Will County Gazette

Village of Homer Glen Village Board met Sept. 24.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

A. CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order on September 24, 2025 by Mayor Neitzke-Troike at 6:32 p.m. in the Village Board Room, 14240 W. 151st Street, Homer Glen.

B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG

C. MOMENT OF SILENCE –

D. ROLL CALL

Present were Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike, Trustees Curtis Mason, Rose Reynders, Mike Lepore, Bart Holzhauser and Robert Schaller. Also present on behalf of the Village were, Attorney Michael Pasquinelli, Village Engineer Brett Westcott, Finance Director & HR Director Lisa Kopas, Planning & Zoning Director Christopher Gruba, Deputy Clerk Gina Marcotte, Village Clerk Candice Bielski and Village Manager Joe Baber. A quorum was established.

E. COMMUNITY REGOGNITION -

F. AMENDMENTS TO THE AGENDA - none

G. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Trustee Reynders motioned to approve the agenda as amended, second by Trustee Mason.

Voice vote:

Ayes: (5) Trustees Mason, Schaller, Lepore, Reynders, Holzhauser

Nays: (0)

Abstained: (0)

Absent: (1) Trustee Muller

Present: (0)

The Mayor did not vote.

The motion carried.

H. PUBLIC HEARING

1. Public Hearing Regarding Authorizing the Execution of the Intergovernmental Cooperative

Planning and Jurisdictional Boundary Agreement between the Village of New Lenox and the Village of Homer Glen.

Trustee Holzhauser motions to recess the regular board meeting and open the public hearing, second by Trustee Reynders.

Discussion - Trustee Mason stated this has been discussed in A&F.

6:34PM Trustee Muller Arrives.

Mayor Neitzke-Troike gave a brief explanation. She stated the Teerling Farm was introduced into the original plan/agreement, which required some updates.

Attorney Pasquinelli gave an explanation. He mentioned that the prior agreement had vague language stating that New Lenox "shall consider" providing sewer/wastewater treatment service in the annexation agreement. Because this was non-committal and not a true obligation, that language was removed entirely. The approach now is: if the wastewater treatment becomes necessary in that area in the future, it will be addressed then. The mayor confirmed this was the only change.

There was no public comment.

Trustee Reynders motioned to close the public hearing and resume regular session, second by Trustee Mason.

The Mayor asked the clerk to call the roll:

Ayes: (6) Trustees Mason, Schaller, Lepore, Muller, Reynders, Holzhauser

Nays: (0)

Abstained: (0)

Absent: (0)

Present: (0)

The Mayor did not vote.

The motion carried.

I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

1. August 27, 2025 - Village Board Meeting

Trustee Lepore motioned to approve, second by Trustee Mason.

The Mayor asked the clerk to call the roll:

Ayes: (6) Trustees Mason, Schaller, Lepore, Muller, Reynders, Holzhauser

Nays: (0)

Abstained: (0)

Absent: (0)

Present: (0)

The Mayor did not vote.

The motion carried.

2. September 10, 2025 – Village Board Meeting

Trustee Reynders motioned to approve, second by Trustee Schaller.

The Mayor asked the clerk to call the roll:

Ayes: (6) Trustees Mason, Schaller, Lepore, Muller, Reynders, Holzhauser

Nays: (0)

Abstained: (0)

Absent: (0)

Present: (0)

The Mayor did not vote.

The motion carried.

J. PUBLIC COMMENT -

1. Ellyn Moritz - Homer Glen resident who will be affected by the 143rd Street expansion. She has seen lots of talk on social media and emails and is worried they will be forgotten about. She is against the expansion. She stated that when they moved to Homer Glen ten years ago, they had no idea that 143rd Street was going to be expanded. Received a sixty-day notice.

K. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND OTHER OFFICERS

Village Manager Baber - Reported for the Behavioral Health & Addiction Recovery Committee, which held a wellness event with 11 groups promoting mental health. Featured was an inspirational walk on the Active Core Trail. Signs were left up through the weekend and they received positive feedback. Rain shortened the event, but lessons were learned for next year. Planning another panel discussion for early next year.

