[{"_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",6172353,"mediaKeyId","5389678-208a792e3910c6ba396006e1eadb0b5a","parentId",5389678,"title","Freeport council moves to draft overweight/oversized vehicle permit and fee schedule; annual permits and penalties proposed","audioSeconds",1096,"startMs",1845000,"endMs",2941000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5389678-208a792e3910c6ba396006e1eadb0b5a&start=1845&end=2941","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5389678-208a792e3910c6ba396006e1eadb0b5a/thumbnail_1845000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6172353/Freeport/Stephenson-County/Illinois/Freeport-council-moves-to-draft-overweightoversized-vehicle-permit-and-fee-schedule-annual-permits-and-penalties-proposed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172353-f6db3455f1d92be5529d5956c1a66cba/orig.mp4?Expires=1775327858&Signature=PZa9Haxl2A7IQzjJBHVpF~QMAFP-lrVIN6zT3MnjCQMLqZX5QFnMdH~vJgRpK8d~wbgTdzmW~nMhD3oRRko7LvvaqHhV~HsnsfP4s2LmsZrQBMZuV7Ssn~s6T04ngCPP5WC3Pm22iG4RfKbBV4ZIpr~KidxVvpCjRmtJ4~uoFlFHLzKczhTqZbYt7MG--ZCRENtSdhcMpvHsQKsdcbsTimk-JBSCYLQR-gnlBQiiLdZGu96NW3JiYBAgCTzsfxhrD6f3Is1wtzS3kz~rFnSUYqpdrwTTJJ8IkBzpbZcbbzapFxeiKYxVTQlaSo0RWPecwk6qbVdWTbW~Q-MTyLly~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Freeport, IL","date","2025-07-15T12:06:49Z","article","City staff told the Committee of the Whole they will draft an ordinance to formalize overweight and oversized vehicle permitting, establish fees and add enforcement options after staff reported repeated incidents of heavy loads damaging local streets.
City Manager Boyer said the current codified ordinance language is outdated and lacks a fee schedule and a formal permit form. He described proposed changes to “4 60.11” (as cited in staff materials) to add an “overweight and oversized City of Freeport permit,” a required route submission for each trip and invoicing methods. Boyer said staff would add a reference to the state statute noted in staff materials.
Public works supervisor Darren Stickel explained the scope and exclusions: “So this is not for standard semi loads. This is not for buses. This would not apply to garbage trucks. It would not apply to the fire department. It would not apply to agricultural during season.” He said the city’s main routes are permitted at 80,000 pounds and that an ordinance should prevent overweight loads across bridges; staff specifically named the Hancock Viaduct as a structure that should not carry overweight permitted loads until repairs are complete.
Staff proposed a fee schedule in the memo: a $150 one-time permit, a $1,200 annual permit (tied to a vehicle license plate), and a $500 penalty for noncompliance. The memo also cited a prior penalty amount of $100 in an older code citation (described in staff materials as 04/1999). Stickel and Boyer told the committee that enforcement by weight (pounds) would be difficult because the city does not own certified scales or a weights-and-measures officer and that some jurisdictions charge by the pound while others use flat fees.
Manager Weier and Boyer also described examples of impacts: state detours directing oversized loads onto local roads (Henderson Road) and incidents where loads damaged overhead lines or strips of roadway; staff said a permit system would allow the city to track which vehicle was authorized on specific routes so it could seek reimbursement for damage when it occurs.
Alderman Shadle moved to advance the item to ordinance drafting; Alderman Klem seconded. The committee voted to move the proposal forward for drafting and first reading; Bo y er and the city attorney said they would return with a drafted ordinance and a permit application for the July 21 council meeting. The transcript records a single “Aye” during the voice vote and no recorded opposing votes.
The staff presentation and ensuing discussion focused on creating a clear, consistently applied permit process, notifying carriers at the city limits that permits are required, and allowing annual accounts for frequent haulers. The committee did not adopt final ordinance language or fees at the meeting; the action recorded was approval to draft and bring the ordinance back for formal readings and vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee of the Whole - 7/14/2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff told the Committee of the Whole they will draft an ordinance to create an overweight and oversized vehicle permit with proposed fees and penalties after citing repeated heavy-load impacts to local streets and bridges.","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},6172358,"Greater Freeport Partnership flags jobs growth but cites childcare and housing as barriers to hiring",121,933000,1054000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5389678-208a792e3910c6ba396006e1eadb0b5a&start=933&end=1054","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5389678-208a792e3910c6ba396006e1eadb0b5a/thumbnail_933000.jpg","/articles/6172358/Freeport/Stephenson-County/Illinois/Greater-Freeport-Partnership-flags-jobs-growth-but-cites-childcare-and-housing-as-barriers-to-hiring","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172358-6af84e70ac4e22a61b50f949d267fcbd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775327858&Signature=XWkVAP09hFigOxtB64nA1JfYcO1SH6nK9UmUiE1kYLaSs5DcAeHvKrw9zSBEQXrr0n895ad0Y5uLs47xk01zOtQ457ckNajQo4hnCunLTLgNSuzQy6U1ukVoeClAFM7T9O0nabH2VcblZZDlqa2dSggVPVFv1mBcMgVJgBgg-OPrrfSmLHUdeQuyEXycEsHpJfYJ8yg5WAXNo5gub-e--Xm76yOfICYkz10JlxGOSyk9NT1z7NfZzxGrWLrI2pM0tSWN4DrDGMAbmPFts0BDNKaRfA6t2YQq5ein1lr7Qn1Ht05vxzQ6h3~sfHYGP6dRi~HbHx1CSvVxdZfHtA4XFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Greater Freeport Partnership told the Committee of the Whole that job postings in the county rose in May and that employers want to grow but face talent shortages stemming from childcare and housing gaps.
