Our thanks to you Gary Hylla Peru City Treasurer, Mayor Harl and Dave Bartley City Clerk
Gary for presenting the people of Peru with a Budget, one that actually in black and white shows us where the money is spent, how it will be spent now and for some time to come. Thank you for making yourself available to the citizens and answering their questions in a forthright manner.
Putting all the figures down in black and white in the lengthy budget document helps us to evaluate the position that the City is in and perhaps understand just a little more the difficult financial situation that Peru had found itself in.
Thank you Mayor Harl, for bringing Gary into our government and working with him to try and improve our financial situation and to bring it all into the light of day.
Also last night City Clerk Bartley announced that the raise in salary that he automatically receives will be returned to the City. The City Attorney told the Council the raise could not be refused but that Dave would need to donate it back to the city if that is what he wants to do. Our thanks to you Dave.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Peru City Web Site is Not Available
I have received information that the city web site has been hacked into and is not available at this time. City Council Meeting is still on for tonight at 7:30 and if you want to hear the budget, that will be at 7:15 PM
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Peru City Calendar Opening Day For Pool
I'm glad I don't depend upon the Peru web site calendar for my information as they are showing the Opening Day at the Peru Swimming Pool as May 22. And no City Council meeting shown for May 10, the day Williams Aquatics is scheduled to make their presentation.
Who in the world is responsible for all this misinformation?
Who in the world is responsible for all this misinformation?
Friday, April 23, 2010
The "Politics" of our Municipal Pool
Who could have anticipated the reaction of our aldermen in their narrow-minded position that the pool will be opened come hell or high water. Or in the case of our pool, " low water" because it all runs down the ravine or directly into the sanitary sewer. These sitting aldermen have had the opportunity year after year to have the problems with the pool properly evaluated and year after year they have failed miserably to accomplish anything constructive. Why is that? From what I have witnessed it comes down to the same method of operation that has existed with Peru city government for many years. That is, instead of common sense leadership we have certain individuals who are allowed to influence the way the city conducts its business in order to profit in some way. All this has been done with an almost complete disregard for what is in the best interest of the city as a whole. When you look back at the history of the Peru Municipal Pool you see a facility that has been obsolete for at least the last half of its entire existence. Yet elected officials dating back to Don Baker as a first term alderman have failed to seriously and honestly address the problem. I'm not saying they didn't talk about it, I'm saying they never took it seriously enough to upgrade it properly. Not at all unlike our streets and sewers.
Flash forward to the present and what do we see? We have a new Mayor who wants an accurate and honest evaluation that will inform us of what we actually have. We will know if our pool is safe for our children or not. We will know if our pool is in violation of the National Code or any other state or federal laws regulating all public pools. We will know what if anything can be done to make our pool as safe as it should be so there will be no unacceptable risk to anyone.
Then we have the consensus of our aldermen who say, just as carelessly and recklessly as they have for years, "Let's get it open", "Let's get it open". "It has always lost water, let's get it open". "Kenny will patch the cracks and it will be fine". Another summer fast approaching and it's the
S-O-S. And I don't mean Save-Our-Ship.
The recent council approval for the hiring of Williams Aquatics to proceed with a feasibility study that includes a comprehensive evaluation of our existing pool slipped past our aldermen without them ever realizing the scope of what they had just approved. They failed to understand that a "real" professional consultant will be bound to provide an honest and accurate report that will not be subject to the "influence peddlers" who have directed the council in the past. Finally, and for the first time in many years we will not be at the mercy of unqualified engineering consultants, unscrupulous (full-time and part-time) city employees, and ethically challenged elected officials in order to make a common sense decision about our pool.
Don't be surprised if the recommendation from Williams is that the pool is unsafe and extremely out of compliance with the best case scenario a costly and delayed opening this summer. This is the point where we can expect to see some of our more "vocal" aldermen squeal in protest and proclaim how they will not be subject to state or federal regulations and how this is not at all what they expected for their $15,000. There will be some obvious confusion from at least one long time alderman who will likely mumble something like, "Oh Boy, I don't understand. This is not how we used to do it".
