If everyone would please take your seats, we're going to get started with our meeting.

Thank you.

Did you hear it?

Testing, testing.

If everyone would please take your seats, we're going to get started with our meeting.

Still not very loud, is it?

That could be your pillow.

Maybe a little uncomfortable too.

I'd also like to welcome everyone here in our historic council chambers, as well as our audience listen listening on Cable Twenty Two and on the City of Peoria YouTube channel.

Please call the roll.

Present.

Madam Clerk, we are at proclamations.

Okay, we have four proclamations this evening.

I've asked council members to assist with these proclamations, beginning with women's history month.

Councilwoman Jackson.

Oh, I'm sorry about that.

There we go.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Whereas March is a significant month to honor and acknowledge the accomplishments of women, in 1987, Congress declared the month of March as Women's History Month.

And March 8th is recognized as International Women's Day, a global day that celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

And whereas 51% of our community members are women, and these women have played and continue to play, critical economic, cultural, philanthropic, and social roles in the creation and ongoing development of our city, and whereas American women have been leaders, not only in securing the rights, their rights of suffrage, and equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, and the industrial labor movement, and the civil rights movement.

And whereas Peoria has had a share of Native daughters who have gone into the world to make their marks in academia, entertainment, politics, sports, and business, including entrepreneur Annie Minerva Turn Turnbull Malone, feminist author Betty Friedan, diplomat Nancy Brinker, and her sister Susan Coleman, Peoria Redwing, Catcher and Inductee of the Illinois Amateur Softball Hall of Fame, Irene Kerwin and Philanthropist Lydia Moss Bradley, to name just a few.

And whereas Women's History Month honors women of every race, status, and ethnicity who have worked to establish an equal role for women, ensuring the appreciation and value of equitable labor for future generations.

Now, therefore, I, Rita Ali, Mayor of the City of Peoria, do hereby acknowledge the month of March as Women's History Month in Peoria, Illinois, dated this 24th day of March 2026, A.D.

Thank you.

We have some amazing women in our present-day community uh leaders, and I want to say thank you to an amazing woman who helps to prepare these proclamations every time they come up.

She and her staff, uh Stacy Peterson, thank you very much, our next proclamation uh recognizes community development week, and Councilmember Allen's going to read that one.

It is my pleasure to read this proclamation.

Whereas the City of Peoria Community Development Department focuses on six major areas: land management, planning and zoning, building safety, code enforcement, neighborhood support, and grant management.

And whereas, created in 1986, National Community Development Week brings national attention to significance and impact of the community development block grant as well as home investment partnerships program.

Whereas the community development block grant program has operated since 1974 to provide local governments with the resources to develop a viable urban communities by expanding access to safe, quality, and affordable housing.

And whereas the home investment partnerships program has operated since 1990 to create and preserve affordable housing opportunities for low-income households, including renters, first-time homeowners, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and families at risk of housing instability.

And whereas the City of Peoria has effectively administered and customized its own community block development grant program and home investment partnerships program has effectively administered these programs to implement various programs and projects in the areas of affordable housing, public service, public facilities, parks, and sidewalks to improve the conditions in our city.

And whereas Congress and the nation acknowledge the critical value of the community development block grant program and significant projects and assistant opportunities that rely on these funds to support safe, quality, affordable housing, and high quality of life for our residents.

Now, therefore, I, Rita Ali, Mayor of the City of Peoria, Illinois, do hereby recognize April 6th through April 10th as Community Development Week in Peoria, Illinois, dated this 24th day of March 2026 A.D.

Thank you.

Our director of community development, uh, Mr.

Joe Dulin will likely tell us what's going to happen during that week.

Uh, Director Doolin.

Uh, thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Council.

Um, we like to bring this proclamation forward every year because it's a really good opportunity, I think, to thank our legislators uh at the federal level for continuing uh to provide that funding that Councilman Allen just cited.

Uh, I think often when we uh hear about things the community development department do, whether it's our uh investment down in 61605 in Churchview Gardens or MacArthur Flats or the Habitat Projects or our upgrades we made to Columbia North Park, Morton Square Park, all of that is really thanks to the federal government and their entitlement funds that we do.

Uh, and also really thankful for our staff uh led by Catherine Murphy and her team who stretch the dollars absolutely as far as we possibly can and leverage them to get a lot of really good projects for the city of Peoria.

So just appreciate council, appreciate the support for all of our funding decisions.

Uh, really appreciate all of our state, I mean all of our federal legislators who uh despite all the issues that uh sometimes they argue over at the federal level, uh, often uh we have never seen a year where they've cut these programs because they see the value that these programs can deliver in our community, uh, not just for our residents, but for our nonprofits as well.

So thank you very much, Mayor.

You're welcome.

Thank you, Catherine, as well.

Uh next, we will have a proclamation on MS recognizing MS Awareness Week.

And we have, I think I'm gonna say it right, Tony Nalica.

Did I say it?

Oh, yes.

Tony is the chair of the National MS Society and Central Illinois Community Council, and Brian Gorsich.

Is Brian here?

Come on up, Brian.

Brian is the co-chair of National MS Society Central Illinois Community Council.

I had a great chance to spend some time with them last week as they lit up as the bridge got lit up in honor of MS.

Um, I have family uh with this disease.

And um, there were a lot of others that told their journey, talked about their journey and their experience.

Uh, Councilman Vespa, do you want to share the proclamation?

Uh yes, thank you, Vanam Mayor.

Whereas multiple sclerosis is a neurological, uh neurological disease of the central nervous system affecting nearly one million people in the United States, the disease strikes people in the prime of life between ages 20 through 50.

Furthermore, the cause of the often debilitating symptoms is unknown, and no cure currently exists.

And whereas, since 1946, the National National Multiple Sclerosis Society has been a driving force of MS research, relentlessly pursuing prevention, treatments, and a cure while investing more than one billion dollars in groundbreaking research.

And whereas the mission of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is to cure MS while empowering people affected by MS to live their best lives, one that all Americans and Illinois should support.

And whereas the City of Peoria recognizes the importance of finding the cause and cure of MS and expresses its appreciation for the dedication that the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Central Illinois Community Council has shown toward creating a world free of MS.

Now, therefore, I, Rita Ali, mayor of the City of Peoria, Illinois, to hereby recognize March 8th through March 14th as MS Awareness Week in Peoria, Illinois, dated this 24th day of March 2026 AD.

Thank you.

Welcome.

No severe weather today.

Yes, love the weather today.

Uh first would like to thank Madam Mayor and certainly the council members.

I'm honored to accept the uh proclamation on behalf of the Central Illinois Community Council.

We are on a mission to end MS, and I would just like to cordially invite everyone to walk MS on the beautiful Peoria Riverfront, May 16th, as we help raise funds to do exactly that.

We're honored that Peoria has been such a great partner with our walk the last several years, and uh would like to thank everyone for their um support.

Welcome.

37 years, sorry.

Okay.

Brian.

I just I thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you all for helping us raise awareness and supporting this great cause.

It affects so much of our community, and we're so blessed to have such great institutions like Illinois Neurological Institute, which is one of our partners in care and dear to most of our hearts, and a few other uh Springfield Clinic as a partner in care.

Um Christie Clinic over in Bloomington is one of our partners in care, and there's Carl Health over in Champagne, it's one of our partners in here.

And to have this many neurologists specializing in multiple sclerosis in our community is huge.

There is a desert across the country of neurologists specializing in multiple sclerosis, and we are truly truly blessed to have what we have here in Peoria.

Well, thank you both for your leadership and spreading awareness.

Yeah, our last proclamation recognizes Parkinson's disease awareness month.

Uh Councilwoman Gordon Young.

We have uh with us Roger Helene, member of Central Illinois Parkinson's support group, and I don't think you have Ollie with you today.

Um very pleased to see you again.

Councilwoman Gordon.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Whereas Parkinson's disease is a chronic progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement, and there is not currently a cure, and whereas more than one million people in the United States, including 22,000 people in Illinois, are currently living with Parkinson's disease, with an additional 50,000 to 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

And whereas increased research efforts, education, and awareness are desperately needed to develop better treatments, medications, programs, and services to help those impacted by Parkinson's disease improve their quality of life until a cure is found.

And whereas the world, the nation, and the state of Illinois will observe Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month in April 2026, along with World Parkinson's Day on April 11th, 2026.

And whereas the City of Peoria recognizes the efforts of the Central Illinois Parkinson Support Group to raise funds and awareness, provide support, education, and events that will help everyone impacted by Parkinson's disease live life to the fullest.

Now, therefore, I, Rita Ali, Mayor of the City of Peoria, Illinois, do hereby recognize the month of April as Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month in Peoria, Illinois, dated this 24th day of March 2026 A.D.

Thank you, Madam Mayor and Council members.

Most of you know this isn't my first rodeo in front of you.

I'm sure it won't be my last.

I wish it would.

But uh we do have a few things on the agenda coming up.

Michael J.

Fox Foundation is working very hard on a biomarker.

Very close to being able to actually prove that it is a biomarker.

So that may be coming down the pipe in a while.

We had two new medications come out this year.

Unfortunately, they're derivatives of the same medication that we've had since 1969, but they are rather effective.

Uh so they're they're helping prolong the delay of the disease, and that's about all we can do right now.

Uh this proclamation helps with awareness all the way around and the understanding of what people with Parkinson's go through.

And I just once again I want to say thank you, and I look forward to seeing you next year, but hopefully not.

Thank you and give our love to Barb and Ollie.

I will.

Barb wasn't feeling well, and under the pause giving independence thing, we have to travel as a team.

So I couldn't bring Ollie along.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, we are at the approval of the minutes.

Councilmember Riggenbach.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I moved to approve the minutes of the city council meeting held February 24th, 2026 as printed.

Seconded by Councilmember Euler.

Any questions or comments?

Please cash your ballots.

Motion passes unanimously.

Madam Clerk.

We are at the town portion of the agenda.

26-58 is a request from the town officials to approve the February 2026 actual expenditures and to approve the March 2026 anticipated expenditures for the town of the city of Peoria.

Trustee Gordon, yeah.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I move to approve item 26-58.

Seconded by a trustee Allen.

Questions, comments.

Trustee Kelly.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

As I looked through these township items, I found a resolution concerning the ratification of orders and claims against Peoria Township.

And it's talking about being in compliance with uh meeting expenses, et cetera, et cetera.

Is there uh any sort of a problem or dispute or misunderstanding about how the township is handling uh payments is we can ask the supervisor.

Can you come forth?

Supervisor Larry, thank you.

Um Supervisor Larry, do you do you know what I'm speaking of?

I do not know what you're referencing.

Let me grab the okay.

Thank you.

Okay, can I get some clarity on the question again?

Well first I if everything it's it I just wondered if there's any kind of a problem because uh this resolution talks about how we pay and uh your your authority, uh you know that sort of thing, and it but it's a new resolution, and I just wonder if um if there's any kind of a problem.

It was in my packet.

Can you be more specific on what resolution you're referring to?

So it's a resolution concerning the ratification of orders and claims against Peoria Township.

I'm unfamiliar with what you're referring to about any claims.

Um, but I will say, as of right now, what the proposal on the agenda right now, or not a proposal, but what's on the agenda is the approval of the expected expenditures and the actual expenditures.

And this was um uh this item was under 26058 on my on my packet, anyway, on the uh on my uh iPad.

There's a resolution that's attached that is titled Resolution Concerning the Ratification of Orders and Claims Against Peoria Township, and it was a resolution that was made January the 8th, 2019.

Yes, so you're referring to a resolution from seven years ago or okay.

Um this is so the resolution that you're referring to is a resolution um that was approved in 2019, and it applied it um apply gives us the opportunity to make purchases or make payments towards things that are um applicable.

Um but as far as I'm aware, there are no uh issues or errors that I'm aware of.

If there were, I would be more than happy to make you all aware of that beforehand rather than bring that up.

Yeah, I just it's usually not in there.

And I just wondered why it was.

Well, um, historically it wasn't in there.

Um, however, we started attaching those this um resolution um this resolution to the claim just because there was some questions of several years back questioning the um expense reports that was brought forth, and then someone had made a um reference to they're not sure of what they're voting on, and that was a reminder for the board.

Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

Okay, thank you, madam mayor.

You're welcome.

We have a motion and a second to approve uh these expenditures and to approve the March 26 anticipated expenditures for the town of the city of Peoria.

Please cash your ballots.

Motion passes unanimously.

Excuse me, madam clerk.

26-59 is a communication from the town officials with a request to approve the agenda for the annual town meeting to be held on Tuesday, April 14th, 2026.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I move to approve item 26-59.

Seconded by a trustee Carmona.

Um questions or comments.

Please cash your ballots.

Motion passes unanimously.

Madam Clark.

We're at the city portion of the agenda.

We're at the consent agenda.

26-60 is a communication from the city manager and corporation council with request to approve a settlement in Randy Whitby and Rebecca Wood versus City of Peoria et al.

26-61 is a communication with request to approve and award contracts for the 2026 facilities, boulevards, and rights of way mowing program in the amount not to exceed 550,000 dollars.

26-62 is a communication with request to approve a contract with GIMAX Landscape LLC for tree and stump removal and tree trimming in an amount not to exceed 275,000 dollars.

26-64 is a communication with request to approve a professional services agreement with Cloud Point Geospatial Inc.

in an amount not to exceed $84,000.

26-65 is a communication with request to approve a collective bargaining agreement between the city of Peoria and ASME Local 3464 for January 1, 2026 through December 31st, 2029.

26-66 is a communication with a request to approve an off-street parking intergovernmental agreement between the City of Peoria and Peoria County providing for the lease of parking spaces in the city-owned Niagara Parking Deck.

26-67 is a communication with a request to adopt an ordinance approving a special use in a class CG General Commercial District for a surface parking lot for the property located at 332 Northeast Jefferson Avenue and 211 Spaulding Avenue, Peoria, Illinois.

