November 22, 2022 Approved Minutes

MINUTES OF THE GENERAL BOARD MEETING OF THE OAK PARK TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES HELD TUESDAY, November 22, 2022, CONDUCTED IN-PERSON and ELECTRONICALLY.

CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Clerk DaToya Burtin-Cox called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. and the meeting was conducted in person and electronically. The following participated in-person: Township Manager, Gavin Morgan; and Township Attorney, John Garofalo; Clerk, DaToya Burtin-Cox; Supervisor, Clarmarie Keenan; Trustee, Tim Thomas; Trustee, Eric Davis; Trustee, Ade Onayemi; Trustee, Margaret Trybus. The following participated electronically: Cheryl Potts, Director of CMHB, John Harris, Homeless Coalition; Linda Schuler, Housing Forward.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

None available. Clerk Burtin-Cox did express to the Board that the Township has received several inquiries about the advisory referendum on the 2022 General Election ballot. Supervisor Keenan requested that a press release go out explaining the process for getting the advisory referendum on the ballot.

APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA

Trustee Davis moved to approve the Township Minutes from October 25, 2022, with minor grammatical edits. Trustee Onayemi seconded the motion. The remaining Board members voted to pass the motion unanimously.

The Township bills were not available.

BUSINESS ITEMS

2022 Levy

  • Increases the levy by 4.9 % over last years levy and is within code.
  • Trustee Davis motioned to approve the levy. Trustee Onayemi seconded the motion. The Board passed the motion unanimously.

Tuck Pointing Contract

  • OPT is a member of the Coop Program which vets contractors
    • Trustee Davis indicated that program is a government program with predetermined costs; contracts piggyback on other similarly situated government body contracts.
  • Trustee Onayemi moved to accept the contract; Trustee Thomas seconded the motion; the Board voted unanimously to accept the contract.

Worker Compensation Insurance Renewal

  • Same insurance provider as previous years
    • Claim exposure has reduced
    • Company is easy to work with when OPT has had to file claims
    • Company provides training to OPT employees
  • Cost of coverage has increased
    • General rates have increased
    • Increased cost is not huge
  • Trustee Trybus moved to accept the worker’s compensation insurance renewal; Trustee Onayemi seconded the motion; the Board voted unanimously to approve the renewal.

DISCUSSION ITEMS

Homeless Coalition request for financial support

  • Trustee Davis inquired about OPT budget availability
  • Manager Morgan indicated that OPT has money available in the budget to support they request
  • CMHB has previously provided financial support to the coalition for past 5 years
    • Last request for financial assistance was March 2022
  • OPT staff is involved in the coalition committees
  • Trustee Trybus inquired about the Coalition’s application for the Michael Reese grant of $50,000
    • Linda Schuler indicated that they were not approved for the grant
      • Grant award process was competitive – 50 applicants
      • Coalition made it to the second round
      • Coalition will participate in a debriefing meeting after Thanksgiving
        • Have been told the grant was focusing on Chicago
  • Coalition is a springboard for the needs of the community
    • Seek to build programs
    • Village funding to reignite emergency shelter received recently
    • Seeking funding to hire full-time street outreach employee
  • Trustee Davis inquired whether the Coalition was a 501C(3)
    • Coalition exists under Housing Forward; has been in existence for 6 years; website = endhomelessness.com; seeking money for employees and communication
    • Coalition will send OPT the Bylaws/Motion of Understanding (MOU)
  • Trustee made statement regarding the need for outreach because he received notification of a homeless senior residing in their car
  • Coalition reaches clients through outreach workers
    • The number of individuals reached by outreach is not known
      • The Coalition real time numbers reached are approximately 160-180
      • Coalition would guess that outreach reached 2-30 individuals in OP
        • Working on a flow chart for organization to identify services provided
  • John Harris indicated that they could use assistance with a communication plan
  • Trustee Trybus is in support of assistance the Coalition
  • Trustee Onayemi tanks the Coalition for the work done

Vehicle Maintenance Agreement with the Village

  • Draft Intergovernmental Agreement has been sent
    • OPT will be seeking to add some points (i.e., costs, towing arrangements)
  • Trustee Trybus clarified that the agreement is only for repair work on OPT vehicles and does not include storage
    • Berwyn garage was allowing OPT to store vehicle but this is no longer available
  • OPT to monitor cost and timeliness of repair work
  • The duration of the Intergovernmental Agreement if ongoing but OPT can cancel by providing 30 day notice
  • OPT looking into funding for new vehicle
    • Looking for grant for an electronic vehicle

Local Government Efficacy

  • Attorney at Township of Illinois conference suggest not formalizing committee until June in order to not start the 180 day clock until then
    • Working with Park Association and Library Association to develop templates and lobby for changes
  • Trustee Thomas brought up the efficiencies that currently exist in the Township
  • Supervisor Keenan indicate that community members should be separate from Township
  • Trustee Trybus inquired about the timeline and guidance for completion
  • Trustee inquired about the language and guidance for committee

Candidate Forum

  • Scheduled for February 2023
  • Forum is for people interested in applying for the upcoming election
  • Elected official will talk about job description
  • Seek to representatives from OPT

MANAGER REPORT

  • Collaboration with other government entities to get word out
    • Communications to work with others on OPFYI and Collab. Corner
  • DEI coordinator [Dr. Walker] from Village did presentation
    • OPT requesting presentation for employees
  • Sustainability
    • Collaboration with other villages [Broadview, Forest Park]
    • Considering ways to be more sustainable
  • Tax bill have gone lout
    • Appeals are also open now
  • Roof work has begun
    • 105 bldg experience bad fumes toward the back
    • 130 bldg work expected to begin the upcoming Monday
      • Senior services will send meals home for the week
      • Distribution will occur in the parking lot Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Supervisor Keenan

  • Expressed Happy Thanksgiving
  • Requested press release related to congregate meals during construction
  • Request posting about communications position
    • Manager Morgan indicated that it is on Indeed and other job sites; will post on Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Christmas Party Dec. 16th at 5:30 at the Carlton Hotel in OP
  • Committees for Youth/Family Services and Senior services still need vacancies filled

CMHB

  • Strategic plan meeting successful
    • Looked at IPLAN and IL Youth Survey from 2022
    • Change effecting needs of community
      • 3 groups with identified threats
      • Increased collaboration with the community and other community service providers
      • January listening session with service providers and community
      • Cheryl Potts met with Senior services and Youth Prevention to discuss greater collaboration
  • Trustee Davis inquired about the ability to quantify landscape today since the pandemic
    • Not quantifiable data
    • IL Youth Survey tracking longitudinal data
  • Trustee Davis inquired whether enough service being provided

I-GOV

  • Senator Harmon and assistant attended last mtg and discussed interagency collaborations

Senior Service

  • No info
  • Congregant dining open
  • Thank you to staff

Youth Services

  • Pandemic has brought out volunteers
  • Youth have developed issues
    • Academic
    • Mental
  • Met 11/2
  • Poor data from survey; discuss modifying questions
  • Grants were given to two summer programs
    • STEAM
    • SMART
  • RFP Applications will be completed by 11/18 and sent out

ADJOURNMENT

Trustee Onayemi moved to adjourn at 9:12 pm; Trustee Thomas seconded the motion which passed unanimously.

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of the Oak Park Township Board of Trustees will be a Regular Board of Trustees Meeting conducted in-person and/or electronically among Board members on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, at 7 pm at the Township Office locate at 105 S. Oak Park, Ave, Oak Park, IL.

Respectfully submitted by
and recorded in the office of

/s/ DaToya Burtin-Cox
DaToya Burtin-Cox, Clerk