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
Peru is lacking city representation which is willing to communicate with its constituents. This unwillingness to listen to the citizenship has created a environment which is negative and worsening and the citizens of Peru are just living in its boundaries but are not participating in Peru. Most who live here only consider Peru a location rather a hometown. Sadly it is known as a good place to be from. What do others think would turn Peru into a successful community,or do you believe it aleady is?
Peru is very clickish, having a certain last name will get your kids a summer job, if a person who hires employees has some animosity towards a family, their kids won't be hired, water street is a dump, no city festivals, no park district, no swimming pool, some incompetent council members who make terrible decisions when voting on important issues, roads stink(how much does yellow paint cost, so lines and turning symbols can be seen?) What does the pickleball courts, BB gun club do for most families living in peru? Nothing! What would a swimming pool do for a much much higher percentage of families living in peru? Summertime fun , that's what it would do. Who gets tired of all the fundraisers, benefits, etc.. That revolve around drinking and gambling for adults? No wonder kids are turning out the way they are.
3:44 A of DS here. It's funny you should mention that , as several of our deer spotters are big Hannah Montana fans and I happen to have several hundred giant foam fingers (long story , ate some brownies at a flea market and spent too much, don't want to get into it here) , so we thought there was a natural synergy.
Head out to our next community Spot and we can discuss it.
A OF DS, do u wanna tweark with me? I'll use my very own large spanking sponge glove and you can use your slapping stick. We can't get too wild. You bring the beer and I'll bring the wine. Maybe connecting point can video tape us and we can put the video on u-tube.
Are there STILL 4 aldermen committees or have they been reduced with previous assigments of some committees transferred to others? Why not reduce committees to two with five aldermen/committee. This would mean that Chairman of each committee serves on both committees.
When is the city going to throw its Xmas Party on taxpayers funding. City partys are becomming a monthly event. Summer concerts at the airport, the IEA, the SPW Retirement Party, the IML weekend and the upcoming annual Xmas Party.
Speaking of Peru lobbyist, did anybody happen to notice that Ottawa only pays their lobbyist/grant seeker $350 a month? Now, what does Peru pay their lobbyist/grant seeker/friend of mayor? Hmm.....
@9:18 Pay is very similar 4200 - 24000, just transpose the first 2 digits and add a 0. Friendship counts just think if it was relation. Isn't the Ottawa lobbyist the same person who was employed by State Senator Weller, he is outstanding and has obtained Ottawa with a enormous amount of money in grants.
Peru should be titled "Party Town USA". Strictly on the creative financing of I fly (the politician) you buy (the taxpayer). There is nothing wrong with having a party if the attendees are paying for it themselves but not if its on the taxpayers buck. I am not willing to pay for a private party for those who are making alot more money than the average citizen and nowhere is it mentioned that a party is included in their job description. They have to have some shame about these partys or they would'nt have become so upset when the unsuspected photographer showed up with a video camera. Is this the reason all these partys are so Hush Hush and not approved in the city budget or council meetings.
10:33 I think you are confusing Toricelli with Wilson. Either way, the Mayor of Ottawa hired the best and those people are getting the job done right. In my opinion, it was about getting a job done vs. patronizing supporters.
Check out today's city website where an agenda for a Special Council Meeting has been scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday. It appears to be a closed session meeting only.
And who exactly will be at this meeting 1:45? Round table talk. And people question what bloggers blog what they do. Must be a lot of problem with employees regarding confidentianility. Isn't the the only reason why there would be closed session? What other reason to have closed sessions?
2:32 There are like 15 "exceptions" to the open meetings act. Look it up. The exception should be posted on the agenda. If they meet that exception they have every right to meet for that purpose.
MEETINGS ON COLLECTIVE NEGOTIATING MATTERS BETWEEN THE PUBLIC BODY AND ITS EMPLOYEES OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVES, OR DELIBERATIONS CONCERNING SALARY SCHEDULES FOR ONE OR MORE CLASSES OF EMPLOYEES;
MEETINGS HELD TO DISCUSS THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT, COMPENSATION, DISCIPLINE, PERFORMANCE OR DISMISSAL OF SPECIFIC EMPLOYEES OF THE PUBLIC BODY OR LEGAL COUNSEL FO THE PUBLIC BODY, INCLUDING HEARING TESTIMONY ON A COMPLAINT LODGED AGAINST AN EMPLOYEE OR LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE PUBLIC BODY TO DETERMINE ITS VALIDITY
Since when can a council start with a closed session meeting. To have a meeting the mayor should proceed with the entire agenda in the event that any alderman has a issue to speak on or if any citizen has a public comment which is a legal line of the agenda. This meeting should be started in the council chambers, legal agenda followed, when closed session is reached than it can be called and meeting opened to closed session and when closed session is concluded the meeting reverts back to normal procedure of agenda and meeting is finally adjourned in council chambers. What means have been addressed to publicize this meeting to the public 24 hours in advance? Back Room habits may be the popular method of some organizations but they have no business in governing of a city and is this may be what the closed session is all about. Before this meeting was scheduled for 4 P.M. were all aldermen contacted to assure that they could attend. Many have jobs which they cannot simply leave without some form of action. Maybe a council member should contact the city's Human Resource Manager to get the meeting rescheduled to a normal meeting time. Its called PROTOCOL.