I can't wait!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Initial Survey of Peru Swimming Pool by Williams Aquatics
The Williams Aquatics group has given the City of Peru an overview of what they see at first look and how they will proceed with further investigation of the swimming pool.
Minutes were written by Williams Architects and not be any Peru officials or employees.
Their study will include pros and cons and the estimated costs of recommendations, a zoning and code analysis will be a part of the study. The report will evaluate the existing facility for accessibility and it will comment on the existing pool as it relates to the new Illinois Swimming Facility Act adopted February 3, 2010 and the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Safety Act (VGB) effective Dec. 19, 2008. (not in compliance at this time!) Also need a swimming pool permit by the Illinois Department of Health prior to making VGB improvements. The VGB permit review is typically a long process that can take a least a couple of months to secure.
Along with the significant cracks and de-lamination, there are a number of other issues with the pool, including safety, age, lack of accessibility, code violations, lack of code compliance and continued maintenance problems.
The city has been patching the pool floors and walls on alternating years and freeze-thaw cycle damage continues to occur. Ground seems very saturated.
Need to locate the existing sanitary sewer that the pool gutters flow into as no one present was sure where they are. Other existing site utilities, including water, storm, electric and natural gas will be investigated by Chamlin.
It is believed the drainage pipe under the deep end is perforated which contributes to the saturation problem. And we know that excess water is being deposited into a nearby ditch into the storm water drainage that is always flowing through the creek.
I believe that the 5 page summary must have been given to each of the aldermen in their packet. The one comment made by an aldermen to Gary Bleck was "Can we start patching the pool?" And he replied that the company had said "Absolutely not"
I cannot believe that question was even asked.
Minutes were written by Williams Architects and not be any Peru officials or employees.
Their study will include pros and cons and the estimated costs of recommendations, a zoning and code analysis will be a part of the study. The report will evaluate the existing facility for accessibility and it will comment on the existing pool as it relates to the new Illinois Swimming Facility Act adopted February 3, 2010 and the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Safety Act (VGB) effective Dec. 19, 2008. (not in compliance at this time!) Also need a swimming pool permit by the Illinois Department of Health prior to making VGB improvements. The VGB permit review is typically a long process that can take a least a couple of months to secure.
Along with the significant cracks and de-lamination, there are a number of other issues with the pool, including safety, age, lack of accessibility, code violations, lack of code compliance and continued maintenance problems.
The city has been patching the pool floors and walls on alternating years and freeze-thaw cycle damage continues to occur. Ground seems very saturated.
Need to locate the existing sanitary sewer that the pool gutters flow into as no one present was sure where they are. Other existing site utilities, including water, storm, electric and natural gas will be investigated by Chamlin.
It is believed the drainage pipe under the deep end is perforated which contributes to the saturation problem. And we know that excess water is being deposited into a nearby ditch into the storm water drainage that is always flowing through the creek.
I believe that the 5 page summary must have been given to each of the aldermen in their packet. The one comment made by an aldermen to Gary Bleck was "Can we start patching the pool?" And he replied that the company had said "Absolutely not"
I cannot believe that question was even asked.
Operating Budget for 2011 is Now Available
Copies of the current Peru City budget are available through the city. They were available at the City Council Meeting and you should be able to request one through the City Clerks office. As always there are surprises.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Freedom of Information Act - Yes It Is Your Government Not Only the People at City Hall
I have had this saved on my computer and decided I wished to share with you. Written before the bill became the law in Illinois, there are several great comments about Citizen Rights to remember.
Freedom of Information law is ready for reform
Chicago Sun-Times
February 28, 2009 • Editorial • Sun-Times Editorial
Freedom of Info. Act (FOIA) (6a)
Do you like knowing how your tax dollars are spent -- or misspent?
Like the $40 million handed out each year in the City of Chicago's scandal-plagued Hired Truck Program?
Do you like knowing how your politicians are behaving -- or misbehaving?
Like how many federal investigations Rod Blagojevich was dodging when he was governor?
Much of that information, essential to a well-informed citizenry in a democracy, came to light thanks to a law you may have never heard of.
The state's Freedom of Information Act.
For years, reporters and Regular Joes alike have made use of the act to shake public information out of unwilling public officials. The law is supposed to empower anyone to get public information from local or state governments.
