An applicant who was approved by the Pekin City Council for a $50,000 tax increment financing [TIF] commercial building improvement grant has turned down the money.
Mary Teresa Lohman owns a vacant building at 343 Court Street, which most recently was the office for DUI Countermeasures.
In July, the council preliminarily awarded Lohman a $100,000 grant, half for renovations and half for new water service and fire suppression so she could create living spaces on the upper floor of the building.
The council changed course in a final vote in August, approving only the grant maximum $50,000 for renovations among the six grant requests it approved.
"Upon notification of that, she decided not to move forward with the project because it wasn't sufficient funding for what she wanted to do," said Josh Wray, the city's economic development director.
The city council voted to rescind the TIF agreement during Monday's meeting. That leaves an additional $50,000 available in the next round of TIF commercial building grants.
The deadline is Friday for a business to apply for one of the competitive grants. For information, go to the city of Pekin's website at ci.pekin.il.us.
Police contract
Pekin Police Department officers, sergeants and detectives have a new four-year contract.
The council unanimously approved the agreement with the approximately 50-member Pekin Police Benevolent Labor Committee. The union ratified the agreement a few weeks ago.
The contract includes a 4% salary hike the first year and 3.5% raises in each of the following three years.
Union members will receive retroactive pay because the starting date for the contract was May 1. The agreement runs through April 30, 2030.
"There's a good relationship between city management and the police's bargaining unit," said Pekin City Manager John Dossey, who was the city's police chief for more than eight years before becoming city manager in 2023.
Seth Ranney replaced Dossey as police chief.
Pocket park protection
In other action, the council approved:
- An agreement with Kansas City-based Bluebird Fiber to provide new fiber feeds for the surveillance cameras at the pocket parks at 413 and 523 Court Street, and synchronous data service for the wastewater treatment facility at 600 Front Street. The fiber feeds will provide the police department with improved visual images to combat the increase in vandalism at the parks. Cost for the fiber feeds and data service is nearly $31,130.
- A one-year renewal of a network hardware maintenance and subscription package with New Jersey-based SHI International for nearly $28,650. The package includes around the clock support for 83 devices.
- A budget amendment that reflects an insurance reimbursement of slightly more than $38,000 that covers the repairs of traffic signals at Court Street and Stadium Drive that were damaged by a lightning strike.
- The purchase of a new sweeper head and motors for a 2018 TYMCO street sweeper for about $18,100 from E.J. Equipment of Manteno, the district dealer for TYMCO sweepers and parts.
