Category Archives: City of Freeport

Street Superintendent Dole Pledges to Repair Alleys in the City of Freeport’s 5th Ward – Fire Station Parking Lots Are a Priority!

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 At the council meeting on May 18, Street Superintendent, Tom Dole, said the City will repair the alleys in the 5th Ward. Without saying it he essentially said, to Hell with those people living on Woodside Drive, Woodside Kort, and Woodside Circle. The City is more concerned about alleys in the City than dangerous and disintegrating streets. Must someone die on Woodside Drive before the City repairs this street? I guess the City does not place much value on the lives of its citizens using Woodside Drive. One thing for sure, when someone is killed or injured on Woodside Drive, the City cannot deny knowledge of the dangerous condition of this street. Tort immunity will not protect the city from liability for the intentional disregard of this dangerous condition.

To make matters even worse the City plans to spend $517,714 on new streets and a new parking lot for a fire station. Not one dime for the Woodside Drive area. WHEN WILL THE TAXPAYERS OF FREEPORT WAKE UP? They are living in a city that places a higher priority on parking lots that the safety of its citizens.  

The Freeport City Council will be meeting on Monday, June 1 at 6:00 pm at 524 W. Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor. You can watch it live on Comcast Channel 17. The agenda for the meeting is available at http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20150601.pdf 

Of interest is the fact that the City of Freeport will be spending $15,000 for fireworks for the 4th of July, and it cannot repair the streets in this City. I might add that I like fireworks, but perhaps it should not be paid for with public funds when the City cannot afford to provide basic services to its citizens.

Mayor Gitz Along with Faithful Companion, Alderman Tom Klemm, Leads Freeport, Illinois in Wrong Direction!

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   Mayor Gitz in his weekly column in the Journal Standard talks about improving the community by tearing down buildings in the City’s 3rd ward.   The Mayor and 1st Ward Alderman, Tom Klemm, have forgotten that there are also other Wards in the City of Freeport.  Unfortunately, people in the rest of community accept the Mayor’s policy of benign neglect which is simply stated as follows – Let the rest of the city rot while most of the City’s resources are directed to the downtown and the 3rd Ward.    People in the rest of the City don’t complain – they just sell their homes and leave.   This is a sad commentary on the City of Freeport, but it is true.  

Oh by the way, there is a Freeport City Council Meeting tonight (May 18) if you want to watch the duo of Gitz and Klemm in action.  (6:00 pm 524 W. Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor – Watch live on Comcast Channel 17) 

Freeport Mayor Gitz and Alderman Klemm Walk Over New Council Members – It Could Be a Long Four Years!

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 Freeport has five new council members and on Monday night they got beat down by the Mayor and Alderman Klemm.   Only Andrew Chesney understood the real issue facing the Council.    It was a question of power, and the Mayor and Klemm said to them – To Hell with you.   Klemm lectured the new alderman in condescending manner.   Basically, Klemm told them – you are stupid – you just don’t understand.   Alderman McClanathan responded and capitulated.  We need leaders and Andrew Chesney cannot do it alone.   Someone should tell Klemm that he should worry a little less about training kitchens downtown, and start addressing the deteriorating conditions in his own 1st Ward.   Oh well, I guess that is too much to expect from the man who thinks he is Mayor.

 

Freeport City Council to Meet Tonight, May 4 – New Alderpersons to be Sworn In!

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Good luck to Freeport’s new alderpersons: 

Andrew Chesney, Alderman at Large

Peter McClanathan, 2nd Ward Alderperson

Art R. Ross, 3rd Ward Alderperson

 Jodi Miller, 4th Ward Alderperson

Patrick R. Busker, 5th Ward Alderperson

We thank the outgoing alderpersons for their service to Freeport.  Now the work will really begin!  

The meeting starts at 6:00 pm at 524 W. Stephenson Street, 3rd floor.  If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17.

For the complete meeting agenda to http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20150504.pdf

It’s Spring Time in Freeport – The Deer Have Taken Over South Freeport and Alderman Tom Klemm of the 1st Ward Proposes That It Be Turned into a Nature Preserve!

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Under the leadership of Tom Klemm who represents the 1st Ward, the area south of Yellow Creek has continued to deteriorate.  Forget planting new shrubs, tulips, or anything edible since the deer have taken over.   Forget fixing the roads.  The remaining human inhabitants on the south side drive all-terrain vehicles – they just don’t need roads any more.  They like paying high taxes for nothing.   Mr. Klemm has been on notice of this condition and the destruction this portion of his Ward, and has done nothing.  At least Jennie DeVine did something for her constituents – wish them “happy birthday.”   We now have four new council members, and the smartest thing they can do is to ignore Tom Klemm.  As for turning the south side of Freeport into a nature preserve, it is a proposal with merit.   It would certainly reflect reality.    In fact we could call it “KLEMM’S NATURE PRESERVE.”  Oh well, that really is enough to make you sick!  

