Video: Peru mayor discusses city infrastructure and public safety less than a week from election

Peru Mayor Scott Harl believes Peru’s infrastructure is trending in the right direction and provided insight on the status and necessity of the new police department.

With Election Day less than a week away, the NewsTribune invited the incumbent Harl and challenger Ken Kolowski to take part in an online forum to answer roughly 10 questions about city topics. Harl met with news editor Derek Barichello and reporter Jayce Eustice, while Kolowski declined the opportunity, which was made available to him over the course of several days.

Harl, who said he comes from a construction background, said infrastructure was an issue he wanted to take on when he was first elected to office in 2009.

“Since then we are well into the $32 or $35 million dollar range because we’ve broken into five areas for sewer separation,” Harl said. “This year we are doing a section over on West Street, which is by Washington Park and it’s going to span from Fifth Street to 10th Street. It’s going to be a very busy spot.”

While managing the sewer separation the city also repairs and replaces water pipes, provides new curbs, sidewalks and new roading cover to slowly improve the above ground areas while fixing what’s underneath.

Harl said the city learned early on that coming in and just fixing potholes, many times can cause more problems than it solves. He mentioned grinding off the surface creates vibrations can wake up old pipes then cause a leak.

The pandemic also put a hold on a project to replace some of the city’s brick streets from the 1800s and pave them with updated brick. Harl is hopeful the project can begin in 2021.

Also discussed was the area of public safety where Harl mentioned how impressed he has been with the city’s fire and police, electric and public works departments.

The many departments intertwine to help maintain the city when things go awry. Every department’s ability to handle situations quickly was something Harl is quite proud of.

“When something does happen in Peru, they aren’t gone long,” Harl said. “Meaning they are not on the loose. We find them and put them in custody and then they go to the next level. I’m very proud of our police and fire departments.”

Harl mentioned the new 32,000 square-foot public safety facility and police station.

The eventual move will free up the current building for the Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch to serve public safety departments across the Illinois Valley, Harl said.

On the subject of the police and fire pension contributions, Harl believes the city is attacking it head on.

“It’s a moving target that you can’t catch and we’ve been holding our own,” Harl said. “We’ve gained a little bit on it.”

Harl said the city is around a $22 million liability for the pensions and has around $10 million funded. Illinois insurance gives cities an estimated contribution every year to sustain the funding Peru has elected to double for the past year.

Harl said if the city threw $10 million at the pension, because of the moving markets and estimates, it still wouldn’t guarantee the pension would be completely funded. Harl said the only line item for the city on the Peru property taxes goes directly to the pension fund. A total the city more than doubled itself in its contribution.

On the subject of taxes, Harl said he is proud of keeping Peru an affordable place to live and the current tax rate for the city is “absolutely sustainable.”

“I don’t foresee a scenario where it’s not sustainable,” Harl said. “We have a vibrant industry, we have vibrant commercial, vibrant retail and vibrant car sales and see that changing. If that’s going to change, the world is going to have many more problems than any of us could fathom.”