Hello! I’m coming to you live from Peoria City Hall, Council Chambers. I’ll be updating this post throughout the evening, so be sure to refresh your browser regularly to see the latest updates. Here’s tonight’s agenda:

ITEM NO. 1 CONSIDERATION OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS BY OMNIBUS VOTE, for the City of Peoria, with Recommendations as Outlined:

A. TAG DAY REQUEST from the KOREAN WAR VETERANS OF AMERICA, PEORIA CHAPTER #243, Requesting Permission to Sell KOREAN WAR DAISIES in the City of Peoria on FRIDAY and SATURDAY, JUNE 17 and 18, 2011. (Dates are open.)

B. Communication from the City Manager and Finance Director/Comptroller Requesting Authorization for the City Manager to Enter Into an AGREEMENT with PNC BANK for RENEWAL BANKING SERVICES for ONE YEAR, Commencing January 1, 2011, Under Terms of the Existing One Year Contract with PNC BANK with Specific 2011 Modifications; and Requesting Execution of an ADDENDUM to Incorporate Specific CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS Outlined in PNC Bank’s Attached 2011 Contract Extension Proposal.

C. Communication from the City Manager and Corporation Counsel Requesting Approval of an INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT with ILLINOIS CENTRAL COLLEGE Pertaining to MUTUAL AID Between POLICE DEPARTMENTS.

D. Communication from the City Manager and Director of Planning and Growth Management Requesting Approval of a SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT to the 2010 HUD ANNUAL ACTION PLAN to REALLOCATE $100,000.00 of HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP GRANT (HOME) FUNDS from a Subgrantee Project to the DOWNPAYMENT ASSISTANCE (DPA) PROGRAM.

E. Communication from the City Manager and Director of Planning and Growth Management Requesting an INCREASE in the BUDGETED AMOUNT for the MacARTHUR APARTMENT PROJECT by $8,000.00 in CDBG FUNDS.

F. Communication from the City Manager and Director of Planning and Growth Management with Recommendation from the Zoning Commission and Staff to Adopt an ORDINANCE Granting a SPECIAL USE in a Class C2 (Large Scale Commercial) District for a RADIO TOWER for the Property Located at 2006 W. ALTORFER DRIVE, with Conditions.

G. Communication from the City Manager and Director of Public Works with Request to Receive and File the UPDATED 2010 – 2011 SNOW REMOVAL AND ICE CONTROL PLAN.

H. APPOINTMENTS by Mayor Jim Ardis to the PLANNING COMMISSION, with Request to Concur.

Kelley A. Lemons (Voting) – Term Expires 6/30/2012

I. APPOINTMENTS by Mayor Jim Ardis to the ADVISORY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RESOURCES, with Request to Concur.

Katherine Coyle (Voting) – Term Expires 6/30/2012
Judith L. Oakford (Voting) – Term Expires 6/30/2013

J. APPOINTMENTS by Mayor Jim Ardis to the FAIR EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING COMMISSION, with Request to Concur.

Jerrodean D. Ashby (Voting) – Term Expires 6/30/2012
Sherry Ellis-Smith (Voting) – Term Expires 6/30/2013
Verma Harris (Voting) – Term Expires 6/30/2013

Items removed from the consent agenda by the council person noted in parentheses: Item B (Riggenbach). The remaining items passed unanimously.

• Item B — Riggenbach is upset about the cost of the City’s banking services. The City has about $50 million in 20 different accounts on deposit at PNC, Riggenbach says, and it’s a “very attractive piece of business for a financial institution.” He says the “earnings credit rate” has dropped significantly, resulting in an extra $20,000 in banking fees from PNC. Recommends putting out an RFP for banking services; says we saved over $30,000 the last time we did that in 2005. Complains that this is coming to the Council at the last minute — too late to put this out for RFP. He moves to approve, but adds a stipulation that the staff bring back an RFP before September next year on this issue.

  Sandberg asks staff why they didn’t put this out for an RFP this year. Finance Director Scroggins says an RFP was done in 2008, and none of the other banks qualified. PNC worked with the City and gave them a very good earnings rate at that time. Because of the recession, the market is not good right now for looking at banking services, so they felt it was most prudent to bring this up for a one-year extension this year and do an RFP next year. Sandberg asks why no bank could satisfy our requirements the last time we went out for an RFP. Are our requirements reasonable? Response from Scroggins: It’s not that they couldn’t, but that they wouldn’t meet our requirements. Sandberg again challenges the requirements. Treasurer Nichting says another factor is that there’s not much demand for money right now because of tight credit markets. Says PNC is offering the City a good deal right now, and is giving us good quality of service.

