1. Call to Order and Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 9:49 a.m. on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, by the Board Chair, with a quorum present and no remote participation requests, and after the Pledge of Allegiance and a brief invocation the board approved the minutes of October 13 and October 23, 2026, by consensus with no opposition.

• Called to order: at 9:49 a.m., Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
• Quorum present: no remote participation requests.
• Minutes: of October 13 and October 23, 2026 approved by consensus.

2. Public Comment — Treasurer’s Insert and the Ethics Commission

Speakers on Zoning Petition 4693 were deferred until that item, and five residents spoke in general public comment, four of them on the same cluster of issues — a campaign insert in a property tax bill, the lack of response from county legal and ethics bodies, and the November election — while the fifth urged the board and public to stick to facts and avoid partisan attacks and misinformation.

• A Resident of Geneva: said the insert, pursued since May, was believed illegal under Illinois law, Chapter 10, Section 9251, prohibiting public funds for a campaign or candidate; if illegal, money should be returned and there should be consequences after an office change, and FOIA requests about whether the county paid for printing had been returned incomplete.
• The same speaker: said complaints were filed in May, the State’s Attorney did not reply to most complainants, the board voted no on an investigation, and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity had not caught up; the Kane County Ethics Commission, established July 13, 2010, was never staffed, and she asked that it be staffed quickly and kept independent of other county officials.
• A second Resident of Geneva: endorsed an independent commission and said the State’s Attorney wanted to control it, which would be improper because the commission must be able to investigate the State’s Attorney herself; she also raised the State’s Attorney’s handling of the former Treasurer investigation, FOIA screening, an HR complaint settlement protecting a board member, and the State’s Attorney’s role in the censure of the Board Chair.
• A third Resident of Geneva and a Resident of Elburn: both said the election alone was not accountability — the outgoing Treasurer still needed to be held to account for using his office and taxpayer dollars to distribute campaign literature, board members who sued as private citizens should not drop the case, and voters wanted officials held to account for their words and actions.
• A Resident of Geneva: urged nonpartisan, fact-based work, welcoming all voices regardless of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or citizenship status, and said opinions should be prefaced with “in my opinion” and misleading narratives respectfully called out.

3. Public Information Officer Report

The Public Information Officer asked board members to help residents sign up for emergency alerts and county communications — the Kane County Public Safety Alert System through the Office of Emergency Management, county social media, Kane County Connects, and the county homepage — and reported recent openings, a grant, and upcoming events.

• Bunker Road extension: and roundabout open, with a late-October ribbon cutting.
• $1 million federal grant: for the forensic laboratory, for expansion and accreditation.
• Regional housing discussion: hosted by CMAP in Aurora; campaign sign recycling program featured on NBC 5; Fabyan Parkway recycling center reopened after improvements.
• Public Health Department: recertified; Veterans Treatment Court luncheon held, with graduates receiving Quilts of Valor; six American Red Cross blood drives collected 181 units, impacting 543 lives.
• Upcoming: GIS Day, November 18; Patriot Marker Dedication, Sunday, November 15; county buildings closed November 11 for Veterans Day.

4. Chair’s Announcements — December 2

The Board Chair announced that December 2, a Wednesday, would include the last meeting of the current Executive Committee at 9 a.m., a special board meeting to announce the vacancy in the Auditor’s Office, requiring a quorum and estimated at 10:15–10:30 a.m., and a celebration of outgoing board member service.

• Executive Committee: December 2, 9 a.m.
• Special board meeting: December 2, about 10:15–10:30 a.m., to declare the Auditor’s Office vacancy.
• Celebration: of outgoing board members, also December 2.

5. Recognitions — Kenyon Family Farm and the Village of Hampshire

A board member presented a resolution (TMP 261387) recognizing the 144-year farm and business legacy of a family in Kane County, noting agriculture as a social and cultural anchor and that Kane County was the only county board in Illinois with a standing agriculture committee and a farmland protection program maintained for 25 years, and a second board member presented a resolution (TMP 261424) honoring the Village of Hampshire on the 150th anniversary of its incorporation.