8:04 Notice was properly given and a special closed session meeting can be called without any other protocol required.
I do agree that the time is unusual, and if all representatives cannot attend and it is scheduled specifically to prevent one or more representatives from attending it is not a legal meeting.
Does anyone know what could be so important that another special meeting has to be called on a Friday night? There was just a regular meeting Monday night.
Ottawa, Il. has had open forum meetings asking citizens for ideas of what they would like to see done in their hometown. LaSalle is in the process of doing the same. Peru is so uninterested in what the citizen thinks that they limit the citizen to a 3 X 5 index card and 3minutes to express it without a reply or any discussion. Peru which was promised tranparency by Mayor Harl, has had more closed sessions in the last 5 years than it had in its entire history and all other surrounding cities combined. Closed session being seldom used it may be that Peru leads the entire states cities combined since Illinois has become a state.
I like how people just make up their own laws on this blog. The meeting is legal and we don't have the need to know what they are talking about - according to the law. If you are really interested, ask for them in six months when whatever they are discussing is no longer sensitive. I just hope they are actually showing somebody the door and not just passing out pay raises.
@5:58 You nor anyone else besides those attending the closed session meetings truly know how Peru is being goverened because of the amount of time spent in these meetings. Transparency has been and is a major issue in todays politics and should be in the determination of ones vote. Closed sessions and not revealing the minutes of the session in six month is as far as a council and administration can be from transparency. You critize others and claim they are making their own laws and than state your own thoughts as law. Your claim of six months has not been adhered to for the last five years. This council and administration does not follow their own PROTOCOL nor do they practice TRANSPARENCY.
Does anybody remember to ask for the minumtes from the closes session meetings? They need to give a reason when they deny a FOI request - after six months many of the issues are no longer sensitive. Ask, and when they refuse to produce the minutes, file a complaint with the court. Somebody should just give it a test now. Ask for the minutes from the first closed session - it was during the first Harl administraion and was asked for by Alderman Bob.
The aldermen make the decision on what closed session minutes are released. The city attorney has nothing to do with it.
I think after the issue that was discussed is resolved or already known by the public, then the minutes should be released. However, if the meeting was to discuss a certain employee, then I don't think they should ever be released.
Since 2010 only 3 closed session minutes have been released and all 3 occurred in 2010. Can we assume all of the rest of the closed sessions have either not been resolved as of yet or about an employee? I was under the impression that the attorney made the decision whether or not to release the minutes.
There are many closed session meeting minutes that could be released. Not all of the unreleased minutes relate to employees. I don't know why they are not, I believe they should be. However there is one alderman in particular who is adamant that they not be released. I think that is wrong. They should be made public. It's called open and honest government.
Sherry: Can't the other aldermen override his decision? This should be a council decision not an individual one. How can one be so powerful and controlling? Open, honest, transparent, open door policy. These are all words and promises that were used by our current mayor. What happened Mayor Harl?
The opening of the 4 PM Friday meeting is now on the city council meeting video. Will this video prove to the few non believers that you don't conduct government business without following PROTOCOL? Also all provisions of a signed, ratified employer-employee contract must be followed precisely. Union contracts start with the wording that the union is the sole bargaining agent with the employer for all members of the brotherhood. The employer nor the individual employee do not have the right to negotiate their own contract with each other, This is one and the main reason it is called collective bargaining. Contract language is so precise that often times "wording" is negotiated so thoroughly that it becomes the hang-up in the contract being signed. Wording of a contract, documentation and employer- employee relations are the rules by which negotiations, arbitrations, strikes and firings exist and are settled.
37 comments:
That is great news for LaSalle. Shows what a strong mayor and volunteers can do for a town!!! Go LaSalle!!
Ottawa also won an award for their gardening work throughout their town. All done by volunteers with a strong mayor.
What is Peru lacking???
Peru is lacking city representation which is willing to communicate with its constituents. This unwillingness to listen to the citizenship has created a environment which is negative and worsening and the citizens of Peru are just living in its boundaries but are not participating in Peru. Most who live here only consider Peru a location rather a hometown.
Sadly it is known as a good place to be from.