26-68 is a communication with a request to adopt an ordinance amending an existing special use ordinance number 14544 in a class R for single family residential district for a church to remove the property located at 209 West Richmond Avenue from the boundary of the special use and to add the property located at 1709 North Lynn Street to the boundary of the special use for the property located at 209 West Richmond Avenue and 1703, 1705, and 1709 North Lynn Street, Peoria, Illinois.

26-69 is a communication with request to adopt an ordinance making temporary amendments to Chapter 18 licenses to reduce fees, allow additional locations and licenses in Article 17 mobile food trucks, and to reduce fees in Article 12 street and sidewalk vendors of the Code of the City of Peoria.

26-70 is a communication with request to adopt an ordinance approving the private activity bond allocation of 2026 volume cap to the Tri-County River Valley Development Authority.

26-71 is a communication with request to concur with a recommendation from staff to adopt an ordinance rezoning property from a class R3 single family residential district to a class I2 Railroad Warehouse Industrial District for the property located at North Galena Road, Peoria, Illinois.

26 72 is a communication with request to approve the site application for a Class K rental hall liquor license with on site consumption and retail sale of alcohol for anti three PET LLC doing business as Alana Gulf at 4700 North University Street, suite 70 with recommendation from the liquor commission to approve.

26 70 is an appointment by Mayor Ali to the public building commission with a request to concur of Charles Shearer and 26 74 is an appointment by Mayor Ali to the Peoria Public Library Board of Trustees with a request to concur of Wayne Cannon.

And that concludes our agenda.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Are there any items to remove from consent?

Councilmember Allen.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor.

26 070, please.

Thank you.

Councilmember Carmana.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh 26 069.

Thank you.

Councilman Sear.

Thank you.

Thanks, Madam Mayor.

Uh move to approve balance of the consent agenda.

Okay.

Seconded by Councilmember Kelly.

Any other questions, comments?

Please cash your ballots.

Motion passes unanimously.

Madam Clerk.

26 69 is a excuse me.

A communication from the city manager and corporation council with request to adopt an ordinance making temporary amendments to Chapter 18 licenses to reduce fees, allow additional locations and licenses in Article 17 mobile food trucks, and to reduce fees in Article 12 street and sidewalk vendors of the Code of the City of Peoria.

Councilmember Kalm Carmelna, sorry.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I want to start off with a couple questions.

Then I have a few general statements to make about this agenda item.

Mr.

Manager, I'm I guess I'm directing these to you.

Are all three of the licenses that we have right now, are they currently occupied for the downtown area?

Um I'm gonna ask maybe if our assistant city manager can come in and maybe help us to answer the that question.

I I don't know the answer directly.

No problem.

Thanks.

Sorry, there's a delay.

Good afternoon, Council Mayor.

May I please may you please restate your question?

Yes, ma'am.

Uh uh, you're welcome.

Are the three current licenses that we have, are they occupied?

Are they filled?

No.

Okay.

Um how much interest have we had for permitting additional licenses or to even fill the current ones we have?

It fluctuates.

So when we came out of COVID, uh we did have a spike of interest.

Um, and that's where we looked at waiving the fee because the fee was a barrier for some of those trucks to come downtown.

Uh, as it relates to the foot traffic, because of the area that the food truck currently is boundried, there is the project at the we had two years of projects happening.

So we had the two-way conversion, which reduced some availability for trucks, and then we have the project that's happening at the courthouse.

So with those two projects coinciding with each other.

Um, we saw maybe last year a couple of food trucks taking or carts, food trucks slash carts taking the opportunity.

Um, and there also wasn't just enough foot traffic.

Uh, but this year um we have had a um new inquiries.

The problem is that the way the license is written is that we have three licenses for downtown, even though we have more food trucks who might want to operate just not at the same time downtown.

So this will allow for some flexibility uh so we can increase that number.

And also, it also takes an account for the fact that now that we have atoms going in two directions by the summer, that they can be on either side of the street so that can allow for that expansion by two trucks.

Thank you.

Um, my last question is well, let me make a statement first because I do appreciate reducing the fee.

Um, however, I I just I I want to get a feel for why we're going all the way down to to zero.

Although I'm absolutely in favor of lowering fees and creating the incentive for businesses to grow here.

Because the way the current ordinance is written, to me, seems like it is meant to deter food trucks from coming into existence because the fees are so high.

So I guess I just to restate the quote to question is um why aren't we just reducing it the fee to a more manageable expense um uh rather than dropping it all the way to zero.

The food trucks are already charged a fee initially, so that's through the health department.

This fee only applies to those businesses who want to have any type of business downtown.

It does not apply to outside of downtown boundaries where a lot of the food trucks do and end up going to.

So you might see food trucks out in the northern part of the city.

Those individuals, those businesses uh who frequent that area do not pay an additional fee to the city.

The fee only applies to downtown locations only.

So to be equitable, we reduce that fee to zero because they're already paying a fee through the health department, who is doing the majority of the work through inspections and you know, and also trying to re-intise uh activity downtown.

It was a way to try to be able to bring some of that activity back.

And in the time that we've had food trucks, we've seen a turnover in brick and mortar restaurants downtown.

And what we were trying to do is try to entice businesses who might be looking at coming to downtown the break and mortar in the future, um, be able to see what the foot traffic is like.

So we wanted to have that.

That's why it's not a permanent fee reduction, it's a temporary fee reduction because we are looking at to evaluate it on an annual basis.

So to your point, we might come back if we're seeing an increase in interest to look at that fee specifically.

But to right now, we're just trying to get people to stay downtown and stay in in lunch downtown because there's not a lot of options for those business uh for those um um businesses as well as for the employees downtown who um are leaving the area to go to lunch because they don't have a lot of options.

And councilman, if I could to address your equity question also, food trucks are required to have a commissary kitchen that they operate out of, which property taxes are paid on the commissary kitchen because it's a it's a brick and mortar facility.

So it's just not downtown necessarily.

Okay.

Uh thank you.

Well, your answers um are gonna make my time on the mic much shorter.

So I really appreciate it.

Um I do like that we're taking strides to um entice businesses downtown.

I am in general very favorable of allowing any businesses to come to Peoria so long as they're obviously following the law.

Um food trucks are an interesting thing because um in any uh thriving economy throughout the country, they play a crucial role to complement um downtown areas and not really seen as a threat to other businesses because citizens really like them.

Uh they are quite a vibe.

So um I think because uh because of your answers and because we don't have a huge amount of interest, I'm not gonna make a motion to increase the number from five above five.

Uh but but I do really appreciate uh all your efforts and your work towards this.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

You're welcome.

I also want to applaud staff efforts.

Uh I've heard from uh representatives from Caterpillar from the US Postal Service, which is a little bit different.

Distance, they're more in the warehouse district, but from other um excuse me, businesses that are located in or near downtown and they want these food trucks.

And I, you know, I I think whatever we can do to incentivize them to return to downtown, it's gonna be good.

We're gonna see more activity in our downtown.

So Madam Mayor, may I make I'm sorry, make one more comment is that I hope that if this does work out well, that maybe we can revisit the the amount of licenses and um hopefully usher in some a more dynamic economy downtown to get people back back out there.

So thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

You're welcome.

Councilman Riggenbach.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

And thank you, um, assistant manager Richardson for your leadership on this.

And um, we've had many discussions about this through the years as somebody who works downtown and um remembers the heyday pre-COVID of what the food carts were like.

Um, I was one of the champions for eliminating those fees once we started coming back to work.

So I'm really thrilled to see the number of truck licenses going up as well as the fees uh staying at zero.

I think until we see a little more critical mass, um, these incentives are gonna be very important for for that particular um entities to consider downtown.

But let's just look for a minute at what is happening downtown.

We have um the courthouse, the count Peoria County is redoing the courthouse plaza.

So as that comes back online this fall, this summer, this fall, they're gonna be reactivating that.

And that will provide a space for people with the food cart food and food truck food to sit down and enjoy some fresh air and get some of that vitamin D.

OSF's presence continues to grow downtown as well as caterpillar with the the new building across from AB.

And let's not forget distillery labs wasn't there that many years ago either.

So the the number of people walking downtown is is ever increasing.

So I I just encourage you and your staff to continue to make the operators that we're aware of um well aware, and maybe I should direct this to our friends from the media to make sure the headline of tomorrow's paper and the 10 o'clock news is city reduces fees for food trucks and food carts in downtown Peoria, and that that stays at zero.

And you know, as Councilman Carmona said the great problem would be that next year at this time you're telling us there's five trucks operating and we have applications for three more.

So we need to raise that limit.

So I I think this is a step in helping realize that.

And I think we all heard from the Greater Peoria Leadership Council and their support for this as well.

So I think this could be the perfect storm, and hopefully this year we'll start to see some of this come to fruition.

Did you make a motion, Councilman?

I'll make a motion to approve then.

Okay.

Seconded by Councilman Carmona.

Um continued discussion.

Councilmember Sear.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh just one couple questions.

I didn't hear the answer earlier.

What was the fee pre-COVID for these trucks?

If I'm not mistaken, and I apologize, let me pull it.

It was 20, it was between um 3400, it was $3,400, $3,400 uh for annual license.

And they had to, it was broken up over a couple month period so they can um break out that fee, but the fee itself was $3,400 $3400 uh to have an annual license for downtown.

And the annual license, I'm assuming it's not for the whole year, but is there's like a time like May, September or no, it's for the whole year, it was for the whole year.

Actually, for the whole year.

Annual license.

So it's for the entire year from calendar year January to December.

So it's a calendar year license.

Thank you.

Uh tell me about out-of-town trucks.

Uh, I've seen some out-of-town trucks the last 30 days or so in Peoria.

Uh, any rules for them?

How's it work?

And they need to ask permission or so.

When you say out-of-town trucks, are you talking about food trucks, sir?

Well, yes, sir.

Yeah, yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

Um, so I would say that unless they are looking to have their uh trucks in this downtown of Peoria, they don't have to register with the city.

They have to register with the county health department.

Okay.

So you're seeing them out north, which you're going to see if because they don't have the same regulations as we have downtown, you're gonna see them on private property because in most of the northern part of the city, most of those trucks are usually in a parking lot, or they're in some or they're on a street that is privately owned.

They are not on city property, so they don't come to the city for a license.

Thank you very much for this clarification.

I saw a couple of them up north on that answer my question.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Allen.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor.

And I know this conversation when it comes to the food trucks and food carts uh can create uh a bit of contention.

And I understand and I'm very sensitive to our brick and mortars who uh have invested blood, sweat, and tears into their downtown businesses, but I think that we can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time.

We could support trying to get more food trucks and food cars downtown to create more vibrancy as well as continue to support our brick and mortar businesses like we have in the past, whether that was through your leadership, uh Cissi City Manager Richardson with the commercial renovation grants that we were able to provide through ARPA and things of that nature.

And so I hope that if this passes tonight, that this is not a symbol of us not wanting to support one business sector over another, but our commitment to redevalualizing our downtown and creating that vibrancy that I know we all love.

Uh I started working downtown uh in 2022, and so I missed the heyday, but I hear about it, and so I want us to get back to that space.

And I remember recently talking to uh a gentleman, he had a hot dog cart.

Um, I'm not gonna say the gentleman's business name, but I used to get bought two of those hot dogs a week.

And he said he had to sell 54 hot dogs to make his bottom line for it to make sense, and ultimately he didn't have the traffic and he's no longer there.

So just because we do this doesn't guarantee anything, but I think at least demonstrates that we are aggressive about supporting these businesses, adding vibracy to our downtown and really getting back to what it looks like pre-COVID in earlier years.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

You're welcome.

We have a motion on the floor and the second.

Um there's no other discussion, please cash your ballots.

Motion passes unanimously.

Madam Clerk.

26-70 is a communication from the city manager and corporation council with a request to adopt an ordinance approving the private activity bond allocation of 2026 volume cap to the Tri-County River Valley Development Authority.

Councilmember Allen.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh, corporation council Hayes, I meant to call you on this when I saw this on our agenda.

Um, for those who may not know I am uh an appointed member of the Tri-County River Valley Development Authority, and so uh do you recommend that I recuse myself from this vote, sir?

Yes, if if you were made a member by the vote of the city council, you could still vote.

But because you're appointed by the governor, and congratulations to you for that.

Um you're you don't fall under that exception.

So you should recuse yourself.

Thank you.

Yep.

Thank you for the recommendation, sir.

I'll be recusing myself from this vote, Madam Mayor.

Thank you.

Okay.

All right.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Carmelina.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

This is actually an agenda item I was gonna pull off myself.

Um so Mr.

Manager, could you please just um explain the mechanism that this is?

Because it's a little strange and um I needed a lot of clarification to understand what I was voting on for this.

So the thank you.

And and to Councilman Allen's point, I am the city's appointee to the TRIVDA board just for disclosure purposes.

Um the Tri-County River Valley Development Authority is a development agency that was established by the state of Illinois that provides um what is what is has previously been considered um uh private activity bonds um that are for private activities in the in the community that they serve.

Uh Trivda, Tri-County River Valley Development Authority serves Taswell, Peoria, Woodford, and McLean counties.

And there are uh limitations on where they can issue the bonds.

They can issue the bonds for hospitals, they can issue the bonds for public improvements, they can issue bonds for housing, they can issue bonds for um docks and wharves and and waterworks and things like that.

So um the federal government gives out allocations to each community of what's called private activity bond volume cap.

It's not money in in the sense of that we're receiving from the federal government 15 million dollars.

We're receiving the authority to issue up to 15 million dollars of private activity bonds inside our political jurisdiction.

If we don't use that money, that money reverts back to the state of Illinois.

