The annual WRA meeting attracted approximately 74 residents to Springfield Bible Church on Nov. 2. We were especially pleased to hear from:

- Mayor Misty Buscher

- Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette

- Springfield Fire Chief Ed Canny

- Springfield Public Works Director Dave Fuchs

- Ward 7 Alderman Brad Carlson

Mayor Buscher spoke about the summer derecho, reports of speeding and break-ins, her plan to hire more police officers, and her hope to streamline city services so that residents can more easily handle tasks like paying CWLP bills. She also noted that the city wants to increase repairs to infrastructure, meaning sidewalks and curbs. One of her initiatives is to hire zone managers who get out into the community to see what streets, curbs, sidewalks, streetlights, and more really look like. She promised to look into concerns about whether stop signs or speed bumps could slow the speeders in the neighborhood, and whether the Westchester subdivision streets can handle semi-truck traffic.

Chief Scarlette also addressed the need for more neighborhood police officers and hoped more residents would register their security cameras to help them track crimes. He thinks that as the city hires more police officers, we’ll see more officers in Westchester (and other neighborhood) doing traffic control. He said that statistically, the number of crimes in Springfield is down, but residents are concerned about break-ins. He encourages us to be vigilant by keeping doors locked, items in the home rather than in a vehicle, and using security/doorbell cameras.

Fire Chief Canny brought the renderings of the new fire stations which will put Westchester in the middle of two fire stations. He also explained the qualifications of firefighters, who are able to handle initial response to medical emergencies as well as fire and hazmat incidents.

Public Works Director Fuchs talked about streets, sewers, and leaf/branch pickup. He said that the addition of zone managers across the city will help determine where debris needs to be cleaned up.

Alderman Carlson spoke about government service and helping people navigate the bureaucracy. He cited accomplishments such as derecho cleanup, the Scheel’s complex, high-speed railway, the new Malibu Jacks and Illinois Environmental Protections Agency move to the mall which will generate activity in the area.