Downers Grove Township - Board Meeting - July 20th, 2026

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[0:09] It is 7 o'clock and I would like to call this meeting of the Downers Grove Township Board.
[0:18] Would everyone like to rise and (Trustee) Karol, would you like to lead us in the pledge?
[0:28] 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.
[0:49] Alright, welcome everybody, and I would, at this time call the roll so we can establish quorum.
[1:01] Supervisor Savage? Present. Trustee Friel? Present. Trustee Sole? Present. Trustee Szczerba? [...] Trustee Moreno? [...]
[1:14] So we have a quorum? Yes.
[1:17] Alright, thank you. At this time I would like to open public comment.
[1:27] Residents will have an opportunity to speak during public comment. Comments are directed to the Supervisor. We ask comments be kept to three minutes, and address Downers Grove Township issues.
[1:37] Please refrain from profanity or personal attacks directed at individuals, and be respectful of all residents. We remind you that public comment is not a Q&A session. Thank you.
[1:54] So, the microphone is over there, Susan S.
[2:03] Good evening, Supervisor Savage, Trustees, Clerk, and fellow citizens. My name is Susan S. and I am proud citizen of Westmont, the very progressive village.
[2:17] I have a question for you even though it's not a Q&A. It's rhetorical. What does Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr, Vincent Van Gogh, Robin Williams, Ernest Hemingway, and Lady Gaga have in common?
[2:33] [...]
[2:36] Consider these revered figures that we have cheered on and admired throughout history. They all struggled with mental illness. .
[2:48] Abraham Lincoln, one of America's greatest presidents, locked himself in his deceased son's room, Willie. For days, you could hear his sobs all the way from every part of the building at the White House.
[3:04] Martin Luther King Jr attempted suicide twice in his life. Ernest Hemingway lost his life to a suicide. Dave Duerson of the Chicago Bears, suicide. Kate Spade, designer, millionaire, mother. Committed suicide.
[3:26] Vincent Van Gogh, he lost one ear. Robin Williams, died of suicide as well. And then we have Lady Gaga who had to fight depression and drug addiction because of her mental illness.
[3:43] All these individuals came from a diverse background: different decades, different races, ages, politics and gender, sexual orientation. Mental health crisis does not discriminate. We cannot deny that we do not know anyone who has struggled with a mental health crisis. They are sitting next to you at the doctor's office, at the DMV, your place of worship, or in the mirror.
[4:18] With this knowledge, I ask that this vibrant community board, this Township board, will place the mental health, seven, eight referendum on the ballot for November twenty six.
[4:32] Presently, Downers Grove Township is the only township out of nine (townships) in DuPage County that does not have a local community, 708 mental health board. Let's change that in November. Vote for compassion. Vote for the 708 mental health referendum. Thank you.
[4:58] Bonnie Wayman-Dodd
[5:12] Hello and Good Evening everyone, I am Bonnie Wayman-Dodd, from Westmont or "The Progressive Village", and I am also a Westmont Lions member. I'd like to explain to you tonight that there is a blood shortage. We are terribly low, hospitals and surgical centers are looking at postponing elective surgeries because we are so low on blood right now.
[5:45] I am just letting you know that we are running a blood drive on July 28th, the Tuesday from 10 am - 3 pm, and if anybody would like to donate, it would certainly help your fellow citizens.
[6:02] I will set some of these (flyers) by the door. You're welcome to take it. Even if you've been denied once before, that doesn't mean you're going to be denied now.
[6:12] So, just go ahead if you're interested. You can also check with your doctor if you're concerned, but one in five hospitalized patients needs blood and less than three percent donate. And usually it's because nobody asks them. If you wouldn't mind spreading the word, July 28th from 10 am - 3 pm, you can make an appointment or you can just walk in. Thank you very much.
