The Peoria County Board held its regular meeting June 9th with all present but Member Allison, and Members Reneau and Reliford participating via phone.
Proclamations were read recognizing the recent Illini Bluffs 1A state softball championship and Limestone student, Wilson Georges, 2A state championship and state record in the 1600m race.
There were no Citizen’s Remarks.
A brief Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act public hearing related to Heddington Oaks refinancing was conducted with no comments.
The Consent Agenda passed on a vote of 17-0 with one item pulled for discussion. Items included:
· Authorizing issuance of General Obligation Refunding Bonds not to exceed $42 million for refunding outstanding alternate bonds.
· Acceptance of a Family Violence Coordinating Council grant.
· Engineering, infrastructure, road improvement, or erosion control for projects on Glasford Road, Dry Run Creek and within Hallock Township.
· The item discussed authorized a 3 year license agreement funded with federal ARPA funds to support a “one-stop shop” for promising entrepreneurs entitled Lifting Up, LLC. This program is currently in use in Morton and Muscatine, IA.
The regular agenda consisted of few items and all were approved following questions and discussion.
· A waiver request for a land parcel split in Jubilee Township.
· Review and hold on Executive Session Minutes due to confidentiality issues.
· Suspension of the Rules to permit extension of the Declaration of Emergency due to COVID-19 in the county.
Items of note during Miscellaneous and Announcements:
· Member Phil Salzer encouraged board members to participate in a county jail tour in order to better understand current challenges there.
· Support was encouraged for the upcoming West Peoria Fourth of July Parade, Glen Oak Park July 3 fireworks, and Moss Bradley Sale following pandemic cancellations.
Jim Runyon, Observer
Link to the meeting agenda and video are here: ​https://www.peoriacounty.gov/agendacenter

The Peoria County Board held its regular meeting May 12th with all present but Member Pastucha and two members participating via phone-Members Elsasser and Rieker.  
   A proclamation recognizing the 36th Annual Gerald Brookhart Arts in Education Spring Celebration began the meeting. Monica Hendrickson, Peoria City County Health Department Administrator’s tenth anniversary with the department was also recognized.
    There were no Citizen’s Remarks.  
   The Consent Agenda passed on a vote of 17-0 without discussion.  Items approved included:

• An intergovernmental agreement with the City of Peoria and the Health Department establishing the Peoria Health Equity Fund.  The county and city commit to providing $600,000 each for four fiscal years to address health inequities and the social determinants of health.  Federal ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds will be utilized.
• Acceptance of two grants to support PCAPS activities.
• Land surveying contract.
• Infrastructure, road improvement, or matching funds for projects on Sheridan Road and Cedar Hills Drive.
• Courthouse fire alarm inspection contract.
• County jail HVAC improvements.

     The regular agenda consisted of several items and all were approved following questions and discussion.

• A special use request for a private landing strip in Kickapoo Township.
• One-time ARPA funded bonuses for county employees.
• Pay increases for the County Clerk, Treasurer, Sheriff, County board members, committee chairs and the board chair.  Increases were small and will not again increase for multiple years.
• A resolution recommending the construction of a new Health and Human Services Campus on the property currently occupied by the City/County Health Department. The Health Committee reviewed more than thirty potential sites and chose the current site.  All committee meeting notes and scoring information on the potential sites can be found here.
• Suspension of the Rules to permit extension of the Declaration of Emergency due to COVID-19 in the county.

   Two items of note during Miscellaneous and Announcements:

• Member Sharon Williams reported that activity continues to reinvigorate the currently stalled Hanna City Rail-to-Trail effort.
• County Administrator Scott Sorrell reported on anticipated significant electricity rate increases this summer. Chairman Rand requested that appropriate experts in this area be asked to update the board at the June meeting.

 Jim Runyon, Observer
   Link to the meeting agenda and video are here:
   Agenda
   Video

The Peoria County Board held its regular meeting April 14th with all present but Member Salzer and three members participating via phone-Members Bryant, Fennell, and Reliford.  The meeting was brief—38 minutes.
Many proclamations began the meeting recognizing the following:

• Brimfield High School Girls Basketball IHSA Class 1A State Championship
• National Correctional Officers Week
• National Police Week
• National Work Zone Awareness Week
• National County Government Month
• Peoria Humane Society for their fundraising efforts and support for PCAPS animal shelter

 
There were no Citizen’s Remarks.  
The Consent Agenda passed on a vote of 17-0 without discussion.  Most items were focused on regular financial matters.  The employment agreement with County Administrator Scott Sorrell was amended following his performance review. 
The regular agenda consisted of three items and all were approved.

• A special use request for an Airbnb/VRBO property in Limestone Township.
• Suspension of the Rules to permit extension of the Declaration of Emergency due to COVID-19 in the county.

