♪ ♪ >>> WELCOME TO "AT ISSUE," I'M H WAYNE WILSON.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CHEER FOR PEORIA.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO NAY SAYERS WITH REGARD TO PEORIA THE NAYSAYERS QUITE OFTEN POINT TO THE DECLINING POPULATION BASE.

IN BETWEEN, THE CENSUS BUREAU SAID WE HAD 115,000 RESIDENTS IN THE CITY, AND IN 2020, THAT NUMBER, ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS BUREAU CHANGED TO 113,173, A DROP OF ALMOST 2,000 RESIDENTS.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT EFFORTS TO INCREASE POPULATION AND EFFORTS TO BRING BUSINESS TO PEORIA, THEY ARE TIED TOGETHER, AND FOR THE CONVERSATION, JOSHUA GUNN IS HERE, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER OF CONFERENCE AND CEO COUNTY SILL.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> ALSO HERE IS CHRIS SETTI, THE CEO OF THE GREATER BUREAU ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.

CHRIS, THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> AND JENNIFER HAMM IS HERE, OR JENN WE'LL CALL HER, CEO OF PEORIA AREA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR THE INVITE.

>> LET ME START WITH A COMMENT THAT I TOOK FROM RITA ALI'S CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES WHEN SHE RAN FOR MAJOR.

MY FIRST AND PRIMARY OBJECTIVE WILL BE EXPANDING PEORIA'S ECONOMIC BASE, WHICH WILL LEAD TO INCREASED REVENUE AND JOB CREATION.

MY SECOND AREA OF FOCUS IS POPULATION GROWTH.

WE MUST FOCUS ON STRATEGIES TO GROW PEORIA'S POPULATION TO EXPAND THE TAX BASE AND EXPAND THE ECONOMY.

CHRIS, COULD YOU START US OFF?

HAVE YOU HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MAYOR, AND WHAT CAN YOU -- CAN YOU REFLECT ON HER, THE TOP TWO PRIORITIES SHE HAD.

WHAT PROGRESS HAS SHE HAD?

>> THEY ARE ALL IN CONVERSATION WITH THE ELECTED LEADER, ON MY BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND WE GET REGULAR TOUCH POINTS FROM THAT, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE GROWING POPULATION IS SOMETHING THAT OUR THREE ORGANIZATIONS, PAR AND THE CHAMBER OF MERIT, GREATER CHAMBERS AND IN THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, A REALLY GREAT COLLABORATIVE TO REALLY TALK ABOUT WHAT A GREAT PLACE THIS IS TO LIVE AND HAVING SOME EXTERNAL MARKETING AND EFFORTS AND INITIATIVES AROUND TALENT AND ATTRACTION BECAUSE THAT'S IN DIRECT RELATIONSHIP TO THE MAYOR'S STATED GOALS AROUND, YOU KNOW, INCREASING OUR POPULATION, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE, RIGHT?

IT TAKES EFFORT.

THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE CALL THE GP2030, GREATER PEORIA 2030, A LONG RANGE TEN-YEAR CAMPAIGN AROUND TALENT ATTRACTION FOR THE REGION, BUT BECAUSE OF THE REGION, ALSO PEORIA >> JOSHUA, CHRIS TALKED ABOUT EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT INTERNAL COMMUNICATION.

WHEN YOU CAME HERE, YOU HEARD A COUPLE OF PEOPLE SAY NEGATIVE THINGS UPON YOUR FIRST ARRIVAL IN PEORIA.

HOW IMPORTANT IS INTERNAL COMMUNICATION WITH THOSE WHO ALREADY LIVE HERE IN TERMS OF DELIVERING A MESSAGE?

>> YEAH.

YOU KNOW, I TALKED AT LENGTH ABOUT SORT OF THE INTERESTINGINI HAD WHEN I ARRIVED OFTEN EVEN TWO YEARS IN, WHEN I SAY I MOVED TO PEORIA FROM ANOTHER PLACE, WHY DID YOU CHOOSE PEORIA OR GET OUT AS FAST AS YOU CAN, RIGHT?

AND I THINK THE REALITY IS WE ALL HAVE TO SEE OURSELVES AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT, AND YOU NEVER KNOW IF YOU'RE A TAXI DRIVER OR WORK IN A RESTAURANT OR YOU WORK IN A GOVERNMENT FACILITY, YOU MIGHT BE THE FIRST PERSON THAT PERSON MEETS ARRIVING IN PEORIA, AND SO WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT JOB SERIOUSLY BECAUSE IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, AND ANOTHER SIDE OF THAT, THOUGH, H, IS I THINK WE ALL, AS COMMUNITY LEADERS, HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF COMMUNICATING THE VALUE OF WHERE WE LIVE BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT IS EASY TO LOSE PERSPECTIVE.

