Kankakee County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

County approves union contract with Operating Engineers Local 150

The Kankakee County Finance Committee approved a collective bargaining agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, Public Employee Division, in a 13-0 vote on Aug. 11. The vote came after an executive session on collective bargaining. No other substantive business was conducted.

Union contract approved

The Finance Committee voted 13-0 to approve the agreement and also voted 13-0 to enter executive session for collective bargaining. The committee approved Zoom participation for Mr. Hunter by voice vote.

County Board agenda

The County Board met on Aug. 11 and considered a resolution authorizing matching funds for widening and resurfacing County Highway 17 (Resolution 128), a rezoning request from A1-Agriculture to RE-Rural Estate in Aroma Township (ZBA Case #26-06), a text amendment to county code on zoning definitions, districts, fences, and road access (Resolution 130), a bid award to Court Street Ford for a Planning Department vehicle (Resolution 131), and a collective bargaining agreement with Operating Engineers Local #150 (Resolution 133). The board also considered routine reports and appointments.

Roadways

The Highways, Waterways, and Buildings Committee met on Aug. 13 and considered a resolution to authorize the County Board Chairman to sign a state joint funding agreement and appropriate $440,604 in state Local Project Funds for Phase 2 engineering of the roadway reconstruction on County Highway 23 (Guertin Street) in St. Anne. The committee also reviewed pay estimates, heard updates from the Waterways Advisory Subcommittee, and received building and financial reports.

Other committee meetings

The Board of Review met on Aug. 11 to consider its 2026 Rules and Procedures, state exemption applications, certificates of error, and omitted property requests.

The Criminal Justice Committee met on Aug. 12 to receive monthly reports from the Chief Judge, Circuit Clerk, State's Attorney, Public Defender, Probation, Sheriff/EMA, Animal Control, and Coroner.

The Historic Preservation Commission met on Aug. 17 to review a Certificate of Appropriateness for the Letourneau Home at 698 Stratford Dr E, Bourbonnais, and to discuss landmarks.

The Planning, Zoning & Agriculture Committee met on Aug. 18 to consider two rezoning applications: one for a 16.71-acre lot at 4800 N 12000W Rd, Bonfield, and one at 335 N 9250E Rd, Momence. The committee also discussed a stormwater program and a transportation procurement application.

The Executive Committee met on Aug. 19 to consider appointments to the Canavan and Gar Creek Drainage Districts, the Ethics Commission, and an amendment to County Code Article II, Section 2-68.

The Finance Committee met on Aug. 20 to open public bids for roof replacements at the Detention Center (400 E. Merchant St.), Annex Building (470 E. Merchant St.), Storage (142 E. Water St.), and Highway Department buildings (750-752 S. East Ave.), and for an air handling unit replacement at 189 E. Court St. The committee also reviewed monthly claims and financial reports.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are scheduled in the next 14 days.

County boards tackle rezoning, grant program, and Kroger litigation in busy week

Kankakee County's boards and commissions held a full slate of meetings the week of July 20, covering a proposed land-use change, a federal disaster-relief grant program, and pending property-tax litigation involving Kroger. Minutes have not yet been published for any of the meetings, so the items below reflect what appeared on each agenda — not confirmed outcomes.

Planning, Zoning & Agriculture Committee — July 21

The committee's agenda included the week's most consequential land-use item: a rezoning application for 4472 E 3500S Rd, St. Anne, IL, seeking to change the property from A1 Agriculture to RE Rural Estate. The petition was filed by Sunrise Farms Inc. on behalf of Richard and Karen Hemza (ZBA Case#26-06).

The committee was also scheduled to hold a public hearing on the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Response Program, a federal funding mechanism for disaster recovery. A resolution supporting the CDBG program was listed among planning items.

A separate text amendment (ZBA Case#26-07) would revise multiple sections of the Kankakee County Code of Ordinances — Chapter 121, Sections 3, 99, 100, 146, 148, 209, 285, and 286. The agenda also included a bid opening for a new Planning Department vehicle and the establishment of a fee for Rural Based Service Providers under Section 121.99.b.8.