Jim Runyon, Observer
Link to the meeting agenda and video are here:
Agenda
Video
​

The Peoria County Board held its regular meeting March 10th with all present but Member Rosenbohm.
One Citizen’s Remark in support of the pending Springdale Cemetery agreement and preservation of the savannah under the pending care of the Peoria Park District.
The Consent agenda passed on a vote of 17-0 without discussion but two items were voted on separately to allow members to abstain due to possible conflicts of interest.  Among approved items were:

• Riverfront Museum bylaws revisions.
• Settlement of a circuit court case for a payment of $200,000.
• Settlement of a Worker’s Compensation case for an amount not to exceed $60,000.
• Peoria County and Bradley University agreement for maintaining the Pavement Management Program.
• Capital improvements on Blue Ridge Road, Todd School Road, and townships roads within Millbrook and Rosefield townships.

The regular agenda consisted of eight items and all were approved.  These include:

• Sale of Heddington Oaks to UnityPoint Health for use as a child and adolescent mental/behavioral health and substance abuse hub for prevention, treatment and recovery.  Dr. Keith Knepp, CEO, UnityPoint Health-Central Illinois, and Martha Herm, past UnityPlace board chair, made presentations encouraging the sale.  Several members expressed reservations about the low sale price and remaining bond payments but ultimately supported the unanimous vote since UnityPoint was a local buyer and the planned use was sorely needed. Dr. Knepp indicated that UnityPoint would invest a multi-million dollar sum to renovate the facility to accommodate the new use.
• Approval of a new Springdale Cemetery ten year intergovernmental agreement with unanimous votes by the county board, Peoria City Council and the Peoria Park District board.
• Special use requests for two potential Airbnb/VRBO properties in Chillicothe Township.
• Special use to permit the development of a solar energy generation facility in Princeville Township.
• Suspension of the Rules to permit extension of the Declaration of Emergency due to COVID-19 in the county.

Jim Runyon, Observer
Link to the meeting agenda and video are here:
Agenda
Video
​

The Peoria County Board held its regular meeting February 10th with all present but Member Bryant.  Members Reliford, Elsasser and Rosenbohm participated by phone.  
There were no Citizen’s Remarks. 
The Consent agenda passed on a vote of 16-0 without discussion. Among items approved were:

• A Local Agency Agreement for Federal Participation with the State of Illinois for reconstruction of Peoria County’s section of Glen Avenue from Sheridan Road to Knoxville Avenue.
• Grant dollars to fund microchips for animals at PCAPS.

The regular agenda consisted of four items and all were approved.  These include:

• Special use to allow a land split in Limestone Township in order to separate and sell two existing buildings from the remaining agricultural use.
• Amendments to Special Use Permits within the Peoria County Code to proactively address the application process for any future wind tower/turbines within the county.  Included were provisions related to emergency signage, noise level certification, liability insurance, adding bats to the required avian study, and ensuring decommission plans and funding are in place prior to approval.  No applications have been received to date.  These amendments follow approval during the January meeting of temporary meteorological towers to record and measure wind data for up to three years in Millbrook, Princeville and Brimfield townships.
• Suspension of the Rules to permit extension of the Declaration of Emergency due to COVID-19 in the county.

JR, Observer
Link to the meeting agenda and video are here:
Agenda & Video
​

The Peoria County Board held its regular meeting January 13th with all present. There were no Citizen’s Remarks. 
The Consent agenda passed on a vote of 17-1 without discussion. Among items approved were:

• A budget amendment that funds two positions within county departments for two of the three employees who lost their positions with the County Auditor’s office.  The third employee chose not to accept another county position.
• Two grants to fund specific PCAPS services.
• PCAPS veterinary services contract extension.
• Approval of the Peoria City/County Landfill 2022 budget.
• Cedar Hills Drive engineering for resurfacing work.
• Dogtown Road bridge replacement. 

The regular agenda consisted of ten items and all were approved.  These include:

• Special use to permit short term rentals (Airbnb/VRBO) on three properties on River Beach Road in Medina and Chillicothe townships.
• Rezoning request in Medina Township.
• Placement of temporary meteorological towers to record and measure wind data for up to three years in Millbrook, Princeville and Brimfield townships.
• Zoning two tracts on an island in the Illinois River adjacent to the town of Chillicothe as “A-2” Agricultural. (This island had been proposed as a barge depot in 2021, and this designation ensures that this use will not be permitted).
• After a presentation by Tom Bride, Election Commission Executive Director, several questions and some discussion; an amended budget amendment resolution permitting the purchase of a new paper ballot voting system and upgrades to the existing electronic pollbooks, and new label printers.
• A resolution to replace the current facilities housing a number of county services with a new health and human services campus.  All the services have not yet been determined however the Health Department, Coroner, Regional Superintendent of Schools, and Sustainability and Recycling Department will definitely be included. This permits the county to continue activities to replace the current Health Department facilities on Sheridan Road and the Coroner’s facility on Gift Ave. rather than renovating either.
• Suspension of the Rules to permit extension of the Declaration of Emergency due to COVID-19 in the county.

