Present: Bob Ankiewicz, Sherry Mayszak, Scott Harl, Gary Bleck, Chuck Studer, Roger Chamlin, Mike Perry, Jim Lukosus, Dave Waldorf, Heidi Heuser Meeting called to order by Alderman Ankiewicz Alderman Ankiewicz made a motion that the minutes of April 30, 2012 be received and placed on file. Alderman Mayszak seconded the motion; motion carried. Unfinished Business
Airport
Concert – Cost to the city to have the Kid Rock Concert for a Cause was discussed. On
March 30 disbursements, $4,030 was paid to Grainco FS for grass seed which was
planted around the airport for parking for the concert. 32 acres of farmland were taken
out of production for parking. Rental income for those 32 acres is $200 per acre for a
total loss in rental income of $6,400. On the May 9 disbursements, $4,173.76 was paid to
William Henkel to replace his cost of fertilizing the farmland last fall. $358.00 was paid
to Jacob & Klein to write up the contract for the concert.
There have been 2 meetings with Merry Noonan. One meeting was held without an
alderman from the Public Property Committee present. The expected attendance is
10,000 to 15,000 people. In the beginning, Noonan thought parking for 6,000 cars would
be needed, then she lowered the estimate to 5,000 cars. Al Melacnic told Chamlin what
area near the airport could be used for parking with regards to FAA regulations. Roger
Chamlin found a formula to determine how much area is needed to park one car – 320
sq. ft. is needed per car. 5,510 cars can be parked in the area Al Melacnic said could be
used for parking. Noonan was going to contact Steve Michelini to see if his farmland
north of the corporate hangar could also be used for parking if needed. Noonan said she
will take all the parking she can get and agreed to using the 32 acres. Later, Noonan said
that estimate of 5,000 cars was too high because that would be 2 people per car and
usually more people come together. Also she was planning on using a bus to bring
people from the hotels to the concert. All hotel rooms are booked for the night of the
concert. In addition, some people have already said they will be flying in and won’t need
to park a car.
Rob Hahn of IDOT Division of Aeronautics said everything looks good. He sent the
papers to the FAA and should hear in about a month whether the concert is approved (by
the end of May 2012). FAA will also let us know if the .50 cents per ticket is acceptable
for the airport to receive as fair market value rent for Noonan to use the airport for a nonaeronautical
event.
Cost of the concert to the city so far:
$4,030.00 Grass seed
$4,174.00 Henkel reimbursement
$ 385.00 Jacob & Klein
$1,100.00 Chamlin’s fee for map change (tentative cost)
$2,600.00 Chamlin’s fee for work done to date for the concert (tentative cost)
$6,400.00 Cash rent lost
$18,689.00 total
Meeting adjourned at 3:10 p.m.
70 comments:
320 sq.ft per car !!!! That's an area of 20'x16' per car
What a depressing mess. This has gotten way out of hand. Who does Harl think he is? Us taxpayers don't approve of this one bit! If the tab is almost $20,000 now it will be way over $50,000 by the time its over. Who's running to beat this clown and take back our town?
Impeach Harl !
9:23 p.m.
You have to have room to open the car doors, as well as room to maneuver the car.
One meeting was held without an alderman from the public property committee!!!! So who was at the meeting?
If every hotel room is booked for that night, how much in hotel/motel taxes can be collected by the city?
Lois, what happens if the FAA does not approve the concert?
10:43 Pm
If it isn't approved, it becomes everybodys tough luck including the ticket holders.
No refund. Just like the other one cancelled by rain. But merry still gets paid.
Perez for mayor!
Welcome to Peru, the laughing stock of the Valley!
Fraudulent activity by several layers of government and individuals more likely. Suppose only 5000 tickets were sold and the concert was denied $300,000 made on ticket sales. IF Ms. Noonan refunds money (hasn't occurred in past) perhaps 3000 people would seek a refund? Still making $120,000 dollars from ticket sales. Now split that about 6 ways for those involved and that is a $20,000 payoff. But and this is the real payoff...IF denial is received closer to the concert more ticket sales more payoff!
