The Peoria County Board on Thursday approved an emergency $101,000 contract to repair a drainage structure on Radnor Road that failed during June's heavy rains.
County crews found the damage while inspecting the area after the storms. A wing wall on the structure had collapsed into the creek below, just south of the Illinois Route 6 overpass on the west side of the road.
"It's very close to the road, and right now we have barrels out there, but we need to make a more permanent fix so we don't lose that edge of the road," said Amy McLaren, county engineer in the Highway Department.
The county reached out to six local contractors about the job, she said. Two submitted proposals to install sheet piling at the site. N.E. Finch Company came in with the low quote at $101,000.
The money comes from the county's bridge fund and won't affect other projects in the area, she said. If all goes to plan, work will begin at the end of the month.
"In a worst-case scenario, we would have the road closed to all traffic for a week, so they could bring the equipment in there and do the work," McLaren said.
Board chair James Dillon said the failure needed attention "sooner [rather than] later" and thanked county staff for the quick turnaround in bringing the item forward. The item came to the full board pending committee approval because of the emergency timeline. The vote was unanimous.
Farewell to the county's CFO
The board opened the meeting with a proclamation honoring outgoing Chief Financial Officer Heather McCord, who joined the county in 2022. Dillon credited her with leading the county's budgeting and auditing work, overseeing American Rescue Plan Act spending, and managing capital projects, including the Health and Human Services Building.
"This is incredibly unexpected and very humbling," McCord said. "I appreciate the trust that you put in me the last 4 1/2 years to serve as CFO here, and I won't be going far."
4-H kids still without a home
During citizens' remarks, Peoria County Farm Bureau President Cheryl Walsh told the board that county 4-H members are heading into their third year without a permanent home for their annual show, following the closure of Expo Gardens.
Next week's show is split across three sites: non-livestock projects Wednesday at Cedar Hills Baptist Church in Dunlap, sheep, goats and poultry Thursday at the Stark County Fairgrounds, and pigs, cattle and rabbits Friday.
"We've kind of lost our community because we've had to split up," Walsh said. "These kids are our future workforce, and I would appreciate the support in supporting these kids."
Walsh also said the Farm Bureau has begun constructing a new home office at Kickapoo Park and accepted an offer on its old building.
Other business
- The board approved a special use permit allowing Roxanne Ibe to operate a veterinary clinic in an agricultural zoning district northwest of Peoria. Terry Ruhland, D-13, abstained, citing an employment contract with the petitioner.
- Members also signed off on the consent agenda that included a $105,178 low bid from Stark Excavating for a culvert repair on Mossville Road, a $10,000 ASPCA grant and a $5,000 private donation for Peoria County Animal Protection Services, a new special homestead exemption for certain municipality-built homes, and amendments to the rural and urban Peoria Enterprise Zone agreements. An urban enterprise zone amendment also passed separately .
