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2025 Year in Review
City and County continue to tackle big topics and projects in the
third quarter of the year
[January 13, 2026]
In the third quarter of 2025,
city and county governance continued to work through the process of
establishing a new city department of tourism while maintaining the
pre-existing Logan County Tourism Bureau.
With the city taking on the lion’s share of the revenues from the
hotel/motel tax for the new department, it also committed to $30,000
annually in funding to the LCTB providing the county would do the
same.
While the county was on board with the dollar amount, they struggled
with the lack of an intergovernmental agreement regarding the LCTB
with the city, and worried what would happen if the city decided to
pull its funding after a year or two. By the end of the third
quarter, it appeared that the county was satisfied with the terms
and conditions laid out for the retention of the LCTB and prepared
to move forward with funding.
Meanwhile, the city was busy moving forward with plans for the new
Department of Tourism, choosing a logo and working on a lease
agreement to bring the Lincoln Economic Advancement and Development
into the property in the 500 block of Broadway Street.
It was also announced that the building would house a Route 66
Museum and the city would be receiving an incredible donation from
John Ruh of Chicago. Ruh was donating his one of a kind working
model train that mimics the entire Route 66 journey from Chicago to
Los Angeles.
In the third quarter, the county also heard updates on the
restoration of the Logan County Courthouse from restoration
specialist Bill Walter.
Also on the county level, the county-wide broadband project became a
topic of much discussion in the third quarter. That topic would gain
momentum going into the fourth quarter of the year as well.
In the city, another topic of
discussion was establishing a code of conduct for elected officials.
With the state planning to eliminate the grocery tax, but giving
municipalities the authority to establish a local grocery tax,
aldermen had to consider what should be done. Losing the tax would
cost the city a great deal of money, but if they retained the tax
locally, it would keep the revenue without additional taxation of
constituents. It was noted that because constituents already pay the
tax, it would not be a new burden for them, but simply a shifting of
how the tax was collected for the city.
07/07/2025
Lincoln City Council hears solar setbacks and utility frustrations
Despite Keystone’s readiness to begin, Fotopoulos said they’ve
been unable to move forward due to utility delays. “Ameren made us
pay almost $200,000 for [a piece of equipment], and it doesn’t work,
and they don’t want anything to do [with] it,” he told the council.
“It’s their equipment. It’s not our equipment. We had to pay for it,
and it’s been a bit of a nightmare.”
Alderman Kevin Bateman echoed the frustration, stating, “Ameren has
been the big stickler here the entire time.” He said the city had
been generating reduced solar power for months due to a faulty
tracking system. Although the system is now functioning, Ameren has
informed Keystone they won’t fix it again. As a result, Keystone is
paying to replace it themselves.
07/07/2025
July Building and Grounds meeting
This then led the committee to new business. These were seven
items on their agenda. The first item was an update on the
Courthouse restoration project. Walter informed the committee that
the windows were just about finished. He stated that, as of the day
of the meeting, there were about fifteen windows left to replace. He
estimated that they should be done by the end of July. He also
stated that the renovation of the first floor courtroom should begin
in about two to three weeks. He described the current process as
“smooth,” stating “the results are way above satisfactory.”
07/11/2025
Lincoln City Council
Council Discusses Solar Progress, Approves Code Changes and
Infrastructure Funding
Tony Grillo, representing the solar array project at 515 Limit
Street, addressed the council during public participation. He
apologized for the site’s unfinished appearance and explained that
Ameren has yet to complete their connection, which is delaying final
fencing and landscaping efforts. “Quite frankly, at this point, it's
going to be fall before we're actually doing any landscaping,” he
said. Grillo outlined plans for a vegetative buffer with flowering
trees and evergreens, as well as a 24-inch pollinator mix seeded
through Pheasants Forever. “I mainly wanted to kind of be here,
apologize, and just let you know that I'll make sure I do better the
rest of this year,” he said.
Several ordinances followed, including:
● An amendment to the appropriation ordinance for FY 2024–2025.
● A new section (2-2) added to the city code, establishing the
Ethics Commission.
● Removal of a previously tabled code of conduct ordinance (6c),
which was deemed redundant now that the ethics section includes
conduct guidelines and enforcement.
City Attorney John Hoblit explained that the finalized section
“includes that code of conduct and the enforcement provisions
thereafter,” and Alderwoman McClellan had sourced the initial model
code from another Illinois municipality. Alderman Downs expressed
approval of the revisions, saying, “Those are really good changes. I
really like this version.”