Kristy
I think it would have been cheeper for th city to just have donated $10,000 to the LaSalle charity the concert was for.
Who voted for this?
9:47 AM
All the Peru aldermen voted to approve the ordinance for this concert.
Are all those at the meeting voting members of that committee?
Not true Ordinance 4891 authorizing the agreement indicates Alderman Potthoff was absent.
Kristy
10:19 AM Kristy Thank you
I am 100% disgusted with this whole arrangement. It is publicly known that Noonan didn't clean up her mess at the last place. Left a balance owed too didn't she? They don't want her back. Ask her if she made any money on insurance rain-out policies. Did you get your refund? Wonder if she did? Do liquor sales (and I'm sure all sales taxes are documented appropriately and the sales tax is forwarded to the state and city accordingly. Just a little cash here, a little cash there. yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah) What a joke. Shame on every elected politician that has their hands in this mess. Is this the best we can do for our Historic Leader of the Valley? Historic City, my ass. Quality Cultural activities, another joke. We don't even have the cost of police protection added into this equation yet. What about additional utility set up for the event? Garbage clean up? Restoration costs for the property and grounds? Who pays for that? Why does Lois always have to go digging for the truth? ALWAYS!!! And you leaders think this blog is bad?? I get more information from here than I do from the majority of our elected leaders. I believe we have heard the words "No cost to the City of Peru" for the last 6 months. "And we hope to get reimbursed from Noonan." Boy, somebody can't add. I got a big gut feeling that the City is going to take it in the shorts again. I am just waiting to see how this all ends up. Clerk - get ready for another FOIA request for that big check Mary is writing to the City. Out of curiosity, why does Chamlin have his hands in the pot again and again and again and again.............. Give me a break. Go up to the mall and count how many spaces those cars need. Call another concert hall or event location and ask them what they do. No, our city is too big for that. We call $1,000 consultants every time we have a question. Lois, by all means, boot me from the blog if you want. I am pissed. Language will be offensive, but I am offended too. I can't believe I voted for bad decision makers. My bad! Won't happen again.
Please post the ordinance, I doubt it includes the expenses or gives approval to utilize city funding.
10:32PM
Actually I would like to shake your hand for seeing the city as it is. I get tired of all the smoking mirrors thrown our way time after time. Thank you for sending your feelings to us.
10:32 I am an avid blogger and I too thank you for seeing things as they are and I too agree with you that more information is obtained thanks to Lois and her postings.
Not too many residents seem upset about this deal for a concert. It made little headlines in the local news and we have more blogs about wasting money on fireworks, in which everybody can enjoy. The Mayor has the right we gave him to run the city. I am sure he had city council approval along with the Federal Aviation to utilize city funding. No story here!
Bloggers please have faith in the system on this issue and let the past evidence support itself because it does exist.
We have to believe that regardless of how wrong and unjust the system may appear and how it appears you have to manipulate the system and grease palms in order to get ahead; have faith that individuals and elected officials do exist in society that believe in good over evil and that the "squeaky wheels" DO get the grease...not just those dirty palms.
When we as a society stop having faith in a fundamental belief system we stop fighting for what is right and just which will lead to a moral decay in our communities.
10:32 I too understand your frustration with our government in ways that no one could ever imagine. Please realize you are not alone and that others are as concerned and willing to continue fighting for our communities.
Kristy
11:28
Sorry you wrong, that is a fact.
Kristy
11:28 AM
The facts are that no FAA approval yet given as of today.
The Mayor undertook this on own if what I am told is correct. Anytime we questioned anything about the concert, we were told to go to the Mayor.
I honestly don't believe there is any palm greasing going on in this deal. I would hope that our elected officials wouldn't risk their careers on something or someone like this. I still have faith in the big system overall. It is designed to work if everyone is open, honest, and doing their job to do what is in the best interest of the public's funds. When power, ego's, favors, or lack of good common sense come into play, that's when the system starts to fall apart. We shall see how this whole mess works out. Then I will decide how I, and my very vocal concerns, will support those in charge in the future.
