The Village Board met on the above date for the regular monthly meeting and Public Hearing. The meeting was called to order by President Finn at 7:00pm followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a roll call of those present. Trustees: Laurent, Harris, Schluter, Hooker, and Gadeken. Trustee Bickers was not present. Also present were Supervisor of Operations, Dustin Butts, Clerk Reinhart and Attorney Marc Miller.
Public Comments:The Goose and the Gander owners were present; inquired about a possible vendor fair in the Spring and whom they should speak with to set that up. President Finn directed them to Trustee Hooker, also a member of the Sidney Improvement Group to discuss further; Trustee Hooker invited them to attend an Improvement Group meeting for further discussion.
Cindy Shepherd was also present to follow up on BayWa "wish list". She states BayWa is still considering the requests and remains open to discussions about donations to the Village.
Approve Minutes:
President Finn requested a motion to approve the minutes from the December 1, 2025, meeting. Trustee Schluter made a motion to approve the December 1, 2025, regular monthly meeting minutes as written, Trustee Laurent seconded the motion, the motion then carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Public Hearing:
Discuss/approve Special Use Permit requests for 212 S. David Street, 214 S. David Street, 216 S. David Street and 220 S. David Street- President Finn opened discussion to the public; he and Attorney Marc Miller briefed those present on what would be happening at the hearing; Board would decide findings of fact and/or conditions to fill in the blanks on the permits prepared by the Miller and Hendren office; filling in the blanks will help the Board make their decisions and keep from having a bad impact on the community.
President Finn does not believe conditions need to be applied to all the properties in question as most are well kept and do not pose a risk to the community.
President Finn inquired if the permit would be issued to the property or the property owner; Marc states it would be with the property, but the Board can adjust the permit to apply to the owner and not the property, this change would require any new owners to the
properties to apply for their own permit. The Board agrees to the change; there was no vote taken.
Property owner to 214 inquired about parking in the rear of the buildings and questions the risk of parking there not having knowledge of where the septic systems are located. He has inquired if the rear of the properties can be parceled off to ensure parking is not atop a system or does not become more congested. President Finn does not believe 212 or 216 will cause an issue as they have not yet. Trustee Hooker inquired what type of business 214 would have and felt the "no overnight" parking signs were discussed last month, but a determination to remove or leave the signs was not made. 214 property owner stated his wife would have an auction house and coffee shop on site, possibly including consignment in the future. There is also an apartment located on site; an employee will live there.
Parceling the parking in the rear of the buildings was no longer discussed or voted on to
change or address.
Members of the Fire District were present to express their concerns over egress and easements if they were to have a call to any of the addresses as well as an overall concern to living quarters within any of the buildings; they expressed lack of suppression systems and partitions to stop a fire if one were to occur. All properties must at minimum have smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and clear paths to move through the buildings. Having been called to 220 in the past, they expressed serious concerns over lack of access to the electrical panel, no clear path through the building and extension cords running power throughout the space. The Board agrees they do not want a repeat situation, especially as the buildings adjoin with one another. Resident and Masonic Lodge member Mark Catron requested the property owners receive a copy of the Boards final decision for the properties and outline what is required for each. President Finn ensured they would all receive a copy of the Boards decision and it would outline expectations.
Trustee Schluter inquired how compliance would be enforced. Attorney Marc Miller responded stating that if the Village believes the property to be incompliant, the Village can obtain a warrant to enter the property. He also added the Board can add an inspection requirement to the permit; this would allow Maintenance or the Mayor to enter and inspect said properties on a yearly basis, or there is reason to believe the owner is not in compliance with the permit. Trustee Harris made a motion to approve the findings and decision as presented with the discussed changes allowing for the special use permit at 212 S. David Street, 214 S. David Street and 216 S. David Street, Sidney, Illinois. Trustee Laurent seconded the motion; the motion then carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Discussion continued regarding 220 S. David Street. President Finn expressed concerns regarding the current life/safety issues at the property; although condemning a building
takes a lot, the condition of the building is not good and is getting worse. Goose and Gander expressed septic concerns; they currently pay for all maintenance to the system, which is shared with other buildings along David Street, 220 included; expressed concerns the system is only designed for 4 people and is already maxed out; allowing tenants would put more people on an already old and small system. Goose and Gander added, they have reached out to the Health Department, expressing their concerns. The Health Department has told them they can apply to have the system capped, blocking 220 from access, but they would likely deny the request. Trustee Harris made a motion to approve the finds and decision as presented with the incorporation of changes as discussed which denies a special use permit at 220 S. David Street, Sidney, Illinois; the motion was seconded by Trustee Laurent and carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Approve Ordinance allowing Special Use within the Community Business District of Sidney Illinois -Attorney Marc Millers office prepared Special Use permits, and an Ordinance was no longer needed.