Board of Review — July 24

The Board of Review scheduled an executive session to discuss pending litigation involving Kroger Limited Partnership I, covering four Property Tax Appeal Board dockets: 22-02082, 23-00273, 24-00180, and 25-00316. Because the matter was listed for executive session, no public deliberation was expected.

The agenda also included state exemption applications, certificates of error, and a public comment opportunity.

Executive Committee — July 22

The Executive Committee agenda featured several appointments and reappointments. Proposed reappointments covered members to drainage districts including Claussen Park, Exline Creek, and Manteno District #9. New appointments listed were Carson Turner to the Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission and Susan Mosier to the Emergency Telephone System Board.

The committee was also set to discuss establishing holidays for 2027 and to review June 2026 monthly claims and the Treasurer's reports.

Historic Preservation Commission — July 20

The commission was scheduled to review a Certificate of Appropriateness for 667 S Chicago Ave, Kankakee, a property located within the Riverview Historic District. Such certificates are typically required for exterior changes to properties in designated historic districts. The agenda also referenced discussion of landmarks and grants.

Coming up

No county meetings are listed on the available schedule for the next two weeks. Residents should check the Kankakee County website for any meetings added after this report was compiled. Once minutes are published for the July meetings above, this outlet will report on any decisions confirmed in those records.

Kankakee County boards tackle salaries, bridge agreements, and rezoning cases in busy July stretch

Kankakee County's County Board was scheduled to set annual salaries for the State's Attorney and Public Defender and consider three bridge replacement engineering agreements at its July 14 meeting, according to the published agenda. Minutes for that meeting and all others covered in this roundup had not been published as of July 27, so outcomes cannot yet be confirmed.

County Board — July 14

The County Board agenda listed several consequential items. Item 106 called for setting the State's Attorney's annual salary; item 107 addressed the Public Defender's annual salary. No dollar figures were included on the agenda.

The board was also slated to consider three bridge replacement engineering agreements covering County Highway 53 (two bridges), Highway 54, and Highway 44. A rezoning case, ZBA Case #26-04, proposing a change from A1-Agriculture to RE-Rural Estate in St. Anne Township, was on the agenda.

Other listed items included awarding a roof replacement bid to Langlois Roofing Inc. for the Highway Building, Health Department, and IKAN Building, plus appointments to the Convention and Visitors Bureau and Ethics Commission.

Zoning Board of Appeals — July 13

The ZBA scheduled a public hearing on two cases. ZBA Case#26-06 is a rezoning petition by Sunrise Farms Inc. and Richard and Karen Hemza for 4472 E 3500S Rd, St. Anne (Aroma Township, PI# 12-17-24-300-005), seeking a change from A1 Agriculture to RE Rural Estate. ZBA Case#26-07 is a text amendment to Chapter 121, Sections 3, 99, 100, 146, 148, 209, 285, and 286, covering rules, definitions, agricultural and residential districts, fences, and road access.

Planning, Zoning & Agriculture Committee — July 21

This committee was set to revisit the same rezoning and text amendment cases. The agenda also included a public hearing on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Response Program, a bid opening for a new Planning Department vehicle, establishment of a fee for Rural Based Service Providers under Section 121.99.b.8, and a review of the June 2026 building report and Stormwater/MS4 program.

Board of Review — July 14 and July 24

The Board of Review met twice. The July 14 agenda listed state exemption applications and certificates of error. The July 24 agenda added an executive session on pending litigation involving Kroger Limited Partnership I, under PTAB Dockets 22-02082, 23-00273, 24-00180, and 25-00316, along with the same exemption and certificate items.

Executive Committee — July 22

The Executive Committee agenda included reappointments to drainage districts (Claussen Park, Exline Creek, and Manteno District #9), the appointment of Carson Turner to the Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission, and the appointment of Susan Mosier to the Emergency Telephone System Board. The committee was also scheduled to discuss establishing holidays for 2027 and review June 2026 monthly claims and Treasurer's reports.

