[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6249723,"mediaKeyId","3204879-2c96305293e0232e287792d65d3b70d2","parentId",3204879,"title","Resident urges council to review rising water charges and files petition","audioSeconds",103,"startMs",3693000,"endMs",3796000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204879-2c96305293e0232e287792d65d3b70d2&start=3693&end=3796","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204879-2c96305293e0232e287792d65d3b70d2/thumbnail_3693000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6249723/Freeport/Stephenson-County/Illinois/Resident-urges-council-to-review-rising-water-charges-and-files-petition","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249723-332ee48b93140df1ee9b62d85f8ffa40/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147308&Signature=jdEwe~Ss8HLV3AjMbmt5qR8-zv~RG~KlOuUa~2f48tkhrrHSLBmg1f3CtAadS9Tz0YndQzGmIJxSWMp51BHCNPzI4h4~wEAttfspL50rteOP3sPKKYDEW2Q36kbfroM2t1M~kTIaanIXTjtN-XCukTXAJDgC4W6ndDavBMjScmkBzLp-pA0Pi447eeIFkebD8dxUSakJG73hL6Fye1TftiJiI9AwtoFYSPeTDnZWEEwVDiUSvytWY8v7-kdsmqiEG5eaN54YyAa8YwUR76xLolwdVSx0W4~4bMu7XiV~SzHeHbPn3wTjVkjThnyg8dPtowwUQFgNExh2XAEPnhBpIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Freeport, IL","date","2025-05-06T12:30:39Z","article","Zandra Bright, a Freeport business owner who said she represents senior residents, delivered public comment asking the council to examine what she characterized as excessive charges added to city water bills and said she had started a petition two weeks earlier.

\"The petition is to mandate our city to reconsider the excessive charges on our water bills,\" Bright said. Speaking about residents on fixed incomes, she said, \"unreasonable high water charges are an alarming burden\" and asked officials to \"examine the extra cost added to our water bills and to consider ways of reducing them for the betterment of us all.\"

Bright cited national trends in rising water costs, referencing the American Water Works Association: \"According to the American Water Works Association, water bills have increased by at least 30% in 30 major cities and are likely to rise further.\" She asked the council to consider affordability and asked whether the city could reduce or reexamine charges that she said are disproportionately affecting seniors and those on disability.

No formal council action on water billing occurred at the meeting; Bright’s petition and comments were recorded as items for consideration by council members and staff. The city did not respond to outline next steps on the record during the public-comment period beyond hearing the petition.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting - 5/5/2025","oneSentenceSummary","A Freeport resident said high and rising water charges create hardship for seniors and residents on fixed incomes and filed a petition asking the council to examine extra charges on water bills.","taxTitle","Freeport, Stephenson County, Illinois","taxId",70202,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6249728,"Council repeatedly tables planning commission appointment and removal amid procedural disputes",260,1806000,2066000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204879-2c96305293e0232e287792d65d3b70d2&start=1806&end=2066","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204879-2c96305293e0232e287792d65d3b70d2/thumbnail_1806000.jpg","/articles/6249728/Freeport/Stephenson-County/Illinois/Council-repeatedly-tables-planning-commission-appointment-and-removal-amid-procedural-disputes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249728-e77c9f06d3f120666a823cfc07c66e36/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147308&Signature=fiQNB5LWPm7~R9eKPnKA9HxeNLcB-UJNJenhMbIGDSQTXfSvuUb7KmdRyChtXbgQP2OFPF12Tqwe8itU7F3V5nwT~94Um9~IR3LOi4zOsq9V6s-ZIJabTOiHSZQVLWUXPwK4Xk-GDwV17NbPypvlwCNxepf8xnGRuwjpZeKhFYWx8JxI~wEW9VGiCppk87WTVHeMa81nefZ3AdzwbtfCo4GfpFGXFo64qEnz~ex4XuE~0vVya3ypZqLkhP8b~RxIHIpF~eq0r3vd2FaDd4v2bRVS0crfyBdGt1oDPeud7OxxB4lbrTE9MF6rXo49s~oD1soJYNX3AG-fQVV~LZfYdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Freeport City Council debated and ultimately tabled indefinitely multiple agenda items related to the city Planning Commission — an explanation of the removal of Joshua Atkinson and an explanation of the appointment of Dustin Wilkinson — while members disputed procedure and the timing for reconsideration.

When the council called item number 6 to discuss an explanation of Joshua Atkinson’s removal from the Planning Commission, Alderman Stacy said she placed the item on the agenda and asked for discussion. Alderman Schadl moved to \"table this indefinitely\"; the motion initially resulted in a 4-4 tie on the roll call. Mayor Jody Miller then cast the deciding vote, and the motion to table passed 5 to 4.

