Ideas Floated Around For Ottawa Riverfront Development « AM1220 WLPO News
What an interesting idea, bring the people together and brainstorm ideas. An overflow crowd shows how well this was accepted by the city officials. Can you even imagine this happening in Peru? Asking people what they would like not telling them after the fact that this is the way it will be. No wonder Ottawa has become a model city because of their superb leadership and relationship with their residents. It means a lot for a resident to be proud of their community.
38 comments:
Excellent observations Lois. The stark contrast between "inclusive" governing styles of Ottawa vs. the "exclusive" and "secretive" governing style of Peru.
It's all about leadership and electing people who are confident and secure enough to understand the tremendous asset the citizens of the community really are.
Peru has short-sighted, narrow-minded, small-time thinkers for elected officials with massive egos.
They are all pretenders (except Perez) who want to portray themselves as big-shots and deal-makers. But the fact is they are small-timers, easily influenced by the true leaders in Peru such as, Chamlin, Illinois Valley Excavating, TEST Inc., Doug Schweickert, and now even Merry Noonan. What a pathetic crew they are. Not an original or progressive thought among them.
10:53 You hit the proverbial nail right on the head. The residents of Peru would like to feel that they belong and that their thoughts and ideas will be heard. However, they know better. Out leaders don't think anyone, but themselves, knows what is best for Peru. People see what's going on and the waste that exists but their leaders refuse to listen and refuse to admit.
We should get a River Boat Casino in Peru. Dock it at Water Street. That would bring in plenty of business and development on the river front.
From one of the 2,100 residents in Peru that voted to fire Harl:
To 10:53 and 11:15 AM:
Amen, brother!
11:51 AM
Can't do, former Mayor Baker already tried that when he wanted a marina built on the south side and the Army Corps of Engineers shut it down.
I can give you an example of this mindset from just last evening.
The Public Property meeting with Ald. Perez, Mueller, Sapienza, Radtke Lukosus and SPW Bleck and Treasurer Hylla in attendance along with myself, Linda and Jill. Now logically the meeting is run by the 2 aldermen on the committee and everyone else is considered public. Not so as Ald Radtke spoke whenever he felt like it and Ald Sapienza SPW spoke when questioned.
I did raise my hand and make a comment once but when the meeting was drawing to a close and Ald. Perez asked for public comment, all of the above city aldermen and Bleck and Hylla left at once, as they did not wish to hear the public comment.
Doesn't that prove a point Lois? They don't want to hear what their constituents have to say because they think they are better than everyone else.
I noticed they killed the shopper bus. Was this voted on by the council or did they just do it. I don't think the county bus from Ottawa will be picking up people in Peru very often.
All I can say Lois is you and your pack of Peru haters got this jerk Harl elected, you guys were the best thing that happened to local 150. Do they send you guys Christmas gifts because you sure gave them Peru on a platter to devour. By you and Steve spreading lies about Baker and the old councilyou helped the 150 crew pull the wool over everyones eyes, at least we had a pool,shopper bus and alot better city services then. thanks again, to bad you jerks won't be in Peru's history as the ones who help bring Peru from the leader of the valley to the loser of the valley.
“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
― George Orwell, Animal Farm
What are the BIG EXCITING THINGS coming to Peru (according to Potthoff in tonights paper)? Is the barricade on Adventure Drive being removed?
5:50 there are bigger things coming to Peru than Pottoff knows ;)
Time for Peru to get on the Map!
Getterdone.
4:33
Your point is well taken. But what is done is done; however, it wasn't Lois or Steve that were the only ones taken by this insincere individual. It was many others, including unfortunately myself. We tried to correct it this last election, but were not successful. As far as I'm concerned, we intend to come on strong in the aldermanic elections this spring of 2015. We need unification and hope you will help us. Thank you.
4:33. I don't really think they were a pack of Peru haters. I think here is something kind of strange about the way people think in this town. It is weird that a mayor stays in power for so long, that the rulers have always been so closed and like the Vatican, or mob bosses.
I think sometimes this town gets what it deserves and wants. It is just starting again now with Harl. He will probably move on though for bigger fish to fry.
5:50 I had to giggle when I read what Potthoff said about "exciting things coming to Peru".
Lois did you stay for the council meeting? Just wondering what Vickrey presented as new development for Peru.
8:26 Vickrey's new developments for Peru remain a secret to the citizens because they were not disclosed to the general public. Apparently only to the finance committee.
Anon 8:52 How many years has Mr. Vickrey been Director of Economic Deelopment and what are his accomplishments?
What is the total nimber of people/agencies that Peru is paying directly or through state offices that are supposedly promoting Perus' job growth?
