Along with this month’s primary election, local officials grappled with the best ways to spend your money. And welcome to coverage of the Peoria City/County Health Department. The more we know, the better.

Peoria County Board

The Peoria County Board met Jan. 8 with all members present except Paul Rosenbohm.

One item in regular business related to road improvements near the proposed Beck Oil Company truck stop between Kickapoo and Edwards was pulled from the consent agenda for further discussion.  The board unanimously approved a bid in the amount of $1.34 million with William Charles Construction for the necessary road work, but it will remain pending until a final development agreement has been executed.

Highlights of the unanimously approved consent agenda include:

• 2026 update to the County’s strategic plan.
• 2026 Legislative Agenda in conjunction with the City of Peoria and the Board of Health.
• A $716,000 contract with Knapp Concrete Contractors for a retaining wall on Cedar Hills Drive.
• A $1 million engineering agreement with Hanson Professional Services for Sheridan Road improvements.
• A $249,000 transfer from reserves to facilities and grounds operations department for unanticipated utility expenses.
• An additional $195,000 for the Courthouse Plaza project for unanticipated expenses.

Cheryl Walsh, the new Peoria County Farm Bureau president, encouraged the board to include a possible livestock transportation accident in its emergency plan.

On Feb. 12, the board held its regular monthly meeting with all members present except Rosenbohm, Camille Coates, Daniel Kelch and Brandy Bryant.

The only actions in regular business were a unanimous zoning approval for a land division and a frontage waiver in Logan Township.

Highlights of the unanimously approved consent agenda include:

• An extension of the City-County Joint Commission on Racial Justice and Equity through the end of 2027.
• A grant from the Gary Sinise Foundation for 45 AED’s for the Sheriff’s Office.
• Approval of low bids for renovation and rehabilitation of the existing kitchen facility at the Peoria County Jail in the total amount of $294K with approved subcontractors including PJ Hoerr, Ruyle and Laser.
• Approval of a revised agreement with Beck Oil Company for road improvements to Kickapoo Edwards Road and Civil Defense Road to facilitate access to a proposed gas station and truck stop near I-74.
• Approved engineering contracts for bridge repairs on Airport Road and Taylor Road.
• Approved an agreement between the city and county to use $10M from IDOT for reconstruction of Sheridan Road between Glen and Northmoor. Expenses beyond the grant amount will be split evenly between the city and county.

Peoria City Council

The Peoria City Council met Jan. 27, with quorum present. The Jan. 13. minutes were approved.  The consent agenda was approved with discussion on one item.

Among items of interest, councilors:

• Heard from Assistant Community Development Director Leah Allison about an amendment to the development code regarding street walls. It would modify design elements and prohibit use of chain link.
• Approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Peoria Heights for fire department-related services.
• Accepted a $21,600 grant from Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) for Tasers with longer range for SWAT Team.
• Heard from Finance Director and Comptroller Kyle Cratty about the 2026 budget. Although there is a $2 million shortfall as of Nov. 30, the budget is said to be on track because the additional income is anticipated. City budgets are required to be balanced. Councilman Denis Cyr asked about the investment policy for bonds and strategy to capture interest rates, as well as concerns regarding health benefits.
• Adopted a special use for transitional housing and services project by GRO Development for men currently on parole located at 1924 SW Adams. Motion passed 6-5 with Councilors Alex Carmona, Cyr, John Kelly, Zach Oyler and Kiran Velpula voting no. Residents spoke for and against program.

Mayor Rita Ali discussed concerns regarding ICE activity at state and national level and the TRUST Act which limits local law enforcement involvement with ICE.  Police Chief Eric Echevarria also spoke to this issue.

Fourteen residents addressed the Council about ICE related concerns.

Ali noted this date is Point of Time Measure to count area homeless.  Continuum of Care volunteers were conducting the annual count.

Election Commission: After brief delay, primary voting underway

Local bodies embracing green energy

Health Department

The Peoria City/County Health Department Board met Jan. 28 with a quorum present.

