Peoria City Council Observer Report

​Oct 22 meeting (Ruckregal absent) Public Hearing regarding the 2020-21 Biennial Budget had two people speak: Downtown Development Board requested funding in the budget as had been done previous years; Peoria Area Assoc of Realtors requested there be no increase in property taxes – the city should find additional sources of revenue.

• Councilman Kelly pulled the items on the communication from the Fireman’s and Police Pension Funds reports to ask about the discrepancies between the actuaries and insurance using different mortality tables which affects amount required to meet the state’s ramp. Discussion was about closed and open systems.
• First Reading of ordinance amendment on Registration of Residential Property and Inspection of Dwellings included discussion about: non-owner-occupied registration at closing of property; lowering the fee; self-inspection form.
• Much budget discussion since City Manager Urich had answers to the 15 items that the council asked him to research at the previous meeting. Some of those items: Capital plan by District; new firestation; using TIF money for Downtown Development Council; pci report which is a street/sidewalk assessment now done every 3 years to help rank road condition and is used to determine which road projects are done first – rather than doing it based on complaints; confidence level in revenue projections in the budget (use conservative numbers); garbage fee is going up so much to pay for previous years when the city did not charge enough to cover contracted costs; “have a Cadillac garbage program” according to Urich; recycling market materials is mostly gone and material is being sent to landfills; recycling glass 

​which has no market now, actually ruins the machines and broken glass ruins the recycling load; using TIF money to start taking down the old Harrison School which will cost over $1,000,000 to demolish (Peoria Public Schools sold the building for $10 to someone who eventually abandoned the work and now the City is stuck with the building and demolishing it); painting street lights; fund transfers and summaries.

• Oct 29 will be the First Reading with Budget Changes. There will be no change in the levy. Nov 5 will be the second reading and possibly adopt the budget then or on Nov 12.
• Nov 12 will be a presentation and discussion on the “updated” Fitch study regarding the fire department.
• Councilman Cyr asked if fellow councilpersons desired to include money in the budget to do “due diligence” looking at possible repurchase of the water utility. He commented that it was discussed last year. No one responded.

​Cheryl Budzinski, Observer