Town of Cedar Lake
Town Council
Meeting Minutes

Pledge of Allegiance & Moment of Silence

Roll Call

Proclamation

President Recupito read a Proclamation Celebrating the Semi-Quincentennial of the United States of America. Mr. Carnahan thanked Monica for her work on the proclamation.

Motion to accept was made by Robert Carnahan; seconded by Richard Thiel.

Motion carries, 7–0.

A copy of the proclamation can be found at the end of the minutes.

Public Comment

None.

Consent Agenda

1. Minutes: February 17, 2026
2. Claims: All Town Funds: $702,420.10; Wastewater: $49,887.17; Water Utility: $17,406.38; Storm Water: $5,485.67; Payroll (6/4/26): $498,814.45; May Remittances: $212,539.08
3. Donations: Police: In-Kind Donation of Coffee and Donuts from Dunkin Donuts, In-Kind Donation of Bakery Items from Rise & Roll Bakery; VIPS: $50.00 Donation from Hanover Schools Education Foundation; Fire: $208,819.39 Huppenthal Trust Donation
4. Tag Day: Rick Larsen Wrestling Club August 1, 2026
5. Manual Journal Entries: May 1, 2026 – May 31, 2026

Chief Mager read a letter of thanks to the Edward Huppenthal Trust for their donation.

A motion to waive the reading of the minutes and accept the consent agenda as listed was made by Mary Joan Dickson with second by Julie Rivera. Mr. Carnahan discussed the tag day request and the claims for New Focus HR in the amount of $20,825, stating he talked with Jen and some of that stuff she could have handled a little bit of it. He asked if there are additional bills for that; Ms. Sandberg stated there might be one outstanding. Mr. Carnahan voiced concerns with the costs; Mr. Recupito stated he did not believe they had a choice given the circumstances of the situation.

Motion carries, 7–0.

Ordinances/Resolutions

1. Ordinance No. 1523 — Amendment to Power and Authority of the Board of Safety

Mrs. Rivera discussed the difference between civilian oversight boards and the Town's Board of Safety, noting the Town is on par with a lot of other municipalities. Mr. Parker asked Mr. Austgen if he had reviewed it; Mr. Austgen stated he has, and that he drafted it. Mr. Recupito asked if there are any anticipated law changes; Mr. Austgen stated it is hard to say.

Mr. Thiel made a motion to adopt Ordinance No. 1523, noting nothing would usually go into effect until July 1, but they know what the law is now; they are repeating that the local body would be a body of advisory-style jurisdiction, and the Board of Safety would have the powers for enforcement and discipline under 36-8-34. A second was made by Julie Rivera. Mr. Thiel read Ordinance No. 1523 by title only.

Mr. Recupito stated that in the past they talked about responsibilities between the Board of Safety and the Town Manager, and asked how they would function if some responsibilities are not part of the Board of Safety. Mr. Austgen stated that is not accurate; the Town Manager was a prospective appointee to oversee the activities of the Board of Safety, but that is not State law — what is in the ordinance is what the State law is. The Board of Safety will oversee discipline and the operations of the police and fire departments; this is current, and the Board of Safety is the working body under the law. Mr. Recupito asked how they relay information to the Police and Fire Chief as well as the Board of Safety; Mr. Carnahan stated to give them the ordinance, and Mr. Austgen stated officially, discussing the authority the police department has. Mr. Carnahan stated they are just approving state law. Mr. Recupito discussed functionality. Mr. Becker asked who would go over Lexipol policies and equipment; Mr. Austgen stated the Board of Safety — under this ordinance for adoption, it would be the Board of Safety doing those things. Mrs. Rivera asked about purchases; Mrs. Dickson stated that would be up to the department heads. Mrs. Rivera stated that is what she wanted to get back to. Discussion continued on the purchasing policy and thresholds.

Motion carries, 7–0.

