Village Board fills Mass Transit Board seat

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Christopher Ahart, deputy police chief in Peoria Heights, has been appointed to fill the Village’s seat on the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District Board.

He succeeds Joan Krupa as the Heights’ representative on the five-member GPMTD Board.

Ahart has been employed by the Heights Police Department for 22 years, starting as a police officer and working his way up to sergeant, detective and ultimately to deputy chief in 2012. He also serves as a member of the Peoria Heights District 325 School Board.

“I had a long list of people. We’ve got a deep team here in Peoria Heights that I considered,” said Mayor Michael Phelan.

But in the end, the mayor chose Ahart because “we all know Chris. We want someone that’s going to represent us very well on the board. But as I thought about it, Chris has a real unique perspective as deputy chief. He certainly

understands the transportation needs here, which are a very important part of what this job does.

“But also his role as a School Board member gives him a good understanding of the people in the community that are in need ... I want to keep in mind that we don’t forget the customers of this service ... I think he’ll be an outstanding representative of Peoria Heights on the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District.”

The vote to approve Ahart’s appointment was unanimous, with Trustees Diane Mariscal and Sherryl Carter absent.

In other news, Heights Street Superintendent Mike Casey announced that the Village will be receiving $405,000 through the state’s Rebuild Illinois capital plan, which will be distributed over the next three years. The priority for those funds will be Forest Park Drive, as it’s overdue for surface work and serves as an artery from Prospect down to Galena Road, with a couple of nursing homes along the way, he said.

Finally, the Peoria Heights Arts Collaborative wants to bring back its annual Arts Fair in May following a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19. The fair previously has drawn thousands of visitors, and as such, the Collaborative is asking for the closure of Prospect Road from Glen to Seiberling on that date – with traffic rerouted – and a donation from the Village to help with the costs of hosting the show. The latter will in part be returned to the Village through tax revenues generated by visitors who eat and shop in the Heights during the event.

“People are yearning to get out,” said Barb Milaccio, a leader of the effort. “I feel like our attendance will just be huge, I really do – supporting the businesses, supporting the artists.”

“We asked the business community and the art community to step up and take ownership of this, and you have,” said Phelan. “I’m personally ready to kick off a lot of events in Peoria Heights in 2021. I think these types of events distinguish us from other communities ... These are affordable, normally free events for residents to come and enjoy.”

The Village Board will take up the requests at its next meeting on Feb. 16.

Freezing temps can cause frozen pipes...Be prepared!

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The forecast between now and Valentines Day is downright chilly!

Here are some cold weather tips to help prevent frozen pipes:

  1. Locate and insulate pipes in or near exterior walls or unheated interior spaces (attics, basements, garages.)

  2. Locate and exercise shut-off valves leading to the water meter.

  3. Let cold water drip from a faucet served by exposed pipes to prevent freezing during cold snaps.

  4. Keep the heat no lower than 55° F or winterize the pipes if you’re planning to be away during cold weather.

Meet Donovan Thompson, Peoria Heights Fire Chief

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The Village of Peoria Heights has hired a new fire chief.

Donovan D. Thompson, 51, succeeds Greg Walters, who is retiring after eight years plus on the job. The Village Board also will be employing Mike Woo, a longtime volunteer firefighter, to cover weekday first-shift duties. The Village Board vote was unanimous, with trustees Diane Mariscal and Sherryl Carter absent.

The chief will work part- time, approximately 20 hours per week, and will earn $40,000 annually. Woo will make $10,000. Both are newly created positions.

“I’m really excited about this new version of the Peoria Heights Fire Department. I know it’s kind of a hybrid model,” said Village Administrator Dustin Sutton, in reference to the deliberations over the last four months as the board and staff mulled multiple options, among them hiring a full-time chief, employing a day crew, creating a fire protection district, continuing the all-volunteer status quo or contracting out to the City of Peoria for fire protection.

Ultimately, this was the compromise reached, and the Heights intends to give it a year – the length of the chief’s employment contract – to see how it all works out.

“Even though we hate to lose Chief Walters ... we are excited about this next step,” said Sutton. “We’ll hit the ground running.”

Both men start immediately.

Thompson’s full-time job is as fire chief at Caterpillar, Inc., where he oversees about 55 employees. He previously worked for 26 years with Chillicothe’s volunteer fire department before ultimately ascending to chief there, as well.

Recruitment, retention and training of volunteers will be his immediate top priorities, said Thompson. The department’s volunteer numbers have dipped the last few years, even as the call volume has not, said Thompson.

Many factors contribute to that, said Thompson, from changing attitudes toward volunteerism to increasing demands by employers, family obligations and even COVID fears – all issues that are not unique to the Heights. That has resulted in an inability to respond to some calls, especially those that are not quite the emergencies that a building fire would be, he said.

The new fire cadet program at Peoria Heights High School is a good start toward reversing that trend, he said, but more is needed, including appealing to community leaders to help stress the importance of citizen involvement as a critical step to keeping an in-house department. Currently, the Heights has about 27 volunteer firefighters.

Meanwhile, Woo, 68, a retired power plant millwright, will be on call weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sutton called the longtime Heights firefighter “a class act” and “a great ambassador for the Village.”

For Thompson, this is all a continuation of his firefighting lineage. He grew up in Bushnell, where his father served as a volunteer firefighter.

“You’re brought up in that culture,” said Thompson. “It’s in my blood.”

Boil order issued for Ellen Ct.

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A boil order is in effect for residents on Ellen Ct (4600-4800 blocks of Ellen Ct) due to a water main break. Temporary disruptions in water service may occur while the water main is being repaired. Please consult the Boil Order Guidelines PDF for best practices to use during a boil order. Residents will be notified when the boil order has been lifted. 

 Neighboring areas may experience discolored water. There are no health or safety hazards with this condition. Do not do laundry while water is discolored to avoid any staining. Flushing water lines will help to clear out the discolored water. 

 If you have any questions, please call 309-686-2375.

Village names new water superintendent, completes business relief disbursements

Chris Chandler, a longtime Public Works employee, has been named the Village’s water superintendent, effective immediately.

He succeeds Dave Marfell, who has taken a job in the private sector.

Mayor Michael Phelan had high praise for both, noting Marfell’s long tenure with the Village starting in 1996 as a 20-year-old police dispatcher, an exit for a time, then his return in 2010 to the present. “Meticulous, hardworking, and devoted to his duties” were the words Phelan used to describe him.

“It’s been quite a journey,” said Marfell, who had kind words for those with whom he worked, specifically
Village Administrator Dustin Sutton. “Yeah, I’ll miss this place.”

Meanwhile, a door closes for one and opens for another, said Phelan.

“I go to bed every night not worrying about the streets or the water,” he said. “I know the crews are out there taking care of business.”

The Village now is accepting applications to fill Chandler’s previous job as a laborer in Public Works.

In other news, the Village has wrapped up its business relief program, through which it distributed nearly $155,000 to 36 local operations.

The program was made possible through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Business owners could receive one-time grants of up to $5,000 for reimbursement of mortgage, lease and utility expenses that many have struggled to pay during this pandemic.

That partnership came on the heels of a strictly local relief effort last May, both aimed at helping local moms and pops survive 2020’s COVID-related shutdowns to play another day. Many were grateful for the assistance.

Indeed, the $5,000 received by Hearth restaurant was “easily worth an entire week of revenue,” when once upon a time, that would have been a decent night’s receipts, owner Hugh Higgins said in an email of thanks to the Village Board. As a result, “come hell or high water, Hearth will survive this pandemic.

“I count my lucky stars that I landed in the Heights.”