Boil order is in effect for residents in the 400 - 1000 block of Marietta, 400 - 600 blocks of Moneta and Sciota, and the 4400 block of California.

Boil order is in effect for residents in the 400 - 1000 blocks of Marietta, 400 - 600 blocks of Moneta and Sciota, and the 4400 block of California due to a water main break. Temporary disruptions in water service may occur while the water main is being repaired. Please consult the Boil Order Guidelines PDF for best practices to use during a boil order. Residents will be notified when the boil order has been lifted.

 

Neighboring areas may experience discolored water. There are no health or safety hazards with this condition. Do not do laundry while water is discolored to avoid any staining. Flushing water lines will help to clear out the discolored water.

 

If you have any questions, please call 309-686-2375.

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Get your Kringle on in Peoria Heights

More huts, more vendors, it will be more of everything at Peoria Heights’ ever-growing Kris Kringle Market on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1-2 at Tower Park.

The third annual Christmas event will run from 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday, featuring the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus themselves by way of a Peoria Heights fire truck at 6 p.m.

“We’ll have jingle bells to hand out to all the good little boys and girls” to welcome Santa in proper fashion, said Barb Milaccio, board president of the Peoria Heights Chamber of Commerce. As always, Santa will supervise the lighting of the Tower Park Christmas tree shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile, guests will have their choice of holiday-themed wares, food and drink from approximately 15 vendors, accompanied by live music from the Peoria Barbershop Chorus.

The local Kringle Market now boasts six sturdy huts, thanks to a state grant secured through the Village of Peoria Heights. About a dozen students at Peoria Heights High School helped assemble and erect the structures on a frigid recent evening, and hope to build a few for next year’s event, making the market not just a fun but a teachable moment, said Milaccio.

The following day, Saturday, about 20 vendors will populate Tower Park, again decorated to the hilt, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa also will be making his rounds, with scheduled visits at 1 p.m. at Soderstrom Castle (4717 N. Grandview Drive); 1:30 p.m. at Brienzo’s (4450 N. Prospect Road); 2 p.m. at Trefzger’s (4416 N. Prospect Road), where he’ll be reading a book to children; 2:30 p.m. at Fired Up (4532 N. Prospect Road); 3 p.m. at Leaves ‘n Beans (4800 N. Prospect Road); and 3:30 p.m. at Exhibit A Gallery (4707 N. Prospect Road).

A new twist this year is a partnership between the Peoria Heights Chamber of Commerce and Soderstrom Castle on Grandview Drive, which will be hosting an open house from 5 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2, 9, 10, 17 and 20.

One of the most architecturally distinctive homes in all of central Illinois, the Castle will be decorated inside and out. There will be live music from local madrigal groups, a Rolan Johnson artwork exhibition, refreshments and more. Parking is available at the Country Club of Peoria Golf Course next door.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/castle-holiday-open-house-tickets-741535963027?aff=oddtdtcreator. All proceeds from this event will go to support the Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception, whose “And Love for Us All” ornaments will be available for purchase on Dec. 1 and 9. Tickets are selling fast, so don’t wait.

Finally, the annual Chocolate in the Heights celebration will be Saturday, Dec. 9, with participating shops and restaurants offering unique cocoa treats.

Make a full day of it, as there’s no shortage of holiday things to do in the Heights.

“It’s exciting,” said Milaccio. “We’re growing every year.”

Ice Pigging - New main cleaning procedure has begun

The Village of Peoria Heights and American Pipeline Solutions began a new main cleaning procedure, called Ice Pigging, on Monday, November 27. Certain areas will be targeted with this new process which is expected to conclude Friday, December 8. Residents in those areas received a letter detailing the process and will also receive door tags the day before. Similar to our hydrant flushing program, this process may stir up water mains in surrounding areas.


Ice pigging is an efficient, environmentally friendly way to flush water mains. It’s particularly effective at cleaning water mains that might be causing issues with discolored water as it’s very effective at removing particles and sediment from water main walls. This technique involves pumping an ice slurry through sections of water main to “clean” it. The thickness of the slurry allows the water mixture to rub along the edges of the water main, dislodging and clearing sediment, before the slurry is pumped out of the mains through fire hydrants. The process is more effective than typical hydrant flushing and is far less disruptive than other methods.


During the flushing process, a small amount of sodium chloride (table salt) may enter service lines. Customers should avoid using water during the time of the main cleaning and should run their cold water taps for approximately 2 to 3 minutes prior to using the water for drinking or cooking after the completion of the procedure. If a salty taste is detected, or the water becomes very cold, continue to run your tap for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Generally, if you detect a normal water temperature from your tap, you have sufficiently flushed out your service line. For healthy individuals, the increased sodium shouldn’t be a problem as most sodium intake occurs from salt in the diet. However, sodium levels above the recommended upper limit of 50 milligrams per liter may be a concern to individuals on a sodium restricted diet or those on dialysis. If you have concerns about increased sodium intake, please contact your health providers.


