City's legislative priorities go before council committee

Springfield City Council's Finance and Administration Committee has made several recommendations regarding the city's 2009 legislative priorities.

The committee voted to remand the priority that requests the state to ban guns in outdoor park facilities. Members of the committee asked the Park Board to provide additional information on local effects of the current state law if the board would like the priority considered in the future, according to a city news release.

The committee also voted not to include any specific priorities that are related to collective bargaining. The one exception is a priority, supported by the committee, that states that the General Assembly and Congress should refrain from limiting local authority to deal with issues at the local level.

The committee also recommended that council add a priority that asks the General Assembly to provide incentives for installing residential sprinkler systems. In 2011, the International Building Code will require new home construction to include sprinkler systems, and a tax credit incentive would help offset that cost, according to the release.

Two other legislative priorities received the committee's support: red-light legislation that allows the city to keep its red-light camera program, and legislative efforts that fund public transportation, the release said.

The committee asked that the full council discuss the priorities at an upcoming weekly luncheon and put the revised priorities on council's Dec. 15 meeting agenda.