[6:46] I have one (public comment) that came in by email that I would read for you, and it says:
[6:55] Good afternoon. I am a constituent and I strongly favor the resolution under the agenda this evening to place the question on the ballot regarding forming a 708 board in Downer's Grove Township. As the largest and only township in DuPage County without this taxing body and public service, I support adding this question to the ballot and fully support its passage. I am not able to attend the meeting tonight to add my voice to many others in our community who support this measure.
[7:27] This is important to me, my family, and my community. Thank you for your public service and excellent work. Hillary Day.
[7:42] Jessica O'Malley
[7:49] Is this (the microphone) he right height? Good evening. Thank you, Supervisor Savage, Trustees and Clerk for the opportunity to speak tonight.
[7:57] My name is Jessica O'Malley, and I am here tonight on behalf of 708 for Downers Grove Township. I am incredibly proud to formally present to this board the as of tonight, 4,523 signatures that we've collected. [applause] Officially meeting and exceeding the legal requirements to place a vital community mental health referendum on the November (2026) ballot.
[8:25] A 708 community health board is the single most effective way to ensure our tax dollars are directly spent to fund, coordinate, and maximize essential services for mental health, substance use recovery, and developmental disabilities.
[8:39] Because it is governed entirely by local residents, it provides a highly responsive, transparent approach to our community's behavioral health challenges.
[8:51] As was said already tonight, this initiative is urgent. Downers Grove Township is currently the last township in DuPage County without a 708 board. While we are deeply grateful for the dedication and vital resources provided by DuPage County in prioritizing mental health, county level support simply cannot cover every local gap.
[9:08] Recent data from the DuPage County Community Needs Assessment shows that nearly a quarter of surveyed residents still cite mental health access as their top unmet need. Our local infrastructure is stretched thin.
[9:20] Needs continue to grow. A 708 board directly complements the county's efforts by creating a dedicated, protected local fund to bridge those hyper-local gaps and support our frontline care providers.
[9:34] None of this would be possible without the incredible dedication from our volunteers, and I want to thank them all for their tireless work. Over the past year, our volunteers have been everywhere from community events to farmers markets, book clubs, and local playgrounds. The response on the ground has been incredible. Time and again, neighbors would ask, "This is for mental health?" and immediately reached for the pen.
[9:54] One emergency room nurse told me her entire shift the night before was filled with people experiencing mental health emergencies. She could not sign her name fast enough.
[10:04] We are joined tonight by a strong showing of our supporters as well as three attorneys who have generously guided us through this legal process: Jack Matley, Brett Bender, and Corey Atkinson.
[10:13] Our community has spoken.We are proud to present these petitions tonight and see a 708 community mental health board referendum move forward to the ballot in November. Thank you.
[10:36] I can. I am Clerk Roudebush, and I can. The petitions were filed with the clerk's office during the filing window, and I could certify all of those and turn them into the county to be filed in August. If you decide- if the board chooses.
[11:00] Thank you. That was all the people that signed up for public comment. Is there anyone else that wishes to make public comment at this time?
[11:11] Come forward.
[11:19] Hi, I am sure. Hi, my name is Doctor Jodi Harrop. I am a licensed clinical psychologist as well as a Downers Grove resident for the past twenty seven years.
[11:32] I actually hadn't planned on speaking tonight, but I'd like to give you guys a little view of what it's like on the ground, as a clinical psychologist. I have a waiting list of patients as long as my arm, as does every clinical psychologist and master's degree therapist that I know.
[11:50] What we are seeing when we are able to accept new patients into our office is that the acuity of the mental health issues have drastically increased recently. We are seeing tremendous increases in anxiety, depression, substance abuse. Again, even with substance abuse, particularly since COVID, we have seen a tremendous increase in alcohol use and other substances.
[12:18] We are seeing an increase in suicidal ideation. We are seeing an increase in self-harm behavior. Again, I am trying to give you an indication of what we are seeing as clinicians here.
[12:29] We need help. Our patients need help.
[12:33] By passing this 708 board, we are going to fill in some of the cracks that are so abundant in our system right now. This is something that is sorely desperately needed in our community. I strongly urge you to support the formation of a 708 board in Downers. And thank you for hearing me out.