A separate item to place the appointment of Dustin Wilkinson on the floor (item number 7) followed a similar path. After a motion to discuss, Alderman Schadl again moved to table indefinitely. The roll call was tied 4 to 4; Mayor Miller cast the deciding vote and the motion to table passed 5 to 4.

Council members and staff also discussed the procedural rules for reconsideration. City Attorney Zito explained that a motion to reconsider must be made by a member who was on the prevailing side of the earlier vote. She reviewed the prior votes related to the earlier motion to rescind advice and consent for Wilkinson’s appointment and noted which council members had voted yes and no on that motion. On the record, Zito said the prevailing side on the prior motion was the fail (those who voted no), and therefore only a member who voted with that prevailing side could move to reconsider.

Members who opposed tabling said they wanted the substantive issues — including allegations raised earlier in public comment and questions about the appointee’s qualifications and municipal process — to be aired. Alderman Stacy said the items had appeared on the agenda before and that she wanted answers for constituents. Members who supported tabling said the topic had been discussed multiple times and favored shelving it.

The council also considered, but did not complete, a motion to rescind prior advice and consent on Wilkinson’s appointment. Attorney Zito clarified the rules and the timeline for when a rescind or reconsider motion could be properly made. On the record, staff noted the appointment and related votes had been before the council on multiple previous dates (April 7, April 14, and April 21), and that procedural rules tied to Robert’s Rules governed whether the item could be reconsidered at the current meeting.

The council’s action leaves the removal and appointment items without further action at this meeting; they were tabled indefinitely and will remain subject to the council’s future agenda-setting choices and the procedural rules Attorney Zito outlined.

","The council repeatedly tabled action on removing planning-commission member Joshua Atkinson and on appointing Dustin Wilkinson, with motions to table and questions about rules for motions to reconsider dominating the debate.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6249733,"Council removes finance report from consent agenda amid budget-transparency concerns",879,288000,1167000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204879-2c96305293e0232e287792d65d3b70d2&start=288&end=1167","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204879-2c96305293e0232e287792d65d3b70d2/thumbnail_288000.jpg","/articles/6249733/Freeport/Stephenson-County/Illinois/Council-removes-finance-report-from-consent-agenda-amid-budget-transparency-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249733-5bab5c3d01d985363363a8956041fadd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147308&Signature=iFkK7VofpMZqNfugPOkhx1DQfhho0OkJjFoO~DuKwxogsnGoTG-URWQ7w1c8rhBq7L4T2rbepGDLFEhWiDz8Gdpwf5h0wOekB3XpsFkusX27QzhHSGvnIP4CHeh6~w1XuLV0VZu4~PlLvAnymORUN74GEPHIEwqlIyDy~SV4g8NevAmLESrs-Tazb5YlJmclhc8awEy3VEvp96sAba1rYnXxdvmq1Jm8afka2z-d9GhtXth7piR~VhwZiaS-r1PwUJ349y-OMaJaQCIrbvSdpMBsO2i6bt2DJVkglTSFIoh6-AJdPF38eIWZcH~OmpX5BhSgFU2MqGPcewwaJdyvpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During public comment, Rhonda Scott urged the Freeport City Council to remove the March finance department report from the consent agenda and to allow more public scrutiny of the city’s spending and line items.

\"The city revenue that the city spends on the general fund is only about 26,000,000,\" Rhonda Scott told the council, and she highlighted several line items she said merited questions: roughly $654,000 for the airport (described as the city’s fourth-largest general-fund expense), no standalone budget line for the Greater Freeport Partnership, and planned spending of $500,000 on EV chargers and $450,000 for a Safe Streets study. She also said GFP payments appeared to be funded from five TIF funds ($234,000), the hotel-motel tax ($280,000) and a state grant reported as $144,000.

Alderman Stacy (Cecilia Stacy) asked that several budget-related items be pulled from the consent agenda for further discussion, citing the airport, EV chargers, the Safe Streets study, delayed commission minutes and the Greater Freeport Partnership (GFP) monthly report. Council staff and Attorney Zito explained that the finance department’s March budget report was part of the consent packet as item 4a2 and that items in the finance department report could be discussed further; staff also noted the consent agenda would accept or receive items on file while separate approvals for expenditures would occur elsewhere.

After a motion to approve the consent agenda was made and discussion continued, the council agreed to remove item 4a2 — the finance department report for March — from the consent agenda to allow Alderman Stacy time to review it with the finance director. The remainder of the consent agenda was approved by roll call 7 to 1. The transcript records Alderman Stacy voting no on the consent motion; the mayor and other members voted to approve the remaining items.

