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Manteno board appoints new planning member, approves sidewalk permits and auditor payment
Summary
The Manteno Village Board appointed Andy Lee to the Planning Commission, authorized a $1,500 donation to the Manteno Historical Society, approved IDOT sidewalk permit requests tied to Riverside's parking lot, and voted to pay $38,640 toward a forensic-audit invoice.
The Manteno Village Board approved several administrative and infrastructure items at its May 4 meeting, including an appointment to the Planning Commission, a yearly donation to the Manteno Historical Society, two sidewalk actions tied to private and village projects, and a payment toward a forensic audit.
Appointment and donation: Trustee Geske moved to appoint Andy Lee to the Planning Commission to fill a vacancy left by Emily Fisher Gentry; the board approved the appointment. Trustee Barry moved to authorize the customary $1,500 donation to the Manteno Historical Society; the motion carried.
Sidewalks and resolution: The board approved a motion to install about 30 feet of sidewalk in an alley between 192 S. Locust and 155 E. Baker to connect sidewalks to Route 50; Public Works estimated materials under $1,000 and labor handled by the village. Separately, the board adopted Resolution 26-01 requesting an Illinois Department of Transportation permit for a sidewalk along Illinois Route 50 near 395 N. Locust Street; Village Manager Chris Larocque said Riverside (the contractor improving the parking lot) will pay for that sidewalk and it is not a village expense.
Forensic-audit payment: The board voted to pay $38,640 to Green Forensic Auditing, bringing payments to the firm up to approximately 80% of billed work; trustees said a draft of the audit report has been received and a final report is expected in the coming weeks. Trustee Barry noted prior invoices and the need to bring the auditor current while a small remainder will remain due on completion.
Why it matters: The appointments and donations affect village boards and community organizations; sidewalk approvals include property and state permitting implications but will be paid by the contractor in one case; the audit payment suggests the village is advancing its forensic review to near-completion.
Ending: Trustees set committee meeting dates for follow-up work on tree plantings, planning commission schedules and finance committee oversight; no new action was recorded on the Goshen development at this meeting.
Quotations:
"Congratulations, Andy Lee, and welcome to the planning commission," the mayor said after the vote.
"This is not something that we're going to be expensed for," Village Manager Chris Larocque said about the Route 50 sidewalk, adding Riverside will pay for construction.
"This would bring the auditors payments up to 80%," Trustee Barry said during the finance discussion.
