Live at St. Joseph Village Board June 22

Tonight at St. Joseph Village Board they may hire an administrator. I have spoken to the candidate via email and he is super nice.

They will also vote on zoning. I love zoning and you should too. It’s what keeps your neighbors from being able to turn their residential lot into a pig farm. (or whatever would annoy you.)

Van Buskirk is on Zoom. Wagner isn’t here. Rapp is on zoom too.

Zoning update: Traci Trotter is going to put a manufacturing building on 2nd street. They discussed parking requirements. Downtown businesses don’t have to meet the parking requirements. The village needs finalized plans and the village engineer will look at drainage and other fun things. #expansions.

ZONING ORDINANCE!!!! June 17 was the public hearing- no one commented. (Shocker)

No public comment just before the meeting.

No comment via email or in the office.

This is basically a long over due zoning update. . It sounds like its more of a language update. If your building is currently commercial it is staying commercial. If your building is residential it is going to stay residential because this update does not include the zoning maps. Maps will be done in phase 2. Rapp is voting no because he doesn’t like how it is written and he feels like it could be clearer.

Fruhling-Voges voted yes and it passes 5-1.

Zoning needed to be updated because previously if you buy a commercial property in St. Joseph you could basically put whatever you want wherever your building is.

Mayors Desk: THEY ARE HIRING THE ADMINISTRATOR. IT IS HAPPENING and it is 12 years in the making. #Nopressure They are approving the employment contract for the village administrator position. Davis and Rapp voted to abstain. It passed 4-0-2. Abstentions go with the majority Tiffany said.

They are offering the position to Joseph Hackney. They are waiting on his criminal background check from the state. Since he has been hired in previous administrative positions in other villages I am going to bet it come back clean.

Davis abstained.

Everyone else voted yes. 5-0-1.

“I am really excited about bringing Joseph on board as part of the team,” said Fruhling-Voges.

He could start around the 20th of July.

There is a backlog with the state of Illinois fingerprint background check. It’s the state’s fault basically.

I have talked to Hackney via email and he seems super nice, capable and his resume is impressive. I think it is a great hire.

Fruhling-Voges saying his knowledge, his experience and his willingness to work together as a team will be great to have in St. Joseph.

Discussing the equity map the county board did for Champaign County. They did it without the census updated numbers. Tami says it doesn’t look great for rural areas. Fruhling-Voges saying the democrats on the board put together the map without community input.

Here is some more info about the map.

https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/politics/champaign-county-executive-vetoes-democrats-new-equity-map-for-redistricting-plan/article_2fca7b41-0dfb-56a9-b165-ca125a912889.html

It kinda sounds like a mess to be honest.

Fruhling-Voges discussing rail trail now. They discussed the log jam at the bridge. The Drainage District is working to get it cleared.

The village gardeners sent a letter saying how popular the flowers are and thanking the village for donating money to the cause. “I want to say thank you to the village gardeners because they are beautiful.”

OUR TOWN UPDATE_ the general manager called Tami. “It was a good, long conversation,” GM said they are doing things within the company to make changes and educate reporters. Tami saying it would take a while for them to regain the trust of the local community. “It was a pleasant conversation.”

Discussing the request from the Garrisons for a guard rail. Luke saying they discussed guard rails or tension wire and Luke saying tension wire is probably not a good idea but a guard rail could be donated.

Discussing IML conference. Tami saying she loves the conference and finds it valuable but her family is raising concerns about her going if it is in Chicago due to the violence in the city. Terri saying most conferences are still virtual. Davis saying he got a tremendous amount of info from the conference he went to. I mean, I understand what Tami is saying, when you see headlines like this or this.

The mayor saying she probably is not going but if any trustees want to go that is up to them. Tiffany is also saying she isn’t going.

IT IS AUDIT TIME. The auditors will come in at the end of July and go through all their stuff.
There will also be a public hearing for the appropriation ordinance- which is what the village can spend each fiscal year but not what they WILL spend. I think it is interesting but if we are all honest it really doesn’t change much year to year.

Luke saying the far south basketball court at the sports complex could be fenced off and turned into two pickle ball courts. #ohmykidsaintgoingtolikethat #theyridebikedsonit. #oops.

It sounds like a good idea though.

Basically, since the tennis court is in use a lot Luke thinks this would be the best option and the cheapest option. ($3,500)

I am sitting by the window in village hall and it is so busy downtown. #supportlocalbusinesses

Gifford State Bank and a neighbor are having some issues because cars/trucks are tearing up the neighbors yard going out of the drive thru. The village is going to work to find a solution.

They have done the oil and chip for the year.

Will Smith is putting his bike repair station in Kolb Park for his Eagle Scout project.

Tiffany is saying she loves the way Roch’s looks. “It makes the downtown looks snazzy.”

Tami talking about how she met the couple who own The Blend Spot, the new smoothie shop that is going in downtown. #ITLOOKSAMAZING. Tami said they are really nice.

WAIT, Roch’s outside dining is PORTABLE AND WILL BE REMOVED IN THE WINTER. WOW. I didn’t realize that. That’s pretty cool.

Max Painter asking how many food trucks have applied for permits. Two with the Church of Christ event.

We are done.