The City of Pekin and its 54-member firefighters union have agreed on a new five-year contract.
The Pekin City Council approved the contract this week. Union ratification also is expected this week.
The contract covers all the personnel in the fire department except the fire chief, deputy fire chief and administrative assistant.
"This agreement reflects fairness and balance," Todd Carroll, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 524, told the council before its vote.
"The contract a result of good faith negotiations on both sides, where concerns were heard, priorities were weighed, and ultimately compromises were made," Carroll said.
Fire Chief Trent Reeise said the city has "a long-standing tradition of professional and amicable collective bargaining agreements with the fire union."
The current five-year contract expires April 30. Negotiations between the city and union for a new deal began in May 2025.
The new contract continues minimum fire department staffing at 56, including the command staff, and includes the three battalion chiefs in the union. The battalion chiefs were brought into the union via a side letter in 2022.
Among the major operational changes in the new contract is a memorization of a no residency requirement, which was implemented in 2022 in a side letter.
Wage increases are 4% in the 2026-27 fiscal year, followed by 3.5%, 3.25%, 3.25% and 3.25% pay hikes in the following years.
The council vote for the contract was 4-2, with Jake Fletcher and Rick Hilst voting "no." Peg Phillips did not attend the meeting because she was ill.
In other council action this week involving the fire department, the department's fees for services were placed on a single document in the city code to make them easier to find, and many fees were increased because that hadn't happened in 10-20 years.
"These fees aren't a revenue generator. They're for cost recovery," Reeise said.
Larger recycling totes ordered
With the switch this month from weekly to twice-a-month pickup of recycling, Pekin is offering residents a 96-gallon recycling tote for free if it's ordered by May 30.
Council this week approved purchasing 1,000 of the totes from Cascade Engineering of Grand Rapids, Mich., for $51,500.
The totes are expected to be delivered to the city in about four weeks, then taken to residents after that.
As of early this week, about 750 of the 96-gallon totes had been ordered by calling the front desk at City Hall.
Residents who recycle currently have a 64-gallon tote to use. Those who get a 96-gallon tote for recycling can use their 64-gallon recycling tote for yard waste if they wish by picking up a free sticker at City Hall.
Starting June 1, the 96-gallon recycling tote will cost $60.
Public Works Director Simon Grimm said 64-gallon recycling totes will no longer be sold to residents because the 96-gallon tote is less likely to tip over in the wind and is constructed better.
Cascade Engineering, the city's current supplier of recycling totes, was not the low bidder for the 96-gallon totes.
Another bid came in at $48,400, but city staff recommended Cascade's bid to the council because of better durability and the city's stock of spare parts for Cascade totes.
Deer hunting request tabled
Three agenda items were tabled this week by the council.
Among them was a request by Jeff Yergler, who has farmed and maintained the now city-owned Lutticken Farm property for several decades, to temporarily waive a ban on the discharge of a firearm or bow on city property so he and his immediate family can continue to hunt deer.
Yergler made his request to control the harvest loss that would occur without thinning the deer herd.
The item was tabled so the impact of a new state law on Yergler's request can be determined.
Also tabled was a list of tourism committee city sponsorship recommendations totaling $53,750 for non-city events. The draft 2026-27 city budget has $54,250 for the sponsorships in the line item.
Council members asked to review the sponsorship amounts. Already increased is the Tony Fulk Memorial Classic youth soccer tournament from $5,000 to $10,000.
A request by Lisa Fuller, owner of Olivia's Playhouse at 341 Court Street, to end a TIF agreement that would cost her money because she's moving to a new location in the city was tabled indefinitely so an amended TIF agreement can be negotiated.
In other action, the council:
- proclaimed Monday as "Pekin First United Methodist Church Bicentennial Day" to honor the city's oldest church on its bicentennial year;
- approved a $2,500 beautification grant for Christa and Gary Flynn, who will have a mural painted by Pekin Community High School students on the pocket park side of their building at 525 Court Street;
- strengthened sewer contractor licensing requirements and established a denial, suspension, revocation and appeal process;
- accepted a recycling grant of more than $96,350 from Tazewell County;
- approved participating in the state's road salt purchase program, with the city expecting to order between 2,000 to 3,750 tons of salt at a cost of between $70 to $100 per ton;
- and, had a preliminary discussion about keeping the city-run solid waste and recycling services or outsourcing them to GFL Environmental.
