Meeting Summary and Briefs: Village of Monee Board of Trustees for May 13, 2026

Village of Monee Board of Trustees Meeting | May 13, 2026

The Monee Village Board met in regular session Tuesday, May 13, 2026, with Mayor Therese Bogs presiding and all six trustees — Heidi Gonzalez, John Henson, Doug Horne, Chuck Rakis, Michael Wilson and Scott Youdris — present. The evening was anchored by Bogs’s lengthy State of the Village address, a department-by-department review of the past two years that touched on police staffing, emergency management, finances, public works, parks, and economic development. In formal action, the board adopted a resolution asserting local control over housing decisions (Resolution No. 2026-2), approved a $455,580 construction payment for Fireman’s Park Phase 2, created an abandoned property acquisition program (Ordinance No. 2141), and approved three building-code amendments exempting single- and two-family homes from a sprinkler requirement (Ordinance Nos. 2142, 2143 and 2144). Full coverage of those items appears in the separate stories above.

The board also adopted the village’s fiscal year 2026-2027 appropriation ordinance and, after public comment, entered executive session to discuss a public works collective bargaining agreement. The meeting opened with an invocation by Reverend Hunt and the consent agenda was approved by roll call.

FY2026-2027 Appropriation Ordinance Adopted Over One Dissent

The board adopted the village’s 2026-2027 appropriation ordinance, designated Ordinance No. 2145, following a public hearing process that the village attorney said complied with state requirements for publication and public inspection. The vote was 5-1, with Trustee John Henson casting the lone “no” vote — the only divided vote of the meeting. The transcript does not record a stated reason for Henson’s opposition. The appropriation ordinance is a separate annual measure from the fiscal year budget itself.

Board Enters Executive Session on Public Works Labor Contract

At the close of business, the board voted to leave regular session and enter executive session under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2) to discuss collective bargaining matters related to a public works collective bargaining agreement. The board reconvened and then adjourned. No formal action was reported as having been taken following the executive session. No formal action may be taken in closed session under the Open Meetings Act.

Police Department Reaches Authorized Staffing of 26 Officers

In her State of the Village address, Bogs reported that the Monee Police Department reached its full authorized strength of 26 officers as of December, up from 24 in January 2025 — the first time in three years the department has met its approved manpower allotment. She said the staffing level allows the department to assign a school resource officer and to participate in the Joliet Metro Area Narcotics Squad and the Will County Major Crimes Task Force. Bogs also said a new police department building is “on the drawing board” as the village’s next major capital project, with Trustee Michael Wilson confirming during the economic development report that the police facility would follow the recently completed public works building.

Emergency Management Logs Record Activity, Adds Thermal Drone

Trustee Scott Youdris reported that the village’s emergency management agency went into storm mode for about an hour on April 24 and, on May 1, assisted Beecher EMA with traffic control at Kedzie and 1000th Avenue for an accident involving a semi with a diesel leak, providing two traffic units for roughly three hours. Six EMA responders completed a “Stop the Bleed” class and two completed an Illinois Search and Rescue Council field class. The agency also took delivery of a thermal drone that will be shared among village departments, with training to begin in the near future.

Public Works Reports Sidewalk Work, Seasonal Hiring and Tree Planting

Trustee Doug Horne reported that landscape restoration tied to the village’s sidewalk improvement program has been substantially completed and that sidewalks are open to pedestrian traffic, with another sidewalk improvement project planned for 2026. The department has five seasonal-hire candidates in various stages of onboarding and is still accepting applications. Roughly 30 parkway trees were purchased and were being planted during the week of the meeting, with additional planting planned for early fall.

Building Services Reports April Activity

Trustee John Henson reported the building services and code compliance figures for April: 271 inspections completed, 52 permits issued, 48 contractors registered or renewed, and 14 occupancy inspections requested. He reminded property owners that 2026 and 2027 rental license renewal invoices have been sent and that fees are due by July 1, and that a new occupancy inspection and certification is required before a new tenant may occupy a rental unit.

Parks and Recreation Highlights Summer Programs and Community Events

Trustee Heidi Gonzalez reported that the season’s final senior bingo runs Thursday before a fall break, with registration available for $2 through the parks and recreation office. Summer programming includes a half-day camp for ages 5 to 12 and soccer, volleyball and all-sports programs, alongside Movies in the Park (sponsored by Animal Wellness of Monee) and Music in the Parks beginning the following month. Gonzalez also promoted the Monee Women’s Club’s “Mrs. First” charity tea set for Saturday, June 13.

Historical Society Seeks Photos for New Book, Announces Programs

During public comment, two representatives of the Monee Historical Society addressed the board. Betsy Youdris announced a theatrical presentation on the history of African Americans in the United States set for the historical society at 1 p.m. the coming Saturday, and a “Countdown to 250” program featuring actor Terry Lynch on Tuesday, May 26, at 6 p.m. A second speaker said the society has been approved by Arcadia Publishing to produce a book on Monee’s history in the “Images of America” series, with a December 1 submission deadline, and appealed to residents for previously unpublished historical photographs from the 1850s through about 2000. He also described recently acquired artifacts and documents, including an axe head linked to early settler Herman Zeamer and an 1870s justice-of-the-peace oath bearing the signature of Augustus Herbert, recognized as the founder of Monee.