OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Peoria City Council Meeting - September 9, 2025

City Council Meetings — Tuesday, September 9, 2025
BodyPeoria, Illinois
SessionCity Council Meetings
DateTuesday, September 9, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:37:33

Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

Thank you.

1:18

Good evening, everyone.

1:22

Thank you.

1:22

It is six o'clock P.M.

1:24

on Tuesday, September 9th, 2025.

1:27

I'd like to call the meeting of the Peoria City Council to order.

1:31

And I'd also like to welcome everyone who's here in our historic City Council chambers, as well as our listening audience watching on cable channel twenty-two and on the City of Peoria YouTube channel.

1:46

Madam Clerk, the council mics are open.

1:49

Please call the roll.

1:51

Mayor Ali.

1:53

Present.

1:56

Here.

1:57

Councilmember Sear.

1:58

Here.

1:59

Councilmember Gordon Young.

2:01

Present.

2:01

Councilmember Jackson.

2:03

Here.

2:03

Councilmember Kelly.

2:05

Here.

2:06

Councilmember Riggenbach?

2:07

Here.

2:08

Council Member Valpula.

2:10

Present.

2:11

And Councilmember Vespa.

2:13

Do you have a quorum present, Madam Mayor?

2:15

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

2:16

A notice was received by Councilmember Allen and Councilmember Euler of the City Council in accordance with rules established in ordinance number sixteen one forty two.

2:28

Councilmember Allen and Councilmember Euler would be deemed authorized to attend the meeting electronically unless a motion objecting to Councilmember Allen's and Councilmember Euler's electronic attendance is made.

2:41

Seconded and approved by two-thirds of the members of the City Council physically present at the meeting.

2:48

If no such motion is made and seconded, then the request by Councilmember Allen and Councilmember Euler to attend electronically shall be deemed approved by the City Council, and the presiding officer shall declare Councilmember Allen and Councilmember Euler present.

3:06

Hearing no objection, um Madam Clerk.

3:12

Councilmember Allen.

3:14

Present and Councilmember Euler.

3:20

Great, thank you.

3:22

Okay, thank you very much.

4:10

Madam Clerk.

4:12

We are at proclamations.

4:32

And we have uh Shamem Lalil Jalil.

4:37

She's the director of Co-Responder and Social Services Unit.

4:42

And Cassandra Steele, who is the lead licensed clinical social worker of co-responder social services unit.

4:49

Will you oh, there we are.

4:51

Come to the podium.

4:52

Thank you.

5:00

Whereas the City of Peoria is committed to supporting individuals in crisis and recognizes that engaging co-responders, peer support professionals, and mobile crisis teams is a crucial effective practice for addressing behavioral health issues in our community.

5:15

Oh, they brought a whole team.

5:16

Great.

5:18

And a baby.

5:21

Whereas the Peoria Police Department's co-responder social services unit was established in 2023, bringing together law enforcement and human services professionals to provide the right intervention at the right time and connect people experiencing crises, including mental health disorders and substance abuse issues to appropriate resources.

5:45

And whereas the co-responder social services unit team provides emotional support, serves as a liaison between victims and officers, and helps de-escalate tense situations through a trauma-informed approach.

6:01

And whereas services provided by the co-responder social services unit include but are not limited to temporary housing, relocation assistance, practical safety items, and transportation support.

6:15

And whereas experiencing a traumatic event can be profoundly destabilizing, profoundly destabilizing.

6:24

The co-responder social service unit aims to be that person for the victim, offering compassionate, consistent support both during and after a crisis.

6:35

Now, therefore, I, Rita Lee, mayor of the City of Peoria, Illinois, do hereby recognize September 14th through September 20th, 2025, as national co-responder and crisis responder week in Peoria, Illinois.

7:01

Good evening.

7:02

It is with deep gratitude and humility that I accept this proclamation on behalf of the Peoria Police Department's Co-Responder Social Services Unit and our incredible partners, Trillium Places Mobile Crisis Response Teams.

7:19

I want to sincerely thank you, Mayor Rita Lee and Distinguished Council members, the chief and assistant chief, and everyone who has continued to support and uplift our work that we do in the community.

7:35

This recognition during National Co-Responder and Crisis Responder Week is not just an honor, it's a powerful reminder of the importance of compassion, collaboration, and community crisis care.

7:51

To our co-responder team and the mobile crisis responder teams, thank you for showing up every day with courage, empathy, and unwavering commitment.

