1. 2. The September 11, 2012 Board meeting was called to order by Supervisor Kupar at 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
3. Swear in Victoria Vandiver, Trustee Appointed to Fill the Unexpired Term of Trustee Christian Boissonnas: Judge Ed Schreiber administered the official Oath to Victoria Vandiver, swearing her in as Trustee of Campton Township. Clerk Johansen sealed the Oath.
4. Roll Call: Clerk Johansen called the roll with Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt present. Trustee Stutesman was absent.
5. Reports: G. VanZandt moved the Board amend the agenda to move the Village of Campton Hills report up to first place under Reports. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
Village of Campton Hills – President Patsy Smith: Village President Smith gave the Village police report to K. Bilar. She stated Kane County may be redoing its zoning ordinance. They are reviewing PUD zoning. At present the County cannot restrict farm uses on parcels greater then 5 acres. They are proposing changing it to restricting farm uses on parcels greater then 1 acre in PUD zoning. The Village has a petition for the Glenwood School property to become a drug treatment center. A group of residents is opposing it. This is proposed to become a for- profit high-end drug and alcohol treatment center. The cost for a person to be treated there is $28,000.00 for a 30 to 45 day stay. There is a Public Hearing scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on September 24th at the Congregational Church on LaFox Road in Campton Hills. The proposed drug treatment center would contribute about $300,000 in taxes. They would treat any kind of substance abuse.
Highway Commissioner – Sam Gallucci: Commissioner Gallucci stated brush pick-up north of Route 64 begins Monday October 15th, south of Route 64, Monday October 22nd, and in Plato Township it begins Monday October 29th. With school starting we got all crosswalks painted. School bus drivers call in to tell us where trees brush buses so we can go out and trim them. The Dura Patching project continues on Hunters Hill, Homeward Glen, Hidden Springs, Ravine, and Knollwood Drives; Anderson, Beith, and Cranston Roads; Harvest and Retreat Courts; and Farrier Point and Brookhaven Lanes. All Road ditches were mowed on I.C. Trail and Hanson Roads, and the rear lot behind the Village of Lily Lake public building in the Village of Lily Lake. The Highway District applied, leveled, and rolled shoulder gravel on Beith, Swanberg, and Bolcum Roads; and in the Windings and Deer Run Subdivisions. We installed a driveway culvert on West Mary Drive. Cold Patching was completed on Lenz, Crawford, and 41W747 McDonald Road, and mowing was completed on the Wood Bridge Subdivision for the Village of Campton Hills in Plato Township. Overgrown trees were trimmed back on Tall Pines, McDonald, and Lenz Roads; and on Brierwood Lane, to improve visibility for oncoming traffic for the Village of Campton Hills in Plato Township. All road ditches were mowed and weeds trimmed around street signs and intersections throughout Campton Township and the Village of Campton Hills; all intersections were swept on a weekly basis in the Township and Village; all stop signs were checked on a weekly basis in the Township and Village and damaged or missing ones replaced; the Highway District continued to patrol roads throughout the Township and Village for drainage problems, pot holes, and culvert permits; and the District continued to repair pot holes with cold patch throughout the Township and Village. Ongoing maintenance on Township vehicles and equipment was performed in house by staff.
Assessor – Alan D. Rottmann: Assessor Rottmann stated September 10 was the last day to file an appeal of your property tax assessment. Last year the last date to appeal was October 7th. The change in date was due to a change in state law that pushed the date up. Township Officials of Kane County is having its annual dinner in October. Board members are invited. Invitations are in the mail.
Solid Waste District – Absent.
Financial Report – Louise McKay: Certified Public Accountant McKay appeared by written report which stated Town, Road and Bridge, and Open Space are within their total budget. There were line items that were over budget that are offset by under budget line items. There was an unplanned computer replacement, and sand and gravel additional materials needed for roadway repairs.
Open Space Staff Report – Kristin Bilar: Open Space Coordinator K. Bilar offered a tour of Campton Township open space properties to new Trustee V. Vandiver. She stated the monthly volunteer workday was September 8th at Corron Farm preparing for Prairie Fest. This was weeding gardens and general cleanup. There was mowing/weed whacking at all properties. An application for disposal of records was sent after meeting with Illinois Local Records Commission. It takes 60 days for approval. In Anderson Park the willow trees in the cattail area closest to Brown Road are being cut and herbicided. At Corron Farm new gravel was added to the front 2/3’s of the big tool shed. The brush pile was burned once and will be burned again before Prairie Fest. The fence line along Corron Road was cleared of vines. Barbed wire and posts will be repaired by staff. Preparations are under way for Prairie Fest. These include a staff meeting on September 5th to coordinate assignments; posters and flyers distributed in locations throughout Wasco and Elburn; and donations requested to pay for music. At the Community Center yellow jackets entered and nested near the back rooms above the Emergency Exit sign. This was treated twice, successfully. At Gray Willows staff finished clearing the fence line along Corron Road. The new fence is installed and we are waiting for a new gate. An Eagle Scout project on August 11th cleared a trail, made a path to the creek, and cleared a logjam in preparation for drainage work. This was an amazing success. Both brush piles were burned. Nothing is to be added until we have a contractor scrape the area clean. This was used by the previous caretaker as a garbage dump. Unfortunately we lost the only known Hills Oak on Campton Township property in the storm of August 5th. This will make good mulch. Ask the Highway Commissioner. The trails were herbicided at the Headwaters Conservation Area. V3 is working on a tile that blew out. At Poynor Park the area was fertilized. Large rocks were removed from the north fence line after mowing with the new bobcat mower deck. J. Kupar stated residents commented that the park looks lovely. The ponds at Poynor are dry. A lot of topsoil eroded into the ponds. Take a look at it to see if we can salvage topsoil. Have engineer Rob Linke look at it to see if it can be done. He wants to know if it’s feasible to harvest soils in there. There is no report on Brown Road Meadows, Harley Woods, LaFox Fields, Mongerson Park, Town Hall, or easements.