Freeport Mayor To Give State of City Speech Monday, March 16 – The Real Question is Who Can Afford The Electricity to Watch the Speech?

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The Freeport City Council will meet at 6:00 pm on Monday, March 16 at 524 W. Stephenson Street, 3rd floor.  If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 and you will see Mayor Gitz’s speech live.

 

While the Freeport School District and other taxing bodies are looking for ways to raise additional taxes from the citizens of Freeport, take a look at your ComEd bill for March.  Even adjusting for the fact that there are two months of supply charges on the bill, your bill is up over 25%.   Former Freeport Mayor Gaulrapp is now public relations manager at ComEd.  It’s nice to see how he transitioned from a government job to a utility regulated by the government.  I guess that is the American way.  When you work in the government, you certainly don’t want to offend those you are regulating or doing business with since some day you may want to work for them.   Think about how that affects your decision making when you are in government!  

 

 

For the complete agenda go to

http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20150316a.pdf

 

Freeport City Council to Consider Additional Annual Rental Registration Fees

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The Freeport City Council will meet at 6:00 pm on Monday, March 2 in its temporary quarters at 524 W. Stephenson Streeet, 3rd floor.  If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

 

Some items of interest on the agenda:

 

Proclamation declaring March “Youth Art Month in the City of Freeport” and urging everyone to join in celebrating this event by attending Aspiring Artists Exhibition at the Freeport Art Museum at 121 N. Harlem Avenue,  on March 20 at 5:00 pm.

 

2nd Reading of Ordinance providing for annual rental property registration fees so that enforcement of the ordinance will be paid from the fees generated.   See ordinance at http://www.cityoffreeport.org/OrdRes/Proposed%20rpr%20fees.pdf

 

Mayor Gitz stated in the Journal Standard on March 1, 2015 when talking about Freeport landlords:

 

“They want you and I to pay for the impact their business has on all of us.  Basically, they want 

to socialize the cost and privatize the benefit.”

 

I do hope Mr. Gitz will keep this statement in mind and apply it to other areas of government when he seeks new revenues.  Every new TIF district and enterprize zone shifts the tax burden to other small businesses and homeowners.  Existing TIF funds are used to benefit districts and not the town at large.  If that is not socializing the cost – I don’t know what it is.   With that said landlords should be prepared for increasing fees in the future.  Have you ever heard of a government program that is run so efficiently that the cost goes down every year?    

 

For the complete agenda go to http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20150302.pdf

 

Freeport School Board Says To Hell With The Voters of Freeport!

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The Freeport School Board has already disregarded the wishes of the voters of Freeport when it voted to place the 1% sales tax increase on the ballot after if was soundly rejected by the voters last year. Now this same board wants to hire a new superintendent prior to the April election. In fact they are having two receptions so the public can meet the candidates on February 19 and 23. What a joke! This same board hired the last superintendent. It just doesn’t deserve another chance. This Board has a record of policy and personnel failures. It has shown that it lacks judgment and cannot be trusted.

Go to the receptions and tell the candidates to go home until after the election!

When Does NO Not Mean NO? Ask The Freeport School District!

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2015/01/img_3777.jpgIn March of 2014 the voters of Stephenson County soundly rejected a 1% increase in the sales tax on the people of Stephenson County for the benefit of school districts in the county with Freeport School District being the biggest beneficiary of this tax increase. The administrators (some now gone) at Freeport District promoted this tax with the support of some members of the school board who will also soon be gone. Now the Freeport School Board has voted to put the question of raising the sales tax 1% on the ballot again. No wonder our schools are in such bad shape when the administration does not know the meaning of the word “NO.” The administrators in the school district tell us that property taxes will go down. What a joke! Give the Freeport District more money, and they will just spend more. Now what is really sad about this whole mess is that those bureaucrats running the Freeport School District will be out promoting this tax at our expense. We are paying them to destroy this community. They have millions of dollars at their disposal and hundreds of employees to help them promote this tax. Administrators come and go, but taxes once levied are never reduced. There is only one truth in government – give them more money and they will spend it!

Where Have All The Leaves Gone? The Answer My Friend Is On My Street In Front of My House!

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The Freeport City Council Meets tonight at 6:00 pm in the rented Freeport City Council chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor. If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Since the Council will probably spend most of the meeting discussing leaf pickup, no comments will be made as to the other items on the agenda. On a more serious note, Mayor Gitz does refer to the piles of leaves around the City as “pothole fillers.” He is quite imaginative!

You may study the full agenda at http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20141117a.pdf

Of some interest is the survey on what should be done in regard to city hall. Residents are given several options, and the responses are tabulated in this report which can be found at http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/departments/Outreach/City%20of%20Freeport%20Survey%20Report.pdf Read the report – you will have read more than most council members have read in the last year. Too bad it is not in comic book form with lots of pictures so the council could understand it.