Illinois Valley Times

Village of Ladd Village Board met Aug. 26

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The Ladd Village Board met in regular session on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, in the Ladd Village Hall at 121 N. Main Avenue. Village President Frank Cattani called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm and led the pledge of allegiance to the American flag.

Roll Call: Present: Trustees Patrick Flanagan, Jan Martin, Dan Nelson, Brad Nicholson, Molly Thrasher, and Bernie Victor (6)

In attendance: Clerk, Rhonda Bezely; Deputy Clerk, Julie Koch; Engineer, Adam Ossola; Atty. Pat Barry, and Police Chief, Jacob Frund.

Thrasher motioned/Nicholson seconded to accept the August 12, 2025, regular meeting minutes as presented.

Ayes: Flanagan, Martin, Nelson, Nicholson, Thrasher, Victor - Motion carried.

Nelson motioned/Martin seconded, to authorize payment of the bills of $154,366.91

Ayes: Flanagan, Martin, Nelson, Nicholson, Thrasher, Victor - Motion carried.

Nicholson motioned/Nelson seconded to accept the Treasurer's Report for July 2025.

Ayes: Flanagan, Martin, Nelson, Nicholson, Thrasher, Victor - Motion carried.

President Cattani told the council that it was Julie’s Birthday on Sunday, and Happy Birthday was sung.

Correspondence: None

Public Comment: None

Committee Report: Nelson mentioned a pole in the alley behind Steele’s house on Peru Avenue. It has another pole sistered to it, and Englehaupt checked the stability of this pole and feels the front pole/the new pole is very stable. Nelson then mentioned that the neighbor to the North had a tree removed from her property that caused her damage recently during a storm when a limb fell off and pulled her electric service from her home.

Village Engineer: Ossola gave an update on the Safe Routes to School 2023 project. He stated that in about 1 week, the concrete work is slated to be complete, then they will finish restoration after that. Ossola asked if anyone had any concerns. Martin asked about the curb at the end of the block, like across the street on Summit Avenue. The project continues across the road. Ossola stated it will go across Summit Ave and stop 10 feet up into the yard just past the power pole. IDOT doesn’t let you stop on the other side of the road. It has to be done so that a person with low vision can use the detectable warning to locate where they are on the road. Old Business: CDBG Grant Application: The CDBG grant we want to apply for is to repair sewer concerns that Hoerr Construction brought to our attention. NCICG hasn’t heard anything about this grant bidding. Ossola will keep an eye on the application cycle so the income survey can be obtained when needed. There is a chance it will not bid in 2025. NCICG stated there is a meeting set in September, and if it gets canceled, this will be more evidence that it will likely not bid this year.

General Superintendent: Not in attendance

Police Chief: Chief Frund reported writing several yard maintenance warnings due to the heat and residents not being able to get out in their yards. The alley behind Chad Thrashers had several overgrown trees and bushes obstructing the alley. Frund also stated that Officer Ryan Krewer is doing a great job with the traffic grant. He works and writes tickets for any infractions, and then the State pays his wages, and Ladd gets the revenue from the tickets. It is a great grant for Ladd.

Building Inspector: Not in attendance

Village Attorney: Old Business: Discuss Guidelines For Chickens in the Village of Ladd: Atty. Barry discussed the guidelines for chickens. He stated that he combined some of Peru’s ordinance and some of Princeton’s ordinance and then compiled a checklist of items on which he needs the board's input. All items were discussed in detail, and Atty. Barry stated that he will have the Ordinance ready to be passed on September 9, 2025. This will be placed on the agenda for consideration at the 9/9/2025 meeting.

Old Business: OSLAD Grant Application: The grant application is due in September 2025. The council reviewed ideas and suggestions from previous meetings, as well as addressed questions and concerns about prior decisions. After discussion, the council decided not to pursue the 2025 OSLAD Grant Application..

New Business: Pass Resolution to Apply for the Safe Routes to School 2025 Grant: Two options were presented to the Council, each outlining the targeted area for the grant application:

• Option A – Total cost: $318,221.64

This option proposed extending the sidewalk from Summit Avenue to the end of the driveway on the west side of Eastern Avenue. It would then cross East Cleveland Street to the south side, continuing to the end of the driveway closest to the railroad tracks. Additionally, it included the block on LaSalle Avenue between Locust and Cleveland Streets.

