2022.02.16 Meeting Minutes
GREEN GARDEN TOWNSHIP
FEBRUARY 16, 2022, REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES
1. Meeting called to order at 7:01 p.m. by Supervisor Don Murday with Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Roll Call by Interim Clerk Cherie Newton: Present: Supervisor Don Murday, Trustees Ralph
Dietz, Mark Kovar, Bill Wagner, and Cherie Newton. Also, present Assessor Jane Bushong.
Mark Sarkisian representing for Road Commissioner Jim Hilliard who was not in attendance due
to Highway Commissioner meeting.
3. Approval of Minutes from January 10, 2022, Regular Monthly Meeting prepared by Interim
Clerk Newton. Supervisor Murday asks for Motion to approve submitted Minutes, motion
made by Trustee Wagner and seconded by Trustee Kovar. All in favor, motion carries.
4. Vote to appoint clerk discussion Re: Vacancy of Township Clerk led by Supervisor Murday.
Supervisor Murday explained of Jeannie Duniganâs resignation, as well as introduction of
resident Crissy Kraft who wishes to fill the vacancy. Resident Kraft gave a brief introduction of
herself. Supervisor Murday entertained the motion to appoint Crissy Kraft to fill the vacancy as
Township clerk, Trustee Kovar makes the motion, with a second by Trustee Dietz. Roll call vote,
all in favor, motion carried. Supervisor Murday let Interim Clerk/Trustee Newton how they
appreciated her taking on both positions, as only being paid for one, and thanked her. Interim
Clerk/Trustee Newton swore in Resident Kraft as new Township Clerk.
5. Planning Commission
The matter before the Planning Commission is a special use permit for Billâs Lawn Maintenance.
Planning & Zoning Commissioner Jim Wayman not present; report by Supervisor Murday. The
Planning Commission met last Monday, February 7, 2022, to hear the request for renewal of
Special Use Permit by new owners of Billâs Lawn Maintenance with 4 of the 5 Commissioners in
attendance. No changes to Special Use Permit other than new owners listed. Questions and
concerns from the public were addressed by Supervisor Murday, Counsel Max Gancarczyk, and
new owner Ada Krupskie. One specific question from resident Buddy Schultz was if the new
owners are planning on burning anything on-site. Attorney Gancarczyk replied that as it is a
condition of the Special Use Permit that no on-site burning is allowed, the new owners will
comply with that condition. There were no questions from the trustees. Supervisor Murday
entertained the motion for the board to adopt the Planning Commissionâs recommendation to
approve the special use permit as applied for by Ada Krupskie for Billâs Lawn Maintenance and
Landscaping. Trustee Dietz makes the motion, with a second by Trustee Kovar. Roll call vote,
all in favor, motion carried.
6. Road Commissionerâs Report by Commissioner Jim Hillard and presented by Mark Sarkisian:
– Past Operations
-Plowing and salting of the roads
-Sign Maintenance
-Applied for use of MNT/MFT funds through the county
-Restocked salt supply
-In-House equipment repairs, on trucks, oil coolers replaced, hydraulic hoses, exhaust
pipe replacement, tire replacement, 2- snow plow blades, light bar, marker lights, and mailbox
repairs.
-With last big snow early Wednesday, February 2nd, trucks went out at 2am and plowed
for 2-1/2 days consecutively.
– Present Operations
-Tree and brush removal
-Truck maintenance
-Street light maintenance
-Preparing bids for 2022 calendar year paving and tar/chip projects
– Future Operations
-Dralle Road East of 45 to get hard surface between 2022-2023
-Scheer Road Bridge North of Offner Road to be replaced
No questions from the public or Board. Supervisor Murday stated for the record, on behalf of
the township, thanking Jim and his crews for the great job that they did over the period of a day
or so where it snowed all day. â I know you guys were out working 12-14 hour shifts and wants
the record to reflect that the township expresses gratitude.â
7. Assessorâs Report
On-going normal monthly tasks/projects. Office manager making great progress in data entry,
research, handling endless calls and inquiries and so forth. The assessor office has begun
meeting with constituents by appointment only, in the new office. Soft appeals are now open
between now and May 16, 2022. This is the time of year adjustments can be made, if not in the
fall it can go to the board of appeals through the county. They are working in the township
level of assessments now through June. Bushong and her staff are heavily preparing for the
upcoming 2022 Fieldwork, beginning around May or June, depending on weather and so forth.
