Grant Park Village Hall improvements were mostly completed—however, those improvements raised new questions during the March 3 board meeting by both a member of the public and board members.
Resident Laura Veldhuizen inquired if the painter selected to do the work had been licensed, bonded, and insured and whether he had undergone a background check.
“I just want to understand what I heard was correct. The Village Hall was open, and there was a person inside working, and it was a painter. From looking at the situation, I was just wondering how that happened,” Veldhuizen explained.
The situation Veldhuizen referenced was unclear, and Trustee Sue Wiedl requested clarification. Veldhuizen said the secretary expressed some concern, and she wanted to know if things “were done in the correct way.”
Veldhuizen provided no further details on the alleged concern or incident, stating it was hearsay she wanted to clarify.
Hawkins interjected, stating that she couldn’t speak to hearsay but could answer direct questions.
“What is the direct question you want to know — if he was licensed and insured? I do not know off the top of my head, I can ask him. Was he in the building when no one was in here? Yes, he was. He had a key to the building. There were cameras everywhere, and the Vault was locked up,” Hawkins responded.
Veldhuizen asked if that was usually how things went, with a contractor working in the building alone, and Trustee Gerry Morgan said an employee is usually present.
After clarifying what after-hours meant, Veldhuizen’s questioning concluded, and the Board started to move on with the standard business of approving bills— but attention quickly turned back to the Village Hall improvements.
Sue Wiedl asked for confirmation of two checks for the building repairs, and Morgan responded yes. Trustee Ben Detloff inquired if the painting was complete, to which Hawkins replied it was.
Hawkins explained that they provided a $1,000 down payment and $1,000 once the work was complete, for a total of $2,000.
Detloff, who was present at the meeting when the $2,000 painting quote was unanimously approved, inquired what materials were needed if the Village bought the paint and scaffolding.
Hawkins replied that she didn’t ask and that the Village had not requested material receipts from the painter.
Wiedl, who was absent at the last meeting, said she wasn’t comfortable approving the invoice for the work completed.
Hawkins said that the painter wasn’t required to provide an itemized receipt, so it wasn’t the Village’s business to know how he used the $2,000 he was paid. Detloff again asked what materials were included in the $2,000, and Hawkins replied she had already answered.
For a brief moment, it seemed as though the bill payment would not be approved until Trustee Morgan Whorrall seconded Morgan’s motion for approval.
A visibly annoyed Hawkins stated, “I do not know what you people think I’m trying to do here, but I literally got nothing out of it, except the building painted and it looks amazing.”
At roll call, Trustees Morgan, Whorrall, and Frank Passini voted to approve the payment of bills.
Detloff voted against paying the bills as presented, stating he didn’t get a copy in his board packet as his reasoning for voting against it, despite previously approving the work at that amount. Wiedl simply voted no.
During Wiedl’s report, she requested that contractors be licensed, bonded, and insured. Hawkins said she could request, motion, and vote for it at the next meeting.
Later in the meeting, Hawkins noted that new flooring for the Village Hall was up for a vote but removed it, stating, “I’m not even going to bother. You guys can figure that out on your own.” She later explained that it was a suggestion as the flooring’s condition dictates its replacement.
“I’m not going to proceed with it because I’m not going to keep getting attacked for things when all I’m trying to do is help the village,” Hawkins said.
After the kerfluffle over the Village Hall improvements, Hawkins reported during the attorney report that the Village received a FOIA request from Laura Veldhuizen requesting Village credit card usage and Village cell phone records from January 1, 2021 through February 14, 2025.
Hawkins commented that she felt it was “kind of silly” because Veldhuizen had been a Trustee during some of that time, and as stated during the last meeting, there are no Village cell phones. She also advised that Veldhuizen requested all bills for payment from that same period.
Hawkins advised that they needed an extension due to the extensive request, and she noted that the Village would receive a bill for the attorney’s work.
“I just wanted to give the board a heads up because they think I’m wasting money, and I think this is going to be even more wasted Village resources, that’s my opinion,” Hawkins said.
Morgan presented the audit report from Lauterbach and Amen, which he explained had been provided to the board a few weeks earlier. He reported that the Village is in a good revenue position and noted about five recommendations.
Some recommendations included developing an outstanding check policy, an investment policy, a protocol, and checks-and-balances for handling invoices and bill payments.
Detloff inquired when the policies needed to be implemented, to which Morgan replied as soon as possible, but there was no due date. He explained that they’ll continue to work on the 2023 year audit. He’s hoping that future audits will move more quickly and smoothly now that the auditor knows their processes and fund sources.
The Gilliam Building was up for consideration for purchase. Still, it was tabled after discussing issues with the building discovered in the past, its potential use, repair risks, past thoughts on its purchase, the limitations of the current Village Hall, and more.
Police Chief Carl Frey explained the different types of license plate readers that law enforcement uses, mostly to catch stolen vehicles and those fleeing crimes. Flock camera systems, which many villages surrounding Grant Park use, are financially unsustainable for the Village, so they are reviewing alternatives.
Hawkins added that license plate readers do not require constant monitoring but are used as a resource. During a presentation, Hawkins said that an officer from Kankakee reported that crime had been down 56% since the cameras were installed.
Gaming license fees were discussed, and the Board felt they should remain the same.
Additionally, the Board reviewed the mayoral luncheon, and Netflix will rent the park building for lunches during production.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.