Community News
Gillespie Council votes to implement one percent sales tax
Members of the Gillespie City Council on Monday night voted unanimously to implement a one percent Public Safety sales tax on retail goods sold in Gillespie. Council members also voted to declare approximately 56 acres of wooded land at Gillespie Lake as surplus property and offer it for sale.
A motion to implement the Public Safety tax by Ald. Frank Barrett, seconded by Ald. Wendy Rolando, was unanimously approved. Under legislation approved by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor, the city is authorized to impose the tax without the formality of a referendum. The state law essentially allows the city to replace a one percent grocery tax formerly collected by the state with a one percent Public Safety sales tax on all retail goods. The legislation requires revenue from the new tax to be earmarked for public safety, meaning the revenue will be deposited to the Police Fund.
A referendum on the tax this spring was soundly defeated by voters by a margin of 2:1.
“When I ran for Mayor, I swore that if this came up, I’d veto it,” said Mayor Landon Pettit. “Now that I’m sitting in this chair, I can see this is something we have to do.”
The new tax will become effective on Jan. 1, 2026, and is expected to generate approximately $230,000.
The sales tax was just one measure proposed by the Finance Committee to generate additional revenue for the city. Based on the committee’s recommendations, Mayor Pettit directed City Attorney Rick Verticchio to draft proposed ordinances to add a $1 surcharge water customers’ sewer bills, and to authorize collecting a three percent processing fee for all credit card/debit card transactions. Both ordinances will be presented in November. If approved, they will become effective Jan. 1.
“We’re probably going to have to look at this every year,” Pettit said, regarding the sewer bill surcharge. “We need to build up our sewer fund because we’re going have to tackle a sewer project in the next couple of years. Our sewer system is in terrible shape.”
Verticchio also will write an ordinance amendment to raise the fees for bulk sewer dumping to $50 for the first 1,000 gallons, plus five cents per gallon for each gallon in excess of 1,000.
“We are the only city around that has a bulk sewer dump,” said Ethan Martin, who manages the city’s sewer system. In addition, he said, the city’s rates for dumping bulk sewage is less than the nearest alternative facilities, meaning sewage haulers drive the additional distance to add bulk system to the city’s treatment system.
Finance Committee Chair Wendy Rolando said the committee also is looking into the potential for raising lake lot leasing fees.
“We have two departments that can be combined,” Pettit said, further discussing the committee’s work. “That will even out things for us.” He said one of the biggest problems the city faces is restrictions on what can be spent from specific line items in the city’s financial structure. Combining departments will combine appropriations, enabling the city to spend from a lump sum rather than a limited specific appropriation.
“These are minimal increases,” Pettit said. “Most people probably won’t notice them.”
“We’re making small increases,” Rolando noted, to avoid having to approve larger increases down the road.
SURPLUS LAKE PROPERTY
Council members voted unanimously to declare as surplus and offer for sale via sealed bids some 57 acres of wooded property associated with Gillespie Lake. The property lay on the west side of the New Lake and shares a portion of its boundary with the Old Lake. The city will retain a band equal to 150 feet from the high water mark along the Old Lake, and 50 feet from the high water mark along the New Lake. The bands of land being retained will allow the city to have access for maintenance.
Bids will be opened and acted upon at the Nov. 10 city council meeting.
There was some discussion of having an online or live auction for the property, but Verticchio said the city could save 10 to 20 percent by conducting the sale independently.
“You can place a notice in the newspaper,” Verticchio said. “If you don’t get an acceptable bid, then you can consider an auction.”
NEW BACKHOE
After several minutes of discussion, the council passed an emergency measure allowing the Mayor to act on the purchase of a new backhoe, provided the cost is $189,000 or less, and to sign documents with United Community Bank to finance the purchase.
The city had planned to trade in its current backhoe, but the current backhoe’s transmission failed this week, significantly reducing the trade in value. Before the current backhoe failed, the city had gotten a price of $156,134 for a replacement machine with a trade-in. Since the value of the trade-in has been reduced, the final cost to the city is not known at this time.
