123 Madison Street  
Oak Park, Illinois 60302  
www.oak-park.us  
Village of Oak Park  
Meeting Minutes  
President and Board of Trustees  
Tuesday, January 20, 2026  
7:00 PM  
Village Hall  
I. Call to Order  
Village President Scaman called the Meeting to order at 7:04 P.M.  
Village Trustee Wesley arrived at 7:08pm.  
II. Roll Call  
7 -  
Present:  
Absent:  
Village President Scaman, Eder, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Leving  
Jacobson, Village Trustee Straw, Village Trustee Taglia, and Village Trustee Wesley  
0
III. Agenda Approval  
It was moved by Eder, seconded by Village Trustee Leving Jacobson to approve  
the agenda. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved.  
IV. Minutes  
MOT 26-107  
A.  
A Motion to Approve Minutes from the January 13, 2026 Regular Meeting  
of the Village Board.  
It was moved by Village Trustee Leving Jacobson, seconded by Eder to approve  
Minutes. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved.  
V. Non-Agenda Public Comment  
River Forest Resident Michael G. expressed frustration with the Oak Park  
Police Department’s lack of response and accountability after his daughter  
was involved in a hit-and-run accident, despite clear evidence and the  
offender’s prior record.  
VI. Proclamation  
MOT 26-108  
B.  
A Motion to Approve a Proclamation Recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King,  
Jr. Day in the Village of Oak Park, Illinois  
Village Trustee Enyia read the Proclamation aloud.  
Village President Scaman emphasized the importance of protecting  
constitutional rights, including freedom of speech, press, and protest. She  
thanked her colleagues for their service and reaffirmed their commitment to  
continue fighting for these principles as stated in the proclamation.  
It was moved by Village Trustee Leving Jacobson, seconded by Village Trustee  
Wesley, that this Motion be approved. A voice vote was taken and the motion  
was approved.  
VII. Village Manager Reports  
No Action.  
VIII. Village Board Committees  
No Action.  
IX. Citizen Commission Vacancies  
ID 26-149  
Board and Commission Vacancy Report for January 20, 2026  
C.  
This report lists the expected number of members, current number of  
members seated and number of active vacancies for the Village’s 18  
citizen boards and commissions. There are currently 24 vacancies.  
X. Citizen Commission Appointments, Reappointments and Chair Appointments  
No Action.  
XI. Consent Agenda  
Approval of the Consent Agenda  
It was moved by Village Trustee Wesley and seconded by Village Trustee Leving  
Jacobson to approve the items under the Consent Agenda. The roll call on the  
vote was as follows:  
7 -  
AYES:  
Village President Scaman, Eder, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Leving  
Jacobson, Village Trustee Straw, Village Trustee Taglia, and Village Trustee Wesley  
0
0
NAYS:  
ABSENT:  
MOT 26-105 A Motion to Approve the October 2025 Monthly Treasurer’s Report  
D.  
E.  
This Motion was approved.  
RES 26-118  
A Resolution Approving the Intergovernmental Agreement between the  
University of Illinois and the Village of Oak Park for the Illinois Fire Science  
Institute to Provide Grant-Funded Emergency Fire Ground  
Communications Classes in the Village of Oak Park and Authorizing Its  
Execution  
This Resolution was adopted.  
XII. Regular Agenda  
ID 26-115  
F.  
A Study Session to Review Proposed Energy Grant Guidelines for 2026  
and Other Energy Efficiency Related Programming.  
Chief Sustainability Officer Lindsey Roland Nieratka provided an overview  
of the 2025 energy grant results and introduced proposed guidelines for  
2026. Outreach efforts in 2025 resulted in 84 applications, with  
weatherization projects being most popular among lower-income  
households and renewable energy among higher-income households.  
Lessons learned included the need to simplify the application process,  
expand eligible items like induction stoves and window heat pumps, and  
clarify guidelines for HVAC systems, water heaters, and EV-related  
equipment. For 2026, recommendations include removing matching  
requirements for all grants, reducing application barriers, and increasing  
support for lower-income households by raising their grant limit to $20,000.  
Trustee Eder expressed strong support for the sustainability initiatives and  
commended staff for bringing forward detailed plans for funding and  
implementation. He asked clarifying questions about the proposed permit  
fee credits, confirming they would cover most or all related costs, and  
inquired about the timeline and process for integrating these changes into  
the CityView permitting system.  
