McLean County Board approves alcohol-code change, fees updates, contracts and emergency budget amendment

The McLean County Board on Feb. 12 approved a package of ordinances, contracts and a fiscal emergency appropriation, voting unanimously where recorded and advancing a change to the county's alcoholic-beverage code after a staff-drafted amendment.

An amendment proposed by Member Leah Klein and prepared by the State's Attorney's office was added to an ordinance amending McLean County Code Chapter 160 (Alcoholic Beverages). The amendment clarifies that a license issued by the McLean County Liquor Control Commission is not required for possession or transportation of alcoholic liquor for a possessor's personal use, for family or guests, nor for small-scale wine or cider production for the maker's personal use; it also preserves narrow exemptions for licensed medical and religious uses. The board voted to adopt the ordinance as amended after a motion to amend passed.

The board also approved an ordinance amending county fee schedules (Chapter 205) related to alcoholic-beverage provisions and an ordinance amending Chapter 108; each item was moved, seconded and passed by voice vote.

Separately, the board approved a motion to designate certain minutes as confidential and preserve them in a confidential volume, authorizing review by the board as outlined in the attached list.

In the Justice Committee, members approved an intergovernmental agreement for sale of secured bed space in the McLean County Juvenile Detention Center and a contract for services between the DeWitt County Community Mental Health Board and the Children's Advocacy Center. The board also adopted a resolution authorizing McLean County's participation in the Illinois Emergency Management Mutual Aid System.

Finally, the board approved an emergency appropriation ordinance amending the McLean County fiscal year 2026 combined annual appropriation and budget ordinance; the transcript records the motion, second and a voice vote of "aye" from the board.

Chair Johnson opened each item, Vice Chair Rogel moved multiple items from the Executive and Justice Committees, and members voiced no recorded opposition in the meeting transcript. Where individual roll-call tallies were not read on the floor, the transcript records unanimous voice approval.

What's next: Ordinance texts and the emergency-appropriation ordinance will be filed with county records and incorporated into the FY2026 budget documents. Committee minutes cited in the meeting packet describe the details of each ordinance and the confidential-minutes list.