And in this instance, we've had a request from TRIVDA to get that money or that to get that bond volume cap, and then that volume cap would would go to Trivda to be able to use um on any projects within the four county area that they would want to utilize those project those dollars for.

So and what it a private activity bond is done is there may be a private developer that is coming in that wants to improve their manufacturing facility, or they may want to improve their hospital, or they may want to improve uh or or create new housing opportunities inside uh the jurisdictions.

They will go to TRIVDA and they will work with their local bank.

They will issue the private activity bonds, they are responsible for paying those bonds back through their lender through the through their lender.

And so that's the reason why they end up doing that.

And then for investors that are buying these bonds, they get they get you know uh it's there's exempt from federal taxation and exempt from state taxation.

So there's some advantages for the bond buyers, and that's why the the interest rate gets to be lower than what is traditionally customary for most uh private sector bonds that are issued um in those instances.

So that's the mechanism.

It's an economic development tool.

Uh it's been utilized to great extent.

Um regionally, um, it's been used.

I think the village of Norwood put in a water tower uh using TRIVDA bonds.

Um we've utilized TRIVDA bonds to improve um uh Lincoln Terrace in District One down near Manual High School is is going through a recapitalization process where they're in you know putting upwards of 20 million dollars into that property to improve all of those housing units.

Uh it's been utilized in McLean County for uh housing projects as well.

Um so it's it the the um it's tapered off a little bit from the manufacturing side because most manufacturing improvements are greater than 10 million dollars, and there's a cap on on manufacturing of 10 million dollars, and that's why it doesn't seem to fall into that area.

But public improvements and housing is where it tends to fall.

And with the housing, it it is uh there is a requirement that it has to be affordable housing.

So 20% of the units have to be set for people that are uh earning half of the area median income.

Thank you.

Uh just for uh another clarifying question.

So TRIVDA as I read it here on the agenda item.

Um, the way this is allocated is per resident of the city, right?

And so um when we are giving them the ability to uh take actions to bond um if there's a project that's not being utilized in our local area, is there any just for the taxpayers' purposes?

Is there any it doesn't mean we're on the hook for any of that, right?

We're not on the hook for anything in this.

What TRIVDA does they issue the bonds with the the faith and credit of the state of Illinois backing it, and that's how they're able to do that.

So the the city is not on the hook for any of that.

Very good.

Thank you for the clarification.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor, and I move to approve this uh agenda item.

You're welcome.

Uh, can I get a second seconded by council member Euler?

Any other discussion or questions?

Please cash your ballots.

Motion passes with one abstention.

Alan Madam Clerk.

We are at first readings.

26-75 is a communication from the city manager and director of community community development with a request to receive and file a first reading of ordinances amending appendix A of the unified development code relating to sign replacements and to non-conforming off-premises signs.

And on your desk at the request of councilmember Carmona, there are um three images for you.

Mr.

Manager.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor.

This is a first reading uh that we have of some changes to the unified development code, and I will turn it over to our assistant community development director, Leah Allison.

Thank you, Mr.

Manager.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, Council.

So uh I'm gonna start with a little bit of history.

In 2015, the Supreme Court made a ruling that said to regulate signs based on content was no longer valid.

So you couldn't, we weren't allowed to read a sign to determine the appropriate regulations of the sign.

At that time, we recognize that ruling um impacted our temporary sign regulations.

We have regulations based on a construction sign, a real estate sign, special sales signs, all that required reading the sign to regulate.

And so from that point, we adjusted our enforcement to be compliant, but we've come to the point now where we need to codify and amend our sign regulations to be completely up to date with that Supreme Court reeling ruling to regulate signs in a neutral content manner.

So that's what's bringing me here today.

Um in your packet of information, I tried to with a table, highlight those changes for you.

I'm gonna specifically speak to some of the main points of that for your information, and then you can ask questions if you have any.

So as I mentioned, the biggest adjustment in the regulations is to be content neutral.

This is most applicable to our temporary signs.

Um we kind of group signs in categories of temporary nature and then permanent nature.

So temporary signs are now with this proposed regulation classified as commercial, commercial nature, and then non-commercial temporary signs.

So again, in keeping with the Supreme Court, we're regulating those signs on size, placement, and uh dimensions, but nothing dealing with whether it's a real estate sign or a construction sign, it's just based on the physical dimensions and location of a commercial temporary sign versus a non-commercial temporary sign.

So that's the first distinction I wanted to make for you.

Again, we're still in that temporary sign category, but we're basically saying we have commercial temporary signage that's allowed in your commercial properties.

That's um advertising commercial nature of real estate, special sales, construction, but all of that is uniformly regulated based on size and placement, and then we have the non-commercial temporary signs, which are your residential garage sale, the church event, the school event, uniformly regulated just based on size and location.

Okay, so that's the first thing I wanted to point to you in in noticing uh change from our current regulations.

The next change I want to highlight for you is specific to on premise permanent signs.

So we're not in the temporary category anymore, we're all in the permanent sign category.

On premise meaning the sign is on the property that the business is located.

Okay.

So it's the um the uh shoe store that has their business and their sign advertising for their business.

It's the auto dealers advertising with a sign on their property for that business.

So the proposed change for you to note is that we are recommending to lower the sign height of a freestanding sign to a maximum of 15 feet, which is kind of along the lines of more of a monument style sign, brings it down more into a line of sight for visual aspects, and then we're also proposing to separate those on-premise signs to 250 feet.

Again, really looking to maybe reduce some of the sign clutter, um visually provide more aesthetically appealing signs.

Um right now you can have a sign that's up to 25 feet tall.

You can have a sign as close as 150 feet to another sign on your property.

We'd like to bring that down and separate those signs.

Um the uh next thing I want to go to is off-premise signs, which is a whole nother category.

Billboards is another term to call for off-premise signs.

So those are the signs that are advertising anywhere in the city for any business message, doesn't have to be specific to the property that it's located, so billboards.

Um we have had in place years back an inventory of billboard signs.

We've updated that inventory so that we know to this day we have 83 billboard signs in the city.

So we have asked our sign, our billboard sign companies, tell us where all your signs are.

We want to update our inventory.

So to date there are 83 billboard signs located in the city of Peoria.

And the code as it's written today has a number, a cap, but it's out of date.

So this change that we're proposing to you today brings that number up to date and accurately at 83.

What is consistent with off-premise or billboard regulations as it is written today and is continuing if a new billboard is proposed an existing billboard needs to be removed so that we still maintain that 83 if a billboard a new billboard is proposed but an existing billboard is not to be removed then the ask comes to you do you want to add or increase the inventory from 83 to 84.

So the CAP allows us to manage the current number of billboards but there is the ability through a review of your discretion to increase that cap at any point in time that you that you are that a request comes before you the regulations that I just described that's the way it is today.

The only change that I'm bringing to you is that we're updating that exact number to 83 billboards in the city.

Okay.

Another change that is um specific to billboards is the opportunity under certain conditions to replace those billboards without having to remove an existing billboard.

Okay.

So as I mentioned we have 83 billboards.

A lot of those billboards are currently non-conforming they don't comply to our regulations today.

So the billboards that we have today are nonconforming because they've just been there a very long time in some cases and our regulations have changed but the billboards have stayed in place.

So one of the regulations that we're proposing with this codification is to allow replacement of existing billboards that may not be perfectly compliant but replaced without having to meet all the regulations so for example there may be a billboard that is too close to another billboard but the um property owner wishes to replace or enter into a new billboard agreement with a different operator we would as these regulations proposed allow that sign to be replaced even though it may not meet a separation from another billboard even though it may not be on the right street type even though it may not meet other or all regulations the last thing that we're proposing is we're actually suggesting that if the the billboard is to be replaced only because of a change in the ownership of that billboard then it would be allowed to be replaced by right to do is provide some relief on the replacement of billboards that really there that doesn't exist today and um corporation counsel hayes if I need to if I if you need to interject something please add to anything that I'm not being very clear on I I just want to make sure that part is clear there isn't the relief currently in place to allow billboards to be replaced without either yeah you know having a replace a billboard be removed or come to you through a special review the proposal allows some replacement in some conditions but it does allow complete replacement by right if just there's a change in the ownership of that billboard a lot of information I just threw at you so we did have a there's a transcript of the um hearing and planning and zoning and um we had testimony that this had created um a dynamic that wasn't within the intent of the original restrictions so the reason for having nonconform not allowing people to replace a nonconforming use is to bring all the uses into dovetail into where the city council wants the the you know community to look like but it had created uh market tension where the uh billboard operators are able to use that to influence future lease negotiations on renewals and we want to remove that a natural advantage in the market that that's in the hands of the of the um advertising entities and place that authority and power back in our residents who own the property that the billboards are on and so if there's a market discussion going on with a renewable lease now it'll be a natural discussion and won't be inhibited or impaired by the fact that you can't switch a vendor because

And we wanted to remove that unnatural advantage in the market that that's in the hands of the of the um advertising entities and place that authority and power back in our residents who own the property that the billboards are on.

And so if there's a market discussion going on with a renewal of a lease, now it'll be a natural discussion and won't be inhibited or impaired by the fact that you can't switch a vendor because once the billboard comes down, you can't put a new one back up.

So that's why this specific exemption is put in there to remove this unnatural market element that wasn't the intention of the city council when this was passed.

And so we're curing an ale that we unintentionally created.

Um that's staff's perspective, and uh my hope is that that's a council's perspective as well.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Lots of detail here.

Yes, a lot.

There are in PR.

Um as in the is it a small number?

Is it a the company, the operator, the company operating?

Um three, maybe just three.

That that meeting.

I think there's four or five.

Okay.

Okay but we had previously when we had the billboard discussions, council received an exhibit.

I'm sorry, we didn't include it here.

But that exhibit um shows each and every billboard and who the operator is for each billboard.

Okay.

So we can develop that information, but it's my message.

I just want to add five.

There's five commercial operators in town, it's my recollection.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

Other questions.

Uh Councilmember Kelly.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh uh Assistant Director.

Um you say that we've we have 83 uh billboards now, and we brought that.

Was the number lower and we exceeded the number?

Or was the did the number used to be higher and we're coming down to 83?

I mean, 83 happens to be the number that are out there today.

Correct.

Yeah.

So um I think in the past it had been just a few higher, not significant.

Some have um just come offline through attrition of maybe you know, just no longer a uh usable billboard.

I think the numbers always been right in that general ballpark.

We um we we reviewed the inventory list thoroughly.

We did find some maybe discrepancies of of duplicates, and so we really worked hard to to clean it, make it uh accurate, and so there it did change a little bit, but not because of a significant change in the actual number.

It was just more of a cleanup and making sure that we had accurate information.

So you you don't know what the number used to be.

Let me open my book.

Big deal, but I um I've got it in here, I think.

I think yeah, I I don't I would have to get back to you on that exact number.

Okay.

We didn't uh but we we picked 83 because that's how many are there now.

Yes, that's an accurate uh listing of billboards.

Okay.

Um I'd like to compliment you on your sensitivity in taking an out-of-compliance billboard uh and allowing it to be grandfathered under you know, with certain certain restrictions.

That's that's very flexible and and thank you for that.

That might run us into a problem or two later.

Uh but you know, we can't anticipate everything.

Uh but that particular change, I think is uh I think it shows our our flexibility here, and I uh I for one uh appreciate that.

Um thank you and thank you, madam mayor.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Sear.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I'd like to move to receive and file if there's no other questions.

Move to receive and file seconded by council member Gordon Young.

Continued discussion.

Council member Carmona.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um Assistant Director, I wanted to, I actually had this highlighted on my on my sheet here about the traffic hazard.

Um proposed would be to prohibit signs which are deemed a traffic hazard, um, which is understandable, obviously.

Uh I'd like to know how um how we come to the conclusion of it being a traffic hazard.

Is it by accidents in the area or how how do we um how do we come to that conclusion?

Can you tell me exactly where you're your oh on your sign code proposals that you had sent out, like the easy cheat sheet.

Okay.

It's it's number two from the top.

Oh, yeah.

Okay.

So some signs in it, it's it's written similarly in our regulations now.

We we prohibit signs that mimic traffic signaling that would have cause any confusion with traffic lighting and directional.

So it's just it's just making sure that there isn't a confusion with different types of signs to cause a hazard for for motorists.

I see.

Thank you very much for that clarification.

And um along the same lines, I just wanted to make sure that we um I guess I'd like to propose that we uh with this first reading that we um allow or are more consider things like monument signs.

Um I I sat down with uh attorney Hayes and talked to him quite a while about them, and that's why I brought up the traffic uh hazard part of it.

Um and especially after knowing that there's only four um entities that own um all of the signs, um kind of like not quite a monopoly, but you know, they they that that's a small number of of uh you know businesses that own all of the signs.

And so I just want to make sure that if uh if we do have proposals for something like a monument sign, which is much more uh pleasing, uh that we have a path towards meeting that goal in in in areas and for clarification when you say there's only four, it sounds like you're referring to billboards.

I'm sorry, yes, billboards.

Okay, okay.

I I wanted okay.

Um that's that's all I have for billboards.

Um if there's no more discussions, I can explain the uh the hand on the desk.

Is that pardon me?

If there's no more discussions, I guess on the billboard side, um, I have this uh this other sort of related item on the on the desk for everybody.

Is is it related to our first reading?

Uh yes, I was uh told to bring this up during the first meeting because I wanted to make sure it was done properly.

It does have to do with signage.

Go ahead.

So um I've been talking to um city manager quite a bit and uh director Dulan about some of the difficulties that the business community is having in um dealing with some of our regulations.

And so uh I just wanted to illustrate an example here.

The this is a new proposed sign uh from a local business here on Main Street.

Uh Main Street does fall into a form code district, and um so you'll see the proposed size uh compared to the building uh on the first page.

And if you flip to the second page, this is actually the maximum allowed sign for this building.

