Illinois Valley Times

City of Oglesby City Council met April 28

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

The April 28, 2025, hearing on the IVCC Annexation Agreement was called to order by Mayor Jason Curran at 6 p.m.

ROLLCALL: Commissioners Rich Baldridge, Austin Cullinan, Gregory McDermott, Hilary Moyle, Mayor Jason Curran. City Clerk Becky Clinard and City Attorney Patrick Barry were present as well.

Attorney Pat Barry responded to a questions about the terms of the agreement by highlighting the important details:

The City will provide water and sewer services to the new AG building.

The city will provide electrical service to IVCC after Ameren’s right to serve the facility expires in two years.

The language in the contract provides for cost-sharing of expenses

The contract contains an arbitration process.

The City retains the right to provide services to any new, freestanding building in the future.

The property will come in as M1, which allows for the special use permit the college applied for.

With no further comment, A MOTION WAS MADE BY Cullinan, SECONDED BY Baldridge to adjourn at 5:50 p.m. AYES: Baldridge, Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle, Curran. HEARING

ADJOURNED.

The April 28, 2025, special meeting of the Oglesby City Council was called to order by Mayor Jason Curran at 6 p.m.

ROLLCALL: Commissioners Rich Baldridge, Austin Cullinan, Gregory McDermott, Hilary Moyle, Mayor Jason Curran. City Clerk Becky Clinard and City Attorney Patrick Barry were present as well.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

There were no comments from the public on agenda items.

A MOTION WAS MADE BY Cullinan, SECONDED By McDermott to approve the bills presented for payment in the amount of $146,030.40. A tabulation error at the April 21, 2025, meeting  required the item to be tabled. AYES: Baldridge, Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle, Curran. MOTION CARRIED.

A MOTION WAS MADE BY McDermott, SECONDED By Cullinan to approve the annexation agreement with Illinois Valley Community College. Council members emphasize the educational benefits and community value this agreement will bring, specifically in the agriculture sector.

AYES: Baldridge, Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle, Curran. MOTION CARRIED.

Presentation by We Are Oglesby

Angie Partridge, president of “We Are Oglesby,” delivers a presentation on community engagement and revitalization efforts. The group aims to revitalize Oglesby, improve community business visibility, and foster local events. Partridge offered details about membership growth, community events, and initiatives focused on economic development and beautification projects undertaken by WAO. Partridge said that the group saw a significant increase in their website traffic, indicating growing interest in community resources and events. The council promised continued support and collaboration with “We Are Oglesby” to foster community engagement and business participation.

Economic Development Discussion

The council discussed the need for an economic development and grant finding position for the city. Concerns about cost were the main consideration. It was agreed that the city needed more information before moving forward. The council emphasized the importance of balancing budgetary constraints with the need for economic growth. Consideration of utilizing local resources or part-time arrangements was also discussed.

Building Improvement Grant: This was revisited, with discussions centering around incentives to improve building facades and encourage new housing developments. The effectiveness of these programs was evaluated, and council members expressed a need to revise or enhance strategies to boost local housing and business opportunities.

Advance Travel Policy

The travel policy was discussed, with Curran noting his concerns that it limited a public official’s ability to incur travel expenses without prior approval from the council. He cited examples of when a public official might need to travel without time to have expenses pre-approved. The council agreed to add wording that would allow for emergency situations.

Sidewalk Planters

The council was told about plans to put permanent planters in the downtown area. The cost, although less than required for council approval, was a significant investment so Curran wanted  the council to weigh in. The planters will be purchased and maintained by the city. The city will fill the pots with soil and plants. Clerk Clinard told the council that the city would use Hotel Motel Funds for the purchase. Curran also told the council that a window wrap (for vacant buildings) program was also in the works. The goal is to make the city’s downtown area more pleasing to residents and visitors.

Gaming License Fees

Curran said that he didn’t think that this council had discussed this before, but wanted to discuss raising the gaming fees from $25 per machine. He noted that Peru raised their fee to the maximum allowed ($250) and had made a requirement that half of the fee would be paid by the gaming vendor. It was noted that a portion of the increased fees would be earmarked for beautification of the downtown area. The council was not on board, noting a lack of a plan to justify the fees and the hardship to the local business owners. Council members questioned how the city could justify raising license fees without a plan for the use of the money and noted that what nearby towns do as far as fees may not be relevant to Oglesby.

Sidewalk Ordinance Enforcement

The council discussed the issue of enforcement of sidewalk ordinances in Oglesby. There are concerns about the lack of sidewalks in certain neighborhoods and how to approach enforcing compliance among new and existing properties. The council recognized gaps in enforcement and compliance issues with existing residents regarding sidewalk installations. There was some talk of incentivizing compliance while weighing the potential political ramifications of reestablishing mandates. McDermott said that the city’s Safe Routes to School was a first step, but would like to address the issue to address safety concerns in other areas.

Updates on Oglesby Pool and Dickinson House

JP Rose, Parks Director addressed the pool’s ongoing maintenance issues, but told the council that he and Putnam County Painting (who performs most of the maintenance on the pool) believe that an annual plan to maintain the pool will avoid the “major projects” the city has seen in recent years. The council was in agreement that the pool is an amenity Oglesby offers that needs to remain open and available not only for Oglesby residents but for visitors as well.

Dickinson House’s utilization and potential enhancements are addressed, emphasizing community engagement and potential activities. Rose spoke about the utilization of the Dickinson House, noting that the meeting room is booked almost every weekend this summer.

Gary Peterlin spoke on behalf of the Dickinson House Foundation, offering many ideas about how the facility could be used. Peterlin said he was encouraged by the discussion and stressed the need for additional activities to engage more community members, with suggestions including craft events, yoga sessions, and movie nights.

Form(s) of Government

Curran asked members of the council their thoughts on some of the alternatives to the city manager referendum, such as the appointment of a city administrator. Baldridge pointed out the overwhelming vote against the measure, with several council members saying that they did not think the city could afford or needed a city administrator at this point. Moyle expressed her concerns about the mayor using his position to advocate for the change and his attacks on former and current commissioners, employees and residents when arguing in favor of the referendum, with Moyle suggesting that the city consider a “code of ethics” with repercussions.

McDermott said he would be interested in seeing what the plan commission had to say about the issue when they address the Comprehensive Plan.

New City Seal

Curran and Cullinan have expressed an interest in updating the city seal. This is a project that Curran had taken on earlier in his administration but had fallen by the wayside. He would like to see a seal more like Peru’s which contains symbols of the different amenities that Peru has. He also questioned the elements of the current city seal, asking about the 21 stars that are on the seal and the eagle’s claws, which he thought looked cartoonish. It was suggested that the council consider letting students design the new logo.

PUBLIC COMMENTS:

Greg Stein offered his opinion on the topics covered by the council during the meeting.

A MOTION WAS MADE BY McDermott, SECONDED BY Moyle to adjourn at 8:19 p.m. AYES: Baldridge, Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle, Curran. MEETING ADJOURNED.

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