Board of Trustees

Village of Peoria Heights Board of Trustees May 24, 2025 The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. Everyone stood for a moment of silence and the Pledge to the Flag. Upon calling roll, the following Trustees were present: Nate Steinwedel, Beth Khazzam, Teresa Symmonds, Sarah DeVore, Brandon Wisenburg, and Jennifer Reichert. Others present included Mayor Matt Wigginton, Village Clerk Stephanie Turner, and Village Counsel Mark Walton. Mayor Wigginton shared a letter Fire Chief Decker had asked him to read. Fire Chief Decker stated he found out about the agenda for the meeting the date before and was unavailable due to the short notice. He stated he hasn’t received any performance evaluation or negative performance comments. He shared his perspective of events regarding the renewal of his contract. He provided highlights of his work. He expressed disgruntled firefighters have worked to undermine his progress. He thanked the individuals who have supported him. Mayor Wigginton opened the meeting to public comment. Mr. Ray Lockhart expressed support for Fire Chief Decker and questioned the Board’s evaluation process. Mr. Greg Walters, retired fire chief and chairman of the Police and Fire Commissioners, came forward to express support for Fire Chief Decker. Mr. Walters questioned the Board. Mayor Wigginton noted the Board may speak to its reasoning during discussion but public comment is for Board to hear the public. Mr. Walters requested the contract be renewed or the Board compromise to a one year extension. Mr. Norm Reichert expressed Trustee Steinwedel, Trustee Symmonds, and Trustee Reichert ran on a platform of protecting the fire department. He accused them of lying and stated politicians should represent residents. Mr. John Harris, member of the Peoria Heights Fire Department, said the PHFD had been visited by candidates who expressed support for the department. He encouraged the Board to support Fire Chief Decker. He spoke about various department issues as well. Mr. Jeff Shields, member of the Police and Fire Commissioners, came forward to support Fire Chief Decker. He stated Fire Chief Decker had been hampered by a level of indecision. He expressed the difficulty taking over a fire department when new to the community. He spoke to Fire Chief Decker’s leadership and the necessity of safety. He stressed safety as the most important component. He encouraged the Board to not listen to employee complaints. He also suggested a 6 or 12 month extension of the contract. Mr. Norm Reichert approached the podium again noting he understood the Board couldn’t speak to personnel issues. He explained the PHFD had built the specs for the ladder truck, and the PHFD had historically performed their own maintenance on all equipment. He encouraged the Board to show Mr. Walters or himself the issues noting that shouldn’t be private. Mr. Lockhart questioned the Board not responding to comments. Mayor Wigginton noted the Board would have a chance and explained the process wasn’t a dialogue but both the public and the Board have chances to speak during the meeting. Ms. Diane Close came forward to reiterate her support for Fire Chief Decker. She shared her regrets for acting emotionally previously in her time at the Village and encouraged the Board not to act emotionally. She stated she was looking forward to hearing the Board’s remarks. Mayor Wigginton thanked the public for their comments. Hearing no additional comments, Mayor Wigginton closed the meeting to public comment. Trustee Khazzam made a motion to approve the non-renewal of appointment of Fire Chief and Fire Chief Employment Agreement. Trustee Steinwedel seconded the motion. Trustee Khazzam explained she would restate what she had said in executive session. She stated she has had no contact with any member of the PHFD prior to the non-renewal. She expressed concern that Fire Chief Decker appears to be putting forward a dangerous, reckless narrative. She noted she has not made a decision based on heresay or chit-chat. Trustee Steinwedel stated he saw a lot of people he’s grown up with and that he respects and decisions aren’t always easy. Trustee Steinwedel stressed he is a resident who uses the same services, is a neighbor, and he cares about the safety of the Village. He expressed the fire department needs accountability, leadership, and fiscal responsibility. He stated the training funds aren’t enough to cover basic training, there’s no plan for ongoing training, and that was a failure in leadership and planning. Trustee Steinwedel expressed that all equipment and vehicles must be maintained and certified to ensure the firefighters are as safe as possible when performing their dangerous duties. He spoke about current firefighters who aren’t registered with the State Fire Marshall’s Office. The deficiency puts their benefits, in case of death, in jeopardy. He expressed the failure was a moral issue. He stated he doesn’t believe progress is being made and as such he cannot support renewing the contract. Trustee DeVore expressed frustration at being accused of an emotional decision after her years fighting to support public safety. She noted the fire budget had increased substantially since she began service in 2018, and she and Trustee Wisenburg had worked hard to support the PHFD throughout the years. She noted she hadn’t worked in the industry, and she needs answers from the experts. She stated she had asked repeatedly if the PHFD was receiving enough funds yet she is being informed that the PHFD still is not fully funded. She expressed Fire Chief Decker is a wonderful individual and out of respect for him, and all other staff, she will not discuss details from a personnel executive session. She expressed the Board has done its best to allow Fire Chief Decker to shine in his future. Trustee Steinwedel agreed. Trustee Reichert expressed her support for Fire Chief Decker as a provider of stability. She stated she believes that the issues the Board has discussed can be fixed. Trustee Reichert stated Fire Chief Decker wasn’t perfect, and he needed to improve. She noted the Board had complained communications weren’t answered or answers might have been misleading, but those issues could be fixed by Fire Chief Decker. Assistant Chief Austin Szentes spoke briefly about maintenance and fire training stating the PHFD is close to being fully trained. Attorney Walton reviwed the consequences of votes due to the unusual nature of the motion. The Board voted 5-1 to approve the motion to non-renewal. Trustee Reichert voted nay. Mayor Wigginton noted there was an option for an executive session on the agenda if the Board wished. Trustee Wisenburg made a motion dispense the executive session under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)1 personnel. Trustee DeVore seconded the motion. The Board voted 6-0 to not enter executive session. Trustee Wiseburg made a motion to adjourn, and Trustee DeVore seconded the motion. The Board of Trustees voted 6-0 to adjourn at 9:55 a.m. ____________________________________ ______________________________________ Matthew Wigginton, Mayor Stephanie Turner, Village Clerk