1. 2. 3. The June 14, 2011 Board meeting was called to order by Supervisor Kupar at 7:50 p.m. at the Community Center. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Clerk Johansen called the roll with Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Stutesman and Murphy present. Trustees Boissonnas and VanZandt were absent.
Supervisor Kupar asked everyone to stand for a moment of silence in respect for Campton Township attorney John Noble who passed away recently. Concluding the moment of silence Supervisor Kupar stated a donation was sent to Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in memory of attorney Noble who was an advocate for children’s rights in Kane County having donated a lot of his free time as a court appointed special advocate. He was our Township attorney for over a decade and was instrumental in developing our open space program by participating in the negotiations and closings of all of our open space properties.
4. Reports:
Sheriff – Kane County – Sgt. John Grimes: Absent.
Highway Commissioner – Sam Gallucci: Highway Commissioner Gallucci’s report stated the road crew completed brush pickup for the south side of Route 64 and the Village of Campton Hills in Plato Township; cut and chipped 78 dead ash trees on Beith Road, and cut numerous trees on McDonald Road in the Village of Campton Hills in Plato Township; cut and trimmed trees back on Campton Hills, Town Hall, Beith Roads, and Dominion and Deerslayer Drives; all grates and storm drains were cleaned of debris throughout Campton Township and the Village of Campton Hills; repaired ditches, cleaned out culverts and applied shoulder gravel throughout Campton Township and the Village of Campton Hills in Plato Township due to heavy rains on May 29th ; installed 15” catch basin, reshaped ditch, applied soil, seed and matting on Campton Woods Drive, and dugout and reshaped ditch on Campton Trails Drive and Jens Jensen Lane; applied seed and soil in various areas throughout Campton Township and the Village of Campton Hills in Plato Township; continued to patrol roads throughout the Township and Village for drainage problems, pot holes, and culvert permits; continued to repair potholes with cold patch throughout the Township and Village; swept all small intersections in the Township and Village on a weekly basis; checked all stop signs in the Township and Village on a weekly basis and replaced damaged or missing ones; ongoing maintenance on Township vehicles and equipment was performed in house by staff.
Assessor – Alan D. Rottmann: Assessor Rottmann stated he is working on the 2011 quadrennial reassessment which reassesses all properties in Campton Township. He will turn in his books to the County about September 15th. Notices will be sent out in October. Our assessed value will come down 6% to 7%, but our tax rates will go up about 10% because taxing bodies increase their tax rates. This means a net increase in our tax bill of about 3%, estimated. The exception to this is the Campton Township tax rate which went down from 0.430478 in 2009, to 0.427203 in 2010. This means that while most governmental bodies tax rates increased by about 10%, Campton Township’s tax rate actually went down slightly. That decrease applies only to the township portion of the tax bill, and can result in savings anywhere from a few dollars, to perhaps upwards of $100 depending on the individual property. The decrease in the Campton Township portion of the property tax bill can be attributed to several factors including the laying off of a part-time staff member, not filling the vacant Township Administrator position, and restructuring the open space bond debt.
Solid Waste District – Barbara Boissonnas: Absent. L. McKay stated Waste Management will start picking up brush for a fee. The Township pick-up is free but will not be until the fall.
Financial Report – Louise McKay: Certified Public Accountant McKay stated Sikich LLP auditors completed their fieldwork in May. Their draft financial statements have been sent to the Township office. The revisions to the draft financial statements along with the MD&A were returned to Sikich on June 3, 2011. The final financial statements are expected to be ready for the July 12th Board meeting. All the league field fees have been paid for the year. Town Fund was within budget. Road and Bridge was also within budget for May. The Road District issued four culvert permits for May. Open Space expenditures were within budget. She attended the Ride in Kane meeting in May. There was discussion concerning keeping registrations up to date and the riders cost increase. This is not a large concern for the township compared to larger sponsors such as the City of Elgin or St. Charles. We currently have only two participants who are using the program to get to dialysis on a weekly basis. E. Murphy stated we need a new investment policy because the current one is too restrictive. She asked for input. J. Kupar stated we are rated as AA. Let discuss any changes later. Clerk Johansen stated lets have this as an agenda item at our next meeting under new business.
