Good evening, everyone.

It is Tuesday, January thirteenth, twenty twenty-six.

Happy New Year to you all.

Happy New Year.

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

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 22 and on our YouTube channel.

Madam Clerk, the council mics are open.

Please call the roll.

Mayor Ali.

Present.

Councilmember Carmona.

Here.

Councilmember Sear.

Here.

Councilmember Gordon Young.

Present.

Councilmember Jackson.

Here.

Councilmember Kelly.

Here.

Councilmember Euler.

Here.

Councilmember Riggenbach.

Here.

Councilmember Valpula.

And Councilmember Vespa.

Here.

You have a quorum present, Madam Mayor.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Uh, please join me, everyone, and stand for a moment of silent prayer or silent reflection, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

One nation, another individual with liberty and justice world.

Madam Clerk.

We are at proclamations, and we have no proclamations for the evening.

So we would be on to the approval of the minutes.

Okay.

In honor of his service to the city of Peoria, we are sharing the resolution presented to George upon the conclusion of his service on the Peoria City Council.

His legacy of service and community involvement will long be remembered.

Whereas George F.

Jacob has served as council member at large for the City of Peoria, Illinois from June 2005 to May 2011, and this year brings to an end six years of dedicated service by George F.

Jacob to the City of Peoria, during which he has given freely of his time and an unselfish effort and has demonstrated the highest ideals of public service by his dedication.

And whereas George F.

Jacob, by his many years of efficient service as council member representing the residents of Peoria, has served as a member of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Sustainability Committee, City County Cooperation Committee, Mayor's Advisory Committee for the Disabled City Budget Committee, Business Planning Committee, among others, assisted numerous neighborhood associations, and has been a quiet hero with his personal donations to various community activities and has well earned the endless gratitude of the citizens of Peoria.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that this city council, on behalf of its members, the officials and employees of the City of Peoria and the citizens of the community, to hereby express to George F.

Jacobs sincere and profound appreciation and thanks for his years of dedicated service as a Peoria City Council member.

Be it further resolved, the Honorable George F.

Jacob be presented this resolution and this resolution be spread upon the permanent records of the City of Peoria, Illinois, assisted by the city clerk.

This was passed by the City Council of the City of Peoria, Illinois on May the 3rd, 2011.

Our thoughts are with George's wife Janine, their children, and the entire Jacob family during this time of loss.

Let's applaud his service.

And now I would like to defer to Councilmember Sear.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I'd like to acknowledge first of all some of the people in the in the room tonight, the uh uh Olson family, many members are here tonight.

Glad that you couldn't be here.

Also a good friends of mine, uh Bart Rogers with a uh part ownership in the Peore Riverman and uh the best coach in league, coach uh Jean-Guitard is here tonight, probably one of the best coach we had in Peoria.

So thank you very much for being here tonight.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Uh whereas Marcus Mark Olson is remembered in the City of Peoria as a fund as a funded figure in the growth of hockey and amateur athletics, and as of someone whose leadership helped shape generations of players, officials, and fans.

And whereas, after a distinguished hockey career at Michigan Technological University, he was a four-year letter winner, three times most valuable player, a team captain.

Mr.

Olson brought his deep knowledge of the sport, his competitive spirit, and his belief in youth development to Central Illinois.

And whereas, upon relocating to Peoria in 1963, Mr.

Olson was instrumental in organizing and expanding local hockey, helping to establish youth program and co-funding the Peoria Blades, laying the groundwork for a strong hockey culture that continues to thrive today.

And whereas, through decades of volunteer leadership, officiating in advice advocacy, he helped elevate hockey in Peoria from a grassroots effort to a community asset, contributing to the development of a quality ice facilities and a professional franchise that now draws regional pride and national recognition.

And whereas Mr.

Olson service to the sports extended beyond the rank, as he served as president and was a lifetime member of the Independent Sports Club of Peoria, supported the Peore Riverman as a Hall of Fame member and booster, and earned induction into multiple halls of fame in recognition for his lasting influence.

And we're as known for his steady encouragement, sportsmanship, and believe in hard work.

