Volunteering a good START to Streator prosperity - The Times: Local
Found this article to be interesting because of the citizen approach the city of Streator is taking in comparison to the tightly controlled committee structure within Peru government. Soon our mayor will be disbanding a long standing committee that worked without mayoral support to improve our downtown. It is my understanding that the mayor's pet committee Design and Review will become the key to any business or project in Peru.
85 comments:
Why is it Streator, Ottawa and LaSalle look for volunteers to help and citizens to give ideas, yet Peru discourages any volunteer efforts or citizen's giving their ideas? Heck Peru residents can't even talk at a council meeting without filling out a 3x5 card.
6:21 PM
Peru is lacking what others cities have in the way of administering the city government. Anyone want to take a shot at one those qualities are...
Long range planning for one.
A written list of short term and long term goals would be nice. I believe it's called strategic planning. I have short term and long term goals for my own life. It just makes sense for the city to have goals.
Anon 7:01 INTEGRITY
I read on Facebook that the council approved going for the grant for the splash pad. Did Mayor Harl agree to sign it this time? Remember he refused to sign the grant for the swimming pool.
9:37 PM
The answer is Evidently since all the aldermen lined up to say yes. Why do we want a grant when makes no sense. The pool fund has money and the city has enough money to fund the project without the grant. I hope the people in this city realize that plans are out there to destroy the very scenic corner across from the library and turn into a concrete and asphalt parking lot.
That is such a lovely corner that it makes me sick to think of what they want to do. People wake up!
BTW I just heard that Peru had so many water main breaks over the weekend that they called La Salle to help. Is this true?
I do know over the weekend the city had to call the La Salle ambulance and the La Salle police to help with emergencies.
That 'something big' that was rumored a couple of weeks ago must be the Advanced Auto Parts store to be in Kmart parking lot. Oh boy, we really need another auto parts store. They should get a business that would hire a couple hundred people in the Kmart building. I feel the next big news will be Sears closing.
TRANSPARENCY!!!!
yup. more minimum wage retail jobs with no benefits. That's exactly what we need in the Illinois Valley. Meanwhile, the people that are spending the money at these retail stores are getting older and older. The young people that remain don't have the money to spend. Can you picture what is going to happen to Peru's "Golden Goose" in ten to fifteen years?
Why is it that all the states around us are attracting new industrial facilities and expansion of existing facilities? Peru needs to take the lead in this - otherwise we will be eating goose. Peru needs to lobby for new heavy industry, mining, and logistics. The first thing we can do is create "Zero Tax" zones - something that New York is doing. But we don't need to wait for the Chicagocrats. We can do this at the municipal and county level. Zero property tax for fifteen years on new industrial construction would be attractive. Another incentive would be to increase the tax for land zoned agriculture and allow the option of changing the zoning to heavy and light industrial.
Lois, all the aldermen were in agreement with the swimming pool grant and the mayor still refused to sign it. Why go thru all this expense and effort if he refuses to sign it again. I hope the pool committee people know for sure he is in favor of this project.
Order auto parts online and save big money. Right from the factory.
Last night the council voted unanimously to give Ms. Noonan's "Concert for a Cause" permission to have her 2 concerts this year. This morning WLPO announced that tickets for her lst concert will go on sale this weekend. Does anyone else find this strange??? Isn't this putting the cart before the horse??? Apparently council approval for her concerts is just a formality and she understands that she will always have the go ahead from Peru. One alderman did question this (and I thank him) but he still voted "aye".
Anon 7:01 In answer to your question of what Peru's government is lacking I would add HUMILITY, RESPECT and COMMUNICATION effort and ability.
Lois...937 post the answer is no. That is completely incorrect. An at a boy was given to La Salle but your information is completely wrong. Sounds like whoever told you that sees the glass half empty..what a shame.
Sounds like you all will be running for office? Most likley not it so much more fun to complain
I was on my way to a restaurant on Waterstreet Sunday. The street by the bank and right spice was blocked off. Was this approved by the city? If so when? Was it publicized in the paper? I've read in the past in the paper that when a function is going on lasalle that requires a street to be closed it's publicized. Also, I've read in paper regarding requests for street closures for block parties. Can a homeowner block off the street in front of their house(for street space for extra tables) for a garage sale? If they say the revenue from the sale goes to a charity? Or even for just a garage sale? The city should allow this which is no different then these concerts and how the promotor promotes them.
