Category Archives: City of Peoria

City of Peoria

Rumors abound in Peoria

19 Comments

Lots of interesting rumors flying around these days:

  • The Word on the Street column reported yesterday that the rumor is that former mayor Dave Ransburg is trying to buy the Journal Star. When asked if there was “a nugget of truth in all the speculation,” Ransburg replied, “I have no idea,” which means “yes, I’m definitely trying to buy the Journal Star” in Ransburgese. I just hope he doesn’t outsource it to China.
  • Several people have told me that the worst-kept secret at District 150 headquarters is that Superintendent Ken Hinton is planning to retire (again) in February 2007. Speculation is that Herschel Hannah would be the next Superintendent. If that’s true, and as long as they don’t fill the Associate Superintendent vacancy left by Hannah, then I say that’s a good thing. In fact, why wait until February?
  • The aforementioned Word on the Street column also said that City Manager Randy Oliver wants Public Works Director Steve Van Winkle fired for leaving town during the big snowstorm and approving a ridiculous amount of overtime pay for a salaried employee. That seems like a bit of an overreaction at first blush, and it appears the council feels the same way. According to the paper, “a majority of the council seems to be more open to allowing Van Winkle to retire — something he was, we hear, likely to do this year anyway.”

I heard one other rumor (tongue-in-cheek here): that Ray LaHood was planning to run for an at-large seat on the City Council. Seems he’s more interested in local politics than national issues these days….

City of Peoria, Peoria Park District, Peoria Public Schools

Open Thread on Park Board’s D150 denial

18 Comments

Well, I was off by one vote. I predicted that the Park Board would agree to pursue an intergovernmental agreement by a vote of 4-3.

Instead, the Park Board rejected the school’s plan to share park land on the corner of Glen Oak Park for a new East Bluff school building by a vote of 4-3.

I wasn’t able to attend the meeting, so I don’t have any details. If you know any details, please be sure to add them in the comments section below! I’ll add more as they become available.

UPDATE (10:09 p.m.): A friend of mine just wrote and shared these details:

The vote was 4 to 3 with Roger Allen, Tim Cassidy, Stan Budzinski and Jim Cummings voting “yes” to the motion which read” …reject the School Board’s proposal”. Board members Petty, Johnson and Ryan voted “no” So a yes was a no and a no was a yes- Typically confusing, but regardless this is a start in the right direction. […]

It was a packed meeting- standing room only- most of us had to stand in the hall. It was very respectful and orderly. […]

Cassidy was more general in his comments and while he complimented Ken Hinton for doing a wonderful job as Superintendent he said the Peoria Park Board’s responsibility is to protect park property and therefore he had to stick with his ultimate responsibility and vote to preserve the park.

Update (12/21): Here’s the story from a few news outlets:

  • WEEK-TV Channel 25 (best line: “District 1-50 will now have to meet to decide what is next. At this point, officials say they do not have a plan”)
  • WMBD-AM 1470
  • WMBD-TV Channel 31 (best line: “The majority of the trustees say they were elected to protect the park land, not give it away”)
  • Journal Star reporter Clare Jellick has her full story online now (most interesting quote: “District 150 Superintendent Ken Hinton said the vote means ‘another part of the community is going to get the school.’ He said Glen Oak Primary School will not close, and he isn’t interested in using the primary school site for a new school”)
  • WCBU-FM 89.9 reporter Tanya Koonce has her report online, too. (5 minute .mp3 file)

Also, WMBD-TV had this reaction from Superintendent Ken Hinton:

Newschannel 31 talked to District 150 Superintedent Ken Hinton Wednesday night who said he’s disappointed the park district didn’t allow the use of the land, but he’s not discouraged because he says the district has other option[s]. Hinton said he plans on talking to the school board Thursday.

I wonder (along with Billy Dennis, Bob Manning, and others), where is Mr. Hinton’s concern for the children now? It sounds like he’s saying, since he didn’t get his way, he’s going to recommend not building a new school in the East Bluff at all, but “another part of the community.” Is exacting your revenge against the East Bluff what’s best for the children, Mr. Hinton?