• Kenyon family: land owned since a government patent in the early 1840s, farming in South Elgin since 1882, first as the Kenyon Stock Farm and from 1906 as the Kenyon Brothers Company, breeders and dealers of dairy cattle; a road, a school, and a forest preserve bear the family name.
• The honoree: a former board member for District 16 for 20 years, served 10 years as a District One Director for the Illinois Farm Bureau, held leadership roles in the Kane County Farm Bureau, and was named a Master Farmer in 2014 by Prairie Farmer magazine; the family donated dairy products, sweet corn, pumpkins, and honey to the Northern Illinois Food Bank and the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Elgin and Elgin.
• In his remarks: the honoree introduced his wife Carol, married 59 years, and his three children, said farming life was special, and said his middle son was the generation who would carry on.
• Hampshire: first settler Zenas Allen in 1836; residents contributed $26,400 toward the Chicago and Pacific Railroad; incorporation voted 73 to 2 on October 28, 1876, and certified November 9, 1876; by 1893 the second largest milk-producing and shipping station in Illinois; the Ella Johnson Memorial Public Library District, now serving 28,000 people across more than 100 square miles, marks its 90th anniversary in 2026; more than 390 businesses today.
• Both resolutions: passed unanimously by roll call.

6. Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) — First Regional Budget

The Kane County representative to the NITA Board, who also serves on the Pace Board, introduced the NITA Chief of Staff and Chief Transition Officer, the Metra Board Member, and colleagues from Metra and Pace, presenting NITA’s first regional budget as the new authority bringing together planning, funding, and oversight for CTA, Metra, and Pace under the NITA Act, succeeding the RTA, as a balanced budget with no service cuts or fare increases.

• Budget: just over $5 billion for operations in 2027; $9.73 billion in capital over five years; 417.2 million projected rides; more than 17,000 employees; ridership and satisfaction at their highest since 2022.
• Efficiencies: the NITA Act required at least $47 million in 2027; the budget includes more than $60 million, including $6.2 million from real estate and about $7.5 million from service delivery; the 10-year capital need is $43 billion, with a new state PAYGO source of about $200 million a year.
• Rider survey: over 4,000 responses in the “What Moves You” survey, in Spanish and English; 75% said improving connections was very or extremely important; the budget funds expanded night and weekend service, the NITA RideSafe app launching later in November, transit ambassadors in 2027, and more than 200 electric or hybrid-electric buses.
• Kane County investments: increased weekend service on the Metra UP West line; enhancements to Pace Routes 550 and 554; Elgin and Aurora selected among about 11 future NITA hubs; Big Timber Station accessibility and signal upgrades; a new Pace garage in Elgin and Fox Valley Garage upgrades in Aurora; sidewalk gaps including a signalized crossing on Randall Road; a corridor plan with the Village of South Elgin; and help for the City of Geneva on its Downtown Station Area Master Plan.
• Board questions: covered the O’Hare–downtown bullet train (NITA funding not currently contemplated), governance and county representation on NITA committees, empty Pace Routes 603 and 605 to the Blue Line and the need for marketing, and extension of the Milwaukee District West line to Rockford and other lines beyond the six counties, which would go through IDOT; public comment runs through December 4, with a hybrid hearing November 12.

7. Resolution 26-532 — Illinois Child Abuse Notice Act

A board member pulled this item from consent to discuss it in full, with the founder of My Body Tells the Truth and an investigator from the State’s Attorney’s Human Exploitation Unit present, and the resolution supported implementation of public awareness for the Illinois Child Abuse Notice Act.

• The founder: said she spent 25 years as a hairstylist across three counties, hearing disclosures she did not feel equipped to handle, which led to House Bill 4350; she sketched a poster, refined it with her children, and pitched it to a local state representative.
• She said: many businesses hung up on her, did not believe her, and thought she was a scam artist, and specifically called out Metra, saying she needed them to call her back.
• The posters: mandated by House Bill 4350, focus on empowering, educating, and giving awareness to children involved in sex abuse and human trafficking; they are free digitally from the organization’s website, $1 laminated, and free from the DCFS website.
• The investigator: said the State’s Attorney’s Office had a great partnership with her; a board member thanked the advocate and the State’s Attorney and said it took a village.
• Motion passed: Resolution 26-532 passed by roll call.

8. Historic Preservation Commission Appointments — Resolution 26-1474

A county staff member for historic preservation presented appointments to the Kane County Historic Preservation Commission, which oversees the county landmark program, noting predecessor board members were the first county board in Illinois to adopt a historic preservation plan to protect rural structures and rustic roads.

• Reappointments: Tim V. Tang and Jim Pomelo, both described as serving with enthusiasm.
• New appointments: both from the northwest county, Hampshire and Rutland area: Jan Sears, a township assessor and trustee, and Bill Swalwell, vice president of the Hampshire Township Historical Society.
• The presenter: said he had toured a historic farm on Gutzelman Road and the new downtown Hampshire history museum, and downtown Hampshire was thriving.
• The Chair: added that Hampshire had a wonderful family-owned business restoring antique cars.
• Motion passed: Resolution 26-1474 passed by roll call.