  Van Auken says her issue is not with staff’s decision per se, but rather that they don’t share it with the Council until October, at the 11th hour. Staff should tell the Council to keep them in the loop within enough time for the Council to redirect staff if they disagree with staff’s direction. Riggenbach concurs with Van Auken. Ardis says the same thing happened a couple weeks ago regarding an insurance contract, and says Council wants to see change from the staff.

  Motion passes unanimously.

ITEM NO. 2 Communication from the City Manager and Corporation Counsel Requesting Approval of the AMENDMENT to the 1996 INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT Between the City of Peoria and the PEORIA CIVIC CENTER AUTHORITY, Said Amendment Pertaining to HRA TAX WITHHOLDING, and Requesting Authorization for the City Manager to Execute the Amendment.

Spain moves to defer until December 14, seconded by Van Auken. Passes unanimously.

ITEM NO. 3 Communication from the City Manager and Director of Public Works Requesting Adoption of an ORDINANCE Vacating Approximately 507 FEET of the ALLEY RIGHT OF WAY on the NORTHERN END of Said ALLEY Located Between SPRING STREET and CAROLINE STREET, and Between N.E. ADAMS STREET and BOND STREET.

Gulley says this is a project “we’ve been working on for a number of years.” Moves to approve, seconded by Riggenbach. Gulley asks privilege of the floor for anyone to address the council on this issue.

• William Ordaz — Represents Detweiller Marina Neighborhood Association. Requests that the council deny this action. He addresses the same concerns I reported in my previous post. Says that when TIFs are significantly changed, it must go before the Joint Review Board, and that hasn’t happened with the northside TIF. For example, the S-curve that was part of the TIF and has now been removed — that’s a significant change to the TIF that was never brought before the Joint Review Board, he says. He’s also concerned about lack of transparency. Asks the council if they’re really for core neighborhoods.

Sandberg says he’s “perplexed” because the communication says the alley vacation is the “first step” in an expansion project. The first step should be meeting with neighbors, applying for rezoning, etc. Also is wondering when the City has ever approved a partial alley vacation. (Rhetorical question.) He says it’s never happened because we have policies and procedures against it. Are we just doing it because it’s a $15 million project? “Are we just whores?” he asks.

Gulley says this is not a $15 million project, so that’s not the driving issue. The item before us is vacation of the alley. Also says no business is going to spend money on architectural drawings, etc., if they don’t have their parcels assembled to do the project. He says this is a “simple vacation of an alley” and that it is allowed in a TIF. In this case, the first step is vacating the alley. The next step is to develop site plans and drawings for the project. Then we can meet with the neighbors to talk about site approval and how it fits into the neighborhood and take care of the concerns brought forward.

Sandberg reiterates that we’re only vacating part of an alley. Gulley says we did the same thing on Third Street, which starts an argument with Sandberg that Ardis breaks up. Sandberg then moves for one-month deferral, seconded by Spain. Gulley says there are problems with the deferral because we want to move forward, and a deferral will put us into December and delay the project, which will cause us to miss opportunities. Says the “problems” that have been brought forth are not really problems, and are no reason to hold up the project. Argues that it should be passed tonight. A motion to defer would be “anti-business” in Peoria, he says.

Ardis says this hinges on precedent because of the length of the alley vacation and safety of egress. Public Works Director Barber steps forward and says we’ve had meetings on this alley “a year or two ago when this first came up.” Says there’s a long dead-end alley off Wisconsin at Republic, etc. Says the neighbors at this location (under discussion tonight) do not have any concerns. Van Auken asks if police and fire were involved in this meeting. Barber says he doesn’t remember. Spears asks if property owners have changed in the past two years since the last neighborhood meeting. Barber says yes — O’Brien bought several neighbors’ property so he now owns the property on both sides of the alley all the way to Jim’s Autobody.

Spain is still concerned and wants information on what the new project is. Says he will support the deferral. Also says that the alley vacation shouldn’t be seen as a deal-killing threat. If the council okays the alley vacation, it doesn’t mean they’re any more or less likely to support the expansion plan.