“Without a backhoe, we’re pretty much done,” said Mayor Pettit, summarizing the situation.
The new backhoe will come with a standard bucket, plus forks and a grapple bucket.
In the future, Pettit recommended trading machines at 20,000 to 30,000 hours to retain trade in value.
CITY ENGINEER SHAKE-UP
Mayor Pettit introduced Brian Kulick and Danielle Juneau, representing Juneau and Associates, Inc., Granite City, an engineering firm Pettit retained after firing the firm overseeing the Plum Street improvement project. Juneau will replace Henneghan and Associates, Jerseyville, whom the council retained in December last year, after the previous firm allegedly botched Motor Fuel Tax project cost estimates.
“We were told they were waiting on the state,” Pettit said of the project. “The state told them back in July to send paperwork. It turns out they didn’t do it, so I fired them.”
Ald. Janet Odell-Mueller later confirmed Pettit’s account, reporting that she contacted IDOT and discovered the engineering firm had not filed paperwork requested by the state. The discrepancy apparently is a somewhat technical issue regarding expenditure of Motor Fuel Tax funds. Henneghan reportedly classified the project as a maintenance project, similar to oiling and chipping streets. Because of the specifications for the project, it reportedly should have been deemed a construction project vs regular maintenance.
Ald. Odell-Mueller said she attempted to call Henneghan several times without success and left a voicemail to which the firm did not respond.
In a separate action, the council gave Pettit power to act in signing an amended resolution providing Community Unit School District 7 a permanent right to run bus traffic on Plum Street. In exchange, the school district committed its share of CEJA grant money to help defray the cost of the Plum Street improvement project.
The delay resulting from the engineers’ omission postponed the Plum Street project until next spring. The project includes reinforcing underlayment at the intersections and other work designed to help the street hold up to school bus traffic. In the meantime, Pettit said street crews will use hot asphalt patch to patch the street and will clean ditches to improve drainage, hoping to mitigate against damage during the winter months.
In an another matter affecting bus traffic, the Mayor Pettit announced that city workers will be replacing culverts on Francis and Western streets with work starting “within a week.” Only one of the streets will be closed at a time.
“When we’re working on Francis, you can continue to use Western,” Pettit told CUSD 7 Transportation Director Tim Besserman, who attended the meeting.
CITYWIDE TRASH PICK-UP
After a lengthy discussion, the council directed City Attorney Verticchio to draft a proposed ordinance for action next month establishing a city-wide trash pick-up service. Nearby communities such as Mount Olive and Benld have implemented similar programs using a single vendor to pick-up trash weekly throughout the municiaplity. Ald. Dona Rauzi said the program will save city residents money, since the contract to haul trash will be the lowest bidder.
Residential pick-up could be as low as $19.45, several dollars less than what residents currently pay. Senior citizens could pay as little as $17.20. In addition to lowering costs for consumers, the winning bidder will provide for two annual city-wide clean-ups when consumers can get rid of larger items.
“I think this is something we should pursue,” said Ald. Roando, “but I don’t think we should approve it without having an informational meeting for the public.”
Verticchio advised against holding a public meeting before approving an ordinance. Input from such a meeting would be skewed, he said, because people opposing the measure will be motivated to attend while others stay home. He recommended passing the ordinance, then scheduling a public meeting to explain how the program will work.
One of the major objections in other communities, he said, has been from people who want to keep their current trash hauler.
“If you’re so attached to your trash hauler, you can do that,” he said. “But you’ll still be paying the assessment for city-wide pick-up.”
Rauzi said the City Clerk’s office told her that the city’s software couldn’t add a separate fee for trash pick-up to monthly water bills. But Verticchio suggested there should be a way to merge the trash bill with the water bill.
“If you bill it separately, what are you going to do if they don’t pay it?” Verticchio asked. “If it’s part of your water bill and you don’t pay it, we can shut the water off.”
Verticchio is expected to have a draft ordinance ready for council action next month.
STUTZ PAYMENT
The council voted unanimously to make a second payment to Stutz Excavating in the amount of $317,319.32 for work completed on the downtown Streetscape Project.
