WEBVTT 00:00:05.169 --> 00:00:18.170 I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 00:00:18.170 --> 00:00:23.589 Madam Clerk, please call the roll. 00:00:23.589 --> 00:00:24.589 Ted Odendahl. Here. 00:00:24.589 --> 00:00:25.589 Kathy Wilken. Here. 00:00:25.589 --> 00:00:26.589 Kathy Altensey. Here. 00:00:26.589 --> 00:00:29.589 Kelvin McIlwain. Patrick Sellers. Here. 00:00:29.589 --> 00:00:30.589 Okay. 00:00:30.589 --> 00:00:31.589 We have a quorum. 00:00:31.589 --> 00:00:32.590 We have a quorum. 00:00:32.590 --> 00:00:37.590 The first of our bids is the approval of bids for the April 20th, 2026 meeting on emotion and second please. 00:00:37.590 --> 00:00:53.590 I'll second it. I like that bigger font. Me too. I like it too, because I'm getting old myself. 00:00:53.590 --> 00:01:14.810 Oh my goodness. Oh I didn't get my rain barrel out. 00:01:16.810 --> 00:01:18.810 Are there any questions on the minutes? 00:01:18.810 --> 00:01:20.810 I digressed. Sorry. 00:01:20.810 --> 00:01:24.810 Okay. All in favor? Aye. 00:01:24.810 --> 00:01:26.810 Any opposed? Motion carries. 00:01:26.810 --> 00:01:31.810 The next order of business is to approve of Bill's paper. Motion to second please. 00:01:31.810 --> 00:01:35.920 Motion to approve. 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:37.920 I need a second. 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:39.920 I'll second it. 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:41.920 Ms. Baldwin-Dahl, seconded by Wilken. 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:43.920 Please take a look at the bills, if you haven't done so already. 00:01:43.920 --> 00:02:17.250 I have a question. 00:02:17.250 --> 00:02:18.250 Yes. 00:02:18.250 --> 00:02:20.250 The resume genius, is that? 00:02:20.250 --> 00:02:22.250 Resume genius is for the Jumpstart program. 00:02:22.250 --> 00:02:24.250 That's what I thought. 00:02:24.250 --> 00:02:26.250 That's what we use to build resumes for. 00:02:26.250 --> 00:02:28.250 Teaching how to do it correctly. 00:02:28.250 --> 00:02:30.250 That's what we use it for. 00:02:30.250 --> 00:02:32.250 Thank you. 00:02:32.250 --> 00:02:35.250 Are there any questions on claims and demands trustees? 00:02:35.250 --> 00:02:38.620 Nada. 00:02:38.620 --> 00:02:40.599 Seen that there is none, Madam Clerk please call the roll. 00:02:40.599 --> 00:02:42.900 Wilkins? 00:02:42.900 --> 00:02:43.740 Aye. 00:02:43.740 --> 00:02:44.580 Altensey? 00:02:44.580 --> 00:02:45.219 Aye. 00:02:45.219 --> 00:02:46.360 Odendahl? 00:02:46.360 --> 00:02:47.460 Aye. 00:02:47.460 --> 00:02:48.639 Sellers? 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:49.680 Aye. 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:52.099 Motion passed. 00:02:52.099 --> 00:02:53.539 McIlwain? 00:02:53.539 --> 00:02:56.379 All right. 00:02:56.379 --> 00:03:02.349 Do you have any questions on Claim the Demand? 00:03:02.349 --> 00:03:03.490 No, I saw them already. 00:03:03.490 --> 00:03:04.409 I don't have any questions. 00:03:04.409 --> 00:03:05.169 OK. 00:03:05.169 --> 00:03:06.389 So can I put you down as a yes? 00:03:06.389 --> 00:03:07.090 Yes, you can. 00:03:07.090 --> 00:03:08.810 Thank you. 00:03:08.810 --> 00:03:09.770 All right. 00:03:09.770 --> 00:03:16.770 The next order of business is the supervisor's report. I don't have anything to hand out, and that's the report. 00:03:16.770 --> 00:03:22.770 I will have some jump start numbers for you guys for the next meeting and probably some client numbers for you guys, too. 00:03:22.770 --> 00:03:33.770 Okay? All right. Next order of business is the assessor's report. Okay. Next order of business is the trustee's report. 00:03:33.770 --> 00:03:34.770 for trustees. 00:03:34.770 --> 00:03:48.969 Well, I will mention that we being the yield program is planting some trees and these are 00:03:48.969 --> 00:03:56.210 to be large trees so they need to be planted appropriately but if anyone in the town wants 00:03:56.210 --> 00:04:25.209 Is there a cross? No. No, no. What kind of trees are they? Primarily oaks, although there are some other kinds, but they are all, well, all, we've got four smaller bushes, but all the others are large shade trees. 00:04:25.209 --> 00:04:36.290 If you could have someone send some sort of write up for that right there, I could put it on our Facebook page so everybody can see it. We can do that. 00:04:36.290 --> 00:04:46.290 I've got something. The pretzel meal prep is up and running again for the pantries. 