On the agenda: Tilton 09-08-2026 ORDINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES — DATA CENTER (Sep 8)

ORDINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING Minutes
VILLAGE OF TILTON

9/8/2026 5:30 PMCDT

1001 TILTON RD, TILTON IL 61833

1. CALL TO ORDER
CHAIRMAN MIKE WEIDENBURNER CALLED MEETING TO ORDER AT 5:45PM

2. ROLL CALL
Attendance
Present:
Members: Lori Fields - Village Clerk, Tiffany Jones-McClellan - Village Administrator, Natalie Moreman,
Vanessa Sims - Board Trustee, Mike Weidenburner - Board Trustee
Absent:
Members: Cassidy Warrick - Treasurer, Billy Wear - Village Mayor

3. | APPROVE OR AMEND AGENDA PRESENTED
3.1. MOTION TO ADD 8.9 PROCUREMENT
Motion:
MOTION TO ADD 8.9 PROCUREMENT TO AGENDA
Motion moved by Mike Weidenburner and motion seconded by Vanessa Sims. 3 AYES, 0 NAYES,
MOTION PASSED

4. | APPROVAL OF MINUTES
NONE PRESENTED

5. | PERMIT PROCESSING

Trustee Weidenburner led an extensive discussion on the Village's current permit processing practices,
noting that the existing process lacks consistency, accountability, and defined procedure. He observed
that the current ordinance designates the Village Clerk as the keeper of permit records, though in
practice permits are often issued without the Clerk's knowledge, and that fees are directed the
Treasurer, contrary to standard financial separation of duties. The committee acknowledged there is
no building inspector, only a code enforcement officer.

Trustee Moreman raised concerns about consistency and liability, noting that issuing permits without
site inspection or a defined approval process could expose the Village to claims of favoritism and legal
liability. She emphasized that permits must follow a uniform process regardless of the type of
improvement—whether a shed, fence, or larger construction—and that utilities or zoning issues could
be overlooked without proper review.

The committee discussed the need for a structured permit packet that residents would complete upon
application, after which code enforcement would visit the property and provide guidance based on the
applicable ordinances rather than give verbal approvals that place accountability on the Village.
Trustee Weidenburner stressed that the Village should provide residents with written ordinance
requirements and let the legal and civil responsibility for compliance rest with the property owner,
particularly in matters such as fence placement and property line disputes.

Minutes generated by OnBoard. 1

The committee agreed that for routine residential permits—including fences, sheds, and siding—there
is generally no need to route the application through the Plan Commission unless a zoning change is
involved. If a zoning issue is detected upon intake, the application would then be directed accordingly.
For commercial, retail, and industrial projects, a permit fee would be assessed; no fee would be
charged for residential permits, regardless of whether the property is owner-occupied or a rental. The
committee's rationale was that imposing fees on residential properties would discourage improvement
and residency, while commercial entities have a greater financial stake and subject the Village to
additional inspection and oversight responsibilities.

The committee further discussed the use of the iWORKS software platform, currently utilized by
certain personnel of the village, as a potential centralized system for managing permit records, fleet
management, licensing, and other village-wide data. Trustee Weidenburner noted that iWORKS
contains a built-in building permit module and expressed interest in expanding its use across
departments to improve accountability, record continuity, and cross-departmental visibility.

The committee agreed on the following framework going forward: applicants would pick up a permit
packet at Village Hall, complete and return it, and code enforcement would be dispatched to the site
with relevant ordinance information to advise the applicant. The permit would then be issued with an
expiration date, and iWORKS reminders could be used to flag approaching expirations.

6. DATA CENTER/BATTERY STORAGE

Trustee Weidenburner introduced this item and recommended that the committee pursue a
moratorium on data center and battery storage developments within the Village, citing rapid changes
in state-level energy policy and significant unresolved concerns. Trustee Moreman expressed strong
concern about the environmental risks associated with battery storage, specifically citing questions
around decommissioning used batteries, groundwater monitoring, and the safety of first responders in
the event of a fire or hazardous materials incident. The committee acknowledged that the Village's fire
department does not yet have specialized training for battery storage emergencies, and that hazmat
response would need to be handled by outside agencies such as Danville's hazmat team.

It was noted that Earthrise, which had been associated with the General Motors property as a potential
battery storage site, has withdrawn from that purchase, though the committee acknowledged this
does not preclude another entity from pursuing the site.

The committee was also reminded to verify whether state law places any restrictions on municipal
moratoriums related to battery storage or solar energy development, as Illinois has been active in
passing energy-related legislation without local notice.

The committee consensus was to engage Village Attorney Wesner to research and draft a moratorium

on data center and battery storage uses and to bring his findings and recommendations back to the
Ordinance Committee before any matter proceeds to the full Village Board.