Reported for the Environment Committee: Deadline for Community and Nature in Harmony Award Sept. 26. Big Tree nominations accepted until Oct. 17. Details are available on the community website and Facebook. Upcoming fall events include a stargazing night at Heritage Park this Friday. This Saturday is Hazardous Waste/Electronic drop off - please reserve time slot by visiting Will County Green website. In honor of Homer Lands Day this weekend, there will be a Hike & Haul clean up on Saturday, October 4, 2025. Visit the website for more information.

Mr. Baber also reported about the recent loss of Comcast internet and phone service to Village Hall. He stated that EMA Director Ron Kus and IT Technician Dan Nolan implemented back up Wi-Fi to maintain operations in case of future outages. Since June, eight citations for off-road motorized vehicle use have been issued, each with a $1,000 fine. Hopefully this will start to deter use on public property. There were recently, three individuals caught riding at Heritage Park and near the Village Hall.

Trustees:

Trustee Schaller - does not have microphone on. Thanked the finance department – specifically Lisa Kopas, John Sawyers and in addition Amy Blank for the new display in the board room.

Trustee Muller - apologized for his tardiness. Thanked Trustee Lepore for "putting out all the facts on social media" in regards to 143rd Street.

Trustee Reynders - reported that she and Brett Westcott have had one steering meeting with Lakota Group for moving forward with the Veterans Memorial and the pavilion water feature.

Trustee Mason- Thanked Trustee Schaller, Amy Blank and the finance department for preparing a clear financial responsibility presentation. Reported for the Public Safety Committee. Trustee Mason mentioned that Congress is drafting a new infrastructure bill on roads/bridges. There are concerns that corporate lobbyists may push for increases in truck/trailer size and weight. Trustee Mason is working with the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT), represented by Mr. Collin, who is seeking local input. Over 2,200 local leaders nationwide have signed a petition against bigger trucks. Trustee

Mason addressed some resident concerns in Meadowcrest. He stated that resident, Scott McAdam raised safety issues like line of sight, trees and speeding. Public Works and Safety Committee responded with tree trimming and new speed sensors. The residents expressed gratitude for being heard and for the improvements.

Trustee Lepore - Thanked Trustee Muller for his warm comments on 143rd Street post. Encouraged residents to reach out to trustees directly for accurate information, reminding them the effort is ongoing. Trustee Lepore highlighted the new dining coupon book created by the Economic Development Committee under Janie Patch's leadership. There are over twenty restaurants participating and he encourages residents and visitors to use it, noting it will support local restaurants and boost the community's economy.

Trustee Holzhauser - no report

Village Clerk – no report

Village Attorney - Mr. Pasquinelli gave an update on Illinois American Water. He stated he attended a conference call with the Mayor, IAW, the Village Manager, the Mayor Pro Tem and the Attorney General. Mr. Pasquinelli said the Attorney General is actively investigating billing anomalies reported by Homer Glen residents through the Village's survey. A formal letter from the AG has been sent to IAW, outlining further questions, inquiries, and preliminary policy changes the AG is requesting IAW adopt voluntarily. Mr. Pasquinelli stated that the AG has also requested IAW attend a public town hall in Homer Glen, so residents can voice their concerns directly. Illinois American Water must respond to the Attorney General's letter by October 3, 2025. Mr. Pasquinelli will then provide the board and residents with an update.

Update on 143rd Street Project funding – Mr. Pasquinelli stated that questions were raised about whether federal funding would be lost if the 143rd street expansion project does not proceed. He said the seven million allocated to the project comes from the surface transportation program (STP) funds, which are federal block grants distributed through:

1. Congress - U.S. Department of Transportation - Illinois Department of Transportation - CMAP - Will Council of Mayors - Will County DOT.

If the 143rd street project does not move forward, Will County will not lose the funds. Instead, they will be reallocated to other ready-to-go projects within Will County. Mr. Pasquinelli gave examples of identified "contingency projects" that could receive these funds.

Public Safety Officials - no report

Mayor Neitzke-Troike - addressed misinformation on social media. She warned residents not to trust information about the 143rd street project unless it comes directly from the Village itself. Mayor Neitzke- Troike acknowledged that while only thirty parcels may currently be directly affected, in her and the Village's view, "one parcel is too many." She expressed her disappointed and criticized county board members for approving the project and accused them of not listening to the residents. The mayor yielded her comments to Attorney Pasquinelli – He stressed that the Village of Homer Glen is not paying for the 143rd expansion, instead the county is funding it, and while an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) was proposed to the village to contribute things like sidewalks, landscaping, and retaining walls, it was never signed or executed.

