Tag Archives: Joint Review Board

City of Peoria, East Bluff, TIF

Joint Review Board decision invalid; revote scheduled

4 Comments

On December 27, 2010, the Joint Review Board approved the East Village Growth Cell TIF unanimously. However, the legality of that decision is now in question because the makeup of the Board is not compliant with state statute.

The Joint Review Board is composed of one representative from each taxing body and includes at least one member of the general public. State law requires (65 ILCS 5/11-74.4-5[b]) that “If, as determined by the housing impact study [or] … based on other reasonable data, the majority of residential units [in the proposed TIF area] are occupied by very low, low, or moderate income households […] the public member shall be a person who resides in very low, low, or moderate income housing within the redevelopment project area.”

The public member of the Joint Review Board is Debbie Ritschel, who resides at 401 Water, which is not “very low, low, or moderate income housing” nor “within the redevelopment project area.” Therefore, City attorney Randy Ray says the Joint Review Board will have another meeting scheduled for January 31, and “the agenda will call for them to declare a vacancy based on current public member being ineligible. An eligible person will then be nominated and elected. They will then consider ratifying their earlier action re TIF eligibility.”

I wonder how they will go about finding an eligible person. If you live in “very low, low, or moderate income housing” within the proposed East Village TIF, I would encourage you to submit your name for nomination. The public member is selected by a majority of the board members present at the meeting. The members of the Joint Review Board (not including Ritschel) are:

  • Dave Wheeler (Peoria Park District)
  • Dave Kinney (Peoria Public School District 150)
  • Joe Merkle (Sanitary District)
  • Stan Browning (Sanitary District)
  • Jim Scroggins (City of Peoria, Finance Director)
  • Patrick Nichting (City of Peoria, Treasurer)
  • Scott Sorrel (County of Peoria)
  • John Stokowski (Greater Peoria Mass Transit)
  • Glen Olson (Airport Authority)
  • Edward Szynaka (Peoria Public Library)
City of Peoria, East Bluff, TIF

Joint Review Board approves East Village TIF

6 Comments

Today at 3:00, the Joint Review Board (JRB) approved the East Village Growth Cell (EVGC) TIF unanimously with no discussion. Dr. David Kinney, representing Peoria Public Schools District 150, voted “present.” The meeting lasted three minutes. A presentation on the EVGC TIF was given to the JRB at the last meeting on December 10, but according to the minutes of that meeting, there was “a desire to continue discussion between Peoria Public School District 150 and the City of Peoria[;] therefore, a motion to defer was requested.”

Any further discussion that took place apparently happened in private, because no public discussion was held. I asked Dr. Kinney afterward what message District 150 was wanting to send by voting “present” instead of coming out for or against the TIF. He replied that TIF districts are generally not good for school districts, and a residential TIF in particular is a “double whammy.” Nevertheless, the district wants to maintain a positive relationship with the City and try to work out an agreement where the school district can share in the TIF revenue.

Present at the meeting in addition to Kinney were Robert Gates (District 150 legal counsel), Stan Browning (Sanitary District), Jim Scroggins (Finance Director, City of Peoria), Patrick Nichting (Treasurer, City of Peoria), Scott Sorrel (Peoria County), Tim Riggenbach (3rd District, City Council Representative), Bobby Gray and Stephanie Doss (both Economic Development, City of Peoria).

Joint Review Board members who were absent included Debbie Ritschel (General Manager of the Civic Center, but officially representing the general public on the JRB), John Stokowski (Greater Peoria Mass Transit/CityLink), Edward Szynaka (Peoria Public Library), and Glen Olson (Airport Authority). These members were also absent from the previous JRB meeting on December 10.

According to the City of Peoria website, “The Joint Review Board (JRB) is made up of one representative from each taxing authority affected by a TIF (i.e. school district, park district, etc.) The JRB also includes at least one member of the general public. The JRB must meet at least annually to review the progress of each TIF. Also, before a TIF is created, the JRB must review the plan for redevelopment for the area.”

There was no other business discussed at today’s meeting, and no citizens addressed the board. No date was set for the next JRB meeting.

Hat tip: Martin Palmer for alerting me that this meeting was taking place today.