Beardstown council declines zoning changes on accessory structures, schedules committee review

The Beardstown City Council on May 21 considered amendments to the city’s Zoning Ordinance that would redefine accessory uses and structures but did not adopt the changes and left further review to a committee meeting.

A motion to adopt the ordinance, moved by Alderperson Ron Culves and seconded by Alderperson Chris Baer, did not pass. The meeting record lists those voting in favor of the adoption as Alderpersons Chris Baer, Ron Culves and Dawn Seward; those recorded as voting no are Alderpersons Lisa Buhlig, Mary Davis, Eric Harbin, Keith Schramm and Mayor Tim Harris.

Separately, the transcript records a procedural motion to table the proposal (moved by Alderperson Mary Davis, seconded by Alderperson Eric Harbin) with a different vote split recorded (yea: Buhlig, Davis, Harbin, Schramm; no: Baer, Culves, Seward). The minutes note that the motion to table “failed due to lack of the majority holding office voting yea.” The meeting record’s sequence and the overlap of recorded tallies make the procedural history unclear in places; the council ultimately did not approve the ordinance.

Next steps: Councilmember Ron Culves scheduled a committee meeting for Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. to continue discussion of the proposed zoning changes.

Why it matters: Changes to accessory‑structure rules can affect property owners, development patterns, and enforcement; the council’s decision to send the matter to committee delays any immediate change in city zoning regulations.

The council later entered executive session on collective bargaining and resumed public session before adjourning at 8:32 p.m.