And so um the reason I'm showing you this is because I want to propose that we um that an additional amendment for this uh is made to allow for more flexibility um and increase the lettering height and size to allow for uh uh a sign like this to happen in this form district.

And um I know that we're gonna have a a a longer conversation about form districts in general, but to expedite the process for the customer, um, especially one who has invested um and been a part of the community for for decades.

Um I I wanted to bring this up because um, you know, this is the building owner, and um it's been quite an asset to our community, and I just wanted to kind of find a a quick path for approval for for this sign rather than going through the whole um the the traditional process of the variance um the ZBA.

Mr.

Manager, is that uh is that okay?

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um yes, I think that that the height of the sign in question uh is about 15 inches greater than what's allowed under the form code.

So this would necessitate that we would add an amendment for you to consider when we come back to you at the council meeting on the 14th that it would have that amendment to allow for more height in signs in the warehouse district or in the main street form district.

So and um I guess also just and the reason I wanted to bring this forward uh with an image is to just illustrate that you know the the the customer the the the citizen is not asking for anything crazy.

Uh I think it's it's you know it's just fine uh the the size that he's proposing, and I just want to try to be less restrictive and work with customers better.

I understand.

I I mean it does seem looking at the proposed compared to the maximum, it's slightly larger, but it's a large building.

So I guess my question is how do we get those big honking letters on the health department?

Yeah.

Well, well, the health department's not in a form district, and that's one of the reasons why.

So the form district it's a form district, and so we're very prescriptive when it comes to the aesthetic of the building.

You get the the trade-off is in the form district.

There's more um freedom of what you can do inside the building versus outside of a form district where we become more prescriptive about what you can do, but there's less about the aesthetics of the building.

Okay, so did I get that right?

Yes, you did.

Thank you.

I trained him well.

Yes.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you.

That's helpful.

Okay.

Uh Councilmember Rigambach.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Um this particular instance, was he denied at the ZBA?

Is that why this is it has not gone to the ZBA yet?

So and this is just a timing issue.

This would solve this matter.

I mean, one of the things that we are working on, and we're working with the downtown development corporation is getting some feedback on all of our form districts, and some we've seen a number of variances over the years about uh within the within the form districts.

And so um we're gonna ask them to hold a uh public meeting in the warehouse district and then do the same in West Main to talk about are there changes and modifications to the form districts that we want to make.

We're 25 years into the form districts, and and it may be time that we look at at some modifications.

We've had a number of uh variances for street walls, for example, in the form district, uh in the main in the warehouse district form district, uh, as well as signage.

And so, you know, I think these are the kind of things that if we're seeing a lot of variances, maybe we need to make some modifications so we don't have to have businesses come back through the variance process.

What is the timing on a ZBA appeal?

Well, the the next ZBA meeting would be in May, and then it would, you know, so you'd be you'd be talking about some time in is it it's usually the second Thursday of May.

Second Thursday in May.

Quarterly, nope, they're every other month.

Every other month.

No, every month.

Oh, every month.

Yeah, okay monthly, yeah.

Yeah, but not so but there isn't one in April.

Uh the agenda for April is already set, so we can't add to that one at this time.

And this this is just a request that just came up current recently.

Yes.

Um I guess two questions, well, multiple questions, but would this amendment just apply to the main street form district, or would it apply to prospect warehouse district, the others as well?

I think if it's council's desire that we apply it uh uniformly across all of them, we'll do it across all of them.

Because I'm I'm without knowing specifics, and I know that will be coming back to us.

We don't want to have the lettering of the health department along prospect or West Maine.

So we we need to be very intentional about the changes that we make.

So I would just encourage you as you do that.

Um that's one councilman's point of view at least that I I want to be responsible to the needs of the business.

And believe me, I've heard issues with signage on the prospect form district in the past, but but the mayor gave us a good example of why why we do have that regulation and drive up respectfully university between Forest Hill and War Memorial, and you can see signage gone wild.

So I think there's uh while I I this appears to be a very reasonable request.

We don't want to open Pandora's box.

So um so work your magic before you retire, Miss Okay.

We'll come back with something.

Yes, absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Thank you.

Okay, we have a motion to receive and file, and that has been seconded.

Is that correct, Madam Clark?

Yes.

Yes, please cash your ballots.

Motion passes unanimously.

Madam Clerk.

We are at regular business.

26-76 is a communication from the city manager and chief of police with a request for the following.

A approve a sole source purchase of one Ford Explorer interceptor from Morrow Brothers Ford in the amount of approximately 45,788 dollars.

And this item requires two-thirds vote of council members voting, no less than six votes.

And item B is approve the purchase of parts and labor estimate estimated at 25,000 to have the vehicle equipped with all the necessary equipment.

And we need separate votes on each, please.

Mr.

Manager.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Turn the floor over to our police chief to walk through this item.

Okay.

Good evening, madam mayor, council, city manager.

Uh on February 4th, we uh we totaled a vehicle.

We had a car accident in the area of Fayette and Monroe.

Uh the damages exceed what it would cost to uh fix it.

It's uh according to the garage, we should be purchasing a vehicle.

So I'm coming in front of you that asks for the uh the ability to purchase a new squad car and the equipment to outfit it.

Any questions?

Councilmember Sear.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Thank you, Chief.

I just got a general question.

Um for uh all our assets, public work, fireplace.

I mean, don't we have insurance when we total a car, or are we all self-insured to all our assets?

Uh the the we're we're lucky we have some of the retention issues with um or the the high limits uh over a million dollars on most of our property insurance, so it's not gonna cover uh an automobile in this instance.

We're just gonna have to pay for it at that.

And we're I think if and I know our our um HR director can come in and talk a little bit about the insurance aspect or the corporation council can um the the property market for public entities uh is getting ridiculously expensive.

So that's why we've seen that we've moved our limits up to a level that we're gonna have to pay for vehicles or things along those lines.

I don't know if you get the um the rates for coverage that would cover this level would um make your eyes cross because you know we as a unit government have a lot of claims like this, um, and so it would be exorbitant, and that's why our limits are so high.

Um, so it is difficult to accept that we don't have insurance for these types of things, but there's no uh cost benefit to placing a policy that would have coverage at a level of claim this low.

So a couple years ago or so we total a uh a fire truck.

That was the same reason we had to just replace and buy the truck ourselves because our limit really is a million dollars.

Correct.

Well thank you.

Thank you, madam mayor.

You're welcome.

Can I get a motion from someone?

Oh council member sear, move to approve, seconded by council member Carmona.

Any questions or comments?

This is on item A.

Please cash your ballots motion passes unanimously.

Council.

Of item B.

Okay.

Seconded by council member Carmona.

Okay.

Please cash your ballots.

Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk.

26-77 is a communication from the city manager and corporation council with a request for the following.

A adopt an ordinance increasing the duration of the Westlake Special Service Area and increasing the Westlake Special Service Area Sales Tax Rate.

And B approve the Fourth Amendment to the Westlake SSA agreement between the property owner, the City of Peoria, and Morton Community Bank.

And on your desk, there is a handout of a timeline on behalf of the developer.

Okay.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

So in 2010, the city council established a special service area for the Westlake uh shopping center.

And that ran for a number of years, and then 2014, the council augmented that with a sales tax that applies just within the special service area.

So the way those operate is that there's an annual amount of property taxes that is levied to service a bond issue that's uh Morgan Community Bank, and the sales taxes contribute or allow us to abate the amount that otherwise would be taxed on the property.

And so this mechanism is present here in the Westlake Shopping Center, and we also utilize that mechanism out at the Louisville Slugger and related uh hotel facilities.

So those those create an annual uh budget cycle where we sit down, analyze the sales tax revenues, and establish then the amount of levy that's required to service the bond debt, as well as any other programs within the special service area that are that are part of the program that's worked out between uh the owner and the staff.

Um this process is a little more liberal by as far as what a special service area can use its resources to pay for.

And so for instance, um unlike in a TIFF arena, which operates off of property taxes that has certain limitations, there's uh a broader group of expenditures that's available in a special service area.

In addition, the special service areas can pay for services.

Um, and so um uh uh the the courts have been very clear that uh business expenses related to those operations there, whatever they are, are authorized within a special service area, and our our role as a city is looking at the revenues and making sure that each year there's a presentation of what budget items are going to be spent in the following year from these revenues.

As part of this renewal or the fourth amendment to the special service area redevelopment agreement, we're requiring now an uh specific itemization each year going forward of all the actual expenditures.

That was not an element before, but it's an element now, and we're grateful that the operator is willing to do that, and we'll be able to provide slightly more transparency on what all the expenditures are going forward.

Um I'd also like to point out that in the posted um ordinance, which is item B.

Um, I've corrected an issue there.

It's actually our controller, um, the finance director acting as our controller that extends the the sales tax, and so that corrections in the ordinance that the mayor will be executing, and that's not reflected on your online copy.

But with that small amount, we didn't decide to use a yellow sheet for that small change, and I appreciate the clerk thinking that that would be acceptable.

But otherwise, um these items are before you.

Um item A would extend the duration of the special service area.

Um when you establish special service areas, you have a specific statutorily required items as part of the public hearing, as well as the notices that have been published.

We've indicated that part of the request to the city council is to extend this special service area.

When it was originally established in 2010, it was to run for 30 years.

Um, and now it's good they're they're asking to extend it to 2055, so 30 years from now.

So it's been around for about 15 years, and so we're looking at extending it an additional 15 years, so a 30-year term from today.

Um, and so or from third the total uh special service area would be 45 years from the initial July 13th date, I believe.

So it would run through that period of time.

So those property taxes and sales taxes would continue to operate.

We continue to operate in this fashion each and every year.

It's not uncommon for special service areas to extend and continue because again they pay for services.

Some subdivisions use it to pay for snow removal and lighting and things like that.

Uh we've seen the Lamont Special Service Area that had some limited capital improvements.

Um special service areas are a very malleable tool.

And as a home rule entity, we have added this component in a retail setting of a sales tax with our home rule authority.

And there are not a lot of jurisdictions that do that, but we want to be creative and support businesses, and this is a request again, strictly from the business operator of Westlake, one of our uh most well maintained uh and most successful shopping centers in town.

And so this is before you with the staff's uh recommendation for approval on both item A and B.

I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you, Council Hayes.

I have just two questions.

Uh, one is 30 years common for an SSA.

Uh what is common?

And then is it transferable to a new owner in the future?

Well, the special service area runs on the property.

And if there's a new owner, there is a there is a transferability.

And so uh these are permanent items.

We're seeing in our special service area around Louisville Slugger that some of the underlying properties have transacted, and those new operators of the hotels are operating those, and uh we're we are we work with them just like we did the original owner about the um uh satisfaction of the original debt.

And so these are items um uh this lake is owned by a corporate entity.

Um if they transferred to a different corporate entity, there's an assignability uh to the agreement and things like that.

So we would have a different partner to deal with, but those things would all be worked through the documents that we normally deal with.

Okay.

Can you speak to the 30 years?

It's not an unusual for uh special service areas to be de facto permanent because they deal with a set of services and they're renewed from time to time.

And the um the statute that creates special service areas anticipates that they're gonna be extended.

And so that device is well worn in the statutes.

I could find special service areas that have been in existence since they were created.

Okay, um, and this became very fashionable, although it predates the 1970 constitution.

A lot of special service areas were established at that time.

Um the city of Chicago operates a large number of special service areas, and they do run for a very long time.

So I I don't know how common 30 years is, uh, but it it's been my experience that most special service areas um tend to extend for a very long period of time because they are related to services and not just capital improvements.

Okay.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, if I could just add to that, there are a number of municipalities in the northern suburbs of Chicago that don't levy property taxes but have have financed their infrastructure improvements with special service areas to utilize that.

And it so it becomes kind of a hyper-localized way of financing those improvements, and they're generally a very long period of time that those special service areas are in existence.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you both.

Councilman Allen.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor, and thank you, Corporation Council Hayes uh for that overview.

Uh, I do want to acknowledge uh we have Les Cohen uh in the chambers today, and I appreciate the materials that he provided.

Uh we have a nice timeline here that illustrates just the impact that this shopping center has had in our community for over 50 years now, uh being one of the uh premier retail destinations in our region.

Um providing over 500 jobs uh to our community as well as creating an ideal shopping experience, not only for those within the city of Peoria, but those that come to uh this area to to shop again throughout our region and throughout our state.

Um we know that right now the retail market has experienced a lot of challenges.

Uh the COVID-19 pandemic didn't make things easier, but when you talk about the emergence of online shopping, uh not only are we competing against the online market, but we're also competing against our residential communities, uh excuse me, our neighbors that were residential communities, but now with increased density that they've had over the last several uh decades, we're now competing against the East Peorias, the Metamoras, the Mortons of the world, because they're not just bedroom communities anymore.

And so when retailers are looking to go to these different areas, uh they'll look at those bigger communities now, and and those communities they have the SSAs, the BDDs, other financial uh economic development tools to entice them.

And so we have to be in a position where we're proactive, uh not only in retaining and supporting our current shopping centers, but also putting ourselves in position to lure new shopping opportunities.

And uh Mr.

Cohen did put uh an announcement in here.

I don't know if he's ready for this to go prime time, so I'm not gonna say it yet, but uh the shopping center is in good shape and it's uh will be soon if this passes tonight, and based off of some of the new tenants they're looking to bring forward would be at 100% occupancy, which is that is what we want within our retail market for not only District 4, but the City of Peoria in in our region.

So I understand the uh apprehension that this type of topic causes, and I think that we've had some great questions asked.

I appreciate I had a a nice I've been having some good conversations with my colleague to the left about these different economic development tools.

And him and I, we have our different philosophical differences, but that is the beauty of our relationship, but also too, you know, to again talking to constituents.

Um, these are the amenities that they expect living in an urban environment like the city of Peoria.