Sooner or later someone has to score, even if it is by luck!
Why don't city officials consider hiring a city manager? I am sure there are pros and cons to this suggestion but it would not cost anything to bring it up for discussion among each other and the public.
Ottawa, Illinois had a public meeting Monday evening to obtain their citizens idea for future development. It drew a packed house. Transparency! This meeting was a open and complete assembly of public opinion.
9:40 PM
Good comment but I do honestly believe the thought of opening up the city to citizen opinions would have the elected ones from the mayor down to the newest council members literally shaking in their boots. This government currently trying to run this city has no patience with any idea they did not develop no matter how great it might have turned out for the rest of us. Sad but I see no positive changes occurring. I know there are good ideas out there in the general public that will not be accepted by the egos in charge.
You might want to read this:
http://www.citizenadvocacycenter.org/1/post/2013/07/the-legal-structure-for-public-participation1.html
this lets me know we are not alone in seeking a better government.
The comment from 4:33 is just sour grapes from five plus years ago.
He or she would like to have us believe that the Baker era was chugging along just fine in 2009.
The fact is that administration was a farce and rapidly spiralling out of control because nobody was in control. Judy was shuffling money around like a Black-Jack dealer, Don was incoherent, the aldermen were detached and uninterested, (just like now),
and we were indeed going broke.
I am no fan of Harl but the need for a new direction was absolutely clear to me five years ago. Don needed to go and I don't regret that at all. That cycle of chaos needed to end. There will be new elected officials as we move forward and eventually someone will lead us to a better place.
So 4:33, just accept the fact that your crew back in 2009 was way outclassed and out organized by a better campaign and better people.
Steve ate your lunch for you and kicked your butt!
what has mr. vickrey done for peru that is questionable. he bought the building that was for sale next to jamaka-me-tan to add to his collection of properties. how does he have time to do something for peru; he works for RICL; the city & i hear he also works for letterkraft - collecting regular jobs like he had collected elected positions previously.
The new and exciting things for Peru are a soft serve ice-cream stand and sliced bread. However, the design and review committee has a problem with the color of the ice-cream stand's door and its lack of a brick façade. The bread shop is in a similar predicament because its doors are not wide enough. The committee told them to come back in six to eight weeks with an updated plan. The mayor also wants a paved parking lot at both locations in order to get local 150 involved. Once all of this is ironed out (in six to eight weeks) the design and review committee will turn it over to the zoning board of appeals. Oh... forgot to mention that the zoning board consists of the same people. In an unannounced and undocumented meeting, the zoning board said they will need a variance - because it is impossible to construct anything in Peru without a variance, so they intend to immediately tell the prospective businesses to come back in another six to eight weeks while they work on the variance. Then after they approve the variance, they will send it to the full council, just in time for Christmas.
10:33 AM
Perhaps someone noticed that Hyvee is putting on a long planned addition which is no secret.
Also noticed that the Design and Review has approved something in the Walmart parking lot by Murphy Oil. Further info on this is on the latest Design and Review Committee meeting minutes.
Ever notice how we have a committee titled Peru Downtown Redevelopment that never meets, perhaps there is no interest or desire by this committee to look at our downtown. At least the town does look like that
What building next to tanning place does vickery own??
the big 3 story building next to the gas station that used to be called home time before it went out of business.
I guess we have some wheeler dealers looking at downtown. First an outside investor buys the old bank, now it turns out that Bobby V has an interest in one of the other buildings. I don’t think there is a single building over 50 years old that is worth saving. Condemn them all and demolish them. Then let a developer start with a clean piece of property. Put a tax incentive in place, no property taxes for 10 years.
Anon 5:51 Wouldn't the city government need a reason to condemm a building rather than it was over 50 yeats of age? Have you ever given a thought as to the cost of purchasing all of the buildings downtown? If the present owners were not satisfied with the offering price they could refuse, take it to court for whatever. You would also be giving up property taxes for ten years. It has not been that long ago that Peru disposed of the Mirror Building through creative financing for $600,000 a piece of property which they had at least$2,000,000 if not more invested in.
Downtown Peru presently appears at its worst in its long history without any hope of improvement as very few care.
7:25 - you are probably correct. There are differences between what the city "shold do" and what is practical or even legal. But would it not be nice if we could get rid of all those old fire traps and replace them with new state of the art office and retail buildings?
11:14 PM
Look to other cities in the U.S. or even closer like La Salle and Ottawa, it is the older buildings properly maintained and with a good business that appeals to the public. New buildings might draw people using office space but I doubt from what I see that it will draw the people spending money. We have more than our share of newer buildings that are empty like Jewel, Lays, KMart, the bldg next to Kohls, many within the Mall.