WHEN YOU'VE BEEN IN A PLACE FOR A LONG TIME, MAYBE HAVEN'T TRAVELED AS MUCH AS YOU -- MAYBE HAVE NOT TRAVELED MUCH AT ALL, IT'S EASY TO TAKE FOR GRANTED THE GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE WE HAVE HERE.

IT IS IMPORTANT ON BOTH SIDES, EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT'S HAPPENING, MAKE THEM ACCESSIBLE SO MORE PEOPLE CAN EXPERIENCE THEM, AND EACH TAKE IT UPON OURSELVES TO SEE OURSELVES AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE GREAT COMMUNITY.

>> OFTEN, THE FIRST EXPERIENCE, FIRST EXPOSURE TO A PEORIAN IS SOMEONE LOOKING FOR A HOME IS THROUGH THE REAL ESTATE AGENT.

>> THAT IS CORRECT.

>> IS THERE A PROGRAM?

I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF A STRUCTURE IN PLACE WHERE YOU SAY, OKAY, THESE ARE THE THINGS WE WANT TO PUSH IF YOU ARE REALTOR IN PEORIA.

>> NOT NECESSARILY A PROGRAM THAT'S SET UP, HOWEVER, THERE ARE SPECIFIC AGENTS THAT ARE VERY WELL-VERSED IN A LOT OF THEIR BUSINESS FOR RELOCATION.

PERSONS RELOCATING TO THE AREA.

SO THEY ARE RELOCATION SPECIALISTS FOCUSED ON PROMOTING AND DRIVING HOME THE MESSAGE OF WHAT A GREAT LOCATION THIS IS FOR FAMILIES, FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, JUST GETTING OUT THERE INTO THE WORK FORCE.

ALL DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS, AND THEY REALLY FOCUS ON THAT.

NOW, WITH THE GP2030, IT'S OPENED UP A WHOLE NEW DOOR FOR OUR AGENTS TO GET REALLY INVOLVED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THEIR CITY, THE COMMUNITIES AROUND THEM, AND PROMOTING IT, AND IT IS ALSO ANOTHER CONDUIT FOR THEM TO PROMOTE, AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AS PAR IS PARTICIPATING FREQUENTLY IN THE GP2030, AND WERE INVITED TO THE TABLE, THANK YOU, JOSHUA, AND SO, WITH THAT, WE HOPE TO PUT SOME PROGRAMS IN PLACE MOVING FORWARD.

>> I THINK IT IS -- THERE'S A STRUCTURE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD AROUND, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S -- IT'S A MARKETING CAMPAIGN, RIGHT?

SO TAKING WHAT WE ALL RECOGNIZE AS THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT THE PEORIA AREA -- AFFORDABILITY, LACK OF COMMUTE, QUALITY OF LIFE, THE AMENITIES WE HAVE AT THE SCALE THAT WE HAVE IT IS REALLY ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, VERY IMPRESSIVE, AND BEING ABLE TO TELL THAT STORY, BOTH TO EXTERNAL AUDIENCES, BUT ALSO, AT THE SAME TIME, THROUGH OUR INTERNAL AUDIENCES.

REALLY, GIVING PEOPLE THE TOOLS TO TELL THAT STORY, AND SO WHETHER THAT'S THE REALTORS, WHETHER IT'S OUR HR DEPARTMENTS AT, YOU KNOW, CORPORATIONS LIKE ALLY AND CATERPILLAR AND OUR HOSPITALS THAT ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO RECRUIT PEOPLE TO COME TO THE AREA, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE JOBS, ARMING THEM WITH INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT -- WHAT THE MARKET -- THE HOUSING MARKET IS, WHAT THOSE AMENITIES ARE, WHAT ARE THE THINGS TO DO OR THE REASONS TO LIVE HERE?

BUT ANOTHER THING THAT WE'VE ALSO DONE, AND WE ARE ACTUALLY HAVING ONE COMING UP IN AUGUST, IS -- IS MAKE THIS A GREAT PLACE TO BE WELCOMED TO.

>> UH-HUH.

>> UH-HUH.

>> SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING, AND THE REAL ESTATE AGENTS HAVE BEEN EXCELLENT IN HELPING US TO DEVELOP A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NEWCOMERS BECAUSE, ACTUALLY, THE BEST AMBASSADORS TO THE REGION ARE PEOPLE WHO JUST MOVED HERE BECAUSE THEY JUST LEFT SOMEWHERE ELSE, AND THEY LEFT FAMILY AND FRIENDS BEHIND WHO WILL ASK THE QUESTION, WELL, WHAT'S IT LIKE?

SO WE'VE BEEN HOLDING MIXERS EVERY QUARTER OR SO.

WE HAD ONE AT A RIVERMEN GAME, ONE IN AUGUST, A POOL PARTY AT MT.

HOLLY, AND THE IDEA IS TO INVITE PEOPLE SO THEY CAN MEET OTHERS, MEET PEOPLE LIKE JOSHUA AND I AND JENN WHO LIVED HERE NOW FOR A WHILE, BUT ALSO COMPLETELY NEW PEOPLE TO MAKE CONNECTIONS.

THAT'S WHAT CALLS -- WE CALL MAKING IT STICKY, MAKE THE COMMUNITY STICKY AND PEOPLE WANT TO BE A PART OF IT.

>> TO BUILD ON THAT, ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS ABOUT THE QUARTERLY MIXERS FOR ME IS WE CREATED A VALUE PROPOSITION, RIGHT?

WE HAVE SPENT, YOU KNOW, AS A WORKING GROUP, A LOT OF TIME, ENERGY, AND EFFORT IN BUILDING THIS VALUE, AND WHAT'S THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT PEORIA, WHAT DO WE WANT TO SAY ABOUT THE REGION, AND WHAT'S SO COOL IS PEOPLE COME TO THE MIXERS, AND THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN OUR MATERIALS, BUT THEY ALMOST VERBATIM REPEAT OUR VALUE PROPOSITION, RIGHT?

WHY DID YOU MOVE TO PEORIA?

IT'S AFFORDABLE.

I BOUGHT MY FIRST HOME HERE.

I LOVE THE FACT THERE'S NO TRAFFIC.

THERE'S A LOT TO DO.

IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO RAISE MY FAMILY.

THE PARKS ARE INCREDIBLE.

YOU KNOW, A TAG LINE IS TRUE URBAN AND BALANCED COUNTRY.

WE HEAR THAT, RIGHT?

I CAN LIVE IN DOWNTOWN PEORIA IN TRUE URBAN ENVIRONMENT OR I PREFER RURAL ENVIRONMENT WITH ACCESS TO THE CITY.

THEY ARE REPEATING OUR VALUE PROP WITHOUT SEEING THE MATERIALS, WHICH I THINK IS PRETTY POWERFUL.

>> JENN, WITH THE NEW WORK ENVIRONMENT IN AMERICA WHERE YOU CAN WORK IN MANY JOBS, WORK FROM ANY CITY, HAS THAT CHANGED THE APPROACH TO ATTRACT PEOPLE TO BUY HOUSES HERE?

>> REALTORS ARE NOT HAVING TO ATTRACT THEM, PEORIA IS ATTRACTING THEM, HANDS DOWN.

WE IN CONVERSATIONS I HAVE WEEKLY WITH SOME OF OUR AGENTS, THE INFORM -- WE'LL CALL THEM TRANSPLANTS -- HERE, THERE'S A LOT OF -- IT'S A MIX, AND SO THERE'S A LARGE NUMBER OF OLDER GENERATION GRANDPARENT AGE, SOON TO BE GRANT AGE MOVING BACK TO THE AREA.

THEY WENT TO FLORIDA, WENT TO ARIZONA, SOMEWHERE ELSE TO ¦STAT RETIREMENT, AND WITH THIS CHANGE, WITH COVID AND EVERYTHING NOW, THEY FIND THE VALUE OF BEING ABLE TO MOVE BACK TO PEORIA, COST OF LIVING ACTUALLY HERE IS MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE FOR THEM THAN IT WAS IN FLORIDA.

THEY ARE CASHING IN ON THEIR EQUITY DOWN THERE, COMING BACK.

THEY ARE SPENDING ALL THIS VALUABLE TIME WITH GRANDCHILDREN THAT THEY MISSED OUT ON BECAUSE OF THE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS IN COVID, AN THEY DON'T WANT TO BE IN THAT PASSION AGAIN, BUT THEN ALSO, YOU SWITCH TO THE WORK FORCE.