07/14/2025
Logan County Board
July Workshop Meeting
Conahan then spoke again, this time on a memorandum of
understanding with the city of Lincoln. Previously, both the city
and county agreed to give the LCTB $30,000 per year for two years.
This came after the city of Lincoln, who used to previously fund the
LCTB with their hotel/motel tax, pulled the funding in favor of
creating a Lincoln Tourism Department. The county has been seeking a
memorandum of understanding with the city to both ensure neither
group will pull the $30,000 they contributed, as well as outline the
collaborative nature both groups will have working together for
tourism going forward.
Conahan shared that the city declined to sign any memorandum with
the county, stating that their funding agreement will be solely with
the LCTB. Conahan then stated that he was unsure if the county
should be providing the LCTB with any funding without some written
agreement with the city. This was met with agreement from several
other board members. Glenn asked if the city understood the nature
of the memorandum, to which Conahan stated he believes they at least
understand the part about the funding agreement. He then also stated
that the city is looking to have ultimate veto power over anyone who
wants to sit on the board as well as the director. This was met with
much disagreement from board members. Conahan stated that the city
would give the county ultimate veto power over regional planning.
07/14/2025
July Coffee with the Mayor:
Heartland Bank building will be a museum/visitor center/business
incubator
Route 66
Large Model Railroad RR Lionel O Scale Gauge Train Layout of John
Ruh & his amazing trains
Perhaps the most significant topic in the mind of many was the
anticipated explanation of why the city of Lincoln has purchased the
Heartland Bank & Trust aka old State Bank of Lincoln building at
500-508 Broadway Street in Lincoln.
Welch and McCoy explained in some detail what the future of the
building will be. Welch made a simple announcement that the building
will be a Route 66 Museum in one section and a business incubator in
the other. He asked McCoy to expand on the decision to purchase the
building.
To couple with this big announcement, Welch shared a second piece of
news about the building. The city is obtaining a donation from a
Route 66 history buff in Chicago that will be a remarkable draw for
visitors and a one-of-a-kind attraction that will be found in no
other community.
So what is this donation? It is a route 66 model train array that
has been painstakingly assembled over the year by Chicago resident
John Ruh. The working model train travels over track and through
backdrops and landscapes that depict all eight states where Route 66
passes through.
07/16/2025
Lincoln Aldermen discuss proposed new logo for new Lincoln Office of
Tourism
At the Tuesday evening Committee of the Whole meeting of the
Lincoln City Council, aldermen got a first look at the proposed logo
for the new “Lincoln Illinois Office of Tourism.” The logo was
presented to the council by Director of Tourism Scott McCoy, and it
was met with mixed feelings right at the beginning.
The first one to speak on the topic was Alderman Kevin Bateman who
stated simply that he did not like it and felt like there were
better options. Later in the evening after hearing some of the
research and reasoning behind the logo, Bateman warmed up to the
image a bit more.
07/16/2025
July regular monthly meeting
With LCTB being the topic of discussion, Glenn stated that he had
sat down with Lincoln mayor Tracy Welch the previous Friday to talk.
This is something Glenn stated he was going to do after it came up
at the Workshop meeting that Lincoln was not going to sign a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the county.
Glenn continued, stating that he explained to Welch that the MoU was
more for understanding exactly how the city and county were going to
work together to fund the LCTB. Things such as “who would be in
charge, how the board would rotate, and all that.” Welch took the
funding off the agenda for the city council meeting until he and
Glenn could sit down and work the finer details of a MoU out.
07/18/2025
Lincoln City Council
Council talks road repairs, grocery tax, and quiet zone safety
Scott McCoy, Director of Tourism, presented a proposed logo for
the Office of Tourism, created by a local artist. The design,
intended to brand Lincoln’s tourism efforts, sparked a lengthy
discussion among council members regarding artistic style and
historical representation.
McCoy also introduced a donation agreement for a Route 66 model
train exhibit, gifted by John and Darlene Ruh. The exhibit will be
housed in the city’s Broadway Street property, contingent upon the
city’s acquisition of the building. The nonprofit Illinois Landmarks
organization has offered to disassemble and transport the exhibit at
no cost to the city.
City Attorney John Hoblit introduced an ordinance to retain the
city’s existing 1% grocery tax. Under a change in Illinois law,
municipalities must opt in to continue receiving the revenue
beginning January 1, 2026. Treasurer Chuck Conzo emphasized the
financial impact, warning that the city could lose approximately
$530,000 annually if the tax is allowed to expire.