Andrea Schulz Winter, the Partnership presenter, said Freeport’s unemployment rate rose slightly from April to May 2025 but remained below the state average (4.8%) and the national rate (4.2%). She told the committee there were 927 unique job postings in May 2025 from 249 employers, with a median wage of $26.40 per hour — “which equates to about $55,000 per year,” she said.
Schulz Winter emphasized that getting and keeping workers requires multiple supports: childcare, housing availability, training and resident-retention strategies. “If we have the jobs here, that's wonderful. But when that paycheck leaves the community, so does a lot of the money that goes with it,” she said.
Nicole (last name not recorded in the transcript) described a talent-attraction marketing approach that targets alumni families and young households and said the partnership mailed 158 postcards to new residents in the second quarter; 15 recipients requested more information. The partnership said June postings already exceeded 1,000.
On childcare, the Partnership said it has surveyed providers and employers to inform a public-information campaign to launch in the third quarter; the campaign will target employers (to connect HR with existing subsidy resources, including the YWCA), parents and potential childcare providers to expand capacity. On housing, the Partnership has held stakeholder engagement sessions with the NAACP housing committee and United Way and said its next focus areas include financial education for renters, housing improvement resources and increasing housing supply.
The Partnership also reported local business support efforts: 73 business retention visits year-to-date, a Base Camp entrepreneur training class with 14 participants (11 women, 3 men), and a Base Camp pitch competition that awarded more than $6,000 in cash prizes. A new CEO program with the school district — described as a four-credit class that places students before many local businesses over a year — was introduced as an early pipeline effort for local employers.
During public comment, resident Paige Kerr criticized the partnership’s reported median pay: “Genuinely, $55,000 a year is not enough,” she said, urging the council to consider affordability pressures on households. The transcript records that comment during public comment; the Partnership’s presentation did not include a council response to that point.
The Partnership did not request formal council action during the presentation; staff and partnership representatives outlined next steps for the third quarter, including the childcare information campaign and continued stakeholder engagement on housing.","The partnership reported rising job postings and a median advertised wage of $26.40/hour while identifying childcare, housing and talent retention as primary barriers; the group outlined marketing, childcare surveys and business programs to boost local workforce supply.",{"_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},6172365,"Actuary: Freeport police and fire pensions remain well-funded; contribution projections depend on upcoming assumption decisions",438,370000,808000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5389678-208a792e3910c6ba396006e1eadb0b5a&start=370&end=808","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5389678-208a792e3910c6ba396006e1eadb0b5a/thumbnail_370000.jpg","/articles/6172365/Freeport/Stephenson-County/Illinois/Actuary-Freeport-police-and-fire-pensions-remain-well-funded-contribution-projections-depend-on-upcoming-assumption-decisions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172365-2c4359182a8adfb09d3ed026e4a2c09d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775327858&Signature=ObcqJj4bhUTzSczTsbrdyonSkHGolHP5ofmv4-nmSk0S~mMMVQ~n6Aqr25gVz261wcY0JOJ~vtpC~tczTHgMF6rPt4VoAwhn5uUa7Jo4-6k5Urv5~WX6z00ACl5OXj47PrA68zxiQC6trtp-esaj71vVJDmg1BdRsoQhp~RQwrvI1oGVwGFuz1~VjBVdXfq2Zb25pbzmyG1mZ4w1oOibC6tiUE53CHvQBS9Jgt5sbVK0r~KuJKq7zlVON399nfWiKjenLTpS~g-AJfnfxbha9vdlFEECDs6GagWHB7o8DK4ToL4PVOiUornT8ACKdhcK0oDRaABSZZDSJ9CxafjvaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","An actuary for Freeport’s police and fire pension plans gave the committee a year-end snapshot showing strong market returns in 2024 but lower actuarial (smoothed) returns, and highlighted choices that will affect next year’s employer contributions.
Jen Turk, an actuary with Nyhart, told the Committee of the Whole that if measured by market value the funds saw about 10% returns for 2024, while the actuarial (smoothed) rate of return used for contribution planning was about 4.5%. “The state wants you to fund to 90% by 2040,” Turk said, describing the state standard the plans consider when setting contribution policy.
Turk said the consolidated funded percentage moved from “just a hair under 98%” in the prior valuation to about 96% under the current assumptions. She described how the actuarial smoothing approach reduces year-to-year volatility but can lower the reported funded percentage when recent returns lag the plan’s assumed investment rate.
