Peoria County $3 Million Lead Grant Failure

As reported in the JS today by reporter Clare Howard. There is a lot more to the story than what Ms. Howard reported today. It was a screw up by more than one public body spending taxpayer dollars. Ms. Howard needs to talk to County Health Director Greg Chance who was not involved in the screw-up and other people having knowledge of what went wrong, such as Don Cavi, City Health Department, Brian Gulley, Grants Manager, PCCHD, Peoria County Administrator, Patrick Urich and the Director of PCCEO. Also, ex-County Board Chairman David Williams who witnessed some of the follies from the sidelines. Why we did not get the $3 million grant renewed is not a mystery. The original $3 million awarded by HUD, 2006, to Peoria and the $750,000 awarded by the County for lead abatement (approved by the Executive Committee of the County Board on May 25, 2006, David Williams, County Board Chairman) fell into a political tug-of-war including some misunderstandings, union wage rates, lack of cooperation, too many Chiefs, and failures to act in a business like manner.

The record will show that I and other board members have been unhappy with the way this $3 million grant was handled and apparently HUD was also. Also for the record, the County Health Department has it's own board, it's own budget and County Board has only one Member on the PCCHD.

Better yet, the JS should send Ms. Howard to our Health and Environment Committee meeting this Wednesday at 3:00, Rm 402, Peoria County Court House. I'll help her get some better answers than she got from the people she contacted about this failure to secure funds for the City with the most lead poisoning problems in the state.

Health and Environment Chairperson Lynn Pearson statement in the news today was what we all know. Ms. Howard did not get into the "meat of the matter". The truth should be made public. Terry Bibo, JS reporter did get some of the facts published on 2/11/09, "Window for lead cleanup closing fast", 'Peoria County stands to lose $2 million in funds as October deadline looms'.

David Williams is running for Bonnie Hester's board seat and I wish him well. As past County Board Chairman, Williams put and kept the county representing the best interests of the entire County.