Mayor Neitzke-Troike and Attorney Pasquinelli clarified that a traffic study circulated publicly but it was only a partial, unfinished draft with errors and was used unfairly by opponents. The mayor stated that the village plans to hold more committee of the whole meetings so that residents can hear the transparent discussions of ongoing issues like this project.

Attorney Pasquinelli – spoke about the traffic study in hoping to clear up all the confusion with what has been shared on social media. He said "I just want to clarify what we mean by "traffic study." What we actually had done was ask our engineer to collect data. Data is simply numbers — it's what engineers and economists use when they go out and observe what's happening. That's all we received: a data sheet. The problem is, the sheet was extremely confusing. I know I struggled with it, and so did the mayor and, I believe, the village manager. None of us could reconcile the numbers. Normally, the next step would be to have an expert interpret the data, provide context, and draw conclusions from it. But that never happened. We never had an expert review it, and we certainly never received a report with findings or recommendations. Unfortunately, the raw data was released, and now people are drawing their own conclusions. That's where the confusion is coming from because no official conclusions were ever issued. What was shared was not a report; it was just raw data that none of us were able to make sense of without clarification."

Mayor Neitzke-Troike said "For now, we've held off on spending more money to get that expert analysis until we see what direction the county is going. If they're going to expand the road anyway, we didn't want to duplicate costs. So that's why things are a bit touch-and-go at the moment."

Mayor Neitzke-Troike reported for the Ability Awareness Committee. She mentioned how proud she was of the committee and how hard they are working to make more things like the park more accessible for those with special needs.

L. CONSENT AGENDA

1. Consider for Approval the Accounts Payable for the Period of September 13, 2025 through September 25, 2025 in the amount of $1,281,937.67.

2. Consider For Approval the Treasurer's Report of Cash and Investments for the Period Ending May 31, 2025, in the amount of $50,542,132.49.

Trustee Reynders motioned to approve, Trustee Mason second.

The Mayor asked the Clerk to call the Roll:

Ayes: (6) Trustees Mason, Schaller, Lepore, Muller, Reynders, Holzhauser

Nays: (0)

Abstained: (0)

Absent: (0)

Present: (0)

The Mayor did not vote.

The motion carried.

M. LEGISLATION AND ACTION ITEMS

1. Motion for Approval of a Resolution No. 25-009, a Resolution Approving the 2025 Affordable

Housing Plan for the Village of Homer Glen and Submittal to the State of Illinois.

Trustee Lepore motioned to approve, Trustee Mason second.

Discussion - Attorney Pasquinelli stated this is something that is required by law in Illinois.

Under the Illinois Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act and in accordance with fair housing laws, every municipality in Illinois is required to adopt a policy and resolution regarding affordable housing. The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) oversees this compliance.

What this means for Homer Glen is simply ensuring that we meet the legal requirements set forth by the State of Illinois. This is about following the law-just as every other village and municipality must do—not about approving large-scale projects or changing the character of our community.

Trustee Lepore stated "I believe it is misguided for the State of Illinois to mandate the type of housing communities must provide. I am not in favor of the state dictating the housing makeup of Homer Glen. This represents government overreach in every sense. If multi-family or affordable housing is needed, it should develop organically rather than through the heavy hand of government. That said, because Homer Glen has been deemed a non-exempt local government body and is therefore subject to current law, a plan is required. Given these circumstances, this resolution represents the best path forward."

Trustee Mason stated that "for a lack of better words, this is something that has been shoved down our throats for some time."

Trustee Holzhauser stated this is just a proposed plan with an updated version of the formally approved plan from 2015. He also stated that it is not a mandate to accept new developments, but to include affordable housing.

Trustee Muller had a question to ask the attorney. He asked if a municipality is not in compliance with the state mandate, what are the repercussions? Attorney Pasquinelli asked to get back to him on this. He did not want to misstate any wrong information because the IDAH laws update all the time.

The Mayor asked the Clerk to call the Roll:

Ayes: (5) Trustees Schaller, Muller, Mason, Reynders, Holzhauser

Nays: (0)

Abstained: (1) Trustee Lepore

Absent: (0)

The Mayor did not vote.

