Village of Peoria Heights

Boil order lifted for residents on Monroe and Hazard Ave. — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS The boil order has been lifted for residents in the 4000 - 4200 blocks of Monroe Ave. and the 1000 - 1200 blocks of Hazard Ave. You may resume normal water use. There are currently no boil orders in the Village. If you have any questions, please call: 309-686-2375.

Boil Order in effect for 1000-1200 blocks of E. Hazard Ave. — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS The Village of Peoria Heights Water Department has issued a boil order for customers in the 1000-1200 blocks of East Hazard Ave. due to a water main repair. Water service was disrupted for repairs. A total of 42 services are affected. Service will be restored shortly. Thank You

Boil Order in effect for 4000-4200 blocks of N. Monroe Ave. — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS The Village of Peoria Heights Water Department has issued a boil order for customers in the 4000 thru 4200 blocks of North Monroe Ave. due to a water main break. Water service was disrupted for repairs. A total of 17 services are affected. Service will be restored shortly. Thank You

Water Main Repair - 1200 block of E Cox Ave. — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS The Peori Heights public works crew are working on a water main repair in the 1200 block of East Paris Avenue. Avoid area if possible. Thank you.

Boil Order in effect for 3800-3900 blocks of N. Monroe Ave. — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS The Village of Peoria Heights Water Department has issued a boil order for customers in the 3800 and 3900 blocks of North Monroe Ave. due to a water main break. Water service was disrupted for repairs. A total of 19 services are affected. Service will be restored shortly. Thank You

Heights News: June 2024 Roundup

The Peoria Heights Village Board torpedoed a proposed contract from a water consultant to evaluate a potential sale and conduct a valuation of the municipally owned water system, pretty much telegraphing its decision to keep the water system publicly owned.

The administration brought the $112,000 proposal from Missouri-based Woodard & Curran to the Board, indicating that it was the next logical step if the Board was serious about potentially selling the water system.

“(We) didn’t really receive direct direction on this so … we followed through and brought this proposal to you for your decision,” Community Development Director Wayne Aldrich explained to the Board at its June 18 meeting. “If you accept this proposal, it doesn’t mean you’re selling the water system, but it’s heading down that road.

“I would say from a staff perspective, if you deny this proposal, we would probably move forward with the (local) capital plan.”

The Board quickly and emphatically dispatched with the plan following Trustee Jennifer Reichert’s “I am not in favor of this motion,” defeating it on a 5-0 vote with Trustee Brandon Wisenburg absent.

Trustee Matt Wigginton said the availability of state loans and their potential forgivability, specifically $14 million in funding for a new water filtration plant and other infrastructure improvements for which the Village has applied, changed his thinking “100 percent” given that it would make it affordable for the Village “to make the improvements to our own water system without bankrupting the Village.”

In other action or discussion:

• The Board hired Farr Associates, a Chicago-based architectural and urban design firm, to rewrite the zoning code and create a form-based code in the Village. The Heights’ zoning code has not been comprehensively updated since 1970.

The cost is $124,200, which should be covered entirely through a state grant secured through the office of state Sen. David Koehler.

Aldrich has worked with Farr Associates for the last 25 years in a previous career stint in the Town of Normal and expressed confidence in the selection. The new code is to be created with substantial public input, with a completion date of May 2025.

• The Village Board gave its approval for the expansion of the Peoria Heights Chamber of Commerce’s annual Kringle Market in Tower Park.

Chamber Board President Barb Milaccio said the Market will become a two- weekend event – Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 6-7 -- with rented and decorated storage units, essentially pods, joining the investment the event already has made in five Kringle huts and pop-up tents.

“I think she (Milaccio) has come up with a great solution here to expand her event and also keep costs down,” said Village Administrator Dustin Sutton. “I think it will be a great addition.”

• The Board approved a grant application for $876,305 to the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission for the purpose of improving pedestrian infrastructure on Glen Avenue, including making sidewalks, ramps and such compatible with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.

Should the Village receive the grant, it would be required to pay $256,575 as its local match, which would come from Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) funds. As home to several critical public and private institutions – the school district, library, Village Hall, the fire department and the Village’s largest employer – Glen Avenue is considered a critical corridor in the Village with a need for infrastructure upgrades, including future road pavement improvements.

• The Board approved the installation of signage at the all-inclusive Tower Park playground to alert families to the issue of food allergies in children and how to combat them.

“Obviously, playgrounds are fun but to a child with food allergies, it can be life-threatening,” said Lindsey Spangler, a family nurse practitioner and co-founder of the Red Sneakers program with the mission of making the Peoria area “allergy friendly.”

