In The News

from The Telegraph
February 7, 2007

State of the City: Sandidge says Alton is moving forward on many fronts

By LINDA N. WELLER
The Telegraph

ALTON - With two years left in his third term in office, Alton's mayor offered examples of the city's forward strides Tuesday night.

"For the first time, sales taxes are equaling the taxes coming in from the boat (Argosy Casino)," Mayor Don Sandidge said. "We are coming back, slowly but surely. This is a great stride. I am retiring in April 2009. It's been a good run, and I hope the city will continue as it has in the past few years."

Sandidge, giving his annual State of the City speech before the East End Improvement Association at the Alton Sports Tap meeting room, said "the city is in good shape."

"We have $5,329,000 in the reserve fund. When I was a police officer in the 1960s, we were lucky to have a dime in the reserve account," he said.

Another benchmark is the continued reduction of Alton's crime rate, he said, noting that it decreased by 24 percent when comparing 1996 to 2006.

"To me, that's a quarter of the crime that has gone down. Not many cities can do that," Sandidge said.

He said the 2006 rate was down 7.6 percent from 2005, according to a report from Alton Police Chief Chris Sullivan.

"In 2006, the Police Department made 13,373 total adult arrests for all offenses, and 718 juvenile arrests for all offenses," Sandidge said. "That is a 16.35 percent increase in arrests over 2005."

The report also says traffic citations increased from 5,808 in 2005 to 7,846 in 2006, a jump of 26 percent; there were 309 arrests for driving under the influence in 2006, up 95.6 percent from 2005, and more than 300 percent from the 71 DUI arrests in 2004. The special enforcement was boosted by grant money to pay officers' overtime.

Sandidge said the U.S. Department of Justice paid the city $326,700 last year to house federal prisoners at Alton City Jail. The money is being used to replace high-mileage police cars and the Police Department's outdated radio system, including hand-held radios.

In previous years, Sandidge more strongly stressed new business development and housing starts. This year, he based his speech on reports from department heads, to give a picture of Alton in 2006.

One highlight was the near-completion of Alton City Hall's renovation. Staff will begin moving in papers and other belongings Thursday afternoon from their relocated offices off Emmie L. Kaus Lane. Those offices close at noon Thursday and will remain closed Friday for the moving back of computers and other large items. The offices will open Monday at 101 W. Third St. West Third Street in front of City Hall already has one-way barricades up to allow for the trucks to unload; the street will run one-way while the parking lot is being renovated, to allow for employees' on-street parking.

"You're going to be impressed," Sandidge said about the project, when finished. "We weren't going to get new furniture, but we had the money, so we are getting all new furniture. All of it is the same, and it all matches.

"It's been hard, but everyone's been great, and it's been a lot easier than I expected. The employees are going to appreciate what they are getting. There is a lot of room for expansion (later). It will be centrally heated and cooled, and we have hot water on the second floor."

Sandidge also noted the city is one of two communities in Madison County that has completed a federally required National Incident Management Services disaster plan and has trained its employees and elected officials. Alton passed a test Monday on implementing the plan, he said. Alton also issued identification badges to all employees and keeps file photos of the workers.

Calling the Alton Fire Department "the best in Southern Illinois; the best outside Chicago," he said the city's demolition of old buildings helped reduce the number of structure fires last year by 10. He said firefighters responded to 33 calls for carbon monoxide detectors sounding since the state enacted a law requiring the devices.

The Park and Recreation Department completed Hellrung Park improvements; the fifth phase of Riverfront Park renovations are done; and Statehouse Circle's fountain is installed, paid for by the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club.

linda_weller@thetelegraph.com

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