token, ½ of the the Reynolds Building's first floor empty in downtown Decatur – in an enterprise zone, in a very business-friendly community, with a ton of customers literally within walking distance during business hours (ADM and Downtown)...Which in my mind is a vastly more appealing location! In short – it's early days still, but I think there's potential for a real Decatur retail comeback...

 

OK

 

If you permit me an “I told you so moment”; during the campaign, I talked about retail income being short-term income – and an important part of the picture, but we should consider those dollars “gravy”* rather than “base” funds...Anyway...It's true – Decatur's retail income is not as high as we'd like – but even so, consider this: it would be even worse if we hadn't gone forward with the Mound/51 project (credit where it's due).

 

So -

 

A few things I'd consider if I were on the council (hint to the council members!):

1 – Decatur is an inclusive community. I for one think it's important for the council to reinforce the simple truth that the City of Decatur exists to increase the general welfare.

2 - Bus service to Hickory Point Mall...Currently one of our routes goes out there...What does the Village Of Forsyth contribute to this arrangement?

3- It would be an informal conversation, but, what, if any potential businesses does the EDC (Economic Development Corporation) have in their mix that could take advantage of the current economic climate? (This is a total shot in the dark on my part, but we give EDC money, and you never know!)
 

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(lol – and I look forward to your signatures on my next petition, and your vote in 2011! ;-) )

 

*-OK: to the "top x-percent should be considered “gravy”" comment...I realize it's more complicated that it sounds, and that's why we have clever Accountants working for the City of Decatur - to put discreet values on fuzzy terms like council candidates.

I wouldn't gloat too much about the Target deal.  Now we have are left with two crappy high school buildings that are going to cost us a fortune to upgrade.  If we still had Stephen Decatur as a high school and the Mound building, we'd be in much better shape financially as a city.  Target and the Olive Garden would've looked great on Eldorado or Pershing, or where they'd like to build the new single high school, - all those areas where Decatur is practically a ghost town now.  I'm sorry you just can't bully neighbors and ignore their wishes, tear down a perfectly good school, close the newest high school, build a new school next to busy railroad tracks and an abandoned foundry and come out smelling like a rose in my book.  It wasn't right.  It's the biggest reason why I want district representation in Decatur.  Have we ever even had a council member who lived on the north side of town while serving on the council?  Usually they all come from the south shores area or the west end.  The rest of us get screwed and ignored.

On the Forsyth thing.  I had the mistake  of going there one year for their little Snootfest, so I already knew about their policies.  No news to me.  I was going to buy paint and supplies to redo my kitchen cabinets at Menards but I'll find some place in Decatur to do my shopping.

Kris

Good points!   I think we need to focus on beautifiing Pershing and Eldo and promoting them. Way way  too much space is empty on them.   I especialy notice Pershing.   The entire shopping center where K's was is empty now as is part of Spring Creek.  Those gas stations have needed to be demoed for ever.   Also sometime when you are driving north on N. Water St from Eldo,  just look around at all the vacant space it goes on for blocks allt he way up to about Garfield - tons of vacant space.  And it is not just one lot here and there - there is a bunch of it.  Same is true on MLK and Jasper going both north and south.   

Does any know why the car wash on Pershing closed??   Dang that was the only drive through car wash up that way for lazy folks like me.  I can't think of any close now?  Seems crazy that we just got a new one up by Mound and MLK in that mainly residental area yet the one on Pershing closes... 

Something else along this same line - can anyone explain the reasoning for Decatur Park District having a golf course that is surrounded by Forsyth?  (Hickory Point) I realize that  Decatur annexed that land but just what is the purpose and benefit to Decatur of this?  All the business it attracts actually goes to Forsyth businesses and does Forsyth pay anything for that course?  Maybe we make money on it?  But making money isn't really supposed to be the goal of government entity like a park district.   The goal should be improving Decatur and it's neighborhoods quality of life.  All the value that golf course brings to surrounding neighborhoods is in Forsyth as well....   Just wondering the reasoning behind this?  Maybe district boundaries are different than city boundaries? 

Sue

Sue, I think that car wash on Pershing closed because they're the ones who opened that new one on Mound and MLK.  This is what my husband told me.  And that new car wash is LOUD!  It also has an annoying alarm that goes off whenever another car goes through it.  I feel sorry for those homes around it.  It does work good at cleaning vehicles though.  I'm too cheap to use it but it gets my husbands truck sparkly clean.  It would be great if it were on Pershing on Eldorado.

And Forsyth benefits much more from the Hickory Point Golf course than Decatur.  No doubt. 