8:04

You meet people in their most difficult moments and help them take the first steps toward healing.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Downtown Development██████████████████████████26%
Public Works██████████████14%
Procedural██████████10%
Arts And Culture██████████10%
Senior Services█████████9%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████6%
Public Safety█████5%
Fiscal Sustainability█████5%
Mental Health Awareness████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Peoria City Council Meeting - September 9, 2025

On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 6:00 PM, the Peoria City Council convened in historic City Council chambers and via cable channel 22 and YouTube. The meeting included four proclamations, approval of minutes and consent agenda, and a major discussion on a proposed $11 million donation from the Hanks Foundation for a riverfront amphitheater. All votes were unanimous.

Proclamations

  • National Co-Responder and Crisis Responder Week (September 14–20, 2025): Recognized the Peoria Police Department's Co-Responder Social Services Unit, established in 2023, for providing crisis intervention, housing, relocation, and trauma-informed support. Mayor Rita Ali presented the proclamation; Shamem Lalil Jalil (director) and Cassandra Steele (lead clinician) accepted, thanking partners Trillium Places and the community.
  • National Preparedness Month (September): Recognized by Councilmember Tim Riggenbach. Kate McIntyre (Peoria City County Health Department Emergency Preparedness Planner) accepted, urging public to "make a plan, build a kit, stay informed" via Ready.gov.
  • Peoria Reads (One Book, One City initiative): Recognized September as Library Card Sign-Up Month and kickoff of Peoria Reads. Randall Yelverton (executive director, Peoria Public Library) highlighted free bus rides with library card and fine-free anniversary. Elise Hearn (programming manager) announced the selected book: "Holding the Note: Profiles and Popular Music" by David Remnick, with themed programming including a backstage tour of "Rent" and a singing class.
  • National Senior Center Month (September): Recognized by Councilmember John Kelly. Peggy Hopkins (executive director, Graceland Center for Purposeful Aging) reported attendance grew 300% from 4-8 to 30-55 participants twice weekly, representing 24 zip codes. Key statistics: 33% of Peoria residents over 50, 20% over 65; Peoria is the only top-20 Illinois city without a senior center; preventable health care costs from social isolation could reach $22 million/year; launch cost estimated at $400,000.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes: Approved minutes of August 26, 2025, unanimously.
  • Town Item 25-240: Approved August 2025 actual and September 2025 anticipated expenditures for the Town of Peoria, unanimously.
  • Consent Agenda (Items 25-241 through 25-251): Approved en bloc, including:
    • Contract with Davy Resource Group for Smart Tree Inventory and Risk Assessment ($375,000).
    • Amendments to Master Services Agreements for engineering services (multiple firms, total amounts up to $1.1 million, with extensions through 2026).
    • Resolution approving closed session minutes.
    • Ordinance vacating alley in Maple Ridge addition.
    • Appointments: Advisory Committee on Police Community Relations (Shannon Marlin), Downtown Advisory Commission (Carrie Snyder, Kamlesh Mekwan, Bo Sutherland), Housing Commission (Lamont Carroll), Peoria Housing Authority Board (Cyron Graham), Peoria Urban Forestry Advisory Board (Ella Maxwell, Mike Price), Public Arts Advisory Commission (Margaret "Peggy" Maloof), Public Building Commission (Ken Kasper).

Regular Business

  • 25-252: Letter of Intent from Hanks Foundation for Riverfront Amphitheater

    • Overview: City Manager Patrick Hayes presented a letter of intent for an $11 million restricted donation from the Hanks Foundation to construct a 5,000-capacity amphitheater in Festival Park (south of RiverPlex, between Murray Baker Bridge and RiverPlex). The venue would feature temporary/removable seating (due to floodplain) and lawn seating.
    • Binding Provisions: Corporation counsel explained confidentiality provisions subject to FOIA and Local Records Act, with disputes resolved by Public Access Counselor.
    • Hanks Foundation: Former Washington Mayor Gary Manier spoke on behalf of Jim Hanks, who wanted to honor his late wife Dee. The foundation previously attempted a similar project in Washington, Illinois. The donation includes naming rights for the "Dee Hanks Amphitheater".
    • Design: Terra Engineering (George Gareeb, Kevin Graham) confirmed the location aligns with the 2023 Riverfront Master Plan. The amphitheater will face southwest, directing sound away from Providence Point apartments.
    • Funding Details: A $1-per-ticket fee on ticketed events will go to the foundation's educational scholarships for tri-county students. Construction team includes Core Construction (William Baum), Epstein Global Architects, and Terra Engineering.
    • Public Comment: Kathy McNeil, representing Friends of Riverfront Park, requested the final agreement explicitly locate the amphitheater south of RiverPlex to avoid disrupting Riverfront Park.
    • Council Discussion: Councilmembers expressed strong support, noting the donation fits the adopted master plan and leverages private funding. Questions addressed flood resilience (no permanent submerged structures, no flood insurance needed), noise (orientation away from Providence Point), complementarity with Civic Center and Glen Oak Park Amphitheater, and potential taxpayer costs (ongoing maintenance by city/park district; no increase in debt).
    • Vote: Motion to accept and approve the letter of intent passed unanimously (8-0, with Allen and Euler attending electronically).