Stop fighting the concerts. Contact your alder persons to push ONLY for using a coupon system for auditing beverage and food sales. Then you can get an audit of the tax you get from the sales of concessions AND the ticket sales.
If its all above board, coupons almost always end up raising more money, since people do not always spend every coupon! The promoter could keep all the cash and receipts at the booths, and the city could see EXACTLY what is coming in.
Then the city would know just what was raised in ticket and concession sales. The promoter could show what they take, from that after the charity is paid and people could see what the total tax input is.
Don't fight them, figure ways to make sure YOU GET YOUR share and see the return!
Call IRS- they audit businesses. They investigate EVERYTHING. A business can't order thousands of cups, hundreds of bottles of water, gallons of pizza sauce, hundreds of pounds of cheese, toppings for pizza, beer, etc.. And not have accounting methods for sales. There are so many cpa's that have worked for the Internal Revenue Service that will give advice. Need not do that. File a complaint on the IRS's website. Complaints can be also made to the IRS regarding people's personal taxes also if the complaint is LEGITMATE to warrant an audit. It's called a whistleblower. And whistleblowers receive a percentage of money the IRS collects if an audit is done and they find discrepancies in their audit. I looked this information up from reading a blog a while back and found the information very interesting on the IRS website. Check it out. . My parents always said that Katma can be humbling to a persons ego.
12:05 The concerts do have a coupon system for purchasing alcohol and food.
It will take somebody at city hall with a backbone to demand a cut of those profits.
Will any charity volunteer to work these concerts with no guarantee their charity will get anything? Ask Peru baseball if they'd do it again. I highly doubt it!
I get it 2:03 your mad as a result of your charity not making any profit at a last year concert. There are no guarantees in life. I would say that if you were asked to help again, you would say,"what time"?
Your IRS threats are as laughable as those same FBI, Attorney General calls that are discussed daily on the blog.
There is nothing sinister about the operations. Its just a few wannabees looking throwing hand grenades to gain some form of noterity.
4;12 That's great! They do use coupons, no cash transactions? Awesome. Then if the band gets a concession cut , they have a paper trail too.
Then that makes the auditing simple. Ticket count at start and at finish, and you are done!
Just a simple addition to the section of the ordinance saying all proceeds pass through the promoter. Have an independent auditor verify the proceeds for the city, show the additional tax revenues provided and bam.... They shut all the wannabes up. Then our financial wizard can point to the true increase in food and liquor taxes that weekend with pride and show everyone just how much the city is ahead!
I do think its wonderful that , as you say, sometimes the concert does not make enough for its cause, and the promoter still keeps throwing them, losing all that money. Over and over... Risking just everything, using those free laborers , I mean volunteers,, and still just not enough gets made to pay the kids. Lucky thing our radio station steps in to give them some stuff, and the nice computer store gives them computers at cost.
I would think people would be amazed that even though she loses so much money each summer, still she keeps throwing these charity concerts! I mean who does that? I guess she thinks like you, that its business and sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. It's all about the kids, after all.
I sure hope one of the aldermen just adds those ffew lines to the ordinance, auditing the numbers. I mean, it is a charity concert on City property. They really should know what's going on. As a matter of fact , some silly attorneys say that within the ordinance, since proceeds distribution are clearly specified as a condition of the concerts, the exact revenues of ticket sales and concession sales already are subject to the FOIA laws, because it is defined as city law. The city would need records to insure the law is enforced , and said records would be publicly available. The proceeds would need to be traced directly to the promoter, with re distribution to the charity.
Cool.
Of course, the city might fight such an FOIA request. Wouldnt that be weird? A city supporting such a noble effort not being transparent about it? That would never happen.
