President and Board of Trustees

123 Madison Street Village of Oak Park Oak Park, Illinois 60302 www.oak-park.us Meeting Minutes President and Board of Trustees Tuesday, January 20, 2026 7:00 PM Village Hall I. Call to Order Village President Scaman called the Meeting to order at 7:04 P.M. II. Roll Call Village Trustee Wesley arrived at 7:08pm. Present: 7- Village President Scaman, Eder, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Leving Jacobson, Village Trustee Straw, Village Trustee Taglia, and Village Trustee Wesley Absent: 0 III. Agenda Approval It was moved by Eder, seconded by Village Trustee Leving Jacobson to approve the agenda. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. IV. Minutes A. MOT 26-107 A Motion to Approve Minutes from the January 13, 2026 Regular Meeting of the Village Board. It was moved by Village Trustee Leving Jacobson, seconded by Eder to approve Minutes. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. V. Non-Agenda Public Comment River Forest Resident Michael G. expressed frustration with the Oak Park Police Department’s lack of response and accountability after his daughter was involved in a hit-and-run accident, despite clear evidence and the offender’s prior record. VI. Proclamation B. MOT 26-108 A Motion to Approve a Proclamation Recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the Village of Oak Park, Illinois Village Trustee Enyia read the Proclamation aloud. Village President Scaman emphasized the importance of protecting constitutional rights, including freedom of speech, press, and protest. She thanked her colleagues for their service and reaffirmed their commitment to Village of Oak Park Page 1 Printed on 1/28/2026 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes January 20, 2026 continue fighting for these principles as stated in the proclamation. It was moved by Village Trustee Leving Jacobson, seconded by Village Trustee Wesley, that this Motion be approved. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. VII. Village Manager Reports No Action. VIII. Village Board Committees No Action. IX. Citizen Commission Vacancies C. ID 26-149 Board and Commission Vacancy Report for January 20, 2026 This report lists the expected number of members, current number of members seated and number of active vacancies for the Village’s 18 citizen boards and commissions. There are currently 24 vacancies. X. Citizen Commission Appointments, Reappointments and Chair Appointments No Action. XI. Consent Agenda Approval of the Consent Agenda It was moved by Village Trustee Wesley and seconded by Village Trustee Leving Jacobson to approve the items under the Consent Agenda. The roll call on the vote was as follows: AYES: 7- Village President Scaman, Eder, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Leving Jacobson, Village Trustee Straw, Village Trustee Taglia, and Village Trustee Wesley NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 D. MOT 26-105 A Motion to Approve the October 2025 Monthly Treasurer’s Report This Motion was approved. E. RES 26-118 A Resolution Approving the Intergovernmental Agreement between the University of Illinois and the Village of Oak Park for the Illinois Fire Science Institute to Provide Grant-Funded Emergency Fire Ground Communications Classes in the Village of Oak Park and Authorizing Its Execution This Resolution was adopted. Village of Oak Park Page 2 Printed on 1/28/2026 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes January 20, 2026 XII. Regular Agenda F. ID 26-115 A Study Session to Review Proposed Energy Grant Guidelines for 2026 and Other Energy Efficiency Related Programming. Chief Sustainability Officer Lindsey Roland Nieratka provided an overview of the 2025 energy grant results and introduced proposed guidelines for 2026. Outreach efforts in 2025 resulted in 84 applications, with weatherization projects being most popular among lower-income households and renewable energy among higher-income households. Lessons learned included the need to simplify the application process, expand eligible items like induction stoves and window heat pumps, and clarify guidelines for HVAC systems, water heaters, and EV-related equipment. For 2026, recommendations include removing matching requirements for all grants, reducing application barriers, and increasing support for lower-income households by raising their grant limit to $20,000. Trustee Eder expressed strong support for the sustainability initiatives and commended staff for bringing forward detailed plans for funding and implementation. He asked clarifying questions about the proposed permit fee credits, confirming they would cover most or all related costs, and inquired about the timeline and process for integrating these changes into the CityView permitting system. Trustee Straw strongly supported sustainability credits, interest-free energy loans, and rebate programs, highlighting their potential to reduce upfront cost barriers and encourage electrification, including smaller projects. However, he expressed concern about applying a $40 energy permit fee