8:05 Back to the chill from the past again! And more of the same conspiracy. We all remember the consistent calls to the Attorney General grasping for straws, the grand opening of the blogs in which attacked many sitting officials with personal insults. And the dive into the union pockets for unlimited cash to fund these new investments.
Yes, the old guard was replaced. And now the same format is at work again. Funny how we have a few who were appaulding their efforts replacing the old guard. They are now working against the new city hall? Get ready for more conspiracy, more personal attacks and more of the same baloney of backward progress.
Its not all about retail. We have enough of that to go around. We need to attract professionals to our town. It is sad that the median household income in LaSalle County is about $40,000.
Retail stores and tourism do not provide enough high paying jobs. It has been mentioned by several people on this blog that incentives should be put in place to attract professional businesses to our downtown. CPA's, Lawyers, Insurance, Doctors, Dentists, Call Centers, Financial Consultants, etc. These people need modern efficient office space - not old turn of the LAST century RAT TRAPS.
9:47 AM
Looking around I see all of those types of businesses either located on Route 6 and off of it a block or 2.A city of our size can only support so many of those professionals as you know our population is only 10,300. Maybe we are already maxed out, what type of professional do you find a need for that you cannot locate in either of the cities within 15 miles.
Lois - it is about market share. If it is true (and I don't think it is) that the size of the pie is fixed, then we need to convince the professionals from the other towns that it makes sense to locate their offices in Peru. In addition to modern facilities use tax incentives and lower utility rates to get them to move here. The first step is to clear the way for modern buildings.
I'm sorry. It might look nice to have a Mayberry look alike down town with candle shops and book nooks - but in the long run they only support a few people. If we want Peru to grow we need to attract higher paying businesses.
That being said, we also need to attract large industrial facilities also. This is done through LOW electricity, LOW water, and LOW sewer rates in addition to LOW property taxes, Reasonable environmental and zoning rules, and a solid NON UNION work force. IVCC has a new program for modern manufacturing. That needs to be leveraged - It might be advisable for the City to create a scholarship for this program.
Peru is past the point of growing on its own - if we want to be larger and more relevant in the county and the state - we need to take it - not grow it.
A park district is a big incentive that businesses and family's take into consideration also when looking to locate. Maybe we could get a pool a lot sooner.
9:58 Lois has a good point. To attract professionals you need to have income levels that are able to support their services.
We don't need any more lawyers, doctors in this area. I'm shocked the hospital is staying afloat with the low population in the area. Maybe, just maybe another obgyn with all the people without jobs who have the time to populate. Lol
5:51 Short sightedness like yours is exactly why LaSalle County does not progress. The county population is virtually the same as it was in 1970. Why? Because the local wheeler dealers like the status quo and the position they hold, often inherited. These wheelers and dealers, movers and shakers, men of influence, go getters, heavy hitters, are all small fish in the big pond of Illinois. They are afraid to attract outsiders because the outsiders will see them for what they are – Flim-Flam men bent on bilking pennies from the penniless, men that like to hear themselves talk, men that trip over dollars to pick up pennies. Yes 5:51 – this area needs to do something to attract a more intelligent population. But, we cannot and should not jump to the desert without first setting the main course. Park Districts, Napervilleesque Schools, Concert Venues, etc. are the result of a larger more intelligent population. Not the cause of it. People migrate to better their financial position. Companies migrate to better their financial position. Somehow, we need to attract large industrial operations to employ our existing underemployed population. Is it possible to have a “right to work” County? Somehow, we need to entice professionals to set up shop in Peru – find out what they need and provide it. It is becoming less and less relevant where these people work as long as they have reliable high speed networks and a reliable transportation hub. Speaking of transportation – that might be something Peru could capitalize on – Air, Rail, Ground, Water.
Almost 17% of LaSalle County’s population is over 65 years old. That compares with only 13% of the State’s population. We have a negative population change. Persons between 18 and 25 are leaving the county, never to return. The 65 and above segment of the population is rapidly increasing. What will happen to Peru’s shopping district as the baby-boom generation dies?
The union is too strong in this area. It drove out the big business we had. They always want more, more, more and now we have nothing, nothing, nothing.
7:23
That may be true but the Republican Party is too laxed in LaSalle County and only surface during elections-they are part of the reason for the union control. Many times the website is not updated and the party does not hold enough events to bring in new voters.
One day my child arrived home from LP and we discussed how in class the teacher was talking about how the Republican Party is the party of the rich old white man. Perhaps this is exactly why republicans are finding it difficult to gain ground over the unions.
An object stays in motion till a force works against it.
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