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Ancel Glink Question of the Month
Municipal Q&A - September 2017:
Question: Can a unit of local government pass a policy limiting public comment to residents only?
Answer: According to a recent PAC opinion, public bodies may not restrict public comment to residents only, as Section 2.06(g) of the Open Meetings Act provides that "any person" shall be permitted an opportunity to address public officials under the rules established by the public body
42 comments:
I saw the video! And nobody stopped anybody from making a public comment. The comment was out of left field and made no sense to anyone. Maybe, the person making the comment was informed, but nobody else watching would have a clue. I don't know what the guy was unhappy about but I do know that making public comments like that would be grounds for libel. I guess you can say anything you want about anybody connect to city government. I don't know. It must be a one way street with the public comments.
Just fyi, the city of Peru has recently had 2 lawsuits filed against them and the PFD within the last few months. I choose not to discuss this publicly on this blog but just ask people and you will find out probably more than you want to know. And it has something to do with the public comment.
4:06 PM
The mayor of Peru and none of the aldermen usually make NO comment to any public commment.
8:55
1. Lawsuits filed are information available to the public. In checking your information----there are no lawsuits filed against the PFD!
2. Anybody can sue anybody no matter how frivolous it is. Cities and large organizations are always targets of greed.
I would think that the lawsuit is against the city of Peru and the Fire Dept. is simply a department within the city structure.
FOI---before you post the false claims re: Peru.
I am sure there are clowns everywhere playing big shots and claiming they are suing your city. Everybody is looking for a payday at the expense of your tax money. Tell them to step forward with their high paid lawyer and tell us about their problem. Typically those self loathing heroes have a better chance of hitting a lottery. Many of us know people who are always looking for a payday. Start a scam or sue your neighbor, we see those same names around out town, and they like the attention. 99.9% of us laugh at them and .001% believe the cons!
1:16 PM You are silly. Just keep watching. You will soon be one of the informed. There will soon be 3 lawsuits filed against the city because of the way this council handles things.
4:49
Your original statement said suits were filed? Now we have SOON?
Somebody is looking for notoriety. SAD to hear about citizens suing taxpayers.
8:46 If you don't want citizens suing "taxpayers" then tell your government officials to start acting civilly and with respect to "all", not just those who agree with everything they want and do. The things that are going on with our current council and mayor are not reflective of a government for the people, "all the people".
1:16 PM
This department has been at issue for many years, probably going back to the infamous beer party in someones garage when a PFD chief was chosen.
10:10
Please tell.....us about all that things going on at city hall. We have heard about these things and have nothing to agree or disagree with. I imagine that all your distain come from some personal problem that you may have had. How do we know that it's all not about you? And what is this all the people? Government works for the best interest of all, not one individual. That in a nutshell means that all is a direct definition of group. NOT just you.
3:15 PM
The government can do all 3 things: work for all the people for some things, work for special people some of the time and also look for ways to work against people in other circumstances. We all know that. Some cities work mainly for the people and avoid the pitfalls of the last 2 but I have seen my share of the last two. The last should never be done but we are seeing some of it right now. Not a new issue, people were writing about it in 2013. There are people in Peru who know a lot about current events and then there are more that don't even know who their elected aldermen are.
Is the hiring of Bruxton Analytic Company at $50,000 per year still in the possible future of the city. This seems to be a possible need of the city as is the necessary need of reviewing present promotional costs to analyze which are still necessary. By now all present hires to perform what Vicreys ($25,000 per year), Schmitts ($12,000 per year),and some unknown lobbyist from Springfield ($24,000 per year) whose job is to ????? The Mayor, City Council and Chamber of Commerce ($15,000 per year) should be more than enough to promote Peru.
If Peru wants to update it would hire a City Manager and reduce the pay of the police and fire chief to a reasonable amount. By reducing their pay it would balance out to add a qualified and certified city manager on the payroll without any money increase to the city.
A Mayor is elected to be the CEO of the city and it is the City Councils position to review the Mayors proficiency. Why isn't the council accepting this responsibility?
A highly unknown practice in the city is the number of government pensions a city official can be accumulating at one time? It is a fact that certain city fish
like to nibble on more than worm at a time.
11;49 Sept. 10th
Who is this Schmitts you refer to and speaking of the unknown lobbyist from Springfield when was his contract renewed? According to meeting minutes and agenda the last time he was awarded a contract was in June of 2016 and it wass only for 1 year.
More nonsense. No one is earning more than one pension. I guess it's easier nowadays to lie than to state facts. That seems to be how our President got elected. You must be a fan of his.
11:49 PM
Thanks for being one of the people keeping track of what is going on with the cities finances and with the numerous economic entities involved with the city. It seems that they should be sending the city economic reports at the least of one every 6 months and which the city might share with its residents. Especially with those who are currently laying out plans of what and there they plan on living after their education or apprenticeship is finished.
