ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager with a Request to APPROVE the ANNUAL CITY AND COUNTY JOINT LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
Body
BACKGROUND: Each year for the last few years, the City and County of Peoria have jointly hosted a breakfast for area state legislators. The event offers both bodies an opportunity to network with state elected leaders, ask questions, share concerns and advance local items of interest. While the date of this year’s breakfast is still being finalized, it will be held before the end of January.
A summary of the proposed legislative agenda items is included below. The agenda is separated into three different areas. There are seven issues for which the City and/or County are directly asking legislators to sponsor legislation. There are nine issues for which the City and/or County are asking legislators to support a particular position. Finally, there are nine requests for funding of capital projects. Both City and County requests are listed below, as well as any joint requests. Staff is working to prepare a booklet that explains each issue in greater depth. Council is being asked to approve City and joint initiatives.
Requests for Direct Sponsorship
• Joint Request - Empower Municipalities to Collect Fees: Allow cities to attach liens for municipal work orders on other Illinois property of common ownership.
• City Request - State Historic Tax Credit Extension: Extend the Illinois Historic Preservation Tax Credit until 2022.
• City Request - Walkable Urban Areas: Funnel the local share of State Motor Fuel Taxes directly to municipalities or require IDOT to comply with local design guidelines and policies when rehabilitating infrastructure.
• City Request - Broaden Sales Tax Base: Taxing services (in addition to goods) would increase state and local revenues, bring Illinois in line with most other states, and allow localities to lower home rule sales tax rates on goods.
• City Request - Hold School Districts Harmless for TIF: Change the State general aid formula so that school districts are reimbursed for 100% of the property tax revenue lost to Tax Increment Financing (from the current level of about 60% reimbursement).
• County Request - Erroneous Homestead Exemptions: Extend authority granted to counties under PA 098-0093 under 35 ILCS 200/9-275 to include all counties, not just Cook County to track down and collect fines from property owners that have multiple exemptions when they should not.
• County Request - Use of Hanna City Work Camp: Permit the County of Peoria to use the Hanna City Work Camp property for either a public or a private purpose.
Request for Position Support
• Joint Request - Illinois Fiscal Concerns: Support efforts that protect and enhance existing revenue base of local governments in the face of increasing pressure to use traditionally local revenues to bridge the State budget gap.
• Joint Request - DCEO Flexibility: Revise process for attracting and retaining businesses with State incentives, including reauthorizing a revised EDGE tax credit program.
• Joint Request - Automatic Appropriation Authority for Local Funds: Amend revenue laws for local funds (i.e. Motor Fuel Tax, video gaming, etc.) so funds are automatically distributed rather than subjected to annual appropriation.
• Joint Request - Communicate Changes in Local Revenues Provided by the State: Provide official communication regarding declines, and the reasons for such fluctuation, in Local Government Distributive Fund and other local revenue sources controlled by the State.
• City Request - Preserve Home Rule Powers: Support efforts to preserve home rule authority when drafting statewide legislations (i.e. cannabis, video gambling, etc.)
• City Request - Local Pension Reform: Support common sense reforms for the public safety pension system, including adoption of a 30-year rolling amortization period.
• County Request - Probation Officer Reimbursement: Provide the funding necessary to achieve the reimbursement levels for probation officers prescribed by State law.
• County Request - Medicaid Pending for Skilled Nursing Facilities: Resolve backlog of CMS' Macon County office to comply with Federal Law and rule on Medicaid Pending requests with 45 days.
• County Request - Juvenile Detention: Support Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 (Trotter) to HB 5619 of the 99th GA. Amendment creates a standardized intake assessment tool for juvenile detention; permits use of secure video conferencing to reduce transport from a juvenile detention facility and the Court; and establishes a standard for how soon a juvenile being detained must appear before the Court to determine custody.
Capital Projects
• Joint Request - Willow Knolls & Allen Road Intersection: Support funding to reconstruct the intersection.
• City Request - Pioneer Parkway Extension: Support funding for the extension of Pioneer Parkway.
• City Request - University Street Repair: Support funding for the rehabilitation of University Street between Pioneer Parkway and Townline Road.
• City Request - Pedestrian Infrastructure on State Routes: Support funding for construction of pedestrian infrastructure on existing state routes, especially War Memorial/150 and Knoxville.
• City Request - Western Avenue Repair: Support funding for the rehabilitation of the IDOT portion of Western Avenue from Martin Luther King Blvd to Lincoln Street.
• City Request - Glen Avenue Repair: Support funding for the rehabilitation of Glen Avenue from University to War Memorial Drive.
• City Request - West Main Street: Support funding for the rehabilitation of West Main Street from Farmington Road to Globe Street.
• County Request - Old Galena Road Reconstruction: Support funding to reconstruct Old Galena Road from Cedar Hills Drive to Route 29, less the intersection with State Street.
• County Request - Maxwell / Middle Roads Reconstruction: Support funding to reconstruct Maxwell Road from Ill Rte 116 to E.M. Dirksen Parkway.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The individual items on the legislative agenda represent opportunities for the City to save money, operate more efficiently, or invest in major community projects.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: Many of the legislative items would benefit neighborhoods. The Metro Peoria Committee discussed the agenda and achieved consensus at their January 5, 2017 meeting.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: The legislative agenda will be presented to local legislators.
IMPACT IF DENIED: The legislative agenda will not be presented to local legislators.
ALTERNATIVES: City items can be added, deleted or modified.
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: Not applicable.
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL’S 2014 - 2029 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Financially Sound City Government, Effective City Organization
2. Grow Peoria: Businesses, Jobs, and Population
3. Attractive Neighborhoods with Character: Safe and Livable
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Grow employers and jobs.
2. Invest in our infrastructure and transportation.
3. Have an efficient government.
DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office