The motion carried.

2. Motion to Approve Resolution No. 25-010, Approving the Following Executive Session

Minutes: May 8, 2024, May 22, 2024, June 12, 2024, June 25, 2024, July 24, 2024, August 14, 2024, and September 11, 2024. The Executive Session Minutes Still Require Confidential Treatment and are not to be Released.

Trustee Reynders motioned to approve, Trustee Mason second.

The Mayor asked the clerk to call the roll:

Ayes: (6) Trustees Schaller, Muller, Mason, Reynders, Holzhauser, Lepore Nays: (0)

Abstained: (0)

Absent: (0)

The Mayor did not vote.

The motion carried.

3. Motion to Approve an Ordinance Approving the renewal of a Cable Television Franchise

Agreement by and between the Village of Homer Glen and Comcast of Illinois VI, LLC and authorizing the execution thereof.

Trustee Mason motioned to approve, Trustee Lepore second.

Discussion - Trustee Mason stated this is needed for all utilities.

The Mayor asked the Clerk to call the Roll to approve:

Ayes: (6) Trustees Holzhauser, Reynders, Schaller, Mason, Muller, Lepore

Nays: (0)

Abstained: (0)

Absent: (0)

The Mayor did not vote.

The motion carried.

4. Motion to approve the Proposal from Administrative Consulting Specialists, LLC (ACS) for a Comprehensive Organizational Staffing Study, Job Description review and update, Village- wide policy manual update.

Trustee Schaller motioned to approve, Trustee Lepore second.

Discussion - Trustee Schaller stated that this was discussed at length during the

Committee of the Whole meeting and he believes this is a positive step forward for our village to get a “bird's-eye view” of what is needed to better serve our residents. Trustee Mason -- stated that it will help to evaluate the current structure and staffing Levels and workloads across departments.

The Mayor asked the Clerk to call the Roll to approve:

Ayes: (6) Trustees Holzhauser, Reynders, Schaller, Mason, Muller, Lepore

Nays: (0)

Abstained: (0)

Absent: (0)

The Mayor did not vote.

The motion carried.

M. OLD BUSINESS

N. NEW BUSINESS

Mayor Neitzke-Troike stated the trustees make $6,000 per year and the clerk currently makes $5,000 per year. She feels this is unfair since the workload of the clerk is significantly more compared to trustees. By law, compensation for elected officials can only be changed by board vote, and usually must be set at least six months (180 days) before the next election for those positions.

Village Manager Baber stated they were asked to investigate TIF information and it was brought up under old business at the last meeting. Mr. Baber instructed Economic Development Director Janie Patch to put together some information on this topic. Mr. Baber asked for Janie Patch to present the information she gathered and put together as it relates to TIF financing districts. Mayor Neitzke- Troike stated that for the next time, for something like this to be placed under a workshop. Director Patch gave a brief presentation/overview. See attached.

Trustee Schaller thanked Ms. Patch for her quick presentation. Trustee Schaller emphasized the importance of continuing discussions about TIF as a possible financing tool for development in Homer Glen.

Trustee Lepore thanked Director Patch for the research on TIF and emphasized the need for an updated comprehensive plan. He stated that updating the plan will support grant writing, strengthen the TIF initiative, and help attract business in Homer Glen.

O. WORKSHOP - none

P. EXECUTIVE SESSION

Trustee Muller motioned to enter executive session, second by Trustee Reynders.

1. Discussion Regarding Personnel

2. Discussion Regarding Pending Litigation

3. Executive session minutes

Voice Vote:

Ayes: (6) Trustees Mason, Schaller, Lepore, Muller, Reynders, Holzhauser

Nays: (0)

Abstained: (0)

Absent: (0)

The Mayor did not vote.

The motion carried.

Q. ADJOURNMENT

Trustee Reynders motioned to adjourn, second by Trustee Schaller.

Voice Vote:

Ayes: (6) Trustees Mason, Schaller, Lepore, Muller, Reynders, Holzhauser

Nays: (0)

Abstained: (0)

Absent: (0)

The Mayor did not vote.

The motion carried.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:48pm.

http://www.homerglenil.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_09242025-3008