July 18, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, April 9, 2024

It’s a full house tonight with the girl scouts presenting, the Baptist Church being honored for donating their building and more.

Jeff Klotz was appointed to Planning and Zoning. Sam Furrer and Kurt Harshburger were reappointed to planning and zoning.

This blog is sponsored by MX ELECTRIC.

The mayor is making a presentation to Judd Travis. To thank the Baptist congregation and the Travis family for donating the church to the village.

“I would like to thank this opportunity to thank Judd Travis his family and members of the Faith Baptist Church Congregation.”

Tami saying that the village is very thankful for the donation because they have outgrown village hall and the village offices are scattered in several buildings.

“By having this building all of our employees and administrative offices will all be under one roof and the space that was serving as a sanctuary we are hoping to utilize as a community space.”

The Travis family moved to St. Joseph in 1973 and started his church in a storefront building on Lincoln. HIs congregation worked very hard to build the building on Main Street. Construction was completed in Sept. 1974.

“We are very honored and I want to thank you very much for the donation,” Tami said.

Tami is thanking Pastor Travis for all the love and caring he has shown the community.

The village will name the meeting space at the new village hall “Travis Hall.”

What a really wonderful, selfless gift the church has given the village. That will benefit the village in so many ways.

The girl scouts Troop 2191 are here now. They have been talking to Tami about the Community Christmas Tree. Tami saying the village has had two Christmas Tree events so far. The scouts are in fourth and fifth grade. They have completed a girls scout journey to be citizen scientists. They want to plant a tree for the village. It would be a community Christmas tree. The girl scouts noticed the tree last year fell over in the wind. #sotrue They think they have a solution. They want to buy a Norway spruce. It would be 6 to 10 feet tall and would grow two feet each year. It could grow as tall as 60 feet tall. #OMG #averymerrychristmas

The tree would need to be water weekly for the first two years and be planted in April or May. After two years it would need very little maintenance. The troop has raised $120 from cookie sales. They need $240 total for the tree. They are asking the village board for approval to plant the tree and to determine a location.

They have reached out to SJO groups and community groups for help and support.

Tami saying she thinks everyone is on board.

hearing a presentation on mowers right now. I know nothing about lawn mowers, as evidenced by mower almost running out of oil, but this isn’t a traditional mower. It looked kinda robotic. It basically looks like a robot vacuum but a mower. So if you see it in the park DON’T TOUCH IT.

Jim Ardnt is here to update on the commercial development he is pursuing for the village.
“Economic development is a marathon, not a sprint.” Has been working hard promoting the village. Has an appointment with Ace Hardware at a national conference he is attending to try and entice them to come to the village.

The hotel study came back “Fantastic.”

The hotel company is still interested.

The potential site is the BOAT GRAVE YARD. NOT THE SPORTS COMPLEX. NOT ABOVE THE HIGHWAY.

The company wants to work with local investors.

They asked about the TIF.

The village is working on the TIF but it is not in place yet.

Discussing enterprise zones. The state said they wouldn’t allow the village to have their own, probably, but other enterprise zones could be expanded here. Tuscola reached out.

I know nothing about an enterprise zone so… here you go. The indirect value for Tuscola would be

Mary Packard owns the property the property between Caseys and Jack Flash. The owners will only sell if the new business is medical or healthcare. Ardnt, the fire department and others have tried to reach out and she has been unresponsive.


Joe saying finding the perfect lot for the business is difficult.

Joe saying the village is trying to increase its tax base without having to tax residents more.

They are discussing some zoning now. Reconfiguring subdivisions, ect.

Discussing a design proposal for the new village hall. Tami thinks the public works staff could do some of it.

People in the community are looking at the feasibility of a community building. The new village hall isn’t a community building.

Talking about how they collect debts owed to the sewer fund.

They are going to do this.

Do people want a community building? Or do we just use Royals and like it? #honestlycurious.

Discussing what could be out at the sports complex. How many ball fields, ect.

BUDGET DISCUSSION. #thismeetingisnevergoingtoend

Asking if there is anything they are opposed to. Basically, an appropriation is what they can spend not what they are going to spend.


Here is the treasurer’s report so you can see what their financial situation is.

They are discussing buying a temporary mound for baseball for $4,000 and soccer nets for $3,000 and how they budget, ect.

Tami saying the sports could fundraise for things they want.

I am curious if the general public thinks the village should pay for soccer nets, mounds, ect. or if they teams should pay?

The firework cost will be $7640. Insurance went up.

Discussing the cost of mowers and how they go through a lot of mowers.

Softball wants to buy a shed. Put it west of softball field diamond 2. 12X12 shed on 14X14 pad. Mike and Joe looked at it and said it would be fine.

Terri saying if softball has a shed will everyone want a shed? Do we have specifications for how it looks?

They want a place to store their items.


Discussing if they could change how access to the storage space at the complex works.

Tami saying they should recoop the keys and start fresh.

The board wants more information.

We are almost done. #howisit10pm

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