Civic boards to make decisions this week

On Tuesday night, after the full board meeting, the Village of Roscoe trustees will continue discussion as the Committee of the Whole. They are considering giving final approval, though not necessarily on Tuesday, for Plat 5 of the Hawks Pointe Subdivision, which is to become the Townhomes of White Oak, at Roscoe Road and Old River Road, as well as approval for a tentative plat for the rest of the Hawks Pointe subdivision. Trustees will also work on a draft of their 2023 budget, as well as the list of holidays that will be observed by the Village of Roscoe in 2023, and the schedule for Village Board and Committee of the Whole meetings next year. Public comment is allowed at the beginning and end of each meeting.

Before that, the Roscoe board will consider approving "a settlement agreement with Jacob Feldhaus." Our senior correspondent Jean Seegers will be reporting in the near future on who that is and what that means. The Village may also take an initial vote this week to choose a company to handle residential waste hauling for homes within the Village. Unless trustees vote to suspend the rules, decisions normally aren't made at the first reading of a resolution. No final decisions can be made at a Committee of the Whole meeting, but only at the meeting of the full board two weeks later.

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In the Village of Rockton, Monday's Administration Committee meeting discussed parking spots for Al’s Main Street Tap, a liquor/gaming license for Rockton Food & Spirits (which is under new ownership), and security for the Village Hall. The Public Works Committee went over a proposal for a safety railing repair at Village Hall from Rockford Ornamental, to cost $7,400. Scot Dobbs of the Summit Group will speak at the Budget & Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday.

At Tuesday's monthly meeting, the Village of Rockton board will hold a public hearing for a pre-annexation agreement for 1302 N. Blackhawk Blvd. in Rockton, a single-family residence. They will also vote on approving a design review & façade grant for the American Legion Hall, 221 W. Main St. and amending the Village Code of Ordinances regarding Walls and Fences.

The Kinnikinnick CCSD No. 131 Board of Education had planned to hold a Committee of the Whole Meeting on Tuesday, but Superintendent Keli Freedlund said it "was changed to a Special Meeting for timely approvals." The board will consider a HVAC bid from Northwest Contractors. Freedlund will also be asking for approval of a school maintenance grant and e-learning verification. Instead of snow days that need to be made up in the spring, the District will offer pre-planned e-learning options. This weekend, members of the board will attend workshops at the Illinois Association of School Board's Joint Conference in Chicago, Nov. 18-20.

The Hononegah School Board meeting on Wednesday will include a wide variety of reports, which our reporter Marianne Mueller will summarize in an upcoming article. The board will accept several donations, approve contracts, and purchase large band instruments. Major expenses will include protective window film, the South Chiller project, staff parking lot resurfacing, a Ventrac tractor, and the three-year Cintas facility services contract. The board will also review the Student Handbook and approve the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan.

The Rockton School Board is also meeting Wednesday. Items on the agenda [PDF] include personnel changes, approval of a school maintenance grant application and reserve $50,000, and approval of SMMS 10 yr Life Safety Survey.

On Monday, the City of South Beloit held a public hearing on the application for a US EPA brownfield cleanup grant for the remediation for the 126 Shirland Avenue site. A brownfield is a property that has been abandoned or at least, not redeveloped, because of concerns it might be contaminated. The EPA estimates that the U.S. has more than 450,000 brownfields.

Not a government board, but Live R.E.A.L. Foundation is looking for board members, including the President of the Board of Directors, who would work with Executive Director Bev Pomering. The foundation is a registered 501(c)3 charity that provides advocacy to fight against the stigma of mental illnesses and substance use dependency, awareness of the dangers of the new millennial drugs, education on opioids, overdoses & naloxone, and support for those left behind from substance use or mental illness deaths.

More News from Roscoe

• Municipal meetings for Rockton, South Beloit, and Roscoe On the agendas: Roscoe street improvements, labyrinth at Settlers Park, Chicory Ridge garage sales, demolishing the Garden Hotel
• Saturday's Old Settlers Days headliner Warren Zeiders wins a Country Music Award Zeiders, who won the CMA Breakthrough Male Video of the Year for Pretty Little Poison, will be in Rockton in June.