NW Illinois News

City of Lanark City Council met September 2.

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 p.m. Roll call taken by Debra Throop, showed Alderpersons present were Brad Knutti, Ethan Lartz Mark Macomber, Justin Rausch, Alisha Metz, and Jim Plock. Mayor Jeri Rogan was present and presiding.

Others present were: Chief Troy Randall, Attorney Ed Mitchell and Trever Knutti.

A Motion was made by Alderperson Mark Macomber and seconded by Alderperson Brad Knutti to appoint treasurer Deb Throop Clerk Pro Tem. Motion carried by 6 aye votes. Aye votes; Alderpersons Mark Macomber, Brad Knutti, Jim Plock, Justin Rausch, Alisha Metz, and Ethan Lartz.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE- was led by Mayor Jeri Rogan.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES-MOTION-was made by Alderperson Brad Knutti and seconded by Alderperson Ethan Lartz to accept the minutes of the August 19, 2025, meeting as presented with one correction. Motion carried by 6 aye votes. Motion carried by 6 aye votes. Aye votes; Alderpersons Brad Knutti, Ethan Lartz, Mark Macomber, Jim Plock, Justin Rausch, and Alisha Metz.

PUBLIC COMMENTS- none

DELINQUENT UTILITIES – POSSIBLE ACTION- No Action – the list was presented with 15 shut off letters sent, 4 payment plans reminder, and 8 were shut off from last month. Council discussed their concerns regarding the new owners of 302 N. Broad.

ABANDONED/BLIGHTED PORPERTIES – POSSIBLE ACTION- The council discussed persistent property maintenance issues on the Blighted Properties List, particularly overgrown grass, improper lawn clipping disposal, and abandoned or unsafe structures. Mayor is working on issuing stern, clear violation letters including fines, and potential legal action. Ordinance updates to be presented at next meeting to better regulate nuisance conditions and clarify pet and livestock limits.

CITY WEBSITE – POSSIBLE ACTION – Tabled – the representative will be at the next meeting at 6pm.

COMMUNITY SOLAR – POSSIBLE ACTION – The council was approached again by the solar company offering a revised 5-year deal with the same terms, citing strong interest in the town’s numbers. However, board members expressed skepticism about the company's tactics, questioning why the best offer wasn’t presented upfront. A Motion was made by Alderperson Brad Knutti and seconded by Alderperson Alisha Metz to not sign the contract. Motion carried by 6 aye votes. Aye votes; Alderpersons Brad Knutti, Alisha Metz, Ethan Lartz, Mark Macomber, Jim Plock, and Justin Rausch.

STANDING COMMITTEES AND BOARDS-POSSIBLE ACTION- Economic Development – The LCC will be putting up the Gaga pit Saturday, 14th at 9:00 am, at the park. Streets and Properties - meeting tentatively scheduled for September 23rd at 6:00 PM. Also, fog seal application still needed on Caroll and East Lanark. Water and Sewer- Fahr Graham replaced a supervisor, improving oversight and daily updates. There has been one issue related to sewer line rerouted and Nicor gas lines needing corrected. Concerns remain about the contractor’s capacity to meet the October 10th deadline, with penalties of $1,000 per day for delays. Other updates include upcoming water tower cleaning, and sealing work completed on the library. Alderperson Mark will talk with Jason on the unresolved tuckpointing work at Heritage Center. Finance - reported progress after resolving software issues that had delayed four months of reporting.

REPORTS-EMPLOYEES, ATTORNEY, CLERK, TREASURER, ALDERPERSONS AND MAYOR Attorney Ed Mitchell- The draft grocery tax ordinance was nearly complete, pending official formatting (city seal). Mayor Jeri - Shannon’s Mayor is organizing a small-town mayors roundtable on September 20th in Shannon to better represent small-town issues and she will be attending.

ADJOURNMENT-MOTION- was made by Alderperson Brad Knutti and seconded by Alderperson Justin Rausch to adjourn at 8 p.m. Motion carried by 6 voiced aye votes.

https://lanarkil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/09022025-City-Council-Meeting-Minutes.pdf