Village Board Meeting

BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING Tuesday, August 26, 2025 at 7:00 PM Village Hall Board Room 118 W. Cook Avenue Libertyville, IL 60048 MINUTES 1. Roll Call Mayor Johnson called to order a meeting of the Board of Trustees at 7:01 p.m. Those present were Mayor Donna Johnson, Village Trustees Pete Garrity, Matt Krummick, Casey Rooney, Kara Macdonald and Andrew Herrmann. Village Trustee Scott Adams was absent. Also in attendance were Village Clerk Margaret Clark, and Village Attorney Hart Passman. 2. Items Not on the Agenda | Presentation of items not on the Agenda will be limited to three (3) minutes Mayor Johnson asked for public comment on items not on the agenda. There were none. 3. Omnibus Vote Agenda A. Summary of Omnibus Vote Agenda Items Mayor Johnson presented the Omnibus Vote Agenda and asked if there were any items requested for removal by the Village Board or any Board questions on items. Trustee Macdonald requested that Item 3H be removed from the Omnibus for separate discussion. Trustee Rooney requested that Item 3Q be removed from the Omnibus for separate discussion. Mayor Johnson said their legal counsel is here and they want to discuss. B. Approval of Minutes of the August 12, 2025 Village Board Meeting C. Bills for Approval D. RESOLUTION NO. 25-R-137: A Resolution to Approve a Special Event – Shofar in the Park E. RESOLUTION NO. 25-R-138: A Resolution to Approve a Special Event – Praying for Peace F. RESOLUTION NO. 25-R-139: A Resolution to Allow the Use of Village Property – Knights of Columbus G. ORDINANCE NO. 25-O-48: An Ordinance Amending Chapter 23 of the Municipal Code Regarding the Use of Electric Bicycles and Scooters in the C-1 Zoning District H. ORDINANCE NO. 25-O-52: An Ordinance Amending Article VII of Chapter 2 of the Municipal Code Regarding the Appointment of Commission Chairs I. RESOLUTION NO. 25-R-140: A Resolution to Approve Change Order Expenses for the Renovation Project at 325 N. Milwaukee Avenue J. RESOLUTION NO. 25-R-141: A Resolution Authorizing Change Orders for the Butler Park Project VILLAGE OF LIBERTYVILLE Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes August 26, 2025 K. RESOLUTION NO. 25-R-142: A Resolution to Approve Change Order No. 1 with Patriot Maintenance, Inc. for the 2025 Path Pavement Maintenance Program L. RESOLUTION NO. 25-R-143: A Resolution to Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Gewalt Hamilton Associates, Inc. for the Annual Water System Maintenance Program M. ORDINANCE NO. 25-O-49: An Ordinance Declaring Surplus Property N. RESOLUTION NO. 25-R-144: A Resolution Approving a Fireworks Permit Application for Libertyville High School O. RESOLUTION NO. 25-R-145: A Resolution Approving Two Memorandums of Understanding with the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System in Support of Village Firefighters Affiliation with the State Swiftwater Response Team P. RESOLUTION NO. 25-R-146: A Resolution to Approve an Intergovernmental Agreement for the Purchase and Maintenance of a Weather Warn Alert System Q. ORDINANCE NO. 25-O-53: An Ordinance Approving a Preliminary Plat of Subdivision, Development Concept Plan, and Special Use Permit for a Planned Development – 610 Peterson Road R. ORDINANCE NO. 25-O-50: An Ordinance Granting Variations from Sections 26-13-9.2(b) and 26-13-9.3(a) of the Libertyville Zoning Code Regarding the Location and Height of a Fence – 512 Sandy Lane S. ORDINANCE NO. 25-O-51: An Ordinance Granting a Variation from Section 26-4-7.5 of the Libertyville Zoning Code Regarding Maximum Lot Coverage – 225 Elm Court T. Report of the Appearance Review Commission U. Report of the Historic Preservation Commission Motion made by Village Trustee Garrity to approve the Omnibus vote agenda: Items 3A-3G, 3I-3P, 3R-3U; excluding Items 3H and 3Q. Seconded by Village Trustee Garrity. Voting Yea: Village Trustee Garrity, Village Trustee Krummick, Village Trustee Rooney, Village Trustee Macdonald, Village Trustee Herrmann. The item was approved with a 5-0 vote. Item 3H: ORDINANCE NO. 25-O-52: An Ordinance Amending Article VII of Chapter 2 of the Municipal Code Regarding the Appointment of Commission Chairs Mayor Johnson gave the floor to Trustee Macdonald. Trustee Macdonald said when she saw this agenda item the first question was: what problem are we trying to solve? Mayor Johnson said it was not a problem; it was a matter of consistency and process. The process of appointing chairs was not consistent when reviewing