Farmers Weekly Review

By Karen Haave

The Green Garden Township board has “declined” to adopt a resolution calling for an advisory committee to explore options for a new town hall.

In a split vote during their May 8 meeting, trustees Ralph Dietz and Mark Kovar supported adoption of the resolution, while trustees Cherie Newton and Bill Wagner voted against it.

Township Supervisor Don Murday broke the tie, voting no.

The resolution initially was proposed by resident Belinda Olszewski during the annual Town Meeting in April.

“There is a Town Hall Renovation Committee for the existing town hall,” she acknowledged that night. “The resolution (presented) was in regards to the Capital Fund for future plans of a future town hall.”

Olszewski’s resolution sought a second committee that would look ahead, would provide “transparency” in reporting on findings, and would allow residents to have a role in researching and planning for an eventual town hall construction project.

She and her supporters have said they do not feel that the township committee has been forthcoming with information, noting that its meetings are held sporadically and no minutes are taken or made public.

Olszewski also emphasized that her proposed committee would serve in an advisory capacity to assist the township board’s planning.

“It’s just a committee so that we can help,” she pointed out. “The resolution in the second paragraph states, ‘There needs to be a clear definition of the status of the future plans of a future town hall OR other use of the Capital Funds.’ The electors were looking for transparency for proposed projects.

“As one trustee stated tonight, he hasn’t received (any information to clarify what the THRC has been reviewing).

“On February 28, 2023, I submitted this resolution to the clerk’s office to be added to the annual meeting agenda. If the supervisor was opposed to this resolution, he had plenty of time to contact me and discuss his concerns, but I never heard from him.”

A show-of-hands vote during the Town Hall meeting registered that the majority of the residents attending favored adopting the resolution.

But during the regular meeting of the town board in May, Murday urged trustees to decline to adopt it, arguing that the town already has a renovation committee and does not need a second.

“We represent the entire township,” he said. “We don’t represent only the 15 people who signed the petition (included with the resolution). “This is the governing body for the township. We represent the entire community.”

After Murday called for a motion to decline the adoption of the resolution before there was any discussion among the board, Kovar remarked, “You’re saying this is what we’re voting on before we even know what we’re going to do.”

“Don blew off the resolution that was presented at the annual Town Meeting, which was a slap in the face to the community,” Kovar said later.

“All the people were trying to do was (explore options for the town hall). I see nothing wrong with community input. Don just does not want to see others’ viewpoints.”

Dietz agreed.

“I think Mark Kovar and I and many people would like to see a more transparent township government,” he said.

“But I believe Don and Trustee Bill Wagner would like to keep it the old way, and Trustee Cherie Newton is kind of trapped in between, with Don exerting a lot of pressure on her to vote with them.

“Belinda’s resolution was not binding, and it would bring more people into the township government, so what was the harm?

“But Don wanted to prove a point that the supervisor and the Town Board were the ones running the show. But Don should recall, when we all ran, the trustees had opposition from another group of four. We received 400 votes to their 200, and we won.

“Don ran unopposed. I doubt if that will work next time.”

Another bone of contention raised during the May 9 meeting was the issue of funding for renovation of the existing town hall at Center and Monee-Manhattan Road.

The building, owned by the Krusemark family of Frankfort, is held in a trust, Murday said.

According to the agreement, the township will be allowed to use the building for as long as it wants it, provided it is used as a town hall. In addition, Murday said, the agreement gives the township free reign over improvements needed.

And by all accounts, many costly improvements are needed, including plumbing, a new septic system, HVAC, a better parking lot and, possibly, wiring.

No one disputes that the building is old and non-ADA compliant. It reportedly served many decades ago as the gymnasium for the elementary school cater-cornered from it on Cedar Road.

But the board of trustees is divided on what the solution is, and about spending money on it.

“The actual vote to approve the budget is in June,” Kovar said. “The last budget actually expired at the end of March 2023. They have put $106,000 to the building improvements item. This comes from tax dollars.

“My personal feeling is why put that much tax dollars into a building that we don’t own? Maybe if I see the authority given to us to do so, I may change my mind. Don just does not want to see others’ viewpoints.”

Dietz concurred.

“Don definitely wants to run the township like his law firm, and he believes we are his employees and shouldn’t question his motives,” he said. “I would like to see proof of his conversations with everybody he talks to and not his word, which is usually ‘trust me on this’.”

Murday, meanwhile, said the township needs to renovate the existing building because it does not have adequate money yet to build a new town hall.

Even though the township budget shows $659,000 for a town hall, none of that money can be used for renovations, the supervisor emphasized, and it wouldn’t be enough to fund new construction.

At the same time, he said, “It cannot be used for anything, other than a new town hall, a park, food pantry, senior center or whatever you’re building.

“That’s when you go to the people and ask them, ‘What do you want?’,” he said, adding that it could be done via survey or questionnaire of some kind.

“Nobody is going to do anything without input from the community.”

In the meantime, he continued, “Our focus is on this (existing) building. We need a place where we can go.

“I wouldn’t waste $106,000 on a building if I didn’t know we are going to be here. Even if this road is widened, this building is not coming down.

“We have control of the building for as long as we want to use it. We could be here forever.”

Although he could not predict when a new town hall might be needed, or even if it ever would be, Murday confirmed that the township does own sufficient land nearby to be used as a site for a building.

Right now, he said, efforts are focused on two things: “renovating this building, and saving money for a future town hall.

“I’m trying to get this township to come together … for the common good of the entire community,” he said.

“I’m trying to move this place forward, so that we will have a place where people can come. We’re trying to create more useable space.

“People need to stop going to Facebook for their information. Call me if you have questions. Don’t get your information from Facebook.”

Karen Haave is a freelance reporter.