Although the May 19 Grant Park board meeting resulted in streamlined village rental fees, outlining who pays what and who is exempt, the board has already moved to make an exception.
“Our plan was to stay strong and stick with what’s appropriate for the hall rental,” Trustee Susie Weidl said at the June 16 meeting, but felt because the village had offered the discounted rental fee in the past for the Grant Park Ag Ed Alumni, they needed to honor it this time, as well.
Trustee Steve Brower disagreed with Wiedl and felt that with the new administration they should be consistent.
“Our contract in the village says if you pay village taxes then you get a reduced rate, otherwise you pay out-of-town or with full rate, so since this was voted to pass now, this is going to open the door for anybody who wants a reduced rate,” Village President Ben Detloff commented after the vote.
Budget Ordinance Passed
The Village of Grant Park passed the appropriations ordinance without fanfare. Details on the ordinance could not be obtained, as a FOIA request to obtain the appropriations ordinance was ignored until Village Attorney Mike Santschi exercised the village’s right for a five-day extension, which meant it was not available by time of publication.
Pet Waste Fines to Be Enforced
Trustee Morgan Whorrall advised that fines for not picking up range from $25 to $200 and will start being enforced. What dictates what fine will be applied, when, and for what, was not immediately available, as a response to obtain information was not supplied by time of publication.
Griffin Gate TIF Delayed Again
A vote to approve the Griffin Gate TIF, which is for the property at 109 W. Taylor Street, was delayed once again, this time at the behest of Santschi who wanted to draw up a new development contract, according to Trustee Gerry Morgan. More details regarding the TIF agreement and the property were not available, as a request for more information was not supplied by the time of publication.
Pippen Property Update
The Pippen property appraisal has been delayed for unknown reasons, with the appraiser having not completed the appraisal within the two-week timeframe that Detloff anticipated. He inquired of the board whether they should seek a new appraiser. No one seemed to know exactly how long it should take, but all felt two weeks was more than enough time. In the end, the board decided to find a new appraiser. Detloff advised he would inform the village attorney of their plans.
While Detloff said there is no hurry, the goal is to be able to sell the property, and the appraisal is the first step in being able to sell it, which will take time. Detloff said he wants it to get moving before the fall.
Restoration in the Works, Village Urges Residents to Keep Up Appearances
Detloff also reported he has been in touch with Piggush Engineering regarding the restoration work near Main Street. He feels more comfortable paying them after the work is completed.
The board also approved a Leaf Dragon, not to exceed $23,750. Information regarding the piece of equipment was distributed to the board in the board packet; however, the village would not release this information to The Vedette by the time of publication.
The board discussed weed control, with Detloff stating the village needs to do better at weed control.
“We need to get a handle on the weeds in our downtown area, especially on the corner of Taylor and Main Street. No one’s doing anything with them and everything north of Taylor Street. I don’t want to mention the name right now but, in between two of the buildings, we have a lot of overgrowth of trees and shrubs,” Detloff said, alluding to the location of the unkempt property.
Brower inquired if the village intended to take care of the weeds on its property next to the police station, which Detloff said they should and set an example.
Detloff advised the board they have an adjudication coming up for three businesses whose properties have not been kept up. They will get 90 days to comply.
“One business has operated this way for more than 30 years. I can’t tell you what to actually sell, because it looks like a junkyard. Another business has complied somewhat, and then we have another one that’s in a residential setting, operating a business that is not licensed to do that. All we’re asking you to do is get in line,” Detloff remarked.
U-Turn on UTV/ATVs Usage
Once again, village officials engaged in a lengthy discussion about the pros and cons of allowing ATV/UTV on paths, the legal challenges with enforcing rules, and resident concerns.
“Originally I agreed with this – doing this, and I changed my mind. I think once we open this door, then it’s going to be, okay, I can only use this section, why can’t I use this section?” Police Chief Carl Frey said.
Ultimately, the village board decided it would not be a good idea to move forward with allowing motorized vehicles on the path.
Action Item Secrecy
After several attempts to get more information on agenda items up for a vote, the Village of Grant Park did not respond to Freedom of Information Act requests within the initial five day FOIA requirement. Prior to sending a formal FOIA request, phone calls inquiring for information on the agenda action items resulted in The Vedette being advised that no one was authorized to provide any information until the village president could review it.
When a formal FOIA request was made, FOIA Officer and Clerk Scott Dillman also deferred to Detloff for approval, who subsequently never responded to The Vedette — instead, the request was deferred to Santschi, who finally responded with a five-day extension.
Santschi replied again on June 23rd, just before going to print, and provided the Vedette with all requested documents.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.