Community News
Benld Council approves distillery liquor license, implements sales tax for public safety purposes
Once infamous for bootlegging during Prohibition, the City of Benld will soon have a legal whisky distilling operation. City Council members voted unanimously last Monday night to approve a liquor license for Lone Oak Craft Distillery, located at 202 East Central Avenue.
Owner Mike Bruhn constructed a new building to house the venture, which is set to open sometime next month. Bruhn reportedly commissioned another distillery to produce whisky using his recipe and protocols so Lone Oak will have bottles for sale upon opening. Whisky actually produced in the Benld facility will have to age in oak barrels before being bottled and marketed.
Lone Oak Craft Distillery is Benld’s first “legal” distilling operation. A century ago, federal agents seized and destroyed the No. 5 Mine, a distilling operation disguised to look like a mining operation. The massive illegal operation featured two 50,000-gallon vats to hold illegal hooch.
PUBLIC SAFETY SALES TAX
With one dissenting vote, the council approved an ordinance authorizing the collection of a one-percent sales tax on taxable goods sold within the city limits, with the proceeds to be used for public safety purposes. The new tax will be collected starting Jan. 1, 2026.
Once the tax is implemented, city officials expect it to generate about $68,000 in additional revenue to help defray a $110,000 increase in the cost of providing police protection through the City of Gillespie. After several months of negotiations, the Benld Council agreed in July to a new contract calling for a cost increase from $240,000 per year $350,000 for the first year of a two-year contract. The second year rate is subject to negotiation based on increases in actual costs incurred by the City of Gillespie to provide the service.
The council approved the measure with a 4-1 vote on a motion by Ald. Jerry Saracco, seconded by Ald. John Balzraine. Ald. Dustin Fletcher cast the sole negative vote. Voting “yes” were Ald. Saracco, Ald. Balzraine, Ald. Mickey Robinson, and Ald. Brant McFarland. Ald. Norm Emmons was absent.
CODE WAIVER
A reluctant city council voted 3-2 to authorize a building code waiver allowing property owner Keith Cadmus to temporarily place a double-wide mobile home on temporary pilings in lieu of a permanent foundation for a period of two years. The property, located at 301 S. First Street, is subject to a mine subsidence event that began in June 2023. The subsidence event is currently ongoing, making it problematic for Cadmus to build a permanent foundation.
The agreement is good for two years and requires Cadmus to post a $10,000 bond. The bond would be forfeited if Cadmus fails to have the mobile home on a permanent foundation at the end of two years.
Several aldermen questioned what would happen if the subsidence hasn’t stopped in two years. Subsidence events often are ongoing for as long as five years.
“The answer is that he has two years,” said City Attorney Rick Verticchio. “He could come back and ask the council to approve an extension. Otherwise the contract is binding. You’re making an exception to the rules because of mine subsidence.”
Aldermen also questioned how the contract would be enforced if Cadmus were to pass away and leave the property to his daughter, Courtney Davis, who plans to reside in the mobile home. Verticchio said the contract would be binding on the estate of the original owner in the event the owner died before the term of the agreement.
On a motion by Ald. Fletcher, seconded by Ald. Robinson, the council voted 3-2 to accept the agreement with the provision that the daughter’s name is added to the contract. Both Ald. Balzraine and Ald. McFarland voted against the measure.
PROPERTY TAX PAYMENTS
After several minutes of discussion, the council voted unanimously to pay property taxes on four city-owned parcels. The city owns several parcels throughout the city that were acquired as a result of condemnation proceedings. For some of those properties, the tax liability is the responsibility of the former owners or owners who recently purchased properties from the city. There also some city-owned parcels on which taxes have not been paid for the past two years and which ultimately will be offered at auction through the county’s tax sale.
