123 Madison Street  
Oak Park, Illinois 60302  
www.oak-park.us  
Village of Oak Park  
Meeting Minutes  
President and Board of Trustees  
Tuesday, May 12, 2026  
6:30 PM  
Village Hall  
I. Call to Order  
Village President Scaman called the Meeting to order at 6:31 P.M.  
II. Roll Call  
Village Trustee Leving Jacobson arrived at 6:32P.M.  
6 -  
Present:  
Absent:  
Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Eder, Village Trustee Leving Jacobson,  
Village Trustee Straw, Village Trustee Taglia, and Village Trustee Wesley  
1 - Village Trustee Enyia  
III. Consideration of Motion to Adjourn to Executive Session to Discuss Pending,  
Probable, or Imminent Litigation, Setting a Price for Sale or Lease of Property Owned  
by the Village, and the Purchase or Lease of Real Property for the Use of the Village,  
Including Discussing whether a Particular Parcel Should be Acquired  
It was moved by Village Trustee Straw, seconded by Village Trustee Eder to  
adjourn to Executive Session. The motion was approved. The roll call on the  
vote was as follows:  
6 -  
AYES:  
Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Eder, Village Trustee Leving Jacobson,  
Village Trustee Straw, Village Trustee Taglia, and Village Trustee Wesley  
0
NAYS:  
1 - Village Trustee Enyia  
ABSENT:  
IV. Adjourn Closed Session  
V. Reconvene to Regular Meeting in Council Chambers and Call to Order  
The Regular Meeting reconvened at 7:14 P.M.  
VI. Roll Call  
Roll Call taken prior to Closed Session.  
VII. Agenda Approval  
Amended to move Item O from Regular Agenda to Consent Agenda.  
It was moved by Village Trustee Wesley, seconded by Village Trustee Straw, that  
this be approved as amended. A voice vote was taken and the motion was  
approved.  
VIII. Minutes  
None; no action was taken regarding this item.  
IX. Non-Agenda Public Comment  
Heritage House Resident Irma B. reports that the building has severely  
deteriorated since she moved in, with issues including drugs, people  
sleeping in hallways, inadequate security, lack of cleanliness, and a mouse  
problem. She describes ongoing safety concerns, including overdoses and  
a recent large police presence responding to an unknown incident. She  
requested help from the board to address issues.  
X. Proclamation  
MOT 26-161  
A.  
A Motion to Approve a Proclamation Recognizing May 17 - 23, 2026 as  
National Public Works Week  
Village President Scaman provided a summary of the proclamation.  
It was moved by Village Trustee Straw, seconded by Village Trustee Leving  
Jacobson, that this Motion be approved. A voice vote was taken and the motion  
was approved.  
This Motion was approved.  
MOT 26-164  
B.  
A Motion to Approve a Proclamation Proclaiming May as Older Americans  
Month and the Week of May 7-14, 2026 as Celebrating Seniors Week in  
the Village of Oak Park  
Village President Scaman asked Village Trustee Leving Jacobson to read  
the Proclamation aloud.  
Village President Scaman recognized Pat Koko and Marc Blesoff.  
It was moved by Village Trustee Wesley, seconded by Village Trustee Leving  
Jacobson, that this Motion be approved. A voice vote was taken and the motion  
was approved.  
MOT 26-165  
C.  
A Motion to Approve a Proclamation Proclaiming May 2026 as Asian  
American, Pacific Islander, Desi-American (APIDA) Heritage Month  
Village President Scaman read the Proclamation aloud.  
2026 Kapwa organizer Jane H. announced Kapwa!: A Celebration of  
Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage at Village Hall will be on  
Saturday, May 30, from 11 AM to 2 PM.  
It was moved by Village Trustee Wesley, seconded by Village Trustee Leving  
Jacobson, that this Motion be approved. A voice vote was taken and the motion  
was approved.  
MOT 26-166  
D.  
A Motion to Approve a Proclamation Proclaiming May 2026 as Jewish  
American Heritage Month in the Village of Oak Park  
Village President Scaman asked Village Trustee Taglia to read the  
Proclamation aloud.  