The idea is simple: It's your government, so it's your information.
Too often, though, government officials have treated public information like state secrets, doling it out cautiously or -- if it would make them look bad -- not at all.
And if you don't like it, buzz off.
In the case of the news stories mentioned above, which relied in part on documents from the city's Hired Truck Program and federal subpoenas of the Blagojevich administration, information that officials could have released within a few weeks --under Illinois' Freedom of Information Act -- took months to see the light of day.
That's largely because the state's law, as it stands, stinks.
Fortunately, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is leading an effort to revamp the law to make it much tougher, useful and relevant.
Readers should know that employees of the Sun-Times News Group, as well as other newspapers and the Illinois Press Association, took part in discussions with Madigan's office about revamping the law. And we believe the final result, while not ideal, goes a long way toward finally putting the media and ordinary people -- rather than politicians and bureaucrats -- first.
Now it's up to the state Legislature and Gov. Quinn to prove their commitment to true political reform in Illinois by making Madigan's reforms the law.
In the coming months, in this post-Blagojevich era, you will hear a lot of talk from politicians eager to jump on the bandwagon of reform.
Some desire real reform. Others love to talk it up, but quietly would prefer business as usual.
But if the Legislature can't pass these common-sense improvements in the state's woefully weak Freedom of Information Act, heaven help us as more difficult reform measures, such as campaign finance reform, are debated in the next few months.
Under the current law, the legal burden, practically speaking, is on the person requesting the information from the government, especially if they have to take the government to court.
With Madigan's reforms, the burden would switch to the government officials, who would have to prove by clear and convincing evidence in court why they denied someone public information.
The changes would remove many loopholes that government officials use in denying people information. The changes shorten the time governments have to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests and cut out a cumbersome appeals process.
For the first time, government officials who thumb their nose at the law would actually face a penalty, with fines of up to $1,000 and a possible misdemeanor charge.
What's more, in another proposal, Madigan would make it less expensive for Regular Joes to force their local governments to cough up information.
If citizens make legitimate requests and are spurned, they could go to Madigan's office to get binding decisions on the disputes, which could avoid costly court battles.
The idea behind all these changes is to force an attitude adjustment on public officials, from village clerks to state bureaucrats. When a citizen asks for this or that document, the response should never be "Get lost," but "How can I help you?"
Freedom of Information law is ready for reform
Chicago Sun-Times
February 28, 2009 • Editorial • Sun-Times Editorial
Freedom of Info. Act (FOIA) (6a)
Do you like knowing how your tax dollars are spent -- or misspent?
Like the $40 million handed out each year in the City of Chicago's scandal-plagued Hired Truck Program?
Do you like knowing how your politicians are behaving -- or misbehaving?
Like how many federal investigations Rod Blagojevich was dodging when he was governor?
Much of that information, essential to a well-informed citizenry in a democracy, came to light thanks to a law you may have never heard of.
The state's Freedom of Information Act.
For years, reporters and Regular Joes alike have made use of the act to shake public information out of unwilling public officials. The law is supposed to empower anyone to get public information from local or state governments.
The idea is simple: It's your government, so it's your information.
Too often, though, government officials have treated public information like state secrets, doling it out cautiously or -- if it would make them look bad -- not at all.
And if you don't like it, buzz off.
In the case of the news stories mentioned above, which relied in part on documents from the city's Hired Truck Program and federal subpoenas of the Blagojevich administration, information that officials could have released within a few weeks --under Illinois' Freedom of Information Act -- took months to see the light of day.
That's largely because the state's law, as it stands, stinks.
Fortunately, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is leading an effort to revamp the law to make it much tougher, useful and relevant.
Readers should know that employees of the Sun-Times News Group, as well as other newspapers and the Illinois Press Association, took part in discussions with Madigan's office about revamping the law. And we believe the final result, while not ideal, goes a long way toward finally putting the media and ordinary people -- rather than politicians and bureaucrats -- first.
Now it's up to the state Legislature and Gov. Quinn to prove their commitment to true political reform in Illinois by making Madigan's reforms the law.
In the coming months, in this post-Blagojevich era, you will hear a lot of talk from politicians eager to jump on the bandwagon of reform.