On a motion by Ald. Fletcher, the council voted unanimously to pay property taxes on the following parcels the city wishes to keep:
• 215 E. Central Ave., $780.90
• 106 N. Main St., $243.08
* 109 S. Fourth St., $73.18
• A parcel on N. Second Street., $24.80
ADOPT-A-PET SOLICITATION
After hearing from guest Phil Cavoretto, the council voted to allow Adopt-A-Pet volunteers to solicit donations at the intersection of Central Avenue and Route 4, provided there is no ordinance against such activities. Volunteers will be required to stand on the Central Avenue side of the intersection to be within the city’s jurisdiction.
Cavoretto said Adopt-A-Pet volunteers have conducted similar fund-raising collections in Virden and Gillespie. The group tentatively plans to solicit donations on Sept. 6 or Sept. 7, or both in conjunction with Dud’s Bar and Grill’s anniversary events.
“My concern would be safety,” Ald. Saracco commented.
City Clerk Terri Koyne mentioned that the council may have approved an ordinance in the past to ban solicitations on the street. Ald. Fletcher’s motion to grant permission was made contingent upon a review of the City Code to determine whether or not such solicitations are allowed.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
No immediate action followed a 30-minute executive session presumably convened to discuss legal issues.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the council:
• Approved the mayor’s reappointment of Bill Bertetto, Don Chapman and Geraldine Bayse to three-year terms on the Benld Public Library Board.
• Approved the use of the city park for a Halloween Trunk of Treat event on Sunday, Oct. 26.
Comments
The Benld Public Library will host two Illinois state service events, providing convenient access to essential resources for area residents.
On Tuesday, May 5, the Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias Mobile Driver Services Unit will be on-site at the library. Services available will include written and road tests, driver’s license renewals, issuance and renewal of state identification cards, and the purchase of license plate stickers. No reservations are required. Please note that payment will be accepted by credit card or check only; cash will not be accepted.
Additionally, on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., staff from Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs’ Office will be available to assist residents through the I-Cash program. This service helps individuals locate and claim unclaimed property or missing money.
Both events will take place at the Benld Public Library, located at 308 East Central Avenue. The facility is accessible from both the parking lot and street parking.
For more information, please contact the Benld Public Library at 217-835-4045. Reservations are not required for either event.
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LITCHFIELD, Ill. — The HSHS St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary will sponsor a drive-thru dinner on Monday, May 11 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to support the hospital’s Family Maternity Center.
The meal will feature a grilled pork chop, loaded mashed potatoes, glazed carrots and a roll prepared by Nelson’s Catering of Springfield plus a dessert provided by the Auxiliary. Cost per meal is $15.
Dinners must be ordered by noon on Monday, May 4. Orders can be placed online at stfrancis-litchfield.org/dinners, or at the hospital gift shop. The drive-thru dinner pickup will take place in front of the main hospital entrance.
“We are excited to be continuing this series of drive-thru dinners that provide a convenient opportunity to take home a delicious meal while supporting our hospital’s Family Maternity Center and its patients,” shared Gwen Barcum, St. Francis Hospital’s Auxiliary President.
Additional drive-thru dinners with various menus will take place on June 8, July 13, Aug. 10, Sept. 14 and Oct. 12.
For more information, visit stfrancis-litchfield.org/events or call Gwen Barcum at 217-324-8678.
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An engineer from Juneau Associates, Inc. Edwardsville, outlined sweeping improvements to the city’s water and sewer systems that the city may opt to pursue in the future.
“Buckle up,” Mayor Landon Pettit told members of the city council before Anthony “Tony” Vercellino outlined immediate needs and potential future needs during the council’s regular monthly meeting Monday night, April 13.
Vercellino identified repairs and renovations to two sewer system lift stations as immediate needs that need to be addressed.
Though engineers did not yet have cost estimates, Vercellino said both pumps in the systems interceptor lift station are failing. Replacing the pumps with either grinder units or trash pumps is necessary to keep the lift station in operation. During previous meetings of the council, Sewer Department Manager Ethan Martin has said he has been having to replace pumps periodically to keep the lift station operable. One of the main culprits, both Martin and Vercellino said, are purportedly “flushable” baby wipes.
