The Manteno Village Board passed the short-term rental ordinances, with several amendments, at Manteno’s November 17 board meeting.
The Ordinance Amending Title 3, Business Regulations, by Adding Chapter 25, Short-Term Rental Operators, of the Village of Manteno Municipal Code, was approved with three sections stricken: 325-7 B and 325-8 J and B.
The stricken sections pertained to eliminating the short-term rental tax, the collection of license plate information, and same-day rental restrictions.
Considerable discussion occurred surrounding the ordinance before the vote, which also previously had been discussed at length during the past committee meeting.
Short-term rental business owner Tiffany Parpart attended the meeting to request those sections be stricken before approval.
Trustee Mike Barry wasn’t happy language about the tax made it through to the draft the board was voting on, but Trustee CJ Boudreau said it was on the board to review what was given to them.
Mayor Annette LaMore explained her experience owning and operating short-term rentals, advocating for their positive reputation in Manteno.
Trustees Todd Crockett and Joel Gesky expressed concerns about new renters causing issues; they weren’t concerned about existing renters, like Parpart and LaMore.
“I’m not seeing any problems, yet,” LaMore said.
“Yet – but we’re trying to prevent those problems from happening or give us a way to have a course of action to prevent them,” Gesky stated.
Boudreau brought up that bad actors cannot be fined or held accountable without policy in place.
The board felt a short-term tax would need to be discussed further in a committee meeting, though Boudreau affirmed he was not in favor of it.
Barry expressed concerns about corporate housing, which the ordinance does not regulate, and some discussion occurred with village attorney Jim Cainkar explaining it can’t be regulated.
Despite the lengthy discussion, everyone maintained a cool head, and in the end, the board’s decision reflected a compromise.
“I think tonight was a good thing to see about transparency. And I think tonight was a big step in that we are willing to work with people. We want to help everybody we can help,” Barry said.
With regard to village finances, the village heard from Jim and Christine Edmonstone of Greene Foresnic Accounting Solutions. They briefly reviewed their process and indicated they hoped to have a draft for the board’s review in January.
During their audit, they noted there are 36 bank accounts in the village; however, they affirmed it did not necessarily represent anything nefarious. Instead, it likely would result in unnecessary administrative work.
Gesky inquired if they had received all of the information they needed and asked if there were any roadblocks in getting information. Edmonstone replied they had received all the information they needed from the village, and they had not run into any problems.
The board approved bills totaling $168,204.12.
Manteno resident Jacob Carlile, with Carlile Architects, provided the village with complimentary renderings of what the pavilion and bathrooms will look like at the Square on Second, which the village displayed. Board members and the mayor all seemed to have agreed on the location and plan, Gesky explained.
Despite the consensus on the location, Barry and Vaughn did not agree with the metal roof at $10,692 for the pavilion and voted against it. Despite their nays, the vote passed. Boudreau explained his vote, noting the longevity of the roof was an attractive feature, especially in light of the cost of repairs, such as what could occur with a hail storm.
Public Works Supervisor Jim Hanley explained a metal roof wasn’t a lifetime but could easily last 50 years, about double the lifespan of architectural shingles.
The board also approved the replacement of a section of the Heritage Park Storm Sewer Replacement, which Hanley explained was in need of repair so the sump could drain properly. The bid was awarded to the lowest cost bidder, Tenco Excavating Inc, Manteno, for a cost of $31,976.
In other news, Village Clerk Kerri Rolniak resigned, effective November 30. Village officials said she had an out-of-state opportunity. Alan Pickrel will be appointed after the formal, notarized resignation is received from Rolniak.
The board also heard a presentation from Nicole Smolkovich, executive director of the Community Foundation of the Kankakee River Valley. Her organization supports the Success by 6 initiative of the United Way, which promotes youth literacy and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Smolkovich noted there were currently 1,168 children registered in Kankakee and Iroquois Counties, with 98 of those registrants from Manteno. However, she explained, there are 253 Manteno children eligible. Parents wishing to sign up their children for this program should visit the unitedway.org or imaginationlibrary.com.
In the spirit of giving, the board voted to approve a $1,000 donation to Renville Cares Ball at the Mall, benefiting Turkey for Tots.
Don Lesher spoke about his daughter, Emily Hermann, who ran the Chicago Marathon while undergoing chemotherapy to benefit individuals with cancer, and wanted to thank everyone. With community support, she raised more than $3,000 for one-on-one support through Imerman’s Angels.
Several residents spoke regarding Gotion during public comment, and Boudreau said he’s been talking with resident Sandy Chiz, who is a strong opponent of the project. She got him a book, which he said he was going to read over Thanksgiving break, noting that although their opinions of Gotion may not ever change, he welcomed the conversation.
“I say we’ll let the lawsuit play out. The courts will decide, that way no matter what happens, the courts decide,” Boudreau said of the Gotion lawsuit, adding the village has to defend itself.
Crockett responded to public comments that indicated he was disrespectful, noting it’s happened multiple times.
“I guess if having a different point of view is disrespectful, I’m guilty as charged. I think that’s our responsibility, as elected officials, to hold each other accountable, and if my viewpoint upsets you and you feel you’ve been disrespected, then come and talk to me. But I’ll continue to hold people accountable and express my viewpoint,” Crockett said.
Gesky made it clear he won’t stand for residents being intimidated for expressing their First Amendment right. He spoke with Police Chief Alan Swinford regarding the resident who felt she had been followed; they weren’t able to find the exact person, but Gesky wanted people to know he takes those concerns seriously.
Outside of that, Gesky wanted to let everyone know Manteno resident Troy Trepanier won the 2025 SEMA show with his 1936 Ford Roadster. He said it was nice Manteno was on the map for something positive.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.