Meeting Summary and Briefs: Litchfield City Council for June 18, 2026

Litchfield City Council Meeting | June 18, 2026

Overall Meeting Summary

The Litchfield City Council moved through a brief but active agenda Thursday, June 18, 2026, before adjourning into closed session. The council approved two street reconstruction change orders — one of up to $107,910 with Rooters Asphalt for full-depth base repair on Columbia Street, and a second with Petersburg Plumbing for asphalt surface restoration on State Street (see standalone stories). It also appointed Kerry Hopkins as the city’s next clerk, effective July 1, succeeding Vicki Throne (see standalone story).

In the city report, the mayor announced a new online water billing portal, “Community Connect,” launching June 22 (see standalone story), and the council opened the meeting by recognizing nine employees marking service milestones. No members of the public spoke during public participation. The council closed by entering executive session.

Employees Honored for Service Milestones

The meeting opened with recognition of city employees marking work anniversaries. Honored for five years of service were Ben Black of the fire department and Larry Davis and Andrew Wakefield of the police department. Marking 15 years were Chief Adam Pinoch, Mike Chapel and Dave Rogers, all in fire, along with Don Ashby. Tommy Melture was recognized for 20 years, John Rener of the street department for 25 years, and Lynn Palmer and Ron Roach, who works at the lake, each for 30 years. “We’re very thankful for all those employees. They do a wonderful job,” Mayor Jake Fleming said, prompting applause from the council. (Several employee name spellings could not be verified from the meeting record; see Editorial Flags.)

Madison Park Pickleball Courts to Close Briefly

Two pickleball courts at Madison Park will be closed from June 24 to roughly July 1 for repainting and the installation of new courts, Fleming said. The popular courts have had two of their surfaces out of commission for a while, and the project is expected to result in four usable courts going forward to cut down on wait times. In the meantime, Fleming reminded residents that the tennis courts at Davis Park, on the south side of town near the community center, can also be used for pickleball.

Five Below Grand Opening Set for June 26

The new Five Below store is nearing its grand opening, with a ribbon-cutting expected June 26, Fleming said. He noted the store’s sign is already up and that its online listing may make it appear open, but cautioned that the location remains closed until the grand opening later this month.

Routine Business Approved

The council approved the minutes of its June 4, 2026, regular meeting and approved the expenditure report and payroll report for the current period. Both measures passed by unanimous roll-call vote with no discussion noted.

Council Enters Executive Session

The council voted to enter executive session under the Illinois Open Meetings Act, citing three exemptions: review of minutes of meetings lawfully closed (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(21)); the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1)); and pending or probable litigation (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(11)). The motion passed by unanimous roll-call vote. No formal action can be taken in executive session under the Act; the agenda listed approval of the June 4 executive session minutes as the only item of business to follow the closed session, ahead of adjournment. The meeting recording ends as the council enters closed session.