“They may say they’re flushable but they’re not,” Mayor Pettit said.
A main flow lift station is in need of a new electronic control panel to enable city employees to monitor the status of its operation off site.
In addition to the lift station work, Vercellino said Pettit asked him to draw up a proposal to create a designated site for waste haulers who add sewage to the city’s system for processing. Vercellino said the dedicated site would alleviate situations where waste haulers “pop a manhole cover” to unload waste.
Vercellino said he is working on a proposal for all three projects which presumably will include engineers’ cost estimates for council action at a later date.
For the longer term, Vercellino outlined a number of projects that would run into millions of dollars over a period of several years. He recommended seeking a low interest loan through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Agency to improve the city’s water and sewer systems.
“My recommendation is to get as much money as you are comfortable with,” Vercellino said, and pay it back over 30 years at an interest rate of one to two percent. Under the right circumstances, according to Pettit, the city may be eligible for forgiveness on as much as 30 to 60 percent of the principal
Vercellino said the long-term projects are not critical but would avoid problems in the future. “These are not critical projects,” he said. “You’re not being fined right now.”
One area in need of attention is the chemical storage area at the water treatment plant, which currently does not meet EPA standards. There also is a need to complete and pressure test a new supply line from between the lake and the treatment plant to deliver raw water. Vercellino said Juneau engineers also are looking at the possibility of raising the lake level in lieu of dredging to increase water storage capacity. Raising the water level one foot, he said, would result in an additional 1.3 million gallons and only minimally affect the shoreline profile.
According to Vercellino, the city should consider a hydraulic study to provide the city with “a computer model of the distribution system” in the city and satellite communities that get water from Gillespie. The study also would provide engineers with an understanding of where additional fire hydrants may be needed to not only improve water quality but also improve fire protection.
Vercellino also recommended getting flow testing done on existing hydrants in conjunction with the Community Unit 7 Fire Protection District’s annual hydrant flushing. Flow testing hasn’t been done since sometime in the 1990s and getting it done now should result in lower home insurance rates for homeowners.
“It’s not cheap to get flow testing done,” Vercellino said. “The fact the Fire Department is willing to do this with us is a major advantage.”
“One of the biggest problems we have is with maps and locating water and sewer lines,” Pettit said, adding that the city is using maps from the 1930s to find underground water and sewer lines. On his recommendation, the council voted unanimously to purchase a subsurface locator from Subsurface Solutions, Inc.,at a cost of $15,092.20, with the cost split evenly between the Water and Sewer funds.
Later in the meeting, Martin expounded on issues with the city’s two sewer system lift stations. In January, he said, the city installed a new $20,000 pump in the interceptor lift station only to have it burn out eight days later. The culprit, again, was “flushable” baby wipes clogging the trash system.
“We can’t continue to drop 20 grand every couple of months,” he said. “I can tell you, it’s not going to get any better.”
Ald. Dona Rauzi suggested asking resident to refrain from flushing baby wipes.
“It’s a problem everywhere, not just here,” said Ald. J.Q. Hatleman. “The problem is we have the wrong pump in that station.” He suggested seeking a $10 million loan for 10 years to address the issues at both lift stations.
Martin said IEPA is recommending the city repair aerators at the sewage lagoon and remove vegetation from rip-rap around the lagoon, but neither recommendation is a priority.
“These are recommendations,” Martin said. “These are things they want to see done but they’re not critical. We are not of noncompliance.”
BANK LOAN
On a motion by Ald. Wendy Rolando, seconded by Ald. Janet Odell-Mueller, the council approved a plan to open a line of credit with United Community Bank and secure it with a $125,000 certificate of deposit. Mayor Pettit said the city is renewing an existing $100,000 certificate of deposit and buying a new $125,000 certificate of deposit with money from the Water Department Fund.