Just in case you wondered how the stae of Illinois spends its revenue:
May 20
2014
Cash-Strapped Illinois Spends $1,166 per Bird to Import Prairie Chickens From Kansas
Like most states run by liberals, Illinois has been experiencing cash flow problems. But apparently that’s no reason to ease up on the waste:
Our cash-strapped state government has found a new use for its fleet of aircraft – flying birds into Illinois. …
State aircraft are flying to Kansas and transporting prairie chickens back to the Land of Lincoln.
And at a time state lawmakers are looking at raising the state income tax, Illinois state employees have been hiking across Kansas trapping these chickens.
Tonight's Tribune had a article that the former newspaper employee at the city council meeting said a new auto parts store will be built on the K-Mart parking lot.
I know that certain individuals want this person to stand out as a Peru director of community development but really was this all that took place at the meeting? It is the only thing published. Is this a completely new store to the area or a present store relocating sites such as CVS has done.
Turning the clock back to 2009 during election years of Baker -Harl candidacy there were huge numbers attending city council meetings. The vast majority of attendees were Harl backers. Are these numbers still in existence?
Has the FBI completed it local investigation? If one was interested in talking to them how would he go about it?
9:22 look up the phone number for the FBI in the telephone book or google. The number will consist of an area code followed by a station prefix and finally the line number. If you dial from fixed land line, you should dial a "1" before the area code to signify "long distance exchange." If you use a cellular telephone, the "1" is not necessary - but don't worry if you accidentally use it because it will still work. After you dial the numbers on the telephone, put the "top" speaker to your ear and listen. You will hear a noise that sounds similar to, but not quite, a bell ringing. After a few "rings" you will hear a persons voice. Talk into the bottom portion of the telephone. Tell the person you want to talk about the Peru FBI investigation.
Orland Park office is handing the investigation. Call that office .
So Noonan agrees to pay for city employees inside the concert but not out in the parking area. Funny, no city employees work inside the concert area, they control the outside. Big Scam as usual and us tax payers take it in the shorts !
Mr.Freedom of Information Act,
5:05 The concerts are a event on city property. It is not a city event. 4th of July celebrations and many other benefits are held on public property. Many events sell tickets, have food concessions and beverages.
Audits, CPAS, FOIAS, financial wizards be required for all of those events. What about the Little League concession stand that is run by volunteers on city property? Yes, you have problems with private business trying to survive. And you enjoy the aspect of government control on every aspect of our lives. Many of those concerts in the past supported charities. $100,000s of dollars have gone to charity.
If you are determined to get every detail ask the promoter, she will be transparent.
Not funny 4:21. The person wanting to talk to the FBI can contact Alderman Perez or the city clerk to find a contact number.
Speaking of the "Concert for a Cause" has anyone heard anything about the "CAUSE" this year. Haven't heard when requests need to be turned in or anything else with regards to the 'CAUSE'.
Anon 7:29 If you are concerned about taking it in the shorts because of the concert you should come to a city council meeting and ask them to buy every citizen of Peru new shorts because we have all been taking it in the shorts for all the years of the concert. Who else would be stupid enough to rent out several of its established departments and their management for a set hourly rate without the cost of high fringe benefits and experience included?
Incidentally has the promoter ever made a effort to pay the city for the $25,000 that she accumulated in debt to the city and the Mayor wrote off?
There are very few who are not in question of who the "Concerts for a Cause" are benefiting the most and this group is justified in asking and should be answered with a complete audit of all business transactions conducted at the concert since it is their tax money paying for it and their property it is staged on.
This year the promoter moved forward with the concert without approval of the city council which creates the question of who is in charge of the airport? Has anyone suggested to the promoter to take the concert to the town which is going to receive the financial benefits for staging and location? For example if a LaSalle organization is to receive the financial benefits the concert should be held in LaSalle! This idea has huge means of creating a reason for the city and its citizens to be involved and concerned to getting a financial payback.
speaking of the fourth of the Peru Fourth of July Farce, has the city awarded the contract to burn the stack of $100 bills yet? Will they call the Railroad this year, or will the train blast through at 30 MPH again?
Another waste of tax dollars! The fire works display should be a joint effort between all the neighboring communities and held in an area that is capable of hosting it safely - that means NOT IN PERU!
9:22 PM, May 20, 2014 - If one was interested in knowing how many pencils are used in city hall, how would he go about finding out?
