Village of Godfrey Board of Trustees
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GODFREY - In a rare move on Tuesday, Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick had to cast a tie-breaking vote after trustees debated the selection of St. Louis firm PGAV to develop the village’s comprehensive plan.
The village’s Economic Development Committee had been considering two firms for an updated comprehensive plan: PGAV or Moran Economic Development. Trustee Sarah Woodman said after both organizations gave presentations, the committee voted to choose Moran - but when they forwarded that recommendation to the Village Board, “everything changed."
By this week’s meeting, two camps had seemingly emerged among the trustees: those who wished to uphold the committee’s recommendation of Moran, and those who were more impressed by the presentation from PGAV.
“I just thought there was a night and day difference,” Lombardi said of both company’s presentations. “I’m not saying [Moran] are not capable of doing this, but as far as presentation goes, there was a … huge difference.
“PGAV, they came prepared and they had a great presentation, and I like what they had to [say].”
Trustee Rick Lauschke agreed, adding he believed PGAV had a “totally different approach” which would result in a “better product in the end for what we need for Godfrey.”
As previously reported on Riverbender.com, PGAV planned to bring a “one-stop-shop approach” to the village, offering a variety of services including planning, architecture, engineering, graphic design, stakeholder engagement, zoning, and more. The company also boasted a track record of locally relevant experience, including comprehensive plans for Edwardsville and many other communities, downtown planning in Jerseyville, and much more.
Moran’s estimated project fee was $80,000, while PGAV’s estimate was $95,000. While the proposals from both companies varied in pricing, they would both take about a year to complete.
To expedite the process, trustees agreed the item should be voted on immediately rather than laid over. The result was a 3-3 split vote, with Trustees Lauschke, Jeff Weber, and Craig Lombardi voting in favor and Trustees Woodman, Mike Fisher, and Karen McAtee voting against.
Mayor McCormick then cast the tie-breaking vote against the selection of PGAV as the consultant for the Comprehensive Plan. For more details about the proposal from PGAV, see this related story on Riverbender.com.
A full recording of the Oct. 15, 2024 Godfrey Village Board meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
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