Business View Civil and Municipal | April/May 2022

28 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 course. Several other subdivisions have also been built, the newest being the Fountain Place Addition in Spring 2019. “That community has a wide range of housing from 3,000-square-foot single family homes to townhomes and apartments. There are even some villas for seniors. We also have Parkway Gardens Senior Living, which is assisted living for seniors,” explains Mayor Kupsky. “And we’re currently in discussions to add more senior housing.” He shares that he expects that future residential developments will focus on “boutique-type projects” with 30 or 50 units to offset rising lumber and development costs. The city is fortunate to offer residents a variety of jobs, especially in retail sales. Other sectors include health care and military with Scott Air Force Base only 20-minutes away. Fairview Heights also provides workplace development options like the Metro East Business Incubator (MEBI), which is focused on entrepreneurs. “We are working with multiple partners to align potential small business owners with a business mentor who can give guidance,” says the Mayor. The city also works with public agencies, charities, and non-profits to spread awareness about local jobs. Mayor Kupsky is particularly excited about the programs created in conjunction with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. He acknowledges, “They help disadvantaged individuals get into the workforce where doors sometimes close on them too early. We also do a lot of work with the African American business community to help entrepreneurs turn their dreams into reality and then become successful.” Fairview Heights doesn’t operate any utilities. Ameren Illinois provides electric services, and water is secured from neighboring O’Fallon’s Water Department. The city’s sanitary sewers are managed by the Caseyville Township. “For years, we allowed multiple sanitation providers