THE 20-SOMETHING GENERATION IS THE ONES THAT MOVED AWAY, I MEAN, COLLEGE IS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUT OF HERE, WHEREVER YOU LIVE, AND SO THEY GO AWAY, THEY WANT TO LIVE IN THE BIG CITY LIFE, AND AFTER EXPERIENCING THAT AND THEN HAVING COVID HIT AND REALIZING, I'M STUCK IN FOUR WALLS.

DO I LIKE MY FOUR WALLS?

MOST OFTEN NINE OUT OF TEN TIMES, THE ANSWER CAME BACK, NO, I DON'T.

WHERE DO I WANT TO GO?

WE ARE SEEING PEOPLE MOVE BACK TO THE AREA, 20s AND 30s AGE GROUP THAT ARE READY TO SETTLE BACK DOWN, GREAT JOBS, BUT THEY CAN WORK ANYWHERE.

>> YEAH.

>> AND THEY CAN'T AFFORD AND TRY LEVEL HOME WHERE IF THEY LIVE IN ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY, THEY WOULD BE STUCK IN AN APARTMENT.

>> AND WE SEE A LOT OF TRAFFIC COMING IN FROM THE WEST COAST IN PARTICULAR.

LATELY, IT FEELS LIKE OREGON.

WE'VE SEEN A LOT FROM OREGON, CALIFORNIA, SALT LAKE CITY AREA.

>> COLORADO.

>> DENVER AREA.

>> YEAH.

>> PEOPLE ARE PRICED OUT OF THE MARKETS.

>> YES.

>> IT'S AMAZING WHAT YOU GET HERE FOR, AGAIN, NOT -- IT'S AFFORDABLE, NOT CHEAP, RIGHT?

>> YEAH.

>> REALLY GREAT HOUSING STOCK AND A GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CAN AFFORD, AND THEY ARE BRINGING THEIR SAN FRANCISCO SALARY OR THEIR DENVER SALARY TO PEORIA, TO THE PEORIA AREA, AND THEY ARE GOING TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT COST OF LIVING.

JENN BROUGHT IT UP.

THERE ARE A LOT OF ASPECTS TO COST OF LIVING, AND ONE OF THOSE IS PROPERTY TAXES.

>> UH-HUH.

>> ILLINOIS' KNOWN FOR HAVING HIGH PROPERTY TAXES.

THAT'S NOT A SECRET.

HOW DO YOU COUNTER THAT?

>> I THINK, JENN -- YOU MIGHT BS BALANCE, RIGHT.

>> YEAH.

>> YOU DEAL WITH IT ALL THE TIME.

>> WE DO.

THE AGENTS ATTACK IT HEAD ON.

THEY ARE NOT GOING AWAY.

THERE ARE TAXES EVERYWHERE THAT YOU GO, AND IN ILLINOIS, PROPERTY TAXES ARE HIGHER THAN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

HOWEVER, THE AFFORDABILITY DAY-TO-DAY TO LIVE HERE USUALLY COUNTERACTS THAT.

ALSO, HERE YOUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE HIGHER, BUT SIZE OF THE PROPERTY YOU OWN IS SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN SOME OTHER AREAS IN THE COUNTRY, SO THERE IS A BALANCING ACT THERE.

AS WE TALKED EARLIER, THERE'S OTHER FEES AND OTHER COSTS OF LIVING ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE OTHER STATES THAT HAVE A LOWER PROPERTY TAX.

REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES.

THERE'S MANY OTHER FEES THAT GO INTO YOUR BUDGETS ON A MONTHLY AND ANNUAL BASIS, SO IT MAY NOT BALANCE OUT 100% EQUALLY, HOWEVER, THE -- THE AFFORDABILITY TO LIVE IN THIS REGION IS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE HEALTHIER THAN IT IS IN OTHER PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

>> YEAH.

>> AND COMMUTE WAS ONE THING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.

BEING ABLE TO BE DOWNTOWN PEORIA, YOU CAN GO TEN MINUTES ANY DIRECTION OUTSIDE OF HERE, AND YOU CAN BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY.

>> RIGHT.

>> OR YOU CAN BE IN VERY -- BE IN A SUBDIVISION SOMEWHERE OR BE AT A LAKE.