Dr. Leslie McKnight and Irina Riggenbach presented the department’s partnership with the Peoria Opportunities Foundation and Neighborhood House called “Reclaim Peoria: Pathway to Home Ownership.” It is a program to buy, renovate, and sell single-family homes on Peoria’s south side to first-time homebuyers.  The Board has provided approximately $1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. Four homes have been purchased so far, with plans to purchase one or two more.

Director of Clinical Services Emily Kelly and Medical Director Gregg Stoner discussed recent federal government’s vaccination schedule changes. Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will follow the state guidelines from December 2025, which follow the prior federal vaccine schedule.  Illinois school vaccine schedule recommendations will also stay the same.

The board also approved a new board member absence policy, the Q4 performance management report, the community health improvement plan and community fee structure. Members reviewed the grant management policy and risk assessment to strengthen internal controls around grant administration.

Dunlap District 323

Dunlap District 323 School Board met Jan. 21, with six members present and one using virtual access.

Director of Operations Scott Adreon showed a video of what the athletic facility will look like. The goal is for it to be occupied by July.

Gorenz & Associates presented the 2025 audit, addressing transfer of funds from operational to capital projects and noting $1,786,797 evidence-based funding received from the state.  The district has been assigned to Tier 1. About two-thirds of funding — 67% — comes from real estate taxes, which have been increasing.

Total 2024-25 expenditures disbursed $2,562,05, mostly in salaries and benefits.  Compared to other districts of similar size this is high because Dunlap’s special education is in-house, not paid for by an outside co-op.

Operating expense per pupil is estimated at $12,115.

Assessed value increased about 7.5% to $1,053,044,244

Outstanding debt has decreased from $76,015,00 in 2013 to $29,855,00 in 2025.

Adreon presented a $748,000 proposal for HVAC replacement and a high-efficiency boil, needed because of aged equipment and costly repairs.

The board approved paying $5,757,652.84 in monthly bills.

There was closed session to discuss hiring a superintendent.

Sanitary District

The Greater Peoria Sanitary District Board met Jan. 20.

Financials and Billing Transitions: GPSD management expects no substantial rate increases for 2026. A transition is planned to move residential users from quarterly to monthly billing to align with water utility cycles and simplify administrative processes. To offset the costs of increased paper volume, the district will encourage electronic billing and may implement a fee for customers who continue receiving paper statements.

Operations and Environmental Compliance: During 2025, effluent levels generally remained within federal limits, though phosphorus exceeded those limits during several months. Sewer maintenance remains ahead of schedule, consistently surpassing the target range of 700,000 to 800,000 lineal feet.

Airport Authority

The Metropolitan Airport Authority met Jan. 28, with six of the nine commissioners present.  Absent were Aaron Gunn, Karen Jensen, and Stephen Roehm.

The board approved the consent agenda which included meeting minutes for the Dec. 15 board, the Jan. 20 Marketing/Air Service Committee and the Jan. 20 minutes Projects/Finance Committee.

The board approved the following action items from Director of Airports Gene Olson:

• Assignment of a corporate hangar lease from Caterpillar to NetJets Services, Inc. and amendment to the corporate hangar lease document.
• Easement for a powerline for a solar farm
• An intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Princeville and taxing bodies.
• 3MY Office Space Lease at Mt. Hawley Airport

Director of Operations and Maintenance Randy Hurst reported the have been managing through the weather events.

Director of Finance and Administration Steve Perrone offered financials for December and the proposed budget for 2027. Board members approved the December financial statements and filed the budget and related rates and charges for 30 days.

Manager of Marketing & Public Relations Chery Bockhold-Sloan reported that the TSA has started a $45 charge for those without a REAL ID or accepted papers or ID. She also said United Airlines is increasing flights in area airports (Bloomington, Champaign-Urbana) in competition with American Airlines.

There was discussion on options for airport signage.