Welcome to West Peoria

OFFICIAL MINUTES

OF THE WEST PEORIA CITY COUNCIL

February 9, 2010, AT 7:00 P.M.

WEST PEORIA CITY HALL

2506 W. ROHMANN AVENUE

WEST PEORIA, ILLINOIS

A regular meeting of the City Council of West Peoria, Illinois was held at the West Peoria City

Hall on February 9, 2010.

1. CALL TO ORDER

Meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Dillon.

2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Dillon.

3. ROLL CALL

The following members were present: Mayor Dillon, Alderman Dohm, Alderman Dwyer,

Alderman Ganson, Alderman Mathewson, Alderman Meismer, Alderman O’Neill, Alderwoman

Thomas, Alderman Venzon, City Administrator Carlson, City Attorney Connor, Economic

Development Coordinator Pratt, City Clerk Stephens. Also attending Rolland Reinhart, Street

Department Manager Strube and Officer James Middlemas.

4. ADDITIONS TO OR DELETIONS FROM AGENDA

None

5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Motion to approve the minutes from the January 26, 2010, City Council Meeting was made by

Alderwoman Thomas and seconded by Alderman Meismer.

ROLL CALL VOTE Ayes – 8 Thomas, Meismer, Dohm, Dwyer, Ganson, Mathewson, O’Neill,

Venzon

Nays – 0

Absent – 0 Motion Carried

6. COMMUNITY POLICE REPORT

Officer Middlemas reported about a very aggressive carpet cleaning service that is soliciting door

to door in West Peoria. A stranger entered an elderly residents home through the back door and

was scared off by neighbors. We do not know if this tied in with the carpet cleaning service. If

you are approached for this service call the Sheriff’s Department immediately. Officer

Middlemas reported on two residential burglaries; criminal damage to property, criminal

trespassing and a car was stolen from one and another back door kicked in, nothing was taken

from that residence. Again, Officer Middlemas stressed to be aware and to call the Sheriff’s

Department on anything that looks suspicious.

7. MAYOR DILLON

Mayor thanked Alderman Mathewson for filling in as Mayor Pro Tem while he was away. Mayor

Dillon welcomed the new Bar on Farmington Road called Pub and Club, formerly Bullwinkle’s

to West Peoria. Mayor Dillon told the Council that he attended a Community Coalition Meeting

and explained this is for underage drinking and drug prevention. The meetings are held at the Hult

Center and are very well attended. The Illinois State Police, Bradley Police and the City of Peoria

Police are involved with this. Mayor Dillon said he will be attending an Economic Development

Committee Meeting February 10, 2010.

Mayor Dillon said the City of West Peoria has a parking ban and the Zoning Officer Dan Sullivan

has been tagging cars that have been left on the street. He gave a prime example. Last night the

parking ban was in effect and a car that had been tagged in the past was bumped while the

Street Department was trying to clear the streets. Because of ice on the streets, a good possibility

if the car had been moved the last time it snowed after it was tagged the ice would have never

been on the pavement and it would not have been clipped. It is for everyone’s safety that we put

the snow ban in effect. The snow ban covers all the streets in West Peoria.

8. PUBLIC COMMENT

None

9. A MOTION TO APPROVE CARBONITE BACKUP SERVICE was made by Alderman

Venzon and seconded by Alderman Ganson

Discussion: Economic Development Coordinator Pratt said this is the service we purchased last

year with the approval of the City Council that backs up all of the City’s computers at an offsite

location. This is in case of fire and our external back-up melts as well. The Carbonite Backup

Service takes everything off line everyday, every file and every computer is backed up every

day. This is a yearly subscription; here are the options: one year, two years or three years. The

City will get a thirty percent discount immediately because we have six stations that have to be

backed up. This is what is available and needs to be done fairly quickly. Economic

Development Coordinator Pratt told the City Council that this was not brought to Finance

because he thought this had been approved last year as an ongoing expense. Maybe we can get

this accomplished this time so we don’t have to continue to bring it back to Council. It can be an

annual renewal that would be pre-approved.

Alderman Mathewson asked Alderman Venzon which option are you making your motion?

Alderman Venzon said for three years.

Alderman Dohm asked if this was to be paid annually.

Economic Development Coordinator Pratt: Pay it one time and renew in three years.

Alderman Ganson: We need a line item.