On contribution amounts, Turk told the committee that on the fire plan the contribution would increase under current assumptions and that, if the Fire Board and Police Board adopt a set of alternative assumptions the actuary presented, the fire contribution would be about $791,000. On the police side, she said the contribution could be about $482,000 under current assumptions and about $430,000 if the alternative assumptions are adopted. Turk said board meetings on assumptions were scheduled later in the month.
Turk also reviewed participant counts, turnover and 3% cost-of-living adjustments that increase benefit payments for retirees and beneficiaries. The transcript records no formal council action or vote on the valuation; Turk said the boards would finalize assumption choices later in the month.
Committee members asked no substantive policy questions during the presentation in the recorded transcript.","Nihart actuary Jen Turk presented Jan. 1 valuations showing strong market returns in 2024 but lower smoothed actuarial returns; funded ratios edged down slightly and the Police and Fire Boards will consider assumption changes that affect next-year contribution amounts.",{"_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},6172370,"Freeport reclaims Tree City USA designation; two rare American chestnuts nominated for Illinois big-tree register",191,137000,328000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5389678-208a792e3910c6ba396006e1eadb0b5a&start=137&end=328","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5389678-208a792e3910c6ba396006e1eadb0b5a/thumbnail_137000.jpg","/articles/6172370/Freeport/Stephenson-County/Illinois/Freeport-reclaims-Tree-City-USA-designation-two-rare-American-chestnuts-nominated-for-Illinois-big-tree-register","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172370-dc494a3b68684b20ed7549fe406ad2b8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775327858&Signature=nz6lNVvO167Ppqyi0vXL3adsy9kXSqp5Nfs6VU3t3uCVbj0vPpKy5cXLEnYDTFcAHtlGI1ML5xRpAbB29h2Va4vDDqzk1gUlMRQ6UVtZRXjfqqQtCWT3nXmNeKbAYXWxEk1pwuI2QrIuJk75npx7QpR9Vaq1MSN8Q6pPFxvBKByi9J8FoE97pStl3NlE4RtuGl7zqnpO61TA4Z5PIUM~I81mLC1pHfFGFfCRRQuvc~P3DGm1S5cya5f-1DiV4YnNMo59UcVcd5oAjSPDOMNnHRaTy6UfsJyXgLb-HNlsyFnS2lx6jRp-qZYQeuS03y3b2UcgP4rA2H92s5Qko05Wdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Freeport officials accepted renewal of the city’s Tree City USA designation and highlighted partnerships and volunteer programs that, they said, sustain the local urban forest.
City Manager Boyer told the Committee of the Whole that Freeport has held the recognition since 2021 and earned a Tree City USA Growth Award in 2023. “These honors are not just accolades. They are a reflection of our values and of your leadership as the governing body of the city of Freeport,” Boyer said.
The Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program requires four standards: a tree board or department, a public tree-care ordinance, a dedicated forestry budget and an Arbor Day observance. Boyer and staff credited city crews, volunteers and partner organizations — including the Freeport Park District and local workforce programs — for meeting those standards and carrying out planting and maintenance.
Boyer also reported that two mature American chestnut trees in Crepe Park have been nominated as Illinois state champion trees; in the presentation he gave their approximate measurements as “approximately 73 feet tall with a 135 inch circumference.” He thanked staff and named contributors by role: Pat Ingram (city staff), forestry crew members Keith and James, Nick Connolly (Arbor Day logistics), Bruce Cubberley (Freeport Park District), and Tiffany Bender (application lead).
During the public-comment period, resident Sue Cook asked whether cuttings would be taken to propagate saplings from the chestnuts so the city could expand the number of the rare trees and develop a tourism asset. Cook asked, “will we be taking cuttings from those or anything to kind of generate saplings so that we have the ability to not just have 2, but the ability to have more?” The transcript records the question but does not record a substantive response from staff on propagation plans.
The presentation emphasized volunteer participation and named a local “yield program” led by Ted Oendahl, Robert Busch and Renato Wethersbee that the manager said helps plant and maintain trees while providing workforce skills. No formal council action was recorded in the transcript on the Tree City items.
Freeport’s renewed designation signals continued emphasis on urban forestry in city planning and parks operations; staff and the committee did not announce a specific follow-up plan for chestnut propagation during the meeting.","City Manager Boyer accepted renewal of Freeport's Tree City USA designation and noted partners and programs that sustain the city's urban forest; two rare American chestnut trees in Crepe Park were reported nominated as Illinois state champion trees and residents asked about propagating saplings.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Freeport council moves to draft overweight/oversized vehicle permit and fee schedule; annual permits and penalties proposed

Greater Freeport Partnership flags jobs growth but cites childcare and housing as barriers to hiring

Actuary: Freeport police and fire pensions remain well-funded; contribution projections depend on upcoming assumption decisions

Freeport reclaims Tree City USA designation; two rare American chestnuts nominated for Illinois big-tree register