2022.14.11 Meeting Minutes

GREEN GARDEN TOWNSHIP
November 14, 2022, REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES

1. Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Supervisor Don Murday with Pledge of Allegiance
2. Pastor Dave Geddes leads meeting in prayer.
3. Roll Call by Clerk, Crissy Kraft: Present were Trustees Dietz, Kovar, Newton, Wagner, and Supervisor Murday. Elected and appointed officials present: Assessor Bushong, Highway Commissioner Hilliard, and Clerk Kraft.
4. Approval of Minutes from October 10, 2022, regular Monthly Meeting prepared by Clerk Chrissy Kraft, Supervisor Murday entertained a motion to accept the minutes as prepared by Clerk Kraft, Motion made by Trustee Wagner and seconded by Trustee Kovar. All in favor with Aye, motion unanimously carried.
5. Public Comments – Before public comments Supervisor Murday explained that having met with other Supervisors they advised him about conducting business and how they do things since he is new at this. Due to some push back he wanted to make it clear that these are not rules he is imposing yet what is done in all the townships and the agenda from here on out will have that verbiage. Resident Buddy Schultz was concerned about 50 – 80 semis a day hauling in and out, not using the construction road, some with illegal straight pipes that could be heard 3/4 mile away, and rattling windows. He questioned if there are proper permits and a road bond, directed to the Road Commissioner and Supervisor Murday advised that public comments are not question and answer sessions. Resident Schultz also had concerns about newly blacktopped roads and gravel being dumped on it. Resident Belinda Olszewski had questions about who is going to administrate the Will Ride Program and if it does not pass where the money in budget goes. Olszewski also questioned if it does go through, when will it be available, who is eligible, and any rules to be encompassed.
6. Cemetery Report – Resident Buddy Schultz gave the report on behalf of Heidi Christofilos, who was unable to attend. He said the Cemetery Committee had their meeting, which went well. There is a grant applied for to fix up stones and when it comes through they will begin repairs. Supervisor Murday added that he spoke with Bryan Wellner (Township Attorney) and Heidi Christofilos because there are monies at BMO and they are working with the back to recover the monies.
7. Planning Commission – Nothing in November or December.
8. Road Commissioner’s Report by Commissioner Jim Hillard
– Past Operations – Finished mowing ditches, replaced shoulder stone on Stuenkel, Dralle, and 80th Ave. Finished trimming canopies, replaced 8 foot section of concrete culvert off Kuse Road that had leftover asphalt to fill potholes and do patchwork. Got a stump grinder on loan from New Lenox which allowed them to take down stumps from the past years.
– Present Operations – Preventative maintenance on the vehicles, getting snow plow equipment ready. They run six trucks, the seventh is backup, and five are ready to go.
– Future Operations – Scheer Road Bridge, North of Offer Road, signed paperwork to turn into the County to start the engineering process.
9. Assessor’s Report – Will County Assessor Rhonda Novak has retired after almost 35 years and the new replacement is Dale Butalla. He has a very extensive background as far as assessments. Attended a Board of Review hearing in October and will not know the final decisions until towards very end of year. Quad year is in 2023 which means all neighborhoods are to be equally assessed. Strategic planning has begun, doing comparable reports for all neighborhoods and no changes can be made until after the first of the year. The project is a huge undertaking, equalizing neighborhoods, land values, and so forth.