9. Travel Policy and UCCI Training

The Chair presented the travel policy and UCCI training information, and the discussion became a substantive debate about equity, funding, and whether the policy needed rewriting, with no vote taken on travel policy.

• Reimbursement: requires committee approval by roll call, receipts with the traveler’s last name, a travel purpose and evaluation form, and submission to the Auditor’s Office for compliance, then a resolution through Finance, Executive, and the full board.
• Budget: $19,000 planned for 2027; three members had already been approved for two 2027 conferences, but that had not drawn down the budget because they had not yet traveled.
• A board member: proposed a report-back on return — what was learned and what could apply to Kane County, even if the trip was a disaster — and the Chair said she liked the idea.
• Another board member: asked how the other 21 members would get professional development if the budget was already tapped; the Chair said money was drawn down only as expended, and staff would track it and inform Finance.
• The Chair: said she would wait until the new Finance Committee and new members were seated, then give the policy to Finance, because Finance controlled the budget; UCCI will pay for training, including a Washington, D.C., trip the Chair called incredibly valuable, and new members will be sworn in December 7, with training that afternoon led by John Frank.

10. Consent Agenda — Items 26-503 and 26-534

After a five-minute break, the board approved all consent items except Resolutions 26-503 and 26-534, which had been pulled, and then took up each pulled item separately.

• 26-503 — solar consultant: up to $90,000: A board member asked why the county was paying, when solar companies should pay; the county said this was a temporary patch for first-through facilities whose final building permits were held up on decommissioning bonds, costs were passed to petitioners at about $6,500 per review, and after the first few the county would run a formal procurement process.
• 26-503 — why bonds matter: At the end of 25 years, what does it cost to take panels down, or do they still have value? Without independent verification, petitioners would not have to provide a bond, and the county would be left to decommission the facilities; fees had already been substantially increased last year based on megawatt-hours, but the county lacked staff and expertise.
• 26-503 motion passed: Resolution 26-503 passed by roll call, on the understanding it would be paid by petitioners.
• 26-534 — legislative agenda: Exhibit A was missing already-approved environmental language — “Preserve and protect our land, water, air for the quality of life for future generations” — passed unanimously at Legislative Committee and at Executive Committee, but excluded from the final packet as a scrivener’s error; the board voted on the amendment to solidify it in the record, then on the resolution as amended.
• 26-534 motions passed: The amendment passed by roll call, and Resolution 26-534 as amended passed by roll call, with one board member voting no; a board member said it was the first legislative agenda ever approved, and the Chair called it a historic moment.

11. Zoning Petition 4692 — JAXS Corporation, Big Timber Road

The Development Committee Chair presented Petition 4692, for 39W330 Big Timber Road in Rutland Township, from JAXS Corporation, doing business as Sure Green Landscape Supply and Firewood Unlimited, for rezoning from F Farming District to F2 Agricultural-Related Sales, Service, Processing, Warehouse and Marketing District, with a special use for a landscape business, even though the 2040 Plan identified the property as proposed open space, and the Village of Gilberts objected, wanting single-family development.

• Recommendations: the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Development Committee both recommended approval.
• Petitioner: a representative appeared online, thanked the board, and said nothing further; no public speakers signed up.
• Stipulations: negotiated with the district board member, the petitioner, and objectors: tub grinder limited to March, April, May, August, and September, Tuesdays–Thursdays, 8 a.m.–12 p.m., no more than 10 hours per week; no animals kept overnight, including guard dogs; prompt removal of debris tracked onto Big Timber Road, County Highway 21, by the end of the same business day; no use as a snow removal / ice control base; outdoor storage limited to areas on the approved site plan.
• The district board member: thanked the petitioner and homeowners, and another board member complimented her, noting it was her last meeting, for working bipartisanly.
• Motions passed: The stipulations, and then Petition 4692 as amended (TMP 26-138), both passed by roll call with all members present voting yes, after a correction that the board had voted on the stipulations but not yet on the underlying approval.

12. Zoning Petition 4693 — T&T Howard, LLC, Commercial Solar Facility, Elgin Township

The longest and most contested item, about 40 minutes, was Petition 4693 (TMP 26-1350), for property about one-quarter mile west of Randall Road and over one-quarter mile south of Highland Avenue in Elgin Township, from T&T Howard, LLC, seeking a special use in the F Farming District for a commercial solar energy facility, with the City of Elgin asking the county not to approve it, the Zoning Board of Appeals approving with typical stipulations, and the Development Committee failing it 2 to 5.

