NW Illinois News

City of Lanark City Council met July 1.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

MEETING CALLED TO ORDER/ROLL CALL-Lanark City Council met in regular session at the Lanark City Hall at 7:02 p.m. Roll call taken by Marilyn Heller, City Clerk, showed Alderpersons present were Brad Knutti, Ethan Lartz, Alisha Metz, and Jim Plock. Alderperson Justin Rausch present at 7:40pm.

Alderperson Mark Macomber was absent.

Mayor Jerene Rogan was present and presiding.

Others present were: Eric LaRue, Reid Law, Darin Stykel with Fehr Graham, Attorney Ed Mitchell, Clerk Marilyn Heller, Treasurer Deb Throop, Maintenance Manager Jason Alvarado, Officer Zach Plum, and Chief Troy Randall.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE- was led by Mayor Jeri Rogan.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES-MOTION-was made by Alderperson Ethan Lartz and seconded by Alderperson Brad Knutti to accept the minutes of the June 16, 2025 meeting as presented. Motion carried by 4 aye votes. Aye votes; Alderpersons Brad Knutti, Ethan Lartz, Alisha Metz, and Jim Plock. Alderperson Justin Rausch and Mark Macomber were absent.

PUBLIC COMMENTS- No public comment. Mayor Jeri reminded attendees of meeting protocols: all attendees must sign the attendance sheet, and any person wishing to speak must sign in prior to the meeting. Disruptive behavior may result in removal and a fine.

DELINQUENT UTILITIES – POSSIBLE ACTION - A shut-off list was prepared for August 4th. No motion was needed at this time. Last month’s shut offs had to be rescheduled for Monday.

ABANDONED/BLIGHTED PORPERTIES – POSSIBLE ACTION –507 E. Franklin: A letter has been sent to Amy Simmons (owner) in Arizona via Wells Fargo. 524 E. Pearl: Ongoing discussions with the property owner. Title ownership is being confirmed through a title company. 410 N. Broad: discussed a grant program via Fehr Graham could provide up to $40,000 per property for demolition, though approval may take 1–2 years. Alderperson Brad offered to call Law Excavating for their offer of potential help. 203 E. Franklin: is showing improvements (grass is growing). One area in front yard disturbed due to water shut-off work; it is being allowed to settle. 304 E. Prairie: Issue resolved. 321 N. Argyle: One camper moved to Wisconsin. Ordinance allows campers to be parked for 3 months. 426 W. Carroll: No change; building permit expires at the end of month. 217 School, 604 E. Franklin, 302 S. E. Lanark Ave., 328 W. Locust, and 316 E. Carroll: awaiting contact with residents to enforce clean-up deadlines, and the council will explore better definitions of "nuisance" in local ordinances.

WATER MAIN INPROVEMENTS PROJECT – POSSIBLE ACTION – Ried Law, representing Law Excavating, addressed the council regarding his company’s interest and qualifications for the water main project. He offered background on the company, its scope of work, union affiliations, subcontractors involved, and history of work with municipalities and schools in the region. He emphasized transparency and openness to questions or concerns.

EXECUTIVE SESSION-EMPLOYMENT, COMPENSATION, REAL ESTATE-MOTION-was made by Alderperson Brad Knutti and seconded by Alderperson Ethan Lartz to convene in Executive Session at 7:19 p.m. in order to discuss litigation. Motion carried by 4 aye votes. Aye votes; Alderpersons Brad Knutti, Ethan Lartz, Alisha Metz, and Jim Plock. Alderperson Justin Rausch and Mark Macomber were absent.

Alderperson Justin Rausch present at 7:40pm.

REGULAR SESSION-MOTION-was made by Alderperson Brad Knutti and seconded by Alderperson Ethan Lartz to reconvene into regular session at 8:06 p.m. Motion carried by 5 aye votes. Aye votes; Alderpersons Brad Knutti, Ethan Lartz, Alisha Metz, Justin Rausch and Jim Plock. Alderperson Mark Macomber was absent.

The council confirmed with Reid Law the completion date of October 10th for both the base bid and the alternate. The city will enforce liquidated damages for both substantial and final completion dates. If those dates are not met, the village will enforce penalties: $1,000/day for delays beyond substantial completion, $500/day for delays beyond final completion. The only allowable changes to this would be weather-related delays—like a week of rain. However, days where crews simply don’t show up or have equipment issues will not qualify for schedule extensions.

Reid confirmed and agreed to the completion date, stating there are no issues with his crew or subcontractors, and there are no manufacturing issues getting materials for this project that could cause delays.

The council confirmed with Reid Law that Fehr Graham will need to be on site whenever work happens, and should they run into major utility conflicts (e.g., gas lines, cables) Fehr Graham needs to be notified immediately and will have the authority to shut the project down. Work cannot continue without them present, Otherwise, it will have to be dug back up. Reid stated he understood.

Lastly, change orders need to go through Fehr Graham as they occur, not at the end. The council wants to keep the chain of commands intact and Fehr Graham will give weekly project updates to the council.

Reid stated he understood.

A Motion was made by Alderperson Brad Knutti and seconded by Alderperson Justin Rausch to award the Water Main Improvement Project to Law Excavating in the amount of $1,352,304.44 (base bid) and $275,500.00 (alternate bid). Motion carried by 5 aye votes. Aye votes;

Alderpersons Brad Knutti, Justin Rausch, Alisha Metz, Jim Plock, and Ethan Lartz. Alderperson Mark Macomber was absent.