And so we're gonna do our best to uh maintain and support our existing shopping centers, but also uh be in position where we can bring new and additional shopping amenities to our community.

So, with that being said, I would like to make a motion to approve item A, please.

Okay, moved seconded by Councilmember Euler.

Uh continued discussion.

Councilmember Sear.

Thank you, madam mayor, Mr.

Manager.

How many SSA do we have in our city limits?

I think uh I think we have six.

I'm gonna look to our finance director and see if six.

Um how many of those are tied, if any, tied to the uh the property tax ID?

Um one I think or be tied to businesses, usually business owners.

There, well, there's there are special service areas that are levying property taxes um to pay for those special services, and then there are those that are also levying hotel taxes and sales taxes.

So there's a number of them that pertain to um junction city, uh Louisville Slugger, the Holiday Inn, um up near Louisville Slugger, Westlake, Portillos, and then Lamont.

So can we eventually or do we want to put a top eventually to these uh these percentages since now I remember being here and listened to many years ago, we started with 50 basis point and then went to 75.

Now we obviously everybody's listening and watching what we're doing, and lately we have approved one at one percent.

So I mean, everybody will follow the leader, obviously.

So now everybody wants one percent.

Any concern from the city about percentages.

You know, we it was several years ago we held a policy session here where we talked about what did council want to do, and and we didn't get any direction from council that we should limit that.

And and um, you know, in this instance, Westlake is coming up to what um Louisville Slugger and what um the Holiday Inn and what the Portillos rate is, those all are at one percent.

So this is you know, Westlake is just coming up to that level in terms of of where um this tax rate would be.

So um I you know I think that that one percent is probably um as high as we probably should go.

It's what's what the business district uh model includes as well as a one percent rate.

So I think that you know that's probably appropriate.

So in terms of where we should be.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you, madam mayor.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Wegenbach.

Thank you, madam mayor.

When this was first proposed back in 2014, and yeah, believe it or not, I was sitting here then as well.

Um, I was very skeptical of the concept, and um many of the concerns that my colleagues have said were things that that I parodied it back in the day.

If you haven't had a chance to open it, it's quite a scroll.

But um, the information that Westlake has provided us is an amazing testimony to how successful this is with their annual gross sales just 10 years ago at 32 million.

The 2026 projection is 57 million.

That's 25 million dollar increase.

That's amazing in this retail environment that we find ourselves in post-COVID.

Um I remember saying words like, well, if we let them do it, everybody's gonna want to do it.

Well, I would say now, unfortunately, everybody hasn't done it.

You look at some of the shopping centers, particularly in my third district, they could use a little extra TLC.

And if they had availed themselves of this tool, perhaps there wouldn't be so many vacancies in them.

So I I think looking at um junction city, for instance, when they put their SSA in place, that was specifically targeted for the the traffic signal there that made it so much more accessible when Bushwacker came into play.

Keller Station has a business development district, just a slight variation of the SSA.

But I don't think you can look any further than Westlake itself to say how powerful this tool has been for them making it truly an award-winning national award-winning center and some place that that we all are proud to have in our backyard.

Um I just kind of chuckle when I see this being extended to 2055 and thinking that I'll be 96 years old then, but uh we won't mention it.

We won't go into that math.

Um but um I I think that this has been a great success for Westlake, and more importantly, it's been a great success for our community as we strive to find those retail opportunities in this age when it's so much easier just to click on your phone.

So um I definitely will be supporting, and thank you, Councilman Allen, for the work that you've done on this to get us here.

And Mr.

Cohen, we see you in the audience.

We want to thank you and your family, third generation, I believe, um, of Cohen's making the making Peoria a better place.

So thank you for all of your investment and commitment.

Thank you, madam mayor.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Euler.

Thank you, madam chairwoman.

I just wanted to comment that uh frequently we have these discussions about incentives and whether we should or shouldn't have them and what impact it has on the economy and our retail.

And it at times gets very philosophical without always having the results to back it up with.

And I just want to point out the fact that uh Mr.

Cohen here is showing us exactly what incentives can do for a community, especially when it comes to retail.

You have a well-run, effective, beautiful uh economy contributing shopping center that's actually a benefit to our community, and that in large part is due to our ability to work with him to give the incentives that it takes to make retail happen in a community like ours.

So thank you, Mr.

Cohen, for your continued contributions to this economy.

And if a few of the other retail centers in our community would uh look to some of these alternatives, they might be in a much better condition and be able to contribute much more to our local revenue and economy.

So thank you, Westlake, for your support in this community.

You're welcome.

Councilman Carmona.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Uh I would definitely agree that this is a beautiful shopping center.

Uh Mr.

Cohen has done a great job um with the space that he is providing to retailers.

Uh, but I think as much congratulations that goes to his direction, should also be pointed out uh the general public who goes and shops there, who um you know through through this mechanism funds his ability to do things like this.

So I'm not saying I'm not here saying that you know development tools like this don't work.

Obviously, they do work.

Um it is a little concerning to me, or additionally concerning to me that sounds like this is going to be continued indefinitely, where people will walk in there and always pay an extra one percent for their goods and services uh in order to keep this development um looking um the way it is.

So um uh believe it or not, I I before I read this agenda item two weeks ago when we were originally supposed to vote on it, I was prepared to um to go along with it.

And uh the reason for that was because the special service area uh mechanism was explained to me in a you know, in a way about property taxes and how it was self-imposed, and so if somebody wants to do that, I I suppose that it's up to them.

Um so I was ready to support it.

But my first question, which actually got answered with uh council or sorry, uh Council Hayes's um first opening remarks was I I just kind of wanted an explanation as to the difference from a business development district and a special service area because the biggest concern I had with the Glen Hollow development was that people are getting taxed one percent for every purchase to subsidize a developer who's already supposed to be taking care of their property.

Um this might be called something different, it's called a special surface area surface area.

Um although the route to collect this money is a little differently, ultimately it's the same uh an extra one percent that goes to the unknowing consumer.

Um and I wanted to bring this up too because I talked to uh city manager earlier about the transparency aspects of this because back where I was from in Colorado, there was developments like this as well.

But when you looked at your receipt, it would actually have a line item for what the taxes were.

They didn't lump all your taxes together, so it was a good form of transparency.

Uh we don't do that here.

The state of Illinois doesn't require that, nor would it be in anybody's benefit to see that because people might start asking questions as to why they're getting charged an extra one percent just to shop at the certain area.

So you almost had me.

I was almost gonna support this, but I just simply can't still because I'm still trying to protect the taxpayer who is ultimately funding these for um for a developer, and so I do appreciate uh Westlake and how great it is.

Um but I can't good conscience vote uh to continue to allow this to happen, even though I know it's not a popular around the horseshoe uh sentiment.

Um my bottom line and reason I'm here is still to be trend as transparent as possible with the public and to help them keep their money in their pocket.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Gordon Young.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh, the more I listen, the more I thought about my childhood and uh just growing up catching the bus to Westlake shopping center, and it's wonderful to still be able to see it to see it thrive.

Um, I actually did a little homework on the um the one percent uh just ahead of time, and um I tell you, you go over there it makes you want to spend money because I did.

I was just gonna buy a little something, a snack or something, and I came out with three shirts and right, right?

Three shirts, a pair of pants.

Um, but but it's such a beautiful space.

It is absolutely beautiful.

Um, the customer service is amazing.

People want to be there.

It has become, I think, one of the most beautiful staples in this community.

Um, it's good to see it.

I I didn't want to end on um I just wanted to commend you for your investment, but just the beauty of it all.

Um, and and I will say that just for reference.

So I spent about I I did have the receipt I was holding on to it, but I claim a car out.

So I threw it away by accident.

But um, so so for example, there is a one percent grocery tax, and I bought a bottle of water, and so the water was two dollars and nineteen cents.

So the tax on that, that one percent was actually zip 0.02.

So that's what the difference would be on 1%.

It was one you know, 0.02.

Um, people are spending money, and they're not really noticing that change because they're getting um great customer service, beautiful aesthetics, um, and a great experience.

And and I wanted to add something to what councilman um Alan said.

This isn't just people you know coming here at the shop.

These are people that are on their way somewhere else, and they look up and they see this beautiful sign, and then when they take the exit, there's all these restaurants and all these businesses where they can explore and just have a great time.

Again, uh, I support this.

Thank you for all that you do.

Thank you, madam mayor.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Reggenbach.

Thank you again, Madam Mayor.

And council Carmona, I just gotta um respectfully say that I think this is the most transparent sales tax in the area.

I think we've had more discussion about what this sales tax rate is than probably any other tax that we have.

Um I I would totally support the state of Illinois listing um the different sales taxes so that people so people realize that because uh as we've mentioned our friends across the river, they have multiple SSAs and BDAs with that one percent tacked on as well.

So I I view it as kind of a cover charge, if you will, you know, when you go um out, oftentimes you'll you'll pay a cover charge, and that's for the experience.

And yeah, and this clearly enhances the experience.

Um, so I I don't think there's any doubt that people are aware that there's a one percent sales tax there.

And the other thing that I think we've we've talked around, and all of us have, but on one of these posters that we have, the Westlake, the the Cohen families invested 30 million dollars of private capital in this center in the last years as well.

So I think their commitment is something that's extremely clear that we we don't have many locally owned developers like that left in Peoria putting that kind of money into their family business, and I I think that needs to be applauded as well.

So um I just I just wanted to point out that private investment that's been made, and the fact that from my perspective, this is an extremely transparent process.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

We have a motion on the floor to approve, and that's been seconded.

If there's no more discussion, please cash your ballots.

Motion passes with one nay Carmona.

Madam Clerk.

We need a motion on item B, please.

Okay.

I'm sorry, that was item A.

Um, Councilmember Allen.

Madam Mayor, uh, I move to approve item B, please.

Who seconded that?

Oh, Councilmember Euler.

Uh, you want to second item B?

Okay.

Um, any discussion?

Please cash your ballots.

Motion passes with one nay Carmona, Madam Clerk.

26-78 is a communication from the city manager and finance director comptroller with a request to receive and file the month ended January 31st, 2026, an audited financial report.

Mr.

Manager, sorry.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh, I'll turn the floor over to our finance director.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Manager.

So this is the first report of 2026.

Uh, it's always a little hard to read a lot into what that first month looks like.

Um, because from an accounting standpoint, a lot of the activity that we may have in January actually gets booked back to the previous year under modified accrual accounting rule.

So a lot of the taxes we may collect, um, a lot of the expenses we may have really end up getting booked back.

So we can we can have some volatility in what that first month looks like.

Um, but so on a uh revenue standpoint and the general fund, um, we're 21.1% lower than expected budget again because of that moving parts that can fluctuate pretty wildly.

Um, but we are up uh 39.9% compared to 2025.

I think that really speaks to um collection around things like the hotel restaurant amusement tax and the timing in which those come in that can account for that local tax difference.

Um on the expenditure side, uh, we are down five percent compared to budget.

Um again, kind of look we when we do this analysis every year, we look at the five-year trend of collections on revenues and and expenditures going out, trying to adjust for any known factors, uh, like when we had ARPA dollars, knowing that we would usually articulate those revenues quarterly.

Um, we tried to articulate that into our assumptions.

Um, and then uh that is uh actually up 6.1% compared to the previous year.

Um a little bit more inside accounting.

The the major reason between that with that is more of the first paycheck of the year actually went towards 2026 than it did the year before.

Um so we just have more payroll expense.

Um because really we have to book back uh those dates in 2025.

Um really everything else is within trend.

We continue to see strong uh sales tax numbers.

Um we did have a little bit of an increase in uh personal property replacement tax.

Um I would kind of caution that I would say that that might be a slight anomaly compared to where the projection is.

It might just be how the collections fell.

Um the budget for this year still has a slight decrease in PPRT because of those assumptions.

Um so we'll see where that kind of that kind of shakes out over the next coming months um as the state works through uh their budget.

Um with that I'm available if council has any questions.

Any questions?

Excuse me.

Councilmember Sear.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Just a couple uh talk to us about the clawback uh effect of the state budget.

When will the state budget budget be final and and what your anticipated what are the anticipated result from this clawback?

Yeah, so I'm assuming you're uh you're talking about the clawback of personal property replacement taxes that have been happening over the last few years.

Correct.

Um the anticipation is those clawbacks should end for the next the next state fiscal year, which would start July 1.

Um the Alinoi Municipal League and their projections has assumed a slight increase starting for next year, maybe a two to three percent increase in PPRT.

Um but just because the state fiscal year and ours don't align, really that difference still has us in that small uh decrease year over year.

Um we'll see kind of as the state budget goes.

I'm always a little cautious when the state has conversations, especially with the conversations right now allow around reductions in the LGDF formula that there could always be a little bit of changes associated with that.

So we'll have more information as they work through the state budget.

Thank you very much.

So you didn't really uh forecast a an increase then from the last six months this year this year or next year.

You're just being safe.

Yeah, with the volatility we've seen in it.

We haven't wanted to use it as a source of um required revenue.

We've we've really kind of lowered the assumption for that around our our pension cost um instead of gone more towards uh general fund transfers and uh property tax revenue for that.

So I want to congratulate you on your forecast for last year.

I missed the last meeting and and I and you gave me a copy tonight, so I didn't get a chance to review year end numbers.

But uh so I just got one question about the year-end numbers, and I don't know if it happens every month.

I never noticed before.

Don't we carry forward our balances from the prior month to the current month?

Example, I'm talking like uh the first one would be a general fund where we have end and balance of 43 million dollars.

We got a starting balance this year of 47 million dollars.

Why would that be like that?

Um I'd have to actually see the numbers on what that was, but I Paige, I'm looking at page 10 of every report the last page where you have all the all the accounts example.

Another one would be like the um stormwater utility.

We had an ending balance on December 31st of 17 million dollars roughly, and now we have a starting balance of 41 million dollars.

