Pekin council approves settlement with Chamber to advertise metropolis, tourism

With summer almost here and central Illinois opening up from the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism, events and outdoor activities have highlighted the Beijing City Council meeting on Monday.

Unanimously passed resolution for professional services agreement with Beijing Chamber of Commerce. The chamber will help market the city, create a tourism plan with events, and support the efforts of the city’s tourism committee. According to Pekin City Manager Mark Rothert, the chamber would hire a marketer and provide the city with up to 910 man hours during the tenure at a cost of no more than $ 17,500. The city also provides the Chamber with a grant of $ 2,500 for each managed event, up to four events, and $ 2,500 for year-round administrative management of tourism affairs, all totaling $ 12,500 for the tenure . Beijing Mayor Mark Luft welcomed the deal as a move that was “well overdue”.

“We have to improve the quality of life in the city of Beijing,” said Luft. “I went online six weeks ago and Peoria Heights, who have built a reputation for events, already had 11 events on their calendar and will continue to be added. We are going to set the standard now, and we couldn’t ask for a better person to help us out than Amy McCoy (Executive Director of the Beijing Chamber of Commerce).

Two ordinances that split the city’s tourism and beautification committee into two separate entities were also passed unanimously. The purpose of dividing the Tourism and Beautification Committee into two bodies, according to Rothert, is to improve the efficiency of running events or projects that relate to the focus of each group.

More: Beijing City Council approves the $ 3 million contract to build Court Street

A resolution to change the procurement process for improvements to public facilities was passed 5-2 with council members Rick Hilst and Dave Nutter voting against the measure. The resolution will give the city administrator the power to circumvent the city’s existing application process and seek multiple bids for public facility improvement projects and submit recommendations to the city council for final approval.

“This would allow employees to act faster to execute planned projects and is a similar process and procedure that the City Council approved for use of the Local CURES (Coronavirus Emergency Repair Emergency Support Program) Act, which the City funded in 2020. “Said Rothert.

Hilst opposed the decision because he believed that the city government’s circumvention of the formal tendering process would undermine public confidence in the city’s public procurement procedures and because he believed that the city’s existing procurement policy offers fair and equal opportunities for qualified providers to submit project offers. .

“We have a procurement policy for a reason … and for more than one reason,” said Hilst.

An ordinance amending the permit for the use of sidewalks and the permit for special events was passed unanimously. Beijing prosecutor Kate Swise said the city expanded the use of sidewalk permits over the past year to help local restaurants establish outdoor seating to keep their businesses going in the face of COVID-19 restrictions. The changes expired at the end of April, but the ordinance permanently extends the scope of pavement use permits, regulates the use of outdoor heating sources and tents, and enables live music outdoors on Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. The Council also unanimously passed an ordinance amending the Spirits Act with regard to outdoor sales areas and extending the permit. The change makes an executive order of May 27, 2020 by Luft to relax restrictions on alfresco dining and the sale of alcohol permanent.

Likewise: Beijing City Council approves the city budget and changes the rules for garbage collection

In other stores:

The city council unanimously passed a resolution to approve the bids the city received from United Contractors Midwest and the Tazewell County Asphalt Company for road maintenance materials. According to Pekin City Engineer Josie Esker, the city will use up to $ 60,000 in motor fuel taxes (MFT) to buy hot and cold mix asphalt as needed for the city’s road administration.

– An ordinance incorporating a provision for the city’s Business Development District (BDD) and hotel / motel taxes into the Beijing Municipal Tax Law, which was unanimously adopted.

The Council unanimously approved an engineering reimbursement agreement for $ 19,470 with Tazewell & Peoria Railroad. According to Rothert, the agreement is necessary in order to obtain occupancy permits for work on the railway site during the construction of a parallel sewer pipe in the immediate vicinity of the existing tracks from Tazewell & Peoria.

– A resolution to approve and award the purchase of two tandem dump trucks from Morton-based Truck Center for $ 394,050 was passed 6-1 with one abstention. A resolution approving the purchase of a garbage truck from EJ Equipment for $ 215,340.15 was passed 5-2.

– A resolution to award a partial roof replacement project for USD 18,272 at Fire Station 1 to Five Star Roofing was accepted 6: 1.

– A US $ 210,000 intergovernmental agreement with Greater Peoria Mass Transit District for CityLink transportation services was passed with the unanimous approval of the council.