• The Chair: corrected objectors who said a three-quarters majority was required: this was a special use, not a rezoning, and even a formal City of Elgin objection would not trigger a three-quarter vote.
• The petitioner: with his son Christian, said they organic farm in northern Iowa and farm part of this farm, the Fulman family farms the rest, and they proposed solar on a south-sloping, highly erodible, low-yield portion to generate income, develop clean energy, and create 20-plus acres of pesticide-free pollinator habitat; once permitted, they planned to sell to an experienced developer, and panels were only 7.9 acres of a 26-acre area, moved 200 feet east of Jackson Drive.
• Opponents: residents of Jackson Drive and West Highland Acres — said they would be sandwiched between this facility and the 34-acre Petition 466 facility, 9,000 panels, already approved; they cited a deed / PIN mismatch, recycled AIMA metrics, a decommissioning plan relying on out-of-state salvage credits in violation of Petition 5008, uncertified studies prepared by the petitioner, a $1,500 private offer for trees, traffic and emergency access from a different footprint, and wetlands with no drain tiles or hydrological assessment.
• Supporters: residents of Elmora Terrace, Owen Drive, and Olin Drive, including one speaking for three border neighbors — said they welcomed clean energy and pollinators, had read studies on noise, electromagnetic interference, heat, and property values and found nothing negative, and warned other uses would cause years of disruption, road strain, and traffic if the City of Elgin developed housing there.
• Motion passed: A motion to approve Petition 4693 passed by roll call, with six board members voting no, including the district board member, who said he favored solar farms but not ones immediately adjacent to an existing subdivision, and a board member who raised concerns about Roundup preceding pollinator planting.

13. Bright Idea Consulting, LLC — Settlement Agreement

After zoning, the board took up Item 11A, bypassing 10A, to finalize a settlement already approved tacitly, allowing a contract to be signed and money sent out that day, with the Auditor actively waiting.

• The item: was a settlement agreement and general release with Bright Idea Consulting, LLC, arising from a Community Development vendor situation.
• The county: was described as caught between a rock and a hard place; the deal would make everybody happy, protect the county, and the county would then seek reimbursement from the state.
• A board member: asked for a refresher; the Chair / county attorney said it was already approved and the board could go into closed session for details if members wanted.
• No one: asked to go into closed session.
• Motion passed: The vote to authorize the settlement passed by roll call; one board member was absent / did not vote.

14. Off-Consent Resolutions 26-549 to 26-557

The board moved through a series of off-consent resolutions, largely by roll call with little or no discussion, except for the Economic Development Corporation items and the jail medical contract.

• 26-549 — Kane County Economic Development Corporation: A board member abstained as treasurer of the corporation; another member asked for annual financial updates, and the Chair said updates came monthly at the Jobs Committee and, as a 501(c)(6), the corporation filed tax returns. Passed, with two abstentions.
• 26-550 — Economic Development Corporation agreement: as amended: The board restarted the vote after a member noted an amendment was missing; the agreement had already been amended at Executive Committee, with two further revisions vetted by the State’s Attorney’s Office. On FOIA Section 12, the county attorney and corporation representative said FOIA applied only to government communications with the county, not private client conversations, but the corporation agreed to provide records subject to FOIA that the county knew existed but did not have. The amendment passed, then the resolution as amended passed.
• 26-551: No discussion noted. Passed, with two no votes.
• 26-552, 26-553, 26-554, 26-555, 26-556, 26-557: 26-552 passed with no discussion; 26-553, a $13.50 personal expense voucher for the Board Chair for travel to the Council of County Board Chairs, passed with one no vote; 26-554, a $35.12 voucher for travel to the CMAP Board meeting in Chicago, passed with one no vote; 26-555, a tax levy for Mill Creek, passed with one no vote; 26-556, a one-year Wellness Path contract for jail medical services, passed with one no vote after a member said the Sheriff’s budget was over that year because it allocated less than needed, and thanked Sheriff’s staff for budgeting it for 2027; 26-557, mandatory audits, passed.

15. Resolution 26-558 — KaneCom Executive Director Search, MGT, $26,000

A board member noted the resolution had blanks, and the Director of IT and Building Management explained the hiring process was conflicted between KaneCom Ordinance 8.5, which described appointment by the Chair with consent of the KaneCom Board, and County Code 2.48, which described appointment through the Board Chair, committee chair, and HR Director, and said three proposals had been received — $50,000, $29,975, and $26,000 — with the lowest from MGT, formerly GovHR.

