Village of Godfrey Board of Trustees: Public Safety, Finance, Board Meetings
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GODFREY – After some debate at the Godfrey Village Board meeting Tuesday night, trustees voted 4-1 to select St. Louis-based consulting firm PGAV to develop an updated Comprehensive Plan for the village.
Trustee Karen MacAtee said that while she supports eventually updating the village’s Comprehensive Plan, she didn’t see how the village could create such a plan while development along Lars Hoffman Crossing is reportedly at a standstill.
Trustee Rick Lauschke said the village has had difficulty acquiring property for reasonable prices along Lars Hoffman. However, he and Trustee Craig Lombardi agreed that a new Comprehensive Plan may reveal opportunities for alternative commercial corridors to develop.
Mayor Mike McCormick said he felt pursuing a new Comprehensive Plan – a process estimated to cost about $95,000 – would be a “waste of taxpayer money.” Lauschke disagreed, arguing it would be a waste of taxpayer money for Godfrey not to have a plan to guide future growth and development.
Lombardi added some insights he gained from attending a meeting in Chicago where he spoke with leaders from several municipalities. He said whether a community’s population was 5,000 or 50,000 people, leaders from each agreed on the importance of Comprehensive Plans. He saw the cost of creating a new plan as a necessary expense to spark economic development, stating: “You need to spend money to make money.”
Trustee Jeff Weber noted PGAV’s experience developing Comprehensive Plans for other local communities including Collinsville, Edwardsville, Granite City, and more, as well as providing Economic Development planning for the communities of Alton, Jerseyville, Hardin, and others.
Lauschke emphasized the updated plan’s role in keeping Godfrey competitive, stating: “Every other municipality around here has either completed a Comprehensive Plan or is in the process, and we’re falling behind, in my opinion.”
When the item came up for a vote, MacAtee cast the sole vote against choosing PGAV to develop the village’s new Comprehensive Plan. The item passed on a vote of 4-1, with Trustee Sarah Woodman being absent.
For more information on PGAV’s Comprehensive Plan proposal for the Village of Godfrey, see this story on Riverbender.com.
A full recording of the May 6, 2025 Godfrey Village Board meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
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