I mean that's a big difference.

So I'm not trying to understand why.

So it's uh it's partially where some of the funds stand.

I'll have to look deeper into it and make sure there isn't any uh issues with the formulas there.

Um but you to your point, yes, they should transfer over that way.

So I'll take a look at it for the next report.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you, madam.

You're welcome.

You want to receive and file?

Yes, I'll file uh move to receive and file.

Thank you.

Second by council member uh Alan.

Uh please cast your ballots.

Motion passes unanimously, Madam Clerk.

We are at unfinished business.

26-56 is a communication from the city manager and corporation council with request to consider the sign application for a class C1 packaged goods liquor license for the retail sale of alcohol at Midwest USA Inc.

doing business as King Zone 2411 North Knoxville Avenue with a recommendation from the liquor commission to deny corporation council Hayes Your Honor.

Um we had um we had presented this previously, and it's my understanding that Councilman Carmona is going to defer this matter.

Okay, councilman Carmana.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh when we had I proposed a deferral um two weeks ago uh for this agenda item uh in order to give time to make improvements.

Uh if you've driven by it at all lately, they're they're making uh good strides.

But I kind of figured that it would need another deferral because not only because of rainy and snowy weather, um uh it is quite a bit of an undertaking that they're trying to do there.

They're trying to do it the right way.

So um I would like to make a motion to defer this item again.

Um I don't know the exact date, but for another month and for another month, yes.

Seconded by council member sear.

Any discussion?

Please cash your ballots motion passes unanimously, madam clerk.

We are at new business.

I'd like to start with a new business item and um let everyone know that this Thursday, the city, along with numerous government partners and local agencies will host what's called the government contract and opportunity expo at 5 o'clock p.m.

at the Peoria Civic Center.

This is the third year that we've done this.

It was called by a different name, but we've adopted a new name for the um for the event to make it really clear what it is.

If a business wants to do business, whether a small business, large business, minority business, woman-owned business, wants to do business with the city of Peoria, or the county of Peoria, or Illinois Central College, or Peoria Public Schools.

Let's see, all of our government agencies aren't here.

Oh, yeah, they are.

Okay.

Um other government agencies within Peoria are our partners in this.

So if a business is interested in becoming a contractor, a vendor for a local government agency, uh, they've been our partners in this, including the airport authority, the uh Greater Peoria Sanitary District.

Uh I don't have all the names here, but local government agencies are going to be present.

Uh, they are going to give highlights of the type of business vendors that they're looking for.

It's really an opportunity for even a brand new business that wants to see what types of uh services or products are purchased by government.

Uh Bradley University is another partner, is that will be there along with the women's business development center and the minority business development center, helping people to prepare to do business with the government.

Maybe they don't have a business plan.

Uh there are tools and opportunities for new entrepreneurs as well as existing and long-term entrepreneurs to participate and get some support and development.

Uh the agencies that will be there besides the city of Peoria will be uh members of our bank community, including BUC Bank and Chase Bank, uh, the NAACP and the state black chamber, the Illinois, excuse me, the Peoria Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion, CityLink.

Uh it's going to be a great event.

It starts again at six at five o'clock PM, and then there's uh introduction to what's called the Peoria Buying Plan.

And this buying plan is similar to the Chicago buying plan, but it identifies the City of Peoria opportunities, the airports opportunities, the school districts, ICCs, Peoria Public Schools, uh, the county of Peoria.

So it is a hard copy document, it's an online document, but it identifies and and is able to forecast what opportunities are coming for contractors, uh potential subcontractors to basically do business and and uh become a vendor with the city and and other agencies.

What is the day?

It is this Thursday at 5 o'clock p.m.

Uh five five to six is going to be a welcome introduction of the buying plan and agency spotlights, and then from six to eight is really networking opportunities where people can go from table to table and find out what opportunities are available.

I encourage the council to come out, uh network, um be present, and uh anybody in the community that's interested, we think it's going to be a great event.

We don't know what the weather is going to do.

Uh we do understand that it may rain or or be a thunderstorm, but we're asking everybody to make provisions for that and to come out because it will be a great event.

It's this Thursday.

I'm sorry, I didn't give the date.

It's this Thursday, which is March 26th, 5 o'clock PM, Peoria Civic Center.

That's my shameless plug.

There are six lights on, and I'll start with Councilmember uh Rigambach, new business.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I was unable to attend the open house at the Springdale Mausoleum that they held last late last fall.

So I was able to get a uh visit there in last week and met with General Manager Aaron Compte and he made me aware of a Patriot Plaza project for America 250 that they're working on.

And that will be dedicated on Flag Day June 14th.

I've spoken to the mayor about having him come in and show us the plan for that at a future meeting.

But I just wanted to give everybody a heads up for Flag Day, June 14th, a special presentation dedication as part of America 250.

Um secondly, I've asked Director Powers if he would give us a little bit of an update on the one-way to two-way conversion.

Again, I see many of my colleagues here spend as much time downtown as I do, so I thought that'd be beneficial.

I'm one of those guys that I just drive down the streets through the construction zone to see the progress they're making.

It's really exciting to watch that.

And also, um, it seems like I've had a rash of concerns about sidewalks.

So if you could also hit on the asset management system, um that would be great.

Those two items, please.

Sure.

Thank you, Counselor.

Um, actually, it is a an exciting time.

We're drawing to a close.

This has been a two-year project.

Um, we're working about a block away.

In fact, the millen overlay will start a quick overview.

We started in March 24.

Um, and work began on Adams Street from Hamilton to Walnut.

Then started doing pedestrian accommodation throughout that year.

Again, you wanted a full overview, I take it, because it's been a two-year project.

That's pretty much what I got here.

Pretty much the high points.

Uh, it involved 24 corners that we did on this project over the last two years.

Uh, intersection corner bump outs, improved crosswalks, new traffic signals.

Uh, then we started on Jefferson at from Fayette coming the same direction.

The same types of improvements.

There were 20 corners involved in that with intersection improvements, crosswalks, new traffic signals.

Then we did a mill in overlay in October of 25 on Adams.

And now this March, we've resumed our work on Maine and Jefferson, and hopefully in June, we will be completed and putting down markings.

Again, we are very close to City Hall right now.

Uh, we have some sidewalk work and a couple of vaults here that we're working on some issues in the vicinity.

But with this mill and overlay, hopefully, then developing a uh communication plan with the public on what it's like to convert from one-way to two-way.

It's been 75 years that people have driven on that road one way, so we want to make sure that we get out in front of this to know what they're doing and how they're going to be driving.

We hope this that truly does what we've seen in other cities, which is spur economic development.

It does slow traffic down.

It's uh a little known fact that again, one way, one way streets do what they're supposed to do.

They move traffic, but you don't usually look left or right.

Two-way traffic, you do uh with the lights, and hopefully we see a revitalization of both those corridors.

So that is Adam's one Adams Jefferson one way, two-way.

Then the asset management system.

Uh we are live on with fleet and facilities, which was a relatively easy lift.

It's called OpenGov.

This is a geocentric um solution, meaning it sits over the top of GIS.

The heavy lift has begun now.

Actually, I just to throw in a quick plug.

Fire is actually coming on with fleet to join public works and their fleet for the fleet solution where our fleet managers working with them now to bring them live and along with us.

So again, it is partially live, but there was pretty easy with facilities and fleet because there's not a lot of assets involved there.

The heavy lift just began on the biggest part of this, which is operations engineering, bringing those data points together and those operations together to coalesce data and us to plan.

So throughout the rest of this year, we will be data conversion, workflow mapping, efficiency modeling, all of the things that come with the system of this magnitude, and then bringing that GIS component so that I can bring you what I've been wanting to do for six years, which I think I've told you the comic book picture version of asset management.

Because when you look at GIS, you see a color depiction of streets, assets, conditions, and be able to project that to you in the budget and budget prep so that we can show you a visual of what our streets look like, other than again that one data point of PCI.

This will take in all of the assets.

It's gonna take us a while to do that conversion.

It's gonna take us years after to even build on that.

But the system is capable of doing it, and it will be a visual system, it'll be a public facing system.

There's executive dashboards for the committee that'll be built, but again, that's gonna take place throughout 2026.

We hope to go live October.

I think that's a little ambitious, but that is our that is our goal is to try to go live in October.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Welcome.

Good.

Councilmember Allen.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh, I would like to take an opportunity to do a couple of staff shout outs.

Um, I meant to do this a couple of weeks ago, but our our meeting was canceled.

But I want to shout out Nicole Morrow within our community development department who is a housing coordinator.

Um, I reached out to her on behalf of a constituent who was having some uh challenges, I'll say, uh, with her current housing.

And Nicole just went above and beyond.

And this is a constituent who uh is a little more mature, and she was navigating some some different nuances and just the level of customer service she provided uh to this constituent and her calling me back and just the relief that she had because of what Nicole was able to provide for her.

Uh and so we wouldn't be able to do what we do without amazing staff.

So I just wanted to take the liberty to shak out shout out Nicole and thank you for everything that she does in that space, which we know housing is very challenging for so many.

And so I definitely appreciate her going above and beyond.

And then it's no secret, uh, since I've been elected to this seat, I have been talking about Reservoir Boulevard for many years.

Um, and we are making some strides in the right direction.

Uh, we had a uh community meeting a couple of days ago at uh at Holy Family.

I appreciate the public works staff, everyone from uh Andrea and Mandy and Nick and Paola and Cindy uh being present there, fielding a lot of passionate questions on behalf of constituents who have been very patient and given a lot of grace on the condition of uh reservoir boulevard.

And I get grilled by my own family members that live over there at Family Functions about Reservoir Boulevard, but we have uh a line of sights of funding.

We're still trying to secure additional funding, but I appreciate the work that's being done thus far, and staff just you know staying on it and tolerating uh my politely nudges as we try to get this project across the finish line.

But again, we wouldn't be able to do what we do without our amazing staff.

So I just want to shout out all of those individuals uh for their commitment and making sure that our constituents have the best basic course services they can have.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

That's beautiful.

Uh Councilman Allen.

And I have witnessed Nicole Marl's uh magic on numerous occasions.

She she does exceed expectations and you know, she cares and and she gets the work, gets the job done for people in housing.

So very appropriate.

Yeah.

Councilman Carmona.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, so earlier we approved uh the rezoning of the Galena Road parcel, uh, which is good.

Uh we all supported it.

Um I just wanted to make a quick comment because uh although I think that's great and we want you know business to come in there, uh Morton, Pekin, East Peoria, and Washington all have shovel ready industrial land uh with lower uh property taxes.

And so uh Mr.

Manager, I wanted to see if staff, you and staff could take a look at our surrounding communities, the uh the red tape regulations, the the fees and uh all the applicable like hoops that businesses have to jump through in cities like that and see how best we can compete with them.

Um I think that this is gonna be crucial to um obviously bring Director Craddy in from finance to make sure that we're not uh going too hard because obviously I know that this does mean revenue uh for us as well.

But I do think it's really important that we start to think about how we become a more competitive city um for prospective businesses uh that are coming in, and also um, you know, local entrepreneurs and residents that might be thinking about uh doing business here in the city of Peoria.

Sure.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Gordon Young.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I have two items.

Um, they're sort of related.

The first is it is uh social work month.

So I wanted to acknowledge my cousins, the social workers.

We often say that the counselors, licensed counselors, and the social workers are cousins, right?

We do a lot of very similar work.

Um, director Jalil of the uh social services unit had an amazing event today, and I attended that event and it it was um a conversation about Allen's house.

And Allen's house is a shelter for the youth that they have built in Quad Cities.

They took an old YWCA building that was donated to them, and they transitioned it, and it just spoke to what's possible, right?

Um, and and and how when the opportunity is there, if we take advantage of it, we can really do some great things.

Speaking of opportunity, um, I'll give the chief a shout out as well, because if it were not for him attending the next thing that I'm gonna talk about, um, and seeing the vision of that location, which is where the social services unit is, there's also that community center, which is where we were at, right?

So they took that community space, and now people can come there and have meetings and do just a bunch of different things to network and really take advantage of the opportunities that we have in that space.

So uh Latrina Leary, Supervisor Larry is not here as well, but I wanted to commend her for um just really opening up those doors to the community.

It's a beautiful space, they've done great work.

Um, and that takes me to the second thing.

So I would like to use the privilege of the floor to uh let everybody know in the listening audience that this is our it takes the village eighth year for our annual prom dress giveaway.

Very, very proud of that.

Um we have some amazing inventory, lots of beautiful dresses and gowns for all the high school juniors and seniors.

We get people that come from far away as Chicago, but they come.

Um it is this Saturday, March 28th, and it's at the community, the Township Relief Office Community Center.

Um Theatre is 427 West Main Street.

There is no registration required, everything is free.

I get people calling me all the time.

Are you sure?

Yes, I'm sure.

We don't have a cash register, we make it look like a department store, but it is free.

Um again, no registration required this uh Saturday, March 28th, noon to 4 p.m.

427 West Main Street.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

You're very welcome.

Councilmember Kelly.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Uh a few meetings ago, um, I we were talking about our assessed value, etc.

And I uh uh threw out there that uh I felt that our assessed value has been dropping for a long time.

The uh city manager was asked to prepare a report on that, uh, which he has done.

And so uh Mr.

Manager, uh I'll leave it to you and then I'll come back.

Um so um Councilman Kelly had asked us to look at assessed value and the assessed value within our TIFF districts.

This is when we were approving a couple of the TIFF districts uh a little while back.

Um we looked at the city's EAV from 2015 to 2024.

Um it grew from 2.3 billion dollars in 2023 to just under 2.4 billion dollars in 2024, so or from 2015 to 2024.

The TIFF, so that was a growth rate of about 18 percent inside our TIFF districts.

The assessed value is went from 166.6 million to 199.4 million, which was a 20 percent increase.

