Coal City Village Board of Trustees met Jan. 28.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
Call Meeting to Order
Mayor Spesia called the Coal City Village Board Meeting to order on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 7:00 PM. A roll call was conducted with Trustee Dave Togliatti, Trustee Dan Greggain, Trustee Pam Noffsinger, Trustee Ross Bradley, and Trustee CJ Lauterbur present. Also in attendance were Attorney Mark Heinle, Ryan Hansen from Chamlin Engineering, Chief Mike Imhof and Matt Fritz, Village Administrator. Absent: Trustee Bill Mincey.
Pledge of Allegiance
All present recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approval of Minutes
Mayor Spesia noted a correction to the January 14, 2026 minutes on page 3, where Matt Halloran should be listed as the village engineer instead of Ryan Hansen. The correction had already been made, and new minutes were printed. With no other corrections, a motion was made to approve the minutes.
Motion to approve the meeting minutes was moved and seconded. Motion carried with all Trustees voting yes.
Approval of Warrant List
During discussion of the warrant list, a question was raised about a community engagement platform. Village Administrator Matt Fritz explained that this was a replacement for their current Code Red system, as the contract was coming up for renewal. The new platform would allow for more interaction beyond just emergency calls, and Linda had researched several communities using the GoGov system. Matt indicated he would provide a more detailed explanation at the next meeting.
A second item on the warrant list, “See My Legacy,” was explained as a platform for fundraising campaigns, particularly for the upcoming 250th celebration events and the Back to School bash. This system would help manage ticketing and sponsorships in advance, streamlining the collection of contributions compared to their current laborious methods.
Motion to approve the warrant list was moved and seconded. Motion carried with all Trustees voting yes.
Public Comment
No public comment was offered. The Mayor acknowledged the presence of Treasurer Leanne Vota.
Resolution 26-04 Adoption of MAP Collective Bargaining Agreement
Village Administrator Matt Fritz presented the resolution for adoption of the MAP (Metropolitan Alliance of Police) collective bargaining agreement. He explained that the negotiation process took longer than anticipated due to changes in technology requirements for body worn cameras and other state requirements. The wage package had been settled early in the process, with emphasis on allowing officers to step through their steps quicker and starting at higher rates to remain competitive.
The contract is a 5-year agreement, with one year already passed and the second year almost completed (ending April 30, 2026). The contract is retroactive, and only one item (related to body- worn cameras) remains in dispute and will go to an arbiter.
Village Attorney Mark Heinle noted that the agreement is retroactive and officers still employed with the village will receive pay increases dating back to May 1, 2024.
Mayor Spesia emphasized that the goal of the negotiation was officer retention, making salaries more competitive to show the village’s commitment to their officers.
Motion to adopt Resolution 26-04 authorizing Mayor Spesia to enter into a new CBA with MAP chapter 186 regarding the employee’s compensation and conditions of employment was moved and seconded. Motion carried with all Trustees voting yes.
Authorize Amended Payment #7 for IEPA Lead Service Replacement Project
Matt Fritz presented the amended payment #7 request, explaining that this was the final disbursement for the lead service replacement project. The project did not utilize all allotted funds, with the final cost coming in at 86.8% of the total allowed costs. Village Engineer Ryan Hansen noted they would be seeking similar funding in the future to complete the remaining lead service lines in town, as they’ve completed nearly half of them so far.
Motion to authorize the final payments for this project with payments to Brandt Construction in the amount of $418,563.80 (of which $259,696.80 for project completion and $158,867 for existing retention), Chamlin Engineering for $82,424.50, and Ancel Glink for $20,000, which will result in the project costing 86.8% of the total allowed costs, was moved and seconded. Motion carried with all Trustees voting yes.
Authorize Final Payment to Municipal Well and Pump for Well #5
Matt Fritz presented the final payment for well #5, noting this payment was part of a mediated settlement previously approved. He confirmed that well #5 is now operational. Fritz also explained that wells #5 and #7 work interchangeably with the other wells, with the village rotating which wells are in use every 15 days rather than the previous 30-day rotation.
Motion to authorize the final payment to Municipal Well and Pump for $22,686.50 for work completed at Well #5 was moved and seconded. Motion carried with all Trustees voting yes.
Accept Annexation Petition – Phillips/Togliatti Farm
Matt Fritz presented the annexation petition for an 80-acre parcel adjacent to the existing industrial park, located south of Reed Road and east of Carbon Hill Road. He explained that accepting the petition is just the first step in the annexation process. The property owners are requesting industrial zoning rather than the default RS-1 residential zoning that would automatically apply upon annexation.
Village Attorney Mark Heinle explained that public hearings would be required for both the rezoning (at the Planning Commission) and for the annexation agreement (at a Village Board meeting), both scheduled for February. He also mentioned that many more annexations are in process, with approximately 15-20 parcels potentially coming before the board in the near future. Some of these annexations relate to potential upcoming economic industrial development project.
No formal action was required at this meeting to accept the petition.
Report of the Mayor
Mayor Spesia reported that he has a scheduling conflict for the February 25th meeting and asked if it could be rescheduled. After discussion about various date options, it was noted that any annexation agreements would require at least 5 affirmative votes, so ensuring adequate attendance was important. The board agreed to work on rescheduling in the next day or two.
Report of the Trustees
Trustee Lauterbur had nothing to report.
Trustee Mincey was absent.
Trustee Bradley had nothing to report.
Trustee Noffsinger reported that America 250 planning is moving forward with the committee pulling everything together, including hiring a party planner.
Trustee Greggain had nothing to report.
Trustee Togliatti had nothing to report.
Report of Village Clerk
The Village Clerk had nothing to report.
Report of Village Attorney
Village Attorney Mark Heinle reported that the village had closed on the purchase of the former Doc’s drug site, and the property would be tax exempt retroactively after about six months of processing time.
Report of Village Engineer
When asked about the North Broadway project design, Village Engineer Ryan Hansen confirmed they were working through the design phase, with a focus on stormwater management. He agreed to bring preliminary designs to a future meeting for the board to review.
There was additional discussion about the lighting that was recently installed on Route 47 in Morris. Ryan explained that the new LED lights shine straight down but are quite bright, which has generated both positive and negative feedback. He noted that similar lighting would be considered for the North Broadway project, though perhaps with adjusted light levels.
Report of Chief of Police
Chief of Police thanked the board for their positive vote on the collective bargaining agreement and expressed appreciation for their support of the police department.
Report of Village Administrator
Village Administrator Matt Fritz reminded the board about the GEDC Chamber dinner on March 4th and invited trustees to attend. He mentioned that a Coal City business would likely be receiving an award that evening.
He also noted he would be attending the Grundy County economic development planning update on Friday, where John Cronin would be speaking.
Matt reported that he and Linda had attended a Coal City Business Alliance event the previous night, where local small businesses worked together packing food pantry meals while socializing. He noted that Sarah Beach and Laura Jones are leading this effort.
He also mentioned that Parks is working on a North Park playground replacement, which would be presented at a future meeting.
Matt acknowledged the recent passing of George Gray, who had been the Grundy County Administrator. He attended the wake on Saturday and spoke about George’s significant
contributions during the tornado response, including organizing the emergency response chart that has been widely used for funding requests.
Adjourn
Motion to adjourn at 7:42pm was moved and seconded. Motion carried with all Trustees voting yes.
https://coalcity-il.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/VB-Meeting-Minutes-01-28-2026-Web.pdf
