Board of Trustees

Village of Peoria Heights Board of Trustees March 3, 2026 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: Nate Steinwedel, Elizabeth Khazzam, Teresa Symmonds, Sarah DeVore, Brandon Wisenburg, and Jen Reichert. Others present included Mayor Matt Wigginton, Administrator Dustin Sutton, Village Clerk Stephanie Turner, Superintendent of Public Works Chris Chandler, Chief of Police Chris Ahart, Interim Fire Chief Austin Szentes, and Village Counsel Mark Walton. Trustee Symmonds made a motion to approve the Board minutes from February 17, 2026. Trustee Khazzam seconded the motion. The motion passed 6-0. Mayor Wigginton opened the meeting to public comment. Mr. Bob Travers came forward to address a vacation of an alley on his property. Mayor Wigginton thanked him and asked him to wait for the agenda item to be discussed. Hearing no additional public comment, Mayor Wigginton closed the meeting to public comment. Mayor Wigginton announced the reappointment of Mr. Greg Fletcher to the Peoria Heights Police Pension Board. He noted Mr. Fletcher has served on the Pension Board for many years. Trustee Wisenburg made a motion to approve the reappointment of Mr. Fletcher. Trustee Symmonds seconded the motion. The Board voted 6-0 to approve the reappointment. Mayor Wigginton asked for support to create an intergovernmental group, including Peoria Heights School District No 325, Peoria Heights Public Library, and Richwoods Township, to discuss creating a real estate property tax rebate program to encourage residential development and secure a new grocery store within the Village. Mayor Wigginton noted he intends the program to be targeted and temporary. Trustee Wisenburg, Trustee Khazzam, and Trustee Symmonds all vocalized their support for the collaboration. Mayor Wigginton thanked Trustee Wisenburg and Trustee DeVore for their efforts to partner with the School District. The Board came to a consensus to support Mayor Wigginton in his efforts to discuss the idea with other taxing bodies. The Board moved on to old business. Trustee Steinwedel explained Chief Szentes had issued a report to the Board of Trustee regarding vehicle status and was seeking guidance. Administrator Sutton noted the Board had discussed paying off the fire department’s debt and how much to set aside for a vehicle. He stated the Village needed to get the fire vehicles operational. The Village could work to find funds as needed, and grants might not approve funding if a vehicle was budgeted. Trustee DeVore thanked Chief Szentes for his report and noted the Village needed to invest immediately in repairs. She suggested holding back allocating funds to assess grants. Trustee Steinwedel agreed noting the proposal sounded fair. Administrator Sutton stated the Board seemed in consensus, and the Village values safety and supports the Fire Department. Trustee Steinwedel expressed appreciation of the proactive approach to the Fire Department. Hearing no additional old business, Mayor Wigginton moved on to the new business. Trustee Reichert made a motion to approve the consent agenda. Truste DeVore seconded the motion. The consent agenda consisted of the following items: approval of use of Tower Park on Saturday, October 3, 2026 for Great Strides Annual Walk and approval of use of Tower Park on Friday, August 28, 2026 for Peoria Area Senior Citizens Band. The Board approved the consent agenda 6-0. Trustee DeVore made a motion to approve Ordinance 2026-1787: An Ordinance Providing for the Vacation of Alley. Trustee Steinwedel seconded the motion. Attorney Walton explained the Village has platted alleys which aren’t in use, and it was customary to vacate unused alleys. The area in question looked like a lawn and is not in use. Trustee Steinwedel questioned utility access. Attorney Walton noted there would still be an easement, and Superintendent Chandler explained the lines are out front. The property owner will pay attorney fees and recording fees. The Board approved the ordinance 6-0. Trustee Reichert made a motion to approve a MFT Resolution in the Amount of $340,000 for Road Salt, Sealcoating, Spray Patching, and Engineering. Trustee DeVore seconded the motion. Trustee Reichert explained the resolution is for the annual MFT program. The Board approved 6-0. Trustee DeVore made a motion to approve Ordinance 2026-1788: A Special Ordinance Authorizing the Ceding of Private Activity Bonding Authority. Trustee Wisenburg seconded the motion. Trustee DeVore explained the annual ceding of bond authority to retain local control of the bonding authority rather than allowing it to return to the State of Illinois. The Board approved the ordinance 6-0. Trustee Symmonds made a motion to approve Ordinance 2026-1789: An Ordinance Authorizing the Village of Peoria Heights of Peoria County, Illinois to Borrow Funds from the Public Water Supply Loan Program. Trustee Khazzam seconded the motion. Trustee Symmonds explained the loan will fund the water treatment plant. The Board approved the ordinance 6-0. Trustee Symmonds made a motion to approve Resolution 2026-01: Resolution Authorizing a Representative to