Mr.

Olson mentored countless young athletes and officials, modeling integrity, discipline, and the respect vote on and off the ice.

And whereas, in addition to his contribution to athletics, Mr.

Olsen was a proud veteran of the United States Army, a longtime employee of Caterpillar Inc, exemplify exemplified dedication, teamwork, and service in uniform in the workplace and in the community.

And whereas the City of Peoria honors not only Mr.

Olson's achievement, but the enduring legacy he created through his commitment to community service and to believe that local sports can strengthen family and bring together people.

Now, therefore, I, Rita Ali, Mayor of the City of Peoria, Illinois, do erby acknowledge the life and legacy of Marcus Mark Olson.

In Peor Illinois, dated this 13th day of January 2026.

On behalf of the Olsen family, I'd like to thank Mayor Ali and Congressman, or excuse me, City Councilman Sear, and along with the other bodies that are here today.

Um was a tremendous reading, covered a lot of things, and that was our dad.

I I would also like my if I could, I'd like my siblings.

Just to say a word, just say a word of thank you.

Come on, just to thank you.

I don't know.

I don't thank you very much.

For the honor.

Yeah.

I'm I'm Jane.

Thank you very much.

It's quite an honor, and and and um, we're gonna miss our dad.

Yeah.

Patty.

I'm Patty Keegan.

I thank you all.

And I I'll conclude by saying we want to thank also the the River Bend organization.

Uh their players came through 100% of them, led by the coach and led by the administration of uh Bart and Andrew Cohen.

And uh just uh a lot of people, including family just said, wow, that that's um not only they did, they came through on the on the uh funeral day the day before they were just coming back from Birmingham, Alabama for the weekend, where they won two games.

But the the Mustangs group, which John Gee had a very big part in, and Andrew did back in his day too, they uh they they came through the day before, and it was just a tremendous.

We had we had great following, uh a great turnout of of family and friends, and uh we thank the city and I I want to say this too.

We moved here in 1963 from northern Michigan, 600 miles north of here.

We did we didn't know any families.

I shouldn't say that.

There was there was one or two, one that had gone to Michigan Tech and was playing with local team.

But I mean, in general, and you come out and and I was 15, but you know what?

Our family all stayed around here.

We love it.

We love Peoria, we support it, and anything we can do to help the city of Peoria, please contact any of us, and uh we sure appreciate this opportunity.

You have a beautiful family.

Thank you for sharing your father with us.

I want to ask uh council member Sear if you would join the family and Stacey if you would take a picture of them together with me.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We're not always have the opportunity outside.

Okay.

Okay, all right.

We are at the approval of the minutes.

Councilmember Wiganbach.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I move to approve the minutes of the joint city council and town board meeting held December 9th, 2025 as printed.

Seconded by Councilmember Kelly.

Any questions or comments?

Please cash your ballots.

Motion passes unanimously.

Madam Clerk.

We have one town item.

26-1 is a request from the town officials to approve the December 2025 actual expenditures and to approve the January 2026 anticipated expenditures for the town of the city of Peoria.

Councilmember Gordon Young.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I move to approve item 260-001.

Okay.

Seconded by Trustee Jackson.

Any questions or comments?

Please cash your ballots.

Motion passes unanimously.

Madam Clark.

We are at the consent agenda.

26-2 is a communication with request to approve and authorize the payment of a workers' compensation settlement to a police detective who filed a claim on October 2nd, 2020 in the amount of 114,057 and 16 cents.

26-3 is a communication with request to approve a two-year contract extension with Axon Enterprises Inc.

for FUSIS real-time intelligence software in an amount not to exceed 340,000.

26-4 is a communication with request to approve a state motor fuel tax resolution for the Forest Hill Avenue and Sterling Avenue intersection improvement project in the amount of 255,000 dollars.

And 26-12 is an appointment by Mayor Ali to the zoning board of appeals with a request to concur of Melanie Morris and Fernanda Sharp.

And that concludes our consent agenda.

Thank you.

Are there any items to remove from consent?

