Gabriel Garcia

The meeting commenced with the pledge of allegiance and roll call, confirming a quorum. Key agenda items included the approval of minutes from the previous regular town board meeting held on January 13, 2026, as well as the minutes for the closed session and the public hearing for an amended township budget, both held on January 13, 2026. The board then moved into public comment, followed by new business which involved reading and voting on a proclamation recognizing Black History Month. Several guests presented remarks supporting the proclamation, discussing the importance of recognizing black history, contributions, and local history within Joliet Township, and advocating for continued support for equity.

The meeting commenced with the Pledge of Allegiance. The board addressed the approval of several minutes, including the regular town board meeting from December 9, 2025, the closed session minutes from the same date, and the salt bid opening minutes from December 29, 2025. Following public comment, a required public hearing was held for the amended budget and appropriation ordinance number 416-2025, which involved discussion regarding the fiscal year cycle. Subsequently, the board voted to adopt the amended general town budget for fiscal year 2025-2026. The agenda also included the reading and adoption of two proclamations: one honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which featured remarks from community members detailing his local impact and ongoing issues of inequity, and a second proclamation recognizing National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

The meeting included the approval of minutes from the November 18, 2025, regular town board meeting. Key actions taken involved the proclamation of International Migrants Day (December 18th) and Universal Human Rights Month (December). The board also authorized the execution of a consultant agreement renewal for the senior groups liaison and passed resolutions to declare certain township property as surplus, covering items like old furniture and broken technology. Furthermore, the adoption of the township levy ($2,999,000) and the road district tax levy ($2,550,000) were approved. Approval was also granted to post an ordinance for amending the general town fiscal year 2025-2026 budget for subsequent public hearing. Department reports covered transportation assistance for community programs, updates on Toys for Tots collection, preparations for tax season, and the retirement of a medical caseworker. Reports also detailed the onboarding of new animal control hires, a transition in veterinary care providers, participation in a community parade, completion of restroom repairs at the Mitchell Center, initiation of front lobby renovations, and ongoing efforts to clear surplus items from the basement. The financial report discussed proactive budget amendments to cover anticipated year-end overages in general assistance and professional fees/insurance costs, and noted the receipt of an unqualified audit opinion with a finding regarding bank collateralization at Midland Bank.

The special meeting addressed several new business items. Key discussions included a resolution to appoint Odelson, Murphey, Frazier and McGrath as township attorneys, establishing an ordinance for a remote attendance policy for township board meetings in compliance with the Open Meetings Act, and the consideration of tentative budgets for both the general town and the road district.

The meeting of the Community Response and Engagement Workgroup (CREW) focused on several key areas following firearm incidents. Discussion included an overview of the Community Safety Plans and the necessity of community engagement in the planning process. The group reviewed incident tracking, noting approximately 36 incidents in October 2025 and 27 incidents being tracked in November 2025 across Greater Joliet. A report on Flex Funds for the second quarter indicated that $22,714 was utilized for 13 eligible referrals. Workgroup discussion points covered community safe havens, partnering with public libraries, identifying referral sources, ongoing cross-regional communication, and updates on application eligibility, particularly concerning damage to residences within the past three years. Following adjournment, attendees participated in a training module on Trauma-Informed practice.