Medina Township – Special Town Meeting

Held at the Township Office on 

November 14th, 2022

Township Clerk, Mary Sundermeyer called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm

All recited the Pledge Of Allegiance. 

Mary introduced the Township Officials & Dignitaries Present:

Supervisor: Shawn Garner

Road Commissioner: Frank Sturm II

Trustees: Cam Parr, Mike Molohon, Cindy Greene, and Frank Gerke

Deputy Chief of Police: James Middlemas

The balance of the meeting will be conducted by a moderator, per state statute. 

Mary nominates Jeff Sundermeyer.  Mike Molohan seconds. 
There are no further nominations. Jeff is approved by unanimous voice vote.

Mary moves that the moderator be paid a salary of $75. Barb Garner seconds. Motion passes by a unanimous voice vote.

The Clerk Administers “Oath” of Moderator to Jeff. 

Jeff presents the agenda for approval by the electorate. Shawn Garner makes a motion to approve the agenda. Cam Parr seconds. The agenda is approved by unanimous voice vote. 

NEW BUSINESS

The Board of Trustees requests authority of the electorate for the Board to review and revise the hours of patrol for the Peoria County Sheriff’s contract. 

Jeff invites the public to open a discussion on the matter. Shawn Garner relayed that the Township’s contract with the County Sheriff’s department for up for renewal. In the last 4 year contract the township was asked to cover 70% of the cost to have a community police officer available in the township for 12 hours a day. The new contract stipulates that we move from 70% to 90% of the cost within a few months. To offset this increase, the board of trustees would like to be able to consider reducing the hours per day to 8. Residents commented that our money might be better spent by looking into Neighborhood Watch programs or other security measures. Deputy Chief Middlemas reiterated that the Sheriff’s department does not set the prices; the County Board does. The community officer also gets pulled from the township when there is a matter of greater urgency. Residents also pointed out that some repeat offender residents have been arrested multiple times and they are released back into the community. Another point made was that most of the officers on duty are in parts of the county where the most calls are; that keeps the officers far from our part of the county. It is good to have one officer in our part of the county for visibility and faster response times when they are called. Some residents thought the police were not visible enough in the township. Medina is a large township and does not generate many calls to the police. It is a large area to cover.

Jeff called for a vote on the matter.  Shawn Garner made a motion to give the Board of Trustees the authority to review and revise the hours of patrol for the Peoria County Sheriff’s contract. Mike Molohon seconds. The motion passes with a unanimous voice vote.

The moderator is relieved of his duties.

Clerk Sundermeyer asks for a motion to adjourn the meeting with thanks to the moderator and the attendees Frank Sturm makes a motion to adjourn. Mike Molohon seconds. The meeting is adjourned at 7:22 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Sundermeyer, Township Clerk

Jeff Sundermeyer, Moderator