Meeting Events

Meeting: _a6jdqfpylm.2026-6-1_freeport_township_meeting

Meeting date: 2026-06-01

Meeting type: township_board

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

• Removal of Agenda Item 6: Rebuilding Stephenson County service provider agreement discussion and approval — Passed

  • Summary: The motion to remove item 6 from the agenda carried.
  • Attribution: Patrick Sellers
  • Evidence: “Before we start the meeting, I want to entertain a motion to remove item 6 from the agenda, the discussion and approval of rebuilding together Stephenson County service provider agreement. The reason why, we didn’t allocate enough funding in our capital, general capital”
  • Evidence: “So moved. I’ll second it. Motion, obviously, seconded by. Roll call or voice, Mike? Our voice is fine. Okay, all in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Okay, strike number six off the agenda.”
  • Source timestamp: 00:28

• Approval of Minutes for May 18th, 2026 meeting — Passed

  • Summary: Motion to approve the minutes from the May 18th, 2026 meeting.
  • Attribution: Patrick Sellers
  • Evidence: “The first of our minutes is the approval of minutes for the May 18th, 2026 meeting. Sellmolt, Sarkin, Aldensey, O’Donnell I didn’t see any corrections. Are there any questions on the Minister’s Trustees? Okay, all in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries.”
  • Source timestamp: 01:41

• Approval of Bills Payable

  • Summary: Motion to approve bills payable.
  • Attribution: Patrick Sellers
  • Evidence: “The next order of business is the approval of bills payable. Any motion and a second please? So moved. Second. Motion by McIlwain, second by Odendahl.”
  • Source timestamp: 02:25

• Passing of motion on next item — Passed

  • Summary: A motion passed regarding the next item of business.
  • Attribution: Trustees
  • Evidence: “Are there any more questions on claims of demands, Trustee? Sorry. Wilken, McIlwain, Altensey, Odendahl, Sellers, Motion passed. Motion passed.”
  • Source timestamp: 09:53

• Adjournment until Monday, June 15th, 2026 — Passed

  • Summary: A motion was made to adjourn the meeting until Monday, June 15th, 2026 at 4:30 PM.
  • Evidence: “I’ll entertain a motion to adjourn until Monday, June 15th, 1026 at 4:30 PM So moved.”
  • Evidence: “Second. Opposed? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed?”
  • Source timestamp: 15:53

Procedural Actions

• Clerk to add tribute to record

  • Summary: The Madam Clerk was asked to add the tribute regarding Sheila Hooper to the official record.
  • Attribution: Trustees
  • Evidence: “Madam Clerk, please add this to the record.”
  • Source timestamp: 11:53

• Next order of business: Public Comments

  • Summary: The next item of business was public comments.
  • Attribution: Trustees
  • Evidence: “Okay, the next talk of business is public comments. Any public comments?”
  • Source timestamp: 14:54

• Meeting adjournment

  • Summary: The meeting was adjourned.
  • Evidence: “Meeting adjourned. Thank you all.”
  • Source timestamp: 16:58

Presentations and Reports

• Tribute to former Supervisor Sheila Hooper

  • Summary: The meeting recognized the passing of former Township Supervisor Ms. Sheila Hooper and highlighted her 36 years of service from 1977 to 2013.
  • Attribution: Trustees
  • Evidence: “Trustees, on May 22, 2026, Freeport Township lost one of its most devoted servants. Former Township Supervisor Ms. Sheila Hooper passed away leaving behind a legacy that cannot be measured in years alone, though the years themselves speak volumes. From 1977 to 2013, Ms. Hooper showed up for 36 years. She gave not just her time, but herself, her knowledge, her compassion, her tireless focus, and every skill she possessed, all in the quiet, determined pursuit of one goal. And Gould to make life better for the people of Freeport Township, not some people, all of the people. That kind of dedication is rare because it is, because it cannot be manufactured. It does not come from a desire for recognition or the appeal of a title or the promise of financial reward. No, that kind of dedication is born from something deeper. It is a calling, a pull from within that says these people matter, this community matters, and I will give my best to prove it. Ms. Hooper answered that call, and she never stopped answering it. Thirty-six years is not a career, it’s a covenant. A lifetime commitment offered freely, renewed daily, and fulfilled with the kind of compassion that changes communities from the inside out. She did not simply hold an office, she held Freeport in her heart and she showed it. The Freeport Township is better because Sheila Hooper was here, and she will not be forgotten. Please join me in the moment of silence in recognition of the life and accomplishments of former Supervisor Sheila Hoover.”
  • Source timestamp: 10:18

• Assessor Report status

  • Summary: Assessor Ridgway reported having nothing to report.
  • Attribution: Assessor Ridgway
  • Evidence: “All right, the next order of business is the Assessor Report, Assessor Ridgway, Assessor Ridgway has nothing to report.”
  • Source timestamp: 12:58

• Trustees’ follow-up discussion on software allocation

  • Summary: A detailed explanation was provided regarding the annual fee paid for the Assessor’s IMS Software Program, which covers five computers and two tablets, and that updates are handled regularly.
  • Attribution: Trustees
  • Evidence: “When I asked you when the allocation for the software and remember I asked if it was um which software was was it a software for the accounting or the value mission and you kind of gave me some really good explanation as to why we were doing that. For Ames or the Altensey, Assessor’s IMS Software Program. That is the annual fee that we paid at the last meeting was for five computers, two tablets. They also do updates on a regular basis, because you asked me if we needed to look at updating it, but they are really good about updating the system when it needs it. If we ask for something to be done to help our office, they’ll I’ll look to see if this is something that could help others. Same way that we might get updates because someone else asked for something that is helpful in the assessment field. I think that’s what we talked about.”
  • Source timestamp: 13:29