Bateman supported retaining the tax, stating, “This is a tax we’re
already paying.” Alderman Dennis Clemons opposed the measure,
arguing the city should give taxpayers a break. Most other council
members expressed support for keeping the existing rate. The
ordinance will appear on the regular agenda for future action.
[to top of second column]
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07/25/2025
Lincoln City Council
Council Approves Logo, Debates Street Repair Strategy, and Reviews
Tax Ordinance
McCoy presented updated versions of the city’s tourism logo,
noting community feedback on the original design. "Some people
thought [the Lincoln figure] shouldn’t be quite so, quote unquote,
cartoonish,” he said. In response, the updated version featured a
more realistic depiction of Lincoln, various color options, and the
removal of a top hat while keeping the iconic beard. McCoy
explained, “The beard does make it Lincoln. When we removed it, it
looked like the mayor.”
Alderman Kevin Bateman supported keeping traditional features. “If
you ask people around the world to close their eyes and picture
Abraham Lincoln, this is what they're seeing,” he said. The council
approved the updated logo unanimously after an amended motion
clarified which design version was being accepted.
The council also passed an ordinance to implement a municipal
grocery retailers occupation tax and grocery service occupation tax.
Bateman emphasized that this was not a new tax, but a shift in how
an existing state tax is collected at the local level. “It is simply
the exact same tax that people have been paying... The city isn't
getting ready to vote on any brand-new tax,” he said.
08/15/2025
Lincoln City Council
Council discusses Tourism Bureau, sidewalk improvements and upcoming
events
The council reviewed a proposed one-year funding agreement
between the city, the county, and the Logan County Tourism Bureau.
Welch explained that the agreement had been carefully discussed and
revised over several weeks. The agreement is contingent upon the
county approving its own funding plan. “They have committed to the
funding. Just this solidifies the terms of it,” Welch said. The
Tourism Bureau’s president Molly Pickering joined the meeting
remotely to express gratitude for the city’s role in the process,
saying, “A lot of people put a lot of thought into this… I’m really
grateful for the leadership of the city on putting together this
funding agreement.”
08/15/2025
Logan County Board
August Safety Committee Meeting
Landers continued, stating that August 18th is when major
construction is set to begin. O’Shea is planning on putting around
thirty pillars in the ground to help stabilize the foundation. He
also stated that they had already run into a few unanticipated
expenses. The first was builders' insurance that O’Shea needs for
their equipment and the materials, as they are going to be left
outside and could be damaged or stolen. The second was a $20,000
expense for survey fees. Since the survey fee should have been
included in the cost before this point, Landers got O’Shea to agree
to eat this cost.
08/15/2025
Logan County Board
August Finance Committee Meeting
The last item the committee discussed was the funding agreement
with the Logan County Tourism Bureau (LCTB). Conahan shared that
they worked out an agreement with the LCTB for a lump sum payment of
$30,000 per year for two years. The city of Lincoln made their own
agreement with the LCTB for $30,000 per year as well. The main
difference between the city’s agreement and the county’s agreement
is that the city will be paying in monthly increments, not one lump
sum.
Leesman brought up the question of what happens if the city decides
to pull their funding, as they will not be out a lump sum. If the
county then decides to pull their funding in response, they would
not get any of that $30,000 back. Conahan stated that if this
occurs, the county would be able to purchase The Mill for $1.
Conahan stressed that The Mill is worth more than $30,000, and that
they would in fact be coming out ahead in this instance, should it
occur. Conahan also shared that the board still has two seats on the
LCTB board of directors. Leesman then made a motion to move this
item onto the Workshop agenda.
08/20/2025
Logan County Board
August Regular Board Meeting
The next item on Finance’s list was the funding for the Logan
County Tourism Bureau (LCTB). This item, which has been in the works
for several months and has proven to be very contentious, got some
resolution. The city of Lincoln recently entered into a contract
with the LCTB stating that they would give them $30,000 per year, in
monthly increments. The County Board was previously going to give
the same amount but in one lump sum. With the fear that Lincoln may
back out of funding, Lincoln refusing to enter into an
inter-governmental agreement with the county, and the possibility
that the county could be out $30,000 if the city did back out and
the LCTB failed, Finance decided to make a change to the motion. The
change states that the county would pay their $30,000 in quarterly
amounts of $7,500.
Glenn shared that, even though there was going to be no
inter-governmental agreement, he worked very hard with Lincoln Mayor
Tracy Welch to make sure that both of their contracts with the LCTB
were nearly identical. The only major difference is the time periods
in which each organization will provide their funding to the Bureau.