A Motion was made by Alderperson Brad Knutti and seconded by Alderperson Alisha Metz to approve an additional engineering contract with Fehr Graham in the amount of $25,000 to oversee the project. Motion carried by 5 aye votes. Aye votes; Alderpersons Brad Knutti, Alisha Metz, Jim Plock, Justin Rausch, and Ethan Lartz. Alderperson Mark Macomber was absent.

CITY BOARDS APPOINTMENTS – POSSIBLE ACTION – Tabled

CITY EMPTY LOTS - POSSIBLE ACTION - boring is planned on empty lots to assess conditions. Tabled

CITY WEBSITE - POSSIBLE ACTION – Economic Development Committee scheduled a meeting for next week to discuss updating the city’s website and address park-related matters. Tabled

STANDING COMMITTEES AND BOARDS-POSSIBLE ACTION

Streets and Property - Surf Internet is interested in expanding fiber internet services into Lanark. Concerns were raised about their subcontractors’ history of damaging infrastructure in other cities (e.g., Freeport), resulting in significant fines. It was recommended that Lanark; require permit applications for all utility boring work, boring work should be reviewed by an engineer before proceeding, mandate that contractors be licensed, bonded, and insured (minimum $1M–$2M liability coverage), any damage caused must be restored or corrected at the contractor’s expense, and control the number of boring rigs active at once to reduce disruption. Alderperson Ethan will work with Darin (Fehr Graham) to have them review the permits and the charges will be passed on to applicants.

Personnel - Dana Foltz was praised for her outstanding work and handling of taking over the cleaning position. The current Police employee handbook prohibits working on holidays. Request: Allow full-time officers (specifically Zach) to work holidays like July 4th due to increased demand and safety concerns. Zack, though salaried, is a non-exempt employee and qualifies for overtime. Financial Impact: Only about $6 more for 1 10-hour shift compared to part-timers. A Motin was made by Alderperson Brad Knutti and seconded by Alderperson Alisha Metz to allow full-time officers to work holidays with overtime pay and update the police department handbook to reflect this, effective July 1, 2025. Motion carried by 5 aye votes. Aye votes; Alderpersons Brad Knutti, Alisha Metz, Jim Plock, Justin Rausch, and Ethan Lartz. Alderperson Mark Macomber was absent.

REPORTS-EMPLOYEES, ATTORNEY, CLERK, TREASURER, ALDERPERSONS AND MAYOR

Chief Troy Randall – OSD went smoothly with no major incidents. The radar trailer is currently being recharged; it will be redeployed soon, and the suggested location: West Lanark Avenue. Reported issue of backyard go-kart track on Pearl Street; excessive noise, property damage to neighboring yards and the cemetery, including fence damage and landscaping ruts. The incident involved multiple (up to 6) go-karts operating at all hours, including early morning. The council agreed the ordinance needs revision as currently no ordinance prohibiting personal recreational vehicle use (e.g., go-karts, dirt bikes) on private property. The City Attorney to review and recommend updates.

The council raised questions about a newly installed large electrical panel related to solar equipment. It was determined the structure replaced an existing wall and likely did not require a permit.

Discussion on implementing administrative fees for vehicles towed due to ordinance violations. The council identified outdated fee structures (some as low as $5) and blank values in current towing ordinance (§7-10-1). The Ordinance Committee will need to review and update fees and regulations with the inclusion of boats, trailers, and RVs in the ordinance regarding abandoned property.

The council discussed creating a formal process for licensing approved nuisance trappers. Mr. Shell of Shell Gardens proposed as an additional licensed trapper for nuisance wildlife. Discussion included NIPCO’s ongoing efforts for spaying/neutering feral cats (30–40 done). Maintenance Manager Jason Alvarado – MFT Project on Pearl Street expected to begin within 3–6 weeks. Public notifications will go through official city channels (website, texting service, city hall page). August 1st newsletter will include project updates. Jason will obtain a cost estimate for the curb and sidewalk improvements at Jill and Nino’s property, as discussed in the previous meeting. The project is eligible for MFT funding. The council reached a consensus to proceed, citing deteriorating infrastructure and safety concerns.

Alderperson Brad Knutti - Extended thanks to Chief Troy and Drew for OSD electrical assistance. The roof of the Heritage Center is complete.

Clerk Marilyn Heller – signed up to attend IML (Illinois Municipal League) Conference in Chicago and encouraged council to attended to for networking and municipal insights. She also filed for an ARPA Reporting extension for final reporting year.

Treasurer Deb Throop - Audit process has officially started.

Mayor Jeri Rogan - inquired on the missing U-turn sings on Broad St. Removed due to restrictions on attaching to IDOT poles. Ordinance exists but cannot be enforced without signage. City to investigate proper IDOT procedures to reinstall signs.

ADJOURNMENT-MOTION-was made by Alderperson Brad Knutti and seconded by Alderperson Ethan Lartz to adjourn at 9:09 p.m. Motion carried by 5 voiced aye votes.

https://lanarkil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/07012025-City-Council-Meeting-Minutes.pdf