Youth Commission Meeting

MINUTES The City of Crystal Lake PROCEEDINGS OF THE YOUTH COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL March 12, 2026 Special Meeting Aaron T. Shepley City Hall, 100 W. Woodstock Street, Crystal Lake, IL 1. Call to Order Commissioner Cioper called the meeting to order at 4:04 p.m. Thursday, March 12, 2026. 2. Roll Call Commissioners Ella Hutchins, Andrew Cioper, Theo Johnston, Charlie Benton, and Jotham Becker were present. City Councilmember Denise Smith, City Councilmember Ian Philpot, Assistant to the City Manager Ryan Oates, and Deputy City Manager Nick Hammonds were also present. 3. Approval of Minutes from the February 12, 2026 Meeting Commissioner Benton moved to approve the minutes of the February 12, 2026 meeting. Commissioner Hutchins seconded. Upon voice vote, motion passed. 4. Public Presentation Commissioner Cioper asked if there was anyone in the public who wished to speak on an item not found on the agenda. No one wished to speak. Commissioner Cioper closed public presentation. 5. Robb Tadelman, McHenry County Sheriff Mr. Tadelman introduced himself to the Commission. He stated that he has been with the Sheriff’s Office for over 20 years. He was elected as the County Sheriff in 2023, and is currently running for a second term. He discussed the role of the County Sheriffs, including patrol operations, overseeing the County jail, proving security for the County courts, and serving papers as needed within the County. Councilmember Smith asked how the County and City of Crystal Lake interact and support each other. Mr. Tadelman discussed the differences between incorporated and unincorporated areas. He stated that if Crystal Lake needs assistance, the County will come in. If the County needs assistance in an unincorporated area, the County may call Crystal Lake Police for assistance. Mr. Tadelman discussed a recent conference he attended in Wahington DC. The conference focused heavily on mental health for officers. He plans to bring these concepts to the County to improve well-being for the Sheriff’s Office employees. Mr. Tadelman discussed his position and balancing work with his personal life. He stated that the Sheriff’s Office, much like any other police agency, is always dealing with crises. But, there is always something new and interesting happening. Commissioner Becker asked what the political aspects of the job are. Mr. Tadelman stated that he regular job is being the Sheriff, but he has to spend time to get out in the community and make sure people vote for him. In addition, he stated that working with elected officials and the State legislature is a considerable portion of his job. Mr. Tadelman discussed his communications with numerous elected officials to help pass legislation improving funding for law enforcement.  Commissioner Johnston asked if there have been new policies, trainings, or requirements that he has had to deal with since the last time he visited the Youth Commission in spring 2025. Mr. Tadelman stated that focusing on wellness has been a significant change since his last visit. In addition, there have been continuous updates to job descriptions to better fit the roles. Councilmember Smith asked about the impacts of the SAFE-T Act. Mr. Tadelman discussed the impact, as well as the pre-trial fairness act. He discussed the impact of training requirements on the officers and how this impacts an organization. Additional training requirements means that officers need to be taken off the street to complete necessary training. This makes staffing difficult for law enforcement because there are staffing minimum requirements he must meet. Commissioner Benton asked if Mr. Tadelman could discuss his work-life balance. He stated that it is definitely a blend, and it takes a lot of work to balance. Commissioner Benton asked about the difference between his previous roles and his new role as Sheriff. Mr. Tadelman stated that being Sheriff means that he spends a lot more time worrying outside of work about things that happened on the job and handling a lot more responsibility. Commissioner Benton asked about his relationship with the State’s Attorney. Mr. Tadelman discussed the importance of communication between the Sheriff and State’s Attorney. They hold each other accountable. Councilmember Smith asked how Mr. Tadelman and the Crystal Lake Police Chief get along and interact. Mr. Tadelman stated that they communicate often, and even thought they both run their departments in different ways, they often communicate and they understand they working toward similar goals. Mr. Tadelman thanked the Commission for their time and exited the meeting. 6. School Survey and Civic Engagement Forum Commissioner Cioper discussed the handout cards he created. The cards have a QR Code linking to the Association of Secretaries of State, which shows if a person is registered to vote, and another card with QR Code linking to the County’s voting information website. The group reviewed the voter information provided by County Clerk Joe Tirio. The spreadsheet will be sent out and sorted by age group, and the figures will be used for comparison in future elections to see if more younger people are voting. The Commission agreed to plan on meeting at MCC on Thursday, April 23 rd from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to hand out the cards and provide information regarding voting. 7. Open Discussion Mr. Hammonds discussed Crystal Lake’s Sister City, Holzgerlingen, Germany, and the scheduled meeting for Thursday, March 26th at 1:00 p.m. Mr. Hammonds stated that he will send the Teams Meeting link to the group. 8. Adjourn There being no further business, Commissioner Hutchins moved to adjourn the meeting at 5:05 p.m. Commissioner Benton seconded the motion. On voice vote, all present voted yes. Motion passed.