The board went into Executive Session to discuss a personnel matter.
Jim Runyon, Observer
Links to the meeting agenda and video are here:
Agenda
Video
​

​The Peoria County Board held its regular meeting December 9 with all present except Chairman Rand and Member Reliford.
During Citizen’s Remarks, Tim Howard, LVWGP Vice President and Board member, read a letter on behalf of the League of Women Voters Greater Peoria thanking the County Board, its Redistricting Committee, and past board members Allen Mayer and Stephen Morris for their excellent redistricting process and resulting districts map. 
The Consent agenda passed without discussion. Among items approved were:

• Appropriation to cover unanticipated expenses related to COVID-19 in the amount of $95,000 to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
• Transfer of $45,000 to the PCAPS budget for replacement of one Animal Control Vehicle.
• Approval of two bids to cash rent Peoria County owned farms for the next three growing seasons.
• Appropriations and expenditures associated with commercial kitchen equipment for the Juvenile Detention Center.

The regular agenda consisted of only five items and all were approved:

• Special use in a zoning case related to subdividing a parcel in Logan Township.
• Quotations for County Highway Maintenance materials for 2022.
• Review of Executive Minutes
• Suspension of the Rules to permit extension of the Declaration of Emergency due to COVID-19 in the county.

Jim Runyon, Observer

​The Peoria County Board held a special meeting November 30 with all present except Members Pastucha and Windish.  Member Reliford participated via phone.
The sole agenda item was final approval of the draft redistricting map based on the 2020 Census and that will be in place for the next decade.  Former members Allen Mayer and Stephen Morris worked with the county IT and GIS departments to determine population gain/loss in each census track and then drafted a map that reflected these changes but also retained substantially same populations—the 18 districts vary in size by no more than 124 people.  In general, heritage neighborhoods within the City of Peoria lost population while the Route 6 Corridor saw significant growth compared to the 2010 Census. All 18 members will be elected in 2022.
Members thanked Mayer and Morris for their bipartisanship and generosity for volunteering their time and expertise.
The map was approved unanimously on a 16-0 vote.  The interactive map is available on the County website under the Departments/GIS tab.
During Citizen’s Remarks, Sherriff Brian Asbell surprised the board by announcing he would not stand for election in 2022. He cited unspecified policy disagreements with the board over the past year for his decision not to run again.
Jim Runyon, Observer

​  The Peoria County Board held its regular monthly meeting November 11 with all members present except Chairman Rand.  Member Rieker participated via phone.
  The meeting was preceded by a Redistricting Committee meeting that discussed recent changes to the draft county board district boundaries including recent modifications for the more rural areas in Districts 14 and 16.   Four public comments were read into the record.  The interactive draft map that will be recommended for approval is available on the County website under the Departments/GIS tab. Videos describing the redistricting process will be posted on the same site beginning November 24th. Additional public comments will be accepted through November 30 when the county board is scheduled to vote on the draft map.
   One proclamation was read recognizing Small Business Saturday.
 Ten items on the consent agenda were approved without discussion. Among these items were approvals of a contract extension for independent external auditing, a three year contract for health care provision for juvenile and adult detainees, technology improvements for the county board room, and a bid for rehabilitation of a bridge on Swords Avenue.
Under regular business:

• Following four public comments, special use was approved with restrictions for an AirBnB operating on N. River Beach Drive in Medina Township.
• A Joint Emergency Telephone System Board for Peoria and Stark counties was approved.  Stark County is the final Illinois county without 9-1-1 service and this alignment will permit this service within the next two years.
• PCAPS redemption and adoption fees were modified.

Jim Runyon, Observer
Video of meeting (copy paste):  https://youtu.be/Toy3OJ6oWy4   

The Peoria County Board held its regular monthly meeting October 14th with all members present except Chairman Rand.  Member Daley participated via phone.
Two proclamations recognizing Bartonville Hardware’s 70th anniversary and the Heart of Illinois United Way’s 100th anniversary were read. 
Twelve citizens offered remarks related to the proposed 2022 budget’s staffing and appropriation reductions in the County Auditor’s office.  Among those speaking were Jessica Thomas, County Auditor, and the three employees impacted by those reductions. State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos also spoke later in the meeting responding to some statements made during public comment.
The seventeen consent agenda items were approved on a 16-1 vote without discussion. Among those items were acceptance of five grants, approval of additional funds for the Distillery Labs Smart City/Mobility Living Laboratory, and approval of four infrastructure projects in western Peoria County.
Other regular business included approval of a Long Term Care Ombudsman/Senior Advocate position in conjunction with the Center for Prevention of Abuse, and discussion and approval of ten resolutions related to the 2022 budget. Highlights include:

• Adoption of the Annual Tax Levy—there is no increase in this rate.
• Approval of a budget amendment to permit use of ARPA (America Rescue Plan Act) funds to cover the increases in health care premiums for county employees with one or more dependents.
• Approval of a budget amendment setting aside $87,000 from the General Fund to ensure the three Auditor’s office employees could laterally transfer to other county positions in 2022.
• Adoption of the 2022 Peoria County Annual Budget and Appropriation Ordinance as amended by the previous two bulleted items on a 15-2 vote.
• With the adoption of the 2022 amended Budget the Auditor’s office staffing was eliminated with only the elected Auditor serving in that office for the upcoming year.

A proclamation was approved on a 13-4 vote extending the Declaration of Emergency due to COVID-19 in Peoria County.
Jim Runyon, Observer