West Peoria News for January
On what had been the coldest night of this winter thus far, I heard the friendly sounds of the Cub Scouts touring West Peoria in their float singing carols and being escorted by our fire department. Thanks to all the scouts, parents, leaders and WPFD for continuing this tradition even in the extreme weather. (It always seems to be extra cold, rainy, icy or snowy on the nights they choose. I’m sure it isn’t by design).
To register a complaint or report a code violation, email code-zoning@cityofwestpeoria.com or call Dan Sullivan at: 674-1993 or 370-1142.The Code Officer’s hours are: Monday-Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Wednesday-Thursday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. All information is confidential. You do not need to give your name when you report a violation.
There will be early voting at West Peoria City Hall for the spring 2010 primary on Friday, January 22, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
CityLink had their yearly Safety Banquet in December and honored many employees for their safety and longevity records. Forty-seven employees received the Great Performance Awards. To achieve the award, the employee must go the entire year without a chargeable absence or work-related accident. 102 employees were recognized for Great Safety, which are years without accidents and ranged from one year to thirty-four years. There were additional awards but I am including this to make you aware of the remarkable safety record that exists in the CityLink culture. They are quite remarkable in their concerns for the community and safety issues.
A parking ban on all West Peoria streets will be issued whenever two or more inches of snow is predicted, according to City Ordinance # 2006-17. The following is the snow route/ parking code:
All streets within the corporate limits of the City of West Peoria are hereby designated as emergency snow routes. It shall be unlawful to park any vehicles on these streets at any time within twelve (12) hours after a snowfall of two (2) or more inches. Where there has been a snow forecast of two (2) or more inches for any calendar day, it shall be unlawful to park any vehicles on any of these streets for that calendar day.
The Street Department Manager shall be authorized to take the necessary actions to have those vehicles which are parked on streets designated as snow routes in violation of the provisions of this Section towed away in order to permit the clearing of snow from the snow routes. The payment of any and all charges incurred as a result of such towing away shall be the responsibility of the vehicle’s owner. In addition to, or in lieu of towing the vehicle, the owner or lesser of the vehicle shall be fined $25.00 for first offense and $50.00 for second offense and for the third offense, the fine may be up to a maximum of $750.00. In all events, each day the violation exists shall constitute a separate offense.
The Street Department Manager asks that you please not shovel the end of your driveway until the plows have been down your street. This will save you the trouble of having to shovel again. 1) It is against City Code to shovel your snow into the street. Doing so only slows down the process of clearing the streets. 2) This City Code also applies to raking leaves or landscape debris into the street. When it rains this causes the storm sewers to back up.
The 2010 Census will be taking place in Mid-March. It is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution to occur every ten years. One of the biggest concerns from citizens regarding census data is the confidentiality of information collected. At times there is concern that information provided on the Census form will be shared. That is not the case. The Peoria Complete Count Committee would like to dispel some myths associated with the Census. This month the Committee is focusing on the privacy and confidentiality of Census data. Individual answers from the census are protected by law (Title 13 of the U.S. Code, Section 9) and are strictly confidential. It is illegal for the Census Bureau, or its employees, to share personal information gained through the census process with any other government agency. That includes law enforcement, IRS, Welfare, FBI, Immigration, etc. Your information is used to produce statistics and your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court. All Census Bureau employees take the oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both. No court of law, not even the President of the United States can access individual responses. With $400 billion allocated every year to communities throughout the nation based on population counts, the census is an essential funding tool for our communities. This is why it is vital that everyone in this region be counted.
If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, that person will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don’t know into your home. Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census. While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, you don’t have to answer anything about your financial situation. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or neither credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations.
From January 1st thru March 31st – The West Peoria Street Department will pick up storm debris. The City of West Peoria’s first priority is public safety. After the storm has passed the area, cleanup will begin. The City asks residents for their cooperation in this effort. Residents are asked to follow these steps in assisting with debris collection: All limbs and debris must be placed at the curb (not in the street) within five days following the storm. Place small limbs and debris in 30-gallon biodegradable paper yard waste bags, weighing no more than 50 lbs or, place small limbs and debris in 32-gallon garbage cans with handles, weighing no more than 50 lbs. Large limbs must be tied in bundles using rope or twine. Limbs must be cut to 4’ in length and be 2″ in diameter or less. The bundles can weigh no more than 50 lbs. All large limbs must be placed at the curb with the cut ends pointed in the same direction.
If these guidelines are not followed, the City of West Peoria will not remove the storm debris and it will be the responsibility of the home owner to remove it. If the storm debris is not removed, the homeowner may be subject to a fine for code violations. No bagged or piles of leaves will be collected
Finally, residents are asked to please be patient with the cleanup schedule. Collecting all of the debris will take time. Debris pickup is a team effort and your cooperation is necessary to ensure that cleanup is as fast and efficient as possible.
Stay informed about what’s happening at West Peoria City Hall. All city council and city committee meetings are held at City Hall and the public is encouraged to attend.
The West Peoria Neighborhood Watch will meet Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Lt. Hartwig will be the guest speaker at the January meeting when he will continue with part two of his talk on self-defense. Deputy Middle-mas will give an up-date on criminal activity in the area.
The West Peoria Residents’ Association will meet Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. The guest speaker will be Nancy Blackwell from the Genealogical Society.
My sincere wishes for a better year in 2010 and that West Peoria continues to be the fine community it has been all these years. Stay healthy, work and play safely.
