Union firefighters in East Peoria have a new three-year contract with the city.
The city council on Tuesday voted unanimously in approving the collective bargaining agreement with the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 1498.
The new contract runs through April 2028 and includes general wage increases of 3% in the first year and 2.5% in each of the following years.
Commissioner Seth Mingus said he and Fire Chief Bobby Zimmerman began negotiations with union leadership in late January, and characterized the talks as “par for the course” in securing a contract that is “fair for both sides.”
“Obviously they have what they want in the negotiations, and the city has what we look at, and sometimes those don't line up perfectly,” said Mingus. “But I really appreciate the fire union and how they go about their negotiations, and we've got a good professional working relationship.”
Mingus said other changes from the previous contract include updating some language to reflect city policy on overtime, residency and insurance, along with some other adjustments.
“The firefighters are on a seven-year step, which means it takes them seven years to get the full base, [and] the beginning steps of that were low for an industry standard,” said Mingus. “So we did increase those steps a little bit to try to become a little more competitive when we come to recruiting and retaining new firefighters.”
Commissioner Dan Decker, who has worked for several municipal fire agencies across central Illinois, commended the East Peoria Fire Department for its excellent service, particularly noting its Advanced Life Support capability.
“There aren’t a lot of fire departments in the area that operate their own ambulance,” said Decker. “But besides that, we’re also totally ALS; all of our vehicles are ALS. … What that means is, even if an ambulance is busy and a fire engine shows up, they have all the capabilities that are in that ambulance that show up to the scene.”
Mayor Joh Kahl echoed Decker’s opinions of the firefighters.
“A lot of good things have been said, and it’s not just good things; it's facts,” said Kahl. “For those of you that have never had to utilize that service, I can promise you it’s second to none, and if your life depended on it, we know they’ll come through for you.”
7 Brew Coffee at Four Corners
Another council action paves the way for development a drive-through coffee franchise in the Four Corners area near the intersection of Washington and Main streets.
As part of the consent agenda, the council granted a special use permit for a 7 Brew Coffee shop at the site of the former Regions Bank location at 111 W. Washington. The lot is already part of a tax increment financing [TIF] district.
The plan submitted by franchisee Brew Horizons call for the existing bank building to be vacated and demolished to make way for the new business. Developers will need to submit a landscaping plan to the city.
The quick-service restaurant would have two 150-foot drive-through lanes. Primary direct access would come from Washington, while additional access to Main would be through the existing parking lot of the Community Plaza shopping center.
A memo to the council from Planning and Community Development Director Ty Livingston says the site needed a special use permit because the requirements of the Four Corners Overlay District call for additional city review of any auto-oriented development.
The memo says the 7 Brew business is “consistent with other operations in the immediate vicinity,” noting the fast service restaurants in the area.
Last month, the city’s zoning board voted 5-0 in recommending approval for 7 Brew. The council heard a first reading of the special use request during its May 20 meeting.
