Kankakee Times

City of Watseka Code Enforcement Committee met Nov. 14.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

PRESENT: Aldermen Miller, Anderson, Barragree, Cahoe, Muench, Marcier, Alderwoman Rohlfs and Mayor Allhands

ABSENT: Alderman DeLahr

GUESTS: Building Inspector Eric Brandt and Code Enforcement Bill Walver

Alderman Miller opened the meeting at 6:46 pm. There was no public comment. Building Inspector Eric Brandt reported on the following:

IDNR Flood Mitigation: Eric stated the city just received another payment from the state for $287,306 and there is just one payment outstanding currently. Eric stated there have been approximately 65 homes demolished. He will have another request to send to the state once the latest properties are demolished, he is waiting on the contractor to get them down. Ordinance Citations: 7 warnings and 6 citations

209, 213 & 217 E Walnut St: Eric stated the contractor hoped to be done this week but there is a light pole in the way that Ameren needs to move and replace, once that is done the contractor will finish up.

Sign Ordinance: Eric stated this is still a work in progress

Pence/Heritage FS Rezoning: Eric stated there is a zoning meeting to be held Monday November 20th at 5:00 to change the zoning from R4 Multi Family to business. Zoning: Eric stated at the zoning meeting on the 20th there will be a public hearing regarding the change of the width of the driveways from 30 to 36 feet.

440 E Oak St: Eric stated there has been 2 fires at the residence first the house and then a couple of weeks later the garage, the homeowner has no insurance. There was discussion about boarding the home up and getting it condemned and demolishing it. Eric stated he would need to give the homeowner a 10-day notice before it could be boarded up. There was discussion about creating an ordinance for the fire department that they could board up a property if they deemed it to be unsafe after a fire. Attorney Cainkar will be contacted about this property.

Zoning Map: Eric stated the current zoning map needs to be updated and he will work on that this winter.

Floodplain Ordinance: Eric stated the word cumulative has somehow been taken out to the current floodplain ordinance and it needs to be put back in. Eric has Robinson Engineering looking into this also as the floodplain ordinance should be separate from the storm sewer ordinance. There will be more information to come as this is a work in progress.

Code Enforcement Bill Walver stated he had 1 crime free rental inspection, sent out 1 tow notice, 8 vehicles have been removed or are now incompliance, 1 junking certificate has been sent to the state and he has sent out 2 owner notifications. He also had 14 warnings for miscellaneous violations.

Alderwoman Rohlfs asked about the steps when a resident doesn’t comply with the violation.

Alderman Miller made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:10 pm and Alderman Muench seconded. Roll call carried 8-0.

https://www.watsekacity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/code-enforcement-11-14-23.pdf