Complaints, concerns, and a few compliments.
That sums up a 90-minute question-and-answer session Wednesday for Pekin residents organized by first-year Pekin City Council member Jake Fletcher and veteran council member Dave Nutter.
About 50 people filled the back room at Sangalli's Court Street Steakhouse, much more than the elected officials expected.
The conversation covered a range of topics, from the state of Derby Street and nearby neighborhoods, property taxes, tax increment financing [TIF] funds; and drug use among the homeless population to whether the city should continue operating under home rule and if council members should be allowed to answer questions during the public comment portion of council meetings.
Roads dominated the early portion of the meeting.
"Everyone on the council has roads as their top priority for the new [2026-27 fiscal year] budget," Fletcher said. "As I said when I was campaigning [before the April election], I will not vote for a budget until there's a road maintenance plan in place."
Nutter said Public Works Director Simon Grimm, who joined the city staff earlier this year, has been directed to put together a road maintenance plan by Dec. 1.
As for home rule, Fletcher and Nutter both said they'd be OK with a home rule referendum being placed on the ballot, but only after voters are thoroughly informed about the pros and cons of that form of government.
Neither Fletcher nor Nutter opposes home rule.
"I like that form of government," Fletcher said. "What's most important is to have the right people on the council."
"The council is only as good as the people who are elected," Nutter said.
Fletcher expressed frustration about the amount of time council members have to study an issue before voting.
"I don't like the system," he said. "I get our agenda packet [often between 300-500 pages] at 5 o'clock Friday, look through it during the weekend, and I'm expected to vote Monday.
"On every decision I make, I base it on whether it will help or have a negative impact on the average resident. It takes time to do that.
"Why can't we talk about an issue one week and vote on it at the next meeting?"
In response to audience questions, Nutter said topics, not details, for executive sessions are always listed on the meeting agenda, and City Manager John Dossey often defers to a staff member to explain and answer questions about an agenda item at a council meeting because that staff member is more familiar with the details of the item.
Fletcher defended TIF payments, other development incentives and the work of Josh Wray, the city's economic development director, saying, "They only way we can save taxpayers' money is to increase our tax base."
Nutter said the city needs to think out of box more often when considering how to trim spending.
Two bits of news were reported by Nutter.
He said the Zoning Board of Appeals will take a look next week at the site plan for the $25 million Epic Medical equipment manufacturing facility coming to the Riverway Business Park, with groundbreaking a possibility by the end the year, and a request for proposals from companies that want to take over the city's garbage and recycling business are due by Dec. 31.
Audience members applauded in approval when asked if they'd like to see future Q&A's scheduled, perhaps monthly.
Resident Holli Hanley suggested holding the next Q&A at a location on Derby or in the area to show residents in that side of town that the council cares about them.
"I always get a bad feeling when I turn onto Derby," Hanley said earlier, referencing a stalled road project and a lack of sidewalks.
Fletcher said he'd like to bring in a guest speaker and/or focus on a specific topic at upcoming meetings.
"We could easily talk about TIFs for two hours," he said.
An audience member suggested that an afternoon bus tour of city sites would give residents a better understanding of city issues and strengths.
Mayor Pro Tem Karen Hohimer, sitting in for Mayor Mary Burress, and council member Peg Phillips sat in the audience at what was legally a special council meeting. Burress had another city commitment,
