Rockford Sun

Village of Rockton Administration Committee met Jan. 6.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

Chairman Danielson called the regular meeting of the Administration Committee to order at 5:30 pm. Members present: Mayor Peterson, Scott Danielson, Dave Winters and Justin York

Staff present: Dan Barber, Sally Bennett, Tricia Diduch, Chief Hollinger and Jodi May Also present: Spencer Cushing

Motion by Mr. Winters, second by Mr. York to waive the reading of and approve the minutes of December 16, 2024. All ayes. Motion approved 3-0.

PUBLIC COMMENT

None.

MAYOR – JOHN PETERSON

Mayor Peterson advised the Committee that he has been working on the Village Administrator job description.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT – SCOTT DANIELSON, CHAIRMAN

None.

PUBLIC SAFETY & LEGAL – DAVE WINTERS

Motion by Mr. Winters to approve the purchase order for TranslateLive for instant translate app (3-year license) for the police department in the amount of $2,499, second by Mr. York. Roll call. All ayes. Motion approved 3-0.

ADMINISTRATION – JUSTIN YORK

Motion by Mr. York to approve the 3-year renewal for Watchguard AuthPoint authentication for VPN multi factor (20 users) with Garcea Technologies in the amount of $1,292.80, second by Mr. Winters. Roll call. All ayes. Motion approved 3-0.

THE CHIEF– MATT HOLLINGER

Chief Hollinger stated that Ofc. Josh Graham has completed his first week of training at the police academy and that there are a total of 16 weeks of training.

Chief Hollinger advised the Committee that he spoke with Mr. Barber about purchasing cement barricades for streets/sidewalk safety at special events. Chief Hollinger said that the Village needs to think about this due to the recent events with vehicles driving through large crowds. Chief Hollinger stated that Mr. Barber checked into pricing and that it’s a little over $14,000 for 30 cement barricades. Chief Holliger said that the Rockton Lions Club may be able to donate the funds to purchase the barricades, but that he also wants to see how other municipalities are addressing this. Ms. Diduch agreed and said that she would like to see what other municipalities are doing as well, but Mr. York commented that the Village should do this. Ms. May inquired if the cement barricades were something that the Village could share with some of the surrounding municipalities along with the expense of the barricades. Chief Hollinger said that they will be discussing this further before they make any final decisions, but that he wanted the Committee to be aware that they are looking into this.

Chief Hollinger stated that the Rockton Police Department conducted bar checks at all of the bars in the Village checking for underage drinking offenses. Chief Hollinger said that they conducted the bar checks from December 17th through January 5th and that no violations were caught. Chief Hollinger stated that this was a good opportunity for officers to meet bar owners and that the police department will conduct periodic checks moving forward.

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATOR – TRICIA DIDUCH

Ms. Diduch advised the Committee that she emailed her activity report to everyone.

Ms. Diduch stated that Richard Barnes submitted an application for a special use permit for a proposed apartment development on the Red Barn Golf Course property. Ms. Diduch said that she sent out notification letters to 107 residents and that the Planning Commission will review the application and that the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will hold a public hearing.

Ms. Diduch said that Yeti Fest is in one month and that she is currently working on this event.

Mr. York inquired about stormwater/drainage easements in Stone Ridge subdivision because he’s had some residents inquiring about this. Ms. Diduch stated that some residents have personal property placed in this common area and want to purchase the property from the Village. Ms. Diduch said that this is a Homeowners Association (HOA) issue, but that it’s also in the Village’s drainage easement. Mr. Winters said that the personal property could impede on the drainage in those areas. Mr. York commented that the Village would never sell that property, but that he wanted the Committee to be aware of what was going on in case other residents inquire about this.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

None.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS ALLOWED BY LAW

Ms. May stated that she would like to discuss the Village’s comprehensive plan at the next Administration Committee meeting. Ms. May said that the Village needs to start the process and that we need to get this going. Ms. Diduch stated that the Village’s current comprehensive plan is 24 years old and that the Village would need to complete a request for proposal (RFP). Ms. Diduch added that the comprehensive plan could take 12-18 months to complete. Mr. Winters agreed that the Village needs to get this done. Ms. Diduch stated that she could have an RFP at the next set of meetings to have the Committee review.

ADJOURN

Motion by Mr. Winters, second by Mr. York to adjourn at 6:05 pm.

https://rocktonil.gov/vertical/sites/%7B5EFC50B8-A3D6-48DC-ACA0-E05F307CFA0B%7D/uploads/1-6-25_Administration_Minutes.pdf