This blog is maintained for the sole purpose of allowing the people of Peru and those interested in the cities of the Illinois Valley to express their views.
“It doesn’t take a majority to win, just a tireless minority that will keep starting brush fires in the mind and hearts of their fellow men.” Samuel Adams
This TIF district is the one that former Mayor Baker tried to push through during his last month or so of office. If my memory serves me right, he called for a vote to establish the TIF without informing the aldermen. At the time one of them objected and said they had not been informed a vote would be taking place and were not ready to make a decision. Believe it was Ald. Ferrari.
But months later it was passed by the entire council and I don't believe there were any objections. The building of he new Holiday Inn by Janko seemed to be the moving force for the TIF.
We should be doing everything possible to bring businesses and jobs to our area and TIF shouldn't be three dirty words to achieve it. And if Dimmick needs a little sweetener, why not work something out? There are two large new warehouses at Minooka sitting idle because of the present business conditions so we have to try harder and be happy for what we got in the past. I remember the big fuss some made when HyVee came to town. That was a great move to make room for a quality business.
I don't feel that any TIF area should be established to accomodate a particular business or individual. That business was coming to that area TIF or not!
that is what a TIF is for...why not entice business to build so we get the jobs and the resulting tax revenue from the money the people working will spend!
We need TIF and WE NEED JOBS in the area, but we have a Mayor that does not know how to participate and make it work. Thank God for Mayor Baker.
Who will educate Mayor Harl, that is, more then UNION for the area that will bring jobs here for people to eat, buy a home, send the kids to school, and make this area a better place to live, including lowering our tax bills and not raising them like the Mayor wants to do.
Maybe Mayor Harls supporters need to WAKE UP AND SMELL WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THIS AREA. ( start of a ghost town) I am glad it will only be two more years , I hope we can make it !
To 8:25 a.m. - Your comment contains nothing but false claims and assumptions. Why don't you give specifics of what your talking about. Are you saying the mayor is not working for and promoting the TIF in question. If so, you're sadly mistaken. Tell us all the details of the mayor's tax increase plans. We all want to share in your vast knowledge of what's in store for us. Share your knowledge of the negotiations between the taxing bodies. Give us the details of why the Dimmick Scool Board and LaSalle County have filed suit. If you're just going to slam the mayor and anyone who supports his efforts at least come up with an argument why, other than you just don't like them. Inform us what the real deal breaker is in this TIF negotiation. Certainly there is plenty of property in the area of North Rt. 251 and I-80 that can be considered "Blighted" in order to qualify it for a TIF District. What then is the hold-up with this deal. Tell us! After you fill us in about the TIF, please take some time to explain your claim about the area becomiong a "ghost town". Take your time and be specific.
I would like to express my concerns of everyone's expectations of "much needed jobs" being added north of 80. First of all, I am not sure that the type of jobs being generated in the north of 80 corridor are bringing home loads of money. I see quite a few fast food restaurant, retail clerk, hotel cleaning staff, gas station attendants that make around $8/hour. Not really retirement income in my opinion. Many of the staff working those positions have families they need to support and I don't believe that wage scale supports a family without some type of financial assistance. With families, there are probably a few children utilizing the school sytems. More burden for the schools without the tax base for support. When people discuss the benefits of additional jobs being brought to the community, I would like them to add "comfortable wage scale job" that can support a family. North of shooting park road contains quite a few businesses that typically provide minimum wage scales. Let's clarify who brought those jobs to Peru. Not the current administration.
concerning jobs - you need to look a little deeper than the clerks and cooks. Here is a list of jobs I expect are created in the 50 to 100 mile radious around a major retail center. Some are close, some are farther away.
Truck driver to deliver goods Mechanic to maintain the truck Distribution center (DC) worker to load the truck Security guard to watch the DC Technician to maintain the DC computer systems Shift supervisor at the DC DC Manager DC HR Manager Various Rail Road Workers
HVAC Technician Electrician to maintain various systems and lighting Computer Technician Periodic Work for local plumbers and contractors. Telecommunication maintenence - installation.
Banking services to handle cash
Managers Shift Managers HR Managers District Managers
Thanks Brian, you speak wisely but as you can see others are stuck in the closet and can't see beyond their enclosure.
I am afraid that Peru will regress if we do not have a mayor to lead forward for the citizens of Peru. What we have is a person concerned about swimming pools, getting rid of past employeed people, increasing utility rates, increasing our taxes, paying VERY high library fees and most of all concerned in building a faithful team of supporters.
