2021.01.11 Meeting Minutes

GREEN GARDEN TOWNSHIP

REGULAR MEETING 

JANUARY 11, 2021 

The regular meeting was called to order via conference call by Supervisor Murday at 7:01 p.m. 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 

Roll Call 

In attendance were Trustees Wagner, Newton, Standish, Dietz, Supervisor Murday, Assessor Bushong, Commissioner Hilliard, and Clerk Coffey. 

There was a motion to approve the minutes as submitted from the regular meeting/budget hearing held December 14, 2020 by Trustee Wagner with a second by Trustee Newton. Voice vote: Motion carried 5-0. 

PLANNING COMMISSION – Nothing on agenda in December or January. Nothing in regard to February. Collin Duesing from Will County Land Use on the phone after being contacted by Trustee Dietz. Trustee Dietz questions County’s new A-1 Special Use Text Amendment that went into effect Dec. 2020. Dietz was given history behind and with Mr. Duesing”s approval brings to the Board a pending case with Code Enforcement. resident has attorney, Planning Commission was not contacted. Case will affect 4 surrounding subdivisions & Road District if the gentleman decides to drive 50 ton trucks on our main roads. Dietz: Appreciate Collin being here and explaining basic history & how this transpired. This will affect all A-1 property owners who want to add outside storage, why they want to add construction sales is beyond me. Duesing: Recommends bringing this up in Trustee reports to keep agenda clean. Murday: It’s ok we are in Planning Commission. Duesing: Late 2019 few County Board members concerned, County seeing several cases where I-1 encroaching into ag areas, perception over past 10 years. Ten cases request I-1 in A-1 or A-2 really not that much activity, but did notice 4 cases coming about outdoor storage or construction sales & service (people who own a plumbing contractors operation & store plumbing supplies in barn). Some County Board members wanted entirely new zoning districts to accommodate this ag friendly industrial use. Some felt too extreme, let’s see what we actually see in construction sales & service and outdoor storage, just look at that separately. Is it similar & consistent with items already Special Use with A-1. Like a landscaping business, you can’t run a landscape business, you can have a nursery (ag) but if you’re trimming trees & cutting grass, it requires a Special Use. murday: In the case pending (Dietz referring to) did resident apply for Special Use? Duesing: (after looking) they have not filed yet. Murday: Are Map Amendments & Special Use statutorily required to come before the township. Duesing: Not necessarily, a policy by County should receive township consideration, but not statutory. 

Murday: Any pending dates on this case? Dietz: Possibly February asking for Special Use & Map Amendment. Wagner: Suggests all Special Use & Map Amendments come before township as a matter of policy if not by statute. Duesing: Suggests sending letter to Barb Peterson stating this case has not received township consideration, more than likely they would “table” until County gets your feedback. Striggow: Concerned these things are happening too often, stating the township finds out after it is too late in most cases. Thanks the Board for being on top of this one, stating there is a breakdown in communication, disappointed when the rules change, policies change & political changes affect what goes on in our backyard. This needs to be corrected. Duesing: It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact township, the County does not have the resources to make those communications. We do make staff notes if contacted, that the applicant did not reach out to you. Striggow: A note does not solve the problem, things in our backyard do not affect Joliet. Totally unfair to the people in our area getting stuck with something because a statute is not dictating we be notified. Wagner: In the past, we have always been notified, all policies do not have to be addressed in statute, that’s why they are policies and not statutes. Not being sent to us is a decision by County, in the past they have notified, why not now? Duesing: No idea. Dietz: Discusses when population exceeds a certain number some of the requirements for letting people know things are dropped. Murday to contact Land Use. Wagner suggests letter to County putting on notice we want notification. Address of property: 7608 Monee-Manhattan Rd. Brian Parker running concrete pumper trucks out of property. Murday: To notify County Special Use & Map Amendments to be heard regardless of statute, update at next meeting. Duesing: Contact Planner Lisa Napoles. Tomorrow, Land Use Development Committee discussing updates to livestock & residential districts section of our zoning ordinance; anyone may attend on Webex at 10:30. Dietz to attend, Duesing will send materials sent to the County Board members. Questions may be sent to: [email protected] (goes directly to Duesing). Mr. Duesing is thanked. 

