Peoria candidates forum reveals issues

Update, 3/25/13:  See audio recordings, below, now posted.

PEORIA -- Here's the great, fun thing about candidate forums:  you never know what's going to come up, or be said.

The candidates may be droning on then suddenly -- wow. 

That's what happened at the March 23 League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria forum, which featured candidates for the Peoria City Council, Peoria Township Supervisor and Illinois Central College Board.

Let's begin with the City Council.  League rules don't allow debates with empty chairs, so only candidates with opponents participate, though others can introduce themselves, so as not to totally penalize them if their opponent refuses to participate or cannot appear.

Chuck Grayeb, in the 2nd District was without his opponent, incumbent Barbara VanAuken, so he spoke briefly, saying the district needs safe neighborhoods and good schools "or people will leave" and move elsewhere. He also stands for historic preservation, he said, and will "ramp up" the ordinance.

Grayeb is a former council member and lost a close race for an at-large seat two years ago.

Some of the other candidates in the forum didn't know what he was talking about.  When asked a question about historic preservation, only Tim Riggenbach of the 3rd District could explain what has happened.

The council has allowed property owners to veto placing their property on the historic register, he said.  "We want to respect private property but there needs to be a balance between property ownership and community interests," he said.

He suggested criteria, and if a property meets, say four of five, it's protected.  More discussion is needed, he said.

His opponent, Chad Grimm, said private property rights trump everything. "No discussion," he said, adding "property taxes are rent to the government." Hummm.

The other two candidates, John Kunski and Jim Montelongo running for the 4th District both claimed not to know enough to comment, amazing for city council candidates.  Kunski recently retired from the city's inspections department, which he ran, and Montelongo was a council member previously.

Other questions brought more information, and again Riggenbach explained it best.  Asked about plans to allow condos or apartments to be built on the Peoria Riverfront Parkland, Kunski and Montelongo ducked again.  Kunski said he was not aware of the project, and Montelongo said he needed to hear the details, but he "may not be in favor of it." (They should be reading this blog. Scroll down for a story on this issue.)

Grimm said, "if it's not being used and out of my district, let them (developers) buy it."

Riggenbach explained that the land in question was involved in an open spaces grant, and that led to the city purchase of Rocky Glen, a worthwhile project, to compensate for loss of land on the riverfront.

"It's coming up," he said of the condo project, but didn't discuss his stand on the issue, and whether other alternatives to sacrificing the city park could be found.

The garbage tax proved another complex issue. Only nobody called it a tax, and instead referred to it as a 'fee.'

"We are discussing including it in the property tax bill," Riggenbach said, since the new billing system is very unpopular with the public. People don't like the billing being done in Decatur, though that company was the low bidder.  "I don't think they'll get it again," he said.

Other complaints include people wanting to cancel it if they're on vacation.  But it costs the same to send the truck down the street, whether it stops at your house or not, Riggenbach said.

(Oh really?  Doesn't the work get done more quickly if a house whose owners are snowbirds, is skipped?  That didn't come up.)

A plus is that people now know what it costs, Montelongo said.  Again that may not be the case. Is the $13 for every house, whether a shack or a mansion, really the total cost?  What does the billing cost each person? What about tipping fees, based on the weight of the garbage, surely different for the shack with one occupant and the mansion with a half-dozen?  No discussion of these details occurred.

Kunski would put the garbage cost back on the property taxes, as would Grimm.  Even though he doesn't like those property taxes.

Answering a question about police chief hiring, Riggenbach said the city has hired five new officeers to live and work in certain residential areas including the East Bluff, West Bluff and South Side.  Someone donated a house, he said.

A question about outsourceing city inspections to a private firm led to a discussion about oversight and accountability.  The city has sent out a request for proposals to outsource city inspections, Kunshi said. "You lose a sense of ownership and control.I'm not in favor of that."

"We're a long way from making that decision," Riggenbach said. Grimm said he needed to hear more details, and Montelongo said he favors city employees doing it.

Here's the recording of the City Council candidates.

Peo CC candidates 3.23.13

 

The Peoria Township Supervisor race pits a long time incumbert, Joe Whelan, against Clyde Gulley who is leaving the city council.

Gulley said the council has "identified problems in the office but it's not discussed, it's confidential. Look at the findings, come up with solutions. This is why I'm running."

There is also duplication of services, he said. "We need to look at options that could be more efficient." He also said "it's unclear where the money is going" and called for a better financial report.

But Whelan said there are "no major issues" with the audit, and the office is "running fine.  If it's not broken why fix it."

The township office has a $1.6 million budget. It receives no state funds, and spends money on welfare services.

Here's the audio:

Peo Twp Sup cand 3.23.13

 

The Illinois Central College Board has four candidates for two seats.  They are Adam Herrman of Eureka, a science teacher in McLean County; Bob Ehrich, a retired Pekin dentist who has been on the board for 37 years (this would be his last term, he said); Diane Lamb of Hanna City, a teacher at Lincoln College in Normal, a geologist and accountant; and Gale Thetford, a former Peoria City Council member and lawyer recently retired from the Illinois Department of Aging.

Their session was harmonious, with no major issues in contention. Lamb questioned some spending, for example $46,000 in the budget to upgrade the Founders Room.  "Why? It's a beautiful room," she said. She also suggesed that ICC seek more grants to cover budget shortfalls from the state. 

Audio recording of ICC candidates:

ICC Board cand 3.23.13

 

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

Comments

[C. J. Summers]

Look at Elaine's detailed and interesting report above and compare it to the pathetic report turned in by the Journal Star here: http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1522344049/Township-supervisor-candidates-disagree-about-need-for-change.

I'm so disgusted with the state of the media in Peoria. Does no one care? Is there no one left that sees the danger in having no watchdog press?

[Pat Lewis]

Elaine, I thought it was very revealing that Tim Riggenbach thought the City only had two representitve positions on the Springdale Board; they have three, one is currently unfilled.The suggestion that the County and Park District were the weak legs on the 'stool' was exactly that stool.

[Marvin Forssander-Baird]

Elaine, thank you for bringing up how clueless some of the candidates were in regards to historic preservation. One thing that truly stands out to me is what a gaping lack of understanding exists in this community about the value of heritage tourism and historic preservation as economic drivers. We have in our hands a collection of jewels that we allow to slip away, one by one. The founding fathers of this city knew an opportunity when they saw one and when one wasn't available, they created one. We seem to have lost that vision. I was there at the forum and I was gratified to feel the wave of shock that rippled across the room when Chad Grimm was so dismissive of preservation. I looked around and realized that the audience was made up of a cross section of people who I would not normally think of as preservationists.

Also, C.J. Summers has hit the nail right on the head. The Journal Star has become a pallid shadow of true journalism.

[Billy Dennis]

Indeed. A good write-up Elaine.

[Billy Dennis]

C.J. We DO have a watchdog press. Me, you, Elaine, etc.