Some desire real reform. Others love to talk it up, but quietly would prefer business as usual.
But if the Legislature can't pass these common-sense improvements in the state's woefully weak Freedom of Information Act, heaven help us as more difficult reform measures, such as campaign finance reform, are debated in the next few months.
Under the current law, the legal burden, practically speaking, is on the person requesting the information from the government, especially if they have to take the government to court.
With Madigan's reforms, the burden would switch to the government officials, who would have to prove by clear and convincing evidence in court why they denied someone public information.
The changes would remove many loopholes that government officials use in denying people information. The changes shorten the time governments have to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests and cut out a cumbersome appeals process.
For the first time, government officials who thumb their nose at the law would actually face a penalty, with fines of up to $1,000 and a possible misdemeanor charge.
What's more, in another proposal, Madigan would make it less expensive for Regular Joes to force their local governments to cough up information.
If citizens make legitimate requests and are spurned, they could go to Madigan's office to get binding decisions on the disputes, which could avoid costly court battles.
The idea behind all these changes is to force an attitude adjustment on public officials, from village clerks to state bureaucrats. When a citizen asks for this or that document, the response should never be "Get lost," but "How can I help you?"
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Meeting of Williams Aquatic Re: Pool - Open Government I Don't Think So
Monday morning there was a meeting with Williams Aquatics of Carol Stream IL. at the Municipal Building. Five gentlemen consisting of architects and engineers came to Peru to evaluate the condition of the city swimming pool.
Several residents including myself were discouraged from attending the meeting by the Mayor's secretary and when we did come she would not allow for any audio taping of the proceedings so I do not have many of the details of the meeting other than a few quick notes. The Secretary said she would take minutes as she was in attendance, so I will ask for them. Dave Bartley said he was present to keep track of finances. Gary Bleck was present but had no previous knowledge of the pool because his previous job did not entail working on it. Unfortunately the meeting was scheduled when Mayor Harl was out of the country and the Recreation Committee chairman Tony Ferrari was unavailable because he was working. Neither Ald. Mertel or Ald. O'Beirne attended.
I wonder if the other Recreation Committee members were informed of the meeting.
Basically Williams wanted to know about the construction of the pool and repairs that have been done through the years.
K. Drennan came in to tell of the testing that was done back in March and how it was done. Other than that there was no more good reliable information to give the company. They felt they should have a rough draft done of their inspection by May 1 and will present it to the City Council on May 10.
Several residents including myself were discouraged from attending the meeting by the Mayor's secretary and when we did come she would not allow for any audio taping of the proceedings so I do not have many of the details of the meeting other than a few quick notes. The Secretary said she would take minutes as she was in attendance, so I will ask for them. Dave Bartley said he was present to keep track of finances. Gary Bleck was present but had no previous knowledge of the pool because his previous job did not entail working on it. Unfortunately the meeting was scheduled when Mayor Harl was out of the country and the Recreation Committee chairman Tony Ferrari was unavailable because he was working. Neither Ald. Mertel or Ald. O'Beirne attended.
I wonder if the other Recreation Committee members were informed of the meeting.
Basically Williams wanted to know about the construction of the pool and repairs that have been done through the years.
K. Drennan came in to tell of the testing that was done back in March and how it was done. Other than that there was no more good reliable information to give the company. They felt they should have a rough draft done of their inspection by May 1 and will present it to the City Council on May 10.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Expenses You Won't Hear Talked About
Reading throught the Recreation Meeting Minutes from March 9 which were just posted online, I thought many of you might be interested in a few bits of information.
Excerpts from the minutes are:
"presented our 2010 budget to the city with no response or any mention of the $50,000 debt. We need the first installment of subsidy ($25,000) by June."
Does this mean the city owes $50,000 for something?
When contacted about using fenced storage space for the 4th, Maze lumber answered "no". We will need to use the street for family activities.(July 4)
Maybe the family activities do not need to be on Water St. What do you think?
Fireworks: We can expect $20,000 from the City and $18,000 to 20,000 from the CSO
And where is this money coming from to pay for Fireworks? Would you understand if the City said No to the big bash and made it a small one with just what the CSO provided in the way of funding?
