Illinois Valley Times

City of Oglesby City Council met July 7

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

The Oglesby City Council was called to order by Mayor Jason Curran on July 7, 2025, at 6 p.m.

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

There were no public comments on agenda items.

A MOTION WAS MADE BY Moyle, SECONDED BY Baldridge to approve the minutes from the June 23, 2025, regular city council meeting. AYES: Baldridge, Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle,

Curran. MOTION CARRIED.

A MOTION WAS MADE BY Baldridge, SECONDED BY McDermott to approve bills presented for payment in the amount of $641,757.54. AYES: Baldridge, Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle, Curran.

MOTION CARRIED.

BILLS PRESENTED FOR PAYMENT: AED Essentials, Inc, $10,000.00; Aftershock, $895.00; Air One Equipment Inc., $165.00; Ameren Illinois-8218382099, $189.68; Ameren Ip-01159-82892, $1,085.03; Anderson Pool Supply, Inc., $438.00; Anthem Sports, Llc, $3,759.80; Bellino, Lacey, $150.00; Black, Wes, $150.00; Booker, Bill, $250.00; Bound Tree Medical Llc, $287.33; Brownlee Data Systems, $1,350.00; City Of Oglesby, $126.04; Comcast Business, $667.87; Comcast Business, $1,064.17; Connecting Point, $259.00; Conway Shield, $725.00; Core & Main, $6,903.14; Cosgrove Distributors, $497.29 ; Curran Jr., Jason, $150.00; Dresbach Distributing, $81.90; Echo Electric, $1,524.65; Econo Signs, Llc, $622.79; Emergency Services Marketing C, Inc, $735.00; Feece Oil Co, $943.58 ; Funfsinn, Lisa, $50.00; Grainco Fs Inc., $332.64; Grainger, $343.26; Halm's Auto Parts, $709.27; Hawkins, Inc, $925.20; Hopkins & Associates, $10,000.00; Il Epa, $8,500.00; Il Valley Excavating, In, $13,642.50; Illini State Bk-200007350, $51,650.68; Illinois Municipal Electric Agency, $383,704.85; Illinois Valley Fire And Safety, $314.00; Jcm Uniforms Inc, $169.75; John Deere Financial, $521.78; John's Service & Sales, $193.75; Kadelak, Jennifer, $300.00; Kendrick Pest Control Inc., $243.00; King Tire, $285.00; Mautino Distributing Co Inc, $17.00; Menards, $1,355.45; Mertel Gravel Co, $10,206.63; Mertel Repair, $432.50; Midwest Salt, $2,705.13; NCPERS Group Life Ins, $16.00; Newell, Marie, $240.00; Omnisite, $1,122.42; Ottosen Dinolfo, $3,492.50; P.F. Pettibone & Co., $764.95; Peru Auto Electric, $22.50; Red Line Fire And Safety, $2,505.07; Reed, Melinda, $50.00; Republic Services -- Allied Waste, $34,104.34; Roda, Aubrie, $150.00; Rose, Aylssa, $150.00; Scbas Inc, $382.00; Sd Meyers Llc, $3,828.00; Standard Insurance-Life, $900.52; Surf Internet, $1,468.50; T.E.S.T Inc., $24,081.71; United Healthcare Insurance, $39,259.25; United States Postal Service, $964.33; Usa Bluebook, $1,169.52; Verizon, $1,562.96; Verizon, $166.04; Vortex Technologies, Inc, $755.00; Wex Bank, $4,929.30; Witmer Public Safety Group, $49.97; TOTAL: $641,757.54

A MOTION WAS MADE BY Cullinan, SECONDED BY Baldridge to approve the July 3, 2025, payroll in the amount of $88,547.25. AYES: Baldridge, Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle, Curran.

MOTION CARRIED.

A MOTION WAS MADE BY Baldridge, SECONDED BY McDermott to place on file Ordinance No. 1292-072125, Appropriations Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2026. Barry noted that the council could amend the amounts if necessary before approval, but suggested the council do that before Friday, July 11, 2025. Curran said that the large increase over the FY25 Appropriations was due to the new waste water treatment plant. He also noted that the council needed to have “severe” conversations about both the ambulance service and city pool, noting that the General Fund, after operating in the black for several years, was projected to have a loss of almost $300,000 in FY26. AYES: Baldridge, Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle, Curran. MOTION CARRIED.

OLD BUSINESS

A MOTION WAS MADE BY McDermott, SECONDED BY Cullinan to approve Ordinance No. 1293-072125, which amends Section 5.74.010 of the Municipal Code to allow for any games authorized by the Illinois Lottery Act or the Illinois Video Gaming Act. AYES: Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle, Curran. ABSTAIN: Baldridge. MOTION CARRIED.