Kris

I mean Pershing or Eldorado - or in Matthew's backyard.  ;-)  Just kidding.

Sue
It is not entirely correct to say the Hickory Point golf course is SURROUNDED by Forsyth. In my other life as a judge I heard the case involving the annexation of the golf course
to the city of  Decatur. I  won't go into a lot of detail, but to state it as simply as I can, in order for there to be an annexation there must be a contiguous boundry to the property being annexed and the existing boundry of the annexing body. In other words they have to touch some way or the other. In the case of the park district and the city, the city annexed the property along Oakland Ave to the golf course and then it became possible to annex the golf course into the city. I hope this makes sense. Of course this says nothing about which entity reaps the most benefit, i.e., Decatur or Forsyth.

An interesting footnote to this is when Mayor Daley, the father of the current Daley, wanted O'Hare airport in the city, he annexed a very small line of property after property to make a contiguous line to the airport, thus the airport and all of its tax revenue is in the city of Chicago.

I just wanted to say one other thing about the Forsyth affair. We are all dependant on one another to make this community work, i.e. Decatur, Forsyth, Mt. Zion and other communities in the county. We need one another to survive economicly. Many citizens of surrounding towns and villages rely on Decatur for their income and financial securtity. Many people of Decatur enjoy the benefits of towns and villages outside our Decatur borders. We should welcome one another and work together for the benifit of us all. So Hap, go ahead and have your party, but please don't be a political snob.

Somehow, we always come back to this Decatur vs. Forsyth thing and how we all should get along and blah blah blah.  I think Decatur is more than willing to reach out but Forsyth has got it made.  What really makes me mad is the sales tax story in yesterday's paper.  It was like Forsyth was flaunting their riches in our faces.  Well, who gave them that wealth?  Decatur primarily.  They can have their silly exclusive parties but to carry on so about how great they're doing at our expense is sickening.  Another thing that ticked me off was the fact that Caterpillar, ADM and the hospitals recruit new employees and point them in the direction of Forsyth, like Decatur is Calcutta or something.  We're not THAT bad.  We have plenty of very nice neighborhoods and people. 

John, to me all that gobbledy goop about it "technically" being in Decatur is completely irrelevant.   The question I have is WHO is paying for that golf course?  A golf course provides many benefits to a community,  even to those in the community who do not golf.  It looks attractive and raises surrounding property values it also helps promote resturants and hotels surrounding it especially when it has big events like Futures at it.  Yet what community is reaping these benefits?   I think unless we are making big bucks off this course or Forsyth is pitching in on paying for it - Decatur Park District should sell it to Forsyth. 

I would have no problem with this except Decatur is struggling and Forsyth is getting rich off our money.   This is not an equally beneficial relationship.  Forsyth has plenty of money for a great new school - Decatur scrounges for ours.   Just why in the world should Decatur be providing Forsyth with a golf course?  We in Decatur pay for and deal with the roads that are damaged by the truck traffic that services the businesses that provide those in Forsyth with their jobs.  We pay for the water needed for these industries, We live with the polution and just what do we get from Forsyth back? 

This is nothing personal against anyone from Forsyth, I know a lot of nice people from there - but it just looks to me like a very very one sided relationship here.....  It looks like Decatur is being taken for a fool in this "relationship".

Sue

Kris, 

regarding the car wash?  Are you sure?  Why in the world would they close the one on Pershing and open one there instead?  Are they getting some kind of tax break?  Didn't someone say this area was at one time TIF?   If that is the case we are encouraging movement from a truly blighted area to an area that is not blighted....crazy to me.

I'd just like to know the reasoning.  I can't see any reason we would want to increase commerical businesses and traffic on Mound especially when Pershing is losing them.

Sue

Well, instead of getting mad about our situation with Forsyth, we should just get smart.  One thing that we have that Forsyth doesn't have is Lake Decatur.  We really haven't capitalized off of that asset.  I think a nice lodge/waterpark in the Chandler Park area would be worth looking at.  I'd recommend the city contact The Great Wolf Lodge.  I stayed at one of their locations in Wisconsin Dells and it would be a nice fit for Lake Decatur.  It has woodsy lodge themed rooms for kids and adults, and an indoor and outdoor waterpark for all year round useage.  It also had its own restaurants inside of it.  Another example would be the Holidy Inn in Indianapolis which has an indoor waterpark.  Whatever we could possibly choose, I'd like to see it be something that residents could affordably enjoy as well - someplace to take the kids or grandkids on an afternoon.

In addition to that, an upgraded mini-golf course would be great. 

