Grafton Township Drama Continues At Annual Town Meeting

Grafton Township’s special meeting Tuesday ended before it even began with an immediate motion to adjourn based on the fact it was an illegal meeting.

What followed was a raucous discussion about township government, catcalls, barbs at Supervisor Linda Moore and the Grafton Township board, and pleas for civility.

And that was just the first hour.

The special meeting was scheduled at 6 p.m. by a petition circulated by some voters. However, a legal notice never was published which meant the meeting was illegal. Grafton Township residents did, however, receive robo calls informing them of the special meeting.

The beginning of the meeting had people yelling “adjournment” and other catcalls as Moore tried to lead the discussion. Residents objected, arguing she could not control a township meeting since it had to be run by the electorate.

Algonquin police were on hand and monitored the crowd.

“It’s abhorrent the way people act,” one speaker said. “Quit acting like children and let’s act like adults. We ought to respect each other and so far you have not done that.”

Moore acknowledged the meeting was illegal but asked for Grafton Township residents to have “a public interaction” about issues surrounding the township — particularly two resolutions: one dealing with the sale of property the township owns on Haligus Road and the other about an intergovernmental agreement with the Grafton Township Road District.

The resolutions, listed on the township’s agenda for the town meeting, stem from the township board’s purchase of land on Haligus Road to build a new township office. Grafton Township sold its existing building and land, on Vine Road, to the Road District for $700,000.

It was a controversial move that resulted in litigation and Moore’s election to office. Plans for the new building fell through as a result. However, the Road District continues to own the property and building that houses the township offices

The township board has an intergovernmental agreement to pay back the Road District for the Vine Street property in yearly installments. Moore, the township trustees and voters disagree on what steps need to be taken to convey the property back to the township.

Supervisor Moore wants to pay the district back in a lump sum and get the title for the property back so the township can stop paying rent. She argues the township board “had no legal right to enter” into the agreement.

Grafton Township Trustee Barb Murphy spoke Tuesday, explaining the board decided to pay the Road District back in installments because “we did not know where we (the township) stood financially.” The township has not had an audit in two years, officials said.

The special meeting ended an hour later and the regular annual town meeting began and it, too, resulted in different sides arguing about what is the best way to deal with the resolutions.

Voters like Martin Waitzman want the township to stop spending money on attorney fees and resolve the issue. He said to stop the name-calling and the “infantile” behavior and get down to township business.

“I tend to agree, people are very emotional here,” said Pam Fender, a trustee in Huntley. “I have definitely been emotional because of the state of affairs in Grafton Township. It is hard not to get angry about what is going on.

“We are fed up wit the lack of accountability and complete not caring of the concerns of the voters,” she said.

Ultimately, a majority of Grafton Township residents voted to ratify the township board's intergovernmental agreement and continue to make payments to the Road District for the Vine Street property.