00:04:46.290 --> 00:04:55.290 And so if anybody wants to come and help us pack up the meal prep bags on Thursday at the Y at 915 until we get it done. 00:05:25.290 --> 00:05:31.089 A couple different days will be distributing, but I don't have that information with me. 00:05:31.089 --> 00:05:35.290 So I think they have enough people to do that. 00:05:35.290 --> 00:05:40.889 Yeah, so we just need a few more hands to help us pack because it'll go a lot faster. 00:05:40.889 --> 00:05:44.490 What's your head count as far as how many? 00:05:44.490 --> 00:05:54.689 Well, last time we did it, we had, I think we had over 600 bags that we packed. 00:05:54.689 --> 00:06:07.689 and we took to different places and I think we're up and we had got enough money through donations to do at least that much again and probably a little bit more. 00:06:07.689 --> 00:06:14.689 Food pantries probably really need it. Yeah, they do. So it's different food pantries we're doing. 00:06:14.689 --> 00:06:20.689 And we've got what, four of them, right? Oh, there's more than that because there's little church ones too. 00:06:20.689 --> 00:06:21.689 Oh, that's right. 00:06:21.689 --> 00:06:27.610 So we're doing some of the smaller churches like New Jerusalem and, well, the big ones 00:06:27.610 --> 00:06:37.810 you know like Salvation Army and FACC and St. Penny's, Mount Calvary is another one 00:06:37.810 --> 00:06:40.329 that we're doing. 00:06:40.329 --> 00:06:44.209 Then I think we do have for the high school as well, that we did that before, so I think 00:06:44.209 --> 00:06:48.209 we're doing the high school pantry. 00:06:48.209 --> 00:06:53.009 And I know there's some other ones too that we're doing, but I don't have them at the 00:06:53.009 --> 00:06:54.009 top of my head. 00:06:54.009 --> 00:06:55.009 So... 00:06:55.009 --> 00:06:56.009 Okay. 00:06:56.009 --> 00:06:57.009 Okay. 00:06:57.009 --> 00:06:58.009 I'm sorry, tell me again when you're... 00:06:58.009 --> 00:06:59.610 Thursday. 00:06:59.610 --> 00:07:04.910 This coming Thursday at 915 at the YMCA. 00:07:04.910 --> 00:07:08.610 So just come in and they'll point you where you need to go. 00:07:08.610 --> 00:07:10.089 At the main building. 00:07:10.089 --> 00:07:12.529 At the main building, yeah. 00:07:12.529 --> 00:07:20.529 We'll have it all set up and we have to go and pick up the food from Aldi's on Thursday morning. 00:07:20.529 --> 00:07:27.529 They take it over to, over to the Y and then we get to busy, so. 00:07:27.529 --> 00:07:29.529 Keeps you off the streets, right? 00:07:29.529 --> 00:07:31.529 Keeps me busy, yeah. 00:07:31.529 --> 00:07:33.529 Good. 00:07:33.529 --> 00:07:38.529 So if you can come and help, we'd appreciate it. If you can't, that's okay, too. 00:07:38.529 --> 00:07:40.529 That's a good cause. 00:07:40.529 --> 00:08:04.220 Yeah, do we know, I know that they made the change to stat recipients, like the job work requirements kicking in, or started May 1st, do we have any idea of what the impact would be on Freeport and what profile a recipient would be affected? 00:08:04.220 --> 00:08:20.939 I don't know. I know we have a significant amount of people in this area that are seeking 00:08:20.939 --> 00:08:28.819 disability or pending disability. I don't know how that's going to affect those individuals. 00:08:28.819 --> 00:08:38.059 But I know that this, I think it's 20 hours a week, I don't know how it's going to affect 00:08:38.059 --> 00:08:39.059 around here. 00:08:39.059 --> 00:08:40.059 I don't know yet. 00:08:40.059 --> 00:08:42.580 But I'm sure we're going to start seeing some increased phone calls. 00:08:42.580 --> 00:08:47.460 Folks are going to be trying to find places to go because that's the thing. 00:08:47.460 --> 00:08:53.340 You don't have a whole lot of places that are taking people to do community service 00:08:53.340 --> 00:08:54.340 things. 00:08:54.340 --> 00:08:55.340 Right. 00:08:55.340 --> 00:08:58.860 and a lot of it happened because everybody's so afraid of liability. 00:08:58.860 --> 00:09:02.940 Nobody wants nobody to go in there and tweak a muscle, tweak a back or do something to get hurt 00:09:02.940 --> 00:09:07.740 and all of a sudden you're in insurance and you have to take that into consideration as well. 00:09:07.740 --> 00:09:13.179 So we're keeping an eye out, keeping our ears out and trying to stay ahead of this if we can. 00:09:13.179 --> 00:09:15.899 All right, so I know Rockford kind of have projected a number. 