And of course, Decatur really dropped and booted the Lincoln ball out of the stadium.  What a blown opportunity to bring in revenue.  The good thing is, Lincoln is going to remain popular after his 200th birthday year, so we could still capitalize off of that.

Decatur just has a very hard time thinking outside of the box and trying new things and until we do, nothing is ever going to change.  So instead of getting mad at Forsyth, let's just get smart and make our own way.

Kris

Sue
Without arguing, if the Park District were to sell Hickory Point Golf course to Forsyth, that would not help the city of Decatur in any way financially. Any revenue generated from the sale would go to the Park District which is a separate tax supported entity. But, since the Park District is loosing its revenue base as well....well maybe you have an idea there. What about it Forsyth?

Kris
I agree completely. It is time to start thinking out side the box. For example. There is a little town in Mississippi of about 35, 000 population. They have a fantastic water park that generates millions in revenue every year. Go for it Park District and City. Think outside the box.

John, I'll be going to Santa Claus, Indiana to their waterpark later this month and it's a little town in the middle of nowhere.  It also has Lincoln's boyhood home nearby.  So if they can make a go of it, surely Decatur can too.

And yes, Decatur GO FOR IT and quit listening to the naysaying party poopers - but do seriously consider resident's input and suggestions for whatever we do at Nelson Park.  I like how the school district is using a high school task force and including the public as much as possible.  That's the way to do it.

Kris

Too funny!   I agree with you both regarding "GO FOR IT"!!   Sell the golf course in Forsyth,  if not to Forsyth sell it to developers and collect the property tax or develop it into a "mixed  income housing"  -  yes,  I realize the city and the park district are separate entities but I bet they are mainly the same group of taxpayers I know my tax bill has both enties on it.   The Decatur Park District needs to focus on Decatur.

I would really like to see a water park in Decatur too.   But also - snob that I am :-)  - I want what ever we put at Nelson to be real attractive that area is really beautiful now.....What about selling the Hickory Point course and redoing the Nelson course into a really great course with a lake view?    And finding  a place for a water park as well.

I agree -  we need to quit being mad at Forsyth - but at the same time we need to quit just GIVING to Forsyth..... they are a big guy and they can pay their own way....

Sue

Are all the other Water Parks owned by their City or privately?  I know Santa Clause Land is owned by Gibbs Castings out of Kentucky.  The City should be finding someone who will actually build a water park, I don't think they should actually own it.  I wonder if Forsyth residents pay the out of district fee when they golf?  I know when I was in Oakley they made me pay it.

What Forsyth did was embarrassing at least it would be for me if my leaders made a decision like that.  I for one have ate my last Buffalo Wild Wing in Forsyth and we will not be going to the Hickory Point Mall we will drive to Springfield.  I wonder if this isn't discrimination towards the family from Springfield? 

I agree with you Sue.

It does make some sense to do away with the Hickory Point golf course but I'd keep it in Decatu'rs hands and collect the property tax revenue.  I think the park district has it completely backwards.  What they want to do with Nelson Park, in terms of housing, should occur at Hickory Point.  The Decatur Park District's purpose is to improve the quality of life for Decatur's residents; it's other purpose is to help make Decatur a more attractive place for residential and commerical development.  We pay tax dollars to them (the Decatur Park District) to improve OUR quality of life and neighborhoods, not to improve Forsyth's neighborhoods and put money into THEIR hotels, restaurants and mall.  Yeah, we're all in this together, but if I'm making an investment in something as a taxpayer, I want my community reaping the rewards.   That's just good business sense.  DMH isn't going to fund St. Mary's ER remodel and St. Mary's isn't going to fund DMH's construction projects.  You gotta take care of the people and community you represent above anything else first.  That's not being mean, that's just being smart.

The waterpark chain that I was suggesting is really attractive.  It would look great nestled in the trees along the lake's shores.  It has a very woodsy but not over the top cheeseball look to it.  It would fit in great by the lake. 

Kris

I trust your judgement Kris -  if it is attractive I'd be fine with it.  However I'd want to keep it back from from the lake edge to let the fishermen and the walkers still have their peacefulness.  Someone wrote  a letter to the editor suggesting a botanical garden -  I really liked that idea as well.  But we do need fun family stuff for kids and families and you really can't beat a water park for that.  Then I also have the strong belief we should NOT sell this public land.  If we want a water park ran by private money we need to find a way to do this with the public keeping the land....Too much of lake Decatur shoreline is already private.

i'm also wondering - does anyone know why the car wash on Pershing shut down?  If Kris is right and the same people built and opened one on Mound and then closed the one on Pershing  -  Why???

Sue