Cathy for Galena

31/01/2024

Join Cynthia Johnson for City Council at Galena Public Library District tonight at 5:30 to discuss the recent presentation to council regarding Blackjack Road.

30/01/2024

Don’t forget that Cynthia Johnson for City Council has invited Steve Keefer to speak to all of us at 5:30 tomorrow (Jan 31st) at the Galena Public Library District. This discussion will focus on Blackjack Road issues brought before council recently. Steve will try to answer as many questions as he can.

29/01/2024

Hi everyone! If you haven't heard, there will be a discussion at the Galena Public Library District in just a few days. Below is the initial message and information from Cindy:

Here’s a message from Cynthia Johnson for City Council for all of us. Hope to see you there!

January 31st at 5:30
Galena Public Library

“The recent presentation to council regarding Blackjack Road, hiking trails and a possible turn lane for better access to blackjack has stirred up questions I can’t answer. Steve Keeffer has agreed to answer what he can as he has been involved in all these projects as county road engineer.
The library closes at seven which gives an hour and a half to give some peace of mind.”

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Cindy 😊

24/01/2024

Don’t forget that Cynthia Johnson for City Council has invited Steve Keefer to speak to all of us at 5:30 on Jan 31st at the Galena Public Library District. This discussion will focus on Blackjack Road issues brought before council recently. Steve will try to answer as many questions as he can.

12/01/2024

Hi all!!! Here’s a message from Cynthia Johnson for City Council for all of us. Hope to see you there!

January 31st at 5:30
Galena Public Library

“The recent presentation to council regarding Blackjack Road, hiking trails and a possible turn lane for better access to blackjack has stirred up questions I can’t answer. Steve Keeffer has agreed to answer what he can as he has been involved in all these projects as county road engineer.
The library closes at seven which gives an hour and a half to give some peace of mind.”

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Cindy 😊

21/11/2023

Coffees with Cathy update 😊

If it’s too long and you don’t have time to listen, the short version is that I’m going to pause Coffees with Cathy for the time being. I don’t have as much flex time as I used to have so I want to take some time to take a step back and reassess. I’m not going anywhere, just pausing to take a breath for now 😄

16/11/2023

Today is the day! Join us this evening at the Eagles Club.

13/11/2023

Don't forget, "Cocktails with Cathy" is this Thursday at 5pm at the Eagles Club in Galena. Hope to see you there!

04/11/2023

Hi everyone! October was a whirlwind so I'm sorry we didn't meet. But we've got a "Cocktails with Cathy" coming up in a couple of weeks on Thursday Nov. 16. The Eagle's Club is being kind enough to let us meet there (THANK YOU!!!!!). It'll be warm and they'll have lots of beverage options for everyone. I will cover all soda orders. Anything else is on you. Make sure to mark your calendar and join us!

27/09/2023

Hi all! If you're interested in chatting with other citizens about things happening in Galena, this is the place to be tonight! As always, I'll have a rough list of recently addressed items to bring up, but you're welcome to bring your own as well. Bring a friend. Spread the word. Come hang out with us 😊

24/09/2023

This month's "Coffee with Cathy" is coming up on Wednesday evening. Is there anything you'd like us to discuss? Feel free to message me or comment below.

18/09/2023

Hi all! We're going to give Grant Park another try this month since it was too hot to meet outdoors in August. 5:30pm on Wednesday September 27th. We'll probably meet somewhere around the fountain. Come hang out with us and please spread the word!

03/09/2023

I know I’m late sharing this as the first one just happened, but check this out and be sure to attend the next one. Your voice matters and getting many perspectives is always better.

NWILED develops regional public/private partnerships to promote economic development in Northwest Ill

27/08/2023

Here's what's coming up in the next couple of weeks for city meetings. I'd love to see you there!

24/08/2023

Today is the day!!!! Remember we've had a location change due to the heat. Come hang out with me at Aldrich Guest House and let's talk about what's on your mind. As always, I'll have some items to talk about, but if you've got thoughts please come share them too. Can't wait to see you all! And please share to spread the word.

23/08/2023

LOCATION CHANGE! With the extreme heat this week, we are switching the location for our monthly get-together. Robert and Douglas have graciously offered to have us use their guest house to meet. PLEASE SHARE AND SPREAD THE WORD 😄

21/08/2023

As you're making your plans for the week, don't forget the August "Coffee with Cathy" is coming up on Thursday! 5:30pm in Grant Park. I hope to see you there!

16/08/2023

Finally-an evening meeting! You all requested it and I'm super excited I could make it happen this month. Next week we'll meet at Grant Park to chat about recent happenings around Galena. I always bring a rough itinerary of things we can talk about, but please feel free to bring your ideas as well. If it's warm, I'll bring some popsicles again. Everyone is welcome! Can't wait to see you.

14/08/2023

You can tune in to tonight's city council meeting on YouTube! Don't miss it 😊

07/08/2023

Hi all! If you're trying to keep up with the happenings in Galena, here's what's coming up soon. Make sure to mark your calendars especially for the August "Coffee with Cathy"! Several people requested an evening meeting and I'm finally able to make it happen this month! I really hope to see lots of faces there 😀

31/07/2023

Hi Everyone! Sorry I've been quiet this month. We've had family and friends visiting most of the month so it's been a zany one! We'll be resuming "Coffees with Cathy" in August. Details TBD. In the meantime, check out what's happening this week. Remember that you can find agendas on the city website. Hope to see you there!

