Housing Values - Zillow.com

The graph above and below were created using Zillow. This program shows aerial photographs, values, and front pictures of many of the homes in the entire United States.

The first graphic shows how housing values in the Heart of Peoria continue to go up more slowly then the rest of the Peoria Metro area.

The graphic below shows how homes in Peoria have increased in value while the United States has lost average home value.

You can check out how your home looks, and how close the Zillow estimate of your value is by going to http://www.zillow.com/ and entering your address. Also very effective when you are trying to buy or sell a home.

Federal Stimulus Bill

The House Appropriations and Ways and Means committees released an $825 billion stimulus plan entitled the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. On January 28, the House passed a stimulus package of $819 billion, forwarded to the Senate.

This is one of the largest new funding of programs in history. There is near unanimous support for a major stimulus proposal, although substantial disagreement on the types of programs.

Unemployment is at its highest level since 1982 and expected to rise.

The Bill allocates $550 billion for programs and $275 billion for changes in the tax code. Inncluded are $30 billion for highways and bridges, $12 billion for transit, $3.5 billion for new Energy Efficiency Grants, $4 billion for neighborhood stabilization, $1 billion for Community Development Block Grants, $8 billion for water infrastructure, $100 million for brownfields, and $1 billion for Amtrak and intercity passenger rail.

The bill also aims to make major investments in energy and schools with $14 billion for school repair and modernization.

Southern Gateway and Eagle View

Southern Gateway

The City of Peoria continues to make progress in improving its Southern Gateway and Eagle View. Read all about it at:

Eagle View Business Park

http://groups.google.com/group/eagle-view-business-park---peoria-il/web/Southern%20Gateway%20Jan%202009.ppt

Power Point on Eagle View

http://groups.google.com/group/eagle-view-business-park---peoria-il/web/Southern%20Gateway%20Jan%202009.ppt

Eagle View Business Park

http://groups.google.com/group/eagle-view-business-park---peoria-il/

Energy Efficiency - City of Peoria

Through the Fall of 2008, at the direction of the City Manager, Fire Chief Kent Tomblin chaired a cross-disciplinary team of employees to look into the City’s use of natural resources and to deliver a series of recommendation that would result in savings. Chief Tomblin and his team did a remarkable job in investigating a number of options, calculating potential savings, and creating a timetable for implementation.

The result is an impressive report that outlines 20 separate recommendations: 10 involve steps to reduce electrical use, 8 involve fuel reduction and 2 are more general in nature. In addition to being split between electricity and fuel, each section is further broken down into three types of recommendations:

· Personal Behaviors: Those steps that require employees to adopt changes in their own work environment, personal approach to their jobs, and individual methodologies.

· Procedural Changes: Within the purview of management, some adjustments to operations can be made that will impact energy use.

· Policy Decisions: Through the leadership of the City Council, new policies can be adopted that will help the City conserve energy.

A full implementation schedule is included in the report’s appendices. Many of these recommendations are already being put into play by the administrative team. I can already report one early success: In late December, Public Works Director David Barber eliminated 14 of the 21 employee take-home vehicles in his department. I will update you on our progress with this and other recommendations. Those recommendations that involve policy changes, and hence your leadership, will be brought before you at Council meetings in the near future.

Wherever possible, the team attempted to assign cost savings to recommendations. The recent concerns about shortfalls in tax revenues make these tangible savings all the more important. While the success of many of the recommendations will be contingent on a combination of adopting new behaviors and general stability in prices, we are confident that we can realize significant success.

Click on the link below to read the full report.


http://cityofpeoria.googlegroups.com/web/Energy_Efficiency_Final_Report.pdf?gsc=veVv5xYAAADrHpAb1GrxwgBqqwrhbipwg-kXU5InE09W2o0GCSVgCQ

Congratulations PALM / TRICON / WFD / ICC

Congratulations to

Ginger Johnson

Executive Director PALM / TRICON

Ginger Johnson announced the good news. TRICON helped WFD and ICC write a US Department of Labor grant for green training. WFD was awarded the grant in partnership with TRICON and ICC. They will be transitioning training through TRICON and state grant funding to ICC. They received $1.7 million for the 3-year project!!!!!

This funding will boost our green workforce, create green jobs and possibly businesses, and help make our area more marketable as a green community! Ginger can name 3 start-up "green" consulting businesses getting started in the area right now. Green training will include certificate and degree programs at ICC (and articulation to local 4-year universities), LEED AP preparation training, BPI (Building Performance Institute) training and certification, and HERS energy rater training and certification. It may also include solar and wind training, HVAC training, etc.

This plugs in nicely to some of the goals mentioned in the Sustainability Commission report. Ginger is proud of the partnerships forged in this community. The partners came together to accomplish great things (and get $1.7 mil from the US government). There will be an official press release out soon, if not this week.

Ginger Johnson
Executive Director PALM / TRICON
124 SW Adams
Suite 315
Peoria IL 61602
Phone 309.637.0934Fax 309.637.0954
Cell 309.369.7232 gingerj@palmtricon.org

Check us out!

http://www.palmpeoria.org/

http://www.triconpeoria.org

We're Better Built!

http://www.better-built.us

http://www.betterhomeperformance.us

State of the City Address

11:45 a.m. at Hotel Pere Marquette

The Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce invites community leaders and area business professionals on Jan. 28, 2009, for the State of the City Address by Mayor Jim Ardis. This report to the citizens of our region gives us a behind-the-scenes look at our accomplishments in 2008 and the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Mayor Ardis will be speaking about the status of the challenges he issued to the business community in last year’s address, Peoria Area successes in '08, goals for '09 and what he's looking for from the business community.

Registration information below:

www.peoriachamber.org/goto/stateofthecity