Pettit said city officials have been trimming the scope of the Project to keep the costs down. So far, the city has removed side streets from the plan and eliminated some street lights. Combined with other cuts, he said the project is currently nearly $1 million below the engineer’s $4 million cost estimate.
“We’re keeping everything as tight as we can,” Pettit said.
FRANCIS STREET SEWER
Ald. Bob Fritz reported that a proposal to salvage a deteriorating sewer line on Francis Street turned out to be far more expensive than the city can afford. Fritz said VisuSewer told him that before a lining could be installed, the sewer line would have to be cleaned and videoed. At $50 per linear foot, cleaning and videoing the 4,179 feet of the Francis Street sewer to come to more than $60,000.
PARK CAMERAS
Mayor Pettit asked the Park Department to look into the cost of installing surveillance cameras at Big Brick and Welfare parks. Additionally, he asked to investigate the cost of offering wifi and the two facilities.
“I think that’s one area where we’re lacking,” Pettit said. “Most places have wifi in their parks.”
GUESTS
Mike Nelson, representing Frontier Fiber Optic, reported to the council that company plans to start installing fiber optic cables in the city as part of a project to improve access to internet connectivity.
“We’re doing a massive build up in fiber optic,” Nelson said. “We’re going as fast as we can but not too fast. We won’t do anything ahead of a permit. We’re going to work with you” to avoid problems.
He said the company will be consulting with the city to locate underground utilities and other potential issues and the project proceeds.
Emily Martin, representing the Christmas Sparkle committee, appeared before the council to confirm the city could provide a storage area for a large commercial Christmas tree if the committee can afford to purchase it. Dan Fisher with Grow Gillespie said the group plans to use about $3,500 in CEJA grant money earmarked for promoting festivals. The Village of East Gillespie also has committed some CEJA funds to purchase the tree, and CUSD 7 has committed to covering the balance.
SURPLUS PROPERTY BIDS
The council accepted a high bid of $750 from Roger Conlee to purchase an F-350 pick-up truck declared surplus property by the council last month. One other bidder submitted a bid of $580 for the vehicle.
The council also accepted a bid of $678.18 from Everything Free Marketing, Ohio, to purchase a surplus Ford Taurus. Everything Free Marketing was the sole bidder for the vehicle.
No action followed a 35-minute executive session to discuss personnel issues.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the council:
- Approved a resolution declaring a small parcel of property owned by the city as surplus and trading it to CUSD 7 in exchange for a property on Park Avenue which will give the city access to Bear Creek for maintenance work. The Board of Education approved the exchange late last month.
- Voted to donate $500 to support a Project Third Day golf tournament. Project Third Day raises funds to ensure underserved students have access to lunch and breakfast on weekends and other days when local schools are not open.
- Declared a wooded parcel at the end of Hickory Street as surplus property and offer the property for sale via sealed bids.
- Approved the appointment of John VanDoren to fill a vacancy on the Gillespie Zoning Board.
- Approved an ordinance dedicating a city-owned alleyway as East Burton Street.
- Approved a resolution to support an application for grant funding under the Safe Routes To School program.
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Gillespie will host a Community Blood Drive with ImpactLife, the provider of blood components for local hospitals. The blood drive will be from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Monday, May 11 at 900 Broadway, inside Gillespie Methodist Church Gym.
To donate, please contact Brenda Lowe at (217) 7101336 or visit www.bloodcenter.org and use code 60020 to locate the drive. Appointments are requested. You may also call ImpactLife at 800-747-5401 to schedule.
Potential donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission form available
through www.bloodcenter.org) and weigh more than 110 pounds. A photo I.D. is required to donate.
For questions about eligibility, please call ImpactLife at (800) 7475401. Donors who last gave blood on or before March 16, 2026, are eligible to give at this drive.
Blood donation is a safe, simple procedure that takes about 45 minutes to one hour. Individuals with diabetes or controlled high blood pressure may be accepted as eligible donors.