Trustee Straw strongly supported sustainability credits, interest-free energy  
loans, and rebate programs, highlighting their potential to reduce upfront  
cost barriers and encourage electrification, including smaller projects.  
However, he expressed concern about applying a $40 energy permit fee  
broadly, warning it could discourage necessary home repairs and  
suggested limiting such fees to projects that conflict with sustainability  
goals rather than all construction.  
Trustee Wesley expressed concern about the impact of interest-free loans  
on middle-income households, noting that even with flexible options,  
additional debt may be challenging for families already under financial  
strain. He suggested reevaluating income brackets and grant amounts.  
Trustee Enyia supported increasing the Tier 2 grant amount by at least  
$2,500 to better cover real project costs, citing personal experience with  
high upgrade expenses. He praised the Village’s permitting and grant  
processes for being clear and responsive, noted some challenges with  
contractor documentation.  
Trustee Leving-Jacobsen expressed general support for the proposed  
changes, particularly adjustments to Tier 2, and asked about lessons  
learned in outreach to ensure accessibility for all income categories. She  
emphasized the importance of measuring the impact of outreach  
investments and suggested adding questions to applications about how  
applicants learned of the program. Additionally, she raised concerns about  
explaining sustainability credits clearly so they do not become a barrier to  
participation.  
Trustee Taglia expressed overall support for the proposed changes and  
asked clarifying questions about 2025 fund utilization, noting that the  
Village did not spend the full allocation. He inquired whether increasing  
grant amounts is driven by feedback indicating that current funding levels  
are insufficient for larger-scale projects.  
RES 26-107  
G.  
A Resolution Approving the Village Board Protocols for 2026-2028 as  
Reviewed at the September 3, 2025 Village Board Meeting  
Village Trustee Wesley requested that meeting calendars be itemized with  
dates and times for easier integration into personal calendars.  
Village Trustee Leving Jacobsen suggested adding a disclaimer to public  
agendas indicating they are subject to change to avoid public confusion.  
Trustees discussed automating email routing and staff confirmed they are  
working on a system to track trustee questions and responses.  
Discussion moved to creating a VMO staff email alias for easier  
communication. Village Trustee Straw raised concerns about multiple  
email addresses causing confusion and suggested including the Clerk in  
the same alias.  
Village President Scaman and Village Manager Jackson led a  
conversation on meeting efficiency, noting that agendas often  
underestimate discussion time.  
Trustees debated whether to start meetings earlier when agendas are  
heavy; consensus was to keep the 7 PM start but improve preparation and  
time estimates.  
Village Trustee Straw suggested internal time estimates for agenda items  
to help trustees prepare. Village President Scaman emphasized trustees  
should come ready to vote and avoid lengthy debates.  
.
Trustees requested more detailed legislative cover sheets and historical  
context for ordinances. Village Manager Jackson explained the balance  
between providing detail and maintaining pace, noting plans to improve  
summaries and archiving.  
Village Trustee Wesley and Village Trustee Eder discussed expanding  
digital archiving and linking related items for better context.  
Village Trustee Taglia raised concerns about knowing when constituent  
issues are resolved; President Scaman agreed that staff should confirm  
resolution to trustees.  
Trustees discussed emergency notifications and press protocols.  
Village Trustee Taglia requested alerts for significant incidents (e.g.,  
robberies) to avoid being caught off guard.  
Village Trustee Wesley asked for clear instructions on trustee expectations  
during emergencies or press conferences. Village Manager Jackson  
committed to providing explicit guidance and unified messaging.  
The session concluded with consensus to revise protocols for clarity and  
efficiency.  
It was moved by Village Trustee Wesley, seconded by Village Trustee Leving  
Jacobson, that this Resolution be adopted. A voice vote was taken and the  
motion was approved.  
XIII. Call to Board and Clerk  
Trustee Leving Jacobsen emphasized that Martin Luther King Jr. Day, established after  
years of opposition, should remind us that honoring Dr. King goes beyond a holiday and  
requires continued work toward reparations and fulfilling his unfinished legacy.  
Trustee Eder announced a free clean energy event, OPCAN, at the CRC on Monday,  
January 26, featuring speakers from the Citizens Utility Board and Illinois Environmental  
Council.  
President Scaman announced January 26th start of Government 101 course.  
XIV. Adjourn  
It was moved by Village Trustee Straw seconded by Village Trustee Wesley to  
Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 9:31 P.M.  
Respectfully submitted,  
Deputy Clerk Carswell