Peoria County Board Observer Report

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
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