TERRY BIBO
At last, here are a few historic happenings which do not involve global illness …
Rita Ali became the first woman and first person of color to serve as Mayor of Peoria when she was sworn in on May 4.
Peoria City Council also welcomed two new district council members: Denise Jackson in District 1 and Andre Allen in District 4.
The council approved a resolution calling for the State of Illinois to implement a moratorium on utility shut-offs as a stopgap measure until federal funds are available. City staffers are working with residents to get existing grant funds. (Residents can call Peoria Cares 211 for information.)
Also approved was revising the annual budget by $75,000 to have Advanced Medical Transport Service (AMT) 911 staff answer Peoria Cares 211 calls. AMT operators will provide reports to Council members. Contracting this service is expected to provide more hours of coverage and be cost effective for the city.
Attempts to defer action on establishing a combined sewer overflow remediation district were unsuccessful. City Manager Patrick Urich explained the deadline to submit final plans to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was near and could be compromised by deferral. The city plans to apply for a low interest loan from state of Illinois at 1.5 % interest.
District 5 Councillor Dennis Cyr expressed appreciation for work the city manager and staff have done to reduce remediation costs from more than $200 million to $109 million, but shared concerns about transparency of collecting fees. Ultimately, establishment of the Combined Sewer Overflow District passed unanimously; the resolution to set fees with annual increases through May 2026 passed 9-1, with Cyr the lone dissenting vote.
Peoria County Election Commission met May 11, with all commissioners present except Sandra Burke.
Executive Director Tom Bride pointed out the Commission was $65,000 under budget, despite added cleaning expenses. Savings were due primarily to having fewer judges than in the past.
He said commissioners only get half of their normal pay, which is set by statute, because of budget cuts prompted by the pandemic. Full pay was included in the 2020-21 budget, but he had forgotten to notify the county. The Board voted to deviate from the statute for the first six months of this year rather than receive that pay retroactively.
A Request for Proposal for new voting equipment will be sent out soon. An evaluation committee will include two commissioners, staff, someone from IT, the staff attorney, and maybe a county board member. Someone from the local disability community will be asked to check accessibility.
Peoria Housing Authority met virtually on May 6. Jackie Newman, CEO, reported the PHA met with vendors and contractors regarding the Taft redevelopment project. Staff were available to assist small contractors complete federal forms. Staff is also working with PHA residents regarding jobs and placement for training.
Treasurer Kadar Heffner said the CEO Search Committee has completed the job description. It is developing advertising language and the RFP for a search firm.
Chairman Carl Cannon said a meeting had been held with security staff about a safety plan for warm weather months. Town hall meetings are planned.
League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria observers attend and report on local government meetings. Check https://www.lwvgp.org/news/category/observer-reports-logo.