2020.07.13 Meeting Minutes

GREEN GARDEN TOWNSHIP
REGULAR MEETING
JULY 13, 2020

The regular meeting was called to order by Supervisor Nolan at 7:00 p.m.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Roll Call
In attendance were Trustees Wagner, Newton, Standish, Hellriegel, Assessor Bushong, Commissioner Hilliard, Supervisor Nolan, and Clerk Coffey.
There was a motion to approve the minutes of the Budget Hearing & Regular Meeting held June 8, 2020 as submitted by Trustee Hellriegel with a second by Trustee Newton. Voice vote: Motion carried.
PUBLIC COMMENTS – None
PLANNING COMMISSION – Chairman Murday reported nothing for July or August.
HIGHWAY COMMISSIONER’S REPORT – Jim Hilliard was sworn in at an open meeting, sworn in previously
at the end of the June meeting due to Covid.
Past Operations:
● PT Ferro completed overlay to Whispering Prairie, Links Edge, & Canterbury Phase 5. Held
$22,000 back due to some messy areas, to be worked out.
● Repaired 2 street lights in Canterbury Lakes, 2 driveway culverts replaced, a 60” and 12”.
● Both tractors had fluid & filter changes, batwing mowers serviced, all in house.
● Throughout Township: ditch work, tile repair, & shoulder work done.
● Safety equipment added to boom truck (OSHA compliant).
Present Operations:
● Roads A-3 prepping: Offner, 104th to 45; Pauling, Whispering Prairie to 45; 104th, ¼ mile north
of Pauling to Pauling.
● Roads Prepped for A-1: Pauling west of 45 to Scheer; Dralle west of 45 to Scheer; Stuenkel, ½
mile east of 104th to Scheer; 104th, Stuenkel to Steger; Kuse, 104th to ½ mile east of 104th.
● Started ditch mowing, about 5 miles completed. Reshaped ditches where culverts replaced.
● Working with Obenauf Auction to sell 1996 Ford F-150, 2 brush hogs, snow plow motor, and
various small items.
Future Operations:
● Reshape Links Edge ditch. Pauling is being moved over to north. Cut back high shoulders
● Sales Rep for the Total Patcher coming to train new employees on equipment.
Other Governmental Operations:
● Culvert replacement on Manhattan-Monee west of 45.
● Attended IDOT meeting via video conference call.
● Detour Joliet Rd. to 52 expected. Two culverts replaced, 1 in Green Garden & 1 in Manhattan.
Sign says July 13th, maybe August, have to be done by October 20 contractually.
ASSESSOR’S REPORT – Assessor Bushon reported, extremely busy, normal routine with assessments.
Currently, 80% of new construction completed, drawn out, measured with data input. Still need to go back on several still under construction.
TRUSTEE’S REPORT –
● Newton: Updated website with new contact data for Road Commissioner Hilliard, only changed
phone number & name.
● Hilliard: Eventually move office to road building, Penny to stay on as secretary to finish term out
(Bob’s). Slowly move everything to the road building, phone with answering machine.
● Standish: Suggests commemorative plaque in honor of Bob Massat. Widening
Manhattan-Monee & Center data collection 1 ½ – 2 years, 2025 might think about it. Historic
building questioned. County Transportation project manager to get back to us Aug. or Sept.
● Newton: Spoke with Wendie Garlich (Will Ride) not actively doing anything due to Covid to
follow up in a few months. Still haven’t heard from County regarding releasing us from liability.
SUPERVISOR’S REPORT –
● Nolan: Discuss construction in Town Hall to house files for Assessor & Clerk, not anticipating
huge cost.
● Nolan: Start thinking about Levies, looking to cut more across the board. Coming up to fiscal,
economy turning, only people not cutting is government.
● Newton & Bushong: Discuss webinars on Budgeting & Anticipating. Offers relief for Covid
related expenses (Assessor utilizing). Bushong suggests listening to these webinars. Talk of all
types of adjustments for next year, at higher government levels, taxes & things. Nolan: State
level or Federal level on Property Taxes? Bushong: Comes down from the state, sales are still
stable. Coffey: County is close to target distributed at this point, most townships & municipalities
around 48% distributed. Nolan: County is paying out more money cause they raised property
taxes, reflecting more money in property taxes. Coffey: Has nothing to do with rates & amounts,
it’s percentage distributed.
NEW BUSINESS –
● Nolan: Suggests Committee to deal with County regarding flooding issues, stating this is a
County matter, not Township. Looking to head up under Planning Commission. Murday: Happy
to join others to help. Bushong: Suggests gmail account for those to report issues in writing, and
categorize them accordingly. Nolan: County doesn’t address drainage & neighbor issues.
Maybe a committee to address with Land Use/Code Enforcement. Karen, Linda & Monroe may
help. Murday: Asks for emails from collective group of people with issues.
● Striggow: County’s fix of 6” pipe to a “T” with 4” tile, water now squirts up in air. By design, built
correctly, design is faulty. Schultz: Private companies draw out & County stamps it. Newton: Is
Moustis aware? Discussion to gather facts and meet with County Board members & Land Use.
● Wagner: Asks about Drainage Districts. Hellriegel: States we used to have them. A Drainage
District discussion regarding who pays in, how their taxed, and if this may be a viable solution
followed. Supervisor Nolan to follow up with Chairman Murday.
● Annual Town Meeting: There was a motion to hold the Annual Town Meeting on August 18,
2020 at 6:30 p.m. by Trustee Wagner with a second by Trustee Newton. Voice vote: Motion
carried.
OLD BUSINESS – None
PUBLIC COMMENTS –
● Schultz: Questions amount of chips on the road sides after spreading. Hilliard: Aware of the
situation and will deal with it. Does not want to pull guys off other priority projects at the
moment. Schultz: Can you spread them thinner? Hilliard: Last week was hard, in the 90’s with
the tractors and traffic, rather thick than thin.
There was a motion to adjourn the meeting by Trustee Hellriegel with a second by Trustee Standish. Voice
vote: Motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan Coffey, Clerk