Town & Country Bank, located at 1925 S. MacArthur, will host the Chamber's monthly Good Morning Springfield on Tuesday, February 10 from 7:30 a.m.-8:45 a.m. A continental breakfast will be provided, and it will be a great opportunity to network with Chamber members and fellow MBBA members. Town & Country recently completed a major interior renovation of their MacArthur branch. The cost is $3 for members or $5 for guests. 

 

On January 21, the City Council voted for the second time on the ordinance that would require payday lenders/car title lenders to be located at least 1500 ft. apart. In September, the Council had defeated the ordinance by one vote. Alderman Cimarossa reintroduced the ordinance on our behalf, and this time it passed by a vote of 6-4. Alderman Frank Lesko changed his previous "no" vote to a "yes" vote, providing the critical margin.

Voting YES: Ald. Debbie Cimarossa, Ald. Mark Mahoney, Ald. Sam Cahnman, Ald. Gail Simpson, Ald. Frank Lesko, Mayor Tim Davlin.

Voting NO: Ald. Steve Dove, Ald. Frank Edwards, Ald. Kris Theilen, Ald. Tim Griffin

Absent: Ald. Frank Kunz (voted "no" in September)

Thank you to all the MBBA members and business owners who reached out to the aldermen to make your opinions known. While the passage of this ordinance will not solve our problems overnight, it provides a critical tool for the MBBA to encourage a more diverse mix of businesses that will better serve the surrounding neighborhoods.

Another result of the recent publicity surrounding the payday loan ordinance is a group of civic leaders and businesses who are working together to form an organization that will provide positive alternatives to payday lending for those who are financially struggling. In God We Trust Referral Service is in the process of incorporating as a not-for-profit organization and is now accepting applications for potential board members. The group is headed by Kevin Slot, owner of Tailored Printing, and Rev. Charles Jackson of St. Paul AME. The group would also like to have an office space along MacArthur that would be visible to the public and is seeking the help of any businesses that might be interested in partnering in this endeavor. 

We are in the process of planning our agenda for 2009, and in lieu of a speaker at the February membership meeting, we will break out into small groups to brainstorm about various projects. Major initiatives for the coming year will include streetscape and infrastructure plans; a campaign to promote the MacArthur area to local business owners and developers; formation of the MBBA as a separate 501©3 from the Chamber of Commerce; in addition to expanding on our already popular Artisan's Market and business after hours events. We will also begin alternating between morning meetings and over the lunch hour so that more people will be able to participate at a time that works best for them. Whatever your area of expertise or interest, there is a place for you in the MBBA and we welcome your participation!

Tuesday, February 10 - Good Morning Springfield, Town & Country Bank on MacArthur, 7:30 a.m.-8:45 a.m.

Thursday, February 19 - Membership meeting, 7:30 a.m., Red Cross Building on Outer Park Drive.

Saturday, February 21 - Board Retreat, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Red Cross Building.