Other committee and commission meetings

• **Highways, Waterways & Buildings Committee (July 15):** Routine agenda items included approving June 11 minutes, reviewing biddings and lettings, County Engineer's pay estimates, a Waterways Advisory Subcommittee update, and a building report from Ted Workman. No resolutions or action items were listed.
• **Criminal Justice Committee (July 15):** Informational reports only, including a Grand Jury Report and Grand Jury Statistics Report from the State's Attorney's Office, plus monthly updates from Chief Judge William Dickenson, Circuit Clerk, Public Defender, Probation, Sheriff/EMA, Animal Control, and Coroner.
• **Historic Preservation Commission (July 20):** Review of a Certificate of Appropriateness for 667 S Chicago Ave, Kankakee, in the Riverview Historic District.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days. Residents should check the county's official calendar for any newly posted meetings.

Kankakee County Board to weigh salaries, bridge agreements, and roof bid; zoning and GIS items also on recent agendas

Kankakee County's recent meeting agendas cover salaries for two elected officials, three bridge replacement engineering agreements, a roof replacement contract, and several zoning cases. Because minutes have not yet been published for any of the meetings below, outcomes are not confirmed — the items listed reflect what was scheduled for consideration, not what was ultimately decided.

County Board — July 14

The Kankakee County Board agenda included setting the annual salaries for the State's Attorney (item 106) and the Public Defender (item 107). The board was also scheduled to consider three bridge replacement engineering agreements covering County Highway 53 (two bridges), Highway 54, and Highway 44.

Other agenda items:

• ZBA Case #26-04: Rezoning from A1-Agriculture to RE-Rural Estate in St. Anne Township.
• Awarding a roof replacement bid to Langlois Roofing Inc. for the Highway Building, Health Department, and IKAN Building.
• Appointments to the Convention and Visitors Bureau and Ethics Commission.

No vote tallies or dollar amounts are available in the agenda materials.

Zoning Board of Appeals — July 13

The Zoning Board of Appeals scheduled a public hearing on two cases:

• ZBA Case#26-06: Rezoning of 4472 E 3500S Rd, St. Anne (Aroma Township, PI# 12-17-24-300-005) from A1 Agriculture to RE Rural Estate, petitioned by Sunrise Farms Inc. and Richard and Karen Hemza.
• ZBA Case#26-07: Text amendment to Chapter 121, Sections 3, 99, 100, 146, 148, 209, 285, and 286, covering rules, definitions, A1 Agriculture, A2 Agriculture estate, RE Rural estate, R1 Single-family residence, I2 Industrial districts, fences, and access to roads.

GIS Committee — July 10

The GIS Committee agenda was procedural and informational, with no public hearings or spending decisions listed. Items included approval of minutes from April 10, 2026, and updates on GIS server upgrades, planimetric data, K3-Mapper (property mapping software) improvements, taxing body boundary updates, and discussion of the next GIS data project.

Board of Review — July 14

The Board of Review agenda listed State Exemption Applications and Certificates of Error, with a period for public comment.

Criminal Justice Committee — July 15

The committee was scheduled to receive a Grand Jury Report and a Grand Jury Statistics Report from the State's Attorney's Office, plus monthly updates from Chief Judge William Dickenson, the Circuit Clerk, Public Defender, Probation, Sheriff/EMA, Animal Control, and Coroner offices. No decisions or votes were indicated.

Highways, Waterways & Buildings Committee — July 15

This committee's agenda included approval of June 11, 2026 minutes, a review of bidding and lettings, County Engineer's pay estimates, a Kankakee County Waterways Advisory Subcommittee update, and a building report from Ted Workman covering Facility Dude, financial, and building status. No specific resolutions or action items were listed.

Coming up

• **July 20 — Historic Preservation Commission:** Review of a Certificate of Appropriateness for 667 S Chicago Ave, Kankakee, in the Riverview Historic District.
• **July 21 — Planning, Zoning & Agriculture:** Public hearing on the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Response Program; consideration of ZBA Case#26-06 (rezoning 4472 E 3500S Rd from A1 Agriculture to RE Rural Estate) and ZBA Case#26-07 (text amendment to multiple sections of the county code); bid opening for a new Planning Department vehicle; and establishment of a fee for Rural Based Service Providers under Sec. 121.99.b.8.
• **July 22 — Executive Committee:** Reappointments to drainage districts including Claussen Park, Exline Creek, and Manteno District #9; appointment of Carson Turner to the Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission; appointment of Susan Mosier to the Emergency Telephone System Board; discussion on establishing holidays for 2027; and review of June 2026 monthly claims and Treasurer's reports.