It has come to my attention that the Street and Alley Committee has not recorded the minutes of any meeting held this year and that would be in violation of the open meetings act if they were holding non public meetings. See below.
"Meeting" is defined as "any gathering of a majority of a quorum of the members of a public body held for the purpose of discussing public business.
"Public notice of any special meeting except a meeting held in the event of a bona fide emergency, or of any rescheduled regular meeting, or of any reconvened meeting, shall be given at least 48 hours before such meeting, which notice shall also include the agenda for the * * * meeting." 5 ILCS 120/2.02(a).
The above quotes are excerpts from the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
I have gone through the minutes on the city web site and did not find even one meeting that was held by the Street and Alley Committee this past year. The committee has Dave Waldorf as chairman and members are Jamey Mertel and Tony Ferrari.
Considering that our roads are a vital part of a functioning community and with the condition of our roads it would seem that it might be even more important.
Ald. Waldorf is called upon to give a committee report at each City Council Meeting. If this committee is not meeting where does he get the information to give a report.
Of course this leads to the question where is this committee meeting and not making themselves available to any resident of the city to ask questions. If they are meeting without notice, without keeping minutes and without an agenda also posted, they again would be violating the open meetings act.
I will foia information asking when was the last time that the Street and Alley committee had a meeting. I do realize this is a committee that is not scheduled on a regular basis like Finance. But Sewer and Water and Recreation also meet on an "announced basis" and those committees do have minutes available on the city web site whereas Streets and Alleys have NOTHING.
28 comments:
This committee, along with several others, has always been a question for me. I have often wondered why meetings were never announced, posted, or even mentioned anywhere. I too have often searched for minutes of these meetings and found no results. How can they come to conclusions regarding road repairs when no meetings occur (or do they occur elsewhere)?
I submitted the Foia request and was told they checked for information and only found that no meetings were held in 2010 or 2011 that actually submitted agendas or minutes. Why do we have a Street and Alley committee if they do not meet and where does the information come from that is given at our City Council meetings?
This question should probably be asked at a council meeting to the chairman of the Street and Alley Committee - Alderman Waldorf.
Hmmmmm. Sounds like some investigating needs to be done Lois. Where do they get the info that they report on every week from committees?
Isn't there a meeting tonight? Maybe someone should ask that question Anon 4:24.
How are the committees formed anyway ? Do they get paid for so-called committee meeting ? Why are some alderman on so many committees and some are on so few ? Why is the public afraid of our alderman because they are on a specific committee ? just because an alderman is on a specific committee doesn't mean we have to make sure he is the one that is happy at a specific event . Example ... It doesnt matter if a certain alderman (on the parks board)is at a parade put on by the Parks Dept . The parade is not to make the alderman happy it is to make the kids and public happy !! The people that run these events (not only parades) put alot of time and energy into these events , and don't need to be stressed out because an alderman shows up and watches . We aren't suppose to be afraid of our alderman , they are they to serve us and should actually be afraid of us not re-electing them . Thats how it is suppose to be . THEY SERVE US . WE KEEP THEM IN OR VOTE THEM OUT . REMEMBER THIS NEXT TUESDAY !!
Most of the work and discussion regarding government business is supposed to be accomplished in committee meetings. How can this be if there are no known meetings? Is this why we are experiencing so many problems with our streets?
4:26PM
Where does the Street and Alley Committee get their information. As far as I know none of the members: Waldorf, Mertel or Ferrari has the knowledge to give the reports that are read. Many of them sound like they were put together by someone with engineering knowledge.
The council minutes for 2/22 indicate that Alderman Waldorf announced that the 2011 MFT (motor fuel tax) Program paperwork has been sent to Springfield.
3/9/11 "recommended that the council approve renting an asphalt heating trailer at a cost of $1500 a month for a minimum of two months"
3/14/11 "made a motion to authorize to rent to own an asphalt heating trailer for $1500 a month"
None of these announcements were preceded by a meeting of the Street and Alley Committee. Does it seem like the members of the committee are not fulfilling their duties or most likely this is the way it was always done.
Residents of the third ward must determine if this is important to them or not.
3:55PM
The committees are put together by the Mayor after consultation with council members as to their preferences. They do not get paid for committee meetings, only city council meetings.
The aldermen must agree to be on committees and can refuse if they wish. That is the reason Ald. Potthoff is only a member of the electric committee. By serving on various committees they do get a better understanding of all city functions.
Lois and Steve..please be accurate about Dave Potthoff. He IS currently a member of the electric committee BUT has been on the Fire and Police, Electric, Streets, License and the Airport committee during his career and been chairman of many. Thank you.
Please voters take these comments into consideration when you VOTE and please do VOTE!
I did not bring up the subject, someone asked if he was a member of any committee, not if he was ever a member of any committee.
I think most people would realize that in 20 years he has served on various committees and that is to his credit. If you go to the bottom of the blog first page, you will see his name listed as a member of the electric committee.