Temple Har Zion Rabbi Glick highlighted that Oak Park is home to the  
largest Jewish community in the western suburbs, with an estimated one to  
two thousand families actively involved in village life. He noted that the  
community has faced difficult years marked by rising antisemitism, making  
recognition and visibility especially meaningful.  
Resident Michael Z. shared that Oak Park’s Jewish heritage is much older  
than many realize, honoring both past community leaders and early Jewish  
settlers in the late 1800s. He emphasized that earlier generations of  
Jewish families faced discrimination in the suburbs but helped build the  
foundation for today’s organized Jewish community.  
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.  
XI. Village Manager Reports  
ID 26-230  
E.  
A Presentation on Community Emergency Services and Supports Act  
(CESSA) Updated Guidelines and Requirements Impacting the Village of  
Oak Park  
West Suburban Consolidated Dispatch Center Executive Director Brian  
Staunton provided an update on CESSA implementation. He explained  
that the state had created a four level system and that the region was  
currently in Level I, allowing only low risk, first party mental health calls with  
no signs of intoxication, threats, or weapons to be transferred to 988 with  
verbal consent. He reported that despite being live for five weeks, no calls  
had met the criteria for transfer, consistent with experiences at other  
dispatch centers. He also highlighted that the agency was ahead of the  
statewide schedule and had trained staff extensively, including CIT training  
for tenured dispatchers.  
Director/ Asst. Village Manager Jonathan Burch added that only Level I  
calls were eligible for diversion and only when callers reported on  
themselves rather than on someone else. He emphasized that staff  
expected very few calls to qualify under current criteria. He confirmed that  
diverted calls would go to the 988 call center, with the option to escalate the  
response or return calls to 911 if needed. He also noted that existing  
policing contracts and practices remained unchanged during this phase.  
Village Trustee Leving Jacobson pointed out that the legislative text  
referenced Phase 2 as a co-response model, whereas her understanding  
was that a previous board had directed an expanded role for Thrive in  
crisis response. She indicated that this difference needed clarification  
ahead of scheduled June discussion.  
Village Trustee Wesley inquired which future levels were expected to  
produce noticeable diversion and whether there was any anticipated  
timeline.  
Village Manager Jackson clarified that several additional call types would  
be part of Phase 2 beyond mental health calls. He emphasized the  
importance of understanding the status of CESSA implementation as the  
Village prepared to address the broader range of alternative response  
options.  
XII. Village Board Committees  
Village President Scaman announced Lobby Day for the Collaboration for  
Early Childhood highlighting Oak Park’s intergovernmental partnership  
supporting children from birth through age 18 to ensure they have the  
resources needed to succeed, especially in the critical early years.  
XIII. Citizen Commission Vacancies  
ID 26-334  
Board and Commission Vacancy Report for May 12, 2026  
F.  
This report provides the expected number of members, current number of  
seated members, and the number of active vacancies across the Village’s 18  
citizen boards and commissions. There are currently 23 vacancies.  
XIV. Citizen Commission Appointments, Reappointments and Chair Appointments  
MOT 26-167  
G.  
A Motion to Consent to the Village President’s Appointment of:  
Appoint Janet Lorch, as Commissioner, to the Aging in Communities  
Commission  
Appoint Marsha Spight, as Commissioner, to the Aging in Communities  
Commission  
Appoint Dirk De Lor, as Member, to the Citizens Police Oversight  
Committee  
Appoint Branden McLeod, as Commissioner, to the Community Relations  
Commission  
Reappoint Tejas N. Shah, for a 2nd Term, as Commissioner, to the  
Environment & Energy Commission  
Appoint Tamar Bobys, as Commissioner, to the Farmer’s Market  
Commission Appoint Jay Ranz, as Commissioner, to the Farmers’ Market  
Commission  
Reappoint Jack Eskin, for a 2nd Term, as Commissioner, to the  
Transportation Commission  
It was moved by Village Trustee Eder, seconded by Village Trustee Wesley, that  
this Motion be approved. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved.  
XV. Public Hearing  
XVI. First Reading  
XVII. Second Reading  
XVIII. Consent Agenda  
Approval of the Consent Agenda  
It was moved by Village Trustee Leving Jacobson and seconded by Village  
Trustee Eder to approve the items under the Consent Agenda. The motion was  
approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows:  
6 -  
AYES:  
Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Eder, Village Trustee Leving Jacobson,  
Village Trustee Straw, Village Trustee Taglia, and Village Trustee Wesley  
0
NAYS:  
1 - Village Trustee Enyia  
ABSENT:  
MOT 26-154  
H.  