THERE'S MANY LAKES WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF PEORIA THAT THERE'S A LOT OF BOATING AND OTHER EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES GOING ON, AND SO THE ONES THAT THEY -- THE TRANSPLANTS WE'VE BEEN SEEING THAT THE AGES HAVE BEEN TALKING TO AND WORKING WITH AS CLIENTS COMING FROM NEW YORK CITY, FROM THE WEST COAST, THEY ARE -- ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THEY CONSISTENTLY TELL US IS I CAN GO TWO AND A HALF HOURS EITHER WAY FOR A BIG CITY FOR THE WEEKEND, AND THEN I'M DONE, AND I WANT TO COME BACK.

>> I MOVED HERE 19 YEARS AGO WITH MY WIFE AND JUST THE ONE CHILD AT THE TIME FROM DENVER WHERE WE HAD BEEN LIVING, AND ADMITTEDLY, MY PROPERTY TAXES WERE LOWER IN DENVER THAN THE PROPERTY TAXES I HAD HERE.

I PAID A CITY INCOME TAX IN DENVER.

SO I PAID A FEDERAL AND STATE INCOME TAX AND CITY INCOME TAX.

>> YEAH.

>> SO IT IS ABOUT BALANCING THOSE THINGS OUT.

>> YEAH.

I THINK IT IS LOOKING AT THE OVERALL PICTURE, RIGHT?

OVERALL ANALYSIS OF WHAT YOUR COSTS ARE GOING TO BE.

I WILL SAY, TWO POINTS.

ONE, WE THINK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, ANOTHER SIDE IS ACCESSIBILITY, RIGHT?

PEORIA IS AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE, RIGHT?

PEOPLE -- YOU MENTIONED YOUNG FOLKS TYPICALLY FLOCK TO THE CITIES FOR AMENITIES, RIGHT?

I CHALLENGE YOU TO ASK ANYONE IN CHICAGO OR NEW YORK CITY HOW MANY BALL GAMES HAVE THEY BEEN TO IN THEIR LIFETIME?

HOW MANY MUSICALS?

MAYBE ONCE OR NEVER.

PEOPLE HAVE THIS -- HAVE THIS ROMANCE WITH THE NOTION OF JUST HAVING THINGS IN YOUR CITY, BUT YOU CAN'T EXPERIENCE THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO EXPENSIVE, TOO CUMBERSOME TO GET THERE WITH TRAFFIC AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS, AND IN PEORIA, YOU HAVE A WORLD CLASS RIVER FRONT MUSEUM THAT'S AFFORDABLE, EASY TO GET TO, PARKING ON-SITE, BASEBALL GAMES, PARK CLOSE BY AND SEE A GREAT PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME, AND RIVERMEN, ECT., THERE'S AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY AS AN ADVANTAGE TO PEORIA.

I'M REMISS NOT TO SAY AGE.

THE PROPERTY TAXES IS A BARRIER FOR US, AND ONE THAT WE, AS A COMMUNITY AND AS A STATE, NEED TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS BECAUSE EITHER THROUGH CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE IT -- TO ABATE SOME OF THE TAXES FOR NEWCOMERS OR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS, BUT REALLY AS A STATE TO LOOK AT THE OVERALL FINANCIAL ECONOMIC STRATEGY AND FIGURE OUT DIFFERENT WAYS TO COVER COSTS BECAUSE IT IS A BARRIER, BOTH FOR BUSINESS AND FOR RESIDENTS.

>> U.S. "U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT" HAD JUST THIS YEAR, THE 2022-2023 ANALYSIS OF OF BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN AMERICA.

PEORIA WAS NO.

50.

THE TOP IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

NO.

50 IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

THEY RATED HOME VALUE, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT.

THEY RATED QUALITY OF OF LIFE, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT VERY HIGHLY.

THEN THERE'S THIS CATEGORY IN "U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT" CALLS "DESIREABILITY," AND THAT WAS LOW.

I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEIR DEFINITION OF DESIRABILITY IS, BUT WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT, JENN?

>> I COUNTER IT WITH STATISTICS THAT BASICALLY STATE WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE MOVING INTO ILLINOIS, EITHER RETURNING HERE -- OR TO THE PEORIA AREA RETURNING HERE THAT GREW UP HERE OR HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT AND ARE DECIDING TO MAKE IT THEIR PERMANENT HOME GOING INTO THEIR RETIREMENT YEARS, ESPECIALLY FROM THE EAST AND WEST COAST, SO IF WE WERE NOT DESIRABLE, WHY ARE PEOPLE MAKING THE INVESTMENT?

>> GO AHEAD.

THAT'S A GREAT ARGUMENT.

