February 23, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Live at Ogden Village Board

We are here at Ogden Village Board. I am masked up cause #idontwantcovid


Jim Haan is remote.
The Ogden Rose Library guest WIFI is kinda letting me down tonight.

Bills.

Resident discussing off-road vehicles speeding through town. Resident is taking another resident to court over “threats made by the parents of these kids.”

“They aren’t just riding to ride they are riding to harass.”

You can’t drive ATVs on village roads.

https://static.secure.website/wscfus/10334908/6265890/battery-or-gas-scooter-2-to-4-wheel.pdf


Lawyer is discussing library situation. Not sure if it is a separate entity, a library district, ect. The county clerk said they don’t bring in funds so… no one seems sure if they are “village entity” or a separate entity.

The lawyer is saying if the library is a separate entity he can’t do both because it was conflict.

He won’t talk about other issues at this meeting.

Sounds like a mess but they are trying not to talk about whatever went on directly so…IDK The library board president resigned and so did the board clerk.

I will say that the Ogden Library is really nice and they host a nice Santa event. #thatsalliknow

Parks are only open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. if there is an active ball game then the park closes when the ball game is over which has to be 11 p.m.

Now they are discussing fines if they don’t follow this ordinance.
Haan asking how the ordinance will be enforced and if the county will know what the hours are and how to be enforced. Lawyer saying they have to have a sign.

“We need to order that sign right away and not take three months to get it up,” Sue Esposito said.

If you are in the park after the official hours you can get a $50 fine.


The Village Board of Ogden decided not to raise the pay of future board.
“When I started it was $50,” Sue Esposito said. “Now it is $100 and that is what St. Joseph gets. I think that’s enough for what we do here.”

The issue was raised because pay raises have to be given 180 days before the beginning of the terms of officers whose compensation would be affected.

The board cannot increase the salary of elected officials during their term of office.
The Illinois Municipal Code states that salaries or other compensation shall not be increased or diminished so as to take effect during the term of any officer
holding an elective office.

The village of Ogden’s parks were struck by vandals.
A bench was knocked over and a concrete bench was broken.
Clerk Jennifer Bowman said cameras the village has in the parks caught the vandals.
“We can see who they are but we don’t know who they are,” she said.
Bowman told the village board that it was three boys and a girl who were at least driving age.
The board discussed whether the vandalism at PVO South is related to the vandalism at the park.

Ogden is exploring whether they can hold their annual movie in the park event.
The event is held at the baseball diamond.
“We may be able to pull off a movie in the park,” said Trustee Sue Esposito. “It’s a big area and it’s usually 50 people or less in a huge area.”
Trustee Kelly Cooper said the village insurance company told her they will not cover events until the state is in Phase 5. Esposito said she would
call the company again for clarification.

There is still a cat problem in Ogden.
A resident in Ogden who said they would stop feeding the feral cats did not stop feeding them and has messed with the traps set by Animal Control.
The resident has been fined $1,400 for unregistered animals on their property.

Sonja discussing speeding in the village. The village is going to ask the County to bring out a radar sign. The village previously had one in town and it did make people slow down.

The auditors said that there are not enough internal controls. Small villages get knocked for this every year. #nobiggie

Sue’s still trying to find a way to give away easter eggs.



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