2022.09.12 Meeting Minutes

GREEN GARDEN TOWNSHIP

September 12, 2022, REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES

1. Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Supervisor Don Murday with Pledge of Allegiance
2. Roll Call by Clerk Crissy Kraft: Present: Supervisor Don Murday, Trustees Ralph Dietz, Mark Kovar, and Bill Wagner, Road Commissioner Jim Hilliard, Assessor Jane Bushong and Clerk Crissy Kraft. Trustee Cherie Newton not present.
3. Approval of Minutes from August 8, 2022, Regular Monthly Meeting prepared by Clerk Crissy Kraft. Supervisor Murday entertained a motion to accept the minutes as prepared by Clerk Kraft, Motion made by Trustee Dietz and seconded by Trustee Kovar. All In favor with Aye, motion unanimously carried.
4. Public Comments – Resident Buddy Schultz commented on the new road by him looking good but not sure why it is needed since there are no houses. He also mentioned trucks still running down Stuenkel Road and work done by the township/Road district, culverts, ditch work, etc., and would be nice for all houses in township. Resident Ronald Gress addressed his concerns about Offner Rd. between Center Road and 88^th Ave., where the road edges are crumbling and spots where it drops off by 6 inches. There are a lot of Semi’s running the road and parts of the road could cut a tire. The other issue was to see if Jim Hilliard could scrape out the ditches or cut them down to help with his flooding problems and drainage. Resident Monroe Striggow would like accountability on budget line items and wants an excel spreadsheet on the website to see where money is allocated. Resident Belinda Olszewski’s spoke of the July 11 meeting minutes and how resident Heidi Christofilos mentioned being elected for Precinct 2 person representing the Republican Party and there was selective omission of her name as she was elected for Precinct 1 of the Green Garden Republican party and wanted it added into today’s minutes. Olszewski also wanted an update on the Will Ride and the $ 10,000. dollar budget for the program. She also said the website looked very nice and wanted to know when all the minutes and agendas would be on there.
5. Planning Commission – Nothing on agenda for October 2022.
6. Cemetery Report – Heidi Christofilos looking into Union Cemetery coming under Green Garden Township and was thankful for Supervisor Murday and the Township attorney attending their meeting and addressing their questions. They will do a title search and find out about the lien for Union Cemetery to make sure it is in the best interest of Union Cemetery. Christofilos found that potentially there may be a grant available to apply for that would help with restoration of head stones. The grant would be a matching fund meaning the Township pays 50% and the grant would cover the other 50%. The Civil War headstones are not properly on the base and may be more than Russ and her are able to restore so the grant would help with this. The Township attorney said hopefully he would get back to them within a month so they know what resolutions or what they would like to see happen and go from there. Supervisor Murday thanked Christofilos and the committee for all they do and their clean-up efforts.
7. Road Commissioner’s Report by Commissioner Jim Hillard

– Past Operations –Just finished up Dralle Road paving project from Harlem to 88^th Ave., everything that was tar and chip was overlayed with 2-1/2” binder. Stuenkel Road from Harlem to 80^th was paved and Dralle Road 1/8-mile East of 45 was also paved. Canterbury Lakes Phases 1-4, Waterford Estates, and Prairie Creek paving projects were also completed. 4.1 miles last month of A-1 coating was done. Improved drainage in three locations by excavating the ditch, jetting culverts and drain tiles. He also addressed Resident Schultz saying if they tear up someone’s ditch or lawn, they put it back the best they can with seed and blankets. Added stone and gravel to driveways that join pavement on Dralle Road and paved three driveway aprons and one radius at Bruns Road and 80^th Ave.

– Present Operations –Mowing ditches and cleaning up for winter, cutting back to the farm fields. Starting preventive maintenance on the trucks and goal is to install steel roof on salt sheds but may have issues with materials. Cutting back canopies on roadways, shouldering Stoney and did not have Offner Road on the list but will add it. Will also talk with resident Gress after the meeting about drainage.

– Future Operations –Scheer Road Bridge North of Offner Road in planning phases. Supervisor Murday thanked Hilliard and his crew on behalf of the Township for maintaining the roads.