Curran then spoke of vacancies on various city boards and commissions and encouraged people to apply. Applicants are needed to fill one position on the Zoning Board, one on the Park Board, two on the Ambulance Board, one on the Design and Review Board, and one on the Facade Committee. Reappointments were confirmed for the Planning Commission. The council encouraged interested residents to apply through the mayor’s office or city clerk.

The council then addressed short term rentals, particularly there suitability in residential neighborhoods. The council recently denied an application from a resident (Mr. Basa, 125 Oakwood Court) seeking to operate a short-term rental in a residential area. The denial prompted discussion on whether the city should reconsider or modify its current ordinance.

Council members expressed a wide range of views:

• Some strongly opposed short-term rentals in residential areas, citing concerns over neighborhood character, housing affordability, and availability for families seeking permanent homes.

• Others supported some form of short-term rental allowance.

• Consensus emerged around allowing short-term rentals in commercial or mixed-use areas (e.g., downtown apartments) without restrictions.

Suggestions included limiting non-primary residence short-term rentals to a maximum number of days per year (e.g., 30 days), allowing more flexibility for primary residences, and exempting hosted rentals from restrictions. Several council members emphasized the need for clear, objective criteria for approval or denial of applications to avoid arbitrary decision-making and ensure fairness.

The council discussed revisiting Basa’s request at the next meeting, with Cullinan and Moyle not wavering on their “no” vote. The remaining members leaned toward either reopening the vote or modifying the ordinance, with a commitment to balance community concerns with opportunities for tourism and economic development.

The council considered purchasing a Vactron vacuum truck at an estimated cost of more than $160,000 to aid in utility maintenance, particularly for water and street departments. The equipment would replace costly contractor services currently incurred annually (totaling over $500,000 in recent years).

McDermott said that there were concerns whether the proposed model would meet all the city’s needs and raised concerns about its operational complexity, maintenance costs, and staff training. It was noted that the truck’s lifespan could be 10-15 years, but maintenance might be intensive given hydraulic systems. The council agreed to table the purchase and seek a Request for Proposals (RFP) or bids to explore alternative models or used equipment that might better suit the city’s needs and budget.

A MOTION WAS MADE BY McDermott, SECONDED BY Baldridge to table the purchase of a Vactron. AYES: Baldridge, Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle, Curran. MOTION CARRIED.

A MOTION WAS MADE BY McDermott, SECONDED BY Moyle to seek new bids for equipment that meets the city’s needs and budget. AYES: Baldridge, Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle, Curran.

MOTION CARRIED.

Curran then read a list of summer events proposed by the events staff at his request, citing the need to utilize Senica Square more effectively and support local organizations that manage events to foster community engagement and economic activity.

Curran told the council he wanted to be sure they had “buy-in” before any events were planned. Cullinan agreed, saying he felt Senica Square was “very, very, very underutilized,” but others, like Baldridgeand Moyle suggested that the city wait until learning the financial outcome from SFF before committing to any new events. Baldridge said he felt that the city should be funding organizations like We Are Oglesby to promote more events.

There were not public comments.

COMMISSIONER UPDATES:

❖ Commissioner Hilary Moyle, Public Safety

❖ Emergency services provided updates on activity during June and Summer Funfest.

POLICE: Conducted 423 business checks, 70 vacation checks, 124 park checks, and 130 traffic stops, resulting in 106 warnings and 19 case reports. FIRE: Responded to 31 calls including mutual aid, brush fires, rescues, accidents, medical assists, and hazardous material incidents. AMBULANCE: Responded to seven incidents during Summer Funfest mostly related to heat, plus additional mutual aid and transfer calls. Moyle also told the council there were no issues related to fireworks during the July 4 weekend.

❖ Commissioner Greg McDermott, Streets, Water and Sewer

Thanked the public for alerting his to sidewalk and street concerns and said his departments would be addressing them.

MAYOR’S REPORT:

• The mayor updated the council on ongoing trash and recycling service disruptions due to regional contract negotiations. He confirmed that extra item pickups were still occurring and regular trash collection was on schedule.

• Congratulated the Major League girls and Junior League boys sports teams, who are competing at state and district levels.

A MOTION WAS MADE BY Baldridge, SECONDED BY McDermott to enter into executive session at 6:51 p.m. to discuss “collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning the salary schedules for one or more classes of employees. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2). The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1). AYES: Baldridge, Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle, Curran. MOTION CARRIED.

The council reentered regular session at 8:31 p.m.

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

A MOTION WAS MADE BY McDermott, SECONDED BY Baldridge to adjourn at 8:33 p.m. AYES: Baldridge, Cullinan, McDermott, Moyle, Curran. MEETING ADJOURNED.

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