Sign Loan Documents. Trustee DeVore seconded the motion. The resolution is for the loan that was just approved. The Board approved the resolution 6-0. Trustee Symmonds made a motion to approve the notice of intent to award for the Lead Service Line Replacement FY26. Trustee DeVore seconded the motion. Trustee Symmonds explained the award would be to JC Dillion for $2,696,116.50 as the lowest responsible bidder. The Board discussed the bid tabulation and the approved contract price with Trustee Symmonds explaining the difference. The Board approved the award 6-0. Trustee Reichert made a motion to approve the purchase of two (2) Public Works vehicles in the amount of $78,128. Trustee Symmonds seconded the motion. The Board approved the purchase 6-0. Trustee Wisenburg made a motion to approve the purchase of a police vehicle in the amount of $47,525. Trustee Symmonds seconded the motion. Funds for all three vehicles will be from the Village’s surplus in the current fiscal year. Trustee Steinwedel requested Chief Szentes be given the next vehicle slated for trade in to replace his current command vehicle. The Board approved the purchase 6-0. Trustee Wisenburg made a motion to approve the request for street closure on Prospect Road from Kelly Avenue to Seiberling Avenue for Mt. Moon Fest on Saturday, August 29, 2026. Trustee DeVore seconded the motion. A representative for the festival came forward and provided a history of the event. He noted their request was earlier than the previous year so they could work with the businesses. Trustee Wisenburg questioned the charity receiving funds from the event. The charity hasn’t been chosen but will likely be related to arts. Administrator Sutton noted the costs to the Village to close the road for the event and questioned the use of the parking lot behind the Pabst building. The Board discussed the idea with the representative declining. When questioned if businesses had been notified, the Board was told the event planners would approach the businesses to seek their involvement after approval. Trustee Steinwedel expressed concern closing the road for a charity event. Mayor Wigginton exited the meeting at 6:21 pm and returned at 6:21 pm. Trustee Steinwedel suggested the event be relocated to Tower Park. The representative declined and explained plans for the event to be a community, nonticketed event in the future. The Board continued to discuss alternative locations for the event including Kelly Avenue. The representative continued to seek closure of Prospect Road. Administrator Sutton stressed the closure of a main street, a main vein which is highly trafficked, was an inconvenience to the community and a cost to the Village which has historically only been closed for three events. Administrator Sutton noted the Board had approved an exception for the event the last year, and it wasn’t seamless. The Board discussed whether to defer the event to allow the event planners to consider alternatives. Trustee Steinwedel made a motion to defer the event request to the next meeting on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Trustee DeVore second the motion. The Board voted 6-0 to defer the request. Trustee Khazzam made a motion to approve the site plan application filed by The 33 Room, LLC Seeking Approval of a Site Plan for An Outdoor Alcohol Consumption Area Pursuant to Section 10-3-4 for the Property Located at 4541 N Prospect Road. Trustee Steinwedel seconded the motion. Trustee Khazzam explained the site plan had been unanimously approved at the Zoning Board of Approval meeting. It was later discovered the business didn’t have sufficient restrooms as the business was seeking a redevelopment agreement. Trustee Khazzam noted the application needed to be deferred while the owner and staff discussed resolutions. Trustee Khazzam made a motion to defer the site plan application to the next meeting on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Trustee Symmonds seconded the motion. The Board approved the deferment by 6-0. Hearing no additional new business, Mayor Wigginton opened the meeting to public comment. Hearing no public comments, the Board moved on to miscellaneous business. Trustee Khazzam provided a brief update on the Chamber of Commerce’s new mobile app. She shared the Chamber currently plans to unveil the app in May. Administrator Sutton asked Attorney Walton details of the attorney fees for the vacation of the alley with Attorney Walton explaining the process. Trustee Reichert offered the following dates for the Board’s consideration for the Village’s 250th anniversary celebration event: August 22, 2026, September 19, 2026, or October 24, 2026. The Board agreed on August 22. Trustee Reichert questioned the budget for the event, and Mayor Wigginton advised speaking to Administrator Sutton. Hearing no additional miscellaneous business, Trustee Wisenburg made a motion to adjourn. Trustee Steinwedel seconded the motion. The Board of Trustees voted 6-0 to adjourn at 6:50 p.m. ____________________________________ ______________________________________ Matthew Wigginton, Mayor Stephanie Turner, Village Clerk