Lanark’s Mayor,Mark Macomber, getting sworn in at city council meeting! | Lanark City Hall | Facebook
Lanark’s Mayor,Mark Macomber, getting sworn in at city council meeting! | Lanark City Hall | Facebook
City of Lanark City Council met July 15.
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 7:00 p.m. Roll call taken by Marilyn Heller, City Clerk, showed Alderpersons present were Ethan Lartz, Alisha Metz, Mark Macomber, and Jim Plock.
Alderpersons Brad Knutti and Justin Rausch were absent.
Mayor Jerene Rogan was present and presiding.
Others present: Richard Nepean, Clerk Marilyn Heller, Maintenance Manager Jason Alvarado, and Chief Troy Randall.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE- was led by Alderperson Ethan Lartz.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES-MOTION-was made by Alderperson Ethan Lartz and seconded by Alderperson Alisha Metz to accept the minutes of the July 1, 2025, meeting as presented. Motion carried by 4 aye votes. Aye votes; Alderpersons, Ethan Lartz, Alisha Metz, Mark Macomber and Jim Plock. Alderpersons Brad Knutti and Justin Rausch were absent.
PUBLIC COMMENTS- No public comment.
DELINQUENT UTILITIES – POSSIBLE ACTION - The shut-off list for August 4th we updated and still shows seven properties. Property #7 is problematic; it has been sold without a lien due to timing. Suggestion: Require a one-month deposit from new utility customers, like Mount Carroll does. Send to Water & Sewer Committee for review and recommendation. 312 E Lanark Ave. should’ve been shut off a month ago, but they can’t find the shut-off valve so maintenance will contact Tri-County Locators to trace the line (~$300–$500). 325 W. Franklin property owner claimed to have worked out a payment plan with Alderman Brad. For now, property owners appear to have bought more time without formal council approval. A Motion was made by Alderperson Ethan Lartz and seconded by Alderperson Jim Plock to proceed with shut-offs on Properties #1–6, unless payment is received. Motion carried by 4 aye votes. Aye votes; Alderpersons Ethan Lartz, Jim Plock, Alisha Metz, and Mark Macomber. Alderpersons Brad Knutti and Justin Rausch were absent.
ABANDONED/BLIGHTED PORPERTIES – POSSIBLE ACTION –507 E. Franklin: no update 524 E. Pearl: Mayor Jeri has been in contact with owner. 410 N. Broad: garage issue resolved, though no utilities are connected. 321 N. Argyle: Issue Resolved. 217 School and 604 E. Franklin: Grass was recently cut, but yard clutter, logs, and decorations are still problematic. The council wants citations issued backed by ordinances. 302 S. E. Lanark Ave.: No ordinance currently limits rabbit hutches, though it's questionable. Skunks have been reported by neighbors. City needs formal letter sent and review under "livestock" ordinances. 328 W. Locust: Items moved to a “tent” structure, but grass overgrown again. The owner has returned, and the Chief will revisit. 316 E. Carroll: issue resolved. 426 W. Carroll: Property owner, Richard Nepean, addressed the council asking to renew his building permit and continue working in phases. expressed pride in progress but noted limited financial means. Has spent $14K so far; projected value now ~$190K. Acknowledgment that he's made substantial improvements despite delays. Mr. Nepean emphasized personal hardship, family challenges, and commitment to continue progress. The council has agreed to renew his permit for 1 year, with a review next year. 211 E. Locust: tenant possibly running an auto repair business from the garage, advertised on Facebook. Needs inspection and communication with landlord. 315 W. Claremont: House unoccupied; lawn is mowed but overgrown weeds/piles persist.
CITY EMPTY LOTS - POSSIBLE ACTION - Discussion on potentially converting it into a lawn or more practical use. Remove from the agenda for now.
CITY WEBSITE - POSSIBLE ACTION – Tabled
MAINTAIN GROCERY TAX – POSSIBLE ACTION – To keep the 1% local grocery tax, the city must pass and file an ordinance with the state by October 1, 2025. No referendum is required, as this is not a new tax. A Motion was made by Alderperson Mark Macomber and seconded by Alderperson Ethan Lartz to proceed with maintaining the grocery tax. Motion carried by 4 aye votes. Aye votes; Alderpersons Ethan Lartz, Mark Macomber, Jim Plock, and Alisha Metz. Alderpersons Brad Knutti and Justin Rausch were absent.
TRUTH IN TAXATION – POSSIBLE ACTION – Attorney Ed was not present. Tabled.
STANDING COMMITTEES AND BOARDS-POSSIBLE ACTION- Water and Sewer- Contract has been submitted to the EPA for review, pending approval. Streets and Property – MFT Chip and Seal project - Prep work begins this Thursday & Friday and will cause road closures on W. Carroll. Curb & gutter work from Crooked Roof to Argyle and Rochester is a major safety concern and needs to be included in the project. Budget does allow for this. Economic Development - The committee held a meeting and discussed: Park Pavilion Reservations will now be made through city hall, and the new website will have a page designated for this. They also discussed ordering a gaga pit for the park, the storage fee split with Celebrate Lanark and bringing the park funds back to City Hall. Ordinance – Will have a meeting on Thursday, July 24, 2025 at 6pm to discuss; Fines/fees, zoning officer, and code enforcement officer. Finance – QuickBooks is still having issues closing our month of April and is backing us up. Treasure is still working with Clerkbooks to resolve.
REPORTS-EMPLOYEES, ATTORNEY, CLERK, TREASURER, ALDERPERSONS AND MAYOR
Chief Troy Randall – radar trailer has been deployed and is open to new locations. Maintenance Manager Jason Alvarado – A major water main break occurred on Claremont, leading to 400,000 gallons pumped in one day. Damage: a dollar-sized hole in the water main, worse than a typical stress crack. Crews arrived early (as early as 3:00 AM) and worked in tough conditions (low visibility, flooding). Three pumps, including two new hydraulic pumps, were used. Special thanks given to Drew, who came in on his day off before a trip. Discussion about U-turn signs, IDOT approval may be required on Broad. Children at Play signs requested at Daycare on W. Dame. Clerk Marilyn Heller – will be out of the office Aug 3rd through Aug 9th.Alderperson Jim Plock – received a complaint on residents’ driveway after city did sidewalk work. Plan created to repair the approach area. Tried using a grinding machine; rescheduled for Friday due to equipment issues. Mayor Jeri Rogan - IML (Illinois Municipal League) Conference in Chicago on Sept. 18-20 and the council is encouraged to attend for networking and municipal insights. Newsletter will be going out with the next water billing and will include info on the new park pavilion reservation system and possible updates from the library, as the librarian resigned; Marisa Clenney will be promoted from part-time to head librarian.
ADJOURNMENT-MOTION-was made by Alderperson Brad Knutti and seconded by Alderperson Ethan Lartz to adjourn at 8:15 p.m. Motion carried by 5 voiced aye votes.
https://lanarkil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/07152025-City-Council-Meeting-Minutes.pdf