Decatur Civic Center may be getting covered parking that generates solar energy

Parking canopies with solar panels are being considered for the Decatur Civic Center parking lot.  If approved by the city council at its next meeting on Monday, October 3, the contractor will own and maintain the $5 million system, and the city will purchase energy that the system generates.  It is projected that the city will save ~$100,000 per year in energy costs for the next 15 years and users of the civic center will benefit from the covered parking.  When completed, most of the civic center parking lot will be covered by over 2,600 solar panels.  The 13-item agenda will also include a cost-share agreement with a local landowner for a project to reduce the amount of sediment entering Lake Decatur.  Given that between $570,000 - $886,000 of sediment continues to settle in the lake annually, and the majority of that sediment comes from agricultural lands particularly in Macon County, it is most cost effective and environmentally sustainable to stop the sediment from entering our waterways in the first place. 

PLEASE EXPRESS YOUR VIEWS AT THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Meetings take place at 5:30 PM in the council chambers located on the third floor of the Decatur Civic Center (1 Gary K. Anderson Place).  Free parking is available in the lot immediately south of the entrance.  Citizens are encouraged to attend meetings and express their views.  Citizens are allotted 3 minutes per person near the beginning of each city council meeting.  In addition, citizens can provide comments regarding one regular agenda item per meeting for up to three minutes provided they notify the city in advance (and prior to the start of the meeting).  You can request to speak on a particular agenda item at a council meeting by filling out an on-line form at: https://www.decaturil.gov/mayor-and-council/advance-request-to-speak-at-council-meeting/. 

CITIZENS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

If you would like to discuss city issues with a council member, phone numbers and email addresses for each council member can be found at the following link: https://www.decaturil.gov/mayor-and-council/council/. 

AGENDAS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE

An agenda and information about each agenda item for each city council meeting can be found at: https://www.decaturil.gov/mayor-and-council/council-meetings/.