Lois, could you please start posting all council meeting minutes. I know it will be time consuming, but I think people are starting to see what is really going on in the city. If the minutes are posted every meeting on your blog who knows what might happen!
1:18 PM
Maybe no actual palm greasing as with money but there are other ways because as is being said down at city hall. This is an election year.
By that it seems that complaints will not be listened to if it concerns someone that they don't want to offend and that is where your comment comes into play.....
"When power, ego's, favors, or lack of good common sense come into play"
This is where we are currently.
Who are the players in this concert deal? And what's in it for them? The Mayor could not do this on his own.
The new white 4x4 truck, that was originally purchased for use by the assistant fire chief and which seemed to have disappeared for a time, has been spotted again. Since the assistant is going to be given one of the police departments old vehicles does anyone know what will become of this $30,000 truck? Curious!
2:50 PM
I don't know who else is involved. Whenever I would ask anyone connected with city hall why this concert was getting permission to use this airport since there was so much cost associated with it and so much money being spent by the city, I was told to go talk to the mayor as this was all his.
There was some confrontation between the mayor and a couple of the aldermen regarding the land being taken out of production and he did not know the actual cost of the grass seed or the acreage being taken from production at that meeting. That was the time the mayor said that Merry Noonan would pay the excess cost or the city could pay for it as a donation. I will look for the minutes of that meeting about a month ago.
Where do you start and how do you end? The promoter of the concerts advertised that she was donating the profits from concert ticket sales therefore most mistakenly thought she was donating All PROFITS FROM THE CONCERT! In actuality she took the ticket sales
minus all costs of the concert to determine the donation.
Each designated recipient of ticket sales gladly took their standard bag of of coins $25,000 and ran. The promoter took her profit of $7/bottle of beer, $20/fishbowl, $4/pizza, $4/bottle of water and sold certain corporations on helping her out at the tune of $10,000 per line, plus whatever other revenues are available..
Upon being no longer welcome to stage concerts at the Cedar Point Sportsman Club she entered Peru in hopes of utilizing the airport for her concerts.
As Paul Harvey would say "Now for the Rest of the Story". The promoter found that the elected officials of the city had no business sense and had long ago forgot their mission was to represent the taxpayer of Peru therefore making them easy pickens. Easy enough pickens that if she doesn't die of laughter on her way to the bank with her hundreds of thousands $'s of self profit she will be a very well to do individual and you and me and Peru's gain will be more debt.
In today's business world the promoter is being very sharp in conducting her business. In today's business world some of our political representation would be considered to be in the state of hallucination.
The new assistant fire chiefs' white truck has been painted orange, similar to a pumpkin and is carting Cinderella around.
is Chamlin, Perry or Heuser being paid for attending this meeting? Why and how much?
Look who the advertised promoters are, look for associations/corporate counsel to the promoters, who is Ms. Noonan's personal attorney and why did Jacob & Klein draw up the contract, who lives in Sycamore Lakes, who did the engineering work for Sycamore Lakes, who did the
Engineering work for the City on Sycamore Lakes, who is the attorney for Sycamore Lakes, who is the engineer/consultant for the airport, who has a private jet stored here at the airport? Answer those questions and you have a START of who just might be involved.
Residents have said that the new white truck is now the Mayor's city ride. He should have a truck to get around, if its the new one so what.
Anon 3:27 Who put the deal together. It has to be someone in the City. Was it a alderman? Or a employee? The promoter can't have property removed for parking or plant seed, it has to be the inner circle. And what are the ramifications?
Honestly, I thought the truck was going to the street dept. No?
Fire Chief Jeff King must have had a GREAT STORY to the city council and mayor in order for the $30,000 white truck to be purchased. WOW. Why should the asst
Fire Chief have a vehicle to drive?? The mayor, driving it???? What in the world is going on??? Sherry, Rodney, and all other aldermans need one too. Is this a joke???
If it's true that mayor Harl is driving that brand new white truck than I will say that we have a city council that needs to be voted out. I've never heard of towns the size of Peru paying for it's mayor a vehicle to drive. At least Harl will be cool in air conditioning while our children are sweating their bottoms off with NO POOL.