• All quotes: were under $30,000, so under the purchasing ordinance they did not require full board approval; funding was from ETSB and KaneCom, not the General Fund, and the interim KaneCom director and interim HR director had redrafted the job description.
• The county attorney: said he needed time on the overlapping statutes, but doing the resolution would clean things up for hiring, and since the board had taken nine steps in a ten-step process, it might as well do the last one; the lowest bidder was MGT, not the firm named Derek Porch, which the county had used before.
• One board member: said she would vote present because she did not know the answer and thought the process should be handled by the Sheriff’s Office; another said most members would feel more comfortable voting to express the board’s opinion.
• Motions passed: An amendment to fill the blanks with MGT, total not to exceed $26,000, passed, with one member voting present; Resolution 26-558 as amended then passed, with one member voting present.
• Resolution 26-498: died for lack of a motion or second.

16. Old Business, New Business, and Adjournment

The Board Chair gave a brief presentation on the Liberty Tree, a small American elm a little over a year old, nicknamed Darlene for D-A-R, and board members acknowledged two local sports teams before adjourning.

• The Liberty Tree: also called the mighty elm and little Lady Liberty, honored patriots who fought for independence; planting cost under $3,000, with a hoped lifespan of 200-plus years; building management was caring for it after a deer nibble, and the Chair thanked the DAR for patience despite obstacles and delays and invited everyone to the dedication Sunday, November 15.
• East Aurora High School Tomcats: soccer went to the state championship for the first time ever and came in second; another board member noted the $10 million stadium with AstroTurf was approved after a fellow board member said Aurora kids deserved the same facilities as Naperville kids, and was cost-neutral with zero-interest loans.
• St. Charles North girls flag football: took state with a record of 26–0; the Chair corrected the school name in discussion — St. Charles North, not East.
• No other committee updates: a motion to adjourn was made and seconded, all in favor said aye, and the meeting adjourned.

Table — Every Company and Entity Named in This Summary

Type	Name
Government — County	Kane County Board; Kane County Ethics Commission; Kane County Office of Emergency Management; Kane County Department of Transportation (KDOT); Kane County Public Health Department; Kane County Veterans Treatment Court; Kane County Historic Preservation Commission; Kane County Economic Development Corporation (KCEDC); Kane County Auditor’s Office; Kane County Sheriff’s Office; Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office / Human Exploitation Unit; Kane County Regional Office of Education; Kane County Treasurer’s Office; Kane County Connects; Kane County Public Safety Alert System; Kane County Judicial Center; KaneCom; Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB)
Government — State	Illinois Attorney General, Office of Public Integrity; Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS); Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT); Illinois Farm Bureau
Government — Municipal	Village of Hampshire; Village of South Elgin; Village of Gilberts; City of Elgin; City of Geneva; City of Aurora; City of Chicago; Elgin Township; Rutland Township; Hampshire Township; Hampshire Township Historical Society
Transit	Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA); Regional Transportation Authority (RTA); Chicago Transit Authority (CTA); Metra; Pace; Ride in Kane; NITA RideSafe app; Metra COPS app; Fox Valley Trolley Museum; Chicago and Pacific Railroad
Planning / Regional	Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP); Council of County Board Chairs
Nonprofit / Community	American Red Cross; Northern Illinois Food Bank; Boys and Girls Clubs of South Elgin and Elgin; My Body Tells the Truth; Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR); Hampshire Area Chamber of Commerce; Ella Johnson Memorial Public Library District; Quilts of Valor; United Counties Council of Illinois (UCCI); National Association of Counties (NACo)
Company / Business	Bright Idea Consulting, LLC; JAXS Corporation; Sure Green Landscape Supply; Firewood Unlimited; T&T Howard, LLC; TNT Revocable Trust; Fulman Farms; Kenyon Brothers Company; Kenyon Stock Farm; Kane County Dairy; Comstock Metals, LLC; Hay and Associates; MGT (formerly GovHR); Derek Porch (consulting firm, as named in the transcript); Wellness Path; Moody’s
School / Education	East Aurora High School; St. Charles North High School; Elgin’s Lord Park Zoo
Church / Faith	Methodist Episcopal Church; Saint Charles Borromeo Church and School; Faithway Baptist Church
Media / Publication	Prairie Farmer; NBC 5

By: Jim Fahrenbach

Agenda: https://countyofkane.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1352057&GUID=B602E7D0-3BD1-4F0E-976E-90CCFC68A34C