City Council, City of Peoria, Elections

The Thetford Files: Fire Station 11

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In the months leading up to the at-large City Council election, I’ll be occasionally pulling out some pertinent data on Gale Thetford and posting it under the headline “The Thetford Files.” George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” and if there’s one part of the past it would be a real shame to repeat, it’s the election of Gale Thetford to the City Council.

So, without any further ado, here’s a quote from the Nov. 22, 2003, City Council minutes:

Council Member Thetford repeated her motion not to hire 11 firefighters this year and not to close Fire Station #11, or any other station, not to fund with overtime, and challenge the Fire Department to decide whether a jump crew would be utilized or putting equipment out of service.

Recovering from a fire can be really difficult, however, we recommend you to look for fire damage repair services to pick up all the damages that this incident have left.

Council Member Ardis questioned Council Member Thetford regarding her motion. He said the recommendation was directly contrary to that of a 20-plus year professional firefighter and head of the City’s Fire Department.

[…]

Motion to not hire 11 firefighters this year, but not to close Fire Station #11, or any other station, not to fund with overtime, and challenge the Fire Department to decide whether a jump crew could be utilized or to put a piece of equipment out of service was approved by roll call vote.

Yeas: Gulley, Morris, Teplitz, Thetford, Turner, Mayor Ransburg – 6;
Nays: Ardis, Grayeb, Nichting, Sandberg, Spears – 5.

Just a reminder, of the six who voted for this motion, three were defeated in the very next election: Ransburg (replaced by Ardis), Teplitz (replaced by Van Auken), and Thetford (replaced by Manning). Of the five nays, all are still currently serving on the council.

City of Peoria, Elections

Let the City Council race begin

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Intrepid WMBD-AM 1470 reporter Dave Dahl was at the Election Commission this morning interviewing candidates who were filing petitions to run for the five at-large City Council seats in April. Today was the first day potential candidates could file. And the first ones to file were:

  • Dan Irving
  • George Jacob (by proxy)
  • Patti Polk
  • Chuck Schierer
  • Ryan Spain
  • Gale Thetford

Yes, that’s right — Gale Thetford wants to run for an at-large seat. No doubt she wants to do to all of Peoria what she did to the 3rd District. Let’s see, she was a big supporter of MidTown Plaza, eminent domain takeovers of little old ladies’ houses on Dechman, and the TIF created to make it all possible. And she supported the regressive $6/mo. garbage “fee” with which the city is still saddled. Oh, yeah, she’ll do great in an at-large race at a time when essential services are foremost in citizens’ minds (thanks to the snow-plowing fiasco).

I’ve said this before, but I just love saying it — I had the pleasure of voting against Gale Thetford in the last council election before I moved to the West Bluff. Now, thanks to this at-large bid, I’ll have the pleasure of voting against her again.

City of Peoria, Peoria Police

Wanted: Fine, upstanding witnesses to murder

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There’s an article in today’s paper about Police Chief Settingsgaard’s press conference yesterday regarding unsolved murders. I’d like to comment on two pieces of info that seem a bit contradictory to me (emphases mine):

Despite new technologies that help collect evidence, officers still often rely more on witnesses to solve cases. Settingsgaard said fear and apathy may be to blame for the lack of information coming from the public….

And while police have made arrests in some cases, those people are not always prosecuted by the State’s Attorney’s Office. “Their burden of proof goes beyond what we need to make an arrest,” Settingsgaard said. Those that do come forward as witnesses, “their character may make them unbelievable (in court),” he said.

So, if I read this right, the police need witnesses, and in several cases the police have witnesses, but the states attorney says the character of the witnesses “make them unbelievable” in court, so they don’t prosecute. And then everyone’s surprised by the apathy of other potential witnesses.

Evidently the states attorney is looking for fine, upstanding citizens — maybe a banker or a Cat exec, you know, someone with a lot of integrity — who just happens to have been on the south side in the middle of a drug deal and has witnessed a murder.

Call me cynical, but I don’t foresee any big breakthroughs on the unsolved murders.

City of Peoria, Elections

Who’s running for Peoria City Council?

10 Comments

Well, we know Gary Sandberg is, as is George Jacob and Eric Turner. And we know Chuck Grayeb and John Morris are not running. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine.

