If the agenda printed on the Peru Web site is correct, there will be a closed session during the first minutes of the city council meeting Wednesday November 14.. Usually the council meets at 7:30 PM and there is no announcement that this will be any different. How long will the closed session be?
Will this discourage people from attending the usual meeting because they will have to wait until that meeting which is closed to the public is over for the council meeting to begin.
Other unusual aspects of this agenda are 2 notices of discussion on pickle ball. ???
PUBLIC PROPERTY COMMITTEE Ankiewicz & Mayszak
(Recreation & Parks, Airport, Buildings & Grounds)
Authorize $10,000 contribution to the Recreation Board for the replacement of lights at
the Little League diamond
Motion to concur with the Rec board and continue Pickleball at 28th Street Park
Motion to relocate Pickleball to a location other than 28th Street Park
Boehm Brothers will be awarded the demolition of the Peru power house on Water Street
with a bid $155,259.
31 comments:
My guess is, and this is only a guess, is that they need to privately discuss with city counsel pending litigation PRIOR to council meeting this time. The meetings have been set up now to pretty much censor any freelancing question and answer sessions from the public, but since the meetings are being video recorded, any more " off the cuff " answers on things like Pickleball might be used against them in court or during the spring campaign.
Anon 12:20 I am in full agreement, which leads to a alarming question. The city council and administation are elected by the citizens to have a open communication between each other and the citizens also a government which is completely positive for the entire city rather than for themselves individually. How are they fulfilling the goals of this mission by having more closed sessions in the last three and a half years than Peru has had in its first one hundred and seventy two years.
What was the date that the Peru Power House was first proposed to be demolished?
What was the original estimate to demolish the Peru Power House? What, to this date has it cost the city, for the demolition of the Peru Power House including engineering, consulting, legal, electrical city employees, fencing and on site demolition?
How much more is going to have to be spent to finish this demolition including the trucking away of waste? What will be the grand total cost to demolish the Peru Power House?
Does anyone think it would be intelligent to do a complete and professional cost analysis for the Veterans Swimming Pool before its demolition is started rather than create a twin sister to the power plant. With the extremely high wages that the council pays its management team SPW, Asst Bldg. Insp. etc. they should be able to compile a estimate within three to five per cent of the final cost or they have the wrong people in the positions.
In the monthly newsletter the YMCA is now offering pickle ball. Appears business that can not be solved by eight aldermen and a Mayor can be solved by a community group.
This is completely the attorney's fault for not monitoring legal procedures, boards, and policies-similar to allowing ordinances to be approved/passed w/o them being written & reviewed by the council.
Kristy
Power House AGAIN the city attorney. Since Mayor Harl appointed the City Attorney he is equally liable in my opinion for all cost overruns and inadequate job performances which COST the taxpayers for their incompetences.
Kristy
The power plant demolition will quite possibly prove to be the single most damaging project to the city ( and the mayors re election bid) of any undertaken by this admin, if some inside sources are to be believed. Stay tuned on this one folks.
If it is true that pickleball will be played at the Y for the winter months then there are several questions to be answered. The nets have been removed from the 28th street park by a pickleball ambassador and taken to the Y.TRUE
The nets are city property and were removed from public property and taken to a private institution,the Y.Who gave the OK? The question is will only Y members be allowed to come in and use this equipment? Has the equipment now become portable?
How can city property be installed at a institution that is not free to all citizens of Peru? Don't tell me to ask the city atty, as he is a pickleball player.
Maybe someone can tell me that I have misconstrued all of this activity.
How about a motion to stop pickle ball until a suitable location is found and there is money to pay for a new court. I am sure the majority who live in Peru would rather have the money put towards the pool fund or a splash pad. That is where the money should be going...the kids. Why does the city feel they have to please these individuals? I just do not get it! If they need exercise they are all probably members of the Y. Why do we taxpayers have to be responsible for their wants? Please would someone at least try to answer this question !
Well that is pretty much a no brainer, the council has said from the beginning that they will go along with the rec board. So why have two motions, they do not need the second.
I do not believe for one minute that Mr. Pothoff would allow the nets purchased by the city be used at the Y. I am sure the Y would purchase their own nets if the sport is being played there.
Yes pickle ball is at the Y and I'm pretty sure that the nets that are there are the ones that were removed from 28th st. park (could someone please verify this?). And yes, if you're not a member you have to pay a guest fee to play the game.
Once again, where is the bond money put up by the first electric plant demolition crew to complete the project if they didn't? Someone has to find the quote from the attorney that this money/insurance policy was valid.
5:22
You just asked the 200,000 USD question! The Insurance company is likely refusing to release the money because there was never any intent to finish the job by the initial contractor, or the job was grossly misrepresented by the city. At least that would be the most interesting version, and what I would claim if I were them.
I am sure the News Tribune will get to the bottom of the sordid details.
Pay a fee to play prickleball ? NEVER ! I'd play in a parking lot first !