@9:34 money made by the little league concession stands go back into little league, it doesn't go into some individual's pocket.
944 or the private individual helping with the investigation.
Anon 11:20AM Congratulations everyone and all who have been involved in obtaining the FBI in its present investigation of Peru. If there was not a reason they would not be here or stayed as long as they have. Thankfully this investigation will benefit most of Peru and its citizenship. The only being hurt will be those who have been the past and present good old boys and sadly it will not get all of them but looking forward to those it does. Word is all the Judas of Peru couldn't hide their bags of gold quick enough and they are babbling on one another. Who would have thought that Peru would be site of a Last Supper.
Anon 11:20 AM There are a lot more than one private individual helping with the INVESTIGATION!
Anon 10:54 If you remember the Little League was one of the Causes for "Concerts for a Cause". I bet that you weren't knocking the concerts when you got money from them for Little League. How much did your organization get? Sounds like a case of short memories and greedy minds.
1:01 can you be charged for lying to the FBI by bringing up false claims? The answer is yes. Can you be sued by making false claims about a individual? Yes from both a civil court and a criminal court. The good news is that either those making false claims or those who have violated the law will have the justice they deserve.
If you recall 1:10 it ended up being that little league got nothing from the concert.
1:10 LOL! The little league got nothing! They worked hard thinking they would get something for their efforts, but lo and behold, there wasn't enough money to go to the "Cause". Noonan ended up giving them some profits from a day at the pizza joint. Never did hear how much they got, but I know some of the little league people were pretty upset!
Volunteers are everywhere in the City of Peru. Most of the committees are made of outstanding volunteers, including the summer sports programs like softball and Little league. Park Board, Library Board, Zoning and Planning Board are all volunteer. The many who helped plant flowers, civil defense, CSO are all volunteers. The Maud Powell Committee, cleanup crews. The group working with the splash pad are another example of great volunteers. Those who hold public service positions like your elected officials are basically volunteers. The point is that Peru and other local towns all have fantastic volunteers that build our community. Its everywhere.
10:13; imagination? What debt are you claiming? please for once use something real to make your claims.
Read the article in tonight's news tribune regarding this concert. It explains some of the things the city is responsible for with regards to this concert. Still no mention of the "cause".
Heard that the investigation in Dixon regarding Rita Crundell is not over. I was speaking to a retired Lee County Sheriff and I was told that two CHIEFS POSITIONS in the city of Dixon borrowed money for personal loans from Rita herself. Was also told there is a good possibility that more could have been involved. I asked if this was true. I was also told this was in the Dixon newspaper after the news broke. The auditors for Dixon are part to blame. Fake invoices were used to funnel money from one account to another. Google articles regarding this investigation.
343 - farmland was taken out of production for the concert parking. The farmland rent was income for the city of Peru.
Just read in the paper that OSF is buying Mendota Hospital. Does anyone know when they will buy IVCH Hospital? It would be nice get our hospital out of the hands of our "local yokels." Sad to say, but I don't trust anything that is run by people from the LP area and the IVCH Board reads like a "whose who" list of our Yokels.
@3:43 Real was and still is all over the place, it is only your short memory that does not recall the debt which when it reached $18K that a alderman was sent to get it from the promoter. The debt eventually reached near $25K and Mayor Harl crossed it off.
@3:05 PM May 21, 2014
You comment that "Those who hold public service positions like your elected officials are basically volunteers".
In your comment you are muddling the difference of unpaid volunteers, paid volunteers and elected officials. Thankfully you did not include paid appointed positions as volunteers. Elected officials such as city council members and administrators, township members and county board members are highly paid for the positions they hold and the qualifications needed.
If you have a hunch about something And report it to the FBI and your claim is false , you can't be charged with a crime ! Thats just stupid and you're dumb for telling someone that . All contacts are strictly confidential and that's how most wrong doing gets reported . Nice try Boss Hurl .
11:35- a hunch is a good place to start. A smart person would have facts and documention of some sorts when talking to the FBI or IRS. " scare tactics" does not work when truth is known. Intimidation and bullying doesn't work either.
