By SANDY COFFEY
Paxton Record correspondent

LODA — The village board agreed to send Joe Sage, Ivan Garcia and Jim Konas letters serving as their warning for illegal burning last Wednesday.

Mayor Carol Arseneau said she saw Sage hauling debris from a burnt building on the Konas property to his property on July 28. Konas had hired Sage and Garcia to remove the remains of a building that had burnt. Arseneau said she talked to Sage and told him he needed to check with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency about what to do to burn it. But Sage chose not to do it and on Aug. 7 he lit it on fire, Arseneau said.

Arseneau said it is against EPA regulations to move a burned-down building from one property to another and burn it.

Board member Doug Freed then asked, “How are you supposed to get rid of it?”

Arseneau said people must either get a permit from the EPA to burn it or instead bury the material. It also has to be burnt on the property where is was, she said.
Arseneau said she called the EPA and asked what the rules were. The EPA will be sending her a letter outlining the burning rules and she will forward it to Sage, Garcia and Konas.

Resident Jon Boone will also be sent a “first offense” letter for burning garbage. One board member said he had only seen Boone burn sticks, but Arseneau said Boone burns garbage and puts sticks on top of it.

Other business
Also at last Wednesday’s board meeting:

— Village Attorney George Cuonzo was present to clarify any issues concerning the village’s proposed disconnection from the Loda Sanitary District. Cuonzo will draft a petition to be circulated in the village for signatures before the village asks the circuit court to approve an order placing a referendum on the April 2013 election ballot. The village will need 10 percent of the 223 registered voters’ signatures on the petition. The petition must be turned in 180 days prior to the election. Board member Kathy Tittle suggested an explanation be attached to the petition so people know exactly what is going on. Cuonzo recommended that the village have a public meeting at each stage of the proceeding.

— The board approved an ordinance allowing chickens and rabbits in the village, but only after Arseneau broke a 3-3 tied vote.

— There were no decisions made by the board after asking Larry and Tina Biggs, owners of Biggs Lawn Care and property on Chestnut Street, to attend the meeting to address questions as to what they were going to do about the appearance of their property. Arseneau said the main concern was a pile of dirt, gravel and wood skids.  Biggs said the gravel would be going out on jobs he has coming up later this year and next year. Biggs also said that the dirt would be going to a residence in Paxton after he finishes an addition to his home.

— The board received notice that the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity had released the funds on July 23 for the IKE Grant the village applied for to help fund a sewage and drainage project. The village has not received the money as of yet, according to Village Treasurer Joyce Gharst.

— The board agreed to send Jack Sandford a letter for the tall grass on his property.