President Finn's Comments:
Discuss/approve changes to Section 6.5: Overtime Compensation of the Employee Policy Handbook- Brought to the attention of the Board per the Maintenance employees were not paid out overtime for the snow removal because it also fell during a holiday. Trustee Laurent made a motion to remove the wording "Sick days, holidays, vacation time, leave of absences, and other time off benefits are not counted as time worked for purposes of overtime"; Trustee Harris seconded the motion, the motion then carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Discuss/approve changes to Section 6.7: After-duty Emergency call Out & Village Board meetings - No changes were made to this section of the handbook; it was further acknowledged that when an employee leaves their home for an emergency call out to the Village, the employee should be compensated 2 hours minimum for their time.
Discuss/approve retro-active pay for maintenance staff for the pay period 11/24/2025-12/07/2025 - Trustee Harris made a motion to approve the overtime that was not paid in the pay period 11/24/2025-12/07/2025, for both maintenance employees; Trustee Laurent seconded the motion, the motion then carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Time Clock- Extensive time clock discussion was had. Trustee Schluter felt the time clock was not necessary, whereas Trustee Gadeken felt it was needed. After discussion, the time clock will remain; no vote was taken.
Attorney's Comments:
Nothing to report.
Maintenance Comments:
Sidewalk snow removal-Trustee Laurent expressed adding snow removal on the Main Street sidewalk to the areas the maintenance staff already removes snow. He added this would not be an overtime situation and all/any snow removal from the Main Street sidewalk would be after the "regular" duties were complete. Maintenance Supervisor Butts does not feel this a wise decision as it will likely cause problems with residents who do not live along Main Street, but would like their sidewalks clear of snow as well; additionally, the wear and tear on the mower and the lack of coverage for the employee from the elements
is a concern. There was no vote taken at this time to add snow removal from the sidewalks along Main Street.
Finance:Approval of monthly bills - Trustee Hooker read the finance reports; there were no additions. Trustee Hooker made a motion to pay the monthly bills with no additions; Trustee Harris seconded the motion; the motion then carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Streets and Alleys:Nothing to report.
Water and Drainage:
Nothing to report.
Public Property:Nothing to report.
Parks and Recreation:Nothing to report.
Community Development:Trustee Schluter expressed concerns that the General Code book was not updated. Clerk Reinhart assured him he is correct; the book has not been updated in several years, but the office and County are up to date, and she is currently working on the book/online access reflecting the same.
New and Old Business:
Paid Leave and FMLA- Paid leave or Sick leave will be added to the February meeting.
Adjourn:
Trustee Harris made a motion to adjourn; the motion was seconded by Trustee Laurent; the meeting adjourned at 8:59pm.
Public Comments:The Goose and the Gander owners were present; inquired about a possible vendor fair in the Spring and whom they should speak with to set that up. President Finn directed them to Trustee Hooker, also a member of the Sidney Improvement Group to discuss further; Trustee Hooker invited them to attend an Improvement Group meeting for further discussion.
Cindy Shepherd was also present to follow up on BayWa "wish list". She states BayWa is still considering the requests and remains open to discussions about donations to the Village.
Approve Minutes:
President Finn requested a motion to approve the minutes from the December 1, 2025, meeting. Trustee Schluter made a motion to approve the December 1, 2025, regular monthly meeting minutes as written, Trustee Laurent seconded the motion, the motion then carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Public Hearing:
Discuss/approve Special Use Permit requests for 212 S. David Street, 214 S. David Street, 216 S. David Street and 220 S. David Street- President Finn opened discussion to the public; he and Attorney Marc Miller briefed those present on what would be happening at the hearing; Board would decide findings of fact and/or conditions to fill in the blanks on the permits prepared by the Miller and Hendren office; filling in the blanks will help the Board make their decisions and keep from having a bad impact on the community.
President Finn does not believe conditions need to be applied to all the properties in question as most are well kept and do not pose a risk to the community.
President Finn inquired if the permit would be issued to the property or the property owner; Marc states it would be with the property, but the Board can adjust the permit to apply to the owner and not the property, this change would require any new owners to the
properties to apply for their own permit. The Board agrees to the change; there was no vote taken.
Property owner to 214 inquired about parking in the rear of the buildings and questions the risk of parking there not having knowledge of where the septic systems are located. He has inquired if the rear of the properties can be parceled off to ensure parking is not atop a system or does not become more congested. President Finn does not believe 212 or 216 will cause an issue as they have not yet. Trustee Hooker inquired what type of business 214 would have and felt the "no overnight" parking signs were discussed last month, but a determination to remove or leave the signs was not made. 214 property owner stated his wife would have an auction house and coffee shop on site, possibly including consignment in the future. There is also an apartment located on site; an employee will live there.
Parceling the parking in the rear of the buildings was no longer discussed or voted on to
change or address.