2. Resolution No. 1399 — A Transfer Resolution

Mr. Thiel read Resolution No. 1399 by title only. Ms. Sandberg explained the following transfers:

Mr. Carnahan discussed the PTO Payouts, stating those are employees who have left the Town, and asked if they could say who they are and what the amounts are. Ms. Sandberg stated she is not comfortable saying names but confirmed it is for employees that have left employment — it is their accrued time due from comp time, vacation days, etc. Mr. Carnahan stated one employee is getting $10,000; Ms. Sandberg stated they are some large numbers.

Motion to approve Resolution No. 1399 was made by Richard Thiel; seconded by Chuck Becker.

Motion carries, 7–0.

BZA/Plan

1. Acceptance of Performance Letter of Credit Extension for Rose Garden Estates Phase 3

Mr. Carnahan reported this is from BMO, and Christopher Burke has submitted their letter dated February 13, 2026 recommending an extension in the amount of $434,790.88.

Motion to approve was made by Robert Carnahan; seconded by Richard Thiel.

Motion carries, 7–0.

2. Acceptance of Performance Letter of Credit Reduction and Extension for Oakbrook Phase 2

Mr. Carnahan reported this is from Peoples Bank, and Christopher Burke has submitted their letter dated February 13, 2026 recommending a reduction in the amount of $548,631.81.

Motion to approve was made by Robert Carnahan; seconded by Richard Thiel.

Motion carries, 7–0.

New Business

1. Town Council Appointees — Council Affairs Committee

Mr. Recupito stated this is a committee that was disbanded a while ago, and they are seeking to reestablish it. Any motion to appoint members to the board would have to be contingent on adopting the Town Code amendment; Mr. Austgen confirmed.

Motion to appoint Richard Thiel, Mary Joan Dickson, and Chuck Becker was made by Mary Joan Dickson; seconded by Richard Thiel.

Motion carries, 7–0.

2. Zoning Ordinance Committee Creation and Member Appointment

Mr. Recupito stated this request is from the Plan Commission and their desire to establish a zoning ordinance committee appointed by the Town Council; he stated it got kicked off with the chicken ordinance but will pertain to zoning ordinances in general. He stated instruction was given to the Plan Commission to create the chicken ordinance, and this has to be done to get things moving along.

Motion to appoint Nicholas Recupito, Greg Parker, and Richard Thiel was made by Robert Carnahan; seconded by Chuck Becker.

Motion carries, 7–0.

3. Approval to Sell 2007 Pickup Truck from Public Works on GovDeals

Mr. Kubiak stated this is the old 2007 2500 that has reached the end of its service life. They recently purchased a new truck with storm water funds, and this is one they need to get rid of; they hope to get a few dollars for it on GovDeals.

Motion to approve was made by Robert Carnahan; seconded by Richard Thiel.

Motion carries, 7–0.

4. Emergency Hires for Police Department

5. Police Department Promotions

Discussion on both items covered together. Mrs. Dickson asked if this is a necessary step to start filling positions, noting she knows they are accepting applications, and stated she heard from the Board of Safety that they are going to schedule a meeting. Chief Gruszka stated they have already scheduled for next week, and are in the process of hiring, so an emergency hire would be a waste of time. Mrs. Dickson stated that is the lack of communication they were talking about — they were not aware of that.

