Council members heard a first reading to adopt a new codified set of village ordinances and discussed a separate ordinance that would declare the village engages in criminal-justice functions related to enforcement.
Officials described a two-year codification project by American Legal Publishing that cost about $20,000 and aimed to identify gaps and bring longstanding village ordinances up to date. Staff said the codification will make ordinances searchable and available to the public.
Mayor Chuck Permo and staff also discussed an ordinance that, in staff’s description, declares the village engaged in certain criminal-justice activities so the village can enforce local ordinances the county sheriff does not. An official present said the ordinance “came about basically through a recommendation from the FBI.” That ordinance was presented as an introduction only; council did not vote on it.
Why it matters: staff said the codification corrects decades of inconsistencies and gaps that left the village unsure whether some ordinances were enforceable. The criminal-justice declaration was described by staff as necessary to pursue enforcement tools the sheriff’s office cannot provide, including mayor’s-court–related processes.
Public comment and concerns: a member of the public thanked the mayor for transparency but said reestablishing a police force makes them “nervous” because of potential liability and added that voters had repeatedly rejected additional levies; the speaker urged caution about creating new permanent services that could raise local costs. That comment was recorded during the public-comment segment and was not a formal council action.
Council action: the code codification and the criminal-justice ordinance were presented for consideration; both were read as initial items and will return for further readings. No final adoption or implementation occurred at the meeting.
Discussion vs. decision: the meeting record shows extended discussion and public comment but no council votes on these ordinance adoptions during the session.
Next steps: staff said the codified ordinance book will be made available for public review at village offices and later searchable online; formal adoption will be scheduled for a subsequent meeting after review and additional readings.