HIGHWAY COMMISSIONER’S REPORT – 

Past Operations

● Truck repair ➢ Two trucks back from service (1) Dump Hydraulic cylinder rebuilt, (2) Power steering leak & front brakes repaired

● Cut shoulders throughout township (removing excess dirt to allow water to flow off the road into the ditches)

● Snow stakes placed throughout township

● Filled one salt shed

● Constructed a box for chip truck

● Replaced 2 stop signs that were knocked down

● Replaced hydraulic line on Combo, repaired forks on loader, & replaced plow cylinder (in house)

● Bruns west of Harlem – dead tree cut down & removed

● Demoed Skid Steer – A770

● 3 snow events 12-29, 1-1, 1-3, salted x5 used 104 man hours

● Removed concrete waste pile from Road District yard

● Repaired 1 mailbox from snow event

● Chainsaw maintenance

● Removed brush & trees from township property so farmer can farm Present Operations

● Demoing skid steer (Caterpillar) & compiling bids to upgrade equipment

● Developing an Employee Handbook

● Pothole repair

● Straighten bent culverts

● Inventory street signs throughout township Future Operations

● Hard surface roads planned for 2021 ➢ Pauling from Whispering Prairie to 45 ➢ 104th North of Pauling quarter mile

● Remodel Road District Office (with road district employees)

● Replace cross culvert on 80th Ave south of Dralle (spring 2021)

● 104th South of Manhattan-Monee ➢ Working to increase shoulder & decrease slope of ditch with County Engineers

Questions: Striggow: Update on 104th & Dralle garbage being dumped? Hilliard: Not since last meeting, called police to try to get overweight stopped for hauling, they said won’t stop hauling for Ag. Talked to Land Use, they will monitor & basically Tim from recycling said they were in compliance with what they are doing now. I disagree, haven’t got anywhere further. Activity not as much there either. Striggow: Smart farmer would never put all that bull…. on anybody’s field and work it in thinking you’re doing the right thing. Takes a dummy to convince someone that doesn’t know anything to pass this off as better for the ground. Absolute false statement. Farmers there are “No-tillers” and to pass this off as recycling, don’t understand. Peotone had a problem with farmer EPA & permits had to jump through hoops, up here they can get away with it, not adding up. I think they are passing the buck & do not want them to do that to Jim. Murday: In my conversation with Land Use, I will raise this issue too. Will talk with Stiggow tomorrow. Many thanks to Hilliard & crew for snow removal. 

ASSESSOR’S REPORT – Murday: Disseminated Board members budget for current year due to Covid, some movement within the budget, I don’t believe any need for us to pass anything for you to move from 1 area to another, as long as it is within your budget. Do appreciate you letting Trustees know. My request of you, for this fiscal year: What was budgeted, what was spent, & for upcoming fiscal year what needs to be budgeted for those particular areas. So we could see actual expenditures & what the request is for new fiscal. Bushong: Already laid out. Bushong proceeds with her report. On-going, standard Assessor tasks/projects 

● Appraiser, Real Estate, attorney, county & resident requests

● Visited new construction sites to apply assessed values as soon as occupancy is complete

● Data entry into PAMS: property record card info, sales, permits, appeals, photos, exemption paperwork, correspondence, new construction drawings & inquiries

● Purchased 2nd laptop & submitted 2nd PAMS license invoice for payment. Delays in shipments due to Covid demands. Will load all in January (by end of month)