[13:02] Is there anyone else who would like to make public comment?
[13:08] Joe Amore
[13:13] Good evening, I am Joel Amore. I'm a board member of the DuPage Railroad Safety Council. We are a nationally recognized organization that is determined to prevent tragedies along railroad tracks.
[13:25] Our director, Doctor Lanny Wilson, is a Hinsdale resident. And unfortunately, he is away tonight and could not be here to speak. But on his behalf and on behalf of the organization, we are very proud and encouraged that this initiative is being undertaken, and we're looking forward to seeing its passage. Thank you.
[13:51] Does anyone else wish to make a public comment? Seeing none, we will end the public comment session.
[14:00] May I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? Trustee Sole moved. Is there a second? Second. Trustee Friel seconds. Any discussion? [...] All in favor?
[14:29] All in favor, say "aye." Aye. All opposed? [...] Motion carries.
[14:36] Alright, now we will move on to the Supervisor report. First, I would like to welcome all the visitors this evening. We will begin tonight's Supervisor report with the FY (fiscal year) 2026. Ed Tracy, the executive vice president of Selden Fox, is here to discuss the outcome of the audit.
[15:02] By law, Townships are required to submit their annual financial report and audits to the Illinois Comptroller's Office, and we are on track to do that. Thank you, Ed.
[15:11] Thank you for having me here this evening. As Supervisor mentioned, you are on track with the timelines required by the comptroller's office. Supervisor Savage and myself first met back in March or just after the end of the year, I should say, and our field work was conducted in May.
[15:28] We kind of had a hold until we got the reports from IMRF, which came in early June. And now we're here tonight to present rest of the financial statements. Again, The timeline for filing with comptroller's office is six months after the end of your fiscal year.
[15:42] However, they have not rolled forward their reporting requirement or reports online. So I haven't been able to complete the online version of the report, but we'll get that as soon as it's made available - this version of this report.
[15:55] As part of our audit, we do take a look at the internal control structure at the Township, we walk through certain controls are being adhered to. We found overall that the control environment was appropriately designed and proper approvals, proper reconciliations of subsidiary documentation to the general ledger, things like that.
[16:15] The audit itself does not give an opinion on internal control because it's a financial statement audit. But we do again, if we identify things where you feel like controls are missing or lacking, we would have brought those to your attention.
[16:27] One thing, we do make some adjustments to the books and records as part of our audit process. This year, the number of adjustments we made was down from what we've had to do in the past.
[16:39] They primarily were focused on a couple areas. One was there were some adjustments from the prior year that didn't get appropriately recorded, So we had to kind of make those adjustments to tie out your fund balances and the like. And, then there were some out- of- period activity, by that I mean activity took place after the end of the year. That related to the fiscal year under audit, so we would have to make the adjustments to bring that back in. Whether it's recording it as a receivable and revenue or as a payable and expense. So fairly typical adjustments.
[17:07] Again, also within the audit, there is really two sets of financial statements. There is your fund financial statements, which is how you maintain your - keep your books throughout the year, and then there is these what's called government-wide financial statements, which is more of a long-term perspective. So in the fund financial statements you don't recognize fixed assets or long-term liabilities, whereas in the government-wide statements you do.
[17:29] So we made some adjustments to convert your fund-financial statements to the government-wide financial statements. These are typical standard entries we make really with all our government clients and not an indication of any errors in bookkeeping or anything lacking in that regard. It's just something that's done as part of the audit.
[17:46] So, as far as the audit results were concerned. When we're looking at the fund-financial statements of the audit, you'll see the reports separately for each of what's called the major funds. Those are the funds that account for more than 10% of assets, liabilities, revenues or expenses. So your major funds are your general town fund, your general assistance fund, and your road or bridge fund.
[18:11] For those funds the general town fund had a positive bottom line for the year of about $256,000, it actually budgeted for a loss. Revenues were pretty much in line with budget. While expenses overall, were about fifteen percent under budget.
