HOLLIS TOWNSHIP REGULAR BOARD MEETING
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2025 @ 7:00 pm
MINUTES
The Clerk announced the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag @ 7:00 pm.
The Supervisor called the meeting to order.
Board Members Present for Roll Call:
Supervisor: Russell L. Zeine ☒ Trustees: Dwayne Allen☒ Rich D. Murray ☒ Rhonda Robbins ☒
Maurice Super ☒ Clerk: Patricia Briggs ☒
Supervisor: Announced quorum present.
Note Attendance: Road Commissioner – Dennis Beckman ☒ Assessor – Alice Dailey ☒
Visitors:
Corrections or Additions to Agenda: Additions to the agenda may be discussed; however, if action is needed by the Board, such action must be taken at another meeting when the topic is posted on the agenda 48 hours prior to the meeting.
APPROVE MINUTES of Previous Meeting
Prior to tonight’s meeting, copies of Minutes from the Regular Monthly Meeting held on October 16, 2025, were distributed to Board Members for their review. Clerk corrected spelling for Stoltz, Pusey and E.D. Edwards.
MOTION to accept the Minutes as presented and corrected made by: Maurice Super; second by Rhonda Robbins.
Motions: Ayes – 5 Nays - 0 Correct spelling to Stoltz, Pusey and E.D. Edwards
AUDIT CURRENT EXPENDITURES, Investments, Transfer of Funds, Budget Line-Item Transfers:
MOTION to accept payment for all Town Fund Invoices as presented to the Board on the Disbursement Summary November 20, 2025, in the amount of $11,409.79.
MOTION by Rich Murray; second by Dwayne Allen
Roll Call: Dwayne Allen ☒ Rich Murray ☒ Rhonda Robbins ☒ Maurice Super ☒ Russ Zeine ☒
MOTION to accept payment for all General Road Fund Invoices as presented to the Board on the Disbursement Summary November 20, 2025, in the amount of $52,123.67.
MOTION by Dwayne Allen; second by Morris Super
Roll Call: Dwayne Allen ☒ Rich Murray ☒ Rhonda Robbins ☒ Maurice Super ☒ Russ Zeine ☒
MOTION to accept payment for all Joint Bridge as presented to the Board on the Disbursement Summary November 20, 2025, in the amount of $4,593.31.
MOTION by Rhonda Robbins ; second by Rich Murray
Roll Call: Allen ☒ Murray ☒ Robbins ☒ Super ☒ Zeine ☒
VISITORS ADDRESSING THE BOARD:
Bill Gerdes - Coffee
TOWN BUILDING, GROUNDS & EQUIPMENT:
Darcy mowed the last time and turned in her bill, fertilized the areas she mows. She is done for the year.
COMMUNICATIONS & CORRESPONDENCE:
Flag is being flown at half-staff for Richard Cheney.
TOWN BUSINESS – Supervisor:
Russ and Denny TOI conferences in Springfield. Bill said something about coffee gathering and they will try to set something up after the 1st of the year. Russ has the gift cards and will get the letter updated and they’re ready to go. Pritzker signed a bill to increase the amount of seniors’ tax freeze to $75,000 in 2026 and then to $77,000 in 2027 and then $79,000 2028. You get a homestead exemption of $5,000 and owner occupied $6,000. School tax is really hurting people. IBS has solar canopy with no side walls for one year to put the buses under. There is a lot going on with both the schools in the township. Locks are ordered but Russ doesn’t know when they’ll come in.
CLERK BUSINESS:
ROAD BUSINESS – Highway Commissioner:
A bill was passed that says they can use whatever road they want for the battery station and if they tear the road up they don’t have to do anything. They can now go up Hurst Lane. Denny isn’t sure when it will go into effect. Illinois was one of the biggest states sending power to Canada. Now we aren’t generating enough to send it out. Ameren is going to put a solar farm at Cowser and Kingston Mines Rd.
TRUSTEES / Information / Business:
Dwayne asked about the idea from several months ago about doing a tour of the road and asked if that fall apart? Russ will look into securing a vehicle to do the tour. Rhonda said Hollis has a van/bus as well. Russ wants to talk to the Superintendent about the kids walking too close to the road and maybe putting cones out and slowing people down and the possibility of putting a crosswalk at the park for the kids.
There was a question about gift cards for Denny’s crew and whether they did $30 or $50 per person and Russ will look into it.
TAX ASSESSOR’S OFFICE / Information / Business:
Alice said the final walkthrough and the new houses were completed and there are new house being built. If you want to sell your property you could probably sell it for twice what it’s worth right now. House in Mapleton sold for almost $400,000. This raises everyone’s property values. The hope is they figure out something pretty quickly because it’s getting really bad. Russ said it’s like Edward’s station appealed when they were shutting down and got several million dollars knocked off. Dollar General in Glasford got $100,000 off their building.
OLD UNFINISHED BUSINESS: NONE
NEW BUSINESS:
Discuss Hollis Township Emergency Assistance program
Russ set in for a meeting at the conference and they suggested that we have emergency assistance, which we don’t have. We have a General Assistance program. If they apply and are eligible, they can receive assistance once a year and there would be a max of how many years, they can do that. General Assistance has to be approved by the Supervisor according to state. It does not have to be an ordinance but has to be in the minutes and no one has to vote on it. Russ will get the paperwork started for the first of the year.
Truth and Taxation Levies:
Ordinance No. 2025-06 Township $99,781
MOTION _Dwayne Allen; second Rhonda Robbins
Ayes – 5 Nays - 0
Ordinance No. 2025-07 Road District $206,698 Road and Bridge, IMRF
MOTION : Rich Murray; second by Morris Super
Ayes – 5 Nays - 0
Tom Thompson – He stated the problem neighbors moved and the couple at the end of the road bought the house for $5,000and are going to fix it up and move it in. They were breeding dogs in the house at the end of the road and had 8 dogs in the house for a year. The house needs to be torn down. It is empty and the septic tank isn’t working and asked if we could get it torn down. Russ explained that it has to be the County that would do that. Russ said he will investigate it, but the township doesn’t have authority. Denny tore a house down years ago, but the county approved it.
MOTION to adjourn made by Rich Murray; second by Rhonda Robbins
The motion passed.
The Meeting Adjourned at 7:56 p.m. Minutes by Patricia Briggs, Hollis Township Clerk