12:18 Sept 11th
If his contract was not renewed and it should have ended in June of this year then why do the disbursements indicated he is still getting paid as of this month?
What is the return rate of college students to live in Peru after graduation? It is a proven fact that the Peru Inner Circle which is comprised entirely of those who never have lived in Peru until adulthood have hired "favorites" from their own past or future with lower qualifications than residents of Peru who apply for the same occupation.
It is also a much known fact that this unqualified, non-certified Peru Inner Circle would not occupy their present positions or even half their present annual incomes anywhere else. This group of self promoting financial pocket liners have for all mentionable numbers eliminated any thoughts of Peru's young to return. Most know those who have squeezed true Peruvians out of Peru by position if not by name. Please send in who you believe they are, we may be missing some although most are proud and boisterous buffoons.
What is the electrical cost of each fountains bill for Bakers Lake? Was there any truth Peru did not build a swimming pool because it would need a supply room and city officials were in fear of internal pilferage as was the fact with the last pool? This is another result of home pools.
11:01, 11:26 You are the perfect example of throwing out rubbish an letting it stick to the wall. Your comments have no factual information and give us little reason to believe anything stated on this blog. I think you get up in the morning and look for anything your imagination can handle. It is obvious to all that somebody has called you out and you have been eliminated from taking from the city. It may be tax dollars, paychecks or just angry about where you are in this world. Educated yourself, work hard for the right reasons and be positive will help you get out of that vindictive approach that everybody is taking and your not getting that what you once had.
11:01 What job did you apply for?
2:54 pm
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/reports/illinois-youth-problem-more-millennials-left-illinois-than-any-other-age-demographic-from-2011-through-2014/
This is long, but please at least scan as this invalidates your comment,
8:44 The complaint that 11:01 has stated is specific to Peru. And the answer should be specific Peru. What job and what expertise do you have that makes you slighted for a job that you applied for?
11:01
So what you are saying is unless you were born and raised here you should not hold a position in the city. What kid of racist are you. That statement is no better than saying if you were not born in the US you are not welcome.
grow up people like you are the reason our children want to move away. Narrow minded
I am the same kind of racist as the rest of the small villages of the USA are, including Peru. Peru not too many years ago had 38% 0f it's employees coming from 3 families. You also have to be a resident of Peru to be hired as a city employee. The most recent employee hired was a resident of Peru on the day he was hired, a Friday, and on Saturday he moved to Spring Valley. This person had no experience in the field he was hired for besides going to marry into the family of one of the interviewers.
The day we get rid of bernabei (like the more intelligent mayoral candidates promised) we would be so much better off. Come to think of it king also since I believe he doesn't live in Peru.
3:57 who hired who and who was the interviewer? What position and who else was involved?
3:24 must have missed the more intelligent Mayor candidate. Chief King does live in Peru.
More of the same rubbish coming from the prophet More Intelligent!
Such BS and lies. Please provide a list of ALL relatives of each council member employed by the city of Peru. It will be a short list, if any.
ANONYMOUS 7:45 AM
Please answer your own question and also include all the summer workers and not only family but friends and associates of the families. The last outsider hired by the city, was Sean Mikos and well know how that ended. And back in the Baker era it was Burl Rummens from out of state and that did not end well either.
11:12 In a previous post 10:25 on 9-15 it listed all of the outsiders who are part or run Peru. The complaint was that they are outsiders who are active in the so called demise of Peru! And your recent complaint was about all the hired insiders in Peru. Which way is it?
11:37 AM
Nowhere was it stated that the same person slighted was the same as the person who made the comment. I am neither the person who made the comment nor the person who was not chosen for the job. I do know of the particular situation and the unfair circumstances utilized in the choosing of the person to receive the position in the Peru Public Works Department. The person who was slighted had experience of a part time job in the Public Works Department for one year at 50% pay of the full time employees and was approached by supervision as to the fact a opening was coming up and they were getting him ready to fill it and not too worry. The person who received the job had no prior work experience with the city and previously worked at a sand works although it appears having the city engineer as a soon to be relative thru marriage compensates for a lot more than actual experience on the same job as being interviewed.
The unsuccessful candidate has a college degree and 15 years of managing a highly successful business. As for the successful candidate he has neither but what he had was Peru Home Cooking. Knowing that the unsuccessful candidate has way more formal education than his former Peru city supervisor would not add onto his future with the job he did not get. In ending I know that he loved the year he had on the job and the great group he worked with and the fellowship reciprocated between all of them to him. Of most importance is the fact he is now moving on into another job after his most recent quality job and is extremely happy. I hope I have answered your question with "Specific Peru" as you asked for. I can't do much better as I am the unconnected employees father, Artie Giese
To go on would only belabor the past.. It would be more informing to communicate how Mayor Harl treated and respected a eight year volunteer who missed one meeting in this amount of time. Yes the Mayor relieved him of his position on the Peru Development Board by claiming to send him a letter in which he had so much time to respond to. This letter was never received and is of question because a city which is a $50 million business still utilizes every day snail mail and not certified mail. No one can prove that this letter was sent! The rest you can form your own opinion but be careful on who you are dealing with!
