Employment Opportunity - Public Works Laborer

Public Works Laborer

The Village of Peoria Heights is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time laborer position in the Public Works Department.

Qualified candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent as well as a valid Illinois driver’s license with the ability to obtain a CDL class B license and an Illinois Class C water license within the time required.

The candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal background check and medical physical with a drug/alcohol prescreen.

Candidates interested in this position have until Friday, December 2, 2022 to turn in a completed employment application, which can be downloaded by clicking here.

Applications can be dropped off at Village Hall, emailed to water@peoriaheights.org, or mailed to the attention of:

Peoria Heights Public Works Department
4901 N Prospect Rd
Peoria Heights, IL.
61616

The Village of Peoria Heights is an equal opportunity employer.

No phone calls please.

The Heights hires D.C. fundraising consultant, enhances marketing efforts

The Village of Peoria Heights will retain a fundraising consultant in Washington, D.C. to help secure federal dollars and other assistance for various local projects, specifically the proposed reconstruction of Prospect Road through the village’s downtown.

Trustees voted unanimously on Oct. 18 to enter into a six-month contract with Cardinal Infrastructure, LLC for a sum of $7,500.

The arrangement was approved on the recommendation of Community Development Director Wayne Aldrich, who had worked with a partner in the firm, Anja Graves, in a previous position with the Town of Normal, specifically on projects in and around that community’s Uptown Normal.

Cardinal has developed important relationships in the nation’s capital over many years, including with Illinois’ congressional delegation, and brings specific expertise in the areas of transportation, parks and recreation, housing and neighborhood development, economic development initiatives, and emergency management services programs. Cardinal also assists communities with other legislative priorities and grant-writing.

The Village already has an earmark request for $2 million toward Phase 1 engineering work on Prospect with Congressman Darin LaHood’s office, which has passed the House and awaits approval in the Senate.

In an era of potentially diminishing federal influence for central Illinois – with redistricting, LaHood now represents only a tiny slice of the Heights, with most of the Village to be represented in the House by someone from the Quad Cities – the community arguably needs the extra help now in a way that perhaps it did not before, said Mayor Michael Phelan.

In addition to road work, the Village also has some high-dollar capital needs for its aging water system.

In other action/discussion:

  • The Village Board was provided an update regarding the services it is receiving from Discover Peoria – the former Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The Village contracted with Discover Peoria, which markets the region, in Dec. 2021 for $15,000 the first year, rising to $20,000 in the second year, which is upcoming. What that buys is an information outlet for the Village through Discover Peoria’s various online and traditional communication formats – which hopefully produces physical visits and spending at Heights establishments -- plus assistance with branding and discounted opportunities for local businesses to make the region aware of their existence.

In general, Village officials have been happy with the return on that investment.

“Reaching 30,000 (additional) people is a good return, in my opinion,” said Trustee Brandon Wisenburg.     

“They have been wonderful to work with,” added Trustee Sarah DeVore, the Village’s liaison to Discover Peoria, who encouraged local businesses to take advantage of the exposure the agency can give them.

“I feel like it’s still an asset and I think it’s only going to get better.”

  • The Rock Island Greenway should be back open for business in the next few weeks following underground water pipe installation that detoured trail users for much of this fall season so far, reported Public Works Superintendent Chris Chandler.

  • Work on a new, fully accessible playground in Tower Park has been postponed until next spring, when the weather will be more conducive to construction. The Together We Play project represents a partnership between the Village and St. Thomas Catholic Grade School, with the student-led initiative and predominantly private fundraising project aiming to provide a new recreational opportunity for all, including those with disabilities.

FREEZING TEMPS ARE HERE!

HOW TO AVOID FROZEN PIPES

As the weather turns colder, the Village of Peoria Heights would like to remind you of the importance of preparing for the cold weather. Please remember these tips as you are preparing and protecting your pipes this winter:

Prior to this winter:

  • Become familiar with the areas of your home such as basements and crawl spaces. Also be aware that unheated rooms and outside walls are particularly vulnerable to freezing.

  • Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines by insulating walls, fixing broken windows, closing off crawl spaces, and eliminating drafts near doors.

  • Locate your main water shut-off valve. If a pipe freezes or bursts, shut the water off immediately.

  • Protect your pipes and water meter by wrapping exposed pipes with insulation or an electrical pipe heater. Newspaper and fabric may be used as well.

  • If your pipes freeze:

  • Shut off the water immediately. Do not attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks in pipes or joints.

  • Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by applying heat directly to the pipe. Use a hair dryer, space heater, or hot water. Be sure not to leave space heaters unattended and avoid the use of kerosene heaters or open flames.

  • Turn the water back on slowly once the pipes have thawed, and check for cracks and leaks.

    4901 N Prospect Rd, Peoria Heights, IL 61616 P 309-686-2375 | F 309-686-2387 PeoriaHeights.org

Beck’s service station coming to Peoria Heights

The Peoria Heights Village Board has given its go-ahead to Princeton-based Beck Oil to build a service station/convenience store/car wash on War Memorial Drive.

The Board unanimously approved both the site plan and a zoning special use at its Sept. 20 meeting, for all practical purposes the final hurdles to development of the high-traffic site. All that remains is a decision from the Illinois Department of Transportation on ingress-egress issues to the large property, which is bordered by War, Central, Paris and Illinois streets.

“We are ready to go,” Beck Oil President Bill Smith told the Heights Zoning Board last month. “The architectural studies are done, the contractors lined up.” Typically, it takes approximately seven months from first shovel in the ground to complete a project of this scope, he added.

The property was previously cleared and some preparatory on-site work already has begun. Beck’s will take up most of the block. Super Liquor currently occupies its northwest corner.

Smith said the main building will take up 8,500 square feet with 20 fueling positions outside, and will be accompanied by 150-foot- long, conveyor- system car wash. The gas station will be open 24 hours, the car wash from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Few neighborhood concerns were expressed at public meetings, with those being reserved to noise, lighting and environmental issues. The property will be “well-lit and safe,” promised Smith, though surrounding residences can largely be shielded from overhead lighting and undue noise disturbing their properties. A berm with trees will provide buffering.

Meanwhile, Environmental Protection Agency rules insist on double-walled fiberglass tanks, with leak sensors, though such protections permit “very little opportunity for issues,” said Smith.

“We are super excited to get going on this project,” he said. “We’re just pumped to be part of the Village.”