Heights Board continues to deliberate over future of fire service

With the options now seemingly down to two for the future of fire service in Peoria Heights, at least one Village trustee framed the decision as a choice between the head and heart at the Aug. 18 Village Board meeting.

The Village was looking at basically four alternatives for fire protection a few months ago when Fire Chief Greg Walters announced his impending retirement in November – the all-volunteer status quo, employing a crew for dayside coverage with a part- or full-time fire chief, contracting with the City of Peoria for fire service, or creating a fire protection district with the tax base to support it.

Now those have been whittled down to either hiring a full-time fire chief – with the option of employing a duty crew at some point down the road if recruiting volunteers continues to prove difficult – or contracting with the Peoria fire department.

The primary difference is cost.

The stated price tag on the Peoria proposal under consideration – which would include 24-7 fire and accident coverage and some emergency response, specifically to cardiac arrests – is $153,000 annually.

Meanwhile, the cost of keeping fire service local – hiring a full-time chief with benefits, on top of the money the Village currently spends on the fire department including debt service on its firefighting equipment – would be well more than double Peoria’s bid, potentially triple that if a first-shift duty crew is hired.

“This is me thinking out loud. I guess I’m looking at the bottom line,” said Trustee Diane Mariscal. “That’s a pretty big difference between what we would pay Peoria and of course what we’d pay the Heights.

“I know this fire department is very, very beloved by the community … I know there are lots of other services you guys provide the community.

“Do we follow our heart or follow our head here? As far as financially, can we afford this?” 

History and the desire for local control seemed to be exerting a powerful pull on some Village Board members.

“In the back of my mind, I cannot let Peoria step foot in here,” said Trustee Sherryl Carter. “We’ve got our own community, we’ve got it going good, we need to keep it.”

While cost is an issue, acknowledged Carter, “we need to find a way to rearrange the numbers.” She expressed confidence that a full-time fire chief could be found for less than the nearly $111,000 in salary and benefits that Walters believes is necessary to lure a quality candidate to the Heights.

Trustee Jeff Goett was of a similar mindset.

“If we’re going to spend the money, I’d just as soon keep it in the Heights,” he said. “Speaking with my heart, I want to keep a Heights Fire Department.”

Trustee Brandon Wisenburg, the board’s liaison to the fire department, also expressed a preference for hiring a fire chief, saying that time was of the essence and that the board needed to focus on the “immediate need” for daytime coverage when volunteers aren’t as readily available. 

He encouraged his fellow trustees to “support Chief Walters’ recommendation” to keep fire service local. 

For his part, Walters said that “when you’re looking at the numbers … it’s not just numbers.” Peoria’s proposal “is a reduction in service to the Village of Peoria Heights,” he said. “I would not stand for that. Our guys work hard to give as much service to the community as they can.”

Village Administrator Dustin Sutton voiced reservations about the cost, noting that it wasn’t that long ago that the Village was having to climb its way out a million-dollar budget deficit. He questioned whether the community would support a public safety tax.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” he said. “I think we need to start thinking about how we’re going to pay for this. That’s my job. That’s a large number.”

“I know this is not an easy decision,” said Mayor Michael Phelan, who reminded the board of the urgency of reaching some resolution soon with the clock ticking toward November. 

Heights Village Hall reports first known COVID-19 case

A person who attended the Saturday, Aug. 1 special Peoria Heights Village Board meeting has tested positive for the coronavirus. 

“We are alerting members of the public so that they can take measures to protect themselves and those close to them, should they feel a need to,” said Village Administrator Dustin Sutton. He added that he is confident the Village has taken the follow-up steps necessary to ensure the safety of employees and visitors alike at Village Hall, to the extent possible.

All of those in attendance at that Village Board meeting – convened to discuss fire service options moving forward – have been notified of the potential COVID-19 contact, said Sutton. The person diagnosed was masked and practicing social distancing. That person is now in quarantine and will not be present at Village Hall during the duration of it. Village Hall has undergone a deep cleaning. 

“This is a pandemic from which central Illinois is not insulated, so there is a certain inevitability to a situation like this, whether in a publicly accessible local government building, a private sector business or within the confines of someone’s home,” said Sutton. 

“Our commitment to transparency here at the Village of Peoria Heights compels us to keep our constituents informed, and that’s what we are doing now. We urge everyone to act responsibly, for their sake and others’, and to try to stay healthy.”

Zoning Board of Appeals will meet Monday, August 17, 2020

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The Peoria Heights Zoning Board of Appeals will meet Monday, August 17, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 4901 N. Prospect Road, Peoria Heights, Illinois.  

The purpose of the meeting is to consider the following requests:

1. Variance application by William J. Andrew seeking a variance to permit construction of a corner yard fence with a setback variance on the property located at 1204 East Lake Avenue, Peoria Heights, Illinois, 61616 (PIN No. 14-27-130-001), which property is currently zoned R-2 (Medium Density Residential District).

2. Site Plan review and variance application by PH Samuel, LLC seeking approval of a Site Plan with variances for lot size, rear setback and a front yard fence, for proposed residential development of the property located at 1324 East Samuel Avenue, Peoria Heights, Illinois, 61616 (PIN No. 14-22-402-027), which property is current zoned R-3 (Multiple Family Residential District).

Additional documents and information are available at the Village Administrator's Office in Village Hall and/or by calling 686-2385.

Heights Village Board to hold special meeting on fire service

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The Peoria Heights Village Board will hold a special meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 at Village Hall to discuss the future of fire service in the community. 

With Fire Chief Greg Walters to retire from the otherwise volunteer fire department in November, and with volunteers increasingly difficult to find, Village leaders are exploring various alternatives for this critical provision of public safety at a reasonable cost.

The three options now before the Village Board are employing a crew for dayside coverage with volunteers on call for weekends and after-hours shifts, contracting with the City of Peoria for fire service, or creating a fire protection district with the tax base to support it. 

Walters will be present to share his recommendation and to answer questions. Representing the City of Peoria will be its fire chief, Tony Ardis, who will detail his proposal, as requested by the Village.

“This is not where I thought we would be today, by any stretch of the imagination,” Walters said at the July 21 Village Board meeting. “What set us back was COVID-19 … We had a plan to move forward. When the world stopped turning for three months, it stopped us in our tracks.”

Walters said he appreciates the “anguish” being felt in some quarters but expressed confidence that a shared “baseline of information” would help decisionmakers get to a conclusion that would be in the best interests of the community.

“Everybody needs to be on the same page,” he said.

Mayor Michael Phelan commended Walters and called for a meeting where “we can devote nothing but our full attention to fire,” where participants can “respectfully listen to each other and arrive at some solution.” The date of the chief’s departure is fast approaching and “I’m concerned what happens when that comes. We want to be, as a board, prepared for that.” 

Saturday’s meeting is for information and discussion only, with no action anticipated. Social distancing is being practiced. The wearing of masks is voluntary but encouraged.

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Transportation, Mobility, Community Facilities, & Infrastructure Webinar

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Join us for the Transportation, Mobility, Community Facilities, & Infrastructure Webinar for the Peoria Heights Comprehensive Plan!

 This webinar will provide an overview of recommendations for motorized and non-motorized travel, parking, circulation, and linkages between key areas of the Village and surrounding areas. The recommendations will incorporate “Complete Street” policies to ensure a consistent design with all users in mind including drivers, public transportation riders, pedestrians, and bicyclists as well as people of all ages and abilities. Recommendations will be guided by previously discussed goals, policies, and land use recommendations. 

 The webinar will take place on:

Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at 6:00 PM.

Use the following link to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8156591079669647374