The list of fieldwork is increasing greatly every week based mainly on new construction. In
January the assessor submitted a very detailed budget in which she received no questions or
comments. Housing market trends, although housing market prices continue to increase, they
are slowing down tremendously for 2022 and sales are staying flat right now, as mortgage rates
increase, thatâs the prediction for this year. Trustee Cherie Newton expressed concerns over
Assessor Bushongâs draft budget being made available for all to see, as it is a work in
progress/draft. Her concerns were that people may take it as verbatim and not just a draft.
Trustee Newton explained that it should have been reviewed by the board prior to being made
public. Bushong questioned if the details and so forth would be revealed later for the public to
see the approved details. Supervisor Murday explained that 30 days before the budget hearing
the entire budget must be published and that it goes public before it is voted on. Supervisor
Murday also let it be known that the town budget will be published, and that the assessor
budget is part of the town budget. Assessor Bushong cited, duly noted. Supervisor Murday
wanted to make the record clear of the fact that just because no one has made any comment
on the assessor budget/budget request does not mean that people are in agreement with it
and wanted to note that and that budget would be discussed later in this meeting.
8. Trusteeâs Report
Trustee Bill Wagner is working with TOI on House Bill 436 and 2436 which deals with property
tax extension limitation law. These bills want to reduce the exclusion of new property, which is
now 100%, they want to reduce to 50% so working with TOI to basically fight that.
Trustee Newton let it be known that she would be working with Clerk Kraft to work on the
Statement of Economic Interest in which she submitted all the information for 13 people which
included everyone on the planning and zoning and the board. Clerk Kraft will check into the
status/clarification and ensure everyone receives the email.
Trustee Kovar questioned the status of looking into putting up new town township building.
Supervisor Murday conveyed that the interest is still there and that other things have come up
that have garnered attention. Trustee Wagner made mention of the initial impetus being that
widening of Manhattan-Monee Road and not knowing if they would condemn the building or
preserve it. Mark Sarkisian also mentioned being on the town hall building committee for
future planning of a new town hall/or saving the current building. They were getting estimates
and stopped after the electrical estimate was a big and could not get other estimates to come
through and then all the attention went to the assessorâs office. They agreed that now is not
the time to build but to get the committee back to planning.
9. New Business
PowerPoint presentation and discussion of the Assessorâs budget by Trustee Wagner.
10. Old Business
Trustee Wagner reported Heidi Christofilos found that as of February 2007, Union Cemetery is
officially abandoned, and as such the state accepting the notion its abandoned, they abated all
the fines that were previously owned by that cemetery and look forward to somebody taking it
over.
11. Supervisorâs ReportâWorking with the attorneyâs firm to make sure the township is in
conformity with the laws. Office of Will County executives invited Supervisor Murday to the
Countywide township coordination meeting in Frankfort Township. The agenda for the
meeting is update road projects, county projects, local projects, and township issues about
which Supervisor Murday will report back on.
There is a seminar the TOI has available for the General Assistance fund that Supervisor Murday
will attend to learn about the handling of the funds.
Supervisor Murday mentioned each of the Trustees responsibilities, Trustee Newton,
Website/social services, Trustee Wagner, Financial, Trustee Kovar, safety and security, and
Trustee Dietz, Land Use. In the future would like pictures of Trustees on website with
responsibilities so the public can direct issues/concerns to the corresponding Trustee.
12. Public Comments
Resident Gary Simmons expressed concerns over under assessed homes and praised the
helpfulness of Assessor Bushong. Resident Belinda Olszewski, who serves FOIA requests to the
township, voiced âthat she didnât come to the meeting to hear this crap.â Resident Buddy
Schultz voiced many concerns throughout the meeting and ended the public comments with
humor about a more than 20-point deer.
13. Meeting Adjourned at 8:48 pm with a motion by Trustee Kovar and seconded by Trustee
Dietz. Motion carried. The next Board meeting to be held on Monday, March 14, 2022, at 7:00
p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Crissy Kraft, Clerk for Green Garden Township.
