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Urich to start making $175k on April 18
The City Council will hire Patrick Urich as Peoria City Manager next Tuesday night. Urich recently gave 90 days notice of his resignation as Peoria County Administrator. You can read the proposed contract on the City’s website. Here are the highlights:
- Base Salary: $175,000 for the first year
- Starting Date: April 18, 2011
- Incentive Pay: To be negotiated during first three months of employment
- Car Allowance: $500/month
- Vacation Days: 15
- Sick Days: 10
- Personal Days: 5
- Health Benefits: Same as all other City employees
- Term Life Insurance: Paid for by City, not to exceed three times base salary; premiums not to exceed $800/yr.
- Deferred Compensation (457 Plan): Lesser of 9% of base salary or maximum deferred contribution allowed (currently $16,500)
- Retirement System: Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF)
- Fringe Benefits: Laptop; cell phone; dues for local civic organization memberships; dues for membership in two national, one regional, and one state professional association; travel and other expenses to attend one national and one state conference per year; reimbursement of job-affiliated expenses.
- Involuntary termination: Lump sum of 9 months salary if terminated within first two years; 8 months if terminated in year three; 7 months if terminated in year four; 6 months salary if terminated in year five or later. All accrued but unused vacation leave up to 200 hours will be reimbursed. All life, health, dental, and disability insurance continues for 12 months (or until he’s hired somewhere else, whichever comes first) if he’s terminated within the first three years.
How does this compare to previous City Manager Scott Moore’s compensation package? Moore’s base salary was set at $165,000 for the first two years; Urich’s is $175,000 for the first year only. Moore’s contract also capped his salary increase at 8%; no cap exists in Urich’s. The city paid for life insurance equal to Moore’s base salary; will pay for life insurance equal to three times Urich’s base salary. The city contributed 8% of Moore’s base salary toward a deferred compensation (457) plan; Urich is getting 9%. Moore got six months’ salary upon involuntary termination; that would have dropped to four months if Moore had been terminated after serving two years; Urich gets nine months salary if he’s terminated within the first two years. Moore’s contract included no provision for incentive pay, but did include moving expenses since he was coming from out of state.
One last interesting tidbit. This will make the third City Manager who doesn’t go by his first name. Randy Oliver was really Charles R. Oliver. Scott Moore was really L. Scott Moore. And Patrick Urich is really F. Patrick Urich. What is it about City Managers that makes them go by their middle names?
Lathan says school will resume Monday
In this week’s “Remarkable Times,” the e-newsletter sent out by District 150, there’s this message from Dr. Grenita Lathan explaining why the schools have been closed so many days this week:
Peoria received its largest snowfall in many years and with it, Peoria Public Schools took one of its longest runs of consecutive snow days. School closures were not because of a lack of trying! In fact, we appreciate and congratulate the city, state and PPS staffs for a job well done! PPS would like to thank our Buildings and Grounds and Transportation employees for their tireless efforts to remove snow from our properties, parking lots and sidewalks, as well as for working to dig out our fleet of 150 buses. Our hand scheduling management Payroll staff and other twelve month employees also worked to keep the District operating during this time.
As mentioned above the District operates 150 buses and has 10,825 students eligible to ride the bus to and from school on any given day. When you combine those numbers and the amount of snow cleared from our city streets, it becomes clear why student safety is a concern. There are very few sidewalks cleared, forcing our students to wait or walk in the street. Add the large snow piles on street corners that block drivers’ views, and students’ safety becomes at risk.
I encourage our community, parents, neighbors and friends to help ensure a safe school day as we plan to return to school on Monday, by clearing sidewalks and driveways over the weekend, or at the least, a safe spot for students to stand as they wait for the bus. Drivers and students should also take extra caution during the school day.
With your assistance, we can help our students return to the classroom in a safe manner.
Thank you for your continued support of Peoria Public Schools!
City: Residential plowing complete
The City sent out this announcement this morning at 6 a.m.:
Residential plowing is completed and 90% of alleys are being reported as plowed. The Snow Route Parking Ban is no longer in effect.
Even though residential plowing is completed, I’m told District 150 buses are still unable to traverse the residential streets, and that’s why school was cancelled today.
East Village TIF meeting Monday 2/7
A public meeting is planned for the East Village Growth Cell TIF, and a majority of the City Council may be there:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A MAJORITY OF A QUORUM OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, HAVE BEEN INVITED AND MAY ATTEND AN EAST VILLAGE GROWTH CELL TIF PUBLIC MEETING TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND GATHER PUBLIC COMMENTS ON A PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AND THE DESIGNATION OF A PROPOSED REDEVEOPMENT [sic] PROJECT AREA TO BE KNOWN AS THE EAST VILLAGE GROWTH CELL REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7,2011, AT 6:00 P.M. AT THE GLEN OAK COMMUNITY CENTER, 2100 N. WISCONSIN AVENUE, PEORIA, ILLINOIS.
