The Peoria County Board of Election Commissioners met on Tuesday January 8, with Commissioner Burke absent. During the discussion of bills, it was learned that the many miscellaneous charges listed would finish paying all expenses from the November election.
Early voting for the primary election on February 26, will only be held in two locations: the election office and the downtown library. The only race on the ballot will be for Peoria City Council. Early voting will begin on January 17, and run until February 25. State statute requires that the election office be open for voting during that whole period. The downtown library will only be open Thursday through Saturday, February 21-23. The Federal Companies was the low bidder for delivering the equipment to polling places. What You Can Do to Reduce Your Part of the Gulf Dead Zone: LWV Upper Mississippi River Task Force Update
The Dead Zone is the area expanding from the discharges of the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico where water oxygen levels are absent or so low that fish and aquatic life must leave the area or die. The area is larger than the state of New Jersey. Much of the Dead Zone is the result of nutrient pollution caused by high levels of common fertilizers like nitrogen and phosphorus. An excellent series of articles researching this issue is listed at the recent LWV UMR blog https://www.lwvumrr.org/blog/frustrations-lack-of-progress-environmental-groups-are-maddened-but-epa-is-pleased More information about the LWV Upper Mississippi River Task Force is at https://www.lwvumrr.org/ and a full listing of their blog posts is at https://www.lwvumrr.org/blog Lack of progress in reducing the size of the Dead Zone is noted. Goals set in 2008 have not been reached and the Dead Zone continues to increase in size. Voluntary compliance for nutrient pollution reaching the Gulf is contrasted to the mandates set by the U.S. EPA for clean-up of nutrient pollution in Chesapeake Bay, which did make significant reductions of the problem in the targeted time-frame. You can reduce your part of the Dead Zone by buying locally grown organic produce, meat and eggs from small farms and by buying phosphate free dish detergents and soaps and purchasing only phosphorous free yard products. Find out what your lawn service uses and insist on phosphorous free lawn care. The Peoria LWV is a member of the LWV UMR. Peoria Board members Elaine Hopkins and Joyce Blumenshine attended their pre-conference session held last summer in Chicago at the National LWV Convention. Additional background on nutrient pollution and tips for what you can do are at https://www.sierraclub.org/illinois/our-work/water/nutrients LWVGP is a member of the UMR ILO 4/23/2018
From: LWVGP Committee looking at Auditor Referendum on March 20,2018 ballot Re: Report to the LWVGP Board of Directors Approved by Board of Directors LWVGP The Committee met three times. The first meeting reviewed available information: background information from Peoria County Board Nov 28 meeting wording of the ballot referendum 2018 Peoria County budget LWVIL "Consolidation of Governmental Units & Sharing of Major Gov. Services” LWVGP position PASS FORWARD report dated June 28,2012 other LWVGP committee reports 11/20/2018: Steve Kerr chaired the meeting –
Manager Mark Matusak reported: · Treasurer Jim Stuttle presented financials for review and discussion. The Boards was pleased with expenditures as on target for the year. The Budget Actual showed repair of equipment as higher than usual but was compensated by overage in other budget line adjustments. · The 2019 Budget was further reviewed, discussed and approved by the Board and will be posted for public comment. The final budget will be voted on 12/18/18. · Mark Matusak gave the Manager’s Report. Burials are still down. The Board discussed possible reasons but it is a trend for inner city cemeteries. Most burials at this date are happening in rural cemeteries. Two family estates are in the discussion process, and overall and the purchase of lots is at a good level. · Four tours have been were given this Fall: E/P High School, Washington Gifted School, Master Gardeners and Mark Bill’s School. 12/11/2018: The Peoria County Board of Election Commissioners met on Tuesday, December 11, 2018, with commissioners Bartolo and Burke absent.