To that end, the signs will encourage parents and guardians to be cognizant of food lying around on the ground and disposing of it, and Red Sneakers will be donating epinephrine to local first responders. About one in 13 children have a food allergy, which can be triggered by something as simple as touching a food particle on a piece of playground equipment.

The Board unanimously approved the measure. “The park was originally planned as an accessible park,” said Wigginton. “I think this fits with the message and what we wanted to do with this park. I think it’s a perfect fit.”

• The Board approved an amendment to its lease with American Towers LLC for cell phone service in the Village, which now will include two additional 10-year lease options that potentially could extend the contract until the year 2071. American has a cell tower at 1605 E. Gardner Lane.

The towers now provide reception to multiple carriers, and American will pay the Village $15,000 for the purchase of the options, which also carry rent increases should they be exercised. Village Attorney Mark Walton called it “a good deal for the Village.”

• The Board responded to complaints by some local residents about noise levels from various entertainment establishments over a recent weekend. The concerns were resolved amicably and no tickets were issued after police spoke with cooperative venue owners, but it’s an issue that has cropped up before without Board follow-through in terms of direction for police officers regarding enforcement, said Sutton.

The Board has talked about establishing an 11 p.m. cutoff for bands, though that’s less of an issue than the volume, said Trustee Elizabeth Khazzam.

“Noise is a quality-of-life issue,” said Mayor Michael Phelan, and the police department is as busy as ever. “I don’t think we want to be pulling police off the streets on a Saturday night.”

Robbie Mathisen, co-owner of Pour Bros. Craft Taproom which has a popular summer concert series, said he wants to be a good neighbor and will work with the Village, while reminding trustees that his business and others have become a major part of the Heights’ tax base.

“When I came to Heritage Square, it was a gravel parking lot,” he said. “Peoria Heights has very little industry. This (entertainment) is our industry.”

“The owners of the establishments have been great,” said Sutton. “I want to be proactive.”

The Board is expected to return with proposed guidelines at a future date.

• The Board approved the expenditure of $12,226 for the replacement of the fire department’s HVAC unit.

• The Village will renew its so-called “ice pigging” operations to clear debris from water pipes between the dates of July 18 and July 22. The process has been successful in addressing the problem of discolored water coming out of faucets in some local homes. It will take about two weeks.

• Mayor Phelan wished former Mayor Ray Picl, the longest serving Heights’ mayor at 28 years, a happy 95th birthday.

• The Board issued a proclamation in honor of three teachers with 93 years combined experience who are retiring from Peoria Heights School District 325. Dave Carroll, Patricia Hasenstein and Jennifer Hursey were all in attendance to receive the recognition.

After 30 years, she “never thought the grass was greener anywhere else,” said Hursey.

“Working for the Heights is like working for your family,” added Hasenstein. “It was always an honor to teach in the school district.”

• Board members heaped high praise on the police department for its handling of a shooting at the Beck Oil service station, which ultimately led to the quick arrests of three suspects. Meanwhile, Village and Richwoods Township staff also were commended for helping a young lady with serious landlord issues.

“She was completely lost and didn’t know what to do,” said Trustee Jeff Goett. “I just think it speaks volumes that Peoria Heights took care of one of their own.”

• Mayor Phelan forewarned the public that the elimination of the grocery tax by state government could put a $300,000 hole in the Village’s $5.8 million operations budget. The Board may have to wrestle with that issue before the fiscal year is out.

Forest Park Dr. Routine Maintenance Closure - 07/02/24 — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS Forest Park Dr. hill will be closed from 9am to 1pm, on Tuesday, July 2nd, for regularly scheduled maintenance. Thank you.

Clock is ticking on firefighter applications

Just a quick reminder that the deadline for firefighter applications is 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 10.

The Village of Peoria Heights is hiring three firefighters as the community transitions to a full-time department after decades and decades of relying solely on volunteers. The starting salary is $65,000 and the positions come with full benefits.

Applications can be found here. (https://www.peoriaheights.org/intheknow/2023/6/29/employment-opportunity-fire-chief-x4x2s).

After the application window closes, the timeline is as follows: A mandatory orientation meeting for all applicants will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 20 at Peoria Heights Village Hall, 4901 N. Prospect Road. A written test will follow, to be administered starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 27 at Peoria Heights Grade School, 500 E. Glen Ave. The interview process is scheduled for Aug. 12-23 at Village Hall. Finalists for the positions will be selected by Sept. 1. Offers of employment will then be made and the three firefighter positions should be filled in early October.

Meanwhile, volunteers continue to be accepted to complement the full-time force.