  • 25-253: Combined Sewer Overflow Reduction Storage Project

    • Approved agreement with HR Green for preliminary engineering and design of a 6.4 million gallon offline storage tank (Eden-Fayette project) at $2.7 million (5% of total cost). Public Works Director noted this is a step toward meeting the consent decree. Motion passed unanimously.

  • 25-254: Monthly Financial Report (July 2025)

    • Finance Director Kyle Crady reported revenues 1.7% above budget and expenses 1.9% below budget year-to-date, with positive trends. The 2026 budget will be presented September 23. Councilmember Sear cautioned about future economic slowdown and urged fiscal restraint. Motion to receive and file passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Unanimous approval (8-0) of the letter of intent for the $11 million Hanks Foundation amphitheater donation, with a formal donation agreement expected before year-end.
  • Unanimous approval of the $2.7 million engineering design contract for the combined sewer overflow reduction storage project.
  • Unanimous approval of the July financial report and all consent agenda items.
  • The council moved into executive session to discuss real estate acquisition and approval of closed session minutes.

Next Steps

  • City staff will negotiate a formal donation agreement with the Hanks Foundation, addressing location, design, maintenance, and the $1-per-ticket fee.
  • The 2026 budget will be presented to council on September 23, with a first budget meeting on September 30.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. Good evening, everyone. Thank you. It is six o'clock P.M. on Tuesday, September 9th, 2025. I'd like to call the meeting of the Peoria City Council to order. And I'd also like to welcome everyone who's here in our historic City Council chambers, as well as our listening audience watching on cable channel twenty-two and on the City of Peoria YouTube channel. Madam Clerk, the council mics are open. Please call the roll. Mayor Ali. Present. Here. Councilmember Sear. Here. Councilmember Gordon Young. Present. Councilmember Jackson. Here. Councilmember Kelly. Here. Councilmember Riggenbach? Here. Council Member Valpula. Present. And Councilmember Vespa. Do you have a quorum present, Madam Mayor? Thank you, Madam Clerk. A notice was received by Councilmember Allen and Councilmember Euler of the City Council in accordance with rules established in ordinance number sixteen one forty two. Councilmember Allen and Councilmember Euler would be deemed authorized to attend the meeting electronically unless a motion objecting to Councilmember Allen's and Councilmember Euler's electronic attendance is made. Seconded and approved by two-thirds of the members of the City Council physically present at the meeting. If no such motion is made and seconded, then the request by Councilmember Allen and Councilmember Euler to attend electronically shall be deemed approved by the City Council, and the presiding officer shall declare Councilmember Allen and Councilmember Euler present. Hearing no objection, um Madam Clerk. Councilmember Allen. Present and Councilmember Euler. Great, thank you. Okay, thank you very much. Madam Clerk. We are at proclamations. And we have uh Shamem Lalil Jalil. She's the director of Co-Responder and Social Services Unit. And Cassandra Steele, who is the lead licensed clinical social worker of co-responder social services unit. Will you oh, there we are. Come to the podium. Thank you. Whereas the City of Peoria is committed to supporting individuals in crisis and recognizes that engaging co-responders, peer support professionals, and mobile crisis teams is a crucial effective practice for addressing behavioral health issues in our community. Oh, they brought a whole team. Great. And a baby. Whereas the Peoria Police Department's co-responder social services unit was established in 2023, bringing together law enforcement and human services professionals to provide the right intervention at the right time and connect people experiencing crises, including mental health disorders and substance abuse issues to appropriate resources. And whereas the co-responder social services unit team provides emotional support, serves as a liaison between victims and officers, and helps de-escalate tense situations through a trauma-informed approach.

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