Can I get a motion to approve consent?

Uh moved by Councilmember Sear, seconded by Councilmember Gordon Young.

Please cash your ballots.

Um looking at that, we the we made the modification um from 10 years to five years.

So for the first five years, uh the firefighters would have to live in the city.

Um, and then we adjusted the residency distance down from um or expanded it from 20 miles to 25 miles.

Um if they elect to move out of the city during those first five years, they'll take a two percent reduction in their pay.

Um looking at the external comparables, um we're we're probably the most stringent when it comes to residency of all of our external comparables, and that the external comparables would be um communities like uh Champaign and Normal and Bloomington.

Um I believe Rockford's one of our Ed, if you want to come up to the to the microphone.

Um they would be one of our comparables.

I think um Springfield is another comp that we have.

So you know, looking at that, we have one of the strongest residency requirements, even with the modifications that we're making here.

Um they made some adjustments to paramedic pay, um vacation scheduling, and then um you know at the the chief's recommendation, we made some re um restructuring of the EMS division as well.

And uh our uh HR director and our fire chief are here if you have any questions director Hopkins, who was all involved with the negotiations, who led those so the negotiation team on our side was myself, uh the fire chief, uh assistant chief uh Tony Cummings and Division Chief Brian Calhoun, sorry, and uh we had an outside counsel uh David West from uh Hasselberg Greeby, Snodgrass, Urban and Wentworth.

And how long did the process take?

Uh a couple months.

I think we had fifty 15 sessions roughly.

Yeah.

I think you did a great job.

Thank you very much.

I commend the team.

I think you did a fantastic job.

It looks looks really good.

Does anybody have any questions, concerns, comments?

Councilmember Rigenbach?

No, no comments, but I would move for approval.

You would move for approval.

Seconded by uh council member Jackson.

Uh comments, Councilmember Euler.

Thank you, madam chairwoman.

And being consistent with my other votes on contract negotiations, especially as it comes to residency, I'll be voting no on this.

I support the bulk of what's in the agreement.

However, I see having our staff living in our neighborhoods to be a significant vital piece of our community and being in real estate and knowing what people looking at our community look for in the fact that they see that we have especially public safety, police and firefighters living in our neighborhoods as a valuable asset to them when they choose to purchase a home in a neighborhood, and that um continuing to do this and a road this away gives those benefits to other communities.

And I understand the fact that that's becoming commonplace across the rest of the state, but that to me doesn't make it right, and philosophically I have an issue with that, and so I I can't support it because I believe that that investment should be in our community, those benefits should be to our community, and when employees are spending their dollars, it should be in our community, and we should if they're relying on us to support them, they should be uh participating in the contribution towards that.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

You're consistent.

Councilmember Carmona.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um I don't I don't see a problem with the majority of this either, but I also um have to concur with Councilman Euler.

Um, you know, it's one thing obviously to bargain for a higher wages and uh better conditions and all that, which I absolutely agree with.

Um, but if at the same time you're bargaining to step away from the community that pays you, it just doesn't sit well with me uh with all respect.

Um Mr.

Manager, you sent us some numbers yesterday.

Uh right now there's um 178 union firefighters, and uh of those 58 already live outside of our city.

Um of course that number will jump up uh after uh after we pass this.

Um but it kind of leads me to a deeper thought and question um which is concerning, and that is uh why do people want to move out of Peoria?

I think that that's something that we as a council need to think very closely about and get to the bottom of um and uh to all the firefighters.

I have nothing but respect and admiration uh for what you do and the service that you provide to our city, but I also cannot support this because of the um residency requirements.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Sear.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I do support the motion, and I understand what uh my colleagues are talking about.

For me, um I uh I moved to Peoria uh in 1985.

So I'm now uh starting my 41st year right here in Peoria.

This community has adopted me, and I just I just love Peoria.

This is my home.

And to me, the biggest question for this issue is first of all, I don't like I want to force anybody to live in Peoria, number one.

But number two is I think a deeper question, a better question would be why, like my colleague just said, why wouldn't 100% of people that worked for the CFP want to live in Peoria?