Now, during that time, we saw that we closed three TIFFs and we created four new TIFS.

We then took it with constant 2015 dollars.

So if we looked at it and said, okay, let's keep those dollars the same, the purchasing power you have in 2015 versus what you have in 2024.

So over that period of time, um the assessed value uh citywide dropped by 12 percent if we're looking at constant dollars, and so that's just taking out the effects of inflation.

And inside the TIFFs, it dropped by 10 percent.

So looking at that, um, and and this was in the conversation about the importance of TIFFs.

We're seeing that TIFFs are outperforming the city, whether it's in real or in constant dollar performance uh when it comes to um what we're trying to do, which is uh the effort is to try and grow the assessed value inside those TIFF districts.

Uh thank you.

Um so the uh actually I didn't um request make the request, although I don't mind it.

I didn't make the request about TIFFs, just about the city.

Um after you count inflation in the last 10 years, our city, our city's assessed value has shrunken.

I take no pleasure in that.

But I prepared a graph, the same kind of graph.

Uh, and we had lost in real terms about five percent in that 10-year period.

So from 2007 until 2025, okay, which is uh almost 20 years, we have been consistently shedding assessed value.

Certainly there are things that have been built, but the depreciation in the city has overcome that.

This is one of the things I think certainly one of the things that is sort of a scorecard uh for me on on how we're doing.

Uh we're doing wonderful things, uh no question about it.

However, there's still a steady decline.

Um not huge but continuous, and it and it just keeps going.

Um so in the case of the TIFS.

You know, in the last 10 years we've gone down 12 percent.

The TIFFs have only gone down 10 percent.

The things that we are doing are very well intentioned.

Absolutely.

I take no they've all been well intentioned, but they're not working as we hoped they would work.

I'm not saying to stop anything, but I think we need to look at some other alternatives, either that exist or that we can push for.

And Madam Mayor, I would I would like to meet with you on this.

I would like to you and I to go over some of these things that we can do and some of the thing things that hopefully we might be able to do uh with uh uh I'm always willing to meet with you.

All right, thank you.

Welcome.

Um I don't like to be the bearer of bad news, but we need to understand where we are, and we need to understand that we have to step out of the box a bit.

This is a great city, it has great people in it.

There's nothing wrong with our people, they're most capable.

We have a system that is not performing as I'm sure we we would like it to perform.

So uh thank you, madam mayor.

We'll we'll meet and we'll we'll talk it out.

Okay.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Jackson.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Well, I couldn't agree more with uh council member Kelly.

Uh Peoria is a great city, and uh as elected officials, I see it as our job to help make it even better.

Uh with that in mind, um, I I want to talk about uh an issue I have uh been observing for probably three years or longer.

Uh and before I start, I I've got some prepared statements because I could go for two hours on this issue, and I don't want to belabor the council, but uh before I start, I do want to say um this is no reflection on the police department uh chief, because uh for the past three years or so I have been working with uh his officers in talking with them about trying to find potential solutions, okay.

Um public safety, uh mayor, as you know, is uh one of the pillars in the strategic plan.

And personally, I think every resident in Peoria is entitled to live in a clean, safe environment, devoid of chronic code violations.

And uh quite honestly, um a couple weeks ago, this really kind of hit home with me uh in the sense that I I feel like public safety is being compromised.

Um let me preference again my comments by saying I believe we have some good landlords in and around Peoria, but I have noticed uh one area to be problematic, and for some reason it it relates to an out-of state uh property management owner.

Recently, several women living in the Schlarman House approached me and they told me they have begun putting barricades up in front of their apartment doors at night due to the criminal activity going on inside the building fights in and outside.

Uh they say there has been as many as five different people, trespassers who are sleeping inside the building overnight.

And mayor, I've witnessed witnessed this next problem myself.

Uh up in, and I don't know if it's been fixed even today.

The security lock on the front door has been broken for more than a month, and there has literally been free access 24 hours, seven days a week, despite the fact that you're supposed to have a code to get inside.

Uh when I met with the city uh a couple months ago, I think it was last month about this ongoing problem.

I was told that if residents don't like the conditions, they should move.

Now, some of these folks, unfortunately, fortunately, have lived there for 20 to 25 years, and they tell me they moved there.

Uh, when they moved there, it was safe, clean, quiet, and secure.

And I've witnessed that uh myself.

I thought public safety was a basic right for residents throughout Peoria, including seniors and disabled, many of whom are on retired or fixed income.

Everyone doesn't have the luxury of just picking up and moving.

There's no full-time staff in the building.

Uh some of the problems and violations have reached what I consider a dangerous level.

A former staff employee was insulted uh in February.

Peoria police officer wrestled with a man on the stairwell who had a gun.

Uh residents tell me they don't come out of their apartments too much because of the drug sales, harassment, and other criminal activity going on.

Now, this problem is not just relegated to the Schlarman House.

We have other facilities in and around uh Peoria that have become chronic chronic nuisances.

Now, uh I was fortunate last summer to meet with uh the out of state owners of Greenwood Estates, thanks to Alex uh Sierra, uh Peori Park trustee, about similar concerns, and believe it or not, um recently found out they took some of the advice I shared with them and have done some things to rectify these problems.

That said to me it can be done.

Um I believe the city should be proactive instead of allowing residents to be subjected to dangerous scenarios that threaten public safety, and people should not feel like they are hostage hostages inside their home.

Um I was told in my recent meeting with the city manager and legal staff and the police that we don't have any um uh code relegating uh rental property owners.

Um this is very concerning to me because we've got some wonderful institutions in that neighborhood, wonderful institutions, and I personally would like to see a policy session uh to discuss this matter uh mayor before things get to a situation where um they're out of control.

I guess first I need to hear from uh city manager or corporation council in terms of this is a private property privately owned property.

And um is it considered a nuisance property and uh what does it take to become a nuisance property where the city actually has some responsibility for intervention in the broadest terms, Mayor?

Our um requirement is for three uh violations within 180 day period.

Umis ordinance was modified through a settlement agreement and uh severely changed some of the parameters we used.

So that as an enforcement tool, it's not as robusted as as it had been before that um the settlement agreement was entered into.

Um for a five-year period of time, we were under that agreement, which lapsed last late last year.

There have been a number of bills in the State House that would affect this arena.

So we have not brought a proposal to modify or strengthen that ordinance before the council.

But that was part of the discussion that we have with Councilwoman Jackson is that we don't have at that property the underlying predicate violations that meet the definitions of our nuisance ordinance.

If our nuisance ordinance was a stronger tool for enforcement, we might be able to utilize more of the violations over a longer period of time to equate to a chronic nuisance and take action.

But right now the property doesn't qualify.

But our staff was very aggressive with the building representation, and they brought, after I think six hours, they finally got the right kind of remedy in place and remedied that situation at least to where it was code compliant after that intercession.

I would tell you that without the staff's intervention, and by the way, without councilwoman's jack Jackson's intervention, those remedies wouldn't have occurred on the pace that they did.

But that's an example of what's required for us to be able to deal with these situations is to get the complaints of the violations, so our staff can get on site and find the problems.

We have been frustrated with this property owner.

We met with this property owner, and I think you were present, Mayor, uh a year and a half ago.

Right.

Um they were not interested in making the types of investment in the building that I think we had asked for, including security on site and things like that.

There are other buildings with similar clientele in town, you know, the similar sort of demographic that live there that do have on-site security, and those don't face as many problems as the folks at Schlarman House do.

So this private ownership group is not willing to make those additional investments in this property.

Um, and we are at a loss to figure out a way to make them do more on their property because we don't have the qualifying violations under our chronic nuisance ordinance.

And certainly I would say that if we had a policy session on this, we'd be happy to describe how we might move our ordinance more towards an enforcement tool.

I would just caution the council that it appears to me that the state legislature is poised to take action in this arena in a way that would eviscerate municipalities' authority in this arena.

That bill has been present in the state house for a number of years and gains momentum every year.

And with the other elements that are going on in the State House relating to the build program, um, there's sort of an all-out assault on local authority, and this is an area that might be further impaired by state action.

In the meantime, we can develop ways to modify our own ordinance and start seeking, you know, outcomes, you know, that are that are more towards the enforcement side, if that's the council's direction with that caution about, you know, at some point I am fairly confident the state's gonna limit those authorities as well.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Okay, thank you very much.

You know, I I don't know that we need a separate day, Councilwoman Jackson, for to discuss policy or or strengthening our ordinance, but it could be something that we add, the discussion could be added to an existing council meeting, so we don't have to have a separate meeting to um to add this to an agenda.

But I don't know what our next two meetings look like now, Mr.

Manager, in terms of how heavy the agendas are.

Well, well, I I think I'd want to probably I'm looking at the clerk.

I think we'd probably want to shy away from the 14th uh because we have the town meeting that night.

Oh, definitely not that day.

So I think that that uh out of respect for the township and and the folks that'll be here for those discussions, maybe looking at the second meeting in April if we could and we could have that conversation.

And then we might know a little bit more about where the General Assembly is with these efforts to remove crime-free housing ordinances from our control.

So yeah, I don't know that that's our answer in terms of that legislation or where when or where it's going to happen and whether we even want it to happen.

But uh councilwoman Jackson, what outcomes are you hoping for?

Well, as I said, uh Madam Mayor, um, and the city can should be able to vouch for this.

They were having serious problems with Greenwood Estates.

Uh formerly Village Green.

Oh.

Uh the owners are out of Nebraska.

They were in town last year.

And with the help of uh park board trustee Alex uh Sierra, I met with them.

And I and they expressed interest in wanting to continue to do business here in the city of Peoria.

They went so far as to say to me they wanted to build another facility.

And I said, sir, uh, and I shared with him some of what I have been privy to observe with this place.

And I said, and I I welcome new housing development, welcome it, but if you want to do your due diligence as a property management owner and to the residents, you need to have full-time staff, plan of operations that once existed at the Schlarman House, a full-time manager was there, uh full-time maintenance person was there, full-time security was there.

And mind you, Robert Cottingham property management, which owns manages uh Ben Abreath, Southside Manor, Leisure Acres, all these other facilities around Peoria has the very same plan of operations in place that Schlarman House used to have, that I have referred to, that Greenwood Estates is now implemented, and they don't see half the magnitude of the problems that have erupted down there because they see the value, at least this is what they've shared with me.

They see the value in protecting their residents.

Uh and so when I first brought this to the city manager's attention, he said, well, if it's good enough for them, why not?

Why wouldn't it be good for everybody else who's doing the same business in the city?

So I I you know it doesn't sound like uh a difficult problem to fix if these other companies are doing it and are finding success, and the police chief will vouch for me.

They don't get the police calls to these other places that they get to that facility and and in one of their other places.

And the officer have told me they're frustrated.

They go down there and they tell them, tell your manager, well, there's no full-time manager on duty.

The full-time manager is told she's got to work at another place too.

And so there when there was this daily plan of operations with a full-time manager, there was a procedure for complaints regarding code enforcement.

You take your complaint to the full-time general manager, and she would process it, problem solved.

There, that is totally broken down, non-existent, because residents tell me, well, she might come in for an hour.

Or we don't, we we saw her and she left.

Or we told her about this, and she said, I'll write an incident report.

And so they don't feel like they have any recourse.

So when I'm over there, I don't go looking for this stuff, visiting a relative.

Folks are coming to me, and I could show you pictures of some of the stuff I don't run across.

Just going in there to see somebody.

Unbelievable.

It's not public.

I mean, I understand your concerns, I really do, but I don't think that we can make a entity hire.

I'm not saying you're a full-time manager.

What I'm saying is that this is what they used to have.

Yeah, I wish they had a tenant and residents.

This is what they used to have, Madam Mayor.

I understand.

That full-time manager.

So they put all this money in redeveloping the re rehapping the place.

Right.

And then they buy other properties in Peoria.

And then they say, Oh, we don't have the money anymore.

They want to nickel and dime their the way they do business and pull back staff.

So that's what you get.

Yeah.

I want to make sure, one, that we limit the policy session to a certain time period, and that we come with some productivity, and that means maybe doing some research in advance to figure out what are what our options are.

And that means maybe doing some research in advance to figure out what are what our options are.

I mean, what are the options?

There's we have certain limitations.

And if if this is going on and if it's really bad, how do we how do we intervene?

How do we turn it into a nuisance situation?

Well, Madam Mayor, I think I think one of the things that we have to do is we have to we have to work with HUD.

These are properties that are subsidized public housing property or subsidized housing properties.

And I think that's one approach that we have to take.

Okay.

And as I mentioned, I did have an opportunity to meet with uh the owners of Greenwood estates in addition to their attorney.

And when I recently saw the new manager they hired uh to work there, she said they they listen to you.

We've got we've got security that comes in at eight o'clock.

We've got uh we've got full-time guy doing this, and we've got and she's full time.

So they saw it as important enough to make those changes in the interest of you know doing business with the city of Peoria.

I mean, and that was just a simple meeting I had with them.

Are one more question and we can uh move on?

But are the residents calling community development?

Are the residents calling HUD?

Are the residents are the residents involved in the complaints?

Well, they outside of outside of your you're talking about the residents of Slarman House, yes.

They had that HUD number.

You call and you get a recording.

There's there's no um they told me there was no feedback at all.

And you know, with what's going on at the federal government, cuts here, cuts there.

Are they calling commit are they calling community development?

Well, I brought some of them down here to meet, set in a meeting with uh uh the city manager and and some of the staff.

So they've had an opportunity to share personally what they're dealing with with the city staff.

Okay.

I was just concerned about the safety issue and the lack of uh locks and the secure the video surveillance the system not working the way it should, and people just having free access in and uh and you've got seniors, you've got people in wheelchairs, you know.

I mean, uh folks don't always feel like uh mayor, they'll call and they get frustrated.

