Tag Archives: Freeport City Council

More TIF’s, New City Attorney, New Finance Director, and Public Transit for Stephenson County on Freeport Council Agenda for May 19!

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Freeport City Council Meeting Monday, May 19, 2014, 6:00 pm
City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Some items of interest on the agenda:

There will be a Public Hearing on Expansion of Public Transit to Stephenson County. The new service will start on July 1, 2014 with the Stephenson County Senior Resource Center becoming the provider for county-wide service. The fares will be as follows: regular fare $3.00, children’s fare $2.00 (7-11), and no fare for seniors. Read the full memo at http://www.cityoffreeport.org/OrdRes/Council%20Memo_Transit%20Agenda%2020140519.pdf

Resolution for Retiring City Attorney John Mitchell – a city attorney who prosecuted seat belt violations and minor traffic tickets like murder cases!

Appointment of Cynthia Haggard as Finance Director effective June 5.

1st reading of Ordinance for Meadows TIF. This TIF must cover Meadows Shopping Center with the former Kmart store on the south side of Freeport. See previous comments on the excessive use of TIF’s in Freeport and the shifting of the real estate tax burden to homeowners and small businesses.

Resolution to approve Tony Coon as City Attorney with compensation of $2,500.00 per month. The agreement with Mr. Coon states that he will provide traffic, code, and ordinance prosecution for the City of Freeport. The Agreement does not specify how much he will be working each week. It could be less than an hour a week or maybe an hour a month!
Don’t forget that Freeport already has a full time corporation counsel.  40 years ago when Freeport was larger than it is today, the job of corporation counsel was a part time job!
For the Agreement with Mr. Coon go to http://www.cityoffreeport.org/OrdRes/Council%20Memo_Transit%20Agenda%2020140519.pdf

The complete agenda is available at http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20140519.pdf

Freeport City Council Meeting on Monday, March 2 to Consider Expanding West Avenue TIF to Include Jo-Ann Fabrics

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Freeport City Council Meeting at 6:00 pm
City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

A few items of interest:

Annual report of Freeport/Stephenson County Convention and Visitors Bureau, read report at

Click to access CVB%20201312_20140303.pdf

Summary of City’s financial condition compared to last year

Memorandum on expanding West Avenue TIF (Tax Increment Financing District or also known as SHIT which is an acronym for Shift to Homeowners Incrementally Taxes) to include Jo-Anne Fabrics. To be fair every other small business in Freeport should be included in this TIF so improvements can be subsidized by other taxpayers in this community. Wait a minute – that would mean the whole City would be in a TIF. Oh, why not! What’s good enough for Wal*Mart should be good enough for the rest of us!

Appointment of Steering Committee for City Hall Public Outreach – this committee should be called “Committee to Decide Fate of City Hall.”

1st reading of a couple of ordinances and seven resolutions dealing with items such as the sale to Alber of part of Rawleigh Complex, expanding TIF referred to above, and hiring Fehr Graham for engineering services (this firm should have an office in City Hall – surprise that Shelly Griswald is going from City Hall to work for this firm)
For a complete agenda to follow during the meeting go to

Click to access A20140303a.pdf

Freeport (Illinois) City Council Meeting, Tuesday, February 18 – Good Bye Shelly and Good Luck at New Job!

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The meeting will be at 6:00 pm in City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor.
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Items of interest:

Appointment of Shawn Boldt to Nida Board for two years.

Resolution to approve hiring Lauterbach and Amen LLP for 2014 audit for $34,900, 2015 audit for $35,890, and 2016 audit for $37,680. The firm is located in Warrenville, Illinois. I wonder how much this firm pays in Freeport real estate taxes. So much for keeping money in the local economy!

Resolution to authorize an agreement with Fehr Graham in the amount of $211,455 for annual services for the Freeport Landfills.

For the complete agenda of the council meeting, go to http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20140218a.pdf

Freeport (Illinois) City Council Meeting, Monday, February 3 – Looks Like The Council Will Get Home Early, Not Much on Agenda!

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The meeting will be at 6:00 pm in City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor.
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Items of interest:

Vote to accept low bid for police pursuit vehicle from Bocker Group for 2014 Impala, $20,987.45

One resolution to apply to apply for grant funding for storm water management including design projects intended to control rain water, green street designs, planter boxes, permeable pavement, etc. to reduce storm water flow, control flooding and slow run-off into surface water in the City’s East Side Neighborhood

No readings of any ordinances

For the complete agenda of the council meeting, go to

Click to access A20140203.pdf

Freeport City Council Meeting, Tuesday, January 21 –

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The meeting will be at 6:00 pm in City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor.
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Items of interest:

Presentation by students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School of Urban and
Regional Planning on projects such as passenger rail, housing, Tutty’s crossing, and public transit.
This should be an interesting presentaton. Go to http://urpl.wisc.edu/ for more about the Department.

Update from Dave Young, Director of Northwest Illinois Development Alliance (NIDA). Probably wants more money!

1st Reading (no comment allowed since there was a public hearing) of Ordiance for Variation for Group
Home (eight residents) for special need individuals at 325 West Rye Ridge. Since there were no written
objections and a unanimous recommendation from Planning Commission, it can be voted on with only one only one reading. In the minutes of the meeting, Laura Kelly who represented the applicant,
Northwest Illinois CILA, LLC, of Galesburg, Illinois, when asked what types of disabilities the residents would have stated that the primary disability would be developmental/mental retardation. The use of the term “mental retardation” which many people find offensive has been replaced by the term “intellectual disability” by most organizations and governmental agencies such as Social Security. It is surprising that someone in this field who purports to be an advocate in the area of helping individuals with special needs would use such a term. Someone should ask Ms. Kelly if she has heard of “Rosa’s
Law.”