Door tags will be issued to notify residents the day before this process occurs in their area. Those receiving tags on a Friday can expect this process to occur the following Monday.

FREEZING TEMPS ARE BACK!

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

Notice of Procurement Opportunity: Prospect Road Reconstruction Preliminary Engineering

Notice of Procurement Opportunity

Prospect Road Reconstruction Preliminary Engineering

Notice is hereby given that the Village of Peoria Heights, Illinois (Village) and Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC) seeks to collaborate with a qualified multidisciplinary team (Firm) to provide professional services for Preliminary Engineering for the reconstruction of Prospect Road from War Memorial Drive (U.S. Route 150) in the City of Peoria to Kingman Avenue in the Village of Peoria Heights, with the option for Phase II (Final Design Engineering/Construction Documents) and Phase III (Construction). The Village and TCRPC seek Statement of Interest and Qualifications from interested and qualified Firms to provide these services.

Qualified Firms shall provide services based on the project scope and submittal requirements sections in the procurement document, which is available on Tri-County’s website at:

https://tricountyrpc.org/rfp-rfq/

To submit questions related to this procurement opportunity, contact TCRPC staff in writing at:

rfp-rfq@tricountyrpc.org

or

456 Fulton Street, Suite 401, Peoria, IL 61602

Sealed submissions are due to the TCRPC office located at 456 Fulton Street, Suite 401, Peoria, Illinois 61602, no later than 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. Submissions received after that date and time will not be eligible for consideration.

Water Main Break at Lake St and Voss Ave

Repairs are being made to a water main at Lake St and Voss Ave. Residents in the surrounding area may experience a temporary disruption in water pressure and/or discolored water. The discolored water poses no health or safety risk and should clear up in a few hours. There is currently NO boil order in effect. If you have any questions please contact the Water Department at 309-686-2375, ext 1.

Meet Dan Decker, Peoria Heights’ fire chief

Meet Dan Decker, Peoria Heights’ fire chief

The Village of Peoria Heights has hired a new fire chief.

Dan Decker, 50, a career-long fireman and paramedic mostly in East Peoria, became the new leader of the department with a unanimous Village Board vote on Nov. 7. Decker, a longtime East Peoria City Council member, began work on Nov. 8. The job pays $125,000 annually.

The public is invited to a meet-and-greet with Chief Decker at 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30 at Village Hall.

The selection comes as Peoria Heights is transitioning from a primarily volunteer fire department to one with paid staff complemented by those volunteers. Decker brings significant experience to the challenge of essentially building a full-time fire department from the ground up.

Indeed, Decker, the son of a longtime East Peoria firefighter, has been in the emergency services business since 1991. He worked with the Pekin Fire Department for a time, then as a paramedic with Advanced Medical Transport (AMT) before joining emergency response squads in Fulton County, Morton and Washington. He landed full-time work with the East Peoria Fire Department, where he stayed for 26 years, rising to the position of assistant chief. Before coming to Peoria Heights, Decker was the fire marshal at the Clinton nuclear power plant.

Decker owns a degree in fire science from Illinois Central College, with countless hours of training and certification beyond that. He also has shared his expertise as a professor at the college level.

Meanwhile, Decker brings something else to the table as an elected official himself, which makes him aware that “I work at the Council’s discretion,” he said. “I have a thick skin and I will be honest with you,” he promised.

What brought him back to a community fire department was the recognition that he just missed the adrenalin rush of helping people in a time of greatest need, said Decker.

Meanwhile, “I’ve always liked Peoria Heights. It’s a nice community” where public safety has always seemed to be a top priority, he said. He and his wife, Christy, are regular patrons at Peoria Heights restaurants, and really got a feel for the community through those visits. They are the parents of Troy, Katelyn and Zack, ages 18 to 22.

The chief said that his first priority will be figuring out what the department’s biggest needs are before laying out a “best-case” scenario and a “bare bones” scenario for Village Board consideration. As always, those will come with the accompanying price tags.

At first blush, though, Decker said he has been impressed with the commitment and energy of the volunteers. Though small in number – now numbering about 20 -- they “put in a lot of time without being paid for it,” he said. Beyond that, “this community seems to be very supportive of their fire department.”

The goal moving forward is to maintain and grow that loyalty, along with the recognition that a strong and professional local fire department is indispensable to a healthy community, both in terms of the emergency services work its members do and other community engagement.

“It’s a huge responsibility,” said Decker, who is succeeding former Chief Donovan Thompson.

“I was very pleased with the field of candidates we had, and ultimately with this appointment,” said Peoria Heights Mayor Michael Phelan. “Dan brings a perspective that is very unique, I think, in that he’s been both a working firefighter and an elected city official, so he knows and appreciates the challenges that both confront in working together to protect our citizens.

“I am happy that we have this decision behind us, and we can now move forward with enhancing the local and independent public safety services in which our residents have long taken great pride.”