ImpactLife is a nonprofit community organization providing blood products and services to more than 100 hospitals and emergency medical service providers in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin, as well as researchers and resource sharing partners across the country.
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Members of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education on Wednesday night approved a package of four capital improvement projects totaling more than $160,000 in value. Work will start on the projects after the end of the current school year and is expected to be completed before the start of the 2026-27 academic year in August.
The board met on Wednesday night after Monday’s inclement weather forced the district to reschedule the board’s regular monthly meeting.
The board approved entering into a contract with Fisher Tracks, Boone, Iowa, to resurface the district’s all-weather track at a cost of $105,209. Supt. Shane Owsley told the board the district will use about $50,000 from an all-weather track activity fund, with the remainder to be paid with proceeds from an alternate revenue bond issue approved last year for capital improvements.
Great Western Abatement, Jerseyville, was retained to remove flooring containing asbestos from the choir room floor and middle school gymnasium school at a cost of $40,700. Great Western’s bid was the lowest of seven bids, ranging up to $65,000, submitted for the work. Additionally, the district is paying $8,900 to Reliable Environmental Services, Springfield, for engineering and design work associated with the asbestos removal.
All-purpose rubberized flooring material will be installed on the middle school gym floor by Dynamic Sports Construction, Leander, Texas, at a cost of $51,424.
For the first time in a number of years, the high school gymnasium floor will be sanded and refinished with new artwork. Blast Technologies, St. Louis, was hired to sand the 4,200-square-foot floor at a cost of $5,250. Designs Unlimited, Pinckneyville, will paint game lines and logos on the floor before sealing it with a clear stain at a cost not to exceed $18,738.
The board also accepted a bid of $33,890 from DeLaurent Construction, Wilsonville, to resurface the 118,700-square-foot parking lot at Benld Elementary School.
Though no action was taken, Board President Mark Hayes reported that the Building and Grounds Committee had directed Owsley to investigate the cost of replacing the CUSD 7 administrative building.
“This building is very much in need of replacement,” Hayes said. “It’s beyond its time.” During Monday’s torrential rainfall, Hayes said water came in through windows and water seeped in under the sill plate, bringing displaced nightcrawlers into the building. Staff members ran fans after the storm in an effort to dry out the interior.
According to Hayes, the school has been in contact with the local Baptist Church to investigate the possibility of acquiring the former Trinity Baptist Church for use as an administrative building. Church officials, however, have not yet made a decision about the fate of the former sanctuary after Gillespie’s two Baptist churches merged.
Owsley said the current administrative building comprises about 6,000 square feet. Current estimates are $400 per square foot for new construction which would translate into about $2.5 million to replace the administrative facility. The district might be able to shave some dollars off that estimate by reducing the size of the building.
“There’s a lot of unusable space in this building,” Owsley said, suggesting a more efficient floorpan could reduce cost. He also mentioned the possibility of a basement to provide storage space for outdated documents.
In addition to construction costs, Owsley noted, the district would be responsible for tearing down the existing building.
“I have no idea what’s in this building,” Owsley said, raising abatement concerns. “I’m guessing disposal of this building is going to be expensive.”
Hayes said Kevin Wills, the district’s bond issue advisor, will attend the June board meeting to discuss the possibility of refinancing some existing bonds to free up enough revenue to build a new administrative building. The administration currently is housed in a “temporary” structure that has served as the administration building for several decades.
MINE SUBSIDENCE STUDY
After several minutes of discussion, the board took no action in relation to entering into a contract with Marino Engineering and Associates to assess the district’s risk for incurring damage from a mine subsidence event. Owsley said existing maps show that portions of Gillespie Middle School are undermined. While the high school is not undermined, a major subsidence would likely damage the high school as well as the middle school. In recent months, more than one residential home on Elm Street near the school property has experienced damage from mine subsidence.
Marino’s $94,000 Phase I proposal would “determine the likelihood of something happening to one of our buildings,” Owsley said. The problem is that too much information could negatively impact the district’s ability to purchase subsidence insurance. “Information is great until it’s not.”
