CRESTON – The Village of Creston trustee meeting Tuesday night heard an emotional speech from the outgoing longtime village attorney, plus an approval of an upcoming water main project on South Street.
Village President Tom Byro announced that the library sent a letter thanking them for support of its Christmas program. Village Attorney David D. Tess updated trustees on a problem property involved in a long-running condemnation case. He said the home has passed through reverse mortgage companies and was later sold at a tax auction. Attorney Andrew Wilt said he is expecting to address the matter during a court date at the end of December.
Creston Village Building Inspector Aaron Moore reported that construction is slowing for the winter season. He completed final inspections on duplexes on South Prairie and a lot in the subdivision, with only a few homes expected to finish in the coming month. No new building permits have been issued.
Trustee Mike Kerns said the subdivision lift station continues to be monitored. New electronics for the system have arrived and will be installed by Rochelle Municipal Utilities staff when available. A recent alarm caused by a faulty float has been checked and will be addressed in planned updates.
An insurance presentation from Adam Heal of Crum-Halsted Insurance & Risk Management reviewed renewal options. A competing quote was about $7,000 higher than the current carrier. The proposal showed a 6.5 percent increase for general liability through Tokyo Marine and Houston Casualty and flat workers’ compensation rates through Bituminous. General liability totaled $15,458 and workers’ compensation $3,022. Trustees voted 6-0 to renew the policies.
Bill Newkirk, President and CEO of Newkirk and Associates presented the 2025 audit, issuing a clean, unmodified opinion. He reviewed the village’s cash-basis accounting, minor corrections involving miscoded transactions and depreciation, and standard internal control limitations typical for small communities. The board approved the audit. Trustees then authorized transferring $12,000 from the general fund back to the motor fuel tax fund after an IDOT review of records from 2013 found old journal entry issues. The board also adopted the FY 2026 property tax levy at $26,861, or about $42 per resident, at a rate of 1.49 percent.
In new business, trustees opened the South Street water main bid from Martin and Company at $198,000 with a 10 percent contingency, though changes may be needed in the spring once weather allows work to begin. The village noted that CES is no longer serving as the engineer and will begin searching for a replacement while securing all village documents held by the firm.
To conclude the meeting, Village Attorney David D. Tess was recognized for his 27 years of service to Creston. Former legal partner Russell A. Crull, now a Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Judge, was on hand as the board presented Tess with a plaque and thanked him for his longtime service to the village and its residents.
“I will tell you that one of my favorite sayings is that the past is defined by the present and the future. So today we’re gonna let the past go. We’re gonna let you live on and create new paths,” said Tess.
Tess announced he is stepping back from his role and passing responsibilities to partner Andrew Wilt.
