Bourbonnais, IL – Residents of Bourbonnais may soon face new hurdles to hold garage sales. During last night’s Village Board meeting, trustees held the first reading of Ordinance No. 24-2457, which seeks to implement a controversial licensing requirement for garage, rummage, and similar occasional sales.
Under the proposed ordinance, residents would need to obtain a $5 permit from the village to conduct any garage sales. These sales would be limited to four consecutive days, with no more than one sale per month and three sales per year at the same location. Additionally, all advertising signs must be removed by 9:00 p.m. on the day the permit expires and cannot be placed on village rights-of-way, parkways, utility poles, streetlight poles, traffic signs, or street signs.
Village officials claim that these measures are necessary to prevent individuals from turning their residential properties into business sites, which they argue disrupts neighborhood peace, increases traffic, and lowers property values. However, many residents feel that the proposed regulations are excessive and could impose unnecessary burdens on those looking to sell unwanted items.
The Village Board will hold a second reading and final vote on the ordinance at their next meeting on July 1. If passed, the ordinance will take effect immediately, and violators could face fines for non-compliance. The proposal has sparked significant debate among residents, with concerns about balancing community standards and personal freedoms at the forefront of discussions.