19/06/2023

Here's what's happening this week that you might want to attend. Tonight is "Popsicles with Cathy" at Rec Park. We'll start at 4pm, but I expect to be there until 6 with people coming and going as they're able so join anytime. Wednesday night Cindy Johnson is hosting a gathering at Big Bill's to discuss park usage. This was an item brought up at a recent city council meeting and she's hoping to get citizen input before the council makes recommendations. Please join if you can.

13/06/2023

Join me for Popsicles with Cathy next week 😊 Monday June 19th. 4pm at Rec Park. You bring yourself and a blanket or chair to sit on. I'll bring some popsicles for us all. We'll chat about some recent items before city council and I'll answer any questions I can. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Please share as I can't access my email list from the campaign right now (GoDaddy is working on it, but it's taking time). I don't want anyone that wants to be there to miss this 😊

A few reminders:
-Bring ideas/thoughts.
-This is a meant to be a group of citizens getting together to talk about ideas/dreams we have for Galena and how to get there.
-This is NOT meant to be a complaint session about everything "wrong" with the city or council or anything like that. I am a positive person by nature, this group is meant to be a positive force that can help illicit change in a useful, helpful way. Yes we will absolutely cover concerns you all have, but let's also plan to brainstorm solutions.

12/06/2023

Here's what's happening this week! Be sure to check out the city website for agendas for both the city council and zoning board meetings. Hope to see you there! Links to agendas posted in comments.

23/05/2023

Today is the day! Come hang out with me at Trolley Depot Coffee & Tea Co at 11am.

I'm planning to be there until 12:30/1 depending on how long people want to chat, so feel free to drop by whenever works for you. If we're mid-conversation when you arrive, please join us anyway. I'd love to see you there!

22/05/2023

It's a busy week! Tomorrow is the first Coffee with Cathy, and tonight is a City Council meeting. Find the agenda and packet on the city website and come hang out with me at the meeting. See you there!

21/05/2023

I can't wait to see you there! Remember to bring thoughts, ideas, and to plan to get a delicious beverage from the lovely Trolley Depot Coffee & Tea Co who are graciously letting us use their space to hang out. If you can't make this one, never fear! The next will likely be a different day and time. And if there's something weighing on your mind that you wish you could talk about, but you can't make this meeting, feel free to email me at [email protected]. See you Tuesday!

11/05/2023

First Coffee with Cathy details have been figured out!
May 23rd (a Tuesday)
11am
Trolley Depot Coffee (Thank you Joy!!!)

Please come prepared to get a coffee/tea/beverage or snack to support the location we're meeting at. I'm sure it would mean a lot to the employees and owners.

If you don't have time to watch the videos then the cliffs notes are:
-It's happening!
-Please come and bring ideas/thoughts
-This is a meant to just be a group of citizens getting together to talk about ideas/dreams we have for Galena and how to get there.
-This is NOT meant to be a complaint session about everything "wrong" with the city or council or anything like that. I am a positive person by nature, this group is meant to be a positive force that can help illicit change in a useful, helpful way. Yes we will absolutely cover concerns you all have, but let's also plan to brainstorm solutions.
-Future dates and times are TBD but likely the times, days of the week, and locations will change. Are there days/times/etc. that would work best for you? If so-comment below so I can try to take that into consideration when planning future coffees.

I hope to see you on Tuesday, May 23rd at 11am at Trolley Depot Coffee! Get yourself a beverage/snack and hang out with us 😀

12/04/2023

UPDATE Re: Louie’s Trenching truck at the Yard Waste Site per Mark Moran. Louie’s has permission to dump some of the sidewalk at the site so the city can use it for fill as needed (without the rebar and foam). I’ve deleted the original video from here so no one can get confused down the road and because I know sometimes people don’t follow a story through to the end so they may want to share that video without also sharing this one. It just seemed like the right thing to do. Also, my concerns re: what’s being dumped and burned at the site still stand. Mark did mention cameras getting installed at the site so we’ll hope that’s going to happen as soon as possible.

12/04/2023

Good morning Galena! Tonight at the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting there are several items on the agenda including discussion and feedback on a proposed high density subdivision (AKA “Pocket Neighborhood”). This subdivision is being proposed to take place in 4-6 phases with 20-25 units per phase on 13.41 acres. It’s being proposed between Hwy 20 and Gear St up near the Shadow Bluff area. It is being discussed with non-binding feedback (meaning no action will be taken on it).

Pages 69-74 of the ZBA packet provide the information from the developer explaining what they plan to accomplish and how. You can find the whole packet on the city website.

For easy access, I took screenshots of the agenda and all the paperwork included in the packet regarding the proposed subdivision and have them here. There’s a lot to it. I highlighted just a few key points the developer said in their proposal that I think are important to be aware of.

This might be a good solution to our housing shortage, or maybe it’s not. Unfortunately I can’t make it to the meeting tonight so I’m making a call out to all of you. If you can go, please do.

Listen and be critical thinkers. What is the developer saying and does it make sense with the area it’s being proposed in? We do need more housing in Jo Daviess County and as I said while I was campaigning, I want Galena to have a piece of that. Is this the right place for this kind of housing development? Does it align with the Comprehensive Plan? What impact does it have on the already existing neighborhoods in that area? These are just some of the questions we should be considering and I don’t have answers yet as I just started looking into it last night. I’m interested in knowing what feedback the ZBA has about the proposal.

These are the moments I really really wish we had a Zoom option to watch these meetings and that they were recorded for those of us that aren’t available to watch later.