[18:26] You did a good job of maintaining the expenses and adhering to your budget there.
[18:35] The general assistance fund reported a small loss for the year; expenditures exceeded revenues by about $8,700. This was less than the budgeted loss that was expected at the end of the year. The general assistance fund had a deficit fund balance of about $32,00. So that just means that over the years, your expenses exceeded your revenues by that amount over time.
[18:57] The road bridge fund had reported a loss of $206,000. Expenditures exceeded budget by that amount, but budget expectations were for a much bigger loss. And when you look at the expenses versus budget, there was really savings versus budget in all departments across the road bridge fund.
[19:18] So in all instances where you are, your expenditures exceeded budget. That was generally planned as a planned use of existing fund balance, and your overall results better budget. And in most cases, in nearly all cases, that was just because expenses were under budget; revenues were pretty much in line with the budget.
[19:39] The other item of notice: you have a pension plan with IMRF where employees participate in IMRF, and currently you are reporting a net pension asset so you are - the assets on hand at IMRF are expected to exceed what's needed to pay out future benefits by about $ 2.4 million.
[20:01] And you're almost one 115% funded with IMRF. So I would anticipate that would mean much lower required contributions by the township over the next few years because of that excess.
[20:15] And that comes about mainly because of better earnings than expected by the actuary. The actuaries anticipate a certain investment earning rate, and based on that they base - the basis for what be required and Township to contribute.
[20:33] And those earnings have bettered those expectations over the last several years. So as a result, now the township is sitting in a surplus position with IMRF reporting a net pension asset. I would like to take one to thank Jill D'Urso (Township Finance Director) and her team, and Supervisor Savage for all their assistance during the audit.
[20:57] We were able to get things done in a timely manner. Last couple years between the fire and some other things, it was a much more arduous process, but this year I think we passed that now. And things are from an accounting standpoint, really good shape in terms of being able to come in and get our job done.
[21:18] [Supervisor Savage] And those documents were emailed to the Trustees last week.
[21:27] It's a lot of information in there. It's a big report. I just tried to hit some highlights, but again, I think overall, it was a very positive year in terms of results versus expectations and just overall fund balances and the like.
[21:49] [Supervisor Savage] Do the trustees have questions? No. Thank you so much for being here with us this evening.
[21:58] Okay.
[22:01] On with my supervisor report. I am happy to report that Jamie Thompson, our new youth and family services coordinator, started last week. She is currently working part time as she winds down her previous commitments.
[22:21] We are proud to be able to build on the work that DuPage County has invested in over the past year in the southeast portion of our township, which is an unincorporated island with no municipal services: no park district, no grocery store, and no public transportation.
[22:40] Elementary students are able to walk to school. Middle school and high school students must be bused. So we will continue to be an integral part of the SEED Coalition, which is a collective effort in that area to serve families and build community.
[22:58] On our agenda this evening, we have one item of new business in addition to the resolutions that were passed in the consent agenda.
[23:08] Resolution RES-2026-0720-4 is a resolution directing the submission of a public question [...] to recommend a tax levy to support the creation of the mental health board. Currently, Downers Grove Township is the only township in DuPage County that does not have a mental health board.
[23:35] We have had consistent feedback from community partners that have attended the Senior Advisory Committee, the Youth Services Advisory Committee and the Mental Health Services Advisory Committee that the need for assistance is great and continues to grow.
[23:55] Through their grassroots participation, this 708 For Downers Grove organization has demonstrated that public sentiment greatly supports the creation of a new levy to support mental health services in Downers Grove Township. For that reason, I ask that the board vote to put the resolution on the ballot in recognition of the work that the volunteers have done, but also reminding the board that we can be a public advocate for or oppose ballot initiatives. We will be able to provide factual information about the ballot question.
[24:31] Our senior activities continue to be strong. Although participation was slightly lower in June, partially due to the weather. We scheduled 73 events with 1,039 check-ins. The number of General Assistance clients grew from five to seven, with $2,300 in grants in June.