• Option B – Total cost: $256,059.00

This option followed the same initial route—extending the sidewalk from Summit Avenue to the end of the driveway on the west side of Eastern Avenue, then crossing to the south side of East Cleveland Street. However, it would end at the west side of the driveway belonging to Aaron Cattani. It also included the same block on LaSalle Avenue between Locust and Cleveland Streets. Following the discussion, the Council determined how to proceed.

Victor motioned/Martin seconded, passing Resolution #1195 Approving and Authorizing Financial Commitment in the Safe Routes to School 2025 Grant Application for $318,221.64 (Option A)

Ayes: Flanagan, Martin, Nelson, Nicholson, Thrasher, Victor, President Cattani - Motion carried.

New Business: Additional Lights on Water Towers: Nelson explained to the Council that he feels better/brighter lights or more lights need to be placed on the old water tower on N LaSalle Ave. Nelson motioned/Victor seconded to allow Mario Data to look into purchasing more luminous lights and adding lights up to $400.00 to showcase the Village’s old water tower.

Ayes: Flanagan, Martin, Nelson, Nicholson, Thrasher, Victor - Motion carried.

New Business: Discuss Hiring of Contractor to Perform Post-Install Inspection & Certificates of Completion: The previous company that was performing our Post-Installation Inspection and  Certificates of Completion has decided they will no longer be doing them. They stated there are too many state regulations and insurance issues. Village President Cattani will speak with Englehaupt and come up with an electrical contractor that can perform these for the Village of Ladd’s Net Metering Installations.

Announcements: Bezely reported she was awarded the $650.00 Scholarship to the MCI Institute and Academy, where she will receive her Registered Municipal Clerk designation. Bezely asked the Council if they would find a 4x3 map of Ladd useful to place on the opposite side of the dry-erase board for reference during discussions about specific areas within the Village. She also inquired if they would like a similarsized map of the Village limits, including some adjacent outlying areas, to reference during discussions.

The Council liked the idea and suggested incorporating an overlay, so dry-erase markers could be used to highlight areas being discussed. Chamlin will email a detailed map of Ladd, and Bezely will look into options for printing it and determining the appropriate size to accommodate an overlay. Railroad Property Discussion – Bezely asked if the council wants to authorize Adam to begin contact with the railroad, so when we apply for the ITEP grant in 2026, we will have any issues with pedestrians crossing the tracks resolved. WMP Bathroom Doors and Closures – Englehaupt spoke with Jay Hammell about a quote for new doors and closures for both Men’s and Women’s Bathrooms at War Memorial Park. 106 N Peru Ave Sewer Backup – Pictures and a sewer backup report were shared with the council, so they are aware. 138 S Lincoln Ave Sewer Backup – they have opted to have a check valve installed to fix their sewer backup issues. SURF Broadband – We have heard nothing from them at all. Conxxus Fiberoptic – They continue to bore in fiber. Things seem to have been going very well. Bezely asked for the council's help on what to do regarding updating the Village Code Books. - Many code books sit on the shelf in the Clerk’s Office, because many Village Officials use the online access to the Village Code. There is concern because when positions change and someone wants a Code Book, and it has not been updated for several years, that is a problem. The codification update for the books costs approximately $423 for each book based on the number of updates needing to be codified annually. Bezely has not been updating these “extra” books, but is worried about the confusion this may cause. The council told Bezely not to update unused books because of the cost.

President Cattani announced that Ella Sartain was in attendance with her mother, Theresa. Ella is working on her Eagle Scout project, and attending a Village Council meeting is one of the project requirements. The Council commended Miss Sartain for her dedication and involvement.

Nelson motioned/Martin seconded to adjourn.

Ayes: Flanagan, Martin, Nelson, Nicholson, Thrasher, Victor - Motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 7:37 pm.

https://www.villageofladd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-08-26-MINUTES.pdf