Joint Environmental Resource Management Committee – John Kupar, Rob Linke: No Report.
Engineering Update – Rob Linke: Absent.
Supervisor Report – John Kupar: Supervisor Kupar stated the original high bidder for the property at 40W686 Burlington Road was unable to obtain financing. Campton Township was not the high bidder but we submitted a contingency bid for the property. Wells Fargo Bank approached us and indicated they accepted our contingency bid.
In August Bob Kay of USGS and the Supervisor surveyed several sites in the western part of Campton Township for the placement of two groundwater monitor wells. The two sites selected were at the Highway Department property and the Headwaters Conservation Area.
The Supervisor met with State Representative Kay Hatcher (50th District) and Jerry Crabtree (Assistant Director of TOI - Township Officials of Illinois). Representatives from most of the Townships in the 50th District were there. We discussed current legislation that could affect townships in the future. We finally received the executed letter of credit (dated August 29th) from Providence Bank, which is V3 Companies bank. It is in the amount of $100,270.50 and the Conservation Foundation is the Beneficiary. This letter has been presented to the Conservation Foundation and the USACOE (United States Army Corps Of Engineers). A Special Meeting was held to interview candidates for the open Trustee position vacated by Christian Boissonnas. We interviewed three great township residents. As you know the Board selected Vicki Vandiver as our new Trustee. The Kane County Farm Bureau has extended an invitation to the Board to attend the 7th Annual Harvest Picnic on September 26th at Goebberts Pumpkin Patch in Hampshire. If you are interested in attending please let the office know.
6. Approval of Minutes:
a. Board Meeting August 7, 2012: E. Murphy moved the Board approve the minutes of the August 7, 2012 meeting. G. VanZandt seconded the motion. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
b. Special Board Meeting August 29, 2012: G. VanZandt moved the Board approve the minutes of the August 29, 2012 meeting. E. Murphy seconded the motion. Trustee VanZandt stated the spelling of his name under Adjournment should be corrected from ZanZandt to VanZandt. Clerk Johansen stated he would make that correction on the permanent record. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
7. Citizens Comments: Clerk Johansen stated TOKC (Township Officials of Kane County) is having their annual dinner at the Lincoln Inn in Batavia on Wednesday October 17th at 6:00 p.m. The cost is $36.00 and the RSVP is due October 10th. He asked who on the Board will attend? Supervisor Kupar, Clerk Johansen, Assessor Rottmann, and Trustee Vandiver stated they will attend. Trustee VanZandt stated he will check his schedule and he may attend.
J. Kupar moved the Board move agenda item 9.b. ahead of agenda item 8.a. G. VanZandt seconded the motion. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
9. New Business – Presentation and Discussion for Action:
b. Discuss and Act Upon Eagle Scout Colin Morgan Project at Corron Farm: Colin Morgan, a Life Scout and Eagle Scout candidate, stated his project is to help preserve the barn at historic Corron Farm by clearing out the old musty hay and putting it into a burn pile, so that the barn is ready for restoration. He would also like to add a small area of landscaping along the milk house. They will use rakes, shovels, and wheelbarrows. He wants to do this because he loves history and it will help preserve a piece of history so that future generations can see first hand what life was like on Corron Farm. He would like to schedule the project for either Saturday and Sunday October 27th and 28th, or November 10th and 11th. If we have enough volunteers we can move it all in one day, but he wants the weekend to have time to finish up, if needed. V. Vandiver stated if you are looking for volunteers her Cub Scout Pack 165 could help. G. VanZandt moved the Board approve the Colin Morgan Eagle Scout project to remove the hay at Corron Farm. V. Vandiver seconded the motion. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
8. Old Business – Presentation and Discussion for Action:
a. Discuss and Act Upon the Use of the Vacated Caretakers Residence at Gray Willows: G. VanZandt moved the Board table agenda item 8.a. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
9. New Business – Presentation and Discussion for Action:
a. Review and Act Upon Allowing Boy Scout Pack #165 to Use Poynor Park for their Rocket Launch Event on October 20, 2012 or October 21, 2012: K. Bilar stated Boy Scouts of America Pack #165 has insurance, has named Campton Township as additional insured, and shall have signed and dated waivers of liability from all participants. G. VanZandt moved the Board approve Boy Scout Pack #165 using Poynor Park for their rocket launch event on October 20, 2012 or October 21, 2012. V. Vandiver seconded the motion. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
c. Discuss and Act Upon Adopt – A – Husky Dog Sledding Event: K. Bilar stated the presenter was unable to attend so she will speak on behalf of the event. This is a great winter activity. Her sister is involved in this. She suggests the Board pick a date in January or February. They want the event at Corron Farm, and they will list Campton Township as additional insured. They are a 501(c) (3) organization and they will provide the Board with an insurance binder for the event. G. VanZandt moved the Board approve the Adopt a Husky Dog Sledding Event. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
d. Review and Act Upon Gray Willows Committee Report: Neal Anderson, Jack Shouba and John Kupar presented. J. Shouba stated there is woodland and wetland at Gray Willows. It has about 200 species of native plants, and it will take a lot of restoration. The main house has a life estate so there is no access for now. We have access to the former caretakers house by the main gate. N. Anderson stated Gray Willows was a post office on Silver Glen Road. This property was named after that post office. In 1843 the property was owned by the Tucker family. It was bought by the Fessendens in the 1930’s, and purchased by Campton Township in 2010. The property is not open to the public yet. It needs extensive signage and safety improvements. There will be a future improved two-way public entrance at the existing entrance on Corron Road. This will be better then the older entrance on Burlington Road that had its repairs completed in spring of 2012. At the new entrance visitors can use the grass on the west side of the barn and the asphalt that circles the barn to park. Handicapped parking needs to be installed. A third building is the farmhouse built around the 1870’s. It is probably the oldest building on the property. The main barn is in good shape. It has plumbing but the water source is unknown. It’s likely tied into the well for the farmhouse. The barn is a dairy barn, not a horse barn, even though it has horse stalls. The corncrib appears to be in good shape. There’s a smaller horse barn east of the main barn, and a hog house with a dirt floor. The farmhouse garage can be used for mowing equipment. The main house was designed by the famous architects Fraizer-Raftery. The owner before Campton Township was Mr. Fessenden who invented the milk carton. Mrs. Fessenden’s maiden name was Lillian Cornel. She was a dancer and actress. Clerk Johansen stated he understood Bing Crosby and other Hollywood celebrities visited Gray Willows because of a shared interest in racehorses. N. Anderson continued there is a pool on the site that can be filled in and used as an overlook for the wetlands. For maintenance there is mowing weekly and mowing trails periodically. There is tree trimming and removal when they become a safety issue. For future upkeep there will be herbiciding, controlled burns, mowing trails, and snow plowing the entrance and parking area. Short-term goals include signage, improved parking, establishing and maintaining trails, setting the life estate boundary, building kiosks for informing the public, fencing, and railings. We expect to use this for passive recreation. John Kupar stated for long term goals we interviewed Mark Travers who lives in Arbor Creek. He is a principle with an environmental firm called Environ. He will volunteer his company for free. The Environ Foundation’s charter is to work pro bono. The work they do is ecological restoration. Their clients are the top 25 corporations in the world, such as Exxon, for example. He says they would be willing to help us financially. E. Murphy stated they can contribute capital for a capital improvement such as prairie, savanna, and wetlands. N. Anderson continued the Gray Willows Committee meets on September 27th at 7:00 p.m. at Trotter Engineers conference room, then as needed. G. VanZandt moved the Board accept the Gray Willows Committee Report. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
e. Review and Act Upon Resolution Approving Sale of Road District Surplus Equipment: E. Murphy moved the Board approve the Resolution approving the sale of Road District Surplus Equipment consisting of 1995 Ford 8000 Conventional Truck Single Axle w/70,447 Miles & 5945 hours VIN1FDYS82E1SVA14026, and 1998 Monroe 11’ Snowplow and Bonnell Spreader & Spinner SERIAL NO. 97-11-1055. The motion was seconded by V. Vandiver. In a roll call vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The Resolution passed.
10. Claims and Demands Authorized for Payment:
a. Town Fund: G. VanZandt moved the claims and demands on the Town Fund be approved. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a roll call vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
b. Open Space Fund: G. VanZandt moved the claims and demands on the Open Space Fund be approved. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a roll call vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
c. Capital Improvement Fund: E. Murphy moved the claims and demands on the Capital Improvement Fund be approved. G. VanZandt seconded the motion. In a roll call vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
11. Executive Session – Review Executive Session Minutes: G. VanZandt moved the Board go into Executive Session for the purpose of reviewing Executive Session minutes. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed and Executive Session began at 10:05 p.m.
12. New Business Continued –
f. Discuss and Act Upon Approve Executive Session Minutes: G. VanZandt moved the Board approve the Executive Session minutes of August 7, 2012 and August 29, 2012. J. Kupar seconded the motion. In a roll call vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
13. Adjournment: V. Vandiver moved the Board adjourn the meeting. E. Murphy seconded the motion. In a voice vote Supervisor Kupar and Trustees Vandiver, Murphy, and VanZandt voted aye. Trustee Stutesman was absent. The motion passed.
Respectfully Submitted,
Richard Johansen
Clerk