Village Board Meeting April 6, 2026: Budget Adoption, Appointments, and Reports
Village Board Meeting – April 6, 2026
The Village of Plainfield Board of Trustees met on April 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included the appointment of a new village attorney, approval of the consent agenda, adoption of the FY 2026-2027 budget, and approvals for public works and police equipment purchases. No public comments were made.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes of the March 16, 2026, board meeting.
- Approved bills paid and payable reports for April 6, 2026.
- Approved Ordinance No. 3789 declaring personal property as surplus and authorizing disposal.
- Approved Ordinance No. 3790 amending the Class F liquor licenses to 23 and the Class D liquor licenses to 2.
- Approved the annual maintenance contract from TKB Associates for the Laserfiche Cloud document management system in the amount of $27,667.50.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during the public comment period or the budget hearing.
Discussion Items
- Presidential Appointment: The Board approved a motion to appoint the law firm of Montana & Welch, LLC as the Presidential Village Attorney, with a term expiring April 30, 2029. Mayor Argadellus and trustees thanked the outgoing firm Tracy, Johnson & Wilson for over 40 years of service.
- Payments to Legal Firms: Approved a payment of $693.75 to Tracy, Johnson & Wilson and a payment of $1,337.11 to Ekl Williams & Provenzale, LLC.
- Budget Hearing and Adoption:
- A public hearing on the FY 2026-2027 budget was opened and closed with no public testimony.
- Finance Director Tracy Pleckham presented the budget, totaling approximately $115 million. This includes $41 million in general fund operations, $36 million in water and sewer operations (with $15 million in capital projects), and $27 million in capital improvements. Six new hires are included with no increase in the tax rate.
- Village Administrator Josh Blake Moore and multiple trustees expressed strong support for the budget, highlighting its fiscal responsibility, full pension funding, and effective cost management despite rising costs in insurance and other areas.
- Trustee noted the village’s debt is approximately $17 million and assets are approximately $355 million.
- Ordinance No. 3791 approving the annual budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year was adopted unanimously.
- Public Works Reports:
- Approved a proposal from Helm Service for replacement of the make-up air unit/heater in the Bar Screen Building at the Wastewater Treatment Plant in the amount of $39,840, and authorized the Village President to sign the agreement.
- Approved the purchase of a Kubota RTV from McCullough Implement Company in the amount of $36,347.54 for use at the wastewater treatment plant, noting a cooperative discount of over $7,600.
- Police Reports:
- Approved equipping two replacement squad vehicles with total cost not to exceed $34,454.79. This includes $8,384.99 for lighting from Fleet Safety Supply, $10,069.80 for installation from EVT Tech, and up to $16,000 for IT equipment.
- Police Chief Miller reported on the February 2026 operations report. Trustees discussed recent elaborate scams (texts, calls, emails) and a teen party incident at a vacant home under construction. Chief Miller outlined prevention efforts including monitoring social media.
- Other Reports:
- Village Administrator reported on the special census (fieldwork completed, estimation underway) and on pending state legislation, including the BUILD bill that would affect local zoning authority and potential changes to tier-two pensions. He encouraged board members to contact legislators and fill out witness slips.
- The new village attorney, Mr. Musis, thanked the board and staff for the opportunity to serve.
Key Outcomes
- Approved appointment of Montana & Welch, LLC as village attorney (unanimous).
- Approved consent agenda (5 items, unanimous).
- Approved payments to Tracy, Johnson & Wilson ($693.75) and Ekl Williams & Provenzale ($1,337.11).
- Adopted Ordinance No. 3791 for the FY 2026-2027 budget (unanimous).
- Approved public works: makeup air unit replacement ($39,840) and Kubota RTV purchase ($36,347.54).
- Approved police squad equipment purchase up to $34,454.79.
- Upcoming meetings: Plan Commission April 7; Evening with the Mayor April 8 at Public Works Facility; Historic Preservation Commission April 9; Committee of the Whole Workshop April 13; Next Village Board Meeting April 20.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. We'll call the meeting to order. Roll call, please. Trustee Keefer. Present. Trustee Paniker. Trustee Bruin. Trusty Sula. Here. Trustee Wojowski. Here. Trusty Panucci. Here. Mayor Argadellus. Yes, we'll stand for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. First order of business under presidential comments. Ms. Gibbs, you want to read the motion. We're seeking board consideration of a motion to approve the law firm of Montana and Welsh as a presidential village attorney appointment with the term to expire on April 30th, 2029. So move. Second. Motion's been made and seconded. Are there any comments or questions on this item? Hearing none of proceed with the roll. Trustee Keefer. Yes. Trustee Paniker. Yes. Trustee Ruin. Yes. Trusty Sula? Yes. Trustee Wojowski? Yes. Trusty Panucci. Yes. Thank you. That motion carries. Thank you. Nothing too important tonight other than uh everyone got through Easter Sunday and Passover. And now the Orthodox Easter is coming up this Sunday, so a lot of uh of um religious uh commemorations and celebrations in the last uh month or so. I know Ramadan completed as well, so uh it's interesting. All uh all the major faiths seem to have uh some sort of spring uh uh period of fasting and celebration. Um so we certainly um hope everyone enjoyed those periods in this time of life uh this time of year, and I will note for the record that despite the line eye coming up short Saturday night. I am donning my orange and blue um still supporting uh Illinois. Trusty comments.
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