I WOULD ADD, YOU KNOW, DESIRABILITY IS A WEIRD METRIC, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY MAKE THAT UP, BUT WHAT'S MISSING FROM THE CONVERSATION IS AFFORDABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, ALL THOSE THINGS, BUT WHAT CHRIS SAID BEFORE THE SHOW WHICH IS IN ADDITION TO PROPERTY BEING RELATIVELY AFFORDABLE AND EXPERIENCES BEING AFFORDABLE, YOU CAN MAKE A GOOD WAGE HERE, RIGHT?

THERE'S GREAT JOBS, SOME PLACES ARE CHEAP, AND THERE'S PLENTY OF AFFORDABLE PLACES, BUT IN THOSE PLACES, WAGES TEND TO BE LOWER.

THE PEORIA AREA HAS COMPETITIVE WAGES, RIGHT?

YOU CAN LIVE A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE.

I HAD THIS CONVERSATION IN THE PEER GROUP, THE DREADED MILLENNIALS ALL THE TIME, RIGHT, YOU WANT TO BE IN THE BIG CITY, BUT YOUR MONEY WILL NOT GO FAR, YOU WILL NOT EXPERIENCE THE AMENITIES LIKE YOU THINK YOU ARE BECAUSE YOU ARE WORKING OR COMMUTES MOST OF YOUR LIFE, BUT WHY NOT MOVE TO A PLACE WHERE YOU STILL MAKE A HIGH WAGE, BUT THAT MONEY ACTUALLY STRETCHES AND YOU CAN MAYBE SAVE, RIGHT?

MILLENNIALS ARE NOT SAVING LIKE WE'D LIKE, YOU CAN PAY FOR YOUR KIDS' COLLEGE AND DO FUTURE-FOCUSED THINGS.

TO ME, THAT'S DESIRABLE.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT DRIVES THAT METRIC OTHER THAN SOME OF THE NEGATIVE PERCEPTION ELEMENTS THAT WE ARE TALKING THROUGH THAT MIGHT NOT ACTUALLY BE TRUE IN THE LIVED EXPERIENCE HERE IN PEORIA.

>> YOU KNOW, THE OLD PHRASE "BEAUTY IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER," AND DESIRABILITY IS A WEAK SET OF METRICS BEHIND IT.

I'M HAPPY AND AGREE WITH "U.S. WORLD NEWS REPORT" THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE TOP PLACE IN ILLINOIS TO LIVE, AND I WOULD ARGUE HIGHER THAN 50 IN AMERICA.

I DON'T KNOW HOW DESIRABILITY, BUT WE DO, WE SEE PEOPLE MAKING THE CHOICE TO LIVE HERE, TO MOVE HERE, AND TO STAY HERE, AND I THINK -- BUT THE -- THE OLD ADAGE THAT THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET.

SOMEBODY POSTED THIS ON FACEBOOK, THE GRASS IS GREENER WHERE YOU WATER IT, RIGHT?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

TALKING INTERNAL MESSAGING, THIS IS A PLACE THAT WE WANT TO FIGHT FOR, AND BECAUSE IT'S -- IT'S A VALUABLE PLACE THAT ALL OF US ARE CHOOSING TO LIVE IN.

>> SO FAR, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FAMILIES AND PEOPLE AND HOUSING, ECT.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT JOBS WITH YOU, CHRIS, FOR JUST A MOMENT.

>> SURE.

>> MOST JOB CREATION IS DONE INTERNALLY, BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES.

>> UH-HUH.

>> I BELIEVE AMAZON HAS A FULFILLMENT CENTER THAT'S IN NORTH PEKIN, IS THAT RIGHT?

>> YEP.

>> WHAT DOES THE EDC DO TO TRY TO CONVINCE COMPANIES TO EXPAND YOU SAY, TO BRING COMPANIES TO CENTRAL ILLINOIS?

>> YOU KNOW, SO I THINK WE DO ALL OF THOSE KIND OF IN AN EQUAL MEASURE, AND I WOULD ADD TO THAT BUSINESS CREATION, WHICH IS NEITHER ATTRACTION NOR EXPANSION, BUT INNOVATION AND STARTUP WORK.

WE THINK OF THOSE AS KIND OF THE THREE LEGS OF THAT STOOL WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH WORK FORCE UNDERLINING ALL OF THAT AS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.

YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE A DIRECT BUSINESS ATTRACTION, AND HER JOB IS TO MARKET OUR COMMUNITY TO THE REST OF THE WORLD AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES, AND SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

YOU KNOW, THE STATISTICS SHOW THAT 80% OF THE JOBS ARE CREATED FROM THE COMPANIES YOU ALREADY HAVE.

IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU WANT TO IGNORE THE OTHER 20% OF THE JOBS THAT DON'T START THAT WAY, SO THEN WHEN THAT'S HER EFFORT, BUT WE DO FOCUS A LOT OF ON OUR EXISTING BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR PROGRAMMING.

YOU KNOW, AND JUST WORKING WITH THEM SIDE BY SIDE.

THAT'S EVERYTHING FROM THE LARGER BUSINESSES THAT WE WITH TEND TO WORK WITH TO SMALLER BUSINESSES TO CHAMBERS WORKING WITH THEM BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT.

OFTENTIMES, IT IS OUR EXISTING BUSINESSES THAT CREATE THE OTHER BUSINESSES, SO, RIGHT?

THE -- I THINK OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALLY ANDMAUI GYM.

YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, OSF AND UNITY POINT AND WHAT HAVE SPUN FROM THOSE.

ALL THE SUPPLIERS ARE HERE BECAUSE CATERPILLAR IS HERE, THAT'S THE TYPE OF BUSINESS ATTRACTION AND CREATION THAT SOMETIMES GOES OVERLOOKED.

>> LET ME ASK ABOUT SOME OF THE STRUGGLES YOU MAY HAVE WHEN A% BUSINESS WANTS TO EXPAND, SAY IN A SIGNIFICANT MANNER, DO YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE THEM WITH SPACE?

>> YEAH.

I THINK THERE'S TWO CONSTRAINTS AT THE MOMENT THAT ONE IS, I THINK, A NATIONAL PROBLEM, WORK FORCE AVAILABILITY, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T KIND OF GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT SEEING SOMEBODY WHO NEEDS SOMEBODY TO COME TO WORK FOR THEM, AND THAT'S NOT A PEORIA PROBLEM.

THAT IS A NATIONAL PROBLEM.

MAYBE A MORE SPECIFIC PEORIA PROBLEM AT THE MOMENT IS LACK OF AVAILABLE BUILDINGS AND SITES FOR MANUFACTURING, ANY SORT OF INDUSTRIAL.

WE'RE FIND WITH COMMERCIAL SPACE AND OFFICE SPACE, BUT IN TERMS OF ANY SORT OF INDUSTRIAL SPACE, THERE'S REALLY NOT A LOT OF ROOM AVAILABLE.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE JUST SEEN A CHANGE IN THE MARKETPLACE AROUND A LOT OF THIS ACTUALLY RELATING TO COVID AND THE FORMER IDEA OF "JUST IN TIME DELIVERY" OF PRODUCT, THE SUPPLY LINES STRETCHED OUT BY COVID AND SUBSEQUENT ISSUES WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH SHIPPING, AND SO A LOT OF COMPANIES HAVE STARTED TO HORDE MORE THINGS AND WAREHOUSE MORE THINGS, TAKING UP A LOT OF AVAILABLE WAREHOUSE SPACE THAT COULD BE USED FOR BUSINESS EXPANSION.

IT IS KIND OF A HAPPY PROBLEM IN ANOTHER WAY, RIGHT?

WE WANT OUR COMPANIES TO, YOU KNOW, OUR BUILDINGS FULL, SO THAT'S A STRUGGLE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT AS WELL.

HOW DO WE BRING ONLINE MORE AVAILABLE BUILDINGS AND SITES?

>> CHRIS MENTIONED WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT.

WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME INSTANCES WHEN A COMPANY IS LOOKING AT CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SAID, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THE EXPERTISE IN TERMS OF TRAINED EMPLOYEES.

>> YEAH.

>> I -- THERE ARE EFFORTS TO DEVELOP THE WORK FORCE.

>> SURE.

>> UH-HUH.

>> IS GP2030 DOING SOMETHING WITH THAT?

>> SO GP2030 IS LARGELY FOCUSED ON ATTRACTING NEW TALENT, RIGHT, AND RETAINING THE EXISTING TALENT THAT WE HAVE, WHICH TALENT ATTRACTION IS A COMPONENT OF THE OVERALL WORK FORCE PICTURE, BUT WE ARE ALSO ENGAGED IN SOMETHING CALLED THE REGIONAL WORK FORCE ALLIANCE THAT I GET TO COCHAIR WITH ILLINOIS CENTRAL COLLEGE, AND CHRIS SETTI INVOLVED IN THE WORK AS WELL AS 50 OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO FOCUS ON ADDRESSING THE MULTIPLE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO SOME OF OUR WORK FORCE GAPS, AND IN PARTICULAR, WE HAVE ABOUT A 40% CREDENTIAL RATE IN THE PEORIA AREA TODAY MEANING THAT'S ANYTHING POST-HIGH SCHOOL, RIGHT, EVEN A HOUR OF SCHOOL OR HOUR CERTIFICATE, ONLY 40% OF ADULT RESIDENTS WITH A CREDENTIAL TODAY.