00:09:15.899 --> 00:09:19.980 I haven't seen anything for Freeport. I'll just wonder if maybe you had or anyone else. 00:09:19.980 --> 00:09:27.980 What I could do is, it's difficult to get a hold of a live person at DHS. Very hard to get a hold of a live person. 00:09:27.980 --> 00:09:36.980 I would talk to Billie Jo. She might have a contact there so that we can talk to and say, 00:09:36.980 --> 00:09:43.980 hey, what is going to be the potential impact for the Freeport area and see if we can get some information for you guys. 00:09:43.980 --> 00:09:47.980 Is the office still open here in Freeport? 00:09:47.980 --> 00:09:51.980 I think so, but it's not a lot of people working here. 00:09:51.980 --> 00:09:54.980 No, a lot of retires. 00:09:54.980 --> 00:09:59.980 Yeah, so usually when you call, you are getting... 00:09:59.980 --> 00:10:05.990 getting electronic voices and all that stuff and you know they encourage 00:10:05.990 --> 00:10:10.110 everyone to do everything online. They told us that we encourage everyone to go 00:10:10.110 --> 00:10:14.230 online to do things they don't encourage people to come to the office or to call. 00:10:14.230 --> 00:10:18.909 So I'll see if we can track down some information for the board. I'll 00:10:18.909 --> 00:10:25.429 definitely give it a shot. Thank you. Curious Kelvin, I don't know if you've heard anything in this 00:10:25.429 --> 00:10:41.429 I'm getting the impression that when they estimate how many people may lose benefits, that a lot of cases they're thinking people are going to lose benefits not because they're not eligible, but because they just can't navigate the new system. 00:10:41.429 --> 00:10:43.429 I don't know if you've heard. 00:10:43.429 --> 00:10:52.429 Yeah, I've seen like multiple things, so I'm wondering, that's why I was asking about clarification, because I've seen multiple pieces of that. 00:10:52.429 --> 00:10:57.710 that, yeah, I've heard, yeah, it's because people are not understanding the requirements. 00:10:57.710 --> 00:11:04.309 It also smells something where there are some people who have disabilities and might get 00:11:04.309 --> 00:11:11.350 caught in that requirement, but it was kind of, it was kind of unclear how that would, 00:11:11.350 --> 00:11:18.990 how that scenario actually plays out, like which, what form of disability would fall 00:11:18.990 --> 00:11:26.029 under a work requirement. So yeah, so between that and then the piece you just mentioned, 00:11:26.029 --> 00:11:29.870 so I was wondering if anyone had any more clarity on... 00:11:29.870 --> 00:11:39.069 You know, last week sometime I heard that they were requiring people that were able to work 20 00:11:39.069 --> 00:11:46.430 hours a week, and that to me makes sense. That gets you in the, you're not just sitting at home, 00:11:46.430 --> 00:11:47.430 and Alton. 00:11:47.430 --> 00:11:48.430 Yeah. 00:11:48.430 --> 00:11:49.430 Like back in the day. 00:11:49.430 --> 00:11:50.430 But the question is, where? 00:11:50.430 --> 00:11:51.430 Where? 00:11:51.430 --> 00:11:52.430 Yeah. 00:11:52.430 --> 00:11:53.430 Yeah. 00:11:53.430 --> 00:11:54.430 And how are you going to get there? 00:11:54.430 --> 00:11:55.430 Right. 00:11:55.430 --> 00:11:56.430 And who's going to monitor it? 00:11:56.430 --> 00:11:58.750 Because you don't have enough people working at DHS to monitor this stuff. 00:11:58.750 --> 00:12:01.230 So who's going to monitor this stuff? 00:12:01.230 --> 00:12:06.830 You know, so that's going to, the big question is, is where? 00:12:06.830 --> 00:12:10.730 And I know for us, if you are a pending disability or if you are a pending disability, going 00:12:10.730 --> 00:12:16.350 through the disability process, you're not eligible for community working training. 00:12:16.350 --> 00:12:20.350 We've had the same rule for DHS. We don't know. This is very unclear. 