They had a system that worked, the system's broken.

Okay, we'll figure out how to structure that discussion, madam clerk, we are at citizens opportunity to address the city council.

I have seven cards.

The first is Brandon Heron Brandon Heron.

No.

Next is Gregory Barta.

Oh city council members and staff and support staff.

Um I was here a couple well, the last meeting meeting was canceled due to possible severe weather, but at the previous meeting, I spoke about Expo Gardens, uh 200 home subdivision, and I talked about incorporating solar energy, clean energy at that site into those homes.

Um I have since learned that the cleanest source of energy to heat and cool your home is geothermal.

Ground geothermal.

My neighbor has ground geothermal.

Now they do have a backup system when the weather might get to be 20 below, and you want to keep your house.

So why is geothermal the greenest technology?

And it is.

The government says it is, and I don't think there's any disputes about heating and cooling your home with geothermal, that it's the most efficient.

Um that energy taps into the renewable temperature of the earth, which stays a constant temperature.

The um lifespan, the underground ground loops in the wells that are put in, they can last 50 to 100 years.

And it they say that a payback system on a geothermal system can be um five to 15 years through energy savings, depending on the individual home.

Um I talked with um over in Goodfield.

There's uh I talked with Joe Barth at TCI Companies in Goodfield, who's a local leader in geo therm geothermal well drilling.

He said a community geothermal system at Expo Gardens is very doable.

And he said he can have an engineer come out and speak to the whole council or individual staff and council members about how a community geothermal for Peoria's I'm calling the Expo Gardens Peoria's green neighborhood at Expo Gardens.

I and that's my vision that project development would become a green neighborhood for Peoria.

That people who want to move somewhere that isn't based on fossil fuels, they can buy a home there and have one of the lowest uh utility rates in in the city by using um possibly having solar on the roof and geothermal, a community geothermal system, and a community geothermal system can cut the cost of a geothermal by 40 percent because it does have a higher upfront cost as a um source of uh heating and cooling your home.

Um I would like to say that I would love the city to put on hold sending out requests to developers until the issue of this Peoria's green neighborhood uses using you know investigating green uh community geothermal.

I I went online and there's all kinds of funding.

Illinois, EPA and Illinois, they have a hundred thousand to two hundred and fifty thousand grants, so a community could uh design and develop a plan to use geothermal.

Um there's all kinds of organizations, foundations that want to move us from fossil fuels, which is contributing to climate change, which is hurting all of us in our planet to clean energy.

Um so I think it would behoove the city to investigate this and see what possibilities are and when a request for developers to include possible geo uh community geothermal and solar and all have all the houses face to the south, have a roof to the south, so they it would be easy to put up uh solar units.

So thank you, Mr.

Barda.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for your time.

You're welcome.

Oh, I did send an email to everyone here about the benefits of geothermal in the funding sources to develop a we got it.

Thank you, sir.

Joyce Blumenschein.

Madam Mayor and Council members, good evening, Joyce Blumenshine.

I'm here as a board member of Friends of Riverfront Park.

We are still concerned as a group for public green space and open space and public access along the Illinois Riverfront.

And I believe you all have a handout, it has a collage of photos on the front.

Hope you could refer to that for just a few moments here.

Thank you, Mayor.

While we take a bit of a historical tour, I want to give credit to the Duttweiler Neighborhood Association, Doweller Marina Neighborhood Association that put that collage together and some information.

But on the upper right hand is a monument, and there's a little bit of a close-up.

That is a monument.

Don't know if you all seen it, it's been there a long time, to the historic village of Peori, the first village.

It's been there a long time to the historic village of Peoria, the first village.

And some of you may remember Mayor Randsburg and the 1691 project that the city and state and other entities put together to commemorate the historic French first European settlers that came and started a city, the first village occupied in Illinois anywhere by the French.

And so that monument is to that to that village.

And coincidentally also below that, to the left, there's a brown kind of a holder, and the Peoria Historical Society has a tablet to commemorate Marquette and Joliet who came to Peoria.

And you have a famous painting on your uh land um stair landing here to commemorate that in an artist version, because that was when the first um Europeans came to make contact with the many, many tribes that use this area for Pimatouille Fat Lake for fish and food, and also had in one account 60 um Logan's houses, their um locations and encampments on the Peoria Riverfront.

And then to the left of that, there's a rock.

That rock is according to the 1947 will of Thomas H.

Detweiler, who inherited riverfront property from his father, the famous riverboat captain.

And so that just um commemorates that that was where the original ice house was for the Detweilers, that they made a lot of money when the ice on the river froze.

So this area was given to a trust to put in the security of the trust, they own it in 1947 by the Detweiler will, and that is the um uh Detweiler Playground Trust.

So we are concerned about this because now if you look in the upper left corner, there's an insert of a map.

And the trust plans to sell property.

The only that would be left for the public is the yellow space with one of the north, the north breakwater arm to the river.

About two-thirds of the property will be sold.

That includes everywhere those locations are now.

And you can see um the Detweiler old marina building in the Historical Society Memorial.

Maybe those locations are somewhat estimate, but this is historic legacy land for our city, for our true history, for our prominence in the role we play in Peoria, and out of respect for those generations upon generations of Native Americans.

So, in wrapping up, I just want to refer to the back page.

There's a regular Google map that on it says historic Peoria settlement.

And a lot of people haven't thought about that, but we hope that this land will be recognized for the importance of Peoria.

It is certainly the trust owns the property.

The trustees can decide, but we think that their claim of emergency finances that they will be out of money in a few years when they have three thousand three hundred thousand dollars cash in the bank and other uh stock and options could at least let the public have a discourse about this, to have city leaders talk about this and maybe some brainstorming fundraising or volunteer help could help them with their current predicament.

Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

Trisha can you also give me your last name too, Tricia, please?

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh good evening, Madam Mayor and City Council.

This is Trisha Leffler.

Uh, forgive me if I stutter.

It's my first time speaking at City Council ever.

Um, I'm adding on to what Joyce has said about the Detweiler Playground and Marina.

I did a little bit of research and found that the Detweiler Playground Trust, which is in charge of that land currently, has one of the trustees on its board, is a uh Mr.

O'Brien, who is also the executive vice president at O'Brien Steel, which is right behind the park.

And uh, I don't know what I can say without accidentally committing libel, but it seems to me that he's selling the land to himself a little bit.

And I can't remember what else I was going to say, forgive me.

Um, so it would be great if we could stop the sale or do any kind of uh pushback on it.

The park that we're talking about is located at Adams and Caroline, right near the O'Brien Steele building.

It's uh where the Detweiler Marina is.

But what concerns me is that I think Joyce may have mentioned this.

The land was I'm quoting a uh tablet that I saw there.

A gift to the people of Peoria from Thomas H.

Detweiler in 1947.

So it's land that the trust controls, which is meant to be for public good, but somehow the trust decided that the public good is to sell it for, I don't know, I'm assuming a cheap amount to O'Brien Steel.

And that bothers me because it's quite a nice park.

I went down there and took photos.

There's a lot of picnic tables and geese, and it's one of the only places you can get to the river.

Uh that's all I have for right now.

I will take a photo of this because I people are going to want to know how to address the city council.

I've never done it before.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Star.

And if you could give us your last name, Star.

Hello, City Council.

Um, this is also my first time speaking at a city council meeting.

Um Star and Yol.

Um, anyways, I would just like to read out some facts about the that while our playground nonprofit.

Um, just uh from Pro Publica.

Um their revenue as uh filed in their 2024 uh fiscal year taxes was uh 20 uh.9K, their expenses were um 26.9K, so that's about a loss of uh $9,000.

However, there the argument that you know it's an emergency situation and they have to sell it off really fast doesn't really make sense considering that they have uh 380k in assets and uh zero dollars in liabilities.

Um yeah, so again, with the whole reasoning of essentially keeping this almost secret from the public and not really sort of ramming it through the courts almost with the whole speed at which uh this deal was uh done.

Um and again, as uh Trisha mentioned, the whole funny coincidence of O'Brien being on both the board of the nonprofit and also you know being vice president of the company that it is going to be sold to.

Well, I think you know, you can all draw your conclusions from that.

Um, but yeah, again, like, you know, you know, they have 380,000 in assets, and like, you know, divide that.

Sorry, on my calculator.

Um you know, dividing that by uh, let me see, who is it cost in yeah, by yeah, that's like you would have like, you know, assuming that your expenses were the same as it was in uh the fiscal year of 2024, they would have many decades to figure out what to do, what you know what to do to do with the land.

So it's not really an emergency situation in my opinion.

Um, and doesn't really justify again the weird secrecy that they've undertaken uh this deal with.

So that's the main point I wanted to make today.

Thank you.

And last we have AJ.

And if AJ, you can provide us your last name, please.

Hello, Miss Man, members of the council.

My name is AJ.

I live over in Peoria Heights.

I'm expecting deep concern with the current park purchase as it is, not just for the reasons that other speakers have addressed.

When it comes to low-income families, especially in a country right now that's still in a high levels of inflation, weight stagnation, and income inequality, when you have limited funds, no funds, or entirely destitute, they have very few third places that are available to you that you're able to exist at without the expectation of spending money.

These includes Fainsaw's libraries, the local church, and of course, public parks.

And what I'm feeling I'm seeing is that we're sacrificing a communal space, one that also doubles as a local queen space to satisfy corporate interest and buyout.

When as previous speakers note that the financial situation seems to be completely okay.

And even if it wasn't, the point of a public service is not to make a profit, it's to serve the public because without that service or the loss of that service, there's mutual suffering across the societal board.

Again, this is a communal area, a public area that mutually benefits everyone, and they're gonna and we're selling it to a corporation for us not even affordable housing or energy infrastructure or more roads, but storage facilities that are privately owned.

I'm highly skeptical of this decision, and I feel like it will definitely have a disproportionate negative impact on low-income families, minority families, unhoused, uh, the destitute, what have you, since again, public parts are something that the most vulnerable among us rely on for our community space, uh, a space for entertainment, space families can go, a space that often has and often utilized by other community organizations and nonprofits as event space.

Be able to step in on this.

Thank you.

You're welcome that concludes our public comment, Madam Clerk.

So we are at executive session.

Okay.

I would like to invite a motion to adjourn and to convene in closed session immediately following adjournment of the city council meeting pursuant to the open meetings act.

Madam Mayor.

Sorry, did I miss someone?

I believe there may be a card missing or perhaps it's up to another one.

Is it Julie?

Yes.

Yep, I saw that name.

Sorry.

I'm very sorry.

Kind of got stuck together here.

Julie Dodge.

Thank you.

Sorry.

Yes.

Thank you.

Um, Mayor, Council members, and um staff.

Um I'm I'm Julie Dodge.

I'm a lifelong native of Peoria, Illinois.

I'm also here to talk about the um Detweiler playground and marine property and how it in how it impacts me as a citizen.

I'm a I'm a photographer, an environmentalist, a naturalist, a kayaker, a lover of nature, the great outdoors, and the Illinois River.

And as a as a photography, as a photographer, I created a series of over 20 images that titled The Illinois Riverscapes, and I highlighted the bridges along the river that bridge our communities together.

I photographed city skylines from both sides of the river, every bridge I guess access, and I discovered pockets of nature along the way.

The Illinois River, it's part of my lifeblood, and it is the lifeblood of this community.

And Mayor Ali, um, I'm sure you're familiar with my work because I had three of my images in your office over this past year.

And what I discovered on this journey, it was access.

I discovered which communities prize the Illinois River and offer places for the public to access this resource that belongs to all of us, but is accessible by few due to businesses and industry dominating the riverfront.

I commend the city of Peoria for offering the beautiful views of the river on the downtown riverfront and on the riverfront multi-use trail where people can enjoy the river for miles.

We're lucky to have such beautiful views of and recreational opportunities in the Peoria area.

The Detweiler Marina and Play Playground, the reason that I'm here tonight, it's an extension of the riverfront trail.

And it offers trail users outstanding views of the river in a natural setting.

That is the key in a natural setting.

It's a place to meet, a place to rest, and a place to enjoy the wildlife.

From local neighbors to neighbors across the river to travelers that come to visit the river city.

When I had an accident and I injured my leg, the Detweiler Playground and Marina, it was a blessing to me.

It gave me independence because I could drive to the river.

I could feed the ducks and explore along the shore.

And when I healed, I could walk the trail.

And eventually I made it to the far peninsula.

It forms the breaker wall between the river and the harbor.

I could also finally get my kayak back out, and this park is the only park, public park that offers access to launch a small craft.

Over the years, I saw park upkeep go downhill.

I heard of residents being confronted by a man who claimed they were trespassing and they were chased off.

I heard of people no longer being able to drive in the park because the parking lot was blocked by stacked logs and debris.

Someone was clearly sending a message.

And as a citizen, it was confusing to me.

His sole purpose and intent for donating the land in perpetuity.

Today the citizens of Peoria are facing an existential threat to the loss of park space, once again by industry, orchestrated by the very people who are charged with safeguarding the trust and the debt oilers' wishes.

The remnant that the trustees have left for the public is nothing more.

It's been reduced to one third of the size of the original property, and it is nothing more than a manicured lawn, an open space isolated to the furthest corner of the park with nothing on it, not even a shade tree.

All of the infrastructure and playground equipment and trees that have been donated by service organizations over the years will be bulldozed and replaced with views of a paved parking lot with eye beams and sounds of clanking steel.

That's what our park has been reduced to, the very thing that Detweiler warned us of.

Thank you, Julie.

So I just urge you to look into this proposed space and its original intent.

You're welcome.

To discuss the appointment, employment, compensation or performance of specific employees and pursuant to the Open Meetings Act 5ILCS 122C21 for approval by the body of closed session minutes.

Move by Councilmember Euler, seconded by Council Member Riggenbach.

Please cash your ballots.