the Village Code. After some consideration it was determined that the best resource for determining who will be best to serve as leadership would be the Village President and the members of that commission. There has been a lot of social media talk that agendas are developed by chair VILLAGE OF LIBERTYVILLE Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes August 26, 2025 and that is not true, Mayor Johnson said. The staff and the members of the commission develop the agenda. The Mayor said that considering some things that are critical, why inundate the board with this decision, why not let the members decide and work with the Village President. Trustee Macdonald said she fully supports consistency, but when she reviewed all the language, she found a few inconsistencies between the commissions. Mr. Passman, Village Attorney, said they endeavored to standardize, but if there is something that needs to be further fixed, let him know. Mayor Johnson said the intention was to make it consistent. Village Administrator Amidei gave a summary of the commissions and the proposed changes. Trustee Macdonald asked why not make the change with all of them. She said she thinks we should. She then asked for clarification on the proposed process. Mayor Johnson said chair selection would be a collaboration with the current chair, the commission members and the Village President. Trustee Macdonald suggested that the overarching language be written to make it clearer, such as specifically saying the Mayor will collaborate with the members of the commission. Trustee Krummick disagreed. He thinks that is adding something that is expected. Trustee Macdonald concluded by saying she fully supports consistency and clarity. Trustee Hermann said his experience is that the Mayor and working members work together. He thinks the Mayor should have that autonomy. Trustee Rooney echoed what Herrmann just said. When a chair position became open on a commission she served on, they collaborated together. There was never an issue. Trustee Garrity said somehow this got spun up into a conspiracy, but the bottom line is as a Board, we can review members, so everyone on the commissions have been approved. When talking about selecting a chairperson, the people who know that best are staff, members of the commission and the Mayor. Trustee Krummick thanked Trustee Macdonald for opening discussion on this. He said he has been flooded with emails on this, and it is unfortunate and a result of the tone of the last election. He noted that Trustees have far more authority than the Mayor does. He said the Mayor has been elected by people in this community. The community must shape up because this is silly. Trustee Krummick said he supports this, and he agrees with Trustee Macdonald that some things need to be cleaned up. Mr. Passman said if this ordinance is approved, he would be happy to work to bring forth a corrective ordinance to address any inconsistencies. Trustee Macdonald said she appreciates the challenge of managing an unwieldy village code. VILLAGE OF LIBERTYVILLE Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes August 26, 2025 Mayor Johnson asked for public comment on Item 3H: Kim Arnold Wadley of 1113 Crane Blvd said she appreciates the years of service. She wanted to address why people think this is a conspiracy. It is because there is a complete lack of transparency. She runs a family business and was asked by a friend to be part of the EDC. It was difficult to determine the procedure for joining these committees. She only looked at the EDC and she could not find minutes and could not find a process. More transparency would squash any thought of conspiracy. She thinks engagement should be more welcomed. Mayor Johnson said minutes should be on the Village website. As for the process, there is a link and a form online. Recently, there was an opening on the EDC and the process was handled a little differently than usual. A member of the EDC was approached by a community member and was given names of people who were interested. He told the people that they needed to fill out the form. Of the 26 names given, only five people completed the form, and the Mayor interviewed those five people. Mayor Johnson said she appreciates comments but to be fair to the Board and herself and contrary to social media, we are vigorously working to properly fill these commissions. The problem is so many people who do not have the proper background and then cannot commit the time. She is trying to