Now for the big question that no one asked – How much will this home pay in real estate taxes or is it just another tax exempt parcel in Freeport which will demand city services and pay nothing towards them? A similar home for individuals with intellectual disabilities at 1774-1776 S Hance Dr pays –you know the answer – no real estate taxes!

The minutes of the Planning Commission hearing are informative and can be found at http://www.cityoffreeport.org/OrdRes/SUP%20325%20RYE%20RIDGE%20_20140121.pdf

For the complete agenda of the council meeting, go to http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20140121a.pdf

Freeport City Council Starts New Year By Approving Rental Housing Computer Program for $11,595 Plus Annual Fee of $1,595 With No Dissenting Votes!

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Give the bureaucrats a new program and they will figure out how to spend money. The program already has two employees (half time each) and next they will request new offices to house the program! This is just the start – after that will come a new building devoted entirely to the rental program. Look at Freeport Township – its own building. It’s good to know that Freeport has the unlimited funds to finance such ventures!

First Freeport City Council Meeting for 2014 Rescheduled for Monday, January 13 (Postponed on January 6 due to Extreme Cold) – Deputy Chief Wants to Spend $11,595.00 for a Computer Program for Rental Housing Registration Plus $1,595 Annually for Maintenance Fees!

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The meeting will be at 6:00 pm in City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor.
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Items of interest:

Resolution to approve spending $32,100 for a preliminary Site Investigation for the Jane Addams Trail.

Request for approval from Deputy Police Chief, James Drehoble, to spend $11,595.00 for a Rental Property Registration and Crime Free housing software from Dynamic Design Software located in Bonita, California. In addition the program has an annual maintenance fee of $1,595.00. Pretty expensive program for a City the size of Freeport. In five years the City will spend almost $20,000 on a computer program for the Rental Program. I guess the City just wants to help a business in California!

For the complete agenda, go to http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20140113.pdf

Last Freeport City Council Meeting of the Year Monday, December 16

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The Freeport City Council Meeting will take place on Monday, December 16 at 6:00 pm in
City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor.
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Some items of interest on the agenda:

Appointment of James Fox to Airport Commission through November 2018

2nd Reading of City and Library Levy Ordinances

1st Reading of Ordinance for Employment of the following:
Rental Property/Crime Free Housing Specialist
Residential Rental Registration Police Laison

Wonderful – 2 more people to enforce new Rental Registration Ordiance.

Resolution to give Downtown Development Foundation $50,000.

This shows what is important in Freeport. Rental properties and the downtown. Reach your own conclusions!

Approval of bid from GO Escavating, Inc., Freeport to demolish 2 buildings at 212 N. Cherry Avenue and 910 S. Galena Avenue in the amount of $19,500.
For the complete meeting agenda, go to http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20131216.pdf

Mayor and Council Prepared for Thanksgiving at Last Meeting on November 18 by Stuffing Rental Ordinance Down the Throats of the Citizens of This Community!

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Freeport City Council Meeting Monday, December 2, 2013, 6:00 pm
City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Hope the Mayor and Council enjoyed their Thanksgiving Holiday. At the last meeting on November 18 the Council passed the Residential Rental Property Ordinance ignoring comments made by citizens of this community and Good Day Illinois. The solution is not more laws, but enforcement of existing laws and establishing priorities. Unfortunately, many of the same people are still in the Gitz adminstration –such as police chief (just now retiring), city attorney, community development director, and public works director – all whom presided over and contributed to the failed policies of the past. Enough said – in fact saying anything is a waste of time.

Some items of interest on the agenda are as follows:

Appointment of Interim Police Chief

1st Reading of Levy Ordinances for City and Library (Fiscal Year May 1, 2013 to April 30, 2014

1st Reading of Ordinance for Variance for Generations Brewing Company LLC to build a Brewery at 1400 S. Adams Avenue, Freeport

For a complete agenda go to http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20131202.pdf

Freeport City Council Meeting Tonight November 18, Vote on Rental Ordinance Scheduled – And Mr. Gitz – Read My Lips!

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If you tried to watch the Freeport City Council meeting on November 4, you discovered that there was no sound. It is sad that the Gitz adminstration and this council cannot even insure that the sound system is working twice a month for council meetings. Remember this is not the first time. Can the Gitz administration and this council be trusted with anything? And don’t foreget the City receives $375,000 in Cable taxes each year paid by the citizens of Freeport. Let’s not offend Comcast. You decide who is to blame. Don’t they test the system prior to each meeting. The answer is obvious.

The Freeport City Council meeting is at 6:00 pm in the City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor. If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live (hopefuly with sound).

For a complete agenda go to

Click to access A20131118.pdf

Some items of interest on the agenda:

2nd reading of Ordinance on Residential Rental Property Regulation – Returned from Committee of Whole on Nov 12 with no changes. Scheduled to be voted upon. Read comments on proposed ordinance in Good Day Illinois on November 4.

Resolution that levy for next year less than 105% of the final preceding year levy.