Peoria City Council approves consent agenda, sole‑source traffic cabinet purchase and schedules executive session; several routine items passed unanimously

Peoria City Council members voted unanimously on several routine and procedural items during their February meeting, approving a multi‑item consent agenda, a $100,000 sole‑source purchase of traffic signal cabinets and setting an executive session in late February for personnel and litigation matters.

The council approved the consent agenda that included a request to transfer a sanitary sewer segment between Elmwood Avenue and Duray Place to Bradley University, a permanent easement for Rock Island Trail access at 5720 North Knoxville Avenue requested by HGSM Enterprises LLC, authorization for the city manager to execute a collective grama for 2025–2027, participation in the Illinois Department of Transportation D4 Electrical 2024 project with the city’s cost participation set at $8,855 plus contingencies, and adoption of an ordinance to purchase various parcels along May Street from BNSF Railway Company. Mayor Rita Ali presided over the vote.

Separately, the council approved a sole‑source purchase of Connolly traffic cabinets from Traffic Control Corporation for $100,000 to maintain an inventory of signal electrical cabinets that frequently require replacement after vehicle collisions. The item was presented by the city manager as a repeat purchase to keep stock on hand; the council approved the purchase unanimously.

On a separate motion, the council voted to defer an ordinance updating stormwater management language in the city code (chapter 9.5, section 19‑142 and chapter 31) to the March 11 meeting. The item had been placed on the regular agenda for further review of precipitation frequency table updates, mobile home development language, and penalty/enforcement definitions.

Council members also approved receiving and filing the city’s month‑ended December 31, 2024 unaudited financial report as presented by Finance Director Kyle Crotty. Finally, the council voted to cancel the regular council meeting scheduled for Feb. 25, 2025 because of a lack of agenda items and to convene instead in executive session at 5:00 p.m. the same day to discuss the city manager’s performance evaluation and pending litigation.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of minutes (Jan. 28, 2025): motion passed unanimously; moved by Council Member Allen, seconded by Council Member Gordon Young. - Town expenditures (Jan. actual / Feb. anticipated): motion passed unanimously; moved by Trustee Graeber, seconded by Trustee Jackson. - Consent agenda (includes sewer transfer to Bradley University; Rock Island Trail easement; collective grama; IDOT D4 electrical participation; May Street parcel purchases from BNSF): motion passed unanimously; moved by Council Member Seer, seconded by Council Member Allen. - Sole‑source purchase of Connolly traffic cabinets, $100,000: motion passed unanimously; moved by Council Member Kelly, seconded by Council Member Allen. - Defer stormwater ordinance (25‑23) to 03/11/2025: motion passed unanimously; moved by Council Member Cyr, seconded by Council Member Euler. - Receive and file month‑ended 12/31/2024 unaudited financial report: motion passed unanimously; moved by Council Member Cyr, seconded by Council Member Gordon Young. - Cancel 02/25/2025 regular meeting and convene in executive session at 5:00 p.m.: motion passed unanimously; moved by Council Member Allen, seconded by Council Member Kelly. - Motion to adjourn and convene immediately in closed session (personnel, litigation, closed‑session minutes review): motion passed unanimously; moved by Council Member Kelly, seconded by Council Member Velpula.

Several motions were procedural and brief; where a motion’s mover and seconder were recorded in the meeting transcript those names are listed above. The clerk recorded unanimous passage for the listed items.