By BILL KNIGHT
For The Weekly Post
PRINCEVILLE – The Village Board discussed the tabled Tri County Phased Reopening Plan last week, but Trustees took a cautious approach to relaxing measures intended to protect the public from the COVID-19 virus.
“We’ll decide at our June 1 meeting how to proceed,” said Village President
Jeff Troutman. “The governor has already edited some things in his [“Restore Illinois”] plan, so we’re looking at giving it through the holidays before we act.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said all regions of Illinois are on track to move to the next phase of his five-phase reopening plan on Friday, May 29.
Illinois is currently in Phase 2 of the plan, which divides the state into four regions that can move In Phase 3, face coverings and social distancing will still be required, but gatherings of up to 10people will be allowed.
Also, employees in “nonessential business” can return to work, nonessential retailers may reopen with capacity limits, nonessential manufacturers can re-start with social distancing for workers, limited child care and summer youth activities can resume, all state parks will open, health clubs can provide limited training and activities, personal-care businesses such as beauty salons can open under safety guidelines, all travel is allowed (under CDC guidelines), and health-care providers may open (with Illinois Department of Public Health approval).
“We can’t control what the County or the state does,” Troutman said. Municipalities can either comply with stay-at-home recommendations
and other guidelines, or be responsible for the consequences, he said.
“It’s a no-win situation,” he said. “We’re criticized both ways. [But] if people get sick, we’re not going to be the cause.”
Because of current guidelines on social distancing and mass gatherings,
the Board met remotely – with some Trustees participating online, and others through teleconferencing.
In other business, Trustees tentatively OK’d a 21-month contract with
the Peoria County Animal Protection Services to provide animal control for
the Village. The renewal is retroactive to April 1 and continues through
- Originally presented to continue through 2024, the Board sought changes in the County’s quarterly reports on animals registered in Princeville and also requested a slight language change before finalizing the pact.
The base fee will be $2.20 per capita for 2020 and $2.30 per capita next year, Troutman said. Based on a population of 1,677, that mean $3,689.40 for 2020 and $3,857.10 for 2021.
“We plan to review the arrangement in October,” Troutman said, “and for some reason if the Board is unhappy with it, we’ll exercise our 60-day termination
.”
The County for years has contracted with more than a dozen area communities including Brimfield and Elmwood to handle animal-welfare issues.
In other news:
• The Board granted a 3 percent across-the-board wage increase to the Village’s full-time workers.
• Trustees tentatively approved an inter-governmental agreement with Toulon to buy a $22,000 sewer jetting truck and share its use, and asked
for a minor change in wording before proceeding.
• The Board finalized an Environmental Protection Agency water-systems
contract with Kevin Challacombe for the water-treatment plant.
• Community police officer Gabe Martinez announced he’s taking a
voluntary furlough through late July, but local law enforcement will be covered by other officers from the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
BILL KNIGHT can be reached at bill.knight@hotmail.com