For more information, please contact Heights Fire Chief Dan Decker at [email protected], 309-251-9174.

Village Hall Holiday Hours — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS Village Hall will close at 2:00pm on Wednesday, July 3 to celebrate Independence Day and will reopen Friday, July 5. Have a safe holiday!

Tower Holiday Hours — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS The Observation Tower will operate from 11:00am-3:00pm on Thursday,  July 4th.

Just a reminder that the Village of Peoria Heights is hosting an informational meeting regarding its Active Transportation Plan -- bicyclists, hikers, active commuters, all human-powered transportation, basically -- starting at 5:30 p.m. tonight at Village Hall, 4901 N. Prospect Road. Hope to see you there.

Due to the impending July 4 holiday, the regularly scheduled July 2 Village Board meeting has been canceled. The Board will convene again on the third Tuesday of the month, July 16, at 5:30 p.m. Enjoy Independence Day, everybody!

The Peoria Heights Active Transportation Plan questionnaire and interactive map are here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/af8ae54ab01c43d896f49902cd137310.

Please feel free to participate.

Peoria Heights Active Transportation Plan The Village of Peoria Heights, Illinois is seeking your feedback for the Active Transportation Plan

Village seeks guidance on active transportation network

The Village of Peoria Heights will host a public meeting seeking community input regarding its active transportation infrastructure from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 27 at Village Hall, 4901 N. Prospect Road.

“Active transportation” refers to bicycle, pedestrian and other types of human-powered, non-motorized ways to move people and goods around the community. The purpose of this meeting is to brainstorm how best to meet the active transportation needs of Peoria Heights and to expand and improve the existing options.

The public meeting is part of an Active Transportation Plan initiated earlier this spring by the Village and the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC). The project is supported by funding from TCRPC’s Special Transportation Studies grant, along with a 20 percent matching contribution from the Village of Peoria Heights.

The Village and TCRPC have hired the consulting firm Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects of Alexandria, Va. to work with the Village to develop the plan. The Village has formed a planning committee comprised of representatives of a cross section of the community including residents, business owners, the Peoria Park District and the Heights Board of Trustees.

Interested stakeholders and community members are encouraged to attend and provide their input. That feedback will help the consultant and committee to identify desired destinations and routes for non-motorized transportation in the Village as well as barriers that limit such travel.

In addition to the public meeting on June 27, interested parties may access a questionnaire that will help provide guidance to the project planning team. A link to that questionnaire will be forthcoming. A finalized plan that will identify priorities and funding and provide a roadmap for implementation should be ready in December 2024.

For more information, please contact Heights Community Development Director Wayne Aldrich at [email protected].

Heights May 2024 Wrap-up

The Village Board approved the creation of three new firefighter positions and gave its OK to set about hiring them at its May 7 meeting as Peoria Heights transitions to a full-time department. The vote was 5-1 with Trustee Elizabeth Khazzam in dissent.

Starting pay is $65,000 with full benefits. Applications are being accepted now (https://www.peoriaheights.org/intheknow/2023/6/29/employment-opportunity-fire-chief-x4x2s).

Fire Chief Dan Decker updated the Board on the current status of local fire service, which is busy for a community of Peoria Heights’ size with some 1,300 emergency calls annually. The department is manned by 18 volunteers, five of whom live in the Village. Most of the rest live within 2.5 miles. “Many members stay overnight … just to make sure there is coverage,” said Decker, who noted that he has been impressed by their dedication and training.

Many of the volunteers are young, plucked out of Illinois Central College’s fire science program, but some are unlikely to stay long as they’re lured away by full-time firefighting jobs. The department’s stipend program has been helpful as a retention tool, compensating two people per day, said Decker.

While the manpower situation is not ideal, the chief said he’s reconciled himself to staying within the budget and not coming back to the Village Board for more resources anytime in the near future. The chief said he is committed to having at least two local firefighters going out on calls at all times.

Trustees Matt Wigginton and Elizabeth Khazzam both commented on the Village’s tight budget situation. “We are pretty tapped out,” said Wigginton. “I’m going to hold you to what you said, chief.”

In other business:

• The Board amended its agreement with developers Dave Williams and Laurie Pearl to build housing on five properties the Village sold to Williams Brothers Construction inn 2019.

The couple now will have three more years, until April 30, 2027, to construct single-family homes or duplexes on vacant properties at 4804 N. Ellen Ct., 723 E. Division Ave., 1105 E. Duryea Ave., 5012 N. Best St. and 618 E. Sciota Ave.

