January 24, 2023 Approved Minutes

MINUTES OF THE GENERAL BOARD MEETING OF THE OAK PARK TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES HELD TUESDAY, January 24 2023, CONDUCTED IN-PERSON and ELECTRONICALLY.

CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Clerk DaToya Burtin-Cox called the meeting to order at 7:08 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; Supervisor, Clarmarie Keenan; Trustee, Tim Thomas; Trustee, Ade Onayemi; and Trustee, Margaret Trybus. Clerk, DaToya Burtin-Cox; and Trustee, Eric Davis participated virtually. Also, Director Megan Traficano, Youth & Family Services and Cheryl Potts, CMHB participated virtually.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

None.

APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA

Trustee Davis moved to approve the Township Minutes from January 10, 2023 and Trustee Onayemi seconded the motion. The remaining Board members voted to pass the motion unanimously.

BUSINESS ITEMS

Appointment of Youth & Family Services Committee Member

  • Candidate interviewed – Joanna Skubish
    • Employed with Concordia University as an Assistant Director of Giving
    • Worked With Sarah’s Circle
    • 20 year resident of Oak Park
  • Trustee Davis made statement in support of the candidate indicating that she would be a terrific asset.
  • Trustee Onayemi made motion in support of having her on the committee. Supervisor Keenan supported the motion and the remaining Trustees voted unanimously to approve her appointment.

DISCUSSION ITEMS

Vehicle Maintenance Agreement with the Village

  • Manager Morgan still gathering info from other communities, Fenwick, etc., about their maintenance contracts.
    • Spoke with Insurance broker who indicated that they were concerned about the “no liability clause”.
    • Trustee Thomas was glad to hear that the insurance provider was concerned about the clause.
  • Questions re whether OP Park District, who has agreement with Village, modified their insurance
    • Manager Morgan indicated that they did not.
    • He indicated that the Village indicated that the language in the IGA was standard.

Local Government Efficiency

  • Manager Morgan indicated that Carla Sloan (River Forest Township Supervisor) indicated that the attorneys at Ancel-Glink are still working on this issue with TOI and that Townships should wait for templates and TOI guidance. 
  • Trustee Trybus inquired about participation in the webinar
    • Morgan concerned it will be the same as the other information previously disseminated and suggested waiting to register to see if new info. comes out.
  • Supervisor indicated that Board should keep in mind the concern of Township consolidation.
    • Reiterate that citizen participants having familiarity with Township Gov.
    • Trustees Onayemi and Trybus bring up concern that citizen participants should not be politically affiliated.

MANAGER REPORT

  • Cyber Security
    • Analysis of OPT network/computer storage to be conducted
    • Trustee Trybus inquired whether CMHB system is included in the analysis
      • Manager Morgan indicated that he had not spoken to CMHB since their system is not linked
      • Director Potts indicated that she would communicate with Manager Morgan and that their system was HIIPPA compliant.
  • Trustee Trybus inquired about the cost
    • Manager Morgan indicated that the analysis was free
  • Trustee Onayemi inquired about whether this analysis was the same as what Clerk has been working on.
    • Clerk indicated that she is working on ensuring record retention is following State law.
  • CPI came out for 2024
    • Set at 6.5%
    • Last year was 7%
    • Township capped at raising taxes by 5% without community hearing.
  • Employee Life insurance benefit
    • Original program covered 1 year salary
      • Offered to employees who received health insurance. At the time, the threshold was 40 hours per week.
    • Never modified to include employed with 30 hours, when the Affordable Care Act lowered the threshold.
      • 2 employees fit in category
      • Cost is approximately $30 additional to Township per year.
    • Manager Morgan will bring for a formal vote in Board
  • Construction
    • A lot of work has been done
    • Currently waiting for permits for HVAC

Supervisor Keenan

  • Records
    • Clear out/organize basement
    • Clerk indicated Division can trash records approved to be disposed as of 2019. New Records App came before state committee, and we are awaiting response.

CMHB

  • Will be busy over the next 2 weeks with grants
    • Review grants 1/31 – 2/27
  • 50th Anniversary program to be help at Cheney Mansion in Spring
  • Move to CRC
    • Tentative date – 5/21 for ribbon cutting
    • CMHB lease is up end of June 2023
      • Anticipate move at end of lease
  • Youth Program should begin the end of February
    • Manager Morgan indicated that Youth & Family Services has ben working with social worker hired by the Park District of OP
    • Director Traficano indicated that joint initiatives are being discussed
  • 1.8 million in funds requested.
    • Will grant approximately 1.2 million.
  • CMHB is visiting sites.
  • Seeking input for Strategic statement (cover 2 yrs.; ’24-’26)
    • 1/19 -community
    • 1/25 – service providers

I-GOV

  • Candidate forum (2/4/23 @ 1:30 pm) at Senior Service Bldg.
    • low numbers
    • forum will be hybrid
    • Program is to be conversational. No panel.
  • Trustee Trybus inquired whether they are encouraging more people to run for offices
    • Trustee Davis indicated that they are looking for people that have never run for office
  • Trustee Trybus inquired whether they will differentiate between
    Village and Township Government.

    • Trustee Davis indicated that they will discuss the Board and Staff relationship.

Senior Service

  • Committee dinner on 1/18/23 at Salerno’s went well.
    • Trustee Thomas unable to attend
  • Equipment lending program
    • Trustee Thomas received public comment supporting program
    • Supervisor Keenan aske that comment be circulated
    • Trustee Davis inquires as to how people learned about program because it is not on the Senior Services webpage
      • Asked for the program to be listed on site
      • Supervisor Keenan indicates that she sees post on Facebook about program

Youth Services

  • Received 13 proposals for grants
    • 3 from River Forest
    • 4 from Oak Park/River Forest
    • 6 from Oak Park
  • Start reviewing proposals on 2/8
    • Will focus on River Forest proposals
  • Received 7 proposals from new programs
  • Still looking for 2 committee members from Oak Park

ADJOURNMENT

Trustee Onayemi moved to adjourn at 7:57 pm; Trustee Davis 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, February 14, 2023, at 7pm at the Township Senior Center locate at 130 S. Oak Park, Ave, Oak Park, IL.

Respectfully submitted by
and recorded in the office of

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

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