That's really where my interest is at.

I really like to know that because I love Peoria, and you know, I mean, I obviously we're all getting paid a very small salary from the taxpayers, but I really really would like to know why uh people don't think that Peoria should be their home, especially when they work for the city.

So, but I am supporting because I don't I don't I really don't believe I we should twist anybody's arm to live in Peoria.

Uh but uh so I will be supporting the motion.

Uh but that to me that'd be a great discussion for for the future.

Thank you, madam mayor.

You're welcome.

Uh you know, I were I reviewed those numbers yesterday that the manager sent as well, and it reflected that 67% of our firefighters live within the city of Peoria.

I forget the numbers on those that live within the 20 or 25 mile radius, but a good number that don't live in the city live very close to the city, so they live in the region.

I'd like to remind everyone that we also have a housing crisis right here in the city of Peoria, especially for that kind of middle income uh workforce resident.

Um, and so you know, people I think are choosing not always to live in the city, but they're choosing to live within our region, which I think is important as well.

And I you know, I think we do have to give people choice, but but you know, I don't like taxes being paid to other places either.

But at the same time, I think that we want to recruit the best workforce that we can get, and by giving people some choice, there's a penalty that they're gonna pay for living outside of the city now, not 10 years, but after five years, if they don't move within the city, they're gonna pay a penalty.

So I I'm I'm satisfied with what we have with this contract.

I think that we're we're retaining a strong workforce.

I think that we would lose good people if we required everybody to live within the city of Peoria and don't give people some options.

But again, I I think you did a great job, and I appreciate everybody's uh opinion.

I I respect all those other opinions around the table.

Councilman Kelly.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh just a question, Mr.

Manager.

Um I don't know that your numbers included the answer to this question.

How many uh uh firefighters do we have that are beyond the current 10-year uh residency requirement who live in the city or who don't live in the city, either way I I think I I want to talk with the the chief, maybe the chief can answer that, or in terms of the the tenure of most um or who lives and who who doesn't chief good evening.

What we do know is fact during negotiations is that we've hired 89 firefighters since 2017, so we do know that as fact.

So if we do simple math, we're probably just below that hundred mark where people have more than 10 years on the job okay.

But we don't know how many of those in in other words are great part of the workforce, about a hundred, I guess, are inside that 10-year number.

Um so I can't do the math in my head.

I'll do the math in my head.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you both.

And you're very welcome.

Uh we have a motion and a second to approve item 26013.

Please cash your ballots.

Motion passes with two nays, Euler, and Carmona.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk.

26-14 is a communication from the city manager and corporation council with a request to approve a resolution declaring abandoned personal property as surplus at the property known as Exposition Gardens and authorized its sale at the discretion of the city land bank manager and city manager.

Uh Corporation Council Hayes.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, as council knows we've closed on uh the exposition gardens property.

Um our own purchasing ordinance provides that property that's declared surplus can be sold at the discretion of the city manager.

We intend to use the land bank manager to market and sell those items, and um this would give them an expedited way to try to sell some of the equipment and buildings that are out there.

We have had expression over the last few months of interest for some people to actually dismantle some of the exhibition buildings and reassemble them.

Uh so we'll be reaching back out to those contacts to see if there's sincere interest and figure out the best way to uh liquidate as much of that property as possible.

There's also quite a bit of equipment still in uh uh main building uh kitchen equipment and that type of thing.

So we'll be looking to uh try to market and sell that.

I don't think there's a large amount of value in that, but whatever we can remove won't be part of what goes in the landfill from the demolition, so it made sense since there was some uh demand for those items to get uh authority of staff to go ahead and expedite those sales.

Thank you.

Any questions?

Can I get a motion?

Uh moved by council member Carmona, seconded by Councilmember Gordon Young.

Any discussion?

Please cash your ballots.

Motion passes unanimously.

Madam Clerk.

We are at unfinished business.

And we have nothing, so we are at new business.

Colleagues, is there any new business?

Councilmember Carmona?

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh, I had a really good discussion uh yesterday with uh uh assistant manager Richardson.

