Board of Trustees

Village of Peoria Heights Board of Trustees October 3, 2023 The meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. Everyone stood for a moment of silence and the Pledge to the Flag. Upon calling roll, the following Trustees were present: Sarah DeVore, Jeff Goett, Elizabeth Khazzam, Matthew Wigginton, and Brandon Wisenburg. Trustee Jennifer Reichert was absent. Others present included Mayor Michael Phelan, Village Administrator and Chief of Police Dustin Sutton, Village Clerk Stephanie Turner, and Village Counsel Attorney Kate Carter. Trustee Khazzam made a motion to approve the minutes from the September 19, 2023 meeting. Trustee DeVore seconded the motion. The minutes were approved 5-0. Clerk Turner read a letter from Mr. Charles Lee expressing support for the Peoria Heights Fire Department. Clerk Turner also ready a letter from the St. Thomas Food Pantry thanking the Board for its donation. Mayor Phelan opened the meeting to public comment. Ms. Valerie Wolfe, 612 E Sloane, came forward as a spoke person for a local project. She shared she was working with Paparazzi to place a piece of art at the corner of Marietta Avenue and Prospect Road. The statue would be in place for 4 years and funds will be paid by another entity. The project needs Village approval for placement. Trustee Khazzam thanked Ms. Wolfe for her efforts and noted Village counsel will work to draw up an agreement which the Board can consider at the next meeting. Hearing no additional public comment, the Board moved on to old business. Having no old business, the Board moved on to new business. Trustee Devore made a motion to approve Ordinance 2023-1709: an Ordinance Amending Title 4, Chapter 1 of the Village Code of the Village of Peoria Heights for the Purpose of Adding a New Supplemental Liquor License Allowing for Package Liquor Sales for Class B License Holders. Trustee Goett seconded the motion. Trustee DeVore explained the new liquor license would allow for the sale of beer, wine, and liquor as well as limited consumption on site. The new license was requested by Beck’s. Trustee DeVore explained the license is very similar to ones offered to other gas stations and discussed the differences between the supplemental license and currently available licenses. Trustee Wigginton expressed concern over the number of liquor licenses available. Trustee Wigginton made an amendment to section 4-1-11: Number of Licenses to include sections B, C, and D which are detailed and attached to these minutes as Amendment A. Chief Sutton asked Attorney Carter if liquor licenses were void once a business closed. Attorney Carter noted the license would be void, but there would be a vacancy which could be filled by the liquor commissioner. Trustee Wigginton noted the amendment wasn’t a reflection on Mayor Phelan’s excellent history as a liquor commissioner. He noted he had learned of these clauses from the Illinois Municipal League conference. Trustee Wisenburg seconded the amendment. Trustee Wisenburg expressed support and noted he was concerned about the number of licenses being proposed. Mayor Phelan expressed concern about the detail of the amendment and suggested a deferral. Trustee Wigginton stated he would support a deferral pending voting on the amendment. The Board voted 4-1 to approve the amendment to Ordinance 2023-1709. Trustee Goett voted nay. Trustee Wigginton made a motion to defer Ordinance 2023-1709 to the October 17, 2023 meeting. Trustee DeVore seconded the motion to defer. The motion passed 5-0. Trustee Khazzam made a motion to approve Resolution 2023-14: a Resolution Ratifying Termination of Lease of Property Located at 1201/1203 Kingman Ave. Trustee DeVore seconded the motion. Trustee Khazzam explained the resolution was to formalize previous action, and it doesn’t preclude the Village from continuing to negotiate with KDB Group. Attorney Carter explains the resolution does nothing to change what has already occurred. Trustee Wisenburg expressed support for ratifying the termination and noted he would support continuing conversations with KDB Group. Trustee Wigginton asked if property taxes had been paid, and Attorney Carter stated they had been paid after the letter sent. The Board voted 5-0 to approve Resolution 2023-14. Mayor Phelan stated his intention to appoint Ms. Tanisha Cayson to the Peoria Heights Zoning Board of Appeals. Ms. Cayson came forward to provide her history in the community. Trustee Goett made a motion to appoint Ms. Cayson to the ZBA. Trustee Wisenburg seconded the motion. The Board congratulated Ms. Cayson and wished her luck. The appointment was approved 5-0. Mayor Phelan asked for miscellaneous business. Trustee Wigginton shared he, Trustee Khazzam, and Superintendent of Public Works, Mr. Chris Chandler, had a chance to meet with Illinois American Water as well as Woodard and Curran. He expressed hope that residents would attend the presentation on October 17, 2023. Director of Community Development, Mr. Wayne Aldrich, stated the Village had recently submitted an application for engineering development of Monroe Avenue. He thanked staff for their efforts and noted it was a strong application. The grant awards should be announced by spring 2024. Mr. Aldrich will be working on requests for information to find consultants for amending the zoning code as well as engineering consultants for Phase I work on Prospect Road. Trustee Wisenburg questioned the likelihood of funding for Phase II of the work. Mr. Aldrich spoke about the process of receiving funding. Trustee Goett made a motion to adjourn, and Trustee DeVore seconded the motion. The Board of Trustees voted 5-0 to adjourn at 6:04 pm. _____________________________________ ______________________________________ Michael Phelan, Mayor Stephanie Turner, Village Clerk