10. Trustee’s Report – Trustee Dietz, Trustee Kovar Trustee Newton, Trustee Wagner
Trustee Dietz reported on the property at 104th and Dralle Road, that township officials are still meeting with Will County Land Use officials and States Attorney regarding the matter. Trustee Dietz reported on Palamino Trace which had a pre-application hearing for a lot at the beginning of the subdivision that is listed as a detention pond that the owner hoped to build a cargo container home. Frankfort has a pre-annexation agreement with Palomino Trace, was also at the meeting, and did not like the idea. Architectural changes need to be made and nothing has happened yet. Trustee Dietz said a neighbor stopped by and said they wanted to put a luxury cargo container home East of Harlem, South of Dralle, in a 50 acre parcel that butts up to Meadow Creek, which is Monee Township. This will go to a pre-application hearing on then 14th. Trustee Dietz was notified by a lawyer that a company bought 57 lots in Palomino Trace, and that company reached out to the only owner of a house there wanting their consent to alter the covenants of the subdivision. The homeowner contacted a lawyer and ok’d Trustee Dietz to be a part of it. According to the lawyer, they cannot alter the County ordinances or Green Garden’s Comprehensive Plan. The company is wanting drastic changes to the value of homes and sizes. The Lawyers are handling it right now and if it gets out of hand they will bring it to Will County. Trustee Dietz said a few weeks ago neighbors from adjoining neighborhood of Palomino Trace met with Tim Anderson regarding waste being dumped, damage to light poles, and damaged guard rails. Pictures were taken and property owners and common grounds owners will be contacted and legal channels followed. Assessor Bushong noted that there is only one private homeowner in Palomino and that dumping there is massive, and the past weekend massive amounts of concrete were dumped and she had pictures. The discussion continued about involving the Sheriff’s Office or Enforcement to control the dumping, bonfires, and speed racing that occurs out there. Supervisor Murday suggested putting something together with Trustee Dietz and Road Commission Hilliard to formally submit to Land Use and the Sheriff to let them know what is going on in Palomino and see what they get back in response to it.
Trustee Bill Wagner talked about the levies coming up that have been prepared, the levy is for more than what they are going to get because the levy allows them to accommodate new properties that come into the township and inflation. It allows them as a tax cap county where property tax extension limitation law applies to only raise taxes by 5% on existing properties, exclusive to new properties. The township is asking for a whole lot more because they don’t know how much new property they have, only a rough estimate, and the Supervisor of Assessments will not won’t turn that over until after the beginning of the year and we are required to file the levy before the end of the year. Every year Trustee Wagner sets the levy to an amount that allows us to keep our existing tax rate so it doesn’t go up and may go down. The Truth and Taxation legal notice follows non-cap county laws and the language of the law which will show a drastic increase in tax rates but in reality it will only increase to accommodate the rate of inflation and new properties. Supervisor Murday explained how the notice looks like they are raising taxes, he had the attorney look at the levy and the attorney agreed that statutorily everything that Trustee Wagner prepared is correct with the language of the law. Supervisor Murday also mentioned Trustee Wagner has been doing this for years and is comfortable with him doing the levy. Trustee Wagner shared the levy with the board and will bring it to a vote at the December meeting as it needs to be filed by the last Tuesday in December.
Trustee Newton updated on the status of the township renovations and the criteria for the grant monies and will update at next meeting.
11. Supervisor’s Report – Supervisor Don Murday – Supervisor Murday explained about the hurdles to overcome to get the grant money and the registration process for incorporating the township (becoming a legal entity to receive federal and state funding) and other townships have reached out to Supervisor Murday by the third party administrator referral because of his success. This allowed the township to now receive/apply for monies and receive them because we are now registered with the Federal Government. Supervisor Murday talked on the General Assistance Fund and that he needs to learn on the basic information and plans to attend a session in the first quarter of 2023 for new supervisors. He also let the public know the township entered an agreement with a computer company to provide support and security for the township computers. Supervisor Murday went over the new business and legality of the Annual Financial Report and filings in which they will vote on. He also explained the Will Ride Program and how other townships support it and some do not. The board will also vote on that at this meeting. He wanted to explain funding part of the program, RTA federal program, and the billing associated with it. The program is available to the elderly, 60 and above and disabled, and strictly for medical appointments. The program is set to begin January 1, 2023 and the forms will be available on the website, and also in a newsletter that is currently in the works to go out in January 2023.
12. New Business –
• Annual Financial Report -Supervisor Murday calls for a Roll Call by Clerk Kraft to adopt the Annual Financial Report. Roll call vote taken: 5 Aye, 0 Nay. Motion unanimously carried.
• Will Ride Contract – Supervisor Murday calls for a Roll Call by Clerk Kraft to adopt the Will Ride Contract. Roll call vote taken: 5 Aye, 0 Nay. Motion unanimously carried.
13. Old Business – No Old Business
14. Meeting adjourned at 7:52 p.m. 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, December 12, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Crissy Kraft, Clerk for Green Garden Township