Pool - At present the date is as set, rain date for June 11.
Attended the meeting with Williams Aquatics today and if I get any minutes, they will be posted along with personal observatons.
Excerpts from the minutes are:
"presented our 2010 budget to the city with no response or any mention of the $50,000 debt. We need the first installment of subsidy ($25,000) by June."
Does this mean the city owes $50,000 for something?
When contacted about using fenced storage space for the 4th, Maze lumber answered "no". We will need to use the street for family activities.(July 4)
Maybe the family activities do not need to be on Water St. What do you think?
Fireworks: We can expect $20,000 from the City and $18,000 to 20,000 from the CSO
And where is this money coming from to pay for Fireworks? Would you understand if the City said No to the big bash and made it a small one with just what the CSO provided in the way of funding?
Pool - At present the date is as set, rain date for June 11.
Attended the meeting with Williams Aquatics today and if I get any minutes, they will be posted along with personal observatons.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Should a City Be Managed Like a Business?
It is beginning to seem like record keeping in Peru government has not been considered a priority. Was everything done with a Wink Wink?
Interesting article by Jeff Dankert on the front page of our paper tonight about what the newly elected officials of Mayor Scott Harl and City Clerk Dave Bartley and soon appointed treasurer Gary Hylla found when they took over their duties.
I have come to the conclusion that nothing was documented in the past and I wonder if improvements have been put in place to keep this from happening in the future. Of course one of the first things that needs to be done and has not been touched in to set term limits in place.
Today I found out there are no records of any kind about the repair and maintenance of the Peru City Swimming Pool. The hired firm of Williams Aquatics asked for any past records and guess what, we have none to give you. What you see is the only thing you have to go by.
And now Peru has decided not to keep online records for any longer than a few months thus requiring any citizen looking for information to get a FOIA. I
Personally I am finding that the need to repeatedly request information in this way tends to be annoying and time consuming.
If the officials are to run the city like a business, what should their priorities be and what advise would you give to them.
Interesting article by Jeff Dankert on the front page of our paper tonight about what the newly elected officials of Mayor Scott Harl and City Clerk Dave Bartley and soon appointed treasurer Gary Hylla found when they took over their duties.
I have come to the conclusion that nothing was documented in the past and I wonder if improvements have been put in place to keep this from happening in the future. Of course one of the first things that needs to be done and has not been touched in to set term limits in place.
Today I found out there are no records of any kind about the repair and maintenance of the Peru City Swimming Pool. The hired firm of Williams Aquatics asked for any past records and guess what, we have none to give you. What you see is the only thing you have to go by.
And now Peru has decided not to keep online records for any longer than a few months thus requiring any citizen looking for information to get a FOIA. I
Personally I am finding that the need to repeatedly request information in this way tends to be annoying and time consuming.
If the officials are to run the city like a business, what should their priorities be and what advise would you give to them.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Pool Photos Taken April 13
Click on photo to enlarge
I took the photos late this afternoon and this is the first time I have checked the pool and was amazed that the pool which was filled between March 24-26 and today April 13 it is basically empty except for the stagnant water that has drained down to the deepest end. Hard to judge but from above it looked like about 6 inches of water there.
The pool at that time was filled with 391,000 gallons of water and now 2 1/2 weeks later you can see what is remaining even though the main drain and the east and west drains were plugged.
And you can see the rest of the pool which was filled to capacity is as dry as it can be. A very eerie feeling looking down at the emptiness. The damage you can see from a distance are in the deep end, and what you see as brown splotches (photo 3)is where concrete has disintegrated and reminds me of a damaged curb or wall. Above the lowest spots are brown areas but I believe that is debris.
Common Sense Does Not Prevail at Peru City Council
As was expected the topic of the Peru Swimming Pool became the topic of the night. Instead of talking about the prospect of having an expert in aquatic construction come to Peru and examine the pool, the 7 aldermen almost voted to fill and open the pool as soon as Ken Drennan could fill the cracks which he said would take a couple of weeks. As long as Roger Chamlin says it is safe, they fall right in line and say "Open it" on schedule. Common sense, I don't think so.