broadly, warning it could discourage necessary home repairs and suggested limiting such fees to projects that conflict with sustainability goals rather than all construction. Trustee Wesley expressed concern about the impact of interest-free loans on middle-income households, noting that even with flexible options, additional debt may be challenging for families already under financial strain. He suggested reevaluating income brackets and grant amounts. Trustee Enyia supported increasing the Tier 2 grant amount by at least $2,500 to better cover real project costs, citing personal experience with high upgrade expenses. He praised the Village’s permitting and grant processes for being clear and responsive, noted some challenges with contractor documentation. Trustee Leving-Jacobsen expressed general support for the proposed changes, particularly adjustments to Tier 2, and asked about lessons learned in outreach to ensure accessibility for all income categories. She Village of Oak Park Page 3 Printed on 1/28/2026 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes January 20, 2026 emphasized the importance of measuring the impact of outreach investments and suggested adding questions to applications about how applicants learned of the program. Additionally, she raised concerns about explaining sustainability credits clearly so they do not become a barrier to participation. Trustee Taglia expressed overall support for the proposed changes and asked clarifying questions about 2025 fund utilization, noting that the Village did not spend the full allocation. He inquired whether increasing grant amounts is driven by feedback indicating that current funding levels are insufficient for larger-scale projects. G. RES 26-107 A Resolution Approving the Village Board Protocols for 2026-2028 as Reviewed at the September 3, 2025 Village Board Meeting Village Trustee Wesley requested that meeting calendars be itemized with dates and times for easier integration into personal calendars. Village Trustee Leving Jacobsen suggested adding a disclaimer to public agendas indicating they are subject to change to avoid public confusion. Trustees discussed automating email routing and staff confirmed they are working on a system to track trustee questions and responses. Discussion moved to creating a VMO staff email alias for easier communication. Village Trustee Straw raised concerns about multiple email addresses causing confusion and suggested including the Clerk in the same alias. Village President Scaman and Village Manager Jackson led a conversation on meeting efficiency, noting that agendas often underestimate discussion time. Trustees debated whether to start meetings earlier when agendas are heavy; consensus was to keep the 7 PM start but improve preparation and time estimates. Village Trustee Straw suggested internal time estimates for agenda items to help trustees prepare. Village President Scaman emphasized trustees should come ready to vote and avoid lengthy debates. . Trustees requested more detailed legislative cover sheets and historical context for ordinances. Village Manager Jackson explained the balance between providing detail and maintaining pace, noting plans to improve summaries and archiving. Village Trustee Wesley and Village Trustee Eder discussed expanding Village of Oak Park Page 4 Printed on 1/28/2026 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes January 20, 2026 digital archiving and linking related items for better context. Village Trustee Taglia raised concerns about knowing when constituent issues are resolved; President Scaman agreed that staff should confirm resolution to trustees. Trustees discussed emergency notifications and press protocols. Village Trustee Taglia requested alerts for significant incidents (e.g., robberies) to avoid being caught off guard. Village Trustee Wesley asked for clear instructions on trustee expectations during emergencies or press conferences. Village Manager Jackson committed to providing explicit guidance and unified messaging. The session concluded with consensus to revise protocols for clarity and efficiency. It was moved by Village Trustee Wesley, seconded by Village Trustee Leving Jacobson, that this Resolution be adopted. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. XIII. Call to Board and Clerk Trustee Leving Jacobsen emphasized that Martin Luther King Jr. Day, established after years of opposition, should remind us that honoring Dr. King goes beyond a holiday and requires continued work toward reparations and fulfilling his unfinished legacy. Trustee Eder announced a free clean energy event, OPCAN, at the CRC on Monday, January 26, featuring speakers from the Citizens Utility Board and Illinois Environmental Council. President Scaman announced January 26th start of Government 101 course. XIV. Adjourn It was moved by Village Trustee Straw seconded by Village Trustee Wesley to Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 9:31 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Deputy Clerk Carswell Village of Oak Park Page 5 Printed on 1/28/2026