Troy City Council tables three proposals until next month
By Charles Bolinger
Editor • A bevy of commission meetings took place between the April 6 Troy City Council meeting and the next one that took place on April 20.
Mayor David Nonn was absent on April 20, so Councilman Nathan Henderson substituted for him as Mayor Pro Tempore. Councilwoman Debbie Knoll was also absent.
Troy’s planning commission met on April 9 with three public hearings before the main meeting. One of the public hearings was for an ordinance that addresses encroachments within public rights-of-way. Another public hearing was to introduce an amendment to the zoning ordinance that updates landscaping requirements for parking lots and site developments. The third public hearing was for the approval of a document that will further define the duties of the zoning hearing officer and the planning commission. All of those items were approved at the April 20 city council meeting.
Two more committee meetings, public works and administrative and community services, took place just prior to the April 20 city council meeting.
In other action, the board approved the city’s balanced budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, which starts May 1.
Next, the council and mayor heard the bids for demolishing the two-story house at 107 N. Main St. The previous owners sold it to the city and have since moved to another house within Troy. The building will be razed to create a 30+ space parking lot to make parking downtown for diners, especially those visiting Market & Main and Palenque Grill, and during high-traffic events like First Fridays, easier.
Three bidders initially expressed interest but Barbour Excavating failed to return a bid. Stutz Excavating returned a bid of $85,310 with 45 days to complete the work while Hayes Contracting returned a bid of $45,682 with 30 days to do the work. The original project estimate was $350,000. Council members voted to go with Hayes.
The council tabled a proposal from DROP Collaborative to work with the public works department on the city’s PFAS program until the next city council meeting. Separately, the council also tabled King Engineering’s proposal for manhole and sewer main inspections to reduce inflow and infiltration (I&I) into the city’s sanitary sewer system until May 4.
City Administrator Jay Keeven and City Engineer Tom Cissell presented some new ideas for downtown branding, including a new, backlit sign in Paul Simon Park and new banners to hang from utility poles. However, some council members weren’t completely taken with the proposed designs and requested additional ones to view before approving the project next month.
In other news, the council unanimously recommended the hiring of two candidates, Zachary Linenfelser and Tyler Roche, with eight other candidates remaining on file with the city during a probationary period.
Finally, city council members approved seven ordinances and six resolutions.
Up first was an ordinance regarding landscaping, parking lots and site developments connected to one of the April 9 public hearings. The ordinance comes as the result of a recent remodeling of a downtown building that will house a restaurant. It was discovered the current ordinances do not clarify responsibilities for any part of the construction that impedes city property.
“Almost all of the businesses downtown have steps and/or ramps that are actually in the easements of the city,” said Cissell on April 9. “As such, we need to define who is responsible for those things and identify their responsibilities.” The city is not looking to attach a fee structure to this but rather identify that property owners are responsible for meeting building and zoning requirements as well as liability and maintenance of those encroachments.
The ordinance defines the following: a licensing system, codified standards, means to actively enforce the ordinance, strict ADA compliance requirements, mandatory 180-day compliance requirements for identified violations, the fact that the owner is responsible for insurance and indemnification and a requirement to record the agreement with property records.
Second was an ordinance that updates landscaping requirements for parking lots and site developments, again from one of the April 9 public hearings. The goal is to establish a set plan for new construction projects in the city that includes required landscaping to improve the site design, enhance environmental performance and establish clear standards for landscaping. It will include buffer requirements, interior landscaping, the types of plant materials that can be used and maintenance obligations.
Next came an ordinance for the approval of a document that will further define the duties of the Zoning Hearing Officer and the Planning Commission, also from an April 9 public hearing. The Zoning Hearing Officer is an appointed position and is an attorney. The amendment establishes procedures for appeals and variances and provides information for application, notice and review requirements for actions that involve zoning issues.
Following those, there came an ordinance authorizing Mayor David Nonn to execute and for the city to join a collective bargaining agreement with Troy Police dispatchers and the policemen’s benevolent labor committee.
The next three ordinances all dealt with the city entering employment agreements with Building and Zoning Director Josephine Byrd, City Administrator Jay Keeven and Street Supervisor Derek Alldredge, who is also the city’s next public works director who will take over from Rob Hancock on June 1.
“These employment contracts secure the services of these individuals for the next year,” Keeven said, though his contract is for three years. Two of these three ordinances were also the only ones not unanimously approved. Councilwoman Elizabeth Hellrung voted ‘no’ on Byrd’s and Keeven’s contract renewals.
The first resolution was to approve a preliminary plat for 31 single-family lots in the third phase of the Stonebriar Manors Subdivision.
Next was a resolution to allow a one-year extension of a temporary-use permit for a seasonal fireworks stand at 107 McDonald Drive.
The city approved a resolution to accept the 2026 Troy Official Zoning Map, noting for at least one gallery member that there is no data center listed on the map.
City council members reviewed closed session minutes for the period ending March 31, 2026.
They also approved a right-of-way encroachment agreement for 102 and 104 North Main Street.
Finally, a resolution was passed to allow City Administrator Jay Keeven to execute an agreement with Ameren Illinois to bury power lines on West Market Street from Main to Border streets for $242,000.
The next Troy City Council meeting is May 4 at 6:30 p.m. in city hall, located at 116 E. Market St.
