Government Center

719 S. Batavia Ave., Bldg. A

Geneva, IL 60134

Kane County

KC Public Service Committee

Meeting Minutes

SANCHEZ, Young, Gripe, Gumz, Lewis, Surges, Tepe, ex-officios Roth (County Vice Chair)

and Pierog (County Chair)

Thursday, November 20, 2025

9:00 AM

County Board Room

Call To Order

Chairman Sanchez called today's meeting to order at 9:00 AM.

Roll Call

Board Member Jarett Sanchez

Board Member David Young

Board Member Jon Gripe

PRESENT

Board Member Michelle Gumz

Board Member Anita Lewis

Ex-Officio County Board Vice Chair Bill Roth

Board Member Clifford Surges

Board Member Vern Tepe

ABSENT

Ex-Officio County Board Chair Corinne M. Pierog

Also present: Co. Bd. members Bates*, Juby, Kious*, Linder, Molina*, Strathmann*;

SOA Armstrong; ROE Jonak and staff Algrim; VAC Supt. Zimmerman; Co. Clk. Dir. of

Tax Extensions/ Vital Records Emerson, Co. Clk's Office Dir. of Elections Raymond

Esquivel; Spec. ASA & Local Historian Shepro; ITD staff Kash; and members of the

press and public.

Remote Attendance Requests

There were no remote attendance requests for today's meeting.

Approval of Minutes: October 23, 2025

RESULT:

MOVER:

APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

Jon Gripe

Public Comment

None.

Finance

Monthly Report

The monthly report is on file. No additional report was made.

Recorder

Monthly Report

The monthly report is on file. No additional report was made.

Treasurer / Collector

Monthly Report

The monthly report is on file. No additional report was made.

Supervisor of Assessments

Monthly Report

Supervisor of Assessments (SOA) Armstrong announced that on Monday he

was elected Vice President of the State of Illinois Association of County Officials.

He stated that the 2025 Veto session of the Illinois Assembly was completed in

the early morning hours of October 31, and several bills affecting assessing

officers were approved by the legislature. He stated that Senate Bill 642 has

passed both chambers on November 1, 2025, and heads to the Governor's

desk. He noted that this bill includes provisions, including ones that would

increase the threshold income to qualify for Low-Income Senior Citizen

Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption (LISCAFHE), also known as the

Senior Freeze, to $75K in year 2026, $77K in year 2027, and $79K in year 2028.

The bill will also increase the threshold for the Senior Deferral to match the

thresholds in the Senior Freeze, and permit County Clerks to establish a

payment plan for tax certificates held by the county. Armstrong stated that

Senate Bill 25 has a wide range of provisions relating to energy, including the

Battery Electric Storage Systems (BESS) resolving all issues on whether BESS

systems are real property or personal property, and on the valuation of the

systems themselves. For House Bill 576, Armstrong stated that it establishes the

Public Official Safety and Privacy Act and extends provisions similar to those

offered for Judges in the Judicial Privacy Act. This new legislation provides that

if requested by certain public officials, the home addresses and other personal

identifiers cannot be disclosed. Since the last meeting, the final deadline for all

Board of Review filings have passed. Board of Review Hearings will continue

until complete, which is anticipated in mid-December 2025. The Annual

Instructional Assembly for the 2026 year will be held Friday, December 5 at 9:00

a.m. in the Auditorium of Building A. Armstrong addressed questions and

comments from the Committee. Further discussion ensued.

10.

Regional Office of Education

Regional Office of Education (ROE) Supt. Jonak stated that he attended the Veteran's

Day Assembly held at Rotolo Middle School in Batavia on Wednesday, November 12.