make sure there are quality people on these commissions. Mayor Johnson committed to detailing the process in the next Village mailer. She thanked Ms. Wadley for her comments and said she he invites feedback. Trustee Krummick said this is a good topic. He noted that there is a lot of work being done on the Village website. He acknowledged that there are issues, and they are being worked on. we are working through our website. He said they will try to make it easier. Trustee Krummick said he loves engagement but not for the sake of discord. Motion made by Village Trustee Garrity to approve the Ordinance (Item 3H). Seconded by Village Trustee Rooney. Voting Yea: Village Trustee Garrity, Village Trustee Krummick, Village Trustee Rooney, Village Trustee Herrmann. Voting Nay: Village Trustee Macdonald. The item was approved with a 4- 1 vote. Item 3Q: ORDINANCE NO. 25-O-53: An Ordinance Approving a Preliminary Plat of Subdivision, Development Concept Plan, and Special Use Permit for a Planned Development – 610 Peterson Road Mayor Johnson invited the representative for the petitioner, Russ Whitaker, to the podium. Mr. Whitaker said as his team identified an issue with paragraph 9D on page 12 relating to IDOT process. He asked to delete paragraph 9D. In future approvals there will be greater clarity in how to deal with IDOT, he said. Mayor Johnson offered clarity for the Board. In order to honor the request, it would require an amendment on what has already been approved and voted on. It is a change. Trustee Rooney asked Director Rowe to give clarity. Director Rowe said when there is a plat of subdivision with access to IDTO ROW, being in this circumstance that the only access is the VILLAGE OF LIBERTYVILLE Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes August 26, 2025 IDOT, a condition was made that IDOT sign first. Pulte said this may impede some efforts having this language in there. Mr. Witaker said there have been projects where it takes 2 years to get a plat signed. The requested change is a zoning ordinance. He then presented the new language that is proposed. He said if the ordinances stays as is, there is no flexibility. Trustee Rooney asked Public Works Director, Paul Kendzior, what is the risk in accepting this change. Mr. Kendzior said no risk as nothing happens until the plan is fully executed by all. Trustee Rooney asked about the park location and was assured that it had been moved. Motion made by Village Trustee Garrity to approve the Ordinance (Item 3Q) amending that plan to exclude paragraph 9D. Seconded by Village Trustee Macdonald. Voting Yea: Village Trustee Garrity, Village Trustee Krummick, Village Trustee Rooney, Village Trustee Macdonald, Village Trustee Herrmann. The item was approved with a 5-0 vote. REGULAR AGENDA 4. RESOLUTION NO. 25-R-147: A Resolution Authorizing the Acceptance of the April 30, 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Village of Libertyville Mayor Johnson read the summary into the record: The Village’s audit firm, Lauterbach & Amen, LLP, has completed the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for Fiscal Year 2024-25. The audit started in May with initial fieldwork and wrapped up after final fieldwork in early June. The auditors gave the Village an unmodified opinion—the highest level of assurance, meaning the Village’s financial statements are accurate and reliable. The report also highlights the Village’s solid financial position and the strong policies that guide how funds are managed. For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, the Village received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). This award recognizes reports that go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles by promoting transparency and full disclosure. The Village intends to submit the April 30, 2025 ACFR for consideration for this same recognition. Staff recommends that the Village Board formally accept the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2025. Courtney Mohr of Lauterbach & Amen, LLP is present to present the ACFR. Ms. Mohr presented the audited financial statements. She thanked Director Joseph and Aerial Tax for their assistance. The Village report received the GFOA award for the 15th year in a row. Key highlights were reviewed. Fund balance of $ 32M. There is a decrease in fund balance from last year, but it is a healthy balance. In the enterprise fund, there is an increase in net position. VILLAGE OF LIBERTYVILLE Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes August 26, 2025 In the management letter the comments are related to upcoming pronouncements. There are two new GASBY pronouncements that are required. Mayor Johnson asked for public comment on this matter: Matt Hickey of 312 Laurel Avenue said last time he was here he talked about grocery tax and asked the Board not to approve it. Now that the audit has come out on p 446 of packet that the Village come out exceptionally high this year in term of revenue vs. what was projected. He reviewed the numbers of projected versus actual. The Village is $14.2 M over the fund balance policy. Trustee Garrity last time he said he'd be interested in hearing opportunity to look at ways to reduce taxes. Mundelein just voted to rescind the grocery tax. The Village should now vote to rescind, he said. Mayor Johnson said while the numbers referenced were accurate, it does not contemplate the long-range capital projects, and unfunded mandates from the state. As it relates to the working family - the tax is a 1%, 252 communities have passed this. The 1% tax is not related to the price of groceries; there are so many other factors. This is a continuation of an existing tax - it is something people are already doing, and it accounts for $852K in revenue for the Village Motion made by Village Trustee Rooney to approve the Report, Seconded by Village Trustee Krummick. Voting Yea: Village Trustee Garrity, Village Trustee Krummick, Village Trustee Rooney, Village Trustee Macdonald, Village Trustee Herrmann. The item was approved with a 5-0 vote. 5. REPORT OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS ZBA 25-08, Variation of Rear Side Yard Setback Darren Washington, Applicant 517 Buckingham Place The representative of the petitioner, Melissa Martin, the contractor, was present. Mayor Johnson read the summary into the record: The property owner at 517 Buckingham Place is requesting a variation to reduce the required side yard setback from 35 feet to approximately 21 feet in order to construct a three season room. Members of the Zoning Board of Appeals concurred with the request at the August 11, 2025 meeting and a motion to recommend Village Board of Trustees approval passed with a vote of 5 – 0. If the Board approves the Report of the Zoning Board of Appeals, an ordinance will be prepared for the next Board meeting. There were no public comments. Motion made by Village Trustee Rooney to approve the report, Seconded by Village Trustee Macdonald. Voting Yea: Village Trustee Garrity, Village Trustee Krummick, Village Trustee Rooney, Village Trustee Macdonald, Village Trustee Herrmann. The item was approved by a 5-0 vote. 6. REPORT OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS ZBA 25-07, Variation of Front Yard Setback David and Carole Kenney, Applicants 622 Sedgwick Drive David Kenney, the petitioner, was present. Mayor Johnson read the following into the record: VILLAGE OF LIBERTYVILLE Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes August 26, 2025 David and Carole Kenney are requesting a variation to reduce the minimum required front yard setback from 30 feet to approximately 26 feet and 5 inches in order to construct a front porch with portico at 622 Sedgwick Drive. The plans were reviewed by the Zoning Board of Appeals at the August 11, 2025 meeting. Members of the Zoning Board of Appeals concurred with the request and a motion to recommend Village Board of Trustees approval passed with a vote of 5 – 0. If the Board approves the Report of the Zoning Board of Appeals, an ordinance will be prepared for the next Board meeting. There were no public comments. Board Comment: Trustee Garrity said this looks like a very nice addition. Thanked them for the investment. He supports. Trustee Krummick this is a case where the building built it right up to the setback which creates a flat face on the house. These changes improve and he supports. Trustee Rooney this yard is gorgeous but the fact that the house is built right on the setback is a challenge. That is why we have this process. Motion made by Village Trustee Rooney to approve the report, Seconded by Village Trustee Herrmann. Voting Yea: Village Trustee Garrity, Village Trustee Krummick, Village Trustee Rooney, Village Trustee Macdonald, Village Trustee Herrmann. The item was approved by a 5-0 vote. 7. REPORT OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS ZBA 25-06, Variation of Corner Side Yard Setback Jenell Mroz, Applicant 156 Ridgeway Lane Nichalas Shaber, the general contractor