Deferral passes 8-2 (Gulley and Montelongo voting nay).

ITEM NO. 4 Communication from the City Manager and Director of Planning and Growth Management with Recommendation from the Zoning Commission and Staff to Adopt the Following:

A. ORDINANCE Amending APPENDIX B of the Code of the City of Peoria Relating to FEES; and
B. ORDINANCE Amending APPENDIX C of the Code of the City of Peoria Relating to FEES.

Spain/Turner move to approve 4A; passes unanimously.
Spain/Van Auken move to approve 4B; passes unanimously. No discussion either item.

ITEM NO. 5 Communication from the City Manager and Director of Planning and Growth Management with Recommendation from the Zoning Commission and Staff to Adopt the Following:

A. ORDINANCE Amending APPENDIX B of the Code of the City of Peoria Relating to VEHICLE PARKING and STORAGE; and

B. ORDINANCE Amending APPENDIX C of the Code of the City of Peoria Relating to VEHICLE PARKING and STORAGE.

Van Auken/Turner move to approve 5A. Sandberg says he’s concerned about unintended consequences of this action. Says that it may result in more of these vehicles being parked on the street instead of on a person’s private property. Also says enforcement would be difficult, if not impossible, because these regulations will impact small vehicles as well as large ones, when it was the large vehicles the ordinance was intended to impact. Nevertheless, motion passes 9-1 (Gulley).

Van Auken/Turner move to approve 5B. Passes unanimously.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

(10-068) Communication from the City Manager and Acting Director of Human Resources Requesting Approval to ENTER into an AGREEMENT Between the CITY OF PEORIA and all EMPLOYEE BARGAINING UNITS to EXTEND the JOINT LABOR/MANAGEMENT HEALTH CARE COMMITTEE for (3) YEARS, Effective January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2013.

Spain moves for four-week deferral, seconded by Van Auken. Passes unanimously with no discussion.

(10-391) Communication from the City Manager and Director of Planning and Growth Management with Request to DEFER this Item Relating to WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATION FACILITIES Until NOVEMBER 9, 2010, AND Request to EXTEND the MORATORIUM on the ISSUANCE of NEW PERMITS and APPROVALS. (New Communication)

Van Auken/Turner move to approve; passes unanimously without discussion.

(10-464) Communication from the City Manager Requesting for the City Council to Provide Direction to the Administration on the PRELIMINARY FY2011 OPERATING BUDGET.

City Manager Scott Moore asks that the item be deferred. Spain says he’s concerned about the amount of work left to do before a budget needs to be approved, and there are many items that need to be addressed soon. Moore says he’s still gathering information and wants to make sure Council has all the information they need to make decisions. Van Auken wants more analysis on why departments are suggesting certain fee increases — i.e., how did they come up with the amounts they’re suggesting?

Van Auken moves to defer the item until November 9, seconded by Spain; passes unanimously.

(10-465) Communication from the City Manager Requesting Direction to Staff Regarding POTENTIAL INCREASES to VARIOUS FEES and FINES.

Spain moves to defer until November 9, seconded by Irving; passes unanimously.

PUBLIC COMMENTS Regarding FY 2011 CITY OF PEORIA BUDGET.

No one from the public speaks to the council on this item.

NEW BUSINESS

• Turner says that he and Gulley will have a small business workshop on Saturday, Nov. 6 from 9-12 at Frank Campbell Community Center. Also thanks those involved in the recent Code Enforcement public meeting.

CITIZEN REQUESTS TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL

• Savino Sierra — Speaks in favor of keeping police and fire department personnel from being cut in the budget. Also spoke in favor of O’Brien Steel’s yet-to-be-revealed expansion plans. Says sidewalks around schools flood when it rains hard. Says the City was supposed to fix them three years ago, but hasn’t done it yet.
• Peg Pendell (sp?) — Speaks against Item No. 5 that passed tonight. Also speaks against membership in neighborhood organizations and I guess neighborhood organizations in general. She made a big point of saying she’s not a member “by choice.” She said Planning & Growth Director Pat Landes said that Item 5 was discussed with the public at neighborhood association meetings in June. She was offended/outraged that this was the way it was presented to the public. Threatens a “peasant revolt” if there isn’t more transparency in government.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

ADJOURNMENT

There is an executive session, but the public meeting is adjourned at 8:03 p.m. Good night, all. Next Tuesday is election day, so no council meeting is planned.