Kankakee City Council approves rezoning, liquor license, engineering contracts and bond abatements

Kankakee City Council on Feb. 17 approved a series of ordinances and resolutions including a rezoning of 1151 South Washington Avenue, a Class G restaurant liquor license for 150 East Station Street, engineering contracts for sanitary-sewer investigations and maintenance, a grocery-store feasibility study and annual bond abatements. The meeting lasted about 80 minutes and concluded without an executive session.

Director King told the council the planning board had recommended rezoning 1151 South Washington from R-1 (single-family) to R-2 (two-family) to permit conversion of an existing single-family home into a two-unit building; the planning board vote was 4–1. Council members voted to suspend rules and place the ordinance on final reading, then approved the ordinance on final reading by roll call.

The council also approved a Class G liquor license for 150 East Station Street (a restaurant license). The final-reading vote was recorded as 11 ayes, 0 nays and 1 abstention; the abstention was noted as due to a potential conflict of interest.

On infrastructure, the council approved two Robinson Engineering proposals tied to the city's ongoing infiltration-and-inflow (I&I) work: a roughly $247,000 contract for Basin 4 investigations, oversight and bid-document preparation and a separate roughly $23,000 proposal for Basin 9 cleaning, televising and oversight. City staff described the work as part of a multi-year program to reduce groundwater and stormwater entering the sanitary system, saving treatment costs over time.

Council members also accepted a Pigash engineering proposal for the 2026 parking-facility maintenance program covering design and bidding for seal-coating, crack repair, striping and ADA evaluations for several lots; the resolution passed with the recorded tally noted in the minutes.

On finance, City Manager Kubo described the annual bond abatements to the county clerk, listing abated amounts by issue (2016A TIF portion $702,000; 2020A ESU $165,108; 2022A $3,754,385; 2024A $3,245,615), a total of $7,867,108. The council voted to authorize the mayor to sign the abatement certificates.

Council approved a contract with Mallon and Associates for a grocery-store feasibility study covering the East Side and Meadowview areas at a reported cost of $29,500; staff said the study would help recruit supermarket developers when council members attend an industry conference in May.

Routine business included approval of city bills ($424,018.25) and Environmental Services Utility bills ($1,063,771.64). Committees reported on fire-code amendments, budgeting items and economic-development projects.

The meeting closed with council comments and mayoral updates on a planned Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) road program estimated at roughly $4–4.5 million this season, and a discussion of a recent high-school walkout. Mayor and council said they support students' free-speech rights but emphasized safety concerns when demonstrations block major thoroughfares. Council adjourned at 7:47 p.m.

Votes at a glance: minutes (02/02/2026) approved by roll call; Ordinance PB 2025-511 (rezoning 1151 S. Washington) approved on final reading; Class G liquor license for 150 E. Station St. approved (11–0–1 abstention); Resolution rescinding prior MFT authorization for Brookmont Boulevard approved; Robinson Engineering Basin 4 (~$247,000) and Basin 9 (~$23,000) contracts approved; Pigash parking maintenance contract approved; Mallon & Associates grocery feasibility study approved (~$29,500); annual bond abatements totaling $7,867,108 approved.