A lightning strike that damaged traffic equipment near Pekin Community High School will soon be addressed, after the City Council approved a $26,500 repair contract. The work is intended to restore pedestrian crossing signals that have displayed only “Do Not Cross” since the incident during the summer.
Key takeaways
The council’s action focuses on improving safety at the busy intersection of Stadium Drive and Court Street as students return to school.
- Laser Electric will replace damaged traffic and pedestrian-signal components.
- Insurance is expected to cover $10,000 of the repair cost.
- Related signals at Court Street and Parkway Drive were also damaged.
- The council approved several other projects, including development extensions and city technology upgrades.
Repairs planned near Pekin High School
The lightning strike damaged components inside the traffic-signal control cabinet at Stadium Drive and Court Street. Although the signals were repaired enough to operate on a timed cycle, the pedestrian equipment continued to display only “Do Not Cross.”
Pekin City Manager John Dossey said restoring the walk signal is the city’s primary concern now that school is back in session. The approved contract with Peoria-based Laser Electric will replace the damaged components and repair both the traffic and pedestrian signals.
The city expects insurance to reimburse $10,000 of the project’s cost. Signals at Court Street and Parkway Drive were damaged by the same strike, and Pekin is seeking insurance reimbursement for those repairs as well.
Epic Pharma receives more time
The council also extended development deadlines for Epic Pharma Solution’s planned medical manufacturing center in the Riverway Business Park. Rising construction and equipment costs, along with tariff-related increases, have slowed the project.
Epic now has until March 1, 2027, to obtain its first building permit and until Dec. 31, 2028, to secure a certificate of occupancy. Economic Development Director Josh Wray said the company is value-engineering the project, adding $5 million toward construction, pursuing additional state incentives and working with an architect.
Under the updated agreement, the city may market the property again if Epic misses the first building-permit deadline. Wray said the company still intends to build in Pekin.
City works through audit backlog
Pekin rehired Lauterbach & Amen to complete audits for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years. The contracts are worth nearly $75,000 and $77,000, respectively.
The city completed its 2022-23 audit in February and its 2023-24 audit in June. The 2024-25 audit is expected by late September or early October. If that work is finished before Oct. 31, Pekin would temporarily be current on its annual audits. The city is seeking an extension for the 2025-26 audit, with a target completion date near the end of next January.
Other council actions
Additional approvals included a special-use request for a tire sales and service shop with roadside assistance at 912 S. 2nd Street. The council also approved nearly $109,500 for a technology refresh at the city’s emergency operations center inside the police station.
Other actions authorized the city manager to award a 2026 motor-fuel-tax-funded mill-and-overlay road contract, provided the bid meets state requirements and stays within 10% of the engineer’s estimate of nearly $220,000. Council members also approved code changes clarifying wastewater billing and collection procedures.