Members of the Fire District were present to express their concerns over egress and easements if they were to have a call to any of the addresses as well as an overall concern to living quarters within any of the buildings; they expressed lack of suppression systems and partitions to stop a fire if one were to occur. All properties must at minimum have smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and clear paths to move through the buildings. Having been called to 220 in the past, they expressed serious concerns over lack of access to the electrical panel, no clear path through the building and extension cords running power throughout the space. The Board agrees they do not want a repeat situation, especially as the buildings adjoin with one another. Resident and Masonic Lodge member Mark Catron requested the property owners receive a copy of the Boards final decision for the properties and outline what is required for each. President Finn ensured they would all receive a copy of the Boards decision and it would outline expectations.
Trustee Schluter inquired how compliance would be enforced. Attorney Marc Miller responded stating that if the Village believes the property to be incompliant, the Village can obtain a warrant to enter the property. He also added the Board can add an inspection requirement to the permit; this would allow Maintenance or the Mayor to enter and inspect said properties on a yearly basis, or there is reason to believe the owner is not in compliance with the permit. Trustee Harris made a motion to approve the findings and decision as presented with the discussed changes allowing for the special use permit at 212 S. David Street, 214 S. David Street and 216 S. David Street, Sidney, Illinois. Trustee Laurent seconded the motion; the motion then carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Discussion continued regarding 220 S. David Street. President Finn expressed concerns regarding the current life/safety issues at the property; although condemning a building
takes a lot, the condition of the building is not good and is getting worse. Goose and Gander expressed septic concerns; they currently pay for all maintenance to the system, which is shared with other buildings along David Street, 220 included; expressed concerns the system is only designed for 4 people and is already maxed out; allowing tenants would put more people on an already old and small system. Goose and Gander added, they have reached out to the Health Department, expressing their concerns. The Health Department has told them they can apply to have the system capped, blocking 220 from access, but they would likely deny the request. Trustee Harris made a motion to approve the finds and decision as presented with the incorporation of changes as discussed which denies a special use permit at 220 S. David Street, Sidney, Illinois; the motion was seconded by Trustee Laurent and carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Approve Ordinance allowing Special Use within the Community Business District of Sidney Illinois -Attorney Marc Millers office prepared Special Use permits, and an Ordinance was no longer needed.
President Finn's Comments:
Discuss/approve changes to Section 6.5: Overtime Compensation of the Employee Policy Handbook- Brought to the attention of the Board per the Maintenance employees were not paid out overtime for the snow removal because it also fell during a holiday. Trustee Laurent made a motion to remove the wording "Sick days, holidays, vacation time, leave of absences, and other time off benefits are not counted as time worked for purposes of overtime"; Trustee Harris seconded the motion, the motion then carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Discuss/approve changes to Section 6.7: After-duty Emergency call Out & Village Board meetings - No changes were made to this section of the handbook; it was further acknowledged that when an employee leaves their home for an emergency call out to the Village, the employee should be compensated 2 hours minimum for their time.
Discuss/approve retro-active pay for maintenance staff for the pay period 11/24/2025-12/07/2025 - Trustee Harris made a motion to approve the overtime that was not paid in the pay period 11/24/2025-12/07/2025, for both maintenance employees; Trustee Laurent seconded the motion, the motion then carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Time Clock- Extensive time clock discussion was had. Trustee Schluter felt the time clock was not necessary, whereas Trustee Gadeken felt it was needed. After discussion, the time clock will remain; no vote was taken.
Attorney's Comments:
Nothing to report.
Maintenance Comments:
Sidewalk snow removal-Trustee Laurent expressed adding snow removal on the Main Street sidewalk to the areas the maintenance staff already removes snow. He added this would not be an overtime situation and all/any snow removal from the Main Street sidewalk would be after the "regular" duties were complete. Maintenance Supervisor Butts does not feel this a wise decision as it will likely cause problems with residents who do not live along Main Street, but would like their sidewalks clear of snow as well; additionally, the wear and tear on the mower and the lack of coverage for the employee from the elements
is a concern. There was no vote taken at this time to add snow removal from the sidewalks along Main Street.
Finance:Approval of monthly bills - Trustee Hooker read the finance reports; there were no additions. Trustee Hooker made a motion to pay the monthly bills with no additions; Trustee Harris seconded the motion; the motion then carried with all ayes on a roll call vote.
Streets and Alleys:Nothing to report.
Water and Drainage:
Nothing to report.
Public Property:Nothing to report.
Parks and Recreation:Nothing to report.
Community Development:Trustee Schluter expressed concerns that the General Code book was not updated. Clerk Reinhart assured him he is correct; the book has not been updated in several years, but the office and County are up to date, and she is currently working on the book/online access reflecting the same.
New and Old Business:
Paid Leave and FMLA- Paid leave or Sick leave will be added to the February meeting.
Adjourn:
Trustee Harris made a motion to adjourn; the motion was seconded by Trustee Laurent; the meeting adjourned at 8:59pm.
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