February 9, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Feb. 13, 2024

I am two minutes late and we are knee-deep in sewer rates. I am just going to leave this story here for your reading pleasure so I don’t have to recap it.

Some residents are here. Tyler Marsh and Jeff Schleef are here to ask questions regarding sewer plant, hotel feasibility study and building purchases.

Thanks to Mx Electric for sponsoring our amazing live blogs. #relaxcallmax

Just a friendly reminder- it is not uncommon in villages surrounding us for the sewer rates to be higher than the water rates. St. Joseph was one of the only towns around here where the water rate was lower than the sewer rate before the rate increases and the village did not raise rates for something like 15 years which meant there was a large, large deficit in the sewer fund. This isn’t opinion. It’s just math.

They are discussing zoning. I LOVE ZONING. Basically, if someone buys a commercial lot and the use they want fits within the zoning, the board can’t tell them no. They are discussing this because the board feels that by purchasing property, like the boat graveyard, they can then control what goes in. Which is true. They bought it because they wanted it developed and not to be storage units, ect.


They approved an ordinance to borrow money from the Water Pollution Control Loan Program for a sewer project on Elm and Monroe. The village will replace the Village’s 10” and 12” trunkline sanitary sewer with approximately 3600 ft of 24” sanitary sewer. The existing trunkline is undersized for the Village and the replaced trunkline will address system capacity issues and overflows.
The estimated cost of construction and installation of the Project, including engineering,
legal, financial and other related expenses is $6,500,000.00.

The board entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the Champaign County Forest Preserve for Cedar Drive South. The KRT is requesting bids for a project called the CedarDrive South HWY 150 entrance which will require cooperation between the village and the district.

According to the agreement the district shall be responsible for hiring the design and construction work associated with the “Cedar Drive South HWY150 Entrance” project subject to the approval of the Village which shall not be unreasonably withheld.

The Village shall be responsible for the maintenance and repair of the “Cedar Drive South HWY150 Entrance” and request a permanent easement for the crossing.

If a bid and corresponding contract are approved by District and Village, the Village agrees that it will pay the selected contractor directly under the payment terms of the approved contract. The bid costs shall be billed separately and directly to the Village from the contractor.

They are discussing the 2024 street condition assessment. This will enable the village to determine what roads are in good, fair, bad, excellent condition, ect. It will cost around $14,700. Passed 4-2. Jeff and Tammy Vallee voted no.

Here’s the big one. A proposal to develop the village property near the sewer plant.

Taylor Construction and Design is proposing: They are proposing 19 duplex lots for 38 units or 10 duplex lots and 12 single-family lots for a total of 32 units. This is just a proposal and they haven’t approved the development agreement. You can read the agreement online here. It’s exhibit 9.

They have accepted the proposal. #duplexescouldbecoming They will now work on the development agreement.

Now we are discussing solar again. #itfeelsliketheyhavediscussedthisforayear.

This is your reminder that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. Don’t forget to send your kid’s cards to school.


They are discussing the 2024 street condition assessment. This will enable the village to determine what roads are in good, fair, bad, excellent condition, ect. It will cost around $14,700. Passed 4-2. Jeff and Tammy Vallee voted no.

Here’s the big one. A proposal to develop the village property near the sewer plant.

Taylor Construction and Design is proposing: They are proposing 19 duplex lots for 38 units or 10 duplex lots and 12 single-family lots for a total of 32 units. This is just a proposal and they haven’t approved the development agreement. You can read the agreement online here. It’s exhibit 9.

They have accepted the proposal. #duplexescouldbecoming They will now work on the development agreement.

Now we are discussing solar again. #itfeelsliketheyhavediscussedthisforayear.

This is your reminder that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. Don’t forget to send your kid’s cards to school.


They are discussing the 2024 street condition assessment. This will enable the village to determine what roads are in good, fair, bad, excellent condition, ect. It will cost around $14,700. Passed 4-2. Jeff and Tammy Vallee voted no.

Here’s the big one. A proposal to develop the village property near the sewer plant.

Taylor Construction and Design is proposing: They are proposing 19 duplex lots for 38 units or 10 duplex lots and 12 single-family lots for a total of 32 units. This is just a proposal and they haven’t approved the development agreement. You can read the agreement online here. It’s exhibit 9.

They have accepted the proposal. #duplexescouldbecoming They will now work on the development agreement.

Now we are discussing solar again. #itfeelsliketheyhavediscussedthisforayear.

This is your reminder that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. Don’t forget to send your kid’s cards to school.


Max is saying if they don’t buy the solar he’s resigning from the board because he does this for a living and why should he be on the board if they aren’t going to listen to his expert opinion.


They are still kicking it back and forth.

Still discussing it.

Discussing parks budgeting. Joe saying he wants some direction before May 1 for what the board wants to do for budgeting.

Mayor Tami attended a roundtable meeting with the state rep, Adam Neimburg. He updated them on legislative things going on.

Meeting is over. For me. They gotta go into closed.





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