Um so I just wanted to um I think it's time for uh us to start looking at updating our form districts uh to do a thorough review because after talking to the business community quite a bit, I don't think that we are meeting the current demands for those form districts.

Um so like I said, we had some good conversations, and I think the manager is aware of that as well.

So I just wanted to get that on uh your radar for staff.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

You're welcome.

Any other new business, Madam Clerk?

Thank you.

We are at Citizens Opportunity to address the City Council, and I believe we have a few comment cards.

Okay, we have four speakers.

Uh the first one, uh Dr.

Han Abby Akar.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, Council members.

If agents of the federal government can murder a 37-year-old woman in broad daylights, who, as videotapes show, was merely trying to get out of their way, they can murder me and anyone of you.

And about any of you and about anyone here.

Even if Trump describes her as a professional agitator and his goons call her a domestic terrorist, they could say the same about any of us, regardless of our political views or activism.

And of course, if you are left-wing political view or are an activist, you're in greater danger.

And it comes to my mind that what credence can we give federal officials who are blocking local and state investigators from reviewing evidence they're collecting.

Any one of us can be murdered because Trump's attorney general has defined domestic terrorism to include impeding law enforcement officers.

What if we are merely standing in the way?

In the wrong place at the wrong time, or maybe we're engaged in non-violent civil disobedience in constitutionally protected speech that the regime does not like.

Trump could just as well arrest and expel permanent residents, which he did, who voice support for say transgender people or DEI or woke, whatever the heck woke is, or anything else the regime finds anti-American and offensive.

They shot Marimar Martinez in you as citizens here in Chicago.

They arrested uh or more like kidnapped Mahmoud Khalil, who holds a green card and a permanent resident from the from Columbia University.

What's at stake isn't just American democracy, it's also our safety and security, and that's of our friends and loved ones.

This is personal for every one of us.

A dictatorship knows no bound, and we are now in a dictatorship.

Madam Mayor, Council members, Chief Echeveria.

What are your plans to protect us?

What is the safety net that we have if or one ICE attacks?

I I could not find a specific statement from the Peoria City Council addressing this issue.

We are all in danger, make no mistake.

Uh that talks about uh acts on enterprises.

That does not make me comfortable.

That really adds to the anxiety and to the fear that we are all in.

Please give us some, give some thought to our safety, to the safety of the citizens in Peoria, because we are in extremely extraordinary times, and we need you.

We need your leadership.

Thank you.

Oh, hi.

So yeah, I also had concerns about Axon.

Um, just because that company is the same company that works with Homeland Security, DHS, and they also work with Israel, who, as you know, has Palestinians under surveillance, and they are able to use that data to track down Palestinians.

And I know I know that you may think that I'm worrying or whatnot, but I think the time to worry is now, because I mean, just this past Sunday, I did kick down a person's home, or not a person's home, but their door, and they drag the man out, they're arresting US citizens, and I think we should really pay attention to the decisions that we're making.

And I understand we want to keep the community safe, but if we already have people who are abusing the contacts and using surveillance overseas, especially what we're seeing, we're seeing it come over here now.

I mean, this company also works with the same surveillance that they put Palestinians under, they use at the border.

The same, and and the reason why I say that is because there's also this thing called the Gilly program, where we have police officers and DHS train over in Israel, which the same tactic that was used on George Floyd was used where George said he couldn't breathe, was just used on a US citizen here, and they they stereotyped her.

So I I just I am scared because we can say that we're not gonna work with them, but what more can you guys do to make sure that the citizens here are safe?

Because again, like Ken was saying, it's not just immigrants that they're targeting, targeting, but they're targeting US citizens as well.

So please look into this.

Um, because it's the things that we were worrying about are starting to happen now, and it's better to take action now than to wait.

So yeah, um, that's all I have to say.

Darcy Cady.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, Dr.

Ollie, as well as council members.

So Renee Good was murdered by an ICE agent, Jonathan Ross on Wednesday, January 7th, 2026.

And in a sad twist of fate, we would discover that Jonathan was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, even graduating from Ritch Woods High School.

