Peoria County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Peoria County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Enterprise Cloud Migration to AWS
The county is moving its last 52 on-site servers to the cloud, which means faster recovery if systems like property taxes or jail fingerprinting go down — 24 hours instead of up to 60 days. It costs $474,000 up front but only adds about $64,000 a year to the IT budget.
GPSD monthly billing and sewer projects
The sanitary district has switched to monthly bills that show usage in gallons and now mirror the water bill's timing. Over 3,500 accounts are on the new portal; 30,000 paper return envelopes remain available for pickup while the district pushes e-statements to control postage costs.
Community Wi-Fi Pilot
The IT Workgroup is exploring a community Wi-Fi pilot with SmartWave near the East Bluff Community Center and Trewyn Park, which will require partnerships and potential funding from the City and County.
Secure Generative AI Framework and Governance
County operations explored a new artificial intelligence usage policy and governance framework to ensure safe technology practices among employees. The committee decided to postpone the item for 30 days to resolve questions regarding license requests and employee tool access.
Long-Term Care Services Fund and Bond Retirement
The board's reserve balance is approaching its 24% cap, and property values are expected to rise about 5% next year, which should improve cash flow. Second-half 2026 payments will be lighter due to the disbursement schedule.
Tazwood Community Services LIHEAP and CSBG Program Update
Lindsay Nance from Tazwood Community Services updated the board on emergency utility assistance (LIHEAP) and community services block grants (CSBG) in Peoria County. They reported over 10,000 applications taken and a 91% approval rate, while discussing challenges in specific zip codes and plans for a new permanent office location.