The consent items approved included minutes from boards and commissions, the zoning board and planning commission minutes, building-permit and cash-and-investment reports (excepting the removed finance report), the Greater Freeport Partnership monthly report dated April 2025, a proclamation for National Travel and Tourism Week, approval of finance bills payable totaling $392,484.27 and payroll for the pay period ending April 19, 2025 totaling $663,136.32.

Council staff clarified on the record that removing the finance report from the consent agenda did not stop council members from requesting the finance director answer questions in the coming weeks and that approval of any actual expenditures would be processed through the regular budget or ordinance approval steps, not by \"receive and place on file.\" Rhonda Scott’s public comment and Alderman Stacy’s request put the GFP funding sources and the larger budget line items into the council’s workplan for additional review.

","After public comment and Alderman Stacy's request, the council pulled the March finance department report (item 4a2) from the consent agenda for further review and approved the remaining consent items 7-1.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6249739,"Council approves Family Dollar special-use permit to sell packaged liquor after 5-4 vote",812,2581000,3393000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204879-2c96305293e0232e287792d65d3b70d2&start=2581&end=3393","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204879-2c96305293e0232e287792d65d3b70d2/thumbnail_2581000.jpg","/articles/6249739/Freeport/Stephenson-County/Illinois/Council-approves-Family-Dollar-special-use-permit-to-sell-packaged-liquor-after-5-4-vote","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249739-7abdc0a113eadc24787fdc783485da79/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147308&Signature=k-6-QtJdXA7LYvKHT1p9P8ZNj0B5f2u7YlpN3m0NT9-ViH7fDW51oJZU0pwUW0N7OhJDr1cjzLgR3T4ca6zsndgP~UWBEukG-QzAYUhFDlDHPzEVKMeOGwZtnLyR-Uc-tGdLuhDkFoGn51YhmkY2-KVS-YL3Etwon5bQxsskZbqYJ70WH-zOQ8x~SU51r3QEPCrZWN6J~F5rmNrRy9kqkHUw5jNwpZ7la2oKB7Z4Ff7VrRYSWaldzCPQdknFTZGLH4L-LwPe6~6pXomunVr1GeR6PMWjEsAPnsMQWPMYYv6seeW70ItpwMbDx8Z8Uc0MN160icKdGJ~BXgull-Ueng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Freeport City Council voted 5 to 4 on the second reading of Ordinance 20 25 25 to approve a special-use permit that allows packaged liquor sales at the Family Dollar at 1601/1645 Southwest Avenue.

Elizabeth, a city staff member who presented the ordinance, said the Zoning Board of Appeals recommended approval on April 3 and the Planning Commission recommended approval on April 10. \"Staff recommends approval of the special use permit at 1601/1645 Southwest Avenue, Family Dollar,\" she said.

The ordinance authorizes the property’s B-3 commercial zoning to be used for \"package liquor stores\" under 1252.01B11. Council members discussed location, store operations and public-safety concerns before the vote. \"This store has had to take measures with locking down their cold and cough medicine…people with alcohol issues were going in buying it,\" Alderman Stacy said, arguing the open cooler for beer and wine could heighten theft and safety risks in that neighborhood.

Alderman Monroe raised crime and staffing concerns on the city’s West Side and urged caution, saying alcohol availability can contribute to public-safety issues and domestic violence. Alderman Parker and Alderman Sellers argued that Family Dollar should be allowed the same opportunity as other nearby businesses that sell alcohol and that running the store is the owner’s responsibility.

Council members voted by roll call. The transcript records Sellers voting yes, Clem voting yes, Monroe no, Simmons no, Parker yes, Stacy no, Schadl (recorded in the minutes as Schadl/Schadel) yes, and Mayor Jody Miller casting the deciding yes vote after an initial 4-4 tie, producing a 5-4 final tally.

Licensing and related operational requirements remain under the clerk’s office. Elizabeth noted separately that \"liquor licenses are handled by the clerk's office, and they all require a license.\" The ordinance gives zoning permission; separate local license approvals and operational safeguards are processed through the clerk.

The council did not adopt additional operational conditions on the floor during the second reading. The measure passed on second reading and the city clerk will proceed with the steps required to implement the zoning change and any subsequent licensing process.

The council’s discussion and the tight vote reflect differing views among members about balancing business opportunity and neighborhood public-safety concerns. The council did not indicate an immediate further review or sunset for this permit on the record.

","The Freeport City Council approved a special-use permit allowing the Family Dollar store at 1601/1645 Southwest Avenue to sell packaged beer and wine after a 5-4 vote on the ordinance's second reading.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident urges council to review rising water charges and files petition

Council repeatedly tables planning commission appointment and removal amid procedural disputes

Council removes finance report from consent agenda amid budget-transparency concerns

Council approves Family Dollar special-use permit to sell packaged liquor after 5-4 vote