4:37 Iim pretty sure the street department got their own new vehicle.
MAYOR BAKER WAS NEVER SEEN RIDING AROUND IN A CITY VEHICLE!! I SUPPORTED HARL BUT NO MORE!!!! HE REALLY HAS GOTTEN A BIG HEAD OVER SUCH A JOB---- IT'S NOT CHICAGO. PERU HOPEFULLY WILL HAVE A NEW MAYOR NEXT TIME AROUND. CHECK OUT HIS LICENSE PLATES AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY.
5:04PM
I cannot even get Mayor Harl or the city council to start the process to put in a splash pad for the kids. Guess they have more important things like 30 minutes of fireworks for $20,000 and more trucks than we can count.
Lois, the idea of a splash pad was brought up at a public property committee meeting. I was told there is NO money for a splash pad and NO money for a swimming pool.
Thanks Sherry but the Mayor and alderman do find money when they want something that is on their to do list. I remember one meeting where I heard the same song.
We could have started with the $20,000 for the fireworks and I think people would have understood and then I believe we talked that maybe the pool fund could be used since this would ultimately be a part of it. Add the $30,000 for the PFD truck which they didn't even need and if MS Noonan doesn't totally reimburse the city for every last dime that we are spending for her concert, there would have been money there also. Maybe not so many trips for the Mayor and his accomplices.
$3,.879.80 Nifty Fifty brochures (total waste of money)
I have a suggestion for our present mayor and all others included in the Kid Rock Concert. On your way to the airport take 251 North and look to your left at the recently constructed $8,000,000+ Holiday Inn Suites. The location had to be renovated at a huge expense to the owner to make it suitable for a building to be erected because of water conditions. The owner and developer of this motel, Dick Janko, wishing to see the area be in a TIF District offered to loan the expenses of creating a TIF to Peru, $45,000, which I believe was accepted. He has also made a commitment to Peru to pay Motel/Hotel Taxes for the life of this business. Presently it appears that the developer of the concert is going to be given all of this amount and more for a one night stand and no long term tax revenue.
City taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund private entities, especially when the promised revenue will be given to another cities' charity. Now if Ms Noonan is paying for "all" outstanding costs incurred by the City of Peru in allowing this concert to happen, then this should be put on paper (protects both parties) and the then there would be only questions of approvals and even considerations.
No money for a splash pad, no money for a swimming pool, no money for a TIF District but there is money for a concert??????
keep an eye on Harl's campaign contribution list. I bet you'll find some interesting names the next time the State releases it.
Will the mare get his picture with Kid Rock on stage the afternoon of the concert,if there is one?
I'm not making stories up. I saw alderman Perez driving a white pick up truck on Saturday with a Municipal license plate. Perhaps this was the city fire pick up now driven by an alderman?
I saw firefighter Perez also on Saturday using the truck with the smokehouse educating the community as usual by himself.
I saw firefighter Perez also on Saturday using the truck with the smokehouse trailer educating the community as usual by himself. Without help from the fire department or its officers.
It probably will have a plow on it, that way he can plow his driveway again with ctiy equipment..
11:31 and 12:51
Yes, "Firefighter" Perez had the pick up truck on Saturday hauling the smoke house to and from Big Lots.. for a day of fun educating kids.
As far as assistance from other firefighters go; This event was only posted at the station for a couple of days. Chief King was concerned whether or not enough man power was going to be at Big Lots to run the Smoke House. I assured the Chief it was taken care of, and it ran smoothly.
Rodney Perez
So Rodney and Mayor Harl share the truck? Thats nice. What happens if another of our officials wants to clean out their garage? Do they ask them for the keys for the weekend? And what about the gas card? If I want to haul my boat to the dock with the new truck, I am a Peru resident. Do I pick up the truck and the gas card at Ald. Rodneys or Mayor Harls house? Lois, maybe you could get the truck for the July 3rd fireworks and park it down on water street and watch the fireworks from the back of this new vehicle. Cooler full of cold beverages and that gas card to fill up, I think you can charge your beverages to the card. Check to make sure Rodney and Scott won't be doing official city business on that date and have a good time. You may want to have a auction or lottery on who gets to enjoy the fireworks in the back of the great white truck with you during the fireworks. Please make sure that you keep the truck in park and watch out for trains if you decide to park the back end of the truck on the railroad tracks. That may be your choice and depend on who you invite to watch the fireworks in the great white truck.