Again I was answering questions that were submitted in the present tense not past. Again it does say something about him when he decided not to be a part of the working portion (committees) after his failed attempt at running for mayor. And that may be why you see some aldermen serving on so many committees.
Yes he ran for mayor. Yes he was defeated. Yes he met with Mayor Harl and offered his services. It was Mayor Harl that graciously declined and "allowed" him to serve on the electric committee. Let us be fair especially with 6 days to election. This blog is useful and interesting. Please keep it unbiased and let it be a source for reliable information for all to make a wise and educated decision in the polls.
So another words they get on alot of committes to look important and make it seem like they care , and because they don't get paid to meet they don't , and make up a report everyonce in awhile because they talked to each other on the phone once a month to decide stuff . And the ones on few committees just dont play the game of making us think they care , they just dont do committees because they dont get paid for them . I see now , what a waste of time .
He was asked and did not attend any of the meetings set up by the mayor and did not answer the questionaire sent by the mayor. I understand that Mayor Harl had to travel to Mr Potthoff's house to talk with him and by then the committees he said he would sit on were taken care of. Considering how this came about leads me to believe that he was not very interested in any of the committees.
I was at the Halloween Parade last year and when it was all over someone i knew told me there was Alderman X , and continued to say " that's the guy we gotta make happy , as long as he is happy we know we did a good job !!" I said a couple cuss words at my friend and continued to tell him , as long as the kids are happy and noone got hurt , it was a great parade . And toldhim as a citizen of Peru , he did a good job . If an Alderman thinks he's better than the public and you feel you have to fear an Alderman then now is the time to tell him you arent afraid and tell him with VOTES !!! We the citizen by majority vote are suppose to run our city .
Oh what a cry Baby , wait until the job is done then when someone comes to ask if you will help , "but they took all the spots i wanted , it's not fair , i guess i'll sit at home and wait for a council meeting when i do get paid . The cities problems will solve themselves " I'm glad i don't live in the 4th ward !! But i do have his competitions campaign sign in my yard !!
Lois....he did indeed fill out the questionnaire and did indeed meet with the Mayor. Please do not skew the truth this close to the election.
12:23PM
Well evidently we are getting information from what we consider reliable sources and they don't match up. I am not skewing information, I am telling what I believe to be true as was related to me.
I understand about reliable sources and i hope we both agree that reliable isn't always so.....thanks you for listening.
8:08 Do you believe that it is a positive or a negative that Alderman Potthoff with 20 years experience as a alderman and a past history of Fire and Police, Electric, Streets, License and the Airport Committees during his career and having been chairman of many would only volunteer to serve on the Electric Committee?
Government is the wishes, accomplihsments, and work of many not of one.
Individuality is a outstanding characteristic when it enables the overall mission to accomplish its goals. When individuality is utilized to waste the previous years of experience - in this instance the many years of committee memberships and chairman experience - the City and its citizens are denied.
Teamwork is the important characteristic that is needed in todays government framework and the lack of it plus the opportunity of fresh ideas inspires the need of term limits.
The city should be managed as a business and in a business if you do not want to work within its framework you are fired.
Alderman Waldorf, should be ashamed of himself. He should apologize to the citizens of Peru. He passes himeself off as knowing about the streets in Peru, HE KNOWS NOTHING. He should stick to cutting hair, which at least I think he knows what he is doing. Alderman Waldorf, please do not get on a commitee, for roads next year if you get in. You don't know what you are doing.
Lois , Lois, Lois how long have you lived in Peru? By now you must have heard the good ole boys slogan "whatsa matter, we've always done it this way"? Usually follows the song "We're All For Peru" or stated at committee meetings.
How highs the debt Mama? $43,000,000.00 and risen!!! Thats high enough for me, let us all vote for a new council next Tuesday!
3:20 PM
Sounds good to me!
i for one will not vote for a new council memeber in my ward, this so called debt is all imagined, it grows daily as the lies do that are posted on this blog, perhaps after the election this blog can close down and the people that post such rude comments on here can perhaps go outside and enjoy their life, be thankful for the people that serve the city.
If the debt in imagined, why would you say it is growing Anon 7:09?
Why did Standard & Poor lower the City of Peru's Bond rating last fall if this so called debt is all imagined? I agree with 7;09 that we should be thankful for the people who serve the city and I am ungrateful to the people who should be serving the city but are only serving themselves.Every things fine in Peru financially all that has to be done is take the money out of the electrical fund, transfer it to the general fund, move it around to pay the city employees. Oh I forgot that we'll now get a loan to finance the new generators for the electrical dept.
7:09 If your alderman has convinced you that there is no debt then there is no hope for you and hopefully that alderman is replaced! The founders of this blog do not post rude comments. People like you do! I would be thankful if the people that you refer to were serving the best interest of the city and not their particular neightborhood or themselves.
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