Washington has a new police chief. But he's not new to the community.
The Washington City Council on Monday unanimously approved a four-year contract for Chief Jeff Stevens, who had served as interim chief for a month following the retirement of former chief Mike McCoy.
Stevens is a 26-year veteran of the Washington Police Department. He was promoted to deputy chief in 2015 under Chief Don Volk and later worked under interim chiefs Ed Papis and Ted Miller and McCoy, who was hired in 2017.
Before council approved Stevens' contract, it voted 7-1 to remove a residency requirement for the city's police chief. The amended policy allows the chief to reside within 25 miles of the city limits if the chief has been a city employee for at least 15 years.
Stevens, 54, who does not live in Washington, meets both of those standards.
The city residency requirement for the Washington police chief had been in place since 1991.
Alderperson Bobby Martin III cast the lone "no" vote on the city residency requirement change, but he made the motion to approve Stevens' contract.
Stevens said there are 38 sworn and civilian employees in the Washington Police Department, and he's looking forward to "utilizing their talents to the fullest extent to meet the needs of our residents and visitors."
He'll be paid $140,000 in the first year of his contract. The mayor and council will do an annual performance evaluation that could lead to salary increases.
Contract perks for Stevens include a car for business and reasonable personal use, a cell phone, laptop, payment of dues for professional and civic organizations, and a $1,500 annual uniform allowance.
A 2006 graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and a 2012 graduate of the Illinois State Police Crime Scene Investigator School, Stevens was a member of the 182 Security Forces Squadron of the Illinois Air National Guard from 1995-2001. He also worked with and the security police for the Illinois Department of Military Affairs before joining the Washington Police Department in 1999.
Additionally, Stevens was a member of the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Working Group from 2008-14, and is a 2010 graduate of the U.S. Secret Service Network Intrusion Response Course. He also received other training in subsequent years at the U.S. Secret Service National Computer Forensics Institute, and was part of the Illinois Attorney General's Crimes Against Children Task Force at about the same time.
They're back!: Chickens can return to neighborhoods
Chickens are allowed once again in Washington residential areas.
The city council unanimously approved zoning code changes that allow property owners in residential areas to keep chickens, as long as the birds are kept in a city-approved enclosure in the rear yard at least 15 feet from side and rear property lines and at least 25 feet from adjacent residences.
Also among the fowl regulations are no more than five chickens allowed on a property; roosters and "other loud species" are banned; and the slaughtering of chickens isn't permitted.
An annual city permit that costs $25 is required.
Martin said while he believes personal property rights allow homeowners in residential areas to have chickens, the regulations are a good compromise because they give the city oversight.
A zoning code change approved by the council in October 2019 allowed chickens on residential properties only as a special use. Eleven months later, council voted to ban chickens on residential properties. That ban was in effect until Monday.
Chickens also are allowed in areas zoned agricultural in the city.
Also approved unanimously by the council Monday were:
- Special use permits for residential non-owner-occupied short-term rental locations at 1406 Westgate Road behind the Washington Community High School baseball diamond; 132-134 N. Main St., one block north of the downtown square; 711 S. High Street at the corner of Oakland Avenue near the southern city limits; and 406 N. Main St., just north of Monroe Street on the second floor of an accessory building on the back half of the property. Each property has been operating as an STR location during the special use approval process. STR licenses from the city must be renewed annually.
- A request to rezone property at 1860 W. Cruger Road from general retail to service retail, so it can be used for outdoor sales of merchandise like storage sheds, chicken coops and deer blinds. The property will be leased by owner Ricketts Properties to a tenant.
- An additional payment of $15,000 to Crawford, Murphy & Tilly of Springfield to prepare an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency water system project plan so the city can obtain a state revolving fund loan for projects. The project plan must include a water rate study that shows how the city would pay off the loan. CMT has been directed by the city to look at short-term and long-term options in the rate study that focus on the U.S. Business 24 water main project. CMT has already been paid $70,000 for a project plan that the previous council did not approve.
Speed tracking results; communications specialist
Here are highlights of reports from department heads reports to the council:
JEFF STEVENS, POLICE CHIEF
- A speed trailer placed on North Lawndale Avenue from May 2-17 showed the 85th percentile speed on the 25-mph street was 29 mph, which means 85% of vehicles were detected at 29 or less. The 50th percentile was 24 mph. Of almost 9,000 vehicles detected, 82 - or about 9% - were clocked at 36 mph or more.
- Washington police responded to a motorcycle-bicycle crash with injuries on Nofsinger Road north of Santa Fe Road because Tazewell County Sheriff's Department deputies weren't available. Officers made a DUI arrest.
- Officers who responded to a domestic dispute found a "distressed dog" and an investigation led to an arrest for animal cruelty. The dog was taken by Tazewell County Animal Control.
- The Good Neighbor Days carnival was staffed entirely with part-time officers and the Good Neighbor Days 5K run was 80% staffed with part-time officers. The Washington Police Department has eight part-time officers who have full state certifications and undergo the same training as full-time officers.
DENNIS CARR, INTERIM CITY ADMINISTRATOR
- He's working with Alderperson Brandon Moss and the city's human resources staff to assemble a job description for a potential new position, a communications specialist.
- He's working on a request for qualifications to conduct a city facilities space study tentatively entitled the Municipal Facilities Improvement Plan.
- The exhaust system at the Washington Fire Station has failed and a new one must be installed. The city is responsible for building issues at the fire station that cost more than $2,500, so the department gathering quotes. After a contractor is selected, a new exhaust system will be installed and the building will be made Occupational Health and Safety Administration-compliant.
DENNIS CARR, CITY ENGINEER
- Three bridge replacement projects will be submitted to the Illinois Department of Transportation in response to a recent IDOT notice of funding opportunity. The West Jefferson Street bridge between Lincoln Street and North Wood Street, and North Main Street and South Main Street bridges over Farm Creek "are nearing the end of their design life and scheduled for potential replacement in the next few years," Carr said. Each project has an estimated cost of $1.6 million. No local match is required for the IDOT funding.
- A contract for the Grandyle Drive relief sewer project should be awarded at the June 16 council meeting. The project includes adding a sidewalk along the west side of Grandyle from around MacKenzie Street to the south side of Elgin Avenue.
- With the completion of the Washington Park berm project, the 10-foot sidewalk that was installed last year to replace the Jackson Street bridge will be extended past Hamilton Street and tie in with the existing sidewalk.
JON OLIPHANT, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
- A certificate of occupancy has been issued for the 501-505 Walnut Street building that has been rehabilitated.
- City staff is continuing to work with the city attorney to address housing issues at 121 Peoria St. and 313 Court Drive.
Want to join a city board? Now you'll know about vacancies
In her report to the council Monday, Mayor Lilija Stevens said she's working with city staff to develop a new, user-friendly method to advertise vacancies on city boards, committees and commissions, and residents who speak during public comment at council meetings can now request feedback from city staff.
Mayor Stevens also said the second "Let's Talk Washington" session for residents will be at 3 p.m. June 18 at the Sunnyland branch of the Washington District Library.
Stevens, along with Carr and Police Chief Stevens, met with 17 attendees at the inaugural session last month in the meeting room of the main branch of the Washington library at Five Points Washington. Moss suggested that alderpersons could attend the sessions on a rotating basis.