It took a very insistent Mayor Harl to tell them we needed to wait and talk to the aquatic construction firm they have chosen to do a study of the structure and the feasibility of continuing to operate the pool in the present condition.
What part of the problem of a pool emptying itself of all the water it was filled with about 2-3 weeks ago, don't they understand? Don't worry about our Peru image as Leader of the Valley, that is long gone and getting more tarnished by the day.
The pool is 83 years old and long past the average lifespan of any pool which is from 30 to 50 years at most.
How long has the pool been developing cracks and leakage? Well I don't know the number in terms of years but in order to have had 3 concrete floorings put in, I would think a long time. Probably at least 10 years and maybe longer.
Why can't we build a new pool like a lot of other communities have? To the aldermen, I say this, just look in the mirror and see who had been voting year after year for excessive spending.
Our debt is currently at 45 million dollars and the council can believe it or not.
If Williams Aquatics says the pool is safe, go ahead and schedule the opening but if they don't it might be wise for you to take their advise and close our pool.
It took a very insistent Mayor Harl to tell them we needed to wait and talk to the aquatic construction firm they have chosen to do a study of the structure and the feasibility of continuing to operate the pool in the present condition.
What part of the problem of a pool emptying itself of all the water it was filled with about 2-3 weeks ago, don't they understand? Don't worry about our Peru image as Leader of the Valley, that is long gone and getting more tarnished by the day.
The pool is 83 years old and long past the average lifespan of any pool which is from 30 to 50 years at most.
How long has the pool been developing cracks and leakage? Well I don't know the number in terms of years but in order to have had 3 concrete floorings put in, I would think a long time. Probably at least 10 years and maybe longer.
Why can't we build a new pool like a lot of other communities have? To the aldermen, I say this, just look in the mirror and see who had been voting year after year for excessive spending.
Our debt is currently at 45 million dollars and the council can believe it or not.
If Williams Aquatics says the pool is safe, go ahead and schedule the opening but if they don't it might be wise for you to take their advise and close our pool.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Yes A Swimming Pool Can Float Out Of The Ground
Frankly when city employee Drennan made the comment about the pool floating out of the ground if the waster escape route was blocked was something I had never thought about and even then would have found it strange to see a pool rising out of the earth but I did find that this happened in a small town in Oregon called Veneta.
" By now, most residents of the Veneta area are aware of the loss of the swimming pool three years ago. The existing pool, located on East Broadway Avenue at City Park, was constructed in 1959 to provide water safety training and summer recreation. After 47 years of service, the pool floated out of the ground in 2006 during an unusual storm event when the pool had been drained for maintenance"
This is the link ----
http://www.ci.veneta.or.us/pool.html
to a city blog.
" By now, most residents of the Veneta area are aware of the loss of the swimming pool three years ago. The existing pool, located on East Broadway Avenue at City Park, was constructed in 1959 to provide water safety training and summer recreation. After 47 years of service, the pool floated out of the ground in 2006 during an unusual storm event when the pool had been drained for maintenance"
This is the link ----
http://www.ci.veneta.or.us/pool.html
to a city blog.
Ottawa and How the Peru Airport Benefits Them
http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=401657&query=duncan air field
Interesting article on how the Peru Airport benefits both Ottawa and Streator. Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what companies in the LaSalle Peru area use the airport for company business. I know that Carus did in the past and may still do so.
An interesting place to watch for how much it is costing us versus what we get in return.
Interesting article on how the Peru Airport benefits both Ottawa and Streator. Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what companies in the LaSalle Peru area use the airport for company business. I know that Carus did in the past and may still do so.
An interesting place to watch for how much it is costing us versus what we get in return.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Peru Swimming Pool Has Become an Image Problem
Peru which has touted itself as "Leader of the Valley" for at least the last 20 years is now facing the prospect of having to close the swimming pool enjoyed by area residents for the last 83 years. When Spring Valley, Oglesby and Ottawa did not have a swimming pool in their towns in the past, Peru did. Kind of like a symbol of being ahead of the times and being able to afford it.
The history of the pool is a little murky it seems with no record of the construction but possibly done by the WPA during the Depression. As I listened to the conversation among Council Members, I got the feeling there are no maintenance records. So when were the 3 concrete floors put in and by whom? Was work done by our city workers as has the constant patching that has been done for many years?
