City of McHenry Landmark Commission met March 3
Here are the minutes provided by the commission:
1. Call to Order/Roll Call
a. Present: Chairman Thomas Hillier, Zelinda Paluch, Donna Storm, Kirk Donald, Kathryn Fray. (5:30PM)
b. Absent: Laura Welter, Celeste Heidemann, Mark Healy
c. Staff Present: Cody Sheriff, City Planner
d. Members of the public: None
2. Public Comments
There were no members of the public present.
3. Approve Previous Meeting Minutes: January 6, 2026
Motion to approve by Commissioner Storm, seconded by Commissioner Paluch. Motion passed. (Voice Vote – Aye: Chairman Thomas Hillier, Zelinda Paluch, Donna Storm, Kirk Donald, Kathryn Fray; Nays- none; Absent: Mark Healy, Laura Welter, Celeste Heidemann)
4. New Business
a. Committee Updates
i. Plaque
1. Commissioner Storm gave an update that the committee is targeting Spring to reach out to the property owners. They are going to do some minor maintenance activities on some of the downtown signs this summer. They will keep track of their expenses to submit for reimbursement.
ii. Events
1. Commissioner Storm said the committee is targeting a meeting date before next meeting in April. A discussion ensued on the trailer for the Fiesta Days Parade.
Commissioner Fray would look into using her family’s trailer. City Planner Sheriff said he would look into storing the float at Peterson Farm.
iii. Education
1. Commissioner Fray said they are looking into the internship program for next year since they ran out of time this school year.
iv. Peterson Farm
1. City Planner Sheriff gave an update on Peterson Farm and that there was some water damage the Parks Department was looking into remediating. A discussion ensued on Peterson Farm and the living historic farm operations from the past.
v. Social MediaÂ
1. Commissioner Storm gave a brief update on their followers on Facebook which was approximately 2,000. The Facebook posts are a big hit with the community.
vi. Operations
1. No update was given.
b. Certified Local Government
i. City Planner Sheriff gave an update on the Certified Local Government Program and asked members for a one paragraph summary of their historic preservation activities.
5. Discussion Items
a. 2026 Landmark Movie
i. Chairman Hillier gave an update on the status of the 2026 movie and they were targeting a potential WWI/WWII focus.
b. Open Discussion
i. City Planner Sheriff gave an update on the Riverwalk Foundation meeting where they talked about the old Pearl Street Bridge. He also said there was no update on the Landmark School building. A discussion ensued on what would potentially happen with the school.
ii. Commissioner Paluch asked about a log cabin that was disassembled. City Planner Sheriff said he did not know if one existed or if there were plans to reassemble one.
iii. First United Methodist church was also discussed, and it was going to be looked into. City Planner Sheriff says that all the official landmarked structures are listed on the story map.
iv. Commissioner Storm also commented that she was doing a social media post on the power plant.
6. Adjournment
Motion to adjourn by Commissioner Storm, seconded by Commissioner Fray. Motion passed. 6:35PM (Voice Vote – Aye: Chairman Thomas Hillier, Zelinda Paluch, Donna Storm, Kirk Donald, Kathryn Fray; Nays- none; Absent: Mark Healy, Laura Welter, Celeste Heidemann)Â
https://cms8.revize.com/revize/mchenryil/Document_Center/Department/Community%20Development/Landmark/Packets/Landmark%20Agenda%20Packet%204.7.26.pdf?t=202603311514200&t=202603311514200