But I can tell you this: Here are the names of the people who picked up petitions for the upcoming election as of noon today. Presumably these people are considering running and are trying to get the necessary signatures. Other than the ones I already mentioned, no one else has announced their candidacy to my knowledge:

  • Patti Polk
  • Dan Gillette
  • W. Eric Turner
  • Ryan Spain
  • Gary Forssander
  • Dan Irving
  • Paul Sherwood
  • Gary V. Sandberg
  • Charles Schierer
  • Donald Cummings
  • Kelley C. McGownn Mammen
  • William B. Bates
  • Gloria Cassel Fitzgerald
  • Brad Carter
  • George Jacob
  • Ron Theobald
  • Jim Montelongo

I got these from the Election Commission and they’re all handwritten, so if I misspelled anything, it’s because I couldn’t read the handwriting.

City Council, City of Peoria

Essential Services First

17 Comments

The City Council passed a budget that didn’t raise property taxes.

There’s been another murder in Peoria, bringing the total for 2006 to 18… so far:

This is the city’s 18th homicide of 2006, besting a 13-year-old record 17 in 1993. Of this year’s slayings, 11 remain unsolved.

But the City Council passed a budget that didn’t raise property taxes.

We still have an understaffed fire department. Although they’ve moved personnel and equipment from Fire Station 13 over the Fire Station 11 temporarily, there’s no overall increase in personnel or equipment, and some have argued that the city is actually less protected as a result.

But the City Council passed a budget that didn’t raise property taxes.

We can’t seem to get our snow plowed adequately or in a timely manner. As a result, we’ve had to deal with washboard streets and the schools had to close for three days even though there was an intervening weekend.

But the City Council passed a budget that didn’t raise property taxes.

We still have a regressive tax known as the $6 garbage “fee.” This so-called garbage fee actually goes to fund police and is collected on our water bills. We pay handsomely for Illinois American to collect this fee for the city. And it’s one of the two main reasons there was a big turnover on the council last election. And now we’ve also raised the building fees which may cause some to wonder if we’re trying to discourage economic growth in Peoria.

But the City Council passed a budget that didn’t raise property taxes.

Gary Sandberg said it best last night: “Our [the Council’s] job is not to balance the budget without a tax increase.” The Council’s job is to provide essential services like public safety and street/infrastructure maintenance. That’s what we thought we were getting with the “new” council. Instead, we got a council that, it could be argued, considers “holding the line on property taxes” to be the highest public good.

I’m not arguing for higher taxes, per se. What I’m arguing for is the city to fully fund basic public services before they fund anything else — like the Gateway building, for instance. The Gateway building is not an essential service. It’s nice. I like the Gateway building. If the city has a plethora of funds and the citizens want that service, I have no problem with it. But to have this service (and others) funded while at the same time we can’t fully staff our fire stations is about as ridiculous — and irresponsible — as it gets.

I’m sorry to be so harsh, but this budget was a cop out. The tough decisions were dodged. The apple cart was not upset. It’s more of the same. I thought the voters last election made it clear we wanted something different.

There’s another election coming up when we’ll have the opportunity to elect five at-large members of the council. Remember this budget. And remember these three words: essential services first.

City Council, City of Peoria, Kellar Branch, Peoria Park District

CIRY move catches city by surprise; Pioneer offer still on table

6 Comments

I e-mailed City Counsel Randy Ray about the surprising move by Central Illinois Railroad Company yesterday. I wanted to know what the City’s response was, and he had this to say:

We will be happy to share the City’s position with you after it is developed and after the City Council has had an opportunity to consider it. We’ll be happy to share any STB filings.

So, it’s pretty clear that city staff and the council did not see this coming. Pioneer, whom I mentioned would still be interested in running the Kellar Branch instead of CIRY, also wrote the city today: “PIRY’s [Pioneer Railcorp’s] offer to buy and share the ROW [railroad right-of-way] is still open. Does the City want to talk?”

If the City and the Park District really want a trail, they will do what they should have done in the first place — take Pioneer up on their offer. The Park District will get assistance in building a trail side-by-side with the rail line, and the City will get a cool half-million dollars to help them with their new budget. Oh, and the City will also get competent rail service on the Kellar Branch and no more runaway trains.