What do others think would turn Peru into a successful community,or do you believe it aleady is?
Peru is very clickish, having a certain last name will get your kids a summer job, if a person who hires employees has some animosity towards a family, their kids won't be hired, water street is a dump, no city festivals, no park district, no swimming pool, some incompetent council members who make terrible decisions when voting on important issues, roads stink(how much does yellow paint cost, so lines and turning symbols can be seen?) What does the pickleball courts, BB gun club do for most families living in peru? Nothing! What would a swimming pool do for a much much higher percentage of families living in peru? Summertime fun , that's what it would do. Who gets tired of all the fundraisers, benefits, etc.. That revolve around drinking and gambling for adults? No wonder kids are turning out the way they are.
How would I go about getting a twearking club together? Would I be able to have the clubs meetings and sessions at the city hall?
3:44 A of DS here. It's funny you should mention that , as several of our deer spotters are big Hannah Montana fans and I happen to have several hundred giant foam fingers (long story , ate some brownies at a flea market and spent too much, don't want to get into it here) , so we thought there was a natural synergy.
Head out to our next community Spot and we can discuss it.
So.... is anyone keeping track of what our "lobbyist" is doing to us... I mean for us?
A OF DS, do u wanna tweark with me? I'll use my very own large spanking sponge glove and you can use your slapping stick. We can't get too wild. You bring the beer and I'll bring the wine. Maybe connecting point can video tape us and we can put the video on u-tube.
Were the brownies good A of DS? Did they have all the right spices in them?
Are there STILL 4 aldermen committees or have they been reduced with previous assigments of some committees transferred to others? Why not reduce committees to two with five aldermen/committee. This would mean that Chairman of each committee serves on both committees.
When is the city going to throw its Xmas Party on taxpayers funding. City partys are becomming a monthly event. Summer concerts at the airport, the IEA, the SPW Retirement Party, the IML weekend and the upcoming annual Xmas Party.
Speaking of Peru lobbyist, did anybody happen to notice that Ottawa only pays their lobbyist/grant seeker $350 a month? Now, what does Peru pay their lobbyist/grant seeker/friend of mayor? Hmm.....
@9:18 Pay is very similar 4200 - 24000, just transpose the first 2 digits and add a 0. Friendship counts just think if it was relation. Isn't the Ottawa lobbyist the same person who was employed by State Senator Weller, he is outstanding and has obtained Ottawa with a enormous amount of money in grants.
Peru should be titled "Party Town USA". Strictly on the creative financing of I fly (the politician) you buy (the taxpayer). There is nothing wrong with having a party if the attendees are paying for it themselves but not if its on the taxpayers buck. I am not willing to pay for a private party for those who are making alot more money than the average citizen and nowhere is it mentioned that a party is included in their job description. They have to have some shame about these partys or they would'nt have become so upset when the unsuspected photographer showed up with a video camera. Is this the reason all these partys are so Hush Hush and not approved in the city budget or council meetings.
10:33 I think you are confusing Toricelli with Wilson. Either way, the Mayor of Ottawa hired the best and those people are getting the job done right. In my opinion, it was about getting a job done vs. patronizing supporters.
9:02 what party and who was there? You write like you have experience, please share with us your involvement.
Check out today's city website where an agenda for a Special Council Meeting has been scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday. It appears to be a closed session meeting only.
And who exactly will be at this meeting 1:45? Round table talk. And people question what bloggers blog what they do. Must be a lot of problem with employees regarding confidentianility. Isn't the the only reason why there would be closed session? What other reason to have closed sessions?
2:32 There are like 15 "exceptions" to the open meetings act. Look it up. The exception should be posted on the agenda. If they meet that exception they have every right to meet for that purpose.
It is listed on the Agenda:
MEETINGS ON COLLECTIVE NEGOTIATING MATTERS BETWEEN THE PUBLIC BODY AND ITS
EMPLOYEES OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVES, OR DELIBERATIONS CONCERNING SALARY
SCHEDULES FOR ONE OR MORE CLASSES OF EMPLOYEES;
MEETINGS HELD TO DISCUSS THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT, COMPENSATION,
DISCIPLINE, PERFORMANCE OR DISMISSAL OF SPECIFIC EMPLOYEES OF THE PUBLIC BODY
OR LEGAL COUNSEL FO THE PUBLIC BODY, INCLUDING HEARING TESTIMONY ON A
COMPLAINT LODGED AGAINST AN EMPLOYEE OR LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE PUBLIC BODY
TO DETERMINE ITS VALIDITY
2:32 Read the agenda for the closed session meeting. The same reasons for having them are always listed.