Please hurry,Mother nature, make the next two years go quickly! We must make changes if we are to grow in Peru. We, are today stuck in stagnation and regression.
8:54AM It does appear that you are in the closet because in case you haven't notice prices of everything has gone up and in order for the city to continue to function and give you the services you like as electricity, water, sewers and also to pay down our debt, something like utility rates have to be raised. The past is why we have problems. The Mayor has seen to the fact that we are now paying down our debt and I believe it is gone down about 5 million since he took office.
Ok, Brian. I stand corrected. Maybe $11-$15/hour and yes I know some of the staff you are talking about and I have yet to understand how they can make it on the wage scale provided to them with the cost of insurance etc. I will admit, this is not only a Peru problem. This is nationwide. But, I will stand my ground and once again state, that very few people will be able to comfortably retire off of any earnings generated by the businesses north of town. As for the anonymous writer that discusses libary fees, exactly when during the current admin did that discussion and legal threats from the library staff begin? I think you might have been in the closet with your bottle just a little too long on that one. Yes, I am a supporter of the current administration and more specifically, the new change in alderman. I am fiscally responsible to my household and future and I demand that my community leaders to the same. I don't have a pool in my backyard because IT is a luxury and I CANT afford it. If I have a windfall of money after I make my routine maintenance and repairs on my property, I would love to have a pool. After I pay down my debts, I hope to get a pool for all my friends to enjoy. As for utilities? If you don't like your bill, don't use as much! Turn off the light switch and go a little green for a change. The world as we once knew it is gone! Get out of the closet and open your eyes! As for getting rid of past employees, I have to congratulate any supervisor on cleaning house of bad employees with unproductive habits. If there is waste, get rid of it! Oh, and p.s. In case you haven't turned on your TV in the last year, the whole world is in a little bit of of a recession and seems to be a little bit stagnate. Just thought I would let you know since you might still be hanging out too much in the closet with the rest of us. You are just too funny. You've made my day!
I see your second sentence Brian and we know what you're saying but, this TIF area seems to be all about the Holiday Inn Express that already exists and, is surrounded by newer businesses that were established before the TIF was even thought about.
18 comments:
This TIF district is the one that former Mayor Baker tried to push through during his last month or so of office. If my memory serves me right, he called for a vote to establish the TIF without informing the aldermen. At the time one of them objected and said they had not been informed a vote would be taking place and were not ready to make a decision. Believe it was Ald. Ferrari.
But months later it was passed by the entire council and I don't believe there were any objections. The building of he new Holiday Inn by Janko seemed to be the moving force for the TIF.
Your memory serves you correctly. Blighted area? Hmmmm. Looks like a very nice commercial industrial area to me!
wasn't the big question mark in that area the new Holiday Inn Express?
We should be doing everything possible to bring businesses and jobs to our area and TIF shouldn't be three dirty words to achieve it. And if Dimmick needs a little sweetener, why not work something out? There are two large new warehouses at Minooka sitting idle because of the present business conditions so we have to try harder and be happy for what we got in the past. I remember the big fuss some made when HyVee came to town. That was a great move to make room for a quality business.
I don't feel that any TIF area should be established to accomodate a particular business or individual. That business was coming to that area TIF or not!
People..remember 3 words...
Jobs..jobs...jobs...
that is what a TIF is for...why not entice business to build so we get the jobs and the resulting tax revenue from the money the people working will spend!
Do all the other businesses north of I-80 qualify as TIF districts? or was it just the hotel?
Good question anon 7:22. One that's needs to be looked into or explained.
We need TIF and WE NEED JOBS in the area, but we have a Mayor that does not know how to participate and make it work. Thank God for Mayor Baker.
Who will educate Mayor Harl, that is, more then UNION for the area that will bring jobs here for people to eat, buy a home, send the kids to school, and make this area a better place to live, including lowering our tax bills and not raising them like the Mayor wants to do.
Maybe Mayor Harls supporters need to WAKE UP AND SMELL WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THIS AREA. ( start of a ghost town) I am glad it will only be two more years , I hope we can make it !
To 8:25 a.m. - Your comment contains nothing but false claims and assumptions. Why don't you give specifics of what your talking about. Are you saying the mayor is not working for and promoting the TIF in question. If so, you're sadly mistaken. Tell us all the details of the mayor's tax increase plans. We all want to share in your vast knowledge of what's in store for us. Share your knowledge of the negotiations between the taxing bodies. Give us the details of why the Dimmick Scool Board and LaSalle County have filed suit. If you're just going to slam the mayor and anyone who supports his efforts at least come up with an argument why, other than you just don't like them.