The event featured schools across District 101 welcoming family members and local

veterans. Veterans representing the Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force

attended and shared reflections on their time in service. He stated that he was very

pleased with the Rotolo Middle School 8th grade bands and chorus who performed

renditions of the National Anthem. Jonak stated he had the opportunity to tour the Boys

and Girls Club facility in Elgin. Jonak stated that from November 21 through November

23, he and Asst. ROE Supt., Algrim, will be attending the Triple I Conference (Illinois

Association of School Boards IASB, Illinois Association of School Administrators IASA,

and Illinois Association of School Business Officials IASBO) held in Chicago where

Illinois school board members, superintendents, and business officials gather for a

weekend of focused learning on topics such as school finance, community

engagement, educational equity and advocacy, and more. On Monday, November 17,

Jonak stated that West Aurora School District 129 held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to

launch its new fleet of twenty-seven electric school buses. These new buses will

provide a quieter and cleaner ride for students, and reduce operating costs for the

district. He highlighted that the ROE appointed Dr. Marisa Christoffel as the new

principal of the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center (JJC), succeeding Ivars Spalis,

who will be retiring in December. The ROE is communicating with other JJC's across

the country to coordinate Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that provide

hands-on career-focused training in a wide variety of fields, preparing students for jobs

through programs like automotive technology, healthcare, and Information Technology

(IT). The ROE recognized the student winners of the Annual Student Photography

Contest. All nine public school districts in Kane County participated in the competition,

as well as Marmion Academy and Rosary College Prep in Aurora. The reception was

held at Interiors for Business, Inc. in Batavia, where all student work was displayed and

awards were presented. Lastly, Jonak announced that the ROE office will be closed on

Thursday and Friday next week for Thanksgiving.

Asst. ROE Supt., Algrim, stated that she is the Chair of the Raising Student

Achievement Conference (RSAC). This initiative is a professional development two-day

event for educators from across Illinois, including teachers, principals, and school

leaders held in Oak Brook, Illinois from December 8-9. The event features several

keynote speakers, over 150 breakout sessions, and networking opportunities focused

on topics such as educational trends, best practices, artificial intelligence in education

(AI), grading, and leadership. She noted that there are currently seven-hundred

registered educators across the state.

11.

Veteran's Assistance Commission

Monthly Report

Veteran's Assistance Commission (VAC) Supt. Zimmerman stated that the

monthly report is on file. He stated that the Ferson Creek Elementary School

held a Veterans Day Ceremony representing all branches, which the exception

of the Space Force. He attended the annual St. Charles Veterans Day

Ceremony that was held on November 11 at 10:30 a.m. in Fire Station 1. The

Geneva American Legion had an open house of the Traveling Memorial which

serves as a tribute to veterans who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

Zimmerman stated that pending claims have gone through as quickly as ten

days, and some claims have been decided in as few as two days. That average

has fallen to around, or under, 130 days in recent months. For FY25, a total of

$6M of new benefits were submitted. Lastly, Zimmerman stated that the VAC

will be promoting from within to fill the Asst. Supt. position. He introduced

Habacuc Rico as the commission's new Veteran Service Officer. Habacuc came

from the McHenry County Veteran's Assistance Commission, born in Elgin, and

raised in Carpentersville. He spent five years in active duty in the Army, which

included two tours in Afghanistan. He is a recipient of the Combat Action Badge

and brings an exceptional amount of VA experience to Kane County.

Zimmerman addressed questions and comments from the Committee. Much

discussion ensued.

12.

County Clerk

Monthly Report

Kane County Clerk Dir. of Tax Extensions and & Vital Records, John Emerson,

stated that the year-to-date amount for 2025 has a 26.4 percent increase over

last year. He stated that the Clerk's Office has been busy with tax levy's and

redemptions. Lastly, Emerson announced that invitations to an open house of

the new Elgin building for Health Department and Government Services will be

sent out mid-December. Emerson addressed questions and comments from the

Committee. Discussion ensued.

13.

14.

15.

Other Business

None.

Executive Session (If Needed)

None.

Reports Placed On File

RESULT:

MOVER:

APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

Michelle Gumz