9:14 if what you say is true, and the FBI is in fact investigating the Mayor for overstepping his bounds and giving pay to friends, wouldn't they be interested in the Mayor essentially giving away almost 25, thousand to a city business on his own accord? Those are in fact tax payer dollars. Any unreimbursed labor and assistance given in violation of ordinance would also essentially constitute theft of funds?
I do not understand why they would not be investigating the unusual relationship between Peru and a series of questionable "charity" concerts?
friends, the answer is simple. just don't vote for these fools anymore.
Anon 4:17 PM So true you are. To start at the top in the city of Peru you only have a few of the 35% who voted for Harl to elect a new Mayor or have a 2 candidate race.
Has anyone ever confirmed that a additional election would have to be conducted of the two top vote recipients if more than 4 candidates ran.
Fresh faces would be a welcome sight on the council also.
Now that Peru has hired a new city engineer who is showing him around as Bleck showed Shawn Mikos?
An attorney friend for a better government association in the suburbs reviewed the ordinance for the concerts. They were surprised the city specified the proceeds going to the private business, placing the city in a position to
1. Need to insure that all proceeds did in fact go to the promoter
2. Define a reasonable method of enforcing that provision, meaning an audit trail
That audit trail, along with all reports to the city by the promoter would be subject to FOIA. So it's good that the promoter is happy to be completely transparent, and there will be no need to do any requests for the info from either the Entertainers or the City of Peru.
There can be no doubt that over 100, 000 has been given to schools and charities, but when factoring in the quid pro quo labor and city services, the number is reduced. When you factor in sponsors paying the charities, and discounted direct computer equipment, the number dwindles. When the city forgives 25,000 in debt, are these in fact accurate donations? The percentage compared to revenues is extremely low.
Few people would begrudge this private business doing this if it did it in a non charity way, gave the donation off the top, advertised that they, like so many other businesses every day, were donating a small portion of their profits to charity. But even a recently as this last article, the primary purpose of the entire series advertised is to fundraise. I believe it is wrong and very, very misleading to consumers. Around here I am in the minority.
But there is a world outside the Illinois Valley.
Is the front registration plate required on vehicles registered in Illinois?
Yes, the front registration plate is required on vehicles registered in Illinois. Both registration plates are required to be attached on vehicles registered in Illinois.
How come peru police don't enforce this law. Is it political ties that keep them getting enforced. I have seen 8 cars and SUVs registered to peru residents that do not have front plates. If we can't enforce this law what other laws are not getting enforced.
Give me a break 7:06. You have some cars without the front license plate so of course it's a conspiracy because an insider doesn't have to have them. Please.
5:46 Your again claiming that the City has forgiven a $25,000 bill to the concert promoter.
The promoter paid the city for the all the services incurred during the concerts, in addition the city recieved the $1.00 per ticket and parking revenues.
If you don't enjoy the concert don't go. Just don't mislead the public with lies!
It has always bothered me that one political person has gotten away without having a front license plate forever plus that person got away with fraud. It just ain't right!
10:00 A>M>
A few years ago, the city forgave about 25.000 of debt to the city by Concerts for a Cause. They were not reimbursed that I heard. I remember the mayor saying we could consider it a donation.
3:41 There is a simple answer to your question.......there is nothing to investigate. Your taken in by Mr. Conspiracy...he's laughing at how gulliable you are!
So does this person only drive their car in the City of Peru? I know for a fact that the State Police will pull you over if they notice it. They are always looking for a reason to pull people over and search for drugs on I-80. Missing or improperly placed license plates is one of their big ones.
Now I know the reason that some people don't like the front plate. It's because some fancy sports cars, like Corvettes, don't come with a bracket and putting one on detracts from the appearance.
My opinion - the law is the law and they should be given a ticket. I don't think the police are purposely letting them get away with it - they just don't notice it.
11:20 oh yes the police are fully aware of the political person without a front license plate, just nothing gets done about it.
Wasn't the $25,000 forgiven and the costs transferred from hotel/motel tax?
Anon 1:30 PM The $25,000 was forgiven. No one remembers being told where where the $25K came from unless those told are active members of the "inner circle".
No matter how this money was obtained it belongs to the taxpaying public and as a steward of the public's money the Mayor nor any other city official has the right to use it to finance private business.
