While nearly all of last week’s Columbia City Council meeting was a closed session, the “Columbia Quarterly” city newsletter provided updates about the Carl Street Bridge project and plans for Creekside  Park.

The city announced it will commence the Carl Street Reconstruction Project this fall or winter. The project will replace and widen the current bridge. 

During construction of the new bridge, Carl Street will be closed for approximately eight weeks. 

Motorists and residents are advised to take alternate routes, such as Gall Road, during the closure. 

The city will provide regular updates on its website, columbiaillinois.com, and on the city’s mobile app, Know Columbia.

Also scheduled in the coming months, pending approval from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, work will begin on Creekside Park.

In addition to adding over 4,000 linear feet of walking trails, two pavilions and other park amenities, a lake at the park will provide stormwater detention and retention to help address drainage issues around the Wilson Hills Subdivision.

Also in the newsletter, Jared Massey was announced as the new Columbia Code Enforcement Officer in the city’s engineering and inspections department.

Massey joins Columbia Building Official Jared Kertz in handling issues with structures in Columbia.

Kertz replaced Justin Osterhage in the position in March. 

Massey, an O’Fallon native, has lived in Monroe County for the past decade.   

The city is also resuming its fall leaf pickup program next month. 

The Columbia Department of Public Works will conduct leaf collection sweeps throughout the city starting Nov. 12 through Dec. 20.

Leaves should be placed within four feet of the street behind the curb and sidewalk in rows, not piles.

Also, vehicles should not be parked in front of leaves, and grass clippings, shrubs, branches, gumballs or limbs are permitted.

The city’s limb removal program ended Oct. 4.