The district currently pays about $300,000 for mine subsidence insurance on the middle school, high school and vocational arts building. The school carries no subsidence insurance on BenGil Elementary because mine shafts under the building were grouted before the school was built.
“If we find out there’s not a major concern,” Owsley noted, it could reduce the district’s subsidence insurance costs.
On the other hand, if the study reveals a high risk of experiencing mine subsidence, the insurer could drop the district at the end of the current policy’s term. With only two companies in the country offering subsidence insurance, the district could end up with no insurance at all to cover damage from mine subsidence.
The only way to avoid that scenario would be to implement whatever options Marino might recommend to reduce risk. Those recommendations would likely include grouting (backfilling) mine shafts under the middle school. Grouting for the elementary school cost $4 million. To grout under the middle school would likely run as much as $6 million or more.
The only way the study would make sense, Owsley suggested, would be if the district was “comfortable making the corrections the study is going to make.”
Moreover, $94,000 would cover only a preliminary assessment.
“To get a full understanding of what’s going on underground, we’d be looking at a half million dollars,” said Owsley.
The issue was allowed to die when no board member moved to consider the contract.
COMMUNITY SOLAR PARTICIPATION
On a motion by Bill Carter, seconded by Weye Schmidt, the board voted unanimously to enter into a contract with Summit Ridge Solar to participate in a community solar project. Under terms of the 15-year contract, the district will realize a 13 percent savings on electrical power bills. The contract is automatically renewable for five years unless the district chooses to withdraw.
“Illinois provides a number of incentives for using solar,” Owsley said. “However, not everyone likes the look of having solar panels on their property. This will get us the benefits without putting up solar panels on our property.”
Summit Ridge’s proposal was the most lucrative of the proposals the district received. Other companies offered shorter terms with savings of five percent.
After 20 years, it’s likely the savings would drop to five percent. Owsley said he was told the district was better off going with the longer contract to get 13 percent in savings for as long as possible.
The school district was able to secure such favorable rates, according to Owsley is because there is an issue with solar fields storing the power they generate. “Our main usage time is during their maximum production time.”
DISTRICT FOCUS
During a District Focus segment, the board recognized sophomore Matrix Wright, whose art was the only entry from the United States included in the 2026 TOLI International Student Art Exhibition. The exhibition is a project of The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies in New York. The exhibit includes student art relating to themes associated with the Holocaust.
Wright’s work, entitled “An Immortal Continuum,” attempts to portray “the constant entrapment a Holocaust survivor might feel.”
Exhibition organizers received more than 250 entries from around the globe.
BUDGET PROCESS
On a motion by Peyton Bernot, seconded by Board President Hayes, board members voted unanimously to begin work on developing a district budget for fiscal 2027. Board members also approved a routine measure to permit expenditure of fiscal 2027 funds after July 1, pending approval of a new budget.
The school district’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30 but new budgets typically are approved two to four months after the start of the fiscal year.
The current fiscal year’s $19 million budget was approved in September last year.
PERSONNEL
Following a one-hour executive session to discuss personnel and other issues, the board voted unanimously to approve the request of long-time middle school English and language arts teacher Kim Henderson, effective at the end of the 2028-29 school year.
Board members also voted unanimously to hire Andrew Crook as a first-year, non-tenured high school English teacher for the 2026-27 school year, pending documentation of certification and a routine background check. A graduate of Gillespie High School, Crook earned his teaching certificate at Illinois College, Jacksonville and for the past two years, he taught English at North Mac High School.
In separate actions, the board made multiple assignments to staff the district’s summer school program. Those hired include: Jessica Kelly as a middle school teacher, Ashlee Gibbs as a high school math teacher, and Jennifer Brown and Rob Macias as high school drivers’ education instructors. Each of the positions are contingent upon adequate student enrollment to offer the classes. In addition to academic staff, the board hired Andy Hirstein as a summer school food service worker.
The board voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Foli Seferi as high school paraprofessional and as assisted football coach. Both resignations are effective immediately.
