PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A five-year vision for the city of Peoria which includes looks at improving neighborhoods and public infrastructure is up for review Tuesday by members of the City Council.
Those around the Horseshoe will be asked Tuesday to give approval to its new strategic plan, which was prepared by the consulting firm BerryDunn after several months and at least two public sessions.
The plan isn’t about how things are to be done but rather, what the city wants. It serves as a road map, guiding decisions about the budget and policy priorities for the next two to five years.
“So you don’t know what the future may hold but the hope is that you try to accomplish as many goals as possible in the 5-year plan, and if not, it’s very possible that those goals may continue into another 5-year strategic plan,” said Assistant City Manager Kimberly Richardson.
Among the items mentioned in a memo for council members are:
- Expanding the City’s infrastructure for plug-in and hybrid vehicles
- Considering possibly having 10 council district instead of five. The move, if it happened, could eliminate the need for at-large positions and keep the size of the council the same.
- Consider adding mental health in performance measures for the community safety priority.
- Consider a proactive way to address code violations
The plan looks at areas like business development, community safety, developing Downtown and diversity as key issues to improving the overall prosperity of Peoria. In all, there are six focal points that 4th District Councilman Andre Allen called “kitchen table topics.”
“Everything from business development all the way down to embracing diversity, equity and inclusion to developing downtown and anywhere in-between, I think we all can agree on those 6 kitchen table topics if you will, in order to take our city into a better tomorrow,” he said.
It’s almost like a wish list in that City Hall doesn’t have unlimited funds but it’s about what the vision of the council is for the future, Allen added.
“We all know that resources are finite and things happen, so you have to be swift, you have to be adaptable, in order to make sure you’re making the best decisions on behalf of our constituents,” he said.
Richardson agreed, saying, “When you have a strategic plan, you can clearly say that we’re trying to meet this goal and these funds are being allocated towards these types of programs and policies.”
If interested in tracking the progress of the plan, you can follow it on the link here.
The council meeting will start at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
