Litchfield Adds Two Stop Signs at N. Monroe and Sallee

Article Summary: The Litchfield City Council voted 7-0 on Sept. 3 to amend the municipal code to add two stop signs at the intersection of N. Monroe and Sallee, one northbound and one southbound on N. Monroe, at a budgeted cost of $300 from general funds.

N. Monroe and Sallee Stop Signs Key Points:

The intersection is a four-way with no stop signs in any direction, according to the city’s agenda memo.

Two signs will be posted on N. Monroe, one northbound and one southbound.

Budget impact is two signs at $100 each, for $300 from general funds.

The sponsoring alderperson said a resident raised the issue because of student traffic in the area.

LITCHFIELD — The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, unanimously approved an ordinance amending the city’s stop intersection schedule to add two stop signs at N. Monroe and Sallee, a change city staff described as preventative.

Alderperson Bert Holloway made the motion, seconded by Alderperson Joshua Hughes. The roll call was 7-0.

The agenda memo describes N. Monroe Street at Sallee as a four-way intersection with no stop signs present in any direction, and states that Sallee traffic does not stop going east and west, causing a potential traffic hazard. “At this intersection, vehicles traveling in any direction could easily enter the intersection thinking they have the right of way and cause a significant traffic collision,” the memo states. It specifies that one stop sign will be northbound on N. Monroe and the other southbound on N. Monroe. Budget impact is listed as two signs at $100 per sign, or $300, with general funds available. The memo lists the city administrator, chief of police, alderman liaison and mayor as recommending approval.

A Resident’s Call

Holloway, who sponsored the item, told the council the change began with a resident contact. “I had been reached out to by a citizen,” he said, describing N. Monroe as a very busy stretch when students are traveling to school. He said the resident reported that drivers are not paying attention and are “diving out very quickly there,” and warned it was going to cause a wreck.

“Even though we know that’s a right-of-way there, I think some folks maybe need a reminder that there are kids driving on that road and we don’t want something bad to happen,” he said. “So that’s why we’re just going ahead and doing a little preventative.”

Another member noted the council placed stop signs elsewhere on N. Harrison not long ago for similar reasons, describing heavy morning traffic and student drivers in a hurry. A council member added that the city is working on new sidewalks in the area so students do not have to walk in the roadway, and said the work is expected in the near future.

What the Ordinance Changes

The ordinance in the packet amends the city code’s Schedule I – Stop Intersections, adding two rows for N. Monroe Street, one at the northbound intersection of N. Monroe and Sallee and one at the southbound intersection. The schedule in the packet shows the city most recently added stop signs on N. Harrison — at Sallee and at Chapin — by Ordinance 3832, passed May 21, 2026.

The agenda item and the motion both describe the change as amending Section 71.01 of the municipal code, while the ordinance document itself is captioned as amending Title VII, Chapter 76, Traffic Schedules, Schedule I – Stop Intersections. No ordinance number, implementation date or passage date had been filled in on the copy of the ordinance included in the packet.