The Frankfort Village Board took a notably strict stance on zoning matters on Monday, September 22, 2025, denying two significant residential variance requests for a greenhouse and a pool that had received support from the Plan Commission. In a reversal of that trend, the board chose to overrule a Plan Commission non-recommendation to approve a building materials variance for a new home on Larch Road. For more information, please see the full-length articles on these decisions.

In other business, the board approved contracts for police department HVAC replacement and sewer televising, granted special use permits for a new dance studio and a massage establishment, and approved over $1.5 million in bills. The meeting began with the swearing-in ceremony for new Police Officer Brendan Huffman.

Contracts Awarded for HVAC and Sewer Work
The village board approved two significant contracts as part of its consent agenda. A contract not to exceed $84,160 was awarded to Moltree Mechanical for the replacement of four rooftop HVAC units at the Frankfort Police Department. A second contract for $178,130 was awarded to Hoerr Construction, Inc. for the cleaning and televising of the Jackson Creek sanitary sewer system as part of ongoing efforts to address infiltration issues.

New Dance Studio and Spa Expansion Approved
The board approved special use permits for two local businesses. A permit was granted to Connie O’Reel to operate Southwest Synergy Dance, a studio for children and teens, at 748-752 Center Road in the Laraway Center Business Park. A second permit allows Shannon McMahon of Ancient Roots Acupuncture at 10850 W. Laraway Road to expand her services to include massage therapy.

Variances Granted for Non-Masonry Siding on Sauk Trail Homes
The board approved requests from Celtic Construction, Inc. for building material variances at two new homes in the Linden Grove subdivision. The variances, for properties at 120 Sauk Trail and 140 Sauk Trail, permit the use of James Hardie lap siding and stone on the first floor, deviating from the all-masonry requirement. The Plan Commission had unanimously recommended the requests for approval.

Board Approves $1.54M in Bills
As part of its consent agenda, the Village Board approved the payment of bills totaling $1,540,139.36. Trustee Jessica Petrow noted that the schedule included a significant payment of $1,094,688.51 for the village’s wastewater treatment plant loan. The approval of the September 8 meeting minutes was also included in the motion.

Hickory Creek Girls Softball Team Praised for State Championship
Mayor Keith Ogle and the board congratulated the Hickory Creek Middle School girls varsity softball team for winning the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 3A state championship. The Tigers, led by coaches Mitch Stein and Aaron Neoth, secured their fifth state title with an 11-2 victory over Washington Central. The mayor indicated the team would be invited to a future meeting to be honored.

Mayor Discusses SAFE-T Act at Conference
Mayor Keith Ogle reported on his participation in the Illinois Municipal League’s annual conference, where he moderated a session on the SAFE-T Act featuring Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser. Ogle noted a common theme was how “poorly those bills are written” and the impact on local municipalities, policing, liability, and the failure to prosecute crimes.

Trustee Comments on First Amendment
During board comments, Trustee Michael Leddin voiced concern over what he sees as threats to First Amendment rights, referencing recent controversy surrounding talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. “First Amendment, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of press. When those start getting taken away, we have to start saying it somewhere,” Leddin said. “Maybe what he said wasn’t appropriate, but he does have the right to say it.”