Meeting Summary and Briefs: Litchfield City Council for August 6, 2026

The Litchfield City Council met Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. with seven of eight alderpersons present and one seat about to go vacant. Mayor Jacob Fleming opened by reading the resignation letter of Ward 4 Alderperson Ray Kellenberger, who cited vision issues after more than a decade in office — covered in a standalone story — and went on to announce two long-service retirements from the street department, report a state inspection of the Lake Lou Yeager beach and address resident questions about Flock cameras.

The council’s longest stretch of business was the five zoning items tied to 1285 E. Union Ave., all of which were defeated, and all of which are covered separately. Members otherwise moved briskly through 11 more new business items, approving every one: two TIF facade grants, a $31,900 campground change order, a $15,000 grant-application agreement, paramedic tuition, a police lieutenant salary, an $11,896 human resources review, a $35,000 traffic camera purchase, two surplus declarations and a $344,913 street sweeper. The council entered executive session at 7:26 p.m., returned at 7:51 p.m. and adjourned at 7:52 p.m.

Park District Open to Soccer Field Partnership

City Administrator Breann Vazquez told the council she recently attended a park district meeting and found the district would be in favor of an intergovernmental agreement to extend the soccer fields by the community center. Fleming said the district is interested in partnering to add three additional soccer fields to the existing ground. Vazquez said the district asked for additional cost estimates — on the city’s side for regrading, and on the district’s side for any seeding that would be necessary — along with plans showing the drainage system that would be used. “We are moving forward with those deliverables,” she said, adding that she will bring the information to both the council and the park district before determining whether an intergovernmental agreement makes sense.

State Inspectors Praise Lake Lou Yeager Beach

Fleming told the council that within the past week the Illinois Department of Public Health inspected the beach at Lake Lou Yeager and reported it was one of the best in Illinois. The mayor said the inspector called it one of the cleanest and most well-run beaches in the state, and asked for applause for the lake department. Alderperson Robbin Huffman followed with news of the lake’s 60th birthday celebration, an “Embrace the Lake” event set for Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. The mayor described Embrace the Lake as a newly organized citizen group. Event information was described at the meeting as available on the group’s website and Facebook page, with plans for live music, food trucks and games in a fair-style setup.

Oil-and-Chip Redo Set for Early September

Alderperson Joshua Hughes asked Vazquez for the status of streets that produced poor outcomes from last year’s oil-and-chip work. Vazquez said all streets done last year are scheduled to be re-oiled and chipped Sept. 1-3, 2026, weather permitting. She said the city worked with HMG engineers, who recommended the rock and the oil and are confident the work will go well this year. Overseeing it will be the city’s new director of public works, who Vazquez said joined the city that week, working alongside the street superintendent. The minutes record the same schedule and the same weather qualification.

Council Marks Two Street Department Retirements

Fleming announced the retirements of Bill Meyer and Curt Evans, both of whom he described as street department institutions. “Bill Meyer, he knew everything in the street department,” the mayor said. “Everything underground was in his head. The man did so much for the city of Litchfield.” He said Meyer worked for the city for 34 years and Evans for 22, and asked those present for a round of applause. “They will most certainly be missed,” Fleming said. The retirements were noted in the mayor’s city report and were not the subject of any council action.

Lieutenant Salary Set at $95,000 for FY2027

The council unanimously approved an ordinance setting the salary of the police department’s lieutenant position at $95,000 for fiscal year 2027, on a motion by Alderperson Bert Holloway seconded by Alderperson Robbin Huffman. The staff memo states the council previously approved the lieutenant position and that general funds are available; the recommendation came from the city administrator, the chief of police and the alderman liaison. Two sections of the draft ordinance included in the council packet — Sections 3 and 5 — refer instead to the elected city clerk’s compensation and to the ordinance taking effect when the city clerk is sworn in after the next election. Discussion at the meeting was brief and largely inaudible on the recording.

City to Pay $15,500 for Two Paramedic Students

The council unanimously approved payment to The School of EMS for an amount not to exceed $15,500, on a motion by Alderperson Marilyn Sisson seconded by Alderperson Sara Zumwalt. The staff memo states two employees are being sent to paramedic school and that the expense was budgeted in the training budget of the Ambulance Fund. The attached invoice, dated July 14, 2026, from The EMS Training School, LLC, doing business as School of EMS, bills the City of Litchfield Fire Department for two online medic class paramedic tuitions at $8,250 each, totaling $16,500, less a $1,000 discount for employer-sponsored students, for a balance due of $15,500. The invoice due date is Aug. 13, 2026.

CMT Hired to Prepare IEPA Section 319 Grant Application

The council unanimously approved a professional services agreement with Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc. to prepare an application for a Section 319 grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, at a lump sum not to exceed $15,000. Alderperson Robbin Huffman made the motion, seconded by Alderperson Bob Garcia. The staff memo states a Notice of Funding Opportunity has been released for another round of 319 funding and that the firm has assisted the city in securing funds from previous rounds to riprap areas of the lake as a shoreline protection measure. Fleming described the work at the meeting as erosion control and riprap at the lake, noting the city has received several rounds of the funding. The agreement, signed by the firm July 30, 2026, covers the 2026 fiscal cycle. General funds are available.

Water Treatment Plant Equipment Declared Surplus

The council unanimously approved an ordinance declaring water department personal property surplus and authorizing its sale or disposal, on a motion by Alderperson Bob Garcia seconded by Alderperson Dwayne Gerl. The staff memo states the Litchfield Water Treatment Plant has accumulated monitors, computer towers, printers, a television and other miscellaneous equipment that is no longer serviceable, technically obsolete or has been replaced. It states the hard drive contents of one computer were copied to a thumb drive and the machine moved to the operator’s office before the hard drive crashed beyond repair. Asked at the meeting why the item was added, Vazquez said information on the computer needed to be extracted first and that work is now complete.

Election Official Appointed; Routine Reports Approved

The council unanimously appointed Casey Logsdon as election official, on a motion by Alderperson Sara Zumwalt seconded by Alderperson Dwayne Gerl. Under other business, the council unanimously approved the minutes of the regular July 16, 2026, meeting and unanimously approved the expenditure report and payroll report for the current period. No discussion or questions were recorded on any of the three items. There was no old business. The official minutes were submitted by City Clerk Kerry Hopkins and are attested with the city seal.

Council Meets in Closed Session for 25 Minutes

The council voted unanimously to enter executive session at 7:26 p.m. on a motion by Alderperson Sara Zumwalt seconded by Alderperson Robbin Huffman. The agenda cites two exemptions under the Illinois Open Meetings Act: discussion of minutes of a meeting lawfully closed under the act, under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(21), and the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees, under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1). The council returned to regular session at 7:51 p.m. and then unanimously approved the executive session minutes from July 16, 2026. No formal action can be taken in closed session; the only recorded action following the return was the approval of those minutes. The meeting adjourned at 7:52 p.m.