2025 Village Board Meeting Minutes
CRAINVILLE VILLAGE BOARD
Board Meeting
Tuesday March 11, 2025
Mike Harbin Yea Sam Jones Yea
Julie Aue Yea John Oetjen Nay
Martin Bruyns Jr. Yea Jim Rains Yea
Brad Olson Yea Jaci Chapman Yea
Tena Steinacher Nay
A quorum was present:
Minutes:
Minutes from the February 11, 2025 regular Board Meeting were presented. There were no corrections.
Motion 1: Rains made the motion and Harbin seconded the motion to approve the February 11, 2025 Village Board Meeting Minutes as presented. All present voted yea and the Acting President declared the motion carried.
Treasurer’s Report:
Village Financial Report was given to all Board Members.
Motion 2: Harbin made the motion and Aue seconded the motion to bring down $40,000 from the Illinois Fund to the Village General Fund. All present voted yea and the Acting President declared the motion carried.
Bills:
March 2025 bills were presented. There was one addition to the bills Pace for $116.80 for drinking water testing, money to come out of the Water Account.
Motion 3: Aue the motion and Rains seconded the motion to pay the March 2025 bills as corrected. All present voted yea and the Acting President declared the motion carried.
Visitor Participation
There was no Visitor Participation for the March 2025 Board Meeting.
PSC Engineering Report
North Main Sewer Relocation & Drainage
Potts told the Board that he has received notice to proceed with North Main Street sewer replacement relocation and drainage. Skuta Construction will start work as soon as supplies are received and weather permits.
IEPA Application for Sewer Plant
PSC has submitted the preapplication for the loan from IEPA for the headworks that the Village will need to connect into the new Carterville sewer plant. The IEPA loan will be at a lower interest rate, and there will be some loan forgiveness.
Barr Street
Farrar told the Board that the water main on Barr Street needs to be extended. He explained that there are several houses on Barr that are not connected to the water main; they are all on one water service. As a result of not being connected to the Village Water Main these houses have water pressure issues. Potts told the Board that when Skuta does the sewer work on North Main, they can do the work on extending the water main on Barr.
Donna Drive/AGAPE School/Marion St.
Donna Drive and Landing Drive will need to be re-graded, and the gutters cleaned out. The weak areas in the road will need to be repaired. After the road preparation is done the Village will consider tar and chipping the road.
PSC will do boring on Marion Street, and then will give the Village estimates on asphalting the road. Potts will have proposed figures for these projects at the April Meeting.
Department Heads
Water Report: (Pam Borders)
- There are 806 water customers
- 623 garbage customers.
- 0 Building Permits
- 3 new customers
- 3 disconnects (final customers)
- Room Rental 0
Water Appeals
There was one water appeal. Casey Ward had a frozen water pipe under his house. He was at work when the pipe broke so he was unaware that he had a water leak. The Board decided to charge him for the water that was used, over his average water bill at the rate that the Village is charged by Rend Lake Water District, and he will not be charged sewer over his average sewer usage.
Street/Water-Sewer Presented a Written Report
Street Department completed picking up debris from the ice storm.
- The Street Department has been patching potholes.
- Working on winter maintenance on equipment
- Ventrac needed some repair work on the charging system
- Still waiting on the striping on Samuel.
Police Report (Chief Lindley)
Chief Lindley presented his written report. The Board wants Chief Lindley to include in his monthly written report the mileage on each of the squad cars. Chief Lindley would like to purchase an extra taser, and 2 body cameras. Jones asked that Chief Lindley put these items in the Police Budget for next year.
Old Business
Memorial Garden (Julie Aue)
Aue told the Board that she is getting estimates on the cost of purchasing two park benches for the Garden. She will have the estimates ready for the Board at the April Meeting. Aue wants the name of the Garden to officially be the Ron Mitchell Memorial Garden.
Motion 4: Harbin made motion and Aue seconded the motion to name the Village Garden the “Ron Mitchell Memorial Garden.” All present voted yea and the Acting President declared the motion carried.
Solar Ordinance
The proposed Solar Ordinance was given to all Board Members to review. The Ordinance will be posted on the Village Web Site for residents to review. The Solar Ordinance will be discussed at the April Meeting.
The Jay Effect Business
Yemisi Anderson lives in Crainville and owns the Jay Effect business. Her business makes and sells cooking spices. Her business is mainly online sales but she does sell at craft fairs and to some local business. She would like to build a pole barn on her property. The pole barn will be used to make and ship her spices. She is asking the Village if she needs permission from the Board to operate her business from her proposed pole barn. The Board decided to have Jones go out and determine if she has enough room on her property to build a pole barn. If there is enough space to build the pole barn, she will need a variance because her property is zoned residential and she will be conducting business at her residence. Jones will report on this pole barn issue at the April Meeting.
New Business
Board Member Issues.
Sam Jones holds two positions on the Village Board. He is currently a Village Trustee and Acting President. He gave the Board his letter of resignation as Trustee, effective immediately. He will remain Acting President on the Village Board until the Municipal Election on April 1, 2025. As Acting President, he is recommending that the Board appoint Arthur Mize to fulfill his remaining term of office as Village Trustee. If the Board votes to appoint Mize, his term of office will expire April 30, 2027.
Motion 5: Harbin made the motion and Bruyns seconded the motion to appoint Arthur Mize to fulfill Sam Jones last two-years of his four-year term as Village Trustee. All present voted yea and the Acting President declared the motion carried.
Mize was sworn in by Brad Olson and he took his Trustee seat immediately.
2025/2026 Budget
The proposed Village Budget for fiscal year 2025/2026 was passed out to all Board Members. The proposed budget reflects an overall 3% increase. Jones encouraged Board Members to review the budget, and make corrections or recommendation at the April Meeting. The proposed budget will be on the Village’s web site, and residents are encouraged to attend and participate in the April 8 budget discussion.
C.D. --- Bank of Herrin
Jones told the Board that the C.D. that the Village has at the Bank of Herrin will mature on March 14, 2025. The balance of the certificate will be $30,710.55. If the Village wants to renew the C.D. the six-month interest rate will be 4.24%.
Motion 6: Rains made the motion and Harbin seconded the motion to renew the C.D. at the Bank of Herrin for a six-month interest rate of 4.24%. All present voted yea and the Acting President declared the motion carried.
Executive Session
The Board did not go into Executive Session.
Motion 7: Harbin made the motion and Bruyns seconded the motion to adjourn the Board Meeting at 7:30 p.m. All present voted yea and the Acting President declared the motion carried.
Respectfully Submitted
Jacquelyn Chapman, Village Clerk