Five years ago, the properties were sold to Williams Brothers for $26,200 on the condition that building would begin in the year to follow. Between COVID and other issues, that never happened, and the agreement expired, giving the Village the option of buying back those properties at a price of $5,000 each -- $25,000 in total -- or renegotiating a new contract.

The developers have since purchased additional properties that could make for an even bigger residential project. New housing is a top priority of Village administration.

• The Village Board unanimously entered into a contract with R.A. Cullinan & Son of Tremont to provide sealcoating on Village streets for $108,930, ultimately rejecting a lower bid of just over $84,000 from Porter Brothers of Rock Falls.

Generally, municipal governments are inclined to accept the lowest price but in this case, the Board concluded that Porter had exceeded its capacity as a company to guarantee performance of the work according to Illinois Department of Transportation guidelines, had been misleading about that, and therefore did not qualify as a responsible bidder.

Peoria Heights has long enjoyed a positive relationship with Cullinan, while Porter has not worked in the Village before.

“They just bit off more than they could chew,” said Trustee Jeff Goett.

The sealcoating completion date is Aug. 31. The work is being paid for with Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) funds. The Board also approved a $35,670 bid from Midstate Asphalt of Eureka to provide spray patching services.

• The Board approved the creation of a new Class A-1 liquor license, which will be granted to Happenstance Event Rentals. The latter wishes to run a mobile bar out of the Pabst parking lot, for now, thought it could be move around to other locations such as Tower Park in the future. Happenstance has a brick-and-mortar location in the Village at the Pabst building. “I think they’ll fit right in,” said Mayor Michael Phelan.

• The Board set aside the dates of Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 6-7 for use of Tower Park by the Kringle Market, as well as Aug. 17 for the Peoria Heights Congregational Church and its annual Christian music event.

• Trustees reappointed Greg Walters to the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners, Greg Fletcher to the Police Pension Board, and Floyd Wombacher and Mickey O’Neil to the Zoning and Planning Commission.

• The Board approved a license for Peoria Pedicab LLC to operate its pedal taxi service in the Village.

• The Board announced that the next round of “ice pigging” to clear sediment from Village water pipes will begin the week of July 8 and cover the neighborhoods south of Lake Avenue.

Forest Park Dr. Routine Maintenance Closure - 06/04/24 — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS Forest Park Dr. hill will be closed from 9am to 1pm, on Tuesday, June 6th, for regularly scheduled maintenance. Thank you.

The Tower Park Observation Tower will be open Thursday-Sunday from 11:00am-7:00pm this summer through mid-August, weather permitting!

Peoria Heights seeks full-time firefighters — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS Providing a rare opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new full-time fire department, the Village of Peoria Heights is putting out the call to fill three firefighter openings in the coming months. Heights Fire Chief Dan Decker said that salaries will start at $65,000 annually with full be

Peoria Heights seeks three full-time firefighters

Providing a rare opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new full-time fire department, the Village of Peoria Heights is putting out the call to fill three firefighter openings in the coming months.

Heights Fire Chief Dan Decker said that salaries will start at $65,000 annually with full benefits as the newly hired firefighters assume shifts of 24 hours on, 48 hours off. The career firefighters will be augmented by part-time firefighters paid on a stipend basis, additionally complemented by volunteers who for more than a century have formed the foundation of the Peoria Heights Fire Department. At least two local firefighters will be available to respond to emergencies on a 24-7 basis, said Decker.

Indeed, the Heights has a long and distinguished history of providing top-notch volunteer fire protection but times have changed with job and family pressures, making volunteer recruitment more difficult and prompting the Village Board to create a full-time department last year.

Applications and additional information about the positions are available now and can be found here. (https://www.peoriaheights.org/intheknow/2023/6/29/employment-opportunity-fire-chief-x4x2s). The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 10.

Beyond that, the timeline is as follows: A mandatory orientation meeting for all applicants will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 20 at Peoria Heights Village Hall, 4901 N. Prospect Road. A written test will follow, to be administered starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 27 at Peoria Heights Grade School, 500 E. Glen Ave. The interview process is scheduled for Aug. 12-23 at Village Hall. Finalists for the positions will be selected by Sept. 1. Offers of employment will then be made and the three firefighter positions should be filled in early October.

The hiring process has three components.

First, candidates must prove physical agility, showing a current CPAT card with ladder climb.

Second, the written exam will be weighted at 60 percent of a candidate’s overall score and cover listening comprehension, mathematics and reading comprehension. Standard & Associates practice tests and study guides are available for purchase online. The passing score is 70 percent.

Third, interviews are weighted at 40 percent and will be conducted by the Peoria Heights Police and Fire Commission.