Since when can a council start with a closed session meeting. To have a meeting the mayor should proceed with the entire agenda in the event that any alderman has a issue to speak on or if any citizen has a public comment which is a legal line of the agenda. This meeting should be started in the council chambers, legal agenda followed, when closed session is reached than it can be called and meeting opened to closed session and when closed session is concluded the meeting reverts back to normal procedure of agenda and meeting is finally adjourned in council chambers. What means have been addressed to publicize this meeting to the public 24 hours in advance? Back Room habits may be the popular method of some organizations but they have no business in governing of a city and is this may be what the closed session is all about.
Before this meeting was scheduled for 4 P.M. were all aldermen contacted to assure that they could attend. Many have jobs which they cannot simply leave without some form of action. Maybe a council member should contact the city's Human Resource Manager to get the meeting rescheduled to a normal meeting time. Its called PROTOCOL.
8:04 Notice was properly given and a special closed session meeting can be called without any other protocol required.
I do agree that the time is unusual, and if all representatives cannot attend and it is scheduled specifically to prevent one or more representatives from attending it is not a legal meeting.
Does anyone know what could be so important that another special meeting has to be called on a Friday night? There was just a regular meeting Monday night.
Ottawa, Il. has had open forum meetings asking citizens for ideas of what they would like to see done in their hometown. LaSalle is in the process of doing the same.
Peru is so uninterested in what the citizen thinks that they limit the citizen to a 3 X 5 index card and 3minutes to express it without a reply or any discussion.
Peru which was promised tranparency by Mayor Harl, has had more closed sessions in the last 5 years than it had in its entire history and all other surrounding cities combined. Closed session being seldom used it may be that Peru leads the entire states cities combined since Illinois has become a state.
I like how people just make up their own laws on this blog. The meeting is legal and we don't have the need to know what they are talking about - according to the law. If you are really interested, ask for them in six months when whatever they are discussing is no longer sensitive. I just hope they are actually showing somebody the door and not just passing out pay raises.
It all depends upon how much it is costing the taxpayers as to whether it should remain secret or not. I'm betting it won't.
5;58 no matter how long you wait we never hear what went on in closed sessions
it all depends upon how many people were involved in the meeting.
@5:58 You nor anyone else besides those attending the closed session meetings truly know how Peru is being goverened because of the amount of time spent in these meetings.
Transparency has been and is a major issue in todays politics and should be in the determination of ones vote. Closed sessions and not revealing the minutes of the session in six month is as far as a council and administration can be from transparency.
You critize others and claim they are making their own laws and than state your own thoughts as law. Your claim of six months has not been adhered to for the last five years. This council and administration does not follow their own PROTOCOL nor do they practice TRANSPARENCY.
Does anybody remember to ask for the minumtes from the closes session meetings? They need to give a reason when they deny a FOI request - after six months many of the issues are no longer sensitive. Ask, and when they refuse to produce the minutes, file a complaint with the court. Somebody should just give it a test now. Ask for the minutes from the first closed session - it was during the first Harl administraion and was asked for by Alderman Bob.
The city attorney makes the decision on what executive minutes to release.
The aldermen make the decision on what closed session minutes are released. The city attorney has nothing to do with it.
I think after the issue that was discussed is resolved or already known by the public, then the minutes should be released. However, if the meeting was to discuss a certain employee, then I don't think they should ever be released.
Since 2010 only 3 closed session minutes have been released and all 3 occurred in 2010. Can we assume all of the rest of the closed sessions have either not been resolved as of yet or about an employee? I was under the impression that the attorney made the decision whether or not to release the minutes.
THEN THERE MUST BE ALOT OF PROBLEMS WITH EMPLOYEES. Since Harls been in look at all the closed sessions. Is there a problem here?
There are many closed session meeting minutes that could be released. Not all of the unreleased minutes relate to employees. I don't know why they are not, I believe they should be. However there is one alderman in particular who is adamant that they not be released. I think that is wrong. They should be made public. It's called open and honest government.
Sherry: Can't the other aldermen override his decision? This should be a council decision not an individual one. How can one be so powerful and controlling? Open, honest, transparent, open door policy. These are all words and promises that were used by our current mayor. What happened Mayor Harl?
The opening of the 4 PM Friday meeting is now on the city council meeting video. Will this video prove to the few non believers that you don't conduct government business without following PROTOCOL?
Also all provisions of a signed, ratified employer-employee contract must be followed precisely. Union contracts start with the wording that the union is the sole bargaining agent with the employer for all members of the brotherhood. The employer nor the individual employee do not have the right to negotiate their own contract with each other, This is one and the main reason it is called collective bargaining.
Contract language is so precise that often times "wording" is negotiated so thoroughly that it becomes the hang-up in the contract being signed.
Wording of a contract, documentation and employer- employee relations are the rules by which negotiations, arbitrations, strikes and firings exist and are settled.
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