South Central Reporter

City of Greenville City Council met Dec. 16.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

City of Greenville 

MINUTES 

Special City Council Meeting Meeting 

Monday, December 16, 2024 at 6:00 PM 

Greenville Municipal Building  

The Special Council Meeting was called to order on Monday, December 16, 2024 at 6:00 PM by  Mayor George Barber. 

1. ROLL CALL 

Council Present: Mayor George Barber, Council Member Ivan Estevez, Council  Member Kyle Littlefield, and Council Member Lisa Stephens 

Council Absent: Council Member Blake Knox 

Staff Present: City Manager Jo Hollenkamp, City Clerk Jody Weiss, Economic  Director Bill Walker, Chief Bryan Waugh, PW Director Jason  

Heckman 

Public Present: Todd & Soodi Brown, Isaac & Morgan Gilmore, Suzanne Davis,  Daniel Forsberg, Tori Gocey 

2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

3. CITIZEN INPUT / COMMENTS ON ANY AGENDA ITEM OR OTHERWISE 

3.1. Isaac Gilmore asked if Greenville University has formally told students to stay off  of Prairie Street for Parking? Could there be permits for residents of Prairie  Street? 

4. CITY COUNCIL OR MAYOR COMMENTS 

4.1. Estevez asked if GU has told the residential students they are not supposed to be  parking on Prairie Street? Littlefield answered it is in the student handbook that  students are only to be parking on GU property, but not directly. Has it been  communicated to the students they are only to be parking in the North Parking lot? 

5. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS 

5.1. Hollenkamp contacted our legal team and we could do parking by permits if we  had to; legally we can do this.  

6. MATTERS OF COUNCIL CONSIDERATION 

Page 1 of 5

6.1. Consideration of Prairie Street safety changes: 

Change speed limit to 15 mph 

Paint the curbs yellow to eliminate parking at the intersections 

Paint two additional crosswalks 

Note: See sketch 

Stephens would like to modify the motion to 3 crosswalks as shown on the map.  She asked if the kids know to not park on Prairie? GU President Suzanne Davis  said the commuters may not know, but it is in the student handbook. She added  they will send a reminder in January when the students return. 

The map shows there will be no parking 30 feet from the stop signs and 9 feet  from each driveway. Public Works Director Jason Heckman asked if anyone had  discussed Monday through Friday Parking from 8-5 except holidays. Hollenkamp  wanted to try the crosswalk and extra stop sign first to see how things progress.  Heckman added paint for the crosswalks is not the greatest way to get students to  walk on the crosswalks, as not everyone obeys signs.  

Mayor Barber asked Chief Bryan Waugh about enforcement. Waugh said with the  stripes being painted and decreasing the speed limit, they will have a reason to  give tickets, whether it be local or state. The markings will also make it easier to  identify the culprits. If someone is parked even an inch on the paint markings,  they will be ticketed, regardless if they are a student or not. 

Barber asked Waugh his thoughts on the flow of traffic if parking were only allowed  8-5. Waugh said the road is not as heavily traveled as Elm or Third St. The road  width is maybe 1 1/2 cars wide, but emergency vehicles are able to get through. 

Heckman stated they students will not use the crosswalks. 

Prairie Street resident Isaac Gilmore said the City has already closed 1st and 2nd  street, and does not feel the 8-5 concept would positively affect safety. He added  not everyone works 8-5. His question is, "is this a thoroughfare or is it a residential  area"? Not everyone will win. 

Estevez stated most people and emergency vehicles go via Elm or 3rd Streets. 

Heckman said the permit thing would be helpful. He added Monday is leaf pickup  and Friday is Trash pick up for Prairie Street. 

Stephens asked if we could add a stop sign? She would like to see 3 stop signs  on Prairie. 

Hollenkamp said enforcement is key, however, our police department can not stay  Page 2 of 5

fully staffed.  

Daniel Forsberg suggested making Prairie a one way street going to the south.  There is already no parking on the east side. He added all residents park  southbound anyway. He feels going northbound to turn on Beaumont is harder to  see due to the hill. Stephens said in another community the one way street  curbed speeding. 

Davis supports the stop signs. She is not opposed to a one way street, however,  vendors could have issues getting to the dining commons. Her main focus is  pedestrian safety, and felt another stop sign would be good. She is also in favor of  permit parking. 

Littlefield said we can do this incrementally. If this solution does not solve the  issues, we can modify it later to make it better. Stephens agreed. 

Tori Gocey does not think students will follow the rules. She also does not think  the police will be looking for speeders. She does not believe stop signs will help.  Students just do not care. 

Barber asked if we can enforce a 15 miles per hour speed limit, and Waugh said  yes.  

Gocey has never seen any police presence on Prairie Street. Waugh said it is a  targeted area. She feels this is more of a parking issue than a safety issue.  Barber said parking will be addressed after the safety measures are put in place. 

Davis said only GU commuters would be allowed to park there.  

Todd Brown stated this is a good start. He suggested that the City police and  campus security work together. It all comes down to enforcement. Waugh said  campus security handles violations from the student handbook, and the police  address state statute. 

Parking tickets are $10, and traffic offenses are $165.  

Heckman said he will look into temporary sticky tape tomorrow (12/17/24) He  would need to have electric for flashers or potentially get solar lights. The  crosswalk will definitely need to have some sort of lighting. Hollenkamp added this  would come from the general fund so we will need to see how much everything  costs. Davis said GU will help pay for the stop signs and lighting. Heckman has  signs in inventory and will see what is available.  

Motion by Kyle Littlefield, seconded by Lisa Stephens, Motion to approve the  Prairie Street safety changes which include changing the speed limit from 30  mph to 15mph, paint no parking on the curbs (yellow paint) per the sketch,  add two stop signs, and paint two additional crosswalks per attached  

Page 3 of 5

sketch. 

RESULT: Carried 

MOVER: Kyle Littlefield 

SECONDER: Lisa Stephens 

AYES: George Barber, Ivan Estevez, Kyle Littlefield, and Lisa Stephens ABSENT: Blake Knox

N Prairie St Parking Exhibit 12_17_2024 

7. ADJOURNMENT 

Motion by Lisa Stephens, seconded by Kyle Littlefield, to adjourn the Special  Council Meeting at 7:20 PM. 

RESULT: Carried 

MOVER: Lisa Stephens 

SECONDER: Kyle Littlefield 

AYES: George Barber, Ivan Estevez, Kyle Littlefield, Lisa Stephens, and Blake Knox

Jody Weiss 

Mayor George Barber 

Respectfully submitted, 

Page 4 of 5

N Prairie St - Parking 

Restrictions, Stop Signs, 

Speed Limit Reduction. 

No Parking 

near Fire 

Hydrant (15 ft.) 

Beaumont Ave 

N Prairie St 

No Parking near 

Driveway (9 ft.) 

No Parking from the 

Stop Sign to the 

South edge of the 

driveway of 311 N. 

Prairie St. 

Stop Sign 

E Oak St 

No Parking (27 ft.) 

No Parking near 

N Prairie St 

Driveway (9 ft.) 

No Parking near 

Stop Sign (30 ft.) 

E College Ave 

Pedestrian 

Crosswalks 

Stop Sign 

Produced by City of Greenville GIS 12/17/2024 

Page 5 of 5

https://greenvilleillinois.civicweb.net/document/81511/