Peoria Area News Briefs

Chronicle Media
Enercon Engineering’s Illinois Headquarters in East Peoria

Enercon Engineering’s Illinois Headquarters in East Peoria

Chillicothe

City hires new fire chief

The Chillicothe City Council on Nov. 9 approved the appointment of Deputy Chief Mike Denzer as the new chief of the Chillicothe Fire Department. Denzer joined the department as a firefighter in 1995 and became deputy chief in 2012. Denzer also is a financial planner and a member of the Illinois Valley Central School District School Board. Denzer succeeds John Myers, who served the department for 51 years, 13 as chief, before retiring Oct. 1. Myers took over from his father, Gail F. “Mike” Myers, who was chief of the department from 1953 to 2002.

Park Board adopts two tax increases

Despite the public’s cries for a referendum, and voicing strong disfavor for a combined 69 percent increase in the  Chillicothe Park District Board voted unanimously to adopt two tax raising ordinances at its Nov. 14 meeting.  The board adopted a combined 69 percent increase on the property tax levy and bond ceiling, a proposal that was very unpopular with those who attended two recent truth in taxation hearings.  Some residents called for the proposals to go before the voters in a referendum. Board members said the increase is needed to to stave off a continued state of debt and will redevelop the district’s financial plan.  The Park District currently is $3 million in debt  — $2.1 million used to build the Shore Acres pool and another $1 million to build Santa Fe Park. The board said it needed to adopt the increase ahead of  Gov. Rauner’s current quest for a statewide two-year property tax freeze that would slow any chances of future revenue increases at the local level.

East Peoria

Caterpillar restructuring may mean more local jobs lost

As Caterpillar looks to save $1.5 billion on its global operations, the restructuring could mean the loss of more than 200 jobs at its East Peoria facility.  Part of the plan moving forward for Caterpillar could involve moving some of its production out of East Peoria leading to about 230 office and manufacturing workers  being laid off. About 1,200 local Peoria/East Peoria workers opted to take the company’s early retirement plan so the impact in East Peoria could be less than previously anticipated, according to Caterpillar spokesman. More than 300 contractors have already lost their jobs because of the restructuring.

Caterpillar expects to cut 10,000 jobs worldwide as the reorganization continues over the next year.

Peoria

City joins with state on collecting parking tickets

The city of Peoria has joined with the State of Illinois under the Local Debt Recovery Program. to collect outstanding parking tickets.  There are currently 15,639 open cases regarding outstanding parking fees, totaling $1,837,730.

The program allows local governments to collect unpaid debts on parking tickets as well as other fines. The fine amount, along with an administrative fee, can be withdrawn from the following sources: state tax refund, lottery winning or payroll check. Please note, the fine cannot be withdrawn from a state retirement check. This amount is deposited in the Comptroller’s Local Debt Recovery Fund. Any person impacted receives a letter from the state and are given 60 days to protest. If the debtor doesn’t contest, the amount is transferred to the local government after this time frame. In the case of multiple fines owed by one person, state and federal agencies are paid first, followed by local government agencies.

Forty percent of the  outstanding parking cases area from non-residents, according to Peoria City Treasurer Patrick Nichting.  Anyone concerned with the possibility of any outstanding fines may contact the Treasurer’s office at (309) 494-8545.

Region

LaHood talks energy production at East Peoria plant

Republican Congressman Darin LaHood is voicing his support for a House bill that would provide a 30 percent tax credit to companies that use heat and power technologies to capture and reuse heat normally wasted during the generation of electricity. LaHood said House Bill 2657, known as the Power Act, would be a win for the environment as well as for companies like Enercon that produce and deliver generating equipment globally as well as Caterpillar Inc., whose generators are partnered with Enercon equipment. The freshman congressman said the bill has bipartisan support and will create jobs. LaHood made his comments while touring Enercon Engineering in  East Peoria on Nov. 20.

LWV to discuss money in politics

A panel of experts will discuss the role of money in political campaigns at the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria meeting, from 6 to 7 p.m.  on Thursday, Dec. 3, at the Advanced Medical Transport (AMT) auditorium, 1718 N. Sterling Ave., Peoria.

The panel will consist of Anna Valencia, Frank Mackaman,  and Brad McMillan.Valencia is the founder and Principal of AVK Advisors, LLC, a consulting firm that focuses on political strategy, relationship management and government relations.  She recently served as a senior advisor for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2015 mayoral election, and was the manager for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s re-election campaign in 2014. Mackaman is on the staff of the Dirksen Congressional Center in Pekin, is a member of the Board of Trustees of Illinois Central College, and is an executive committee member and immediate past president of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress. McMillan is the director of the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service at Bradley University, and served as chief of staff for former Congressman Ray LaHood, who served as U.S. Transportation Secretary in the Obama administration’s first term. The panel will discuss democratic values with respect to campaign financing, First Amendment considerations, and how campaign financing can be regulated.  The public is invited to this free event.  For further information, contact Cheryl Budzinski at (309) 253-9594.     

Interchange at 74/155 reopened

The Illinois Department of Transportation reopened ramps from northbound I-155 onto westbound I-74 and from westbound I-74 onto southbound I-155 on Nov. 21 The interchange had been closed for several months as part of a multipart project. Detours along Morton Avenue or Pinecrest Drive are no longer needed. Although construction will come to a close for the season very soon, but the work zone speed limits will be in effect throughout the winter. Crews will resume work in the spring when they will shift to the Morton Avenue interchange and the nearby stretch of eastbound I-74. The entire project, to update and improve access between I-74 and I-155, began in the spring of 2013 and is expected to be finished sometime next year.

–Peoria Area News Briefs–