8. Assessor’s Report – Field technicians out all over the place this past month doing inspections of new homes and new structures. Revised tax bills received in early August resulted in a huge increase in resident inquires and appeal requests keeping them busy. Thanked Road Commissioner Hilliard for providing the Farmer’s Weekly newspaper to her saving the $25 dollar subscription. They will continue to work on appeals and getting the last of the 2022 new construction assessed and entered the system. Supervisor Murday thanked Assessor Bushong on behalf of the Township for her efforts and that of her team for taking care of the residents of the Township.
9. Trustee’s Report – Supervisor Murday let it be known that Trustee Newton is the chair of the Town Hall renovation Committee and Mark spoke with her today and will give a brief report. Mark Sarkisian, stated himself, Trustee Kovar, and Trustee Newton started with what is the Town Hall’s current state and what does it need and came up with eleven-line items. HVAC, septic, plumbing, electrical, and broader categories, ADA compliancy and TBD (unforeseen issues) are some on the list and have gotten rough estimates on 6-line items. It has been hard getting vendors to reply and will keep continuing the process. Next step will be to meet with a third-party consultant on behalf of the state to help secure the grant funding. Supervisor Murday thanked Mark and the committee for working diligently. Trustee Dietz complimented Supervisor Murday on getting a meeting with Will County Land Use. Trustee Dietz noted the meeting was interesting and disappointing and does not believe Land Use is on the same page. There were a lot of questions that were not replied to and hopes Supervisor Murday’s has better luck meeting with the State’s Attorney. Trustee Dietz expressed concerns about residents coming to the Township for answers which they bring to Will County and get zero results. Supervisor Murday thanked Trustee Dietz for leading up the Land Use portion for the Township. Trustee Dietz is provided the agenda for Will County Land Use and the planning commission for the Village of Frankfort and monitors those agendas for potential impacts on Green Garden Township. Trustee Kovar addressed the Will Ride, and the survey Will County is doing to see if there is a demand for it, which will be put on the website. This will be addressed once the County releases the results of the survey. Trustee Kovar also spoke of the importance of the new Safety Act that goes into effect January 1, 2023, that will empty the county jails for violations from second degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated DUI, and burglaries. These violators will be back on the street and said to contact your local state representatives and governor’s office and demand against it. There are 102 counties in Illinois and there are 100 states attorney’s going against the governor on this and Cook County will be the one that winds up ruling unless something is done. No one should have to worry about being hijacked or carjacked or anything. Trustee Kovar also advised on the sky rocketing fentanyl in the country and the danger of it and to contact your Representatives.
10. Supervisor’s Report – Supervisor Murday noted that he asked Trustee Kovar to head up the Will Ride Rideshare aspect. The County hosted a supervisor meeting last week and one of the topics was Will Ride and the survey. There are supervisors who are adamantly in favor of the program and just as many who are not. Supervisor Murday and Trustee Kovar will speak with both sides as to why they have the views they have. Supervisor Murday asked Trustee Kovar to be the conduit with the Will County Sheriff to keep residents updated on the website of verified activity within the boundaries of Green Garden Township. The website is a work in progress, and we are finding out new things to add, like the history of Green Garden. Chris Russell put the date Trenton Township was divided into Green Garden and Manhattan Township, Trenton Township was the parent, so to speak, and was split in 1853 and he put Trenton very small in the logo to go back to the lineage of the Township. Supervisor Murday encourages the public to share ideas with the Township or suggestions/feedback. Supervisor Murday elucidated further on the matter of a consultant from the government, the township was awarded $ 58,000. dollars under the ARCA program. To obtain the federal funding, the township needs to be registered with Sams.gov, the federal government’s way of monitoring who gets federal funds. Green Garden Township was registered but had lapsed 15 years ago and took about three weeks for Supervisor Murday to change registered name Bob Massat to himself. Now the issue is having the Federal Government recognize Green Garden Township along with all the other townships. The money is there, and ok’d unconditionally upon becoming a registered entity with the Federal Government. At the meeting he also spoke with other supervisors about the General Assistance Fund and received a lot of feedback and will begin working with a caseworker in Monee township. Supervisor Murday also met with a couple clergy that reside in Green Garden about the importance of leading in prayer and Pastor Clint from Jackson Creek mentioned there are many members of the church that would like to help or are available for community service. Supervisor Murday also spoke of the meeting with Will County Land Use and discussing the process we believe exists and being mindful of the process for our township. He also discussed variances now and, in the future, and the matter of Jerusalem Farms and setting up a meeting with the States Attorney. Jerusalem Farms has an attorney involved now and Supervisor Murday educated him on what the process is and that a map amendment is required. The other issue is Parker Concrete and the special use permit that we opposed, and they withdrew on the county level but there is evidence of them ignoring it. They are going before an administrative officer about commercial vehicles on the property but expressed the bigger issue with the washing of concrete vehicles and polluting the water in the area.
11. New Business – No new business
12. Old Business – No old business
13. Meeting Adjourned at 7:45 pm with a motion by Trustee Kovar and seconded by Trustee Dietz. All in favor with Aye, motion unanimously carried. The next Board meeting to be held on Monday, October 10, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Crissy Kraft, Clerk for Green Garden Township