Mr. Becker asked if any of the applicants have experience. Chief Gruszka stated the emergency hire process is looking for officers from other departments; in the regular hiring process, that option remains open to them as well, since this process is for those with no experience. He stated they had one applicant with experience, but that person chose not to come to the interview, and they have one applicant with police experience from another state who would have to go through the process here to get certified. Mrs. Dickson asked for the timeline; Chief Gruszka stated the academy is in August and runs about fifteen weeks. Mrs. Rivera stated the advertisement is for everyone; Chief Gruszka stated yes — the only thing the emergency hire does is narrow it down to people who have already had the academy. Mrs. Rivera stated he would prefer that; Chief Gruszka stated yes, if they apply, though he stated efforts in that direction were unsuccessful. Mr. Carnahan asked if the posting is still open; Chief Gruszka stated no, it is closed. He reported they completed the physical agility and written tests: thirty-four applied, eighteen showed up, four were eliminated during the written test and physical agility test, thirteen showed up for the first phase of the interview process, and they are now down to six, who will be interviewed next week with the Board of Safety. Mr. Carnahan asked if they are hiring two; Chief Gruszka stated yes. Mr. Becker discussed opening applications for those with experience; Chief Gruszka stated they were taking those too but were not getting any except for the one. A lengthy discussion continued on the hiring process and benefits. Chief Gruszka stated he believes he has provided updates at almost every report reading, including mentioning the application process and where they stood in the last one.

Mrs. Dickson asked if they needed to direct promotion to happen. Chief Gruszka stated he has discussed this with the Board of Safety, who know what they have to do; right now they are looking at changing the process to make it more standardized. In review, the evaluation process is not as objective as they would like it to be; he has reached out to some companies to make the process more objective and is looking at incorporating a written test, which he believes would give everyone a fair chance since it tests a certain skill set. Most of the companies they are talking to will take the Town's policies and tailor the test to those policies. He stated they are currently looking at 60% of the process being an oral interview.

Discussion

1. Food Truck License

Mrs. Dickson asked about who would enforce this, noting a lot of the offenses happen on the weekend, and stated if they are going to have it, they need to make someone responsible. Mr. Carnahan asked if this would affect Summerfest or the Farmers Market; Mrs. Dickson stated no, and it also excludes the American Legion or the school if they have something. Mr. Recupito stated they would work on getting clarification on enforcement. Mr. Thiel stated he thinks it needs to happen.

2. Sewer System Development Charge

Mrs. Haase discussed working with Tim Kubiak on changing from line size to meter size. The question came up about customers who are 2% or less coming on with wells, and they want that addressed in the calculation; they are working on the gallons per minute and horsepower so it can be incorporated within the ordinance. Mr. Austgen stated he has been working with Sue and is concerned about the amount of time this is taking to get the criteria settled, and discussed the time needed after that to get a draft. Mr. Recupito asked if it would be an agenda item in the next meeting or two; Mr. Austgen stated he hopes so. A lengthy discussion continued on the criteria based on meter size versus line size for the calculation proposed.

3. Reimbursement for Fire Department Training

Mrs. Dickson stated they discussed this earlier; Dave is going to meet with him and get this done. Mr. Austgen concurred.

Reports

1. Town Council

Mr. Carnahan reported on the Cedar Lake Summerfest and flag raising activities. Cedar Lake United Methodist Church will be conducting the church service on Sunday, July 5th. Project Love Food Pantry is open tomorrow from 9:00 to 11:30.

Mrs. Dickson discussed the Summerfest and giveaways, including a birthday card contest and poster contest for children. She asked Chief Gruszka about grant money received; Chief Gruszka stated that is for radios. Mrs. Dickson asked how much; Chief Gruszka stated they applied for $300,000 but have not received anything yet. Mr. Becker asked who applied for the grant; Chief Gruszka stated they did, along with Officer Machalk.

Mr. Recupito stated they found out over the past few months that some of the engineering costs for developers are not being covered by the developer, and he does not believe taxpayers should be subsidizing developers. He spoke with Luke, who has some ideas; Mr. Recupito stated they charge 3% in inspection fees, but the problem is with projects that drag on. They need to come up with a solution; Luke is suggesting a flat fee for public works and direct billing to the developer. Mr. Austgen stated it would seem to him that on a periodic basis, a fee should be charged and collected for project inspections or any reason they need to call out the engineer, discussing calculating the amount expended before any continued development activities. Mr. Parker stated he is in favor of the fastest solution — they need to stop the bleeding.