In addition, preference points will be awarded for firefighting experience, military service, valid firefighting certifications including EMT training, and apprenticeships. Candidates up for consideration must undergo a thorough background investigation and pass a polygraph, medical and psychological examination.

“It’s the ground floor of what I think will be a good place to work,” said Decker, who touted the benefits of working at a busy department in an attractive and growing community. “Everybody wants to come to the Heights … Our job is to make it a safe place to be.”

Volunteers continue to be welcome.

“We have a rich history of volunteer firefighting and we are looking to build upon that success with permanent firefighters as our community grows,” said Police and Fire Commission member Jeff Shields.

For more information, contact Fire Chief Dan Decker at [email protected], 309-251-9174.

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media.tenor.co

Village Hall Holiday Hours — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS Village Hall will be closing at 12:00pm on Friday, May 24th and will remain closed on Monday, May 27th in observation of Memorial Day.

Edit: Phone services are restored.

Village Hall is experiencing intermittant phone issues. Please email [email protected] if you need assistance.

The Peoria Heights Fine Art Fair drew thousands on a beautiful Mother's Day weekend in the Village

Forest Park Dr. Routine Maintenance Closure - 05/14/2024 — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS Due to last week’s weather, Forest Park Dr. hill will now be closed from 9am to 1pm, on Tuesday, May 14th, for regularly scheduled maintenance. Thank you.

Village Hall Holiday Hours — VILLAGE of PEORIA HEIGHTS Village Hall will close at 2:00pm on Wednesday, November 22 to celebrate Thanksgiving. It will reopen on Monday, November 27.

Dec. 15 deadline for home improvement applications

Peoria Heights residents seeking federal grant assistance for home improvements must have their applications submitted to Peoria Heights Village Hall by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15.

The application can be accessed here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a441bbfaeb625d8aac72bbb/t/6540f3b8535b537f50b6e76b/1698755514309/HUD+Healthy+Homes+Application+Form%5B36%5D.pdf.

Completed documents can be mailed to Peoria Heights Village Hall, Healthy Homes Program, Attention Wayne Aldrich, 4901 N. Prospect Road, Peoria Heights, IL., 61616. They also can be dropped off in person.

The Village of Peoria Heights is partnering with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the METEC Resource Center on the Healthy Homes Program, which aims to dispense grant dollars toward a long list of home improvements including radon, lead, asbestos and mold remediation; window, door and siding replacement; roof, structure and electrical improvements; trip/fall hazard attention; pest control and other life/safety enhancements. A list of qualifying home improvements is here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a441bbfaeb625d8aac72bbb/t/654982b126b67b1feaf8882f/1699316401734/The+Effect+of+the+Defect.pdf.

Four Peoria County ZIP codes including 61616 in Peoria Heights are eligible for the federal assistance, totaling $2 million. Individual homeowners can get up to $7,500 toward $10,000 or more in home improvements from HUD, with the Village covering the difference, so there is no individual match requirement. Eligible in the Heights are the residents of Census Tract 43, roughly bounded by Prospect Road on the east, Toledo Avenue on the north, Indiana and Boulevard avenues on the west, and Wilson Avenue on the south.

To qualify for the program, residents must own and live in their homes and earn less than 80 percent of the area’s median income, which translates to no more than $50,600 for a single person, $72,250 for a family of four, up to $95,400 for a family of eight. METEC will be vetting income qualification.

Peoria Heights Community Development Director Wayne Aldrich and METEC Executive Director Julie Schmidgall met with about 25 local residents at St. Thomas Church on Nov. 6 to go over the details of the grant.

Local officials are targeting 15 Peoria Heights homes for selection in the program, though “it could be less or more, depending on what we find,” said Aldrich.

Meanwhile, if a house needs a lot of attention, “we’re probably going to talk to you about that” and how the Village might be able to help in ways that transcend this particular grant, said Aldrich. Once an application is accepted, an inspection is required of the home, at no cost to the homeowner.

“Like any grant opportunity … there are strings attached,” said Aldrich, so residents should expect some paperwork. That said, “don’t get all hung up about not having all the documentation,” added Aldrich. “Give us what you have and we’ll go from there.”

Once the money is allocated, it is hoped that all home repairs will begin by fall 2024, through Village-approved contractors.

Aldrich urged residents to be patient, as the process of going through the applications and all the accompanying legwork could take six months or more.

“We’re really hoping to see a significant response here,” said Aldrich. “These are important home improvements, and every little bit helps in addressing them.

“We hope we get the homes that need the most help.”

For more information, feel free to contact Peoria Heights Administration at 309-686-2385, [email protected].

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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 Fire Chief Dan Decker addresses the Village Board 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.

Additionally, 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.”

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