Village Matters

Leaf Mulch for Residents

The village maintenance crew has worked hard to mulch the massive amount of leaves dropped off by residents this year. It’s the smart and environmentally sound way to dispose of leaves. It also provides an alternative to the outdated practice of burning leaves, which fouls our air and ruins beautiful days here. The village has a written policy prohibiting leaf burning, due to some residents who have respiratory issues. The mulch pile is located at the corner of Beltrees and Mill Street. Thank you for supporting this and providing all the leaves!

Village Government Updates

The Village Council has passed an ordinance limiting and regulating Elsah Air B & B’s. For more details, please visit the posting board in front of City Hall. The village also passed the budget for 2024 and 2025 effective May 1, also available for review.

Police warning on theft in the village

Our local law enforcement has asked village residents to be on guard for property crime. Although our crime stats are incredibly low, there has been an uptick on crimes of opportunity, where residents leave their guard down by not locking vehicles, and leaving items unattended overnight on their properties. Please do your part and also look out for your neighbors.

Correction on our bridge upgrade story in the April issue

We erroneously reported that the upgrade of both of the Mill St. one-way bridges was completed. Still to come: Repair of the pedestrian railing on bridge in front of 67 Mill St. It’s slightly unstable, and if leaned upon could collapse and send pedestrians into the rocky creek below. Please use caution until that repair is complete.

Village Contacts

For information regarding local government matters, please contact Village Clerk Barb Ostrowski at 618-374-1568, [email protected] or Mayor Mike Pitchford at 618-616-4948, [email protected]. The Civic Center is located at 51 Mill Street. Darr Hall is available for private rentals.

The Zoning Board meets the first Thursday of the month, 7 pm. The Chair is Mark Young.

The Trustees meet the second Tuesday of the month, 7 pm. The elected Trustees are: Connie Davis, Marjorie Doerr, Cecily Lee, Bob Phillips, Patti Sontag and Susan Young. These meetings are open to the public. The Trustees’ agenda is posted on the outdoor bulletin board at the Post Office 48 hours prior to the meeting.