# Meeting Events

Meeting: `1y3bdkepble.stephenson_county_il_public_property_and_safety_committee_meeting_4-7-26`

Meeting date: `2026-04-07`

Meeting type: `public_property_safety_committee`

This is a deterministic derived artifact, not official meeting minutes. Related records may be grouped for review while complete machine provenance remains in the JSON artifact.

## Decisions and Votes

- **Approval of tonight's agenda** — Passed
  - **Summary:** The motion to approve the agenda passed.
  - **Evidence:** “All in favor? Opposed?”
  - **Source timestamp:** [00:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=42s)

- **Review and approval of meeting minutes for March 10th** — Passed
  - **Summary:** The motion to approve the minutes passed with an affirmative vote.
  - **Evidence:** “All in favor? Aye.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [00:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=54s)

- **Approval of plans** — Passed
  - **Summary:** The motion to approve plans passed with an affirmative vote.
  - **Evidence:** “All in favor? Aye. All opposed? Aye.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [01:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=108s)

- **Adjournment** — Passed
  - **Summary:** Motion made to return to adjourn the meeting.
  - **Evidence:** “I make the motion to return, to adjourn. I move by Ms. Hayes, second by Ms. Portman,”
  - **Evidence:** “All in favor? Ayes.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [11:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=715s)

## Procedural Actions

- **Approval of tonight's agenda**
  - **Summary:** Motion to approve the agenda was made and seconded.
  - **Evidence:** “I make a motion to approve. Second.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [00:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=42s)

- **Review and approval of meeting minutes for March 10th**
  - **Summary:** Motion to approve the minutes was made and seconded by Mr. Newton.
  - **Evidence:** “Motion to approve. So Mr. Busker, second. Second by Mr. Newton.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [00:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=54s)

- **Approval of plans**
  - **Summary:** A motion was made to approve plans, seconded by Ms. Hayes.
  - **Evidence:** “So moved to approve. Second. Moved by Mr. Newton, second by Ms. Hayes.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [01:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=96s)

## Presentations and Reports

- **Public comment regarding department status**
  - **Summary:** A representative reported on the hiring process, FTO program status, and HVAC failure at the courthouse.
  - **Evidence:** “Good morning everyone. I've got an hiring process. We have four still in the FTO program. They're in their last month and actually they're in the last three weeks.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [02:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=121s)

- **HVAC failure at the courthouse**
  - **Summary:** The HVAC system at the courthouse had a catastrophic failure, but it was resolved at no cost to the county.
  - **Evidence:** “We had a catastrophic failure with the HVAC system at the courthouse, but it's not going to cost us any money.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [02:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=141s)

- **Emergency Management Agency update**
  - **Summary:** The agency discussed lack of federal funding and working on mutual aid agreements.
  - **Evidence:** “I had a special meeting with Regent Buwaima of Homeland Security on March 9th, and we discussed our lack of funding coming from the federal government and trying to come up with some mutual aid agreements where companies can work together to share resources”
  - **Source timestamp:** [03:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=205s)

- **Emergency Management Agency credentialing and planning**
  - **Summary:** The office is working on credentialing processes and emergency operations plans for the county, which are due next year.
  - **Evidence:** “Our office is still working on our credentialing process and the emergency operations plans for the county, which do be submitted to IUNI and FEMA for approval. Will be due this time next year.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [04:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=246s)

- **National Weather Service involvement**
  - **Summary:** The agency uses a program with National Weather Service extensively for various local events.
  - **Evidence:** “We attended a National Weather Service event, weather planning and monitoring seminar, March 31st over in Winnebago County, Esda. We've been involved with this program with National Weather Service, I believe, for three going on four years.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [04:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=270s)

- **Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation School**
  - **Summary:** The agency successfully completed the Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation School.
  - **Evidence:** “We just completed the Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation School at the County EOP Training Room. We had that April 1st and 2nd.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [05:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=325s)

- **G402 NIMS overview for elected officials**
  - **Summary:** The instructor is unable to provide the G402, the NIMS overview for elected officials until fall.
  - **Evidence:** “Some bad news I have is the same instructor wants to give the G402, the NIMS overview for elected officials. He's not going to be able to do that now until fall, but we will get that done this year.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [05:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=351s)

