More meetings on our Watch

County employees join co-op; City talks liquor licensing,
unhoused; Peoria schools, ICC under our observation

Thanks to the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria, you have a wealth of information about local government to peruse this month.

The League’s Observer corps of volunteers recently doubled the number of people who attend meetings and report on local governments. As professional media contract, their work can help you follow what’s happening.

To celebrate, The Community Word has doubled the amount of space usually provided for a synopsis of these reports.

Enjoy.

Peoria County Board

The Peoria County Board met Aug. 8 with all members present.

In regular business, the board unanimously approved joining the Intergovernmental Personnel Benefits Cooperative, transitioning from employee self-funded health care plan to pool-based insurance. It OK’d $7.6 million for employee health benefits and $150,000 for employee wellness services. Enrollment is expected to begin by the end of this year.

The board also unanimously voted to double spending for the county’s bicentennial celebration, which begins in January, from $100,000 to $200,000.

An additional $85,000 was approved to address unexpected issues in the jail ring road replacement project.

Following discussion, the board voted 16-2 to approve a pilot program assisting 400 households in obtaining home internet. It is hoped that metrics from the pilot year will lead to more grant dollars and expansion of the program.

Following a citizen’s remark and significant discussion, the board voted 17-1 to approve three related zoning requests in Limestone Township. A motion to defer those requests and send them back for a new zoning hearing was defeated, 2-16.

From the unanimously approved consent agenda, the board accepted the recommendation to write off $1.45 million in uncollectible debts at Heddington Oaks.

Election Commission

The Peoria County Board of Election Commissioners held its annual meeting Aug. 20. Rosa Kemper was sworn in to replace Val Timmes on the board. All officers were reelected except for Ryan Brady replacing Timmes as Treasurer.

Board members approved the 2025 budget to be presented to the County Board.

The early voting schedule was approved. Petitions have been circulating for the 2025 elections. Three candidates have announced they will run for mayor of the city of Peoria in the primary.

Peoria City Council

The Council met around the half circle July 23 with three councilors absent (Chuck Grayeb, John Kelly and Mike Vespa).

Peoria County Board Chair James Dillon presented 2025 bicentennial anniversary flag to the council. The flag design was selected by public competition and recognizes Peoria as the oldest community in Illinois.

A first reading was held on an ordinance regarding collection of debts for unpaid property tax and retail sales tax. It would allow the city to place a lien on business properties which are 60 days or more delinquent in payment.

Empire Lounge owner John Sims addressed councilors regarding his liquor license application. Several community members and neighbors spoke, both pro and con. Councilor Denise Jackson moved to deny, with no second. Councilor Bernice Gordon-Young moved to approve a class B liquor license, seconded by Councilor Andre Allen. The motion failed, 3-5, with Gordon-Young, Allen and Mayor Rita Ali voting in favor.

On Aug. 13, a meeting of the Town of the City of Peoria was held prior to the City Council meeting. Town officials approved July actual expenditures and August anticipated expenditures. The annual audit for the year ending March 31 was received and filed.

Corporation Counsel Patrick Hayes outlined efforts to combat homelessness and have city staff work with local nonprofits to find housing assistance — as well as risks to unhoused, and city staff and first responders who engage with homeless persons. Much discussion took place emphasizing humane actions toward how cases would be prosecuted.

Note: approximately 25 people addressed the council at the end of meeting on this issue. Councilors also:

• Received and filed corrected Affirmative Action Plan for City of 2022 data. One area flagged for improvement is hiring women in protective services of Police and Fire departments.
• Accepted a $1.5 million state grant to address crime-related vehicle hijacking.
• Tabled communication on allowing backyard chickens in City of Peoria. Hayes said a majority vote would be required to bring item back for discussion.

City Manager Patrick Urich reported he met with GFL Waste Management that day and that they were closer to resolution to Landfill No. 2.  The issue was deferred for another two weeks.

Hayes said the Downtown Stadium Tax Increment Financing Redevelopment, which was extended for another 12 years by the Illinois General Assembly in 2023, will allow needed repairs to attain minor league baseball association standards.