for the petitioner, was present. Mayor Johnson read the following summary into the record: At the August 11, 2025 meeting, the Zoning Board of Appeals heard a request from the owner of 156 Ridgeway Lane for a variation to reduce the minimum required corner side yard setback from 50 feet to approximately 40 feet in order to construct a house addition. The applicant is proposing to construct a one story house addition on the west side of the existing residence in order to accommodate a new master bedroom. Members of the Zoning Board of Appeals concurred with the request and a motion to recommend Village Board of Trustees approval passed with a vote of 5 – 0. If the Board approves the Report of the Zoning Board of Appeals, an ordinance will be prepared for the next Board meeting. There is no public comment. Board Comment: Trustee Garrity this is another nice addition to the home and the 10 ft is not that big of a deal in terms of how this fits in. He is in favor. Trustee Krummick asked about a setback call out on the plan and received clarification. VILLAGE OF LIBERTYVILLE Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes August 26, 2025 Motion made by Village Trustee Macdonald to approve the report., Seconded by Village Trustee Herrmann. Voting Yea: Village Trustee Garrity, Village Trustee Krummick, Village Trustee Rooney, Village Trustee Macdonald, Village Trustee Herrmann. The item was approved with a 5-0 vote. 8. Mayor's Update A. Petitions and Communications The Village Hall and all non-emergency Village Offices will be closed on Monday, September 1, 2025 for the Labor Day Holiday. The Parks and Recreation Committee will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. The Plan Commission/Zoning Board of Appeals will meet at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 8, 2025 The Village Board will meet at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Board Comment: Trustee Garrity congratulated Director Joseph and staff for the GFOA award. Trustee Krummick said it has been a good summer in town. There have been a lot of ribbon cutting ceremonies and it is great to see the amount of growth right now. Libertyville remains strong. Trustee Rooney said the achievement award is a huge deal - 15 years of excellent financial oversight in this community is a huge accomplishment. It is a lot of work and everyone deserves accolades. Trustee Macdonald said she and Trustee Garrity were at car fun on 21 and had a lovely time talking to people. She will be at the next Car Fun on 21 with Trustee Herrmann. Trustee Macdonald offered thanks to public works and police for the great drop off pick up patterns at Highland Middle School. Trustee Garrity said the second Sunday in September is the community bike ride. Mayor Johnson thanked Trustee Garrity for chairing and leading that committee and offered a shout out to Condell and all the volunteers helping with bike safety. This is a great event. Mayor Johnson said she is hoping that the crosswalk at Maple and Milwaukee is completed. Director Kendzior said there is a supply hold up and the missing materials will be arriving in a couple of weeks. 9. Village Administrator Update Village Administrator Amidei offered the following update: • Pool closes this weekend. VILLAGE OF LIBERTYVILLE Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes August 26, 2025 • 9/25 there will be a police station open house • 9/18 is the last Tasty Thursday at Riverside Park. 10. Executive Session There is a need to go into executive session for the following: Closed Session Minutes Review: [5 ILCS 120/2(c)(21)] Personnel: Collective Bargaining: [5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2)] Litigation: Pending or Imminent: [5 ILCS 120/2/(c) (11)] Litigation: Pending or Imminent: [5 ILCS 120/2/(c) (11)] Personnel: Appointment, Employment, Compensation, Discipline, Performance or Dismissal of Specific Employees: [5 ILCS 120/2/(c) (1)] Motion made at 8:20 pm by Village Trustee Garrity to enter into executive session, Seconded by Village Trustee Macdonald. Voting Yea: Village Trustee Garrity, Village Trustee Krummick, Village Trustee Rooney, Village Trustee Macdonald, Village Trustee Herrmann. The item was approved by a 5-0 vote. Adjournment With no further business to come before the Board, Village Trustee Krummick moved to adjourn at 9:17 pm, Seconded by Village Trustee Macdonald. The item was approved by a unanimous voice vote. Respectfully submitted, Margaret Clark, Village Clerk VILLAGE OF LIBERTYVILLE