Mr. Kubiak stated the big problem is the one-time $2,000 MS4 fee, which covers charges for the first year and needs to be annual, since as developments drag on it does not follow. In talking with Jennifer, they need to actually track the inspection fees, which are collected at the time of final plat, though some developments take years. He continued to discuss the process and the fees currently being charged and what should be charged. Mr. Austgen discussed developments and the lengthy process and lack of proper inspection fees. Mr. Recupito asked what action the Town Council needs to take; Mr. Austgen suggested a report come back next month for further discussion, calling it an important topic. Mr. Carnahan asked if that is something for Jen and Sue to work on some cost estimates. Mr. Parker stated the MS4 can be taken care of right away; Ms. Sandberg stated the MS4 is storm water, which is different from discussions some have had regarding the General Fund. Mr. Parker discussed correcting the MS4 fee first and then coming back to correct the rest. Discussion continued on looking into the fees.

Mr. Recupito asked who can be tasked with gathering the information. Ms. Sandberg stated they can run revenue reports and expense reports, but not every receipt or expense will have all the details; Building and Planning will have to go back to those CBBEL expenses and confirm items are truly related to inspection fees. She asked if they are going to pick a specific area and go start to finish, or tear it all apart. Mr. Becker asked if they could go up a certain percentage each year, and asked about developments that drag out for eight years or more. Mr. Austgen discussed having to complete due diligence and not overcharge. Mr. Recupito again stated he wanted taxpayers to be made whole, and asked if they could get some sampling from over there. Mr. Kubiak stated he thinks they need to pick a couple of specific developments, noting true inspections have not happened until recently, and continued to discuss the inspection fees. A lengthy discussion continued on the matter. Mr. Carnahan noted that Christopher Burke will be moving the monthly report to a quarterly report.

2. Town Attorney

No report.

3. Clerk-Treasurer

Ms. Sandberg reported it is budget time; she will be starting to look at the calendar and coordinate meetings. As Council Affairs gets going, they will also schedule meetings.

4. Director of Operations

Mr. Kubiak discussed the rain events that have been happening lately, and discussed driving around during events and watching how the retention ponds have drained, and the performance of the water being controlled. Mr. Carnahan stated he went over to Summer Winds and it looked clear to him during the storm. Mr. Kubiak stated the restrictor was recently placed and is working as it is supposed to.

They have a roof leak by the AC unit over the records room, between the circle roof and flat roof; they have a contractor coming out to seal the unit, and need to get quotes to complete further siding repairs, as the cedar siding is deteriorated. Mr. Carnahan asked about the community crossing grant roads; Mr. Kubiak stated that is a better question for Jennifer. Mr. Carnahan asked how they are proceeding with the roads; Mr. Kubiak stated they are in Shades and getting ready to start on the curbs this week, and will come in the fall to the area of 145th for repaving. The road raising project letting is in October; Ms. Sandberg stated construction will not begin until next spring.

5. Police Department

Chief Gruszka reported on the monthly calls report and discussed e-bike education being posted, noting they are working on e-bike safety after a couple of incidents in the last month; he stated the bikes he is seeing are in the one and two class, almost like a regular bicycle, and the problem is kids not following the rules of the road. He briefly discussed the employee assistance report on utilization. He discussed Officer Dills receiving a Life Saving Award at the District One event in May, and the Protecting K9 Heroes event at the Knights of Columbus, where the department had a large presence supporting the event. He stated they are in the middle of the hiring process, briefly discussed training, and reported they received a letter of resignation from Officer Meyer. He discussed the tornado that passed through Town and the damage, stating he was proud to be a resident in the aftermath with neighbors helping each other. He reported they are working with the Board of Safety on the promotion process.

