Peoria, Ill. — Peoria City Council held the first meeting of the year Tuesday night, and a first reading of changing the current Animal Control Ordinance was discussed.
“It is removing the animal review board from the ordinance and instead replacing it with a hearing officer,” City Manager, Patrick Urich said.
They have seen a limited amount of cases for the animal review board. Urich said a hearing officer would allow for impoundment decisions, administrative control decisions, dog determinations, and reckless dog owners to be determined by the officer.
“It’s just easier to convene a hearing officer versus trying to get a quorum of a review board together,” Urich said.
Councilwoman Beth Jensen said she was in favor of the change to the ordinance.
The council unanimously voted to receive and file the agenda item to be discussed again at a later meeting.
Another unanimous vote made by the council Tuesday night was to adopt and ordinance relating to the towing of private vehicles, and the tow operators responsibilities.
City Attorney, Chrissie Peterson, said the ordinance will reflect Illinois traffic laws and allow the police department greater control over the tows.
“The tow company will actually issue the tow notices and as well as some new fees. The fee schedule had not been updated since 2011,” Peterson said.
The tow companies are required to respond to all calls they are dispatched for.
“So, no picking and choosing of the calls they want to go on, unless of course they don’t have the right equipment to do so,” Peterson said.
Tow companies need to respond to calls within 30 minutes.
“And, then making sure the buildings in which they operate for housing the tows and their day to day business operations are compliant with all codes of the city,” Peterson said.
Councilwoman Denise Moore asked Urich when the city will enjoy a removal or reduction of the police and fire pension fee they currently pay.
“The pension fee was established by the city council for a three year period. So we have it for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021,” Urich said.
When Moore asked Urich if the they are no longer impacted, that the council can vote to stop charging citizens. Urich said he does not expect a reduction in the contribution for pensions for some time.
“That cost is going to continue to go up, it’s how fast it goes up is what we are going to have to contend with,” Urich said.
Moore said that citizens will see relief when the state sees relief, whenever that occurs.
“If the General Assembly decides to take up changing the way the pensions are amortized, then we may see a reduction in the increase we’re contributing towards pensions,” Urich explained. “But I doubt before now and 2040 we’re going to see any reduction of any major impact in how much we’re contributing towards public safety pensions.”
Moore said she will remain optimistic and if there is a reduction to the city from the state, the residents will not continue to pay the fee.
There will not be a Peoria City Council meeting on January 21. The next meeting will take place Tuesday, January 28.