I’ve e-mailed the Park District to hear their take on the news, but it caught them by surprise as well, so they’ll need a little time to develop a statement. I’ll let you know what it is as soon as I hear.

One last note: David P. Jordan has posted over on Billy Dennis’s blog that another potential rail user in Pioneer Park is “possibly the paper bag manufacturer that is interested in buying the Peoria Plastics building.” I hadn’t heard of that one — it’s not the one I said I couldn’t disclose. So that means there are potentially three more rail users in addition to Carver Lumber and O’Brien Steel. Total potential: 5 businesses.

UPDATE: Here is the response I received from Bonnie Noble, Peoria Park District Director: “Thanks for your inquiry and interest. Randy Oliver and I have been in contact about CIRY’s new request. We are in communication with a number of people to work through all of this so that we all can be winners. When I have something definitive, I or Dave Wheeler will be back to you.”

City of Peoria, Kellar Branch

BREAKING NEWS: CIRY mutinies, fires city attorney, withdraws request to close Kellar Branch

14 Comments

Is the Kellar Branch saved? It might be. Efforts to try to convert it to a bike trail have been dealt a serious blow.

Central Illinois Railroad Co. (CIRY), the City of Peoria’s operator for the Kellar Branch and western spur, has cooperated with the City since 2005 in seeking to close down the Kellar Branch so it could be turned into a hiking trail through town.

In a stunning reversal, CIRY at 4 p.m. Tuesday, December 5, filed with the Surface Transportation Board to withdraw its discontinuance request (i.e., its request to discontinue service over the Kellar Branch). Furthermore, whereas the City and CIRY had been using the same attorney (Thomas F. McFarland), the latest filing informs the STB that CIRY has a new attorney (John Heffner, Washington, DC) representing them.

Why the reversal? The filing states that CIRY “now wishes to withdraw the above-captioned discontinuance petition in view of new business opportunities on the line” (emphasis mine).

That’s right, there are at least two new businesses locating along the Kellar Branch that may be interested in having rail service. Along with Carver Lumber, that brings the total to three, and no doubt more businesses will locate on the line if the threat of closure is removed.

One of the potential new businesses is Globe Energy which recently purchased the building at 1610 Altorfer Drive. They provide large building energy efficiency equipment and service for Caterpillar and others. The other potential new business I’m not at liberty to divulge at this time.

However, CIRY further states, “Accordingly, CIRY will continue to provide service over this line as if it had never filed any discontinuance request.” That will be a problem. First, it could be argued that their contract with the City to serve the Kellar Branch expired when the western spur began operations. Second, even if they could prove their old contract was still in force, they would be in breach of it (again) — this time for not cooperating with the city to close the Kellar Branch. And third, the last time they tried to take a shipment up the Kellar Branch they had a runaway train, and that has made the City leery of their performance, though not leery enough to take any legal action against them to date.

What will happen next? Will the City sue CIRY for breach of contract? If so, it will be a first. They didn’t sue CIRY when they endangered the lives of Peorians with their runaway train. They didn’t sue CIRY when they didn’t provide rail service to Carver Lumber, even though they were in breach of contract then. It sure would be a slap in the face to residents and businesses if the only time they sued CIRY was when they actually wanted to start serving Carver Lumber, et. al., safely via the most cost effective route.

Will the City file an adverse continuance with the STB to throw CIRY off the Kellar Branch like they did with Pioneer and try to find yet another carrier that will cooperate with their ill-advised and increasingly futile attempts to turn the Kellar into a hiking trail?

Or will the City finally come to its senses and put an end to this nonsense once and for all and forget trying to convert this line to a trail?

Of course Pioneer Railcorp will continue its fight to be the carrier on the Kellar Branch.

Stay tuned for more twists and turns!

City of Peoria

Sell the Gateway Building

8 Comments

I just read over at Billy Dennis’s blog that the city spends $169,900 per year to operate and maintain the Gateway Building downtown.

I say sell it. Sell it to a private investor. If the city is looking for money to save, this is as good of a place as any to start. A few hundred thousand here and a few hundred thousand there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money. This is nothing more than a banquet hall. Since when is it the city’s responsibility to provide a banquet hall for the citizens of Peoria?

Sell it.

Sell It!