It doesn't matter who is using the white truck, nor for what reason they are using it. What does matter is that full council voted unanimously to approve the purchase of this vehicle when obviously it was an unnecessary expense to the city and its' taxpayers.
Anon 12:32 when city property is not used for the intended purpose it is called illegal. If a city employee used a backhoe or dump truck to make some repairs on some private property we would call that ok? It does matter to those of us who pay the taxes in Peru. And if the residents were told that it was purchased for the fire department, than it should be used by the fire department. And if it it used for other purposes than the Mayor and City council managers should be held responsible for this lack of transparency.
1:51 It's intended use was for the assistant fire chief's personal vehicle as the chief has, and the spw has, and the electric dept. head has, and our building inspector has.
Having the smokehouse at big lots. Rodney, sounds like this event was only posted up at station for a couple of days, per your blog. Why? I'm a taxpayers and this is the first I've heard about that event. Rodney, it's great you handles events yourself without much help from others on department. Straight from chiefs mouth, he didn't know how much manpower would be available for smokehouse at bif lots.Are you kidding me??? He's the chief,! And he DOESN'T KNOW. And he will run the fire department as he sees fit. You be chief Rodney, rub noses with the right people, and maybe you will be appointed.
MANPOWER MIGHT HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM PER FIRE CHIEF KING ON A SATURDAY! Fireman must like to be paid for functions in order to participate. Same story, different day. Civic duty down the drain. Sad! Thank You Rodney for your solo services.
The "Big Lots Safety Day" schedule was worked out between Rodney and the manager of the store.
I did not receive confirmation of the event until three days before this event.In fact the store was unable to do any advertising for their safety day.
I had the volunteer sign up sheet posted only two days prior.
Chief King was concerned about the last minute notice, and finding "Volunteers" to man the smoke house.
I assured the chief that we had manpower and it would be fine."which it was."
As far as anyone concerned with the "white pick up truck" hauling the "Fire Safety Smoke House" there is no better truck to tow that capacity of a trailer.
The truck was used for a fire department function, my Tie was off, and my firefighter belt buckle was on.
Most people know that "Alderman Perez" is a "Firefighter" and if I'm spotted driving a "Big Red Fire Truck", or a "Big White Fire Pick-up Truck" My Tie will be off, and I'll be sporting my duty belt buckle that "I" purchased. ;-)
PFD.Fire-Fighter/
Public Education Officer
Rodney Perez
10:41 - Would you rather the truck sit around collecting dust or be put to use for a worthwhile cause? You think the dealership will give the city a refund? It's not as if its being used for personal business in this instance, as you suggest. Some people are never happy.
2:43 & 2:53 - You must have read a different response from Rodney than I did. It seemed like it was a short notice event. Not everyone has the flexibility to drop everything or reschedule something with just a few days notice. And somehow you expect the chief to know everyones schedules.
Just pay them. They always got paid before. Why do we expect them to work for free? We don't and won't work for free.
7:22 The Union of Workers of the City of Peru have spoken. WE WON'T!
I don't understand why they are expected to work for free either!
@11:40 Because when you "volunteer" it means "Do for free"
They are not a "Volunteer" Dept and never have been. They are P.O.C.'s (Paid On Call)
VOLUNTEER - one who chooses freely to do something, as entering military service. Therefor you can be paid on call and be a volunteer at the same time.
Just read the blogs under the heading(title), how to submit a resume to become fire chief. Everybody should read that. Alot of question in regards to all departments and the heads of are chosen. READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DOWN WITH UNIONS !!!!!!!! STRAIGHTEN OUT THE COUNTRY !!!!!
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