Gunsmithing business OK’d to operate out of Paxton home

PAXTON — The Paxton City Council unanimously approved a special-use permit to allow for a home-based gunsmithing business at 838 E. Orleans St. during its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

The permit, requested by Julian Geiken, was recommended for approval earlier in the night by the city’s planning and zoning commission following a public hearing.

While the agenda for both the hearing and council meeting said the business would provide gunsmithing and “related sales and services,” Alderman Kristen Larson said that Geiken clarified during the hearing that sales would not be involved.

“This is not sales. This is simply repair,” Larson said. “Mr. Geiken clarified that he has no intention of sales.”

Abstaining from the council’s 6-0 vote to approve the permit was Alderman Deane Geiken, the petitioner’s father. Absent was Alderman Matt Greenburg.

City Attorney Tony Schuering said the commission recommended approval after hearing from the younger Geiken during the hearing and considering factors applicable under city code. Schuering said the special use permit allows Geiken — but no one else — to run a gunsmithing business at the property, as compared with a variance that “runs with the land” regardless of who owns it.

Mayor Bill Ingold noted that all neighbors whose properties are within 250 feet of the petitioner’s property were notified as required by law, and “nobody in the neighborhood complained or had any problems with it.”

A woman in the audience, who did not state her name, told the council that she had some concerns, though.

“To me, this sounds like it could invite illegal gun owners … because now you can make a gun by looking online and getting the directions and making the parts,” she said. “I could see someone using a place like this to help them make guns, and I just see it as a very negative thing, and it saddens me.”

Another member of the audience — a man who did not state his name — responded by noting that gunsmithing and gun manufacturing are two different things requiring two different licenses.

Schuering said he doubts the petitioner would be engaging in illegal gun manufacturing.

“I don’t imagine that he’s going to risk his livelihood by helping someone manufacture a ‘ghost gun’ or something like that,” Schuering said. “I understand your concerns, but the planning and zoning commission considered all the testimony it received in making this recommendation, and we did ask specific — I think, fairly pointed — questions of Mr. Geiken about what exactly was going to be done here. I understand your concern, and I think the city council does, too, but this was the recommendation that was proposed and is time for (the council) to consider.”

The unnamed male audience member who spoke earlier then asked Julian Geiken what he would do if someone were to come to his home and ask to have him repair a gun with a filed-off serial number.

“Kick them right out and probably report them to the police,” Julian Geiken replied.

Other business

Also during the hour-long Jan. 14 council meeting: n The council voted unanimously to approve a schedule of council meetings for 2025. All are at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 145 S. Market St., on the second Tuesday of each month except in November, when the meeting is on the third Tuesday of the month (Nov. 18) due to the Veterans Day holiday falling on the second Tuesday of the month (Nov. 11). The list of meetings will be published on the city’s website. n The council unanimously approved an ordinance amending Chapter 51 of the city’s Code of Ordinances to allow for additional collection methods for delinquent bills owed to the city. Schuering said the changes include some rewording of existing language in the ordinance and some additional language clarifying the city’s right to file suit against any person who has a delinquent bill. When it comes to water and sewer bills for the tenants of rental properties, for example, the city could choose to file suit against the tenant in addition to filing a lien against the property. “What this is intended to do is clarify that a debt itself is not (necessarily) tied to a specific property,” Schuering said. “It’s tied to a specific user. Because I think we were having some scenarios where we’d have people run up a past-due bill at one property and move and get service (elsewhere), and, for whatever reason, that wasn’t being noted that they had this past-due amount at this prior property. … This expands our authority and clarifies that we have the ability to go after people, not just properties.” n The council unanimously approved the purchase of a replacement bed for a city-owned 2-ton truck for a cost of $33,478. Superintendent of Streets and Alleys Jesse Houtzel said the $33,478 bid came from one of three companies he contacted for a cost estimate, the other two of which did not respond. “There’s no fixing the bed that’s on there now,” Houtzel said of the truck. “This is the only option, or just (have) no bed on the truck. That’s kind of where we’re at.” Alderman Justin Withers, chairman of the council’s public works committee, said the replacement of the truck bed for that price seems like a “good deal” to keep the truck in working order, especially considering the $213,000 cost to buy a newer one. “The truck itself is in good condition,” Withers noted. “It’s just the bed is rotting off of it.” n Superintendent of Water and Sewer Bob Carleton said the city’s “vac” truck was put to use, saving his crew time waiting for the arrival of utility locators, as they worked to repair some “issues” at three locations in town the previous week, including on Meridian Terrace and Lane Drive. Carleton noted that he would like to consider purchasing a replacement vac truck within the next year. Carleton said the existing truck is 27 years old. He said 2013 models can range in cost from about $200,000 to $210,000, while a brand-new one, which the city likely will not buy, costs “over half a million dollars.” Alderman Eric Evans, chairman of the council’s city property committee, said he would like to see the city create a schedule for the regular replacement of all of its vehicles on a rotating basis, allowing the city to capture better trade-in value. Evans said several vehicles will need to be replaced soon. “I think it’s just a good practice to get into,” Evans said. “It’s going to save the city money in the long run.” n Houtzel said streets and alleys department workers were able to clear streets of snow despite being down two dump trucks recently. n Mayor Bill Ingold publicly congratulated Schuering, the city’s attorney, for recently having been made a partner at the Springfield law firm of Brown Hay & Stephens. Schuering received a round of applause. n Deane Geiken said a resident of the 400 block of East State Street recently contacted him to ask that the city do something to address the accumulation of trash on a neighbor’s property. The resident provided photos that were shown to the council. “He said it is completely full of junk, attracting skunks, raccoons and other critters — not to mention, bags of household trash lying in the alley,” Deane Geiken said. Police Chief Coy Cornett said the property owner was already issued a notice to appear in court over the property’s condition. n Blake Johnson, who lives outside city limits but owns properties in multiple city wards, questioned which city officials he should approach with his concerns. “I just want to know that I have representation by these people,” Johnson said, “because I pay taxes.” n The council voted unanimously, with Pacey abstaining, to add one 15-minute parking space by The Pop Loft flower shop in the 300 block of South Market Street. The temporary parking space will be on the east side of Market Street in front of 343 S. Market St., a residential property located directly to the north of The Pop Loft. The council also approved amending the city’s parking ordinance to restrict parking on all of the rest of the east side of the 300 block of South Market Street. Parking there has long been prohibited by signage but never before by ordinance. n The council voted unanimously to authorize the mayor to sign a proposed engineering agreement for up to $460,000 in street improvement projects to be completed this summer. Earlier in the month, the council’s city property committee voted to recommend spending up to $460,000 — including the city’s remaining $312,216 in Rebuild Illinois funds — on road repairs. The list of specific streets to be repaired will be up for approval in February. The $460,000 budget for roadwork should be enough to cover $395,600 in projected construction costs and $64,400 in projected engineering fees. With Rebuild Illinois funds unable to pay for all of the work alone, the remaining $147,784 in cost is expected to be covered by capital-improvement funds already on hand. The council has already earmarked its MFT funds for a single project — the construction of an extension of Elm Street by 340 feet south from Ottawa Road, leading to the first phase of a proposed 328-acre residential and commercial development on the city’s southwest side — which is expected to cost $375,000 and require reserves, as well.

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