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Votes at a glance: Kankakee City Council approves permits, CDBG awards, MFT program and local ordinances; denies Fortitude shelter permit
Summary
On Sept. 15, 2025 the Kankakee City Council denied a conditional-use permit for a proposed Fortitude shelter (12–0) and approved several routine measures, including event permits, Community Development Block Grant public-service awards, motor-fuel-tax maintenance agreements and local ordinances; recorded tallies are included below.
The Kankakee City Council on Sept. 15 took multiple formal actions. The most contested item — ordinance PB 2025-8-2, a conditional-use permit for an emergency shelter at 970 East Court Street submitted by Fortitude Community Outreach — was denied by roll-call vote, 12–0. Other recorded council actions that evening included the following votes and approvals.
Votes at a glance
- Minutes from Sept. 2, 2025: Approved (roll call recorded: 12 ayes, 0 nays).
- Communications (event and parade permits for Sept. 20, Oct. 31 and other dates): Approved as a bundle (12 ayes, 0 nays).
- Approve City of Kankakee bills: Approved (roll call recorded 12 ayes, 0 nays; several aldermen noted abstentions on specific vendor checks to avoid potential conflicts of interest).
- License & franchise items (passed from committee): Multiple items recommended by committee were forwarded and then approved by council; the gaming/cafe item had committee recommendation of 5–1.
- Ordinance amending municipal code to establish handicap parking at 945 Country Club Drive: Rules suspended and ordinance placed on final reading and approved (12 ayes, 0 nays).
- Class A liquor license at 2125 South Schuyler Avenue: Approved (11 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention recorded due to potential conflict of interest).
- Development agreement with Essential Smoothies, LLC (economic incentive request): Approved and placed on final reading (11 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention).
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) 2025–26 public-service subrecipient awards: Council approved awards and funding recommendations for Cornerstone (Resource Closet for Women & Children), Harbor House (domestic-violence survivor homelessness prevention), Catholic Charities (Horizons transitional/rapid rehousing), Salvation Army (Homeless Prevention Project) and Still I Rise (youth development/nutrition) (12 ayes, 0 nays).
- 2026 Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) street maintenance agreement and related resolution authorizing acceptance of engineering proposal (bonding to supplement MFT work): Motion to approve MFT maintenance agreement passed (roll calls recorded with one abstention in bond/engineering votes to avoid potential conflict; the MFT allocation described on the record was $2,000,000 with staff indicating additional bonding expected to expand the program to approximately $4,500,000 next year).
How to read the tallies: Where recorded roll-call tallies were available they are reported above. Several roll-call votes included abstentions by named aldermen to avoid potential conflicts on specific vendor invoices or contracts; those abstentions are noted in the council record and reproduced here.
What this means: Aside from the conditional-use permit denial, the council advanced standard municipal business including event permitting, public-service funding allocations and transportation maintenance planning. Several items will require implementation steps (grant administration, engineering procurement and bid schedules) noted in committee reports and staff comments.