A Motion to Approve an Updated Organization Chart for the Neighborhood  
Services Department, Including the Creation of a Full Time (1 FTE)  
Housing Licensing Coordinator position, and Directing Staff to Prepare the  
Necessary Budget Amendment  
This Motion was approved.  
MOT 26-163  
I.  
Motion to Approve Closed Session Minutes (Not for Public Release) from  
June 11, 2024, July 16, 2024, July 23, 2024, September 16, 2024, October  
22, 2024, November 21, 2024, January 14, 2025, January 22, 2025, March  
4, 2025, May 6, 2025, May 13, 2025, July 22, 2025, December 2, 2025,  
December 9, 2025, January 13, 2026, January 27, 2026, March 18, 2026,  
and March 24, 2026  
This Motion was approved.  
ORD 26-134 An Ordinance Amending the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget  
J.  
K.  
L.  
This Ordinance was adopted.  
ORD 26-135 An Ordinance Amending the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget (Q1)  
This Ordinance was adopted.  
ORD 26-137  
Concur with the Liquor Control Review Board and Adopt an Ordinance  
Amending Chapter 3 (“Alcoholic Liquor Dealers”), Article 8 (“List of  
Licenses for Each License Class”), Section 8-3-1 (“Number of License  
Permitted to be Issued Per License Class”) and Section 3-8-2 (“Licenses  
by Name and Address Per License”) of the Oak Park Village Code for the  
Issuance of a Arts and Craft Establishment Class D-19 Liquor License to  
Bayan Ceramics Studio LLC  
This Ordinance was adopted.  
ORD 26-138  
M.  
Concur with the Liquor Control Review Board and Adopt an Ordinance  
Amending Chapter 3 (“Alcoholic Liquor Dealers”), Article 8 (“List of  
Licenses for Each License Class”), Section 8-3-1 (“Number of Licenses  
Permitted to be Issued Per License Class”) and Section 3-8-2 (“Licenses  
by Name and Address Per License”) of the Oak Park Village Code for the  
Issuance of a Package Class C-1 Liquor License to Royale Liquors LLC  
dba Pete’s Fresh Market #21  
This Ordinance was adopted.  
RES 26-198  
O.  
A Resolution to Give Staff the Authority to Issue a Waiver of the  
Requirements of Chapter 12, Article 3, Subsection 4e Of The Oak Park  
Village Code For The Oak Park Commons Cohousing Project  
This Resolution was adopted.  
XIX. Regular Agenda  
MOT 26-152  
N.  
A Motion to Receive the Citizen Police Oversight Committee’s  
Semi-Annual Report  
HR Director / Assistant Village Manager Kira Tchang explained that the  
board was receiving its regular semiannual report from the Citizen Police  
Oversight Committee, covering activities from July to December 2025. She  
noted that the Village had recently onboarded a the DEI Manager Arthell  
Davis, who would help operationalize police oversight and begin  
implementing PIVOT recommendations.  
Village Trustee Eder thanked staff for the report and asked about the  
timeline for implementing PIVOT recommendations. He requested  
additional data presentation in future reports, including tallies of officer  
complaint outcomes. He also asked about department policy for officers  
with multiple sustained complaints.  
Police Chief Shatonya Johnson explained that the department reviewed  
multiple sustained complaints holistically, considering timing, policy  
alignment, and training needs. She said disciplinary responses ranged  
from coaching to possible separation depending on severity. She also  
noted that the department was creating a matrix to guide future evaluations.  
Village Trustee Wesley commented that the report showed an unusual  
trend in which 60 percent of complainants were white, which he found  
notable.  
Village Trustee Taglia stated that complaints were taken seriously and  
appreciated the update from CPOC. He asked for context about the total  
number of complaints compared to total calls for service and highlighted  
that 16 complaints out of roughly 50,000 calls for service reflected a very  
small percentage. He thanked the police department for its work, noting the  
human complexity of police-resident interactions.  
It was moved by Village Trustee Eder, seconded by Village Trustee Leving  
Jacobson, that this Motion be approved. A voice vote was taken and the motion  
was approved.  