The safety concern seems to be as to whether a wash of water constantly leaking through the concrete may have washed away whatever is the base under the pool which has 3 bottom layers of floor.
Is there even a remote possibility of damage and what would be the legal ramifications if anything happened while people are in the pool. Roger Chamlin said he would not be concerned about the bottom giving way. The City Atty is concerned about any legal difficulties that may come about if we knowlingly opened the pool that is having problems.
When Drennan was asked what would happen if they plugged the outlet to the ravine where the water is flowing out. He replied that that would "float the pool out of the ground" So what would happen if a natural occuring blockage took place?
Concrete does crack as is well know by anyone with a concrete driveway usually caused by shifts in the ground below. Is the pressure of the water continually being replaced causing the cracks in the pool. What would happen if the cracks were repaired in the fall when the pool is emptied, would we have new cracks in the spring as the pool has sat empty all winter?
The Council will vote on Monday to do a feasibility study by Williams Aquatic Co. for 15,000. They will also determine whether it is possible to repair the pool.
The history of the pool is a little murky it seems with no record of the construction but possibly done by the WPA during the Depression. As I listened to the conversation among Council Members, I got the feeling there are no maintenance records. So when were the 3 concrete floors put in and by whom? Was work done by our city workers as has the constant patching that has been done for many years?
The safety concern seems to be as to whether a wash of water constantly leaking through the concrete may have washed away whatever is the base under the pool which has 3 bottom layers of floor.
Is there even a remote possibility of damage and what would be the legal ramifications if anything happened while people are in the pool. Roger Chamlin said he would not be concerned about the bottom giving way. The City Atty is concerned about any legal difficulties that may come about if we knowlingly opened the pool that is having problems.
When Drennan was asked what would happen if they plugged the outlet to the ravine where the water is flowing out. He replied that that would "float the pool out of the ground" So what would happen if a natural occuring blockage took place?
Concrete does crack as is well know by anyone with a concrete driveway usually caused by shifts in the ground below. Is the pressure of the water continually being replaced causing the cracks in the pool. What would happen if the cracks were repaired in the fall when the pool is emptied, would we have new cracks in the spring as the pool has sat empty all winter?
The Council will vote on Monday to do a feasibility study by Williams Aquatic Co. for 15,000. They will also determine whether it is possible to repair the pool.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Does Peru Have More Important Business Then Most Similiar Size Cities
Through the use of the internet I found a list of cities similiar to the size of Peru and mostly not in the Metropolitan Chicago area and checked the government profiles to see how often the City Councils meet. I don't think it would surprise any of us to find out that ALL that I checked met twice a month on a regular schedule. Some even schedule committee meetings prior to the City Council meetings and everything is done very efficiently.
This is a list of the cities with population.
(not alphabetical)
Chillicothe- 5996
Mendota - 7272
Monmouth - 9841
Wauconda - 9448
Washington - 10,841
Sycamore - 12,020
Swansea - 10.579
Summit - 10,637
Rock Falls - 9580
Rochelle - 9424
Paris - 9077
Ottawa - 18,30O
Olney - 8631
Lockport - 15,191
Morris - 11,928
It is very interesting to read their web sites and see how they manage their individual cities. Now my question is Why do they meet every week here in Peru?
What is the history behind the meetings and was it ever any different?
Just wanted to add that this is a schedule that was inherited by the currently seated aldermen but they can make changes if they think it is in the best interests of the city.
This is a list of the cities with population.
(not alphabetical)
Chillicothe- 5996
Mendota - 7272
Monmouth - 9841
Wauconda - 9448
Washington - 10,841
Sycamore - 12,020
Swansea - 10.579
Summit - 10,637
Rock Falls - 9580
Rochelle - 9424
Paris - 9077
Ottawa - 18,30O
Olney - 8631
Lockport - 15,191
Morris - 11,928
It is very interesting to read their web sites and see how they manage their individual cities. Now my question is Why do they meet every week here in Peru?
What is the history behind the meetings and was it ever any different?
Just wanted to add that this is a schedule that was inherited by the currently seated aldermen but they can make changes if they think it is in the best interests of the city.
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