Alderman Mathewson: I will check on this.

Mayor Dillon: How long has this company been in business?

Economic Development Coordinator Pratt: Since 1994

Mayor Dillon: Expressed concern about the economy and if this business would still be around

for three years.

Alderman Venzon: This is the kind of business that will be around. This is what everyone is

doing.

Economic Development Coordinator Pratt: They are advertising on national TV. This is state of

the art computer back up system. Municipalities need to have their files backed up every day.

Alderman Mathewson expressed concern about the executive files being stored offsite.

Economic Development Coordinator Pratt: Yes, in cryptic fashion

City Administrator Carlson said that most of the municipalities if not all are handled the same.

MOTION TO APPROVE THE THREE YEAR CARBONITE BACKUP SYSTEM was

made by Alderman Venzon and seconded by Alderman Ganson.

ROLL CALL VOTE Ayes – 8 Venzon, Ganson, Dohm, Dwyer, Mathewson, Meismer,

O’Neill,

Thomas

Nays – 0

Absent – 0 Motion Carried

10. MOTION TO APPROVE PAYMENT TO CENTRAL ILLINOIS DEVELOPMENT

PARTNERSHIP FOR MEMBERSHIP DUES IN THE AMOUNT OF $400.00

(LINE ITEM 01 11 561) was made by Alderman Mathewson and seconded by Alderman

Meismer.

Discussion: Economic Development Coordinator Pratt told the City Council this is an

association of municipalities and counties that are working for a common interest in Economic

Development and one of the sponsoring organizations is the Thomas Jacobs Association. They

are the original founders. Dan Walker of Thomas Jacobs Association is the secretary of this

organization.

Economic Development Coordinator Pratt expressed that this is a very worthwhile and exciting

organization and could be helpful for West Peoria.

Alderman Dohm asked Economic Development Coordinator Pratt about the study that was done

a year ago.

Economic Development Coordinator Pratt said we have the study that was done last year and the

City knows what it is we can be working on. The dilemma is: about the same time of the study

the economy crashed and no one is expanding their business at the present time. This is a rare

coincidence.

At the time the City purchased the study the economy was roaring ahead and four months later it

crashed. Once the economy recovers the City is in position to do something with Western

Avenue and Farmington Road.

Alderman Dwyer asked what groups are involved with this regional marketing.

Economic Development Coordinator Pratt said municipalities and organizations such as Peoria

Economic Development Council, there are other county councils and primarily small

municipalities.

Alderman Dwyer asked if this regional. Is there a geographical focus?

Economic Development Coordinator Pratt said, yes Central Illinois

ROLL CALL VOTE Ayes – 8 Mathewson, Meismer, Dohm, Dwyer, Ganson, O’Neill,

Thomas, Venzon

Nays – 0

Absent – 0 Motion Carried

11. MOTION TO APPROVE TIF PAYMENT TO ANTHONY WARD FOR MIKE’S

TAVERN FOR $1,500 FIFTY PERCENT OF $3,000 (LINE ITEM 15 00 503) was made by

Alderman Mathewson and seconded by Alderman Meismer.

Discussion: Alderman Mathewson said all the paper work for this is in your packet. He told the

City Council that the Finance Committee which is also the TIF Committee decided to do the

fifty percent.

ROLL CALL VOTE Ayes – 8 Mathewson, Meismer, Dohm, Dwyer, Ganson, O’Neill,

Thomas, Venzon

Nays – 0

Absent – 0 Motion Carried

12. OTHER BUSINESS – DISCUSSION ONLY

ANNEXATION UPDATE: Economic Development Coordinator Pratt gave the update on the

annexation. He told the City Council that the City Staff is working diligently on the 1^st Phase of

the property that the council has seen a number of times. He explained that the target properties

are the private property that Mr. Babu owns and the Hindu Temple of Central Illinois. Economic

Development Coordinator Pratt said that City Attorney Connor has working with us on this

project and occasionally with Mr. Babu working out the specific agreement with Mr. Babu. The

City is very close to having all of the issues resolved. The one issue that is yet to be resolved is

the width of the street that will be the entrance to the project. Economic Development

Coordinator Pratt told the council members that he has done research to find what the West

Peoria Code, Peoria County Code, City of Peoria Code, the State of Illinois and IDOT Code