Village of Campton Hills – President Patsy Smith: Village of Campton Hills President Smith handed L. McKay the Village police report. She stated the big news is the State of Illinois choose to balance its budget without reducing revenue sharing for villages and municipalities. Recent issues with the Fox River & Countryside Fire District include their installation of a 3000-gallon fuel tank above ground that is in violation of the District’s fire code. The Village of Campton Hills adopted the fire code which means the Village can enforce it. A doctor moved into the 15-acre parcel on Ponderosa Drive. They are requesting a zoning variance allowing farm animals. The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will hold a hearing on this.
Open Space Staff Report – Jack Shouba: Open Space Coordinator K. Bilar filled in for J. Shouba stating the monthly volunteer workday took place June 11th at Corron Farm. Volunteer workdays are scheduled for the second Saturday of the month from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Summer workers have started. There has been mowing and weed whacking at all properties. Repairs to the bobcat, saws, and mowing equipment were done. J. Shouba and K. Bilar attended a Fox River Ecosystem Partnership (FREP) meeting at the Dick Young Forest Preserve. D. Morgan attended a workshop at Morton Arboretum to learn about herbicides. At Anderson Park the well has been dug up and repaired. Repairs were made to the main trail where it had washed out. At Corron Farm garlic mustard is being pulled and chervil and burdock herbicided. New trees are being watered, prairie garden beds weeded, and items in the farmhouse continue being cataloged by Sally, Denise, and Laurel. At Gray Willows the open house on June 4th was attended by almost 50 people. We will try to host another tour in the fall. New “No Trespassing” signs were posted at the entrance to the life estate. Signs were posted on buildings “Notice: Employees Only”. At Harley Woods the Eagle Scout project built a kiosk, put in a chipped trail, and weeded dame’s rocket. Frog monitoring continued around the ephemeral wetland for a possible Cope’s Gray Tree frog sighting. Witness Tree continued pulling garlic mustard and spraying poison ivy in the prairie on Beith Road. At the Headwaters Conservation Area trails are being mowed. A metal implement was removed that was left over from previous clean up efforts. V3 will check on the drain tile sinkhole blow out near the trail. Chervil removal took place along Route 38 at Mongerson Park. At Poynor Park work continues on drainage issues with Trotter Engineers holding a pre bid meeting June 8th, with bids due June 21st. . A tree dumped onto the NW corner was moved mostly onto the owner’s property but still blocking a portion of the trail. Shortly after there was vandalism to the shelter including 2 tables turned over and broken, dog waste dispenser thrown into the parking lot, and garbage thrown in the street. A police report has been filed. Trees were checked and Eastern Tent Caterpillars removed. No report on Brown Road Meadows, Town Hall, or Easements.
Joint Environmental Resource Management Committee - Rob Linke, John Kupar, Jack Shouba: J. Kupar stated the committee did not meet this month, so no report.
Presentation of the Ferson – Otter Creek Watershed Planning – Tara Neff: Tara Neff with the Conservation Foundation in cooperation with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) reported on their recent study of the Ferson-Otter Creek Watershed water quality. A watershed is an area of land that catches water and snow. Issues include salt that gets in the water and goes downstream. It also includes erosion of topsoil, pollution by herbicides (90% of which runs into streams), algae, flooding caused by impervious surfaces, fecal coliform bacteria from geese, dogs, horses, etc. Tara Neff (phone number 1-630-428-4500 X 23) stated the goal of the Conservation Foundation and CMAP is to create a watershed plan for clean up of the Ferson- Otter Creek watershed by involving local stake holders (including Campton Township), Villages, and municipalities that can apply for grant money to fix things. Everything in the Plan is voluntary. The Watershed Plan is not legally binding but a collaborative approach to identify and quantify impairments, identify solutions, and identify financial and technical resources. We take a regional approach. This is the Ferson-Otter Creek region watershed. The study has determined Ferson Creek is nonconforming because of fecal coliform bacteria but we don’t know where it comes from. For this we need a monitoring component and we need municipal codes and ordinances to help. CMAP contracted with the Conservation Foundation. We have a Watershed Plan. We are looking at outreach now. They will have the final plan ready by summer. When the plan is finalized they will come back to us and ask us to sign onto the plan. They will then submit it to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). This is to clean up the Ferson-Otter Creek watershed, put some mitigation equipment in, and do extensive monitoring.
Supervisor Report – John Kupar: Supervisor Kupar stated we had our Gray Willows tour June 4th, two days after Lillian Fessenden’s 95th. birthday. Approximately 50 people toured Gray Willows.
5. Approval of Minutes:
a. Board Meeting: May 10, 2011: T. Stutesman moved the Board approve the minutes of May 10, 2011 with the spelling correction of changing “geochase” to “geocache” on page two. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Stutesman and Murphy voted aye. Trustees Boissonnas and VanZandt were absent. The motion passed.
6. Citizens Comments: None.
7. Planning Commission: No meeting.
8. Old Business: None.
9. New Business – Presentation and Discussion for Action:
a. Review and Act Upon Ratification of the six License Agreements: T. Stutesman moved the Board ratify the six license agreements. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a roll call vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Stutesman and Murphy voted aye. Trustees Boissonnas and VanZandt were absent. The motion passed.
b. Review and Act Upon Occupancy Agreement: T. Stutesman moved the Board approve the Campton Township Occupancy Agreement. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a roll call vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Stutesman and Murphy voted aye. Trustees Boissonnas and VanZandt were absent. The motion passed.
10. Claims and Demands for Payment:
a. Town Fund: E. Murphy moved the Board approve the claims and demands on the Town Fund. T. Stutesman seconded the motion. In a roll call vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Stutesman and Murphy voted aye. Trustees Boissonnas and VanZandt were absent. The motion passed.
b. Open Space Fund: E. Murphy moved the Board approve the claims and demands on the Open Space Fund. T. Stutesman seconded the motion. In a roll call vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Stutesman and Murphy voted aye. Trustees Boissonnas and VanZandt were absent. The motion passed.
11. Executive Session – Review Executive Session Minutes, Personnel, Attorney Applications: T. Stutesman moved the Board go into Executive Session for the purpose of reviewing Executive Session minutes, personnel, attorney applications. The motion was seconded by J. Kupar. In a roll call vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Stutesman, and Murphy voted aye. Trustees Boissonnas and VanZandt were absent. The motion passed.
12. New Business Continued - Supervisor Kupar reconvened the regular session.
c. Discuss and Act Upon Approve Executive Session Minutes: T. Stutesman moved the Board approve the Executive Session minutes of April 7, 2011. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a roll call vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Stutesman and Murphy voted aye. Trustees Boissonnas and VanZandt were absent. The motion passed.
d. Discuss and Act Upon Whether Need for Confidentiality Still Exists for Executive Session Minutes: T. Stutesman moved the Board open Executive Session minutes of January 11, 2011; December 13, 2010; November 9, 2010; April 8, 2010; March 9, 2010; February 9, 2010; January 28, 2010; January 16, 2010; January 12, 2010; January 9, 2010; and redact minutes of April 7, 2011; March 9, 2011; February 8, 2011; December 6, 2010; November 22, 2010; October 12, 2010; September 14, 2010; August 10, 2010; and June 8, 2010 so that the redacted minutes open properties purchased, but leave closed properties not purchased, personnel, and litigation. The Board finds the need for confidentiality still exists for all other Executive Session minutes. The motion was seconded by E. Murphy. In a roll call vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Stutesman and Murphy voted aye. Trustees Boissonnas and VanZandt were absent. The motion passed.
e. Discuss and Act Upon Whether to Destroy Audio Tape Executive Session Minutes Older then 18 Months: No action.
13. Adjournment: T. Stutesman moved the Board adjourn the meeting. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Stutesman and Murphy voted aye. Trustees Boissonnas and VanZandt were absent. The motion passed and the meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Richard Johansen
Clerk