Kankakee City Council approves monthly bills, including $35,000 animal-control contract

The chair opened the Kankakee City Council meeting on March 19 and the council approved minutes and monthly bills, including an annual animal-control contract that inflated the February packet to $37,278.16. The chair said the packet’s large total reflected the city’s annual animal-control billing, noting, "That's why our bills are... so large."

The council voted to approve the January minutes and the February minutes by roll call and then approved the February bills; a follow-up motion also carried to approve outstanding January bills (roll-call tallies recorded as unanimous in the transcript). Recorded motions included a motion to approve the January minutes (mover: Alderman Noble; second: Alderman O'Brien), approval of February minutes (motion recorded and seconded; mover/second not specified in the transcript), a motion to approve February bills (mover: Alderman O'Brien; second: Alderman Khan), and approval of outstanding January bills (mover recorded as Alderman Copps; second: Alderman Lewis).

Director Nelson reviewed the animal-control account line items: separate entries showed roughly $2,560 in one month and $3,300 in another, with a two-month total of about $5,890 for those services; council members asked how the annual contract and month-to-month charges interact. Council members also reviewed specific service entries in the packet and noted that healthy cats picked up are not covered under the contract while injured animals may generate additional charges (the transcript records a $105 charge associated with an injured kitten). Members discussed a credit or remaining-balance figure on the February bill (figures discussed in the meeting around $29,110) and whether unused funds would carry forward; no final determination on carryover was recorded.

The meeting closed after routine items and a motion to adjourn; members confirmed the next meeting time during informal conversation after adjournment.