THE HEALTHY NUMBER WE THINK IS 60%.

WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TO MOVE ADULTS ALONG THE CONTINUUM, BUT BEGINNING IN THE EMERGING WORK FORCE LEVEL, K-12, HELPING FOLKS MOVE ALONG THE CREDENTIALING, BUILDING A STRONGER WORK FORCE, LOOKING AT MULTIPLE BARRIERS, AND THE REASONS WHY INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE WORK FORCE TODAY.

THINGS LIKE BEING JUSTICE INVOLVED OR PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED OR BEING IN A GENERATIONAL POVERTY SITUATION OR OTHER SYSTEMIC BARRIERS.

TAKING THIS HOLISTIC APPROACH.

UPSCALING IS ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR US, H, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE TALENT AND WORK FORCE POOL.

INDIVIDUALS WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM ADDITIONAL TRAINING WHO MIGHT BE IN ENTRY LEVEL TODAY COULD BENEFIT FROM MOVING UP THE CONTINUUM WHICH THEN CREATES ANOTHER JOB, RIGHT, AT THE ENTRY LEVEL FOR SOMEONE TO MOVE IN, AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK BEING DONE, AND SO MUCH SO THAT OUR REGIONAL WORK FORCE ALLIANCE HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED AS A NATIONAL MODEL FOR COLLECTIVE IMPACT AND COLLECTIVE IMPACT APPROACH TO ADDRESSING THE WORK FORCE SHORTAGES, SO WE, AS A COMMUNITY, HAVE THE RIGHT PROFESSIONALS DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND THE STRATEGY, I THINK, IS WORKING.

COVID WAS, OBVIOUSLY, A BIT OF A CURVE BALL FOR EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF WORK FORCE AND TALENT AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS, BUT I THINK THE ALLIANCE IS MAKING A LOT OF PROGRESS AND TAKING THE CORRECT APPROACH.

>> CHRIS, REAL BRIEFLY, JOSHUA MENTIONED CREDENTIALING PEOPLE.

WE HAVE TO REMEMBER, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT NECESSARILY GETTING AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE.

>> NO, NO.

>> OR COLLEGE FULL FOUR-YEAR DEGREE.

>> NO.

ACTUALLY, I THINK THE THING MOST IN NEED RIGHT NOW IS COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE, WHICH I THINK YOU CAN GET IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS OF WORK.

>> YEAH.

>> THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST, YOU KNOW, BARRIERS RIGHT NOW, TO ALL OF THE ISSUES I TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, WITH TRUCKING AND SHIPPING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

JUST -- AND YOU CAN MAKE A REALLY GREAT WAGE WITH THAT AS WELL.

I DON'T THINK WE REALIZE JUST HOW GREAT A WORK FORCE SYSTEM WE HAVE IN THIS REGION.

ILLINOIS CENTRAL COLLEGE, BRADLEY, EUREKA, THEY ARE ALL AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF THAT, AND THAT'S REALLY HELPED OUR EXISTING BUSINESSES AND IT IS ONE OF THE PITCHES THAT WE MAKE TO BUSINESSES WE ARE LOOKING TO HAVE COME HERE.

>> AND WITH THAT, THE CONVERSATION AROUND THIS TABLE IS CONCLUDED, BUT I'M CERTAINLY GOING TO SUGGEST THAT WE CONTINUE IT AFTERWARDS, AND YOU CONTINUE IT AT HOME AS WELL.

THANK YOU TO JOSHUA GUNN, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER AND THE CEO COUNCIL, AND TO JENN HAMM, THE CEO OF THE PEORIA AREA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, AND TO CHRIS SETTI.

CHRIS IS WITH THE GREATER PEORIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.

THANK YOU TO ALL THREE OF YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON "AT ISSUE."

NEXT TIME, IT'S BEEN WARM RECENTLY.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT CLIMATE TRENDS WITH THE STATE CLIMATOLOGIST AND SOMEONE FROM THE WEATHER SERVICE ON THE NEXT "AT ISSUE."

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