Um that same evening, I would choose to act, and I would coordinate with community constituents, leaders, um, fellow advocates, and create an event, a vigil in honor of Renee Good as well as other victims of ICE-related violence.

And um, it would go viral locally, and the community would show up.

It was over 250 plus people mobilizing within less than 48 hours to state their concerns.

And it was a really beautiful love, um, a beautiful beautiful show of love and support for all that is happening nationwide and within our state, particularly in the Chicagoland area.

And what stood out to me the most was seeing this group of women, predominantly mothers, as I would later find out, surround me as this vigil ended and ask me, but what are we going to do in the schools when they come?

They didn't ask me if, at no point did they say, but if this happens, Darcy.

They said no, when they were looking to me, in my opinion, as if I was one of you.

And the most amazing part about this is when I sent out this email blast, I recognized that it was late.

However, the community at large also received equally as late of notice, considering when this event occurred.

So there really does have to be some personal accountability within that of understanding the time frame when we look at what it means to mobilize and to respond in a calm and cool fashion while maintaining sincerity.

And that's what the community did, but I feel like that was deeply lacking from leadership, um, be it Peoria City Council or even the county board, whom I also reached out to.

And I ask that specifically on behalf of these mothers that we have a plan in place for what happens when ICE does come to our community and does come to our schools.

This is not a matter of if, this is a matter of when.

We have already received warning from the governor.

We know that this will happen.

So it's up to us to take these necessary preventative measures to engage and protect the safety and serve our community.

I also want to say with the two minutes I have left.

Um, when we think about what ICE is doing, a lot of people that I have spoken with personally really want to die on this hill of, but we're making communities safer is by doing this, and um, we're serving and protecting in Minnesota, six sovereign tribal nations sent out an email blast, media, any way they could reach their people, issuing free tribal IDs.

I don't know that this has ever even happened anywhere in the US before, let alone to such um mass degrees of outreach.

And I want to stress this because indigenous people are being targeted, and when we think about that, what does that mean?

Um, how do you look at someone and think this is the person I'm going to kidnap?

This is the person I'm going to shove into my vehicle, other than if you're basing it upon the complexion of their pigment.

Even when you consider the fact that most of our northern indigenous nations, with the minute I have left, are often just naturally lighter complexed.

There's less sunlight.

So this is solely based upon the complexion of one's pigment, one's facial features.

This is racial supremacy, in my opinion, what we're seeing play out.

And then we have the evidence to prove it in how these tribal nations are responding to their people being attacked.

So I deeply want these factors to be considered and the necessary action taken to protect our local community, particularly our local black and brown brothers, sisters, and friends that live here that densely populate Peoria and also specifically the South Side.

Thank you.

Welcome.

And finally, Tara Wood.

Good evening.

I haven't finished my statement, so but I want to echo the previous statements made in regard to what our local leaders in law enforcement are doing to provide some degree of reassurance to our community that there is a plan in place to keep us safe should there be a large influx of ICE or border control agents.

But I would like to hear more.

I think our community would like to hear more.

And I would like to know what our leaders think about the ice-related violence that we're seeing.

One of the statements from you, uh Marilee, was that it was worrisome what after we saw what was happening in Chicago.

And yes, I think that's a good statement.

I think we're all worried.

Um now what?

Um we can be worried, but I think that our leaders, you know, and our chief of police should be saying more.

We should have a plan and a place in place uh statements to give our community members some peace of mind.

Um I guess that's all.

Thank you.

Happy New Year.

You're welcome.

Happy New Year.

Madam Clerk.

We have an executive session.

I would like to invite a motion to adjourn and to convene in closed session immediately following the adjournment of the city council meeting, pursuant to the open meetings act 5s 122 C11 to discuss pending litigation or probable or imminent litigation and pursuant to the open meetings act 5ILCS 120 to C21 for approval by the body of closed session minutes and semi-annual review of closed session minutes.

Can I get a motion?

Uh moved by council member Jackson, seconded by council member Kelly.

Please cast your ballots.

Thank you for your service.