NOTE: NO OFFICIAL ACTION WILL BE TAKEN BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
Road update from City of Peoria (Updated)
I received this update from the City of Peoria this afternoon:
Crews have worked throughout the day to clear residential streets. They are also focusing on the alley’s, which are fifty percent complete. City streets are still snow packed and ice covered. Drivers are encouraged to drive with caution because roads are slippery. With the cold temperatures expected overnight, road salt is not effective so please drive carefully.
Orange Prairie Road, off of Allen Road, has drifted shut. Crews will open this road overnight.
The Snow Route Parking Ban is still in effect and will remain in effect at least until tomorrow morning.
How long do you think the City will try to open “Orange Prairie Road, off of Allen Road” before they realize those roads don’t actually cross?
Update: Answer to my last question is about 13 minutes. Just got this update: “Orange Prairie Road, off of War Memorial Drive, has drifted shut. Crews will open this road overnight.”
Day 4: No School for D150
From District 150:
For the safety of our students, all district schools will be closed on Friday, February 4, 2011. All events and activities are cancelled for Friday. This closure will guarantee that school buses will be able to safely transport students on Monday. Please check the district website www.psd150.org for further information.
All 12 month employees are to report to work as scheduled on Friday. If 12 month employees have personal safety concerns due to weather or road conditions, please plan to use a vacation day.
Thank you for your cooperation.
D150 closes for third day in a row
District 150 announced this afternoon that “Due to weather and road conditions, Peoria Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, February 3, 2011.”
I have to admit, I’m really surprised by this announcement, which I received via e-mail this afternoon from the District. Given that it hasn’t snowed any more since early this morning, and the City crews have been working around the clock, I really expected things to be clear enough by tomorrow that the buses could get through and school would be back in session. But I’m not complaining, either. It won’t hurt to give the City another day to get things cleaned up before the kids go back.
Snowstorm updates from City of Peoria 2/2/2011
City update 6:44 a.m., 2/2/2011:
A blizzard warning is in effect.
Contract and city crews continued to plow streets overnight, with the intent of maintaining one lane of traffic.
Our area has received a large amount of snow during the night with significant drifting from high winds. We urge you not to travel. It is very unlikely that anyone will reach their destination if an attempt to travel is made. If you do go out, please use caution and call ahead to make sure that the place you are attempting to reach is open.
Abandoned vehicles that are stuck in the street will compromise the City’s attempt to plow the streets. Police have begun to tow cars off of streets that still remain on designated snow routes.
If you have issues related to your street, the public works call center can be reached by calling 494-8850.
The Parking Ban is still in effect.
City update 7:31 a.m., 2/2/2011:
Our Emergency Communications Center has remained busy throughout the storm with calls from stuck motorists who are trapped in their vehicles. They utilized all means to get to them; Police, Fire, County Highway, IDOT, Public Works; even the Army National Guard. In many instances, the responders themselves got stuck trying to help the citizens.
Our 9-1-1 count for yesterday was 366. Our non-emergency phone calls totaled over 750 calls. A quick count shows our incoming calls were well over 1,100.
The ECC was struck by lightning at 8:45 p.m. last night. This caused our main police radios and several phone consoles, along with some other equipment to go down. Vendors were called in and worked until 3:00 a.m. to restore full service. No calls or service was lost as we used our back up systems.
Odds and ends
In front of a crowd of 1,000, the Bradley Braves finally won their first conference game of the season against Creighton, 69-61. Now Bradley’s record is 1-11. I guess that’s the secret to helping Bradley win: don’t watch.
Lots of closings. I got an e-mail from the City announcing that the Shoppes at Grand Prairie, Northwoods Mall, and Junction City have all closed early today, and will be closed all or most of the day tomorrow, too.
Meanwhile, my parents wrote me today from Florida. It’s 79 and sunny there. I’m not sure how to feel about that.
Update on City crews clearing the streets:
City crews, along with snow removal contractors, are plowing primary and residential streets. Crews will attempt to maintain one driving lane on most primary streets and one lane down the center of residential streets wide enough for emergency equipment.
This afternoon and over night, snow fall rates could possibly increase to 3-5 inches an hour, causing snow to accumulate very quickly. Maintaining one lane of travel is intended for essential emergency travel only during this period.
Citizens are advised not to travel. Blizzard conditions will continue for several hours, and it is unlikely that most vehicles will be able to travel on hills or inclines.
If possible move cars from residential streets. A Parking Ban is in effect until further notice. Citizens will help snow removal efforts by not plowing or shoveling snow into the street.