Most suspect that it was drawn from the general fund as this is the procedure normally traveled.
What fund it was drawn out of to put in the general fund is when things get real interesting? You don't believe that it came out of the city payroll fund after the city payroll fund was drawn from the electric fund? One of the disadvantageous of Home Rule is that if you throw money against the wall enough different times eventually no one can create a paper trail to where it came from and is going to.
Does anyone know why a person can possess a vehicle without a front plate and nothing has been done about it? The police are aware of it and have been for years. Does this person have a reason which makes his act correct for him and incorrect for everyone else?
You are not allowed to donate money to a private business pretending it is a charity.
5/25 7:03 AM
Who are you to say who somebody can give their money to? As long as you don't try to claim it as a deduction on your taxes, you can give all your money away. You do need to look out for the gift tax. Don't exceed the $1 million life time / $13K annual gift tax limit.
11:09 - the annual gift tax limit is now $14,000 per year.
Another false accusation. Nobody gave away $25,000 to a concert, concert promoter or anyone else connected to the concerts. All records have been filed and the FAA has reviewed all the records.
2:20 PM
Instead try checking the city disbursements for that year and months.
2:20 p.m. Nothing false about that statement. $25,000 debt for the concert was forgiven by Mayor Harl because the concerts are "supposed" to bring in so much revenue to the city, i.e. hotel rooms, restaurants, grocery store, etc. I never did get the numbers to see if there was any spike in the revenue for that weekend. Still not a believer? Call the mayor and ask him yourself. It is a FACT!
Anon 2:20PM Are you trying to turn the $25,000 write off into a question of terminology? $25,000 of money owed to the City of Peru thru a accumulation of lost income from farmland, and money invested plus unpaid for services and equipment by a individual busineess person was written off of the books by the administration of the city and never reimbursed to the city by a individual utilizing public property for a private business venture.
If you presently have any further doubt please try checking the city disbursements for that year and month.`
11:09 I am not saying it. The law says that a mayor cannot arbitrarily forgive debt. To arbitrarily forgive debt without a vote, and possibly even with a vote, may constitute malfeasance regarding public funds.
It is fraudulent to present an endeavor as a fundraiser, legally assign responsibilities for safety and financials the promoter, state that the responsibilities will be met to obtain permission, then afterwards ignore the responsibilities.
You can give whatever YOU want with your check book. But the taxpayer funds are not the Mayors personal checkbook. If you dont see the difference I cant help you.
11:09 which law are you talking about? They can do this, and they did it. No law was broken. Nothing more to be done but vote the bums out. Making up infractions of imaginary laws won't do it.
More,More,More of the same crying wolf. Anyway you want to look at it the final tally is legitimate.
The promoter reimbursed the city for farmland, police, and items with the concert. The city receieved $1.00 per ticket, parking revenues, and all the costs during the concerts.
Yes, disbursements are all on record, please look at the revenues, those are also on record.
yes 9:05 we get the revenue for parking. why shouldn't we? after all, we park the cars ourselves.
We will see what law was broken I guess. Can you direct me to the meeting where the prior agreed debt was forgiven, the minutes, and the record of the reason the city agreed to allow the concerts for a certain amount of reimbursement, then forgave the debt.
As I understand it, the Mayor just decided to forgive the amount owed. That is essentially giving the business 25,000 dollars. On his own.
When you say the airport is being used and the city receiving fair value, then give back the money you get, it seems a little wrong.
7:50 you are playing with words.
$25,000 was never given or forgiven by anyone including the Mayor.
9:09 you are wrong. the money was indeed forgiven by the mayor. it's a fact.
2:13 Facts are considered truth that is documented. Please aks the city clerk to give you the amount the city received from the concerts and the expenses related to the event. This should make you retrack your definition of facts.
can someone please state what debt was forgiven?
213 what exactly are you referring to
And the forgiven debt was from a concert prior to any parking fees, as i understand it
Could the problem be that voters elected a administration and council to manage the business of Peru and not concerts at a airport, nor to play favorites for unwanted pickle ball, or not to accept suggestions on site locations for fireworks and ghost payrolls and on and on and on.
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