Council Minutes 09-17-26
Harrisburg City Council
City Hall
110 E. Locust Street
Harrisburg, Il 62946
September 17, 2026
8:00 a.m.
The Harrisburg City Council met on September 17, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. at the City Hall located at 110 E. Locust Street, Harrisburg, IL.
Mayor John McPeek called the meeting to order. Mayor John McPeek presided over the meeting with Commissioners Raymond Gunning, Rupert Johnson and Jonathan Brown answering the roll call. Commissioner Roger Angelly was absent.
Mayor John McPeek thanked the Saline County CEO group for attending the council meeting.
Pastor Lynette Barnett from the First United Methodist Church led the group in prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Commissioner Raymond Gunning made the motion to approve the consent agenda.
Council Meeting Minutes – September 03, 2026
Harrisburg Family Restaurant - $3,190.00 – TIF Façade
Sullivan Lawn Care - $4,650.00 - #5574 – Business District
Saline Co. Highway Dept - $10,974.76 – MFT
Sullivan Lawn Care - $4,650.00 – Business District
Seconded by Commissioner Rupert Johnson. A roll call vote was taken with all present voting yes. Motion carried.
The mayor stated sealed bids for two police vehicles were opened in City Hall on Tuesday September 15, 2026. Those present were Mayor John McPeek, Police Chief Nathan Moore and the city treasurer. The city received the following sealed bids:
Bid #1: Jim Hayes, Inc. – Ford Explorer Police Interceptor - $43,916.68
Commissioner Raymond Gunning made the motion to accept the sealed bids from Jim Hayes, Inc. for two Ford Explorer Police Interceptor at the price of $43,916.68. Seconded by Commissioner Rupert Johnson. A roll call vote was taken with all present voting yes. Motion carried.
Bid #2: Jim Hayes, Inc. – Ford Explorer Police Interceptor - $43,916.68
Commissioner Raymond Gunning made the motion to accept the sealed bids from Jim Hayes, Inc. for two Ford Explorer Police Interceptor at the price of $43,916.68. Seconded by Commissioner Jonathan Brow. A roll call vote was taken with all present voting yes. Motion carried.
A representative from Priority Power Solar presented the council with a proposal for community solar. This proposal would provide a saving to the city. There is no fee to subscribe to the program. Priority Power Solar presented a five, ten and twenty year proposal. There is no cancellation with a five year plan. There is a one year termination notice with the ten year plan. The mayor asked Attorney Kolby Smithpeters to review this proposal, and it will be on the agenda for the next regularly scheduled council meeting. The representative said he would email the proposal to the city treasurer along with a program for the citizens.
Mayor John McPeek stated he would like to table the discussion about Provalus. They had a good zoom meeting with them on Tuesday and things are progressing.
Mayor John McPeek would like Attorney Kolby Smithpeters to acquire or file for a demolition order for the following properties:
615 Sloan Street, 125 W. Raymond Street, 621 S. McKinley Street, 205 W. Church Street, and 17 W. Park Street
Attorney Kolby Smithpeters stated some of the property owners live out of state or are deceased. He has one owner who is out of town on vacation but will deed the property over to the city once he returns.. He will continue to locate the owner but will file a demolition order 125 W. Raymond Street and 621 S. McKinley Street.
Attorney Kolby Smithpeters informed the council that the laws have changed regarding buying properties from the trustee. Now the county will hold online auctions for properties. The city can no longer buy properties outright from the trustee.
Mayor John McPeek stated Jason Goemaat has submitted a TIF Façade application. He will be installing a exterior doors, ADA porch, and new business sign. Commissioner Jonathan Brown made the motion to accept the TIF Façade application from Jason Goemaat. Seconded by Commissioner Raymond Gunning. A roll call vote was taken with all present voting yes. Motion carried.
Eric Boe with Brown and Roberts, Inc. discussed the bike path improvement application with the council. This grant comes around every two years. The city is eligible to apply with some improvements to existing areas. The bike path located in Muddy and ending at Wasson Road is an eligible project. This would be an upgrade from the aggregate rock to concrete. The grant is a 20% local share, and the expected project is about a million dollars.
Commissioner Jonathan Brown asked if the city streets are eligible in this application. Eric Boe stated yes the city could apply for street improvements. There is a list of eligible projects with this grant. Eric Boe presented the council with a list of eligible projects.
Eric Boe stated there are conditions with the application process, and this is a competitive application. There are factors taken into consideration when scoring the application. There will need to be a public hearing and secure letters of support. This project is a good way to make upgrades.
Mayor John McPeek stated the council should definitely apply for this grant. The council agrees to review all eligible projects before submitting the application. Commissioner Rupert Johnson stated he does not want to use MFT money for this project because the MFT money needs to be used for the roadways and not on the bike path. The council will review the eligibility list and get back to Eric Boe.
Commissioner Jonathan Brown took time to apologize to the Fire Department if they thought he questioned their ability to do their work. He appreciates their dedication and hard work to the city. He wants to ensure the council is transparent and the citizens understand where the money is being spent.
He was told by the Fire Department that they need equipment, and things have been purchased that was not needed. The council has been given some incorrect information, and they were misinformed on some things, and he wants to get this cleared up. He is trying to get them extra help through a volunteer program, help with fundraisers, and work for the community.
