The Grant Park Board of Trustees has appointed Bryan Martin, the brother of Trustee Jason Martin, following the resignation of Trustee Julie Quinn, which was announced last month.
Since Mayor Ben Detloff’s tenure began, four trustees have resigned. Most did not provide any reasoning, though Trustee Quinn’s resignation letter revealed ongoing frustrations that led to her departure.
“It has become increasingly clear that not all residents and their opinions matter, and this is a source of frustration for me,” Quinn wrote.
Detloff said he consulted with the village attorney regarding any potential conflicts of interest, to which there were none.
Impending IRS Fines
“We’ve run into some unpleasantness,” Trustee Gerry Morgan informed the board.
The village conducts an annual audit and the previous auditors stopped doing the work. The village sought out a new auditor, but they have consistently been behind. While COVID protections excused the tardiness, that is no longer the case, and the village has been fined by the IRS for failing to complete the audit on time.
Morgan said the village has attempted to find another firm to complete the audits for FY 2025 and FY 2026, but is struggling to do so.
Additionally, Morgan said the village currently owes what he believes to be $896.
“Recalling what happened 15, 16 years ago, maybe it was 18 — we didn’t file reports with the IRS for like three years, and they came down on us really hard. I mean, we were paying them back all kinds of penalties back then,” Morgan said.
“It’s just that this one’s been late. So, if you have any questions about this, I’m sorry we don’t have a solution,” Morgan said.
“This has existed for several years, and it’s just not acceptable,” Detloff said, noting he wasn’t happy about the situation.
The village will continue to seek out a new auditing firm.
Stop Signs to be Moved
Streets and Alley ChairJason Martin raised an issue with the placement of the stop sign at Greenwood and Meadow streets and suggested moving it to Meadow and Mosier streets.
After some discussion, a motion was made by Jason Martin, seconded by Trustee Susie Wiedl, and the board voted unanimously to change the location.
Additional Police Added for Kimberly’s Artisan Market
At the last board meeting, trustees discussed a potential need for additional police to help with traffic control during Kimberly’s Artisan Market.
The additional police presence will cost the village approximately $2,700
“It is broken down for the additional police on Sundays not to exceed six hours. So, if a full-time officer accepts it, it’s $45 an hour. It’s considered overtime. The cost for full-time officers would be $2,700,” Trustee and Law Enforcement Chair Angie Nowak said.
Wiedl asked if it would be paid from the police department’s budget, to which Police Chief Al Castillo replied it would, though he said he “wasn’t happy about it,” but that it was the only place the village had money.
“So, Al, outside of budget and money concerns, do you honestly feel there’s a need for it? Is there enough traffic and people crossing that road?” Wiedl asked.
“Yes, because 90 percent of the parking is across the street on USA. And then I use the officer also to keep the people from parking in USA’s parking lot because they’re still open for business,” Castillo said.
If the event were to be canceled, for example, due to inclement weather, the officer could be canceled but would still be paid for two hours due to the contract’s requirements.
Ultimately, despite Trustee Jodie Wackerlin’s vote against, the board approved the extra police presence at the market.
His name is Bryan not Brian 🙂