6. Fire Department

Chief Mager reported on staffing, noting Captain Konradi was promoted to Battalion Chief. Applications for the Administrative Assistant position closed last Friday, and he is reviewing applications with Clerk-Treasurer Sandberg. He recognized numerous staff members for participating in field days at the schools, discussed the financials and training reports, and stated there are no major needed equipment or apparatus repairs. He briefly discussed the monthly incident report.

7. Parks Department

Mr. Wiesemann discussed the landscaping project at Bartlett-Wahlberg Park; the walking path has been completed and a lot of people are using it. Movies in the Park was rescheduled to June 24th. Soccer registration has started, as well as the Blueberry Fest. The Street Sweeper contest is ongoing.

Written Communication

1. Building Department Report

Sixteen new residential permits for last month and thirty-nine for the year.

Correspondence from Sherryl Reeves

Mr. Parker received written communication from Sherryl Reeves regarding a property up for bid, discussing her intent to bid on the property but voicing concerns with the property, such as the fence, tents, and unauthorized use. Mr. Parker stated the question is whether the fence was constructed with a permit and whether it was in the correct spot. Mr. Kubiak stated it was permitted for the correct spot, but the department are not surveyors — they look for the survey markers but do not survey it, and he does not know if the fence was inspected, noting part of it pre-existed. He discussed the placement further. Mr. Parker asked Mr. Austgen about an owner being able to remove an encumbrance from the property; Mr. Austgen stated they can do whatever they want with it, as they are buying it as is. Mr. Parker reiterated the property is being offered for sale as is, and if successful, the buyer can do whatever they want with it. A brief discussion continued on the concerns brought forward. Mr. Kubiak asked for a copy of the letter.

Mr. Recupito recognized local Boy Scouts in attendance earning badges.

Public Comment

Marie Sumara — 13318 Morse Street

Mrs. Sumara asked for an ordinance requiring kids to wear helmets on bikes, discussing helping a young resident earlier in the week who had an accident. Mr. Recupito stated they would take it under advisement.

Barb Orze — 10290 W. 138th Place

Mrs. Orze asked about the two committees that were formed that evening, stating she is not sure what prompted the formation or the responsibilities. Mr. Recupito stated the Council Affairs Committee previously existed and was reformed. Mr. Thiel stated that with the absence of a Town Manager, they thought it would be in the best interest for communication, so that anything happening at the Town Hall is better known; communication and budgets were discussed. Mrs. Orze stated it appears they are splitting things up for the time being. Mr. Thiel stated the zoning committee has been discussed for a couple of years alongside the redo of the zoning ordinance; they will be reviewing the current ordinance and making suggestions, with a recommendation to be made from the Plan Commission to the Town Council. A brief discussion continued on the review and recommendation steps.

Nick Worley — 7000 W. 137th Place

Mr. Worley discussed a pond down the road overflowing. Mr. Recupito asked Tim if he was aware; Mr. Kubiak stated that is all the water from the lake headed to Lake Dale. Mr. Thiel stated it was four inches of rain. A brief discussion continued on the matter.

Jeff Biel — 10240 W. 134th Avenue

Mr. Biel asked about recognizing the high school sporting teams and their achievements. Mr. Recupito stated they have in the past, but did not recall if the school had approached them about it. A member of the audience stated the softball team was being recognized at the school board meeting that same night. A brief discussion continued.

Terry Broadhurst — 631 N. State Street, Lockport, IL (representing 14513 Morse Street)

Mr. Broadhurst discussed the engineering review process, stating he wondered about the permitting process and incorporation of engineering reviews, and discussed inflation. He stated meeting after meeting he watches a lot of the projects going above and beyond the scope of review and engineering, and asked when they go back to the engineer to review, are they going back to the developer with it, and are they billing the developers. Mr. Recupito spoke about his personal experience before his time on Council, stating that according to staff, they are not getting 100% back, but it is an issue on them. A brief discussion continued on the matter.

Adjournment

President Recupito called the meeting to adjournment at approximately 8:45 p.m.

Appendix — Proclamation Text