ID 26-320  
P.  
A Presentation and Discussion of the Village’s Pavement Management  
Program  
Village Manager Jackson introduced Village Engineer Bill McKenna and  
clarified that the purpose of the presentation was to gather board feedback  
on the pavement management study rather than make policy decisions. He  
explained that staff would use the board’s input to shape recommendations  
for the FY27 budget. He emphasized the importance of understanding  
funding scenarios and network goals ahead of future budgeting work.  
Bill McKenna explained that the Village had received a grant enabling  
CMAP and consultants to complete a pavement management evaluation  
and produce funding scenarios tied to pavement condition goals. He  
described how the plan focused on the local street network and included  
both capital improvements and preservation activities.  
Project Manager Abbas Kachwalla outlined how pavement management  
worked, describing the data collection process using imaging technology,  
the scoring system, and the Village’s overall network rating of 66. He  
presented images representing pavement conditions, explained the  
decline in scores since 2021, and compared Oak Park’s condition to  
regional averages. He walked through multiple funding scenarios showing  
how different investment levels affected future pavement conditions and  
highlighted that maintaining or improving the PCI required higher annual  
funding.  
Village Trustee Straw asked how the five year recommendations related to  
funding levels and whether additional funding sources were considered. He  
expressed support for targeting a PCI of 70-75 and emphasized  
minimizing the number of severely deteriorated streets.  
Village Trustee Wesley expressed strong appreciation for the data and  
argued that the Village needed to fully account for the true cost of  
infrastructure maintenance. He suggested that Oak Park had too much  
pavement relative to its traffic and proposed exploring narrower streets or  
repurposed roadway space to reduce long term maintenance costs and  
improve safety. He supported increasing capital investment and  
maintaining a PCI goal in the 70-75 range.  
Village Trustee Taglia praised the long term planning approach and noted  
that roadway conditions seemed worse than in past decades. He  
requested historical context on pavement condition distribution and  
highlighted the rising construction costs that reduce buying power over  
time. He advocated for increasing investment to improve safety, reduce the  
backlog of poor streets, and reach a PCI of 70 or 75.  
Village Trustee Eder asked detailed questions about mapping, data  
presentation, and how actual spending differed from modeled scenarios  
due to water, sewer, and streetscape projects. He sought clarification on  
pavement lifecycles, treatment benefits, and how preservation extended  
roadway life. He supported exploring opportunities to narrow or repurpose  
streets and emphasized that PCI targets should guide capital discussions  
in the Finance Committee.  
Village President Scaman affirmed that the Village had historically targeted  
a PCI of 70-75 and said she continued to support that goal. She  
emphasized the need to adequately fund both preservation and major  
repairs to prevent streets from falling below the rehabilitation threshold.  
She highlighted lessons learned from the ARPA era spending freeze and  
directed the Finance Committee to incorporate the study’s findings into  
budget planning.  
XX. Call to Board and Clerk  
Village Trustee Wesley noted the painful contrast between celebrating  
Senior Citizens Month and hearing seniors describe unsafe and  
unacceptable living conditions at Heritage House, emphasizing that their  
suffering was deeply troubling and that the Village needed to pursue every  
possible solution. He also recounted that his landscaper, who had been  
using a prohibited gas powered leaf blower, received a warning from  
Village staff, which he accepted as appropriate. However, he said the  
interaction concerned him because the landscaper felt threatened when the  
staff member told him not to return, took photos of him and his grandson,  
and left him feeling unwelcome in Oak Park. He stressed that such conduct  
conflicted with the Village’s Welcoming Ordinance and that equal treatment  
and respect must apply to everyone.  
Village Trustee Eder expressed strong support for the cohousing  
community and shared that some of their close friends in Grand Rapids  
lived happily in a cohousing community, which had given them a positive  
view of the model. He said they were excited to see cohousing come to  
Oak Park and was glad that the Village was able to work through the  
administrative challenges that come with introducing something new.  
XXI. Adjourn  
It was moved by Village Trustee Wesley, seconded by Village Trustee  
Straw to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 9:23 P.M.  
It was moved by Village Trustee Wesley, seconded by Village Trustee Eder, that  
this be approved. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved.