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.
Madam Clerk, please call the roll.
Kathy Wilken.
Here.
Kathleen Altensey.
Here.
Kelvin McIlwain.
Here.
Ted Odendahl.
Here.
Patrick Sellers.
Here.
Okay.
We have a quorum.
The first order of business is the approval of minutes for the August 3rd, 2026 meeting.
Any motion and a second please?
I'll make the motion.
Second.
Welcome to the second.
Okay.
Ted did that, right?
Yep.
Yes.
Thank you.
Any questions on minutes, trustees?
I don't have any.
Okay, see there are none.
All in favor?
Aye.
Opposed?
Aye.
Motion carries.
The next order of business is the approval of bills, payable, and a motion and a second Second please.
So moved.
Second.
I got Odendahl.
Okay.
And McIlwain.
Okay.
Trustees, I want to bring to your attention the clerk books.
I think Liz sent information over to you guys about it.
Our QuikBooks that we're using is going, I think, all the way and Altensey.
And we want to move on and move on to do clerk books all the way.
Because quick books really don't do well with municipal funds and things like that.
But clerk books will establish just for that.
Since we already have clerk books, it's just a smooth transition and we'll just start using clerk books more.
Well, just pretty much phasing out quick books and just start using clerk books.
All functions will be fine, payrolls will be fine, and so we're just doing a transition all the way over to clerk books.
Did you all get a chance to read Liz's?
I just was reading it now.
So take a look at what all she said.
So how long will it take to make that transition?
I don't see that in there, but maybe a couple of cycles?
Yeah, it's going to take a couple of cycles for it to get the transition.
You've got to transfer all of the information from one system into another system.
But if the two systems already work seamlessly together, it shouldn't be that.
It should just be able to push a button.
Yeah, it shouldn't be that difficult.
And Lackley.
She's going to make the transition, if I'm not mistaken, after next year's, I think, budget, right?
I'm thinking she's going to do it after next year's budget in order for us to, because I don't think you want to start a whole new system before you start.
So after we get our next budget passed, we're going to transition over to Kirkpost and Quickbooks.
Gotcha.
Okay?
Good.
Any questions?
That was my question.
Her email explained enough details, so I'm good.
Okay.
Have you got a chance to look at any of the other claims and demands?
I brought that one to you guys' attention.
So please look at the rest of them and ask if they have any questions now is the time.
Not a question exactly, but it was interesting to me that during this period it seems like everybody pretty much had all the monies go to their housing, which is kind of interesting how that's different at different times.
Yep.
And next time you'll probably see more cup boots on there.
How often does, is it just the township payment, is that all in one payment per month or does it get spread?
No, we do it one payment per month.
We try and keep it as clean as possible for all the purposes and for Liz to be able to keep up with everything.
And when we don't allow clients to bank, you can't say, well, I'm not going to use the initiative to bank up a note, it's not how it works.
So we try and keep it as clean as possible for all the purposes and for Liz to be able to keep a good graph and a good eye on everything.
Wilken, Altensey, McIlwain, Odendahl, Sellers, Motion passes.
So the business is the supervisor report, and that would be me.
I have some stuff to hand out, guys.
The first thing I'm going to hand out is going to be our second disbursement from the second tax disbursement.
Barb?
Thank you.
Give me one too.
There you go.
And I'll give you one from my office.
Okay.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Welcome.
The next thing I'm going to hand out is going to be the expenditure to budget report so the board can know where we are in our budget so far this year.
You need one of these?
Okay.
Do you need to give one to Kathy?
Do you need to give her one of those?
I'm going to give Kathy one too.
Hold on a second here.
Yep.
Thank you.
I'll put this in your folder too, Trustee Altensey.
Okay?
Okay, otherwise I can always pick it up at an envelope from Sarah.
Okay, it's fine.
However you want to do it, it will be available for you.
Okay, thank you.
As you guys are looking at that, I want to hand out something else.
I want to hand out Operation Jumpstart numbers from May to August.
These are our numbers and I will read this and you guys are looking at everything.
During the month of May through August 2026, our reporting period, Operation Jumpstart has continued to expand its reach and strengthen its outcomes for participants seeking employment and educational advancement.
Program services focused on practical career readiness, support, education, access, and removing barriers that prevent individuals from moving forward professionally, program impact.
The program has had 51 new participants during this period reflecting growing community trust and program visibility, 206 total program participants, 31 adults without high school diplomas were successfully referred to the GED program marking an important step forward toward long-term employment eligibility.
Staff completed 46 resumes, job placements, and supported 10 FASFA submissions, which is student loans, helping participants access both immediate job opportunities and post-secondary education pathways.
There are more things that we'd like to add to the program, but we will add those things Patrick, could you tell me again what the 46th figure was after the 31st or GEDs?
46 Resumes have been completed in this time period from May to August.
Yes sir, Trustee McIlwain.
We don't do a GED program, but they refer to a place that does.
How long does it take to get a GED?
It all depends on the individual.
If you want to get it done, you can get it done.
But some people, you know, they get in, they'll stop, they'll come back, you know, so it's the consistency that does it.
What we do here, when you come to Operation Jumpstart and we see that you have a GED, and we see that you have a GED, we immediately get you enrolled into the GED program.
That is the first step.
We get you enrolled in that program.
If you don't want to do that, we can't force you.
But that is the first step that we push towards here is to get your GED and then we'll move you forward.
And we offer support in that throughout the time that they're there.
So if they need assistance getting there, we provide bus tickets to get I'll just ask them to see if there's like a way to kind of anticipate how many future GED graduates you might have.
Like, you know, we got five people, like, 10 months to do it.
It sounds like that's not the case, though.
In this cycle, from what I heard, they had ten people that applied for GED, but three showed up for the first class.
So, now they wanted to do an operation jump start, but that's what the class, so you have that a whole lot.
You have people sign up for it, but then when the time comes, they don't show up.
Just a thought.
And maybe not even something we publicize.
Definitely don't recommend publicizing it to people who express interest.
But just wondering if maybe, would it be feasible to We're talking about incentives.
You have to be real careful with incentives.
Especially something like that.
The goal is for this person to want to go and get a GED to get it.
And if we start offering incentives for you, you're going for that.
You're not going to actually.
So, and then you're talking about adding an extra cost on to this program by adding a monetary incentive.
Center.
What we can offer is this.
We can offer assistance with job placement once you get it.
We can offer you your first, help you get to and from work for your first two weeks until you get your paycheck.
We can offer extended employment assistance that way.
But as far as offering any sort of monetary assistance for them going, I don't know about that.
That sounds like a great idea and it could work in the perfect world.
What's going What's going to happen is you're going to have people coming just for the monetary incentive.
I want them coming because they want to come and because they want to learn and they want to get this GED.
Now I understand what you're saying, when they get done they can get the incentive.
But if we start incentivizing everything that we do, it kind of takes away from them.
But I get it.
I get it.
Because them getting the GED is a plus.
Yes it is.
You know what I mean?
Absolutely.
When I worked at the school district, there were incentives for parents to bring their kids to parent-teacher conferences, and so the incentive program, that's a slippery slope.
That one is just like, yeah, you're going to do it just for the paycheck.
I guess with this one I'm thinking just achieving your GED puts that person on a positive path forward no matter what they do next because they have that GED like there's another person in society with a GED so just that alone is a huge plus to get that completed so yeah I see both sides of it Patrick, I have a question.
Yes, ma'am.
Well, we had Project Prosper, we had mentors and tutors, and we just, we offered to do it.
We didn't get paid for it or anything.
We offered, I meet a lot of my people on my lunch hour and see how they were doing, how, you know, how they were going through it.
Through it.
Does Highland, when they go out to do the GED, do they have tutors by any chance if people have questions or they're having a rough time getting through it?
Yes.
Good.
Yep, they have tutors for GED.
They have tutors for GED.
Yep.
Good.
Okay.
That's it.
Any more questions, trustees, or comments?
Well, go ahead.
I don't, I don't know what the metrics would be on this and so maybe Johari would have some idea.
It would be, it would be just interesting to know in his perception in terms of working with getting people employment, what's happening to the employment picture, whether it's very steady, whether demand is increasing going down, those kinds of things.
Like I say, I have no idea of Well, I can tell you this much about being really in tune with the program, hands-on with the program.
Employers are hiring.
They are looking for people to work.
I know Sauer Danfoss had a huge sign-up begging people.
They would even ask people who had retired to come back because they need people to work so hard.
We do have some skilled people here, but do we have a 100% skilled workforce?
I don't think we do, and that's going to take some work on, not just Township, but all of our parts, every entity that wants to see people working, we need to be working together to make sure people have the skillset that these individuals need to have.
And so much changes as far as what's expected and how jobs are done and new things that come into jobs, that people have to be trained to do that.
Right, right.
Yeah, so I get what you're saying, and yes, employers are hiring.
If you look on Indeed, you'll see they're hiring.
And usually the Department of Unemployment, they will send us listings of people that are hiring and those places that are hiring, and not just in Freeport, in the surrounding areas.
Kathy made me think about something with the GED thing when she talked about tutoring and do we know if, okay like, you know there's a bucket of people who just aren't motivated, they don't care, they don't want to do the work that's necessary, so that's a bucket of people that clearly it is what it is, what happens to you happens to you.
Do we know if there's a bucket of people where they have the motivation, they have the will, but there's some type of real barrier that's keeping them from moving forward?
And if there are people, if we do know people in that bucket, do we understand what those barriers are to see if there's something we can do to help alleviate those, get some relief from those barriers, like continue?
One of those barriers is childcare.
That is a major one.
We can handle the transportation one.
We handle that.
That childcare one is a sticky one because they have GED classes at certain times and if you don't have a child care there, you can't make it.
So and and you know you sometimes you can't rely on mom or dad or brother sister to watch the kid for you when they have to work as well so that's a that's a barrier so I'm glad you brought that up and that's something we need to look into seeing if we can find some way to help with that if we can.
Good one, good one.
Well it used to be the DHS years ago GHS years ago would help with people that were low income, get their children to daycare, certified daycare, GME's daycare by Broadway was one that I took my daughter to years ago and GHS paid for that.
So I don't know if that's something that is still done, but DHS is really interested in people being able to get to work if they have children at home and get them into the right facility to be taken care of during the day.
The problem isn't just being able to pay for the daycare.
The boys and girls club, didn't they have daycare available for people that were going for their GED?
Did they have a satellite for GED there at the boys and girls club?
I seem to remember something about that.
They have had it, that's the point.
It's not a constant ongoing thing.
There isn't one right now.
Was that a grant?
That was the reason why you had that?
I'm sure it was.
I can't tell you what grant it was.
Like a lot of things, there have been applications for grants for programs that haven't materialized.
One of the things that we experience in the yield program is in terms of us talking about as far as skills needed.
When we go to employers, they say, you know, you don't need a certain skill set, we will train for the skills.
But the two things they need, they need the dependability, and they also need the the ability to learn those new skills and there are a lot of people who are coming out who I think their experience with school has been school was just something to get through it was never seen as anything that was going to be of any value to them they just had to get through it and and so sometimes when they get in our program it's, you know, we have to try to change the mindset and say, you know, you don't have to get through this because you don't even need to be here.
The only reason you're here is that you want to learn the skills and it's not that, not that we're teaching them anything that they're going to take that particular skill and go go to the job and absolutely use that.
But we're teaching them how to learn a new skill, we're teaching them how to be familiar learning something that started out they didn't understand, you know, how to use a tool or something like that.
So that's, yeah, and that's not a simple process.
Because again, people come in thinking, you know, this is just something I have to get Well, I'm just wondering if that GED program that they had at the Boys and Girls Club, if they could resurrect that, because it seems like there's a need for that, you know, and they have the daycare there, so that might be like a perfect.
Well, when you say they have a DACA there, you're thinking of like Amity.
But the problem again is Amity doesn't have slots open.
And Highland, I mean there are other places that do the GED besides Highland, but Highland has a really good ongoing program.
Through the Y, right?
It used to be, didn't it?
I don't really know.
It could be in coordination with the Y. I don't know that.
Anymore discussion?
I see Will's turning.
He never says that about me.
Anymore discussion on anything I presented?
Okay, well the next one is the Assessors Report.
I have nothing to report.
You have a question for me.
How How did your consultations come out on your property evaluations?
On the commercial engineering?
Yeah.
So we did the gas stations and the hotels this year with the appraiser and we'll be raising most of those.
Plus we're also looking at the majority of the commercial in the office and the ones We have sales on that we can compare.
Commercial is getting revalued for the most part this year with what we had already done last year.
Okay.
Question for Meta.
I saw, I just saw a glimpse so I didn't really pay attention to the date.
But either it has happened or is upcoming one of Cabello's assessment meetings?
That happened, I think, the last week.
I wasn't in town for that, yeah.
I know he's done those more than once.
After those, just wondering, does your office get a lot of phone calls based off of that, and if you do get phone calls, is the content of those calls, like, with misleading information?
Are phone calls legit questions or does it sound like they're calls that are based on hearing information that just is not valid?
So we haven't gotten too many phone calls the last few years.
The first year they did it, the county and my office got wind of it.
We contacted Kagawa and we showed up at the meeting.
The county assessor couldn't be there at this meeting, nor could I be there at this meeting, but the county treasurer planned on going.
I didn't hear how that went.
The first year, the county assessor and I were there and volunteered to answer quite a bit of questions.
So we explain what we do as far as the SUS values go and not your taxes because they tend to spin it that if you want to get your taxes lowered and that's not what people are appealing, they are appealing their SUS value, not their tax bill, even though the state calls it appealing your taxes taxes, and that's what Cabela has, his group has kind of hung their hat on, even though the county and I have tried to explain to them that it's not taxes that are paid.
They continue to choose to use that verbiage because the reason is because that's how of the state of Illinois refers to it, because you have the property tax appeal board, which you're not even, if you go to the state level, you're not appealing your taxes, and they will tell you that if you have an actual hearing.
Okay.
So, but, yes.
Alright.
Thank you.
So the verbiage is confusing people.
Problem.
Yeah.
The first year that they held one, there was someone that was present that felt, she thought she was there to get her taxes lowered and she was giving her, giving Mr. Gavella a piece of her mind in the doorway during the presentation because she felt she was misled on why she was even there and was hoping to get her tax bill lowered.
Gotcha.
Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
That's all I have.
Okay.
Well, the next order of business is public company, public comments.
Trustees.
No, trustees report.
Next order of business is trustees report.
Trustees, I'm sorry.
Well, I have something to share.
On Thursday, there's going to be a volunteer fair at the Farm Bureau from 10 to 2.
Different volunteer groups are going to be there.
And the intent is to get more people to volunteer and sign up.
So of course pretzel pickers will be there and there will be other groups there too.
So everybody's invited.
It's a free event.
So come on and have some pretzels.
Ok.
Does that mean you're going to provide pretzels?
Yep.
The pretzel pickers are going to have pretzels there.
Alright.
Just little mini bags because we don't have the funds for big pretzels.
So we're going to have some mini bags.
So, yeah.
I know you guys were getting all excited about, oh, hot pretzels.
Yeah.
Anything else trustees?
Okay, I guess the next one is public comment, any public comments?
Just to state your name please for the record hi guys uh going along with the conversations you guys were having the why does he have childcare however it is very hard to get into I have my daughter goes there it took us about six months to get her on the list to get in there so they're not gonna basically have something open for somebody that's maybe just taking a GED GED class, maybe at night.
Going along with that though, anybody that does end up getting their GED, there's a lot of openings at the school district for paraprofessionals, plus monitors, things like that, so if we can get more people through the programs or the GEDs with the programs that you guys are offering, hopefully we can lead them towards that direction because our kids need the people involved in their lives.
So thank you guys.
Thank you.
Any other public comments?
Any other business cover for the town?
Seeing that there is none, I'll entertain most to adjourn until Tuesday, September 8th, 2026 at 4:30 PM So moved.
So moved.
I'll take a second.
You take Kathy as a second.
We got two so moved.
So I'll just take Kathy as a second.
He said it first.
All in favor.
Aye.
Motion carried.
The adjournment thank you all.