00:12:20.350 --> 00:12:27.700 And I think the part where I'm more concerned with is, are there people that might get, 00:12:27.700 --> 00:12:32.539 are there people who have a legit real need that might get caught in the cracks of this 00:12:32.539 --> 00:12:37.379 work environment? Or like someone who's disabled, realistically they can't, but yet the environment 00:12:37.379 --> 00:12:42.580 is such where it's making them. So that's the way to make it. If someone's just being 00:12:42.580 --> 00:12:48.500 Lazy. I'm not worried about that. It's mainly people who, yeah, who really legitimately, 00:12:50.180 --> 00:12:55.860 or someone with daycare, or someone with kids and you can't find daycare. What do you do? I mean, 00:12:56.659 --> 00:13:02.500 that's just a real, because daycare is, you know, there's a shortage and it's expensive, so. 00:13:04.019 --> 00:13:12.019 And it used to be, years ago, that when someone was going through the disability process, 00:13:12.580 --> 00:13:16.580 Do we still do work for other townships? 00:13:16.580 --> 00:13:18.580 As far as? 00:13:18.580 --> 00:13:20.580 Getting them... 00:13:20.580 --> 00:13:22.580 On disability? 00:13:22.580 --> 00:13:24.580 No, a 245 grant. 00:13:24.580 --> 00:13:26.580 And then when their disability... 00:13:26.580 --> 00:13:28.580 Kicks in? 00:13:28.580 --> 00:13:30.580 Kicks in, they pay township back. 00:13:30.580 --> 00:13:32.580 Right, yes, we still do that. 00:13:32.580 --> 00:13:34.580 But during that process, they're not eligible 00:13:34.580 --> 00:13:36.580 for community work and training. 00:13:36.580 --> 00:13:38.580 Because they're pending or seeking disability. 00:13:38.580 --> 00:13:40.580 I mean, it's not the fact you're telling us, 00:13:40.580 --> 00:13:46.580 Well, until you show us that you're actually doing it, you're eligible for community work and training. 00:13:46.580 --> 00:13:53.580 But the second we get the information that you are actually pending disability, you're no longer eligible for community work and training. 00:13:53.580 --> 00:13:57.580 So how does that translate over to DHS? We all follow the same rules. 00:13:57.580 --> 00:14:02.580 So if that's the case, if someone is pending disability or is disabled, how does that work for them? 00:14:02.580 --> 00:14:03.580 for them. 00:14:03.580 --> 00:14:04.580 Yeah. 00:14:04.580 --> 00:14:10.720 Well, if we do find that there is a gap of a set of people where there is a realistic 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:15.839 need, I'd personally like to see if that's a gap that Townshend could possibly fill. 00:14:15.839 --> 00:14:16.839 Already working on it, Kelvin. 00:14:16.839 --> 00:14:17.839 Okay, cool. 00:14:17.839 --> 00:14:18.839 Already working on it. 00:14:18.839 --> 00:14:19.839 Yeah. 00:14:19.839 --> 00:14:20.839 Perfect. 00:14:20.839 --> 00:14:21.839 Already working on it. 00:14:21.839 --> 00:14:22.839 He's taller than you. 00:14:22.839 --> 00:14:25.839 He's ten steps ahead of you. 00:14:25.839 --> 00:14:31.360 Yeah, we've had that discussion, my staff and I. What about the ones who fall through 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:32.360 the cracks? 00:14:32.360 --> 00:15:07.920 Shade Oil. You guys all know me. I just wanted to put out there that, you know, along with all of the people that are going to be in need here, the high school is doing a shoe drive. They're collecting shoes. You can just drive them off on the front door. They've got a big boot. They've got a big boot. They've got a big boot. They've got a big boot. They've got a big boot. 00:15:07.920 --> 00:15:14.319 The second thing that I wanted to talk about is communication, something that I've always 00:15:14.319 --> 00:15:21.279 appreciated about the Township is that you guys have the conversation in the room. It's respectful, 00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:26.480 all of that. You guys get information to the people as they're watching. Some of the people 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:31.200 are growing increasingly frustrated in community because we're not getting that information in 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:37.039 other places. So if you guys have information that you can relay, I like hearing that you're 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:12.960 I would appreciate it I know there's some other places that need to do that but I 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:20.799 won't bring that right here so thank you guys thank you here the public comments 00:16:20.799 --> 00:16:29.720 in advance come for the town think that there is not enter a motion to adjourn 00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:40.720 until May 18th to Monday May 18th 2026 at 430 p.m. so move second all in favor 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:47.720 Lever, Aye, any opposed? Meeting adjourned. Thank you guys. Thanks Mike.