Under approval of bills, two large items stood out. The Verizon bill included election day, and rent will include January 2019. The Commission approved the purchase of pollbook software from VR Systems of Tallahassee, Florida. It was one of two low vendors. Peoria County IT looked at it, along with Director Tom Bride and assistant Elizabeth Gannon, who felt it best served the County's needs. The election office has started planning for the city primary in February. They will be sending out letters to polling places. Early voting will be held in the election office, hopefully with three days of voting in a downtown location. Director Bride prefers the main library, but it is closed on Sundays. The Commission will approve the schedule in January. The subcommittee looking into efficiencies after the November election should have its report ready next month. The State's Attorney reported on the challenges to candidate petitions, both of which have now been deemed invalid. Early voting and vote by mail will begin on January 17, 2019. Irene Pritzker, Observer 6/5/2018: The Election Commission held their monthly meeting on June 5, with all commissioners present. They started by approving the payment of bills, even though monthly bills for Ameren, American Water, and the copier had not yet arrived. This was due to the early meeting date (the first Tuesday of the month rather than the second).
Executive Director Tom Bride gave an update on the Brandywine location. He stops by several times a week to check on progress. Currently, they seem to be on schedule for a September 1 move in date. Metal studs and door framing are up, and electrical and fire alarm work is being completed. Bride's attendance has been helpful because an error was discovered in the placement of a wall. It would have run into a window, so it was moved slightly. Bride will also be putting out a Request For Proposal (RFP) for software and/or hardware for the ePollbooks. The current software will not be supported after the fall election. He is hoping that new software will work on the current pollbooks. He is looking for a three year contract. Irene Pritzker, Observer The Nov 27, 2018 meeting continued the budget discussion. Of particular note, Councilman Montelongo had asked to look at specific parts of both expenses and revenue. Specifically, they looked at eight expenses that support other agencies: Springdale, Animal Control, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Civic Center, Debt Service, Downtown Development Comm, Peoria Area Economic Development Council, and Minority Employment Action Team. Representatives of most of those agencies answered questions from Council and presented their work. None were cut, but it was interesting to look at other areas besides cutting Public Safety.
Revenue items: 7/24/2018: The big item was Manager Urich announced they were looking for $600,000 in cuts to expenses.
Councilwoman Moore requested a deferral of regular business item 18-231 which was to amend the Biennial Budget to use the Storm Water Utility Fund to purchase the Simantel property at the foot of Spring Street for $159,000. This was interesting because exactly what is the City Council allowed to spend the Storm Water Utility money on?? Cheryl Budzinski, Observer 7/26/2018: The 3pm meeting time is new and they didn't have a quorum at 3pm. Vice Chair Carl Cannon started the meeting with discussion items not needing a vote. Another commissioner arrived about 3:20 creating a quorum. (The Board has one opening since a commissioner resigned at the last meeting.) Carl Cannon, Anne Fox, Alma Brown, and Tekia Childs were in attendance. The Executive Director was not at the meeting.
One item of concern was the painting contractor giving notice that they would not be able to paint approximately 40 units by a specific deadline in August. But, the contracted company was the only company submitting a bid. A decision on whether to put the painting out for bid again will be made by Tuesday. The Commissioners asked sincere questions to support staff's efforts. 7/17/2018: Chairman Steve Kerr, Jim Stuttle, Bob Manning, Becky Doubleday, and Pat Powers were in attendance.
Chairman Kerr has been working on the Scattering Garden project and showed the plan (in progress.) Manager Mark Matusak was not at the meeting. Mike Rucker, volunteer coordinator with Peoria Wilds reported on the Savanna and the "Woodlands." (The Savannah is native plants. The Woodlands is not native plants, but deer resistant and needing little maintenance.) Mike had 20 volunteers working on The Woodlands recently - there was a lot of tree-killing vines. August 7 black-topping will begin in certain areas. The number of burials and sales was discussed and were good. Heritage company -established in 1820 in Peoria- has been doing "wonderful" restoration work at the cemetery for the Springdale Foundation. Steve with "Find a Grave" has 6 people helping with Springdale (as volunteers) including photographing graves. 59,000 have been identified with 70% photographed. Monica and Jim are very impressed with his work. Jim said that geneology is the 2nd biggest hobby in the United States. Observer Cheryl Budzinski thanked the Board for allowing the LWV to hold its Summer Social at Springdale near the stones of "The Shaft." (Cheryl is filling in for Rick Fox.) |
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