[25:01] Emergency Assistance was up dramatically. The number of clients rose from twelve to eighteen, which is a 50% increase. The assistance that was given was $10,226.70. That's a 56% increase in dollars.
[25:19] The total head count for clients was 64 (for the month of June 2026), and that total included additional assistance like gas cards and other items.
[25:34] Total, including everything for assistance, was $16,141.70. Passport applications have also experienced an increase in June with 44 new applications and 21 renewals compared to 22 and 13 in May.
[26:00] Our medical lending closet continues to demonstrate strong need within the community.
[26:06] Our committees continue to explore resources and meet gaps within the township and our building plans to assist in filling gaps where appropriate by working with other community partners.
[26:22] Some of the meetings that I attended this month included the Youth Advisory Committee, the DuPage Township Supervisor's Association, which has had two meetings since the last time we met, and Westmont Chamber Afterhours.
[26:36] Downers Grove Township Wild West Father's Day Social, that wasn't really a meeting, [laughter] but it was good. We had the Township America 250 celebration that was on a Sunday in York Township. I met with the village manager of Downers Grove.
[26:56] I attended the Senior Advisory Committee, Willowbrook-Burr Ridge Chamber luncheon, and we also hosted a spotlight table at that event where we gave out information about the Township and answered questions there.
[27:14] Then there was the Downers Grove Township Ice Cream Social for the seniors, and I attended Just Us Seniors. Our Senior Symposium committee had a meeting and they are planning an event for March. I attended Representative Deuter's community presentation on pensions. And I attended two meetings for the Village of Downers Grove's TIF just this afternoon.
[27:43] I also spent a lot of time on the audit report prior to this meeting, and we also hope to roll out the Township email newsletters sometime this month. Do we have any questions from the trustees? That concludes my report. And have we received a new report from the assessor?
[28:08] Yes, Supervisor Savage, trustees. In the Assessor's Office, we continue to work to close down our books for the year. It's a long process that we go through. The county is working to be able to accept those books.
[28:23] What happens is, once we close down the books and turn them over to the County, they will have a process where they accept the books and review the books. There are nine townships, so each one of them has to go through that process, and then they'll be able to post them in a newspaper
[28:39] Let them (residents) have notices we had changes in their specific properties. Uh, that going on. We're looking at sometime to have our books and our books go out sometime, hopefully in the next 45 days or so. So we can do it. And that starts a 30-day period in which people will have the ability to appeal their assessments. And we encourage everybody to reach out to us directly. Hopefully we can handle most of them without filing official appeals because that's an easier way to do it.
[29:08] But we have a very robust online system that we're going to be able to use and have used in the last several years with the website, be able to allow people to bring up their questions. And doing it that way, saves a lot of time, both at the county level and at the township level, and also for the residents.
[29:25] The county did inform us today that they are moving forward and working really hard to have these appeals be filed online. So that's going to be able to save some time and be more efficient for people. It's going to be a new learning curve for everybody.
[29:44] We all are working to make things more efficient for people who want to file their appeals and file their inquiries, to make things go well. And I think that's the main thing that we're working on, trying to make this more efficient for everyone.
[29:54] I know, I would like to just say we can't, assuming I fall under the same category, say whether I am for or against the referendum, I am a father who lost a child to an opioid overdose in 2022.
[30:12] I would encourage the trustees to put the initiative on the ballot. I can't tell you which way to vote on it, but I would say that I support putting the referendum on the ballot and hope you do whatever your conscience says.
[30:26] Do any trustees have questions for the assessor? [No. ] Alright, the Highway Commissioner was unable to join us tonight, but before I get on to that, I want to thank Chris Hotckin, who is the vice chair of our Veteran's Services Committee, for the lovely cookies that are over. [applause[]
[31:02] This is the Highway Commissioner report: Good evening, members of the board and residents. The Highway Department has experienced an exceptionally busy and productive month. Please find the updates on our recent operations and projects below.
