Tag Archives: Freeport City Council

Freeport City Council to Meet Monday, March 6, 2017 – At the Top of the Agenda – Water and Sewer Rate Increases!

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city-hall

The Freeport, Illinois City Council will meet tonight at 6:00 p.m. in its new chambers at 314 W. Stephenson Street (the old library building).  It looks like a busy night for the Council which will consider water and sewer rate increases to fund rebuilding the water and sewer system    Higher water and sewer rates coupled with rising real estate tax rates and unrealistic property tax assessments (recently endorsed by the electorate) make for great economic growth.

Go to the full agenda at http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20170306.pdf

Let’s Not Forget the Freeport City Council Meeting on September 19!

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The Freeport City Council meets on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month at 6:00 pm at the temporary City Hall at 524 W. Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor. You can watch it live on Comcast Channel 17. 

The complete agenda will not be reviewed here since you can read it on line at http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20160919.pdf

Two items I do find of interest are deer hunting at The Freeport Club (old Freeport Country Club on Park Blvd) and an intergovernmental agreement with the Forrestville Valley School District.

Ordinance #2016-50 will permit deer hunting at The Freeport Club with bows from October 1, 2016 to January 15, 2017. What a joke! There are herds of deer all over Freeport. How many did they kill last year? Unless they killed hundreds, it does not make a dent in the deer problem. While the Mayor and Council fail to address the problem, the deer population continues to multiply within the City.

As to the intergovernmental agreement with the Forrestville Valley School District. I wish the City Engineer would concentrate on the streets and issues in Freeport. Mr. Gallagher, another City employee who does not live in Freeport, is more worried about the Forreston School District where he serves on the School board than he is about the conditions in Freeport. My advice to Mr. Gallagher – concentrate your attention on Freeport. We pay your salary. This agreement is a joke which should not be approved. I hope the Council has read the ten-page resolution submitted by Mr. Gallagher! And don’t waste City money having the Interim Corporation Council review it! 

One other item of interest to Freeport residents is that the only bid for leaf disposal was from Dickman Farm Service for $40,000. Mayor Gitz has an excellent column in the Sunday, September 18, edition of the Journal Standard where he explains the City’s leaf pick up procedure. Every resident should read it at http://www.journalstandard.com/opinion/20160917/freeport-mayors-view-dos-and-donts-of-leaf-pickup

Freeport City Council Meeting Monday, October 5 – 1st Reading of New Fence Ordinance

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 The Freeport City Council will be meeting on Monday, October5, 2015 at 6:00 pm at 524 W. Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor. You can watch it live on Comcast Channel 17. 
Some items of interest on the agenda:

1st reading of ordinance dealing with fence installation. Robert Frost said “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors,” but in Freeport it used to mean the fence must be two feet from the lot line. This was ridiculous since it deprived a property owner of two feet of his property. I guess it just reinforced the concept that lots were worthless in Freeport (except for assessment purposes), so why not give up two feet! All fences belong on the lot line. Written and recorded easements from adjoining owners should not be required, but all fences on lot lines should require a survey.

1st reading of ordinance permitting deer hunting at the Freeport Country Club with bows. What a joke. Killing a few deer with bows will not solve Freeport’s deer problem. The bow hunt at the Country Club has been done for several years, but the deer problem is just getting worse. I suggest we contact Robin Hood and his band of merry men to take out hundreds of deer in Freeport and then give them to the food pantries in the State of Illinois. That will be Freeport’s contribution to the state’s budget crisis!

For the complete meeting agenda, go to http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20151005a.pdf

Freeport City Council Meeting Monday, September 21 – New Community Development Director to Be Voted On – The Big Question – Where Will He Live?

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  The Freeport City Council will be meeting on Monday, September 21 at 6:00 pm at 524 W. Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor. You can watch it live on Comcast Channel 17. 

Some items of interest on the agenda:

Appointment of Alexander S. Mills as Community Development Director to be voted on by Council. This vote was originally scheduled for the special meeting on September 14, but was postponed since Alderperson Klemm was absent from the special meeting. Since Klemm usually has nothing contructive to add to any meeting, his vote must be needed to support the confirmation of this individual. It’s too bad Klemm doesn’t work for his constituents in the 1st Ward with the same enthusiam he shows for the Mayor’s appointments.   

2nd Reading of Ordinance to issue 2.5 million in bonds mainly to finance work on library for its transition to the new city hall. Also, includes some money for repairs to the old city hall builidng pending a decision on its disposition.

For the complete agenda go to http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20150921a.pdf

City to Spend $140,790 for Micro-Surfacing Program – Ask 1st Ward Alderman Tom Klemm How Much Will Be Spent in His Ward?

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The City is spending $517,714 on new streets, and now $140,790 for micro-surfacing select, important, and one must only presume, high tax revenue generating streets in Freeport. Again, the Woodside Drive area is getting nothing. The streets in the Woodside Drive area are a disgrace to this community and just plain dangerous. See Good Day Illinois on June 1 at https://gooddayillinois.com/2015/06/01/street-superintendent-dole-pledges-to-repair-alleys-in-the-city-of-freeports-5th-ward-fire-station-parking-lots-are-a-priority/

The Freeport City Council will be meeting on Monday, July 20 at 6:00 pm at 524 W. Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor. You can watch it live on Comcast Channel 17. Some items of interest on the agenda:

Mayor Gitz in Journal Standard on Sunday, July 19 tried to explain the difference between the Appropriation Ordinance and Spending Plan. He failed miserably – bureaucratic double talk. The biggest reason the Appropriation Ordinance does not accurately reflect projected spending is that City like other taxing bodies such as the Freeport School District are TAX PIGS. Taxing bodies want to suck all of the revenue they can from the real estate taxes. If for some reason (unlikely in Freeport), real estate assessments rose, the City could get more revenue. For God’s sake, every taxing body wants all of the money they can get. If this were not the case, appropriation ordinances and tax levies would accurately reflect projected income and expenses. 

To view the complete meeting agenda go to: ttp://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20150720a.pdf

 

Freeport City Council Meets Tonight, June 15 – Watch Alderman Klemm Pout, Point, and Pontificate!

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For the first time in more than eight years it appears that Freeport has a fiscally responsible City Council. Unfortunately, the reckless spending during eight years of the Gaulrapp administration, which has continued for another two years under the leadership of Alderman Tom Klemm, has left the City of Freeport in a very difficult financial situation. Freeport has a lot in common with the State of Illinois – years of reckless spending and sweetheart deals with labor unions. If you have time tonight, go to the council meeting at 6:00 pm at 524 W. Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor, or 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/A20150615.pdf

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 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 Voters Reject Failed Policies of the Past!

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What does it mean when in every contested race for the Freeport City Council the voters rejected the incumbents?   The answer is simple.   The citizens of Freeport do not like the present direction of the City, and they want the new council members to be a positive force for change.   Mayor Gitz has had a “rubber stamp council.”  The present Council was incapable of constructive criticism of the Mayor’s policies, and blindly followed the Mayor’s lead.   For Freeport to move forward, the Council must actively promote policies which will help Freeport.  

 

In the meantime, watch the old Council in action on April 20, 2015 at 524 W. Stephenson Street, 3rd floor.  If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17.   Let’s just hope no action will be taken at the meeting by this lame duck council that will adversely affect Freeport.  That’s probably too much to hope for!