Inform us what the real deal breaker is in this TIF negotiation. Certainly there is plenty of property in the area of North Rt. 251 and I-80 that can be considered "Blighted" in order to qualify it for a TIF District. What then is the hold-up with this deal.
Tell us!
After you fill us in about the TIF, please take some time to explain your claim about the area becomiong a "ghost town". Take your time and be specific.
I would like to express my concerns of everyone's expectations of "much needed jobs" being added north of 80. First of all, I am not sure that the type of jobs being generated in the north of 80 corridor are bringing home loads of money. I see quite a few fast food restaurant, retail clerk, hotel cleaning staff, gas station attendants that make around $8/hour. Not really retirement income in my opinion. Many of the staff working those positions have families they need to support and I don't believe that wage scale supports a family without some type of financial assistance. With families, there are probably a few children utilizing the school sytems. More burden for the schools without the tax base for support. When people discuss the benefits of additional jobs being brought to the community, I would like them to add "comfortable wage scale job" that can support a family. North of shooting park road contains quite a few businesses that typically provide minimum wage scales. Let's clarify who brought those jobs to Peru. Not the current administration.
concerning jobs - you need to look a little deeper than the clerks and cooks. Here is a list of jobs I expect are created in the 50 to 100 mile radious around a major retail center. Some are close, some are farther away.
Truck driver to deliver goods
Mechanic to maintain the truck
Distribution center (DC) worker to load the truck
Security guard to watch the DC
Technician to maintain the DC computer systems
Shift supervisor at the DC
DC Manager
DC HR Manager
Various Rail Road Workers
HVAC Technician
Electrician to maintain various systems and lighting
Computer Technician
Periodic Work for local plumbers and
contractors.
Telecommunication maintenence - installation.
Banking services to handle cash
Managers
Shift Managers
HR Managers
District Managers
All of that for a hotel? I think not Mr. Foster! Certainly not in this area.
7:10 - please read the second sentence of my comment.
Thanks Brian, you speak wisely but as you can see others are stuck in the closet and can't see beyond their enclosure.
I am afraid that Peru will regress if we do not have a mayor to lead forward for the citizens of Peru. What we have is a person concerned about swimming pools, getting rid of past employeed people, increasing utility rates, increasing our taxes, paying VERY high library fees and most of all concerned in building a faithful team of supporters.
Please hurry,Mother nature, make the next two years go quickly!
We must make changes if we are to grow in Peru. We, are today stuck in stagnation and regression.
8:54AM
It does appear that you are in the closet because in case you haven't notice prices of everything has gone up and in order for the city to continue to function and give you the services you like as electricity, water, sewers and also to pay down our debt, something like utility rates have to be raised. The past is why we have problems. The Mayor has seen to the fact that we are now paying down our debt and I believe it is gone down about 5 million since he took office.
Ok, Brian. I stand corrected. Maybe $11-$15/hour and yes I know some of the staff you are talking about and I have yet to understand how they can make it on the wage scale provided to them with the cost of insurance etc. I will admit, this is not only a Peru problem. This is nationwide. But, I will stand my ground and once again state, that very few people will be able to comfortably retire off of any earnings generated by the businesses north of town. As for the anonymous writer that discusses libary fees, exactly when during the current admin did that discussion and legal threats from the library staff begin? I think you might have been in the closet with your bottle just a little too long on that one. Yes, I am a supporter of the current administration and more specifically, the new change in alderman. I am fiscally responsible to my household and future and I demand that my community leaders to the same. I don't have a pool in my backyard because IT is a luxury and I CANT afford it. If I have a windfall of money after I make my routine maintenance and repairs on my property, I would love to have a pool. After I pay down my debts, I hope to get a pool for all my friends to enjoy. As for utilities? If you don't like your bill, don't use as much! Turn off the light switch and go a little green for a change. The world as we once knew it is gone! Get out of the closet and open your eyes! As for getting rid of past employees, I have to congratulate any supervisor on cleaning house of bad employees with unproductive habits. If there is waste, get rid of it! Oh, and p.s. In case you haven't turned on your TV in the last year, the whole world is in a little bit of of a recession and seems to be a little bit stagnate. Just thought I would let you know since you might still be hanging out too much in the closet with the rest of us. You are just too funny. You've made my day!
I see your second sentence Brian and we know what you're saying but, this TIF area seems to be all about the Holiday Inn Express that already exists and, is surrounded by newer businesses that were established before the TIF was even thought about.
Post a Comment