Thanking you for taking the time to read my comment as it also means much to me and lets remember "Were All for Peru" Again Thank You, Artie Giese
this letter was never received
11:51
When Peru was managed by Peruvians it is common knowledge that it was a much better governed city than today and one which swelled with civic pride. Today this pride has been replaced by those in whom are only and totally interested in the almighty $. Possibly you and many other are confused as to the inner circles town management and those whom they hire, the outer circle which have the inner circle for relationship no matter how distant.
3:57
Is it efficient city government to conduct interviews at local family reunions? It has been a few years ago that as eager as Mayor Harl was to conduct a wedding he would have been the first Preacher in line!
11:37 You probably did and voted for what we have to put up with for 4 more years! (are you related or just a very good friend!
2:21 Choices were very limited. No relation and no friend.
3:32 PM
Is your reference to the controversial hiring for the latest available position of Building Inspector for the City of Peru? We should definitely have hired someone with previous experience in building construction and/or repairs and preferably someone who has years or experience. Retired engineers have been hired in the past as this does not need to be a full time job, considering the amount of building taking place in Peru. If true that someone was hired for $55,000 with no prior experience, it sounds like a peach of a job. Hope I am wrong on this one.
Is this "High Noon" when the clock is turned back and a building inspector is hired and a Public Works Superintendent is hired and upon these hirings the Police and Fire Chiefs go back to their previous positions pay and responsibilities? Oh! won't C,PPD hate to give up all that money and his redone office in city hall with all the new furniture he ordered for it. Shame that C,PFD will go from $100,000+ all the way back to $14,000. Should not be much of a problem for either knowing the truth that they took on the additional work with the promise they were not to be paid any additional money than they were already paid. Relax Chiefs it is only money!
Listen closely, do you hear what I hear, a voice out there softly singing City Manager, City Manager. Look around who is there, who said that? City Manager, City Manager echo, City Manager, echo, echo, echo Mare is that you
JUST THINK ALL OF THIS STARTED FROM A THREE MAN MEETING ON A SATURDAY MORNING IN THE FIRE STATION. To quote a famous professional "How sweet it is". Or should that be "How sweet it was".
Recently it was made evident to those who care enough to muddle in the same filth as some local political lowlifes that extra pension funds can be made by simply becoming involved in board memberships of their cities associates no matter of possession of qualifications or not i.e. a Mare may determine that she should be the cities delegate to the Illinois Municipal Electrical Association even if it is a challenge for this person to turn a light switch on and off. Rather than appoint a employee with a working lifetime of electrical experience it works best for the Mare to get two nights of free room and meals plus another pension once she is chosen to be a member of the IMEA Board of Directors. It is truly sad that those who desire a noble political experience have to sit next to others deserving of the example mentioned. In a rank of best to worst where does the small town local politician rank and for comparison where was this rank 50 years ago?
12:28 The IMEA Board members have no pension and is a volunteer Board. This was checked online and your rant is false information. If you further look at the IMEA Board makeup you will find some are employees and some are elected or appointed. Peru has had Mayor Baker on the Board for many years and I do believe that Electric supers have been on the board. The Board is policy driven and the size of the IMEA is very large according to the web site. I would believe that without any financial payment it may be difficult to find working elected leaders or staff members able to take off 2-3 days each month. Mayor Harl is currently a member and is the Peru delegate. The Mare receives no pension benefits from his IMEA or Illinois municipal league involvement.
You must be hard up to get a free hotel room and a meal. Most of us would find it to be a pain to be gone from family and work for 3 days each month without payment.
3:26PM
Thanks for your information on the IMEA. I think that in the previous administration and the first years of the Harl administration, Jim Potthoff our Elec. Dept. Supt attended the IMEA meetings and I don't know that Baker attended during that time in the later years of his administration.
For the last elections no one really knows why they are voting for this candidate rather than another. Few pay attention to a candidates ideas and rumors were circulated saying that one candidate was paying for two candidates campaign expenses. What are the defined responsibilities of the Mayor of Peru?
For years many wanted Term Limitations for the Mayors office, even the present Mayor was in favor of less rather than more. Everyone knew he favored 2 terms and no more but one term if he could. How far along has he pushed for one term? Why has Harl who is presently in his 3rd term change his attitude on such a critical issue? POLITICS, should not be what is best for me but should be what is best for what I represent?
326
RANT? What are you trying to say?
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