January 5, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, March 8

I am here so you don’t have to be.

VIllage Clerk Tiffany McElroy Smetzer is wearing a shamrock sweater which I can get down with because I am 75% plus Irish.

They are doing the minutes, bills, treasurer’s report. The stuff they gotta do but is boring. #itsbasicallyhousework

Crowd control: It’s just me. Said the St. Joseph DQ is going to be awesome and is going to hold a fundraiser for the splash pad. Date TBD.

Board is discussing the different type of residential zoning. R1, R2, R3, R4 are all different but barely. They are discussing when the zoning meetings are to discuss the updated zoning map. This does not have anything to do with Philo Exchange Bank. This is the zoning update they have discussed previously which was first discussed 5 years ago. (I know it was five years ago because I was on maternity leave with Sully.) #historicalknowledge #Nooneelsewouldknowthis #trivia

Picnic table time. There are 1800 pounds of bottle caps that have been collected. #somany The kids at Prince of Peace Early Learning Center count them, sort them, ect. then the village stores them and when there is enough they can have picnic tables and park benches made out of them.

Max Painter is discussing how they could do a park bench in honor of Ross Booker. It would cost $300 plus the plaque. Tami saying there is no set policy on this for the village. Tami is recommending the village order it and then people who want to donate to the cause donate towards the bench. So they are ordering four benches, one will be to honor Ross and if you want to donate towards it contact the village.

They are discussing a fee for people who want to do solar panels on their home or in their yard. Are there enough people in town that want solar panels that they need a fee? I guess so.

The fee for solar panels and wind turbines will be $50. #gogreeniguess

Discussing the minimum wage increase through 2025. Joe has information from other communities.

They have been discussing this for a while but it’s all theoretical so I am not going into it. Basically, they will eventually, sometime in the future discuss it again.

The next meeting will feature the village’s bond council. #pleasesendhelp #bondsareboring

The community survey results are in. I will get the results. #didyousayyouwantedasplashpad #youbetterhave.

They are announcing the winners of the gift cards. The winners are Amber Barnett and Julie Woller. Come to village hall to claim your IGA gift card.

The village hall has lost WIFI. No one panic. #Wehavebeenlosingitatourhouseallday

Tami saying please keep the Booker family in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. They are discussing the Gift of Life flag-raising ceremony that was held earlier for Ross at Carle due to his organ donation.

MIke Sennert is here and trying to get the internet back up. #idontknowifitwillwork #heistryingthough

Art is saying he has spoken to two people who moved from Champaign to other area towns because of the school situation in Champaign. He feels like the village needs to do something to expand residential development in order to encourage more people to live here. Tami said Joe is having meetings to spur development along.


Meeting adjourned.





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