Village Board moves forward on paid firefighters
The Peoria Heights Village Board committed to the expenditure of just over $454,000 to be put toward the hiring of new firefighters at its Dec. 19 meeting.
The unanimous vote came after a long discussion and presentation from Fire Chief Dan Decker, who laid out a plan for future staffing as the Heights transitions from a volunteer department to a hybrid model including firefighters who will be compensated for their efforts.
“Even though it’s not my job to figure out how to pay for this, I don’t envy you,” Decker told trustees before indicating that volunteers will remain a critical component of the Village’s firefighting efforts. The department has about 20 volunteers now, a number which Decker would like to double, as at present “there are times when no one is available.
“It’s going to become a bigger problem in the future” given the time demands on modern families, added Decker. “Many volunteer fire departments are struggling, not just us.”
To confront that reality, Village administration is seeking to employ paid staff to cover the community on a daily basis, as around the clock as possible. “My goal is to make sure no truck goes out the door with less than two people,” said Decker, who wants to work toward National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) staffing guidelines that seek a 9-minute response time to 90 percent of structural fires. “If money was no object,” it would be four people per vehicle, Decker said.
For now, Village administration is recommending the expenditure of $454,316, which does not include the chief’s $120,000 salary or the pay of the current assistant chief. Potentially, that could go toward employing an anticipated three full-time and five part-time firefighters. The annual cost including benefits for an entry-level, full-time firefighter is likely to top $92,000, said Village Administrator Dustin Sutton.
“This current budget, we can afford this,” said Sutton. “I think we have a lot of young talent in the volunteers. I think this model can work.”
Several trustees voiced reservations about a lack of detailed, all-in cost information, including for long-term pension liabilities, training, infrastructure and equipment maintenance.
“I am concerned that if we grow too quickly … we’ll find ourselves in a situation that will be difficult to afford,” said Trustee Brandon Wisenburg. “Baby steps.”
“I see this as a launching pad to much more expense … that I’m afraid at some point will become unsustainable,” added Trustee Beth Khazzam.
Trustee Matt Wigginton was critical of the process, suggesting that the board should have had more advance notice for such a large expenditure. “I think this sets a bad precedent,” he said.
Nonetheless, amid other expressed concerns about board micromanagement and delaying a decision to the point of losing quality candidates to other municipalities, a vote to defer the motion until next month failed and the measure to allocate the money to begin the hiring process prevailed.
“We’re taking a leap of faith,” acknowledged Trustee Jennifer Reichert, though trustees were assured that most of this spending will occur in the 2025 fiscal year that begins May 1, 2024, as it could take four months or more for these hires to happen.
Given the other options that were once on the table for fire service in the Heights, including contracting with the City of Peoria, this $454,000 is “in a very fair ballpark,” said Trustee Sarah DeVore.
“I think we do get a better product when we do it in-house,” concluded Wisenburg.
In other action or discussion:
The Village Board effectively ended its lease arrangement with KDB Group for the historic Pump House property at 1201/1203 Kingman Ave., in the shadow of Tower Park.
With a sublease for the property, which had previously housed a popcorn and candy shop, falling through, KDB had asked for a deferral. Instead, the board heeded the advice of Wisenburg, who had indicated it was time to “put this behind us” after months of contention between the two parties over the future of the property.
Village officials say they now intend to issue a request for proposals (RFP) on the property from potential developers, which could include KDB Group.
The Board voted to make changes in the water service billing process. One would give residents an e-billing option as opposed to paper billing, while the other would permit residents to request a meter reading by a third party at their own expense, to be reimbursed by the Village if the meter is, in fact, in error.
The Village is still gathering data to determine whether to proceed with monthly water billing instead of the quarterly system that exists now.
Applications are now closed for the Healthy Homes grant program, with about 40 Heights homeowners putting in for federal financial assistance with various home repairs and improvements. Income eligibility and home inspections will follow, with the Village hoping to whittle that list to about 15 homes.
The Board approved a new policy for Liquor Commission hearings, which will now be recorded to provide a reference point for local decision-makers trying to resolve allegations of alcohol sale infractions. Where an underage purchase, for example, was once handled by the state, increasingly those enforcement matters are being pushed back to municipalities. This brings the Village more in line with that reality, said Wigginton.