In other personnel action, the board appointed Cate Plovich as the BenGil Elementary School yearbook sponsor, and appointed Josh Ross as a volunteer assistant football coach, pending documentation of certification and a routine background check.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board:
• Approved a mens highs school soccer coop with the Carlinville School District, with the provision Carlinville will dissolve the agreement if it pushes its program into a higher competitive classification.
• Approved an intergovernmental agreement with Lewis and Clark Community College under which the college will recognize some high school courses as college level credits.
• Approved early graduation requests for an undisclosed number of students, provided all graduation requirements are met.
• Approved renewing the district’s membership in the Illinois Elementary Schools Association.
• Approved the final calendar for the 2025-26 school year pending no further emergency days. Barring the use of emergency days, Monday, May 18 will be the last day of student attendance, with graduation ceremonies set at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 17.
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One of the greatest annual events in American sports is the Saturday is the Kentucky Derby, which will be run for the 152nd time this Saturday. One past champion was bred in Macoupin County.
This week marks 137 years since the victory of Spokane, who captured the 1889 Kentucky Derby during the infancy of the event. The horse was bred at “The Meadows,” the farm of Gen. Richard Rowett one mile north of Carlinville.
Rowett horses, and their jockey colors of orange jacket and blue cap, were on tracks throughout the west and south. But Spokane was the greatest production of The Meadows, a nationally recognized breeding ground for thoroughbreds.
In 1885, a prized dark brown horse named Hyder Ali was standing at The Meadows when Rowett bred him to one of his top mares, Interpose. This pairing had produced favorable offspring in the past, including Grey Cloud, a fine racer owned by Noah Armstrong of the Doncaster Ranch near Twin Bridges in the Montana Territory.
Armstrong’s famous stable included such horses as Lord Raglan, the third-place finisher in the 1883 Kentucky Derby. When Rowett offered Interpose for sale late in 1885, Armstrong, familiar with the high quality of Rowett stock, purchased the pregnant mare and her suckling filly, Madelin, for the price of $1,000 and shipped the brood to Montana.
The Doncaster Ranch was known for its spectacular, three-story round barn that featured an indoor track. While in Spokane in the Washington Territory on business, Armstrong received word of the birth of Interpose’s colt. In honor of the city, he named the colt Spokane.
Spokane showed great promise as a two-year-old, winning two of five starts in 1888, and Armstrong entered him in the 1889 Kentucky Derby. Although a premier race, the Derby had not achieved the monumental status it enjoys today.
The race was run on May 9, 1889–a Thursday–in front of a crowd of 25,000, a fraction of the throngs that fill Churchill Downs today.
Home state favorite Proctor Knott was the overwhelming favorite at 1-to-2, while the relatively unknown Spokane was listed at 10-to-1 odds. That was enough for Frank James, brother of outlaw Jessie and a regular at countless tracks.
James, flush with a windfall of $2,400 from an earlier race that day, asked a bookmaker of the odds on Spokane. The reply was “Ten-to-one and the sky’s the limit.” James threw down $5,000 on Spokane, causing the bookmaker to reply, “As far as I’m concerned, that’s the sky!”
Under jockey Thomas Kiley, Spokane edged Proctor Knott by a head, setting a record at 2:34 ½ over the mile-and-a-half layout (it was changed to a mile and a quarter in 1896). He remains the only Kentucky Derby winner ever born in Montana.
Proving the win was no fluke, Spokane again beat Proctor Knott five days later at the Clark Stakes in Louisville. On June 22, Spokane won another key race of the era, the American Derby at Washington Park in Chicago, to become the first horse to win both races in the same season.
Back in Illinois, Rowett did not live to see the triumph of Spokane, as he died on July 13, 1887. His death was covered on page one of the New York Times the following day.
In addition to breeding, Rowett is also remembered as the first to introduce the true-bred beagle hound to this country from his native England. Prior to that, he was a Civil War officer and state politician.
The only horse actually born in Illinois to win the Kentucky Derby was the 1970 champion, Dust Commander.
Tom Emery of Carlinville, who wrote the award-winning biography Richard Rowett: Thoroughbreds, Beagles, and the Civil War, may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
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