Published on August 20, 2025 10:03 am
Last Updated on August 20, 2025 10:08 am
(NEW EFFINGHAM DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF TOM WEBB)
Effingham native Tom Webb was officially sworn in as Deputy Police Chief at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.
Webb has worked his way up through the ranks, having been promoted from patrolman to sergeant in 2017 and lieutenant in 2019. He has also been heavily involved in investigations as a detective. He was joined by his wife, Heather, who pinned on his Deputy Chief insignias, and their daughter and son.
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Council members also revisited the petition to vacate a portion of Glenwood Street, from the cul-de-sac north to North Avenue.
Howard and Kimberly Manuel and the Sheow-Min Chiu Revocable Trust petitioned to vacate the never-built section of street, which was left vacant when the rest of the street was built south to Temple Avenue. Others in that area of undeveloped street would like to see it improved with a walkway, but not with a street.
The matter has been considered twice by the City Plan Commission. The feeling at the Council meeting Tuesday was that the matter doesn’t need revisited there. The consensus of the Council is that City staff will talk with the affected parties and come up with a recommendation as to a solution.
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City Planner Greg Koester brought the Council up to date on progress toward an Effingham 2050 Comprehensive Plan.
Koester expected perhaps two more meetings to finalize a recommendation from the steering committee for the project, then public hearings, then a review by a joint session of the City Council, Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. He is hopeful the new plan will be adopted by the end of 2025.