There was an open discussion regarding mutual aid agreements. The former fire chief signed some agreement(s) that was not authorized which held the council and city liable. The city never reviewed any documents prior to the former fire chief signing any mutual aid agreement(s). Attorney Kolby Smithpeters agrees the document(s) should have been presented to the council for approval.
Commissioner Raymond Gunning stated the former fire chief should have brought any documents before the council. He was not aware of the former fire chief signing any documents without authorization from the council. He agrees this needs to be addressed, follow the required guidelines, and should be fixed. He informed the council there are guidelines from the hospitals and from IDPH that the city must follow.
Commissioner Jonathan Brown expressed his concerns and would like the firehouse ambulance to stay within the city. The city determines the boundaries for the firehouse ambulance. He stated the citizens of Harrisburg should always have an ambulance available to them since they are paying for this service.
Commissioner Raymond Gunning stated the boundaries can be changed, but he wants to continue to help the surrounding communities. He does not want to handcuff the firehouse ambulance to where they cannot help when needed. Commissioner Jonathan Brown believes the citizens of Harrisburg should always have an ambulance available.
Commissioner Raymond Gunning stated the mayor of Carrier Mills is not going to financially assist with the ambulance. Mayor John McPeek stated Eldorado told him they are not going to assist either.
Commissioner Jonathan Brown suggest asking Jennifer King to attend a meeting to clarify the issue with mutual aid. He stated the citizens should not have to pay for this service while other communities benefit from it. Commissioner Raymond Gunning stated the City of Harrisburg is a good community.
Commissioner Raymond Gunning stated the council can work together to create a map and resolve any issues. Attorney Kolby Smithpeters stated there needs to be a meeting with the fire chief to discuss how to correct any issues. The issues will be addressed and corrected at the next meeting. Commissioner Raymond Gunning agrees to go over all the issues and get it corrected.
Commissioner Jonathan Brown wants to ensure the citizen of Harrisburg has coverage. Mayor John McPeek stated the council should talk to the county and ask for additional money for the ambulance service if they expect the firehouse ambulance to go outside the city limits.
Attorney Kolby Smithpeters stated the first start is to review the existing mutual aid agreements. Those agreements are not valid if the documents were not approved by the council. He will research mutual aid agreements, IDPH, and will present the information to the council. The council agrees this is a good service, but some changes need to be made.
Commissioner Jonathan Brown stated the city needs to get new businesses in Harrisburg. People are leaving and this council needs to discuss how to rebuild Harrisburg. The city needs to offer incentives to keep people and businesses in the community. There needs to be a roundtable discussion with local businesses, ask what the city can do to help, and get ideas on how to get more businesses in this town.
The council needs to get with developers to help rebuild homes that have been torn down. If people live here then businesses will want to be here. This will help generate revenue for the city.
Commissioner Jonathan Brown wants to meet with all departments to discuss a three and five year plan. This will help with the budgeting process and allow the council to save for future equipment purchases. If the police department wants a new building, then there needs to be a long term plan, apply for grants, and make sure there is funding. The fire department is going to need a new fire truck, so the city needs to come up with a plan to save the money for such a large purchase.
Commissioner Jonathan Brown believes that planning ahead is important when it comes to the future of Harrisburg. Commissioner Raymond Gunning is in favor of annexation. He thinks Muddy, Jones Road and Fairway Drive should be annexed into the city. This would generate revenue for Harrisburg.
Commissioner Jonathan Brown shared the current tax levy with the council. He said city treasurer Alex Jackson will be working on the new levy in the next month. The council has not raised the levy in five years. He explained the police and fire pensions must be funded. The workers’ compensation of the levy should go down next year because some of the older claims will be removed from the overall premium.
He encouraged each department to get rid of any equipment or vehicles they do not use. This will allow the city to take those things off the city insurance policy causing the premiums to lower. If any department has items they want to sell, now is the time. He would like to meet with everyone to discuss long term projects and plans of action.
Commissioner Rupert Johnson made the motion to authorize the city clerk to advertise for fall clean up. Fall cleanup will held from October 12 through October 23. Please be watching the city Facebook page and SI Dollar Saver for details. Seconded by Commissioner Raymond Gunning. A roll call vote was taken with all present voting yes. Motion carried.
Commissioner Rupert Johnson stated the city received a petition to vacate an alley. Commissioner Rupert Johnson made the motion to authorize the city clerk to advertise for a public hearing to vacate the alley. Seconded by Commissioner Raymond Gunning. A roll call vote was taken with all present voting yes. Motion carried.
Mayor John McPeek stated he would like to ask a citizen to be involved in the dangerous building committee. He has asked a citizen who is knowledgeable in this field. He will keep the council updated.
Mayor John McPeek stated the golf tournament was a huge success at Shawnee Hills Country Club on September 12. The 6th Annual Sasquatch Festival is October 03. The city is still accepting donations for the festival. Boo in the Burg will be held on October 22 in front of City Hall. Trick or Treating is October 31 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Commissioner Raymond Gunning stated the fire department will hold a boot drive on Saturday September 28 at Wal-Mart to collect donations for the Sasquatch Festival.
Mayor John McPeek stated he is proud of the improvements being done on the square. He knows some people are unhappy with his decision, but he will continue to make beautification improvements throughout the town. He reminded the citizens to stop littering and to stop stealing shopping carts.
Mayor John McPeek made the motion to adjourn. Seconded by Commissioner Raymond Gunning. A roll call vote was taken with all present voting yes. Motion carried.
Adjourn: 9:27 a.m.