● Began working on 2021-2022 Assessor budget, due by end of January 2021

● Submit final 2020 Covid related expenses to Supervisor

● Attended (virtually) the Will County SOA-TA annual meeting to discuss upcoming 2021 anticipated assessment related changes, timelines & instructions

● Requested increase of contents insurance coverage through TOIRMA for Assessor’s office contents to $5000 in the event of loss. Previously the Assessor’s office was not automated, so the amount of content coverage was far less. FYI – Laptops need to be insured under Inland Marine coverage since they are portable (roughly $30-$35 increase per year) update in Apr. ➢ Provided TOIRMA content insurance policy to Supervisor, Road Commissioner, & Trustees for review of additional township content insurance Green Garden Township Assessor Statistics – 2020

● Total number and value of Exemptions: 1895 parcels = $10,647,104 ➢ Total number of General Homestead Exemptions: 1344 parcels = $8,054,950 ➢ Total number of Senior Citizen Exemptions: 378 parcels = $1,888,567 ➢ Total number of Senior Freeze Exemptions: 108 parcels = $235,191 ➢ Total number of Disability Persons Exemptions: 26 parcels = $52,000 ➢ Total number of Disabled Veterans Exemptions: 17 parcels = $20,000

● Type of properties & assessed values (based on property class): 2314 parcels = $187,586,362 ➢ Farm Land with buildings: 403 parcels = $39,939,421 ➢ Farm Land without buildings: 367 parcels = $3,183,821 ➢ Residential Vacant land: 376 parcels = $6,005,821 ➢ Residential with homes: 1,019 parcels = $131,763,812 ➢ Commercial: 23 parcels = $5,527,576 ➢ Industrial: 34 parcels = $374,648 ➢ Exempt (no taxes paid): 16 parcels = $0 Exempt properties in Green Garden Township – Follow-up from December 2020 meeting

● Emailed Supervisor, Trustees & Road Commissioner on Jan. 10, 2021 detailed information on all properties within GGT which are not currently taxed Housing Market Update for end of 2020 (per Redfin) – residential homes

● The median home price increased 13% year over year

● Pending home sales were up 38% year over year

● New listings of homes for sale were up 7% from a year earlier

● Active listings (# of homes listed for sale) fell 32% for an all-time low

● 38% of homes that went under contract had an accepted offer within the first 2 weeks on the market, well above the 25% rate during the same period 1 year ago

● For the week of January 7, 30 year mortgage rates fell to another new record low of 2.65% Bushong thanks Board for input regarding this year’s budget. Also, thanks Sue Coffey for providing the Assessor’s office additional (used) file cabinets, and Sue’s husband & Road District employees for assisting with moving these heavy & large items. Stating this will save the Assessor’s office $ by not having to purchase these items in the future.

Questions: Wagner: Anyone know who farms the 72 acres on Kuse (owned by Frankfort Township)? We pay taxes on the farmland we own & farm. Striggow: I will find out & get info to Bill. Wagner: If someone is paying to farm it, it should be taxed. 

TRUSTEE’S REPORT – Wagner: This ties into discussion with Land Use, I think variances, special use permits & map amendments need to be implemented into their ordinance. Also, implement a statute on 300 yd. Limitation for shooting, State statute allows Counties to implement a 300 yd. limitation. Will County has not done this. Bushong: A lot of us have experienced this, it is not the lot line, it is the house. Wagner: Correct, it’s 3 houses, 300 yards from 3 houses. 1 or 2 houses within 300 yds, you can still shoot according to State statute. County doesn’t have a statute on it. Rule does not apply in Will County. I think it should apply. Newton: Wilton Township supervisor received $10,000 for food bank, her understanding was all townships received. Murday: We have not. Coffey: Believe it to be Cares money needing to be applied for. Murday: Deadline has not passed. Newton: Can we see about applying for Food Bank $10,000? Murday: If you are done, we can go to New Business & I will share how I would like to charge Trustees with certainresponsibilities. But yes, I would like you to follow up. Newton: FOIA request, Local Lab, publisher at Prairie State, asking for elected officials: start & end date, salaries, & email addresses. All info they can get on their own, I will forward this. Murday: Emails Cherie provided were general GG emails, not personal. Newton: Never heard back, easy request. 

