Council set to appoint three new P|amp|Z members

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City Council is set to appoint three men to the Planning and Zoning Commission at its Feb. 7 meeting. Council held a first reading on a proposal to appoint Larry Folkins, Johnny Faulkner and David Richardson to Planning and Zoning.|ret||ret||tab|

Folkins is a retired educator who was for seven years regional supervisor for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Springfield. Folkins also worked as an assistant superintendent in the Springfield school district. |ret||ret||tab|

"I've watched the growth of our city and the demands that has placed on Planning and Zoning. I think it's one piece of a rather big puzzle. I want to see us continue on a good path and keep Springfield a good place to live and have businesses," Folkins said.|ret||ret||tab|

Faulkner is office manager for the Boy Scouts of America and has worked on various boards in the city. |ret||ret||tab|

"I know the value of good planning and would like to be a part of that process here in Springfield," Faulkner said.|ret||ret||tab|

Richardson is a professor of political science at Evangel University and spent five years with the Board of Adjustment, which hears cases that are appealed from the Planning and Zoning Commission. That is where Richardson said he became interested in zoning concerns.|ret||ret||tab|

Council is set to approve the three candidates at its Feb. 7 meeting.|ret||ret||tab|

In other action at its Jan. 24 meeting, council held a first reading on a bill to loan $1.2 million from the city's general fund to the Jordan Valley Park project. Park Project Manager Benjamin Alexander said the allocation was to cover expenses for the park until another bond issue could be made. |ret||ret||tab|

The city has already conducted one bond issue of $8.5 million for the park, and it may have as many as four bond issues, said Tom Finnie, city manager. The first bond issue was to cover land acquisition; this loan is to cover some costs that exceeded expectations when the first bond was issued, Alexander said.|ret||ret||tab|

The bonds are to be repaid with funds from a voter-approved increase in the city's hotel room tax. |ret||ret||tab|

The second bond issue will occur in the summer, probably in June, and that money will pay for development of the park's open space and the planned recreational ice facility.|ret||ret||tab|

Council is set to vote on the bill Feb. 7.|ret||ret||tab|

A bill to recognize the center of Park Central Square as a historic site and list it on the historic register failed. The measure would have made way for recognizing the site where three black men were lynched in 1906. Instead, council voted to note the incident in a timeline planned for the ongoing development of Founders Park. |ret||ret||tab|

The timeline will recognize several other historic events that took place on the public square.|ret||ret||tab|

Councilman Ralph Manley said he thought the majority of black people in Springfield did not want a memorial to the lynchings on the square.|ret||ret||tab|

"In order to respect the black community, I think we should favor what the majority wants, and the majority want to see it recognized (in Founders Park) rather than the public square," Manley said.|ret||ret||tab|

The Founders Park timeline measure passed unanimously.|ret||ret||tab|

A bill that would pay up to one-third of expenses for each council member who wishes to visit Isesaki, Japan, also passed, with only Councilman Russell Rhodes voting against the proposal. Councilwoman Teri Hacker abstained from the vote.|ret||ret||tab|

Though Vanaman and Manley both said the appropriation of funds for the council members to visit Springfield's Japanese sister city for its 60th anniversary was appropriate, some council members expressed concern about public perception.|ret||ret||tab|

Councilman Tom Carlson said the members should consider their travel budget constraints and consider not attending other meetings in order to offset the cost of attending the Japanese celebration.|ret||ret||tab|

"I think we have to set an example and be sensitive to the issues of how the public perceives what we're doing," Carlson said.|ret||ret||tab|

Manley pointed out that Isesaki has sent numerous delegates to Springfield for the Japanese Fall Festival and other events here, and said "it is appropriate to return the favor."|ret||ret||tab|

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Council meetings can be viewed in their entirety the Friday and Sunday following the meetings at 7 p.m. on Cable Channel 23.|ret||ret||tab|

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