Discussion

• Bills Payable Review: Concerns regarding food assistance funding trends

  • Summary: Discussion noted that the number of cub foods indicates a trend, possibly related to clients losing SNAP benefits and increasing spending on cub foods.
  • Evidence: “My only question is, we have a lot of cub foods, and is that an indication of. Yes, yes. That’s an indication. Yes.”
  • Source timestamp: 02:39

• SNAP Benefits and Work Requirements

  • Summary: Discussion covered the potential loss of SNAP benefits due to paperwork issues and noted the current requirement for a 40-hour per month work requirement.
  • Evidence: “The main thing that I know that’s happened is that they now have a 40-hour a month work requirement, and the hard part is going to be finding places for people to go to suffice”
  • Source timestamp: 06:20

• Volunteerism difficulties for Park District participants

  • Summary: The difficulty of volunteerism with the Park District was discussed, focusing on challenges for individuals with disabilities or single parents needing daycare.
  • Attribution: Speakers
  • Evidence: “It’s very difficult to do volunteerism with the Park District. And I understand the paperwork thing because they have to make sure they’re covered and everything but it makes it difficult because trying to find a place for people to go to suffice these hours is not going to be easy. So, DHS has their work cut out for them, and if we can help in any way, we’re going to do that, so that’s where, you know, that’s where our thoughts are. If we can do anything to help these individuals suffice those hours, we’re going to do that if we can. Do you say it was 40 hours a week? A month, a month, a month. That’s, okay. Yep, 40 hours a month. Okay. Also, with students that are old enough to be able to work, some of those students are getting those jobs during the summer months, I mean like part district and part time here and part time there. Yes, yes. So, yeah. Yeah, I think the bigger issue is going to be those who either, and again, this is the Park that’s unclear on the work requirement changes but the people who have a type of disability that’s keeping them from working or people who, like if you’re a single parent it’d be difficult to find daycare to be able to pull that off. Those are probably two cases I can think of where people who are probably the most vulnerable, I mean, people who are healthy and can work, honestly, you should be able to find a job somewhere. You should be able to find something for 40 hours a week, you know what I mean? And you just should be able to. Yeah, if you’re healthy and fine. But yeah, personally, I think more of the concern are those two categories, because you’ve got this work requirement that’s very difficult for you to meet. People who are disabled, people who are actually pending disability, have disability cases pending. You know, if they start doing volunteer work, that means that the disability pending thing is going to go away, because they say, hey, you can work then. So that’s the gray area.”
  • Source timestamp: 07:50

• Citizen’s right to criticize government

  • Summary: A reminder was given that citizens have a right to criticize their government and that township officials must remain respectful, accurate, and factual in response.
  • Attribution: Trustees
  • Evidence: “Trustees, another thing. Please know that it is a citizen’s right to criticize their government. It is their right to do that. We have to be respectful in our responses, accurate and factual, always keeping in mind that we are servants of the people. We have to make sure that we are always taking the high road. That’s what we do at Freeport Township. That’s what gives us the support and love of the citizens of Freeport. And that’s what keeps our integrity grounded.”
  • Source timestamp: 11:53

Public Comment

• Citizen criticism rights and undue criticism

  • Summary: A citizen stated that while citizens are allowed to criticize the government, they feel the township has been under undue criticism from a source not present in the room.
  • Attribution: Shane Orlow
  • Evidence: “Shane Orlow, and I’m glad that you prefaced what I was going to say with that comment. Yes, as public citizens, we’re allowed to criticize you, but I think that you guys have been under some undue criticism that should not be coming from a certain place, because I don’t see him in this room right now.”
  • Source timestamp: 14:54

• Community appreciation for township board actions

  • Summary: A citizen expressed thanks to the trustees for their consistent response to public comments and community engagement.
  • Attribution: Shane Orlow
  • Evidence: “Shane Orlow, and I’m glad that you prefaced what I was going to say with that comment. Yes, as public citizens, we’re allowed to criticize you, but I think that you guys have been under some undue criticism that should not be coming from a certain place, because I don’t see him in this room right now. What I want you guys to know is that I’m thankful that you guys have always responded to my comments, my public comment, and you have had conversations with me and the community. You have helped out Ms. Wilken. I believe you dropped some shoes off for the high school. And I mean, you guys are doing, you guys are doing the job that you guys need to do. And the criticism is not warranted and I just want that to be said by somebody in the community because I appreciate what you guys are doing.”
  • Source timestamp: 14:54

Attendance

• Roll Call Attendance Check
  • Summary: Confirmed attendance for the meeting.
  • Attribution: Patrick Sellers
  • Evidence: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Madam Court, please, call the roll. Kathy Wilken, here. Kathleen Altensey, here. Kelvin McIlwain, here. Ted Odendahl, here. Patrick Sellers, here. Okay, everybody’s here so it’s a poem.”
  • Source timestamp: 00:04