- **County Hazard Mitigation Plan**
  - **Summary:** The County Hazard Mitigation Plan requires visiting every village and getting board approval on mitigation issues.
  - **Evidence:** “Another plan I'm just going to throw out there that's come and do was the County Hazard Mitigation Plan. And the reason I'm going to bring that up is because that takes usually about six to eight months in order for us to get through all of that planning.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [06:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=367s)

- **County Coroner report on deaths**
  - **Summary:** In March, there were a total of 57 deaths in the county.
  - **Evidence:** “We responded to a total of 57 deaths in the county in March.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [07:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=444s)

- **County Coroner Report for March 2026**
  - **Summary:** The county coroner reported a total of 57 deaths in the county in March, with responses to eight scenes. Of these, no autopsies were performed; 19 required signing, and the remaining 38 were done by doctors. Fifty-six of the recorded deaths were natural, and one was pending for March.
  - **Evidence:** “We responded to a total of 57 deaths in the county in March. We went to eight of the scenes, correction, we had a total of 57 deaths. We responded to eight of those. We had no autopsies. We signed for 19 of those. The other 38 were done by doctors. 56 Of them were natural and I still have one pending for the month of March.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [07:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=444s)

## Metrics

- **Coroner response details for March**
  - **Summary:** Of the 57 deaths, the coroner's office responded to eight scenes and signed for 19 autopsies.
  - **Evidence:** “We went to eight of the scenes, correction, we had a total of 57 deaths. We responded to eight of those. We had no autopsies. We signed for 19 of those.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [07:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=444s)

- **Coroner cause of death breakdown for March**
  - **Summary:** Of the 57 deaths, 56 were natural causes.
  - **Evidence:** “The other 38 were done by doctors. 56 Of them were natural and I still have one pending for the month of March.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [07:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=461s)

## Discussion

- **Budget Update Request**
  - **Summary:** A request was made for a year-to-date budget update, as this information has not been provided for several years.
  - **Evidence:** “Going forward, if you wouldn't mind giving us a budget update, just year to date where you're at with your numbers, that would be helpful. We haven't had that for a number of years.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [07:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=477s)

- **Introduction and Background Sharing**
  - **Summary:** Tom Padeci introduced himself as previously being a security guard for the hospital in Monroe and the hospital in Freeport, and is currently a reserved deputy under Scoville for the state's County Sheriff's department. Lou Ann Hayes stated her name is Lou Ann Hayes, known as Lou Hayes. Samuel Newton identified himself as County Board District B (or C). Patrick Busker stated he is also County C and a retired member of the Reserve Unit. Scott Helms identified himself as County Board Chairman.
  - **Evidence:** “My name is Tom Padeci. I previously was a security guard for the hospital up in Monroe. And Monroe. And then before that, the hospital here in Freeport, and I'm a reserved deputy under Scoville for the state's County Sheriff's department. All right, cool. I'm Lou Ann Hayes, Lou Hayes, as we're known, as I'm known in my political. Yes, Samuel Newton, County Board District B, if that makes sense. I'm District C. Patrick, Busker, I'm also the County C and retired member of the Reserve Unit there. So I'm glad to see you're serving in that capacity as well. Nice to meet you. And I'm Scott Helms, County Board Chairman.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [08:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=530s)

- **Data Center Training Opportunity**
  - **Summary:** Information was provided regarding a legislative conference on Tuesday the 14th where there will be data center training from a national association of data centers.
  - **Evidence:** “And while it's on my mind, you were talking about data centers and training is the legislative conference on Tuesday the 14th for three hours, there'll be data center training one on one, there's an association, a national association of data centers are going to be there to talk about the myths and all of that.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [09:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=594s)

- **Legislative Conference Attendance Inquiry**
  - **Summary:** A question was raised regarding who is attending the legislative conference on April 14th. Mr. Bush was noted as being signed up so far.
  - **Evidence:** “Scott, is anyone going down for the legislative conference? Mr. Bush, you're the only one I think that's signed up so far.”
  - **Source timestamp:** [10:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=648s)

- **Committee Meeting Scheduling Difficulty**
  - **Summary:** The speaker noted difficulty scheduling meetings due to weather cancellations.
  - **Evidence:** “I'm empty because we cancelled two or three meetings this year because of weather and so I got a lot of catch-up”
  - **Source timestamp:** [11:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y3BdKEPbLE&t=679s)