The credit line will preclude the necessity for inter-fund loans that have to be paid back before the end of the fiscal year.
“This gets us out of the cycle we’ve been in the last few years,” Pettit said. “Essentially, we are borrowing our own money.” He said the interest rate on the loan is essentially the same what the city earns on the certificate of deposit.
LIBRARY ASSIST
Without taking formal action, the council generally agreed to loan the Public Library up to $10,000 if needed. Librarian Steve Joyce told the council the library may come up short on a roofing project if Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) grant money is not released in time.
Joyce said the library has been paying for improvements from the renovation fund but could run out of money while waiting for CEJA money to be released. The library was set to receive about $60,000 in CEJA dollars. It has already spent about $48,000 for repairs, an entry door, and materials for the roofing project.
“The roof needs to be fixed immediately,” Joyce said, adding that the library may not be able to come up with the balance without the city’s help. He asked the city to front the library $10,000 with the expectation the library would reimburse the city when CEJA funds are released.
Delays in releasing CEJA has been an increasingly common complaint from local governments who have committed to spending funds due to them.
“My understanding is that they are going through everything line by line,” Pettit said, before disbursing funds.
In a related CEJA matter, the council approved using CEJA funds to pay a $10,000 third installment for a Business Boot Camp that took place last year.
CIVIC CENTER RATES
The council unanimously approved a resolution implementing a rental fee structure for non-profit groups renting the Civic Center. Under the new rates, non-profit groups are exempted from paying a damage deposit fee.
STREETSCAPE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
On a motion by Ald. Rolando, the council set a limit of $10,000 to buy flowers and plants for green areas included in the extensive downtown Streetscape development. Rolando said she had consulted with La Bella Fiori to choose plants for the project, while Grow Gillespie members have volunteered to do weeding, watering and maintenance.
While included in the project scope, the landscaping aspect was not part of the contractor’s bid.
“If we’re going to do this, I really think we should do something with our Welcome to Gillespie signs,” Ald. Janet Odell-Mueller commented.
PAY ESTIMATE
On a motion by Ald. Rauzi, seconded by Mueller, the council unanimously approved payment of Pay Estimate No. 8 to Stutz Excavating, Alton, for work completed on the downtown Streetscape project.
“We’re getting close to the end,” Pettit noted. Work on the $4 million improvement project began earlier this year.
STREET ISSUE
A measure to vacate a portion of Virginia Street that is platted but has never developed, was tabled until May while City Attorney Rick Verticchio determines whether or not there is an easement that would preclude the action. Anita McLain, who asked for the measure, owns lots on Clinton Street on both sides of the undeveloped portion of Virginia Street.
“This is a road that doesn’t exist,” said Mayor Pettit. “The road behind it is in East Gillespie.”
Assuming there is no easement, “I don’t see any issue with this,” said Pettit. “It was previously used as a driveway.”
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
City aldermen approved a memorandum of understanding with the Village of Mt. Clare to link Mt. Clare’s storm siren system with Gillespie’s. The city has similar agreements with Benld and Wilsonville. City Attorney Verticchio said the agreement exempts the city from liability in the event the link does not work.
MOWER PURCHASE
The council gave the committee power to act on the purchase of two Cub Cadet self-propelled lawn mowers at a cost of about $680 each.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the council:
• Approved a business license for the Snack Shack, owned by Caysea Gray, at 201 W. Pine St.
• Agreed to pay $1,320.78 in delinquent property tax on 307 East Elm St. The property was acquired by the city through a nuisance property action. Now that it is owned by the city, the property will be tax exempt going forward.
• Approved a liquor license for the Coal Country Kitchen, formerly the Barracks, at 206 W. Spruce St.
• Approved a 60-day liquor license for Jumping’ Jimmy’s, 506 E. Elm St., pending the hiring of a new general manager.
