Streator shelter needs a special use permit to operate as halfway house

The Rev. Ray Merkerson will need a special use permit if he wishes to operate a halfway house in Streator in conjunction with a homeless shelter.

Merkerson had been using the shelter as a space for paroled criminals for more than a year and a half before the city closed it down in October 2018. He never applied for the special use permit the city required.

Earlier this month, Merkerson said he was doing maintenance at the building, but gave up the idea of opening the shelter for good after six years in the community.

“We have a definition of a halfway house and the city is divided into zoning districts,” said City Manager David Plyman. “This property is located in a district where a halfway house would require a special use permit.”

Ordinance 17.08.010 states a halfway house is a home for less than nine people receiving treatment for alcoholism, drug abuse, mental illness, antisocial or criminal conduct with no more than two people providing supervision and other services. Merkerson's shelter would fit the definition.

Merkerson said the special use permit was brought up after he started taking inmates from places outside of counties bordering La Salle County, specifically naming Cook County.

“We had a sit down meeting with over 10 officials there, seven from the state and another four or five from the mayor’s office,” Merkerson said. “They OK’d it and then they called back and told me they didn’t want us to take anyone from Cook County.”

A memorandum of understanding made available to The Times through a Freedom of Information Act request makes clear Merkerson was not to accept any inmates from outside of counties bordering La Salle County but handwritten in an accompanying email between Streator Police Chief Kurt Pastirik and former City Manager Scot Wrighton is a note that reads: “We do not believe the (Illinois Department of Corrections) will honor the terms likely to be established by the city.”

Merkerson said the only rules put in place by the city that he was aware of required him not to take any paroled sex offenders, which he followed.

“The building was inspected five times by the city itself,” Merkerson said. “Now they’re just grabbing at stuff. That building was open for eight years. Where were they with their rules then?”

Merkerson’s contract with the Department of Corrections, acquired from the City of Streator in the same FOIA as previously mentioned, contains a provision that requires the halfway house to follow all state, county and local ordinances, which the special use permit would fall under.

“The code it falls under requires that we send notices out to the neighboring properties and a recommendation would flow from the Plan Commission to the City Council,” Plyman said. “Before we can impose any conditions on the use of the property, there needs to be an open process by which a special use permit is granted.”

Plyman said they’re waiting to see if Merkerson wants to submit a special use permit and they’re open to having it go through the process.

“At this point, this hasn’t really been proposed in a formal way,” Plyman said. “He’s been informed that if he wants to pursue this, we’re waiting. It could very well be that he chooses not to do it or he moves to another location and today’s conversation is all for naught.”

Merkerson has no plans to submit an application for the permit.

Merkerson has been running the shelter from his own income since opening it in 2013. Proceeds from the halfway house helped fund the shelter. Merkerson, who doesn't receive a salary from the church, paid the mortgage and insurance on the building out of his retirement and Social Security. The shelter operated separately from the church.

Need shelter?

People in need of shelter can be directed to the Public Action to Deliver Shelter at 1120 Canal St., Ottawa. The 50-bed shelter is open 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. daily. For more information, call 815-433-1292.