[31:24] Storm response and emergency operations: early in the month, our Township experienced a severe weather event that dropped over 2.5 in of rain in just 45 minutes. The intense volume of water caused significant erosion, washing away numerous stone shoulders across our roadway network.
[31:43] Tree removal: Our crew worked through the night to clear a substantial number of fallen trees blocking the Township's right of way, ensuring our roads remain safe and passable.
[31:56] [Supervisor Savage] We also had to clean up a tree that fell over here that fell down in the road.
[32:06] Summer staffing: At the beginning of the month, we welcomed four full-time summer helpers. Their addition provided a much-needed boost to our capacity. They have been instrumental in maintaining our right-of-way, grass cutting schedule and providing critical support to our tree crew during high workload events like the recent storm.
[32:26] Facilities and capital improvements: We have moved forward with the major capital improvements at the Township garage to modernize the facility and address deferred maintenance.
[32:40] Masonry crews repair and stabilize the deteriorating interior brickwork, doors, rusted entrance, bathroom and office doors were completely replaced.
[32:53] Finishes: Interior painting is currently underway and scheduled for completion by the end of the week. Flooring: Next week we will begin applying an epoxy coating to the garage floors. This will seal all cracks and prevent chipping, and level out uneven surfaces.
[33:16] Storm management, stormwater management and ditching infrastructure: improving Township drainage remains a top priority. 91 st and Clarendon Hills project in partnership with Lautner Engineering and Thor Construction. We began jetting the large 54-inch storm drains in this area during the process, Thor Construction discovered that approximately one-third of the drain was blocked by stone and sediment. We are actively removing this debris to significantly restore and improve stormwater flow.
[34:00] Township ditching: Finally, the Highway Department is launching another week and a half of targeted ditching operations throughout the Township to further enhance drainage efficiency for our residents.
[34:14] That concludes the Highway Commissioner's Report. You can't ask any questions. [laughter]
[34:20] May I have our Clerk Report?
[34:25] Sure.
[34:28] Hang on. Sorry.
[34:31] [I'm] running multiple programs at the same time on my computer.
[34:36] Okay, so the clerk's office is still focusing on records retention. I talk about this every month. We've also, part of that, we've begun the process of working with the Secretary of State's Records Retention Division, and this will be ongoing.
[34:53] You will hear more about it in future meetings. We continue to process FOIAs. Last week, we received the previously mentioned 708 mental health petitions as the local election authority, and we learned some new things about our role as such.
[35:12] That's it.
[35:13] Thank you, are there any questions for the Clerk? No.
[35:19] Alright, is there any old business? Hearing none, or new business? May I have a motion to approve RES-2026-0720-4: Declaring the Submission of a Public Question to the Electors of the Downers Grove Township Regarding a Levy of an Annual Tax for the Purpose of Providing Community Mental Health Facilities and Services Pursuant to the Community Mental Health Act, (405 ILSC 20-1 et seq.)?
[36:05] So moved, Trustee Friel moves. Trustee Sole seconds. May I have a roll call vote, please?
[36:13] Supervisor Savage: Yes. Trustee Soul: Yes. Trustee Friel. Yes.
[36:23] Okay, motion carries.
[36:39] Moving on, are there any trustee comments and discussion this evening?
[36:46] [Trustee Sole] I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to be here.
[36:55] [Trustee Friel] I would like to [unintelligible ] Jessica O'Malley for her commitment to getting 708 on the ballot.
[37:13] I would echo their sentiments.
[37:22] This was a great demonstration of community action to solve a problem that exists in the community. Their next step is to get people to come out and vote for the referendum in November. Again, for the Township, in our official roles cannot either support or oppose the referendum, but we have just voted to place that on the ballot.
[37:55] So, with no further Trustee comments, is there a motion to adjourn? Trustee Sole moves. Second, Trustee Friel seconds. All in favor? Aye. Meeting is adjourned. Eat cookies. [laughter]