With that, a vote was taken and approved unanimously.
09/02/2025
City of Lincoln takes possession of former Heartland Bank Building;
welcome model train donors John and Darlene Ruh for a tour
‘I’m excited that we have officially closed on the Heartland Bank
building on Broadway Street,” said Welch. “This marks an important
step forward for our community as the building will soon become home
to the new city museum and also support various economic development
initiatives.”
Welch concluded, “The museum will open with its first exhibit in
2026 – John and Darlene Ruh’s one-of-a-kind Route 66 train exhibit –
bringing a unique attraction to Lincoln while also supporting the
growth and future of our community.”
09/04/2025
Logan County Courthouse restoration update
While the majority of the old copper has been replaced with new
copper, Walter said there is small amount of work that still needs
to be done at the lower portion of the dome.
This portion has not been done due to the structural beams needed to
support the steel scaffolding that penetrated the dome right at
those areas. Therefore, this part could not be completed until the
beams were taken out to know exactly what had been done. They made
ports of entry through the existing windows up there.
09/04/2025
Local leaders address national politics, DEI, energy and development
at Coffee with the Mayor
Mayor Tracy Welch welcomed
community members to a recent Coffee with the Mayor event, joined by
State Senator Sally Turner, State Representative Bill Hauter, and
Alderwoman Rhonda O’Donoghue. The discussion covered topics ranging
from federal politics and Illinois policy battles to Lincoln’s local
challenges with economic development, energy costs, and community
programs.
09/12/2025
Lincoln City Council
One million in wages to Lincoln residents reported at city council
meeting
Public participation featured a strong turnout from supporters of
the Sysco Drive solar project, a proposed two-megawatt solar array
and data center with battery storage. Developer Tony Grillo
described the project’s scope and emphasized its economic impact,
citing about $1 million in wages already paid to Lincoln residents
this year through related construction work. He promised that unlike
the Limit Street project, which drew criticism for maintenance
issues, the Sysco Drive site would comply with the city’s solar
ordinance, including opaque fencing and landscaping.
09/12/2025
Logan County Board
Sugar Creek Solar Project
The economic impact was the next major area Moleiro drew
attention to. For the construction of the new facility, they
estimate that 83 jobs will be created for Logan County, with 398
total jobs being created for the state. Once the project is
finished, it is estimated that about seven new Logan County jobs
will be created to maintain the facility, and just under twenty new
jobs for the state.
Tax estimates were also given, with estimates of how much tax money
each taxing body will collect over the thirty-year lifespan of the
project. REV estimates that Logan County will collect $1,437,178
over that time, while all taxing bodies will collect a grand total
of $15,294,002. They also stated that the county will collect over
$100,000 in permit fees for the construction of the solar farm.
09/22/2025
Logan County Board
September Regular Board Meeting
The final item was regarding broadband, something the county has
not discussed in great detail in some time. The action item read
“motion to approve RFP for Broadband.” DeRoss pointed out that the
county does not yet have an RFP (request for proposal) and proposed
an amendment that would change it to say that the county would write
and issue an RFP for the project.
Glenn then gave a brief history on broadband and how it ended up
here. He said that while they did have a commercial partner
previously, that partner pulled out of the project. LDN can confirm
that this previous partner, while not named at the meeting, was
WANRack. The state money for the project, however, is still
available and will be so long as the project is finished by the end
of the year in 2026. The county’s two options are to take out
another bond or find another commercial partner who will help with
the cost.
09/22/2025
Logan County Board
Solar and wind: A controversial combination
Once Zoning and Economic Development committee Chairman DeRoss
was addressed, he brought forward what would become the most heavily
discussed motion of the evening.
09/25/2025
Lincoln City Council
Street closure gets council’s support; police seek additional deputy
chief
A lengthy discussion followed on leasing 500 Broadway Street to
Lincoln Economic Advancement & Development, Inc. Welch said the
building could serve as “an incubator” and a “one-stop shop” for
businesses, calling Andrea Runge “the perfect” person to manage it.
He proposed waiving rent because “she is going to be serving the
City of Lincoln in that capacity.” Runge said she was “excited about
the opportunity”
Police Chief Joe Meister requested adding a second deputy chief to
better manage administrative duties, noting the department is at 28
sworn officers for the first time in nearly five years.
“Most police departments that are above 20 employees have more than
one administrative deputy,” he said.
[Nila Smith] |