7. | HOMELESS CAMPING

Minutes generated by OnBoard. 2

The committee reviewed a draft ordinance prepared by Village Attorney Wesner addressing public
camping prohibition. The draft prohibits parking a vehicle overnight within the Village for the purpose
of sleeping or engaging in public camping, and includes definitions of "public camping" and provisions
for exceptions, such as permitted events at Village parks.

Trustee Moreman raised a question regarding whether residents sleeping in campers on their own
private property would be subject to the ordinance. The committee agreed that, as drafted, the
ordinance is directed at public camping on public property and would not affect lawful use of private
property. It was also noted that the draft includes exception provisions that would allow the Village to
issue permits for temporary camping at public venues during organized events such as car shows or
ball tournaments.

A related concern was raised about ongoing incidents at Herschel Lake, where individuals have been
observed using park restroom facilities for personal hygiene and sleeping on park grounds. Trustee
Weidenburner suggested that removing or repurposing the existing pavilion and eliminating the
permanent restroom facilities at that location—replacing them temporarily with a portable toilet-—
could reduce the attractiveness of the site for unauthorized camping while a longer-term beautification
plan is developed with grant funding.

The committee was reminded to verify applicable Illinois law regarding the rights of homeless
individuals before enacting enforcement measures.

The committee agreed the draft ordinance was generally acceptable and directed that it proceed to

the full Village Board for consideration, with members agreeing to reread the draft in full prior to the
next board meeting

8. ANIMAL HOARDING

The committee reviewed a draft animal hoarding ordinance, which defines "companion animal" as
canine or feline and establishes a limit on the number of animals a person may own, keep, or care for,
with associated fines ranging from $100 to $750. The committee engaged in a wide-ranging discussion
about the practical challenges of enforcing such an ordinance.

Trustee Moreman raised concerns that residents who feed community or feral cats—without
technically owning them—could inadvertently be subject to fines, as the ordinance's language covers

those who "own, keep, or care for" animals. The committee agreed this language creates ambiguity
and potential inequity.

Separate concerns were raised regarding households that foster animals through Vermilion County
Animal Control, as those animals are under the county's authority and arguably should not count

against a household's limit. The committee suggested fostering arrangements be addressed under a
distinct provision.

Discussion also touched on the practical limitations of defining and proving ownership, the inability of
local shelters to accept feral cats, and the difficulty of enforcing any numerical cap without a reliable
animal registration or microchipping system. While the committee recognized that genuine hoarding
situations—particularly those creating health hazards—need to be addressed, members expressed

Minutes generated by OnBoard.

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Minutes generated by OnBoard.

reservations about setting a strict numerical limit that could penalize responsible animal caretakers or
foster households.

No final recommendation was made. The committee agreed to further review and refine the draft
ordinance before bringing it forward, with particular attention to the definitions of ownership and
care, foster animal exclusions, and the consistency of enforcement.

PROCUREMENT

The committee reviewed a procurement policy draft forwarded by Village Attorney Wesner. The draft
outlines a decision-tree framework for determining whether a purchase requires a competitive bidding
process based on whether it is a standalone or recurring purchase, and sets thresholds for board
approval of larger expenditures.

Trustee Weidenburner noted that the draft sets a department head spending authority of $10,000,
which the committee considered too high for a municipality of Tilton's size. The committee also
discussed the general threshold at which purchases must go out for competitive bid, with the
understanding that Illinois state law governs mandatory bid thresholds.

Trustee Moreman identified a significant concern in Section 3.3, which states that bids and quotes are
evaluated based on price alone. The committee agreed this language is inconsistent with the Village's
interest in supporting local businesses and in selecting vendors based on quality, reliability, and
warranty considerations in addition to price. It was noted that the Village has the legal right to accept a
bid that is not the lowest, provided there is documented rationale, and that the current language
should be revised to reflect a multi-factor evaluation standard.

The committee also discussed the importance of requiring board approval for any expenditure not
included in the adopted budget, and the need for budget amendments to identify the specific fund
source when unbudgeted items arise. Concerns were raised about past practices in which surplus
funds were distributed among departments without board authorization.

No formal action was taken. The committee agreed that all three documents reviewed at the
meeting—the permit processing framework, the animal hoarding draft, and the procurement policy
draft—would be distributed to committee members for further individual review, with comments to
be submitted separately in advance of the next meeting.

AUDIENCE
NONE REQUESTED

ADJOURN

Motion:

MOTION TO ADJOURN AT 8:10PM

Motion moved by Mike Weidenburner and motion seconded by Vanessa Sims. 3 AYES, 0 NAYES,

MOTION PASSED .
LORI FIELDS-CLERK 414-2026
APPROVED