Can someone please clarify if the pickle ball being played at the Y is sponsored by the YMCA or is sponsored by the city Rec Board? How did this come about? Has it been in the making since the inception of pickle ball or is it just because the ambassadors needed some place to play this winter? What hours is it available and is it available on a walk-in basis? If you don't have a paddle and ball are they available as they were made available at 28th street? Lots of unanswered questions regarding this game and the ambassadors club.
It sounds as if the Y has taken on pickleball since it is being advertised in their brochure, I am told. The pickleball people stated at the last Public Property meeting that they had a place to play for the winter.
The city attorney has not a single clue what is going on. He was asked several times a meeting several months in a row for almost a year by council members verifying we had that million dollar bond to keep if that company never finished or defaulted. And every time the answer was "yes" . Harl promised the citizens of Peru he would replace this useless attorney and even more useless city engineer if he was elected. All lies !!! Wait untill the same thing happens with the Westclox building when that company files bankruptcy and abandons its property ! Then what will Schweikert and Taylor say then?
If Harl promised all those things 3:26 why didn't he keep his promise. Voters take heed and remember this when election time comes around.
It should be easy enough to FOIA request a copy of the original agreement and a copy of the bond. Possibly, the insurance company will only reimburse for actual expenses when the job is complete.
I also believe they would fight like he'll based on the lack of performance by two separate contractors. The job as initially described is NOT the job that it turned out to be.
Taxes paid to have and play tennis at 28th street park for years, especially purchasing a house in that area where there WAS a tennis court. No tennis anymore! Court switched to a pickleball court. And now the rabbit has appeared out of the black hat, and these avid pickleball players have attained the Y FOR WINTER MONTHS. WITH EQUIPMENT PAID FOR BY WE TAXPAYERS. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? IS THIS A MAGIC TRICK(joke)? Not everybody can afford the daily fee or a membership to the Y (I can't). This is politics at it finest! A big slap in the face to the residence adjoining 28th street park. Walgreens sells wooden long back scratchers. Get it??
Isn't that a conflict of interest for Dave Pottoff being an alderman, associated with the Y, housing a city funded recreation? Who is paying for the space at the Y being used for Pickel Ball?
I believe these are all good questions and may have simple answers. But the chance of you getting answers from anyone at the city are slim to none.
There seem to be quite a few ifs happening. It is for sure that the nets were removed from the court by one of the players and the posts were also removed by city workers. It is now OK for tennis players to play tennis on the court, maybe we will have a few warm days when that can happen.
The Rec Board said the nets are stored in the city garage near Washington Park. I would like to be able to verify that since I believe the nets were removed on Sunday and Monday was a holiday, 2 days when city workers would not have been working nor would the garage be open.
I find it unlikely that the Y would invest in the nets for indoor use and they would also need support posts. Perhaps Ald. Potthoff can clear the air at the city council meetings tomorrow. In fact there is a possibility that tomorrow may produce a very interesting and somewhat challenging meeting.
There seem to be quite a few ifs happening. It is for sure that the nets were removed from the court by one of the players and the posts were also removed by city workers. It is now OK for tennis players to play tennis on the court, maybe we will have a few warm days when that can happen.
The Rec Board said the nets are stored in the city garage near Washington Park. I would like to be able to verify that since I believe the nets were removed on Sunday and Monday was a holiday, 2 days when city workers would not have been working nor would the garage be open.
I find it unlikely that the Y would invest in the nets for indoor use and they would also need support posts. Perhaps Ald. Potthoff can clear the air at the city council meetings tomorrow. In fact there is a possibility that tomorrow may produce a very interesting and somewhat challenging meeting.
When all circumstances are considered in managing city government today and in the future, the present administration should realize the need of studying the advantage of employing a city manager.
Peru has so much going for it, if governed properly, that it would be pitiful to once again become a minor player in the overall area like it once had been.
Presently the powers within Peru are more comfortable being a big fish in a little pond than being a small fish in a big pond. Peru is once again becoming stagnant because of these few big fish and highly subject to being eaten up by the surrounding areas developers and investors. When they start to move they will have bigger fish to fry therefore leaving Peru with its earmark of $40,000,000 in debt and a pittance of sales tax to live with, leaving nowhere to go for funds besides high property taxes. Peru already has the highest sales tax.
An unknown, fresh face in the position of city manager would be an overdue welcome for putting Peru in the right direction. This would be the start of many personnel changes and positions.
I personally don't want to pay for pickleball or a swimming pool. Pay for your own recreation.
SORRY ! Tennis cannot be played on the court at 28th Street Park. The city workers have today installed 2 X 4s to the bolts that protrude up from the playing surface that secured the "temporary" nets. Does this mean that they're saving the court for prickleball, thereby approving an activity that was installed in violation of the OMA ?
Is this the same group that wanted to deny the library that revenue to which they were LEGALLY entitled ? Where are the ethics of these people ?
3:31 Not only will tennis not be played on this court no one can get on it to do anything. The city has padlocked the gates!!!!
Somebody could easily hop the fence.
Perhaps there will be NO TRESPASSING signs located in out city park next.
Next there will be a fence around the whole park!
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