SUPERVISOR’S REPORT – Nothing other than in New Business 

NEW BUSINESS – 

Approving 2021 Meeting Dates 

● There was a motion to approve setting the 2021 meeting dates & times as submitted by Trustee Standish with a second by Trustee Dietz. Voice vote: Motion carried. Cares Act Reimbursement – Murday: 3rd party vendor working with County, we have until Jan. 29, to submit up to $10,000 per township, about $1600 has been submitted by Assessor’s Office. I purchased a laptop for use for township, and plan on seeking reimbursement. Also, asked 

County if internet installation & zoom account can be covered, it can. Maybe, some of that may go to food bank, since we do not have a food bank, maybe partner with catholic charities or a food bank. Newton: Helping Hands in Peotone services Peotone School District, give back to our community. 

Special Areas of Responsibilities for Trustees – Murday: My thoughts for current Trustees: Bill Wagner 

● Assume responsibility assisting me with preparation of Budget

● Assist with Road District & Assessor’s Office budget

● Research Exempt properties to see if any belong on tax roll, tapping into potential revenue

● Assist Supervisor on financial end of Township Ralph Dietz

● Take lead with Land Use

● Be our main contact with County, take initiative to make sure County hears our concerns, currently lack of notice & knowledge.

● Share information with Supervisor & Trustees Cherie Newton

● Website maintenance, more robust. Maybe include Covid related items (vaccinations & updates), Peotone Library & drive more activity to the website

● Social Services, seniors, food bank, etc. Find out what we can offer that we haven’t in the past

● Funding for above mentioned Russ Standish (not running for another term)

● Public safety, relationship with law enforcement agency

● EPA issues (recent dumping)

● Tornado siren and funding for such things

Murday: Purpose not to give chores, as elected officials we need to be more proactive for the township. Prepare reports & discuss at meetings. Hoping this is well received, think about it. Want residents to know who we are & what we do, just being more active. Questions: Schultz: Stuenkel, 2 new facilities, not brought before the board. A big barn going in, and across the street from that a guy with a new home putting up garage to house semi’s in. Massat told him “you’re not going to run semi’s on the road.” Now, the garage is going up. I don’t know if he has a permit or not. Maybe something for everyone to think about. Murday: Sounds like something for you to discuss with Dietz. Schultz: Across the street supposedly 50 stall barn & arena going in. Nobody heard about that & it’s almost done. Dietz: Do they go to highway commissioner? Schultz: Highway knows, driveway done without culvert was ok’d because of rules. Is there enough acreage there to do this? Dietz & Schultz to discuss. Assignment of Sectors – Murday: Separating 4 quadrants, let’s just digest what we have so far. Really just for residents of that quadrant to know their Trustee assigned to them (something for 

near future). Hopefully in the summer we will start to be more active here. 

Use of Website – Murday: Already spoken of, Cherie, I don’t expect you to be “Web-master.” Looking to make website more robust, just looking in to. 

Discussion on Budget – Murday: Jane, please send budget as soon as you can so we can vote at February meeting. Bushong: No problem. Murday: Sue, can you get meeting minutes to me earlier? I use it as a checklist of things before the next meeting. Coffey: I will work on it. 

OLD BUSINESS – None 

PUBLIC COMMENTS – Murday: Comments welcome at all times. Thanks everyone for working with us via telephone. Expect to be back in February for an in person meeting. Masks & social distancing required. Thank you for attending. 

There was a motion to adjourn the meeting by Supervisor Murday with a second by Trustee Standish. Voice vote: Motion carried. 

Meeting adjourned at 8:18 p.m. 

Respectfully submitted, Susan Coffey, Clerk