Regulations are. This seems to be the remaining issue. He said Mr. Babu has agreed to a range of

twenty six feet to twenty eight feet for the entrance to the property. This is wider than the streets

that lead into the property and wider than the recommendation from our engineer. Our

subdivision ordinance does not have a specific recommendation for an entrance road that

prohibits parking. It has a recommendation for an entrance road/street that allows parking as does

the City of Peoria, as does IDOT, but not one for street/road that provides entrance for the

property. We need for the this project that does not allow parking. It has been hard to find a

specific guideline for this exact situation. Economic Development Coordinator said there is a

range available that we have agreed to. Mr. Babu has agreed to twenty-six to twenty-eight range.

This would be great to have this resolved before the scheduled Public Hearing in March, 2010.

Economic Development Coordinator Pratt said he and the City Administrator are in a

discussion with Shari Hamilton with some of the concerns she has with annexing to West Peoria.

He said that he and City Administrator Carlson met with Matt Wahl to discuss if there are any

issues with Peoria County and there are none. Peoria County is enthusiastic about what the City

of West Peoria is preparing to do, including the corner of Farmington Road and Creek Road, the

former driving range property. The County has suggested that the City go forward with the

annexation. They are okay with that piece of property being annexed into the City of West

Peoria and at some point the County will deed it to the City of West Peoria.

There are other property owners that are interested in discussing annexing into the City of West

Peoria. Economic Development Coordinator said that the City is spending a lot of time on the

annexation. We are getting some great advice. City Administrator Carlson and I have been

working with Attorney Connor and this is going quite well.

Mayor Dillon expressed his concern about a turn lane and the road issue. This will be discussed

at the Transportation Committee meeting.

13. COMMITTEE REPORTS

A. FINANCE COMMITTEE

Chair Mathewson: The Finance Committee met on February 2, 2010. Dan Walker from

Thomas Jacobs attended our meeting and gave the committee some exciting news about

a possible TIF that is developing out towards the west of the City. We will keep a watch on

this with the start of the annexation coming about. The Committee discussed amending the

original TIF to include a couple of other properties. We discussed the membership of Central

Illinois Development Partnership and discussed the future of the new city hall. We went over

the TIF for 626 N. Cedar. The Committee reviewed the Executive Minutes. This is done twice

a year. Our next meeting is March 2, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

B. LAND USE COMMITTEE

Chair Dohm: The Land Use Committee has not met since the last City Council Meeting. Our

next meeting is February 17, 2010, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

C. PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

Chair Dwyer: The Public Safety Committee has not met since the last City Council Meeting.

Our next meeting is February 17, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

D. TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

Chair Venzon: The Transportation Committee has not met since the last City Council

Meeting. Our next meeting will be February 11, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

14. PUBLIC COMMENT

Mayor Dillon said that Office Assistant Marge Maroon put a flyer in all of the packets about the

FOODSHARE CAN-A-THON sponsored by the Peoria Area Anti-Hunger Coalition and City

Hall will be collecting canned goods until Friday March 5^th. They will also be collecting

monetary donations. Call Marge at City Hall – 674 1993.

Rolland Reinhart asked if West Peoria will be affected by the combined City of Peoria and

Peoria County Governmental Units.

Mayor Dillon said that a reporter for the Peoria Journal Star called him on this. Mayor Dillon

said the City of Peoria and Peoria County are trying to combine the services or departments that

overlap. This was never and intent with West Peoria. West Peoria would not want to be involved

in this. Our taxes are lower. West Peoria has an excellent Volunteer Fire Department and an

excellent Street Department. I don’t know what they could offer West Peoria that would be any

better than we have. This would be a great idea for the City of Peoria and Peoria County to

combine services. It would save the taxpayers.

Alderman Dohm asked if we use PAWS and the Assessor.

Mayor Dillon said, Yes, we do use PAWS and the Township has an agreement with the

Assessor’s Office, they could fill this position in house if they found some one to fill that

position.

Mayor Dillon said PAWS will go to Peoria County.

Alderman Dwyer thanked the West Peoria Street Department for the excellent job they have

done.

15. AJOURNMENT

Motion to adjourn this meeting was made by Alderman O’Neill and seconded by Alderman

Ganson. Motion carried unanimously by voice. Meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.

Carole Stephens – City Clerk