You can watch on Youtube.
Public comment:
Dana Dow lives on Douglas.
“I had a neighbors tree, dead, refuse to take it down.The limbs impaled my house Dec. 2021. I wrote a letter to the village asking what could be done the response was that the village doesn’t get involved,
I am not only disappointed and it seems unfair that we have an ordinance on the books but we aren’t going to enforce it.
I am frustrated with the village. I brought it to the village’s attention and there is a law on the books.
The tree has been cut own after she sued the neighbor .
Tami saying the village tries to stay out of neighborly disputes.
Saying the village can send letters to try to get people to comply.
“If they don’t comply we have to be ready to go further with that,” she said. “And that can get expensive.”
Lawyer saying the village has to decide what to allocate resources to.
Resident saying she doesn’t understand why they couldn’t send a letter just reminding the homeowner of the ordinance and to take care of it.
“I am not opposed to sending out a reminder on the FB page to remind residents to deal with dead trees,” Fruhling-Voges said.
Fruhling-Voges asking Joe, the village administrator, if he has an issue with reminding the public they need to deal with dead trees on their property.
Trustee Tammy Vallee pointing out that people who let their trees die and don’t care probably aren’t going to see a fb post and think “Hey, this is for me.” #truth. She thinks they should send the letter.
Trustee Max Painter agreed and said the letter could say what the village can do, not what they are going to do. “It would at least scare me,” he said. “I would probably get it scared of.”
Joe saying he will put out an education thing. (I am thinking he means a FB post) Saying he doesn’t want to send out letters if they won’t follow through.
Max says if they have an ordinance on the books it needs to be enforced and if they aren’t going to enforce it it needs to be taken off the books. “Say you can do anything you want in this town and we aren’t going to enforce it.” #forestchismwouldbesoproud
Dow wants the village to send out a letter in the future, requesting more than a FB post.
Fruhling-Voges saying she’s not opposed to reviewing the ordinance and making improvements. Is there a better way or an easier way to enforce these things. There are a couple things that we have tossed around ideas. There may be a few things we have tossed around here.
She’s referencing how Paxton has their own ordinance enforcement method.
Tami agreeing with Joe and says if they don’t follow through it makes the village look silly.
Dow said the village had someone come out and look at the tree in May of 2022 and the village said the tree was fully dead. The neighbor claimed he didn’t have insurance on the property. Basically, she had to pay for the lawyers instead of the village.
Joe saying “who do you want to pay for it, what if it was a fence?” Basically, he’s saying do you want the village to pay for it and you pay for it through taxes or just pay for it.
Max asking if people throw away the letters because they know the village won’t enforce them. #probably
Lawyer saying Paxton spent a ton of money to set up the ordinance enforcement thing they have now.
Max saying he wished the board could have at least heard the complaint.
Joe is saying he did make them aware of it.
Terri saying the board is trying and she apologizes to Dow for her situation. Saying there is only one pot of money.
I can’t find the article on how Paxton did it but I looked it up previously and they hired a judge and that judge hears the ordinance violations.
They did the consent agenda. They basically just approve a bunch of things, like minutes, at one time.
They are borrowing money from Philo Exchange Bank for the land by the sewer plant. Don’t worry I will get the loan agreement because it sounds like it’s for more than $750,000 because it’s for “other projects that may need to be done” and if they don’t do the projects they will pay that part back. #whatprojects?
They are going to apply for the Safe Routes to School Grant. It’s basically for sidewalks.
Discussing Experience Champaign Urbana and the name change. They are allegedly not changing their format. The village spends $700 to be a sponsor.
I have a legit question for the audience, do you think anyone at, let’s say State Wrestling, goes to Champaign from Chicago and thinks “I should go to St. Joseph and eat or shop?” I can’t decide what I think about it.
Trustee Art Rapp isn’t happy with the name change.
Max said he isn’t sure what benefit they get. He just asked the question I posed earlier in my blog!!! #mindmeld
If you go to the website and search St. Joseph the only thing on the front page is El Toro.
https://www.experiencecu.org/search?q=St.+Joseph
But for example, if you search Monticello- it’s a lot.
https://www.experiencecu.org/search?q=Monticello
Someone probably needs to get on that. #notsurewho
Public works is no longer giving verbal reports. They are in the board packet.
Trick or treating will take place on Oct. 31 and the hours will be announced in October. The mayor will do a parade.
Max went to a solar place during IML and their advice was to buy it. “If the board would allow it I would love for them to give their assessment of what we are doing before we finalize that.”
Jim and Angela Page are here as is Matt Wolfersberger. Tami said she invited some people just to observe the board. #probablythembecausetheyhaven’ttalked
Max saying they jumped into the solar decision to lease without hearing the other side. Asking them to at least hear them out. Joe saying he can get a proposal but they should have it “buttoned up” by November.
Just a reminder the solar panels will go on the ball diamond at the sewer plant, a new diamond will eventually be built at the sports complex to replace it. Lots of communities are doing solar. Piatt County is putting them on a bunch of county buildings and so is Urbana.
Meeting adjourned.
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