Council recessed for closed meeting, then resumed regular council meeting. Meeting adjourned at 11:55 p.m.

Peoria Public Schools 

The Peoria Public School Board met July 22 with all members present.

Newly appointed board members Chanel Hargrave and Larry Ivory introduced themselves, then joined the meeting officially.

Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat updated significant programs:

• All students have been placed into new schools as Quest Academy closes.
• Each building has its own, customized cell phone committee.
• One hundred six new teachers were oriented. All went through mentoring and training. Of this group, 47 are international teachers.

Audience members raised three main issues in public comments:

• A bullying case from last school year resulted in the student leaving the school. The student herself, about 9 years old, participated in the discussion. Officials promised to investigate and work with the family to secure a suitable school placement.
• The board process to appoint new members following resignations was criticized. President Paris McConnell responded the two appointed members were selected from a pool of candidates.
• An agenda item was deemed too vague and tabled so new board members could become familiar with the topic.

Dunlap District 323

The regular school board meeting was called to order at 6:01 p.m. on Aug. 15, with six members present. The board first met at 4 p.m. in closed session to select a replacement for member Linda Smith, who resigned July 17.

• Enrollment for this school year is 4,715 students.
• The new parking lot is open and has helped with morning traffic flow.
• Six bus drivers are needed.
• Planning for new Wilder Waite school is in process, especially the search for an architect.

District CFO Mike McKenzie explained the tentative 2024-25 budget proposal, a total of $63,443,028. Public hearing to be held Sept. 25. Concerns include deficits in the education fund.

Meeting adjourned for closed session at 6:44 p.m. and reopened at 7:24 p.m. Steve Hodel was approved to fill the board vacancy. He took the oath of office, and will fill the seat until board elections are held in April.

ICC Board of Trustees

The Illinois Central College Board of Trustees met Aug. 15 with all members present except Carl Cannon; trustee Alma Brown attended by phone.

ICC President Sheila Quirk-Bailey noted courses/programs correspond to community needs.

Reports included campus activities, especially those welcoming incoming students. Quirk-Bailey noted a brochure for “welcome week,” the volleyball team award, the approval of the Pekin Prison Program, the first such program in the country. The treasurer’s report noted revenue below expectations. ICC has a 5% in-crease in enrollment this year.

The final budget was adopted. Quirk-Bailey thanked all, calling it a “bottom up budget.”

Springdale Cemetery

Springdale Cemetery Authority Board met Aug. 19 with all members present except Robert Wilton and Zach Oyler.

General Manager Mark Matuszak reported 66 burials year to date in 2024. The average over the last 12 years is 75.

October dedication for Civil War Memorial plaque.

Benches were purchased for the Prairie Gardens for $24,000.

Discussions involved transferring monies from the decoration fund to the endowment fund and having Peoria Park District Police close the cemetery gates at set hours.

The July 15th storm did significant damage to trees, some more than 200 years old, requiring weeks of work to clean up.

Matuszak leaves end of 2024.

Sanitary District

The Greater Peoria Sanitary District Board of Trustees met Aug. 20 at the GPSD office, with all trustees in attendance.

The board approved
$4 million in investments recommended by the investment committee due to favorable market conditions

Chemical expenses, which typically ebb and flow, are available in the published minutes of the meeting. High rainfall in July required adjustments that increased the cost of the chemicals.

Operating budget is slightly lower than last year. Liability is down. Accounts receivable increased per expected and planned expenses.

The Board unanimously approved agenda items including the budget and the water shutoff delinquent accounts.

GPSD is considering various developments and maintenance projects driven by technical needs that require sizable funding. Details are on the GPSD site. Plans include replacing one of the District’s main flow meters, aeration gallery pipe repairs, and replacement of a collection system vehicle.

Effluent fecal coliform showed one anomaly on one day in July. GPSD reported the result to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and is investigating.

The Medina Plains Capacity study is complete. It supports the potential addition of
1.5 million gallons of additional flow per day into the existing sewer system. It also located an area that shows excessive inflow and infiltration that will be further investigated.

GPSD reports no safety cases reported to OSHA for 2024.

League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria observers attend and report on local government meetings. For more information, check out the reports online at lwvgp.org