2010 Grafton Township Annual Meeting - Part 8

PART 8
Green: Does the township own the garage and everything prior to all this going on? If the garage and everything was already owned by the township, why do we have to pay for something twice?
Pat Cohen: I’ll attempt to give a brief history lesson. Back in the old days road districts could not own property. Therefore, what happened in the distant past was that road district money was used to build the garage but the land was owned by the township because the road district could not own land. So I understand your concern, ‘Why did the road district buy property that it already paid money to build the building on?’, and you have to go back to the legislators back in the 40’s and 50’s for that answer but that’s the conundrum that everybody faced when the issue of selling the property to 3rd parties occur which forced the road district to attempt to buy the garage facility.
(Notice the moderator continues to ignore the attendees on the left of the room and only calls on those sitting on the right.)
Peter B: I have a question regarding the ownership of the buildings. You were saying that the road department owned the buildings prior to the sale?
Pat Cohen: Their money was used to build the buildings.
Peter B:.....so you own the buildings. Who’s going to own the buildings after this transfer?
Pat Cohen: The Township will own the property and anything that is on the property.
Peter B: …..so they will also own the buildings at this point in time.
Pat Cohen: Subject to the lease back to the road district for the 20 years.
Peter B: They’re just leasing the use of it, though, they’re not taking ownership….so there’s a transfer of ownership of the buildings with this transfer back or the undoing.
Pat Cohen: (Nods yes)
Moderator: It’s reverting back to 2007. (Looks to Pat Cohen) Correct?
Peter B: Well we’re not because in 2007 the road district owned the buildings and now the township will own the buildings.
Moderator: The Township owned the buildings.
Pat Cohen: By law if….(inaudible)
Peter B: Okay. My seconds question I have is, the original sale was for $611k, is that correct?
Moderator: Yes.
Peter B: Why are we buying it back for $700k? I understand if you have a loan but where’s the extra $89k?
Pat Cohen: As I attempted to previously state, part of the transaction was free rent for 18months and the road district would have to pay interest on the loan that they took out. So when you combine the rent that should have been paid and the interest that the road district paid, that totals in excess of $700k but in order to pay the loan off, all that is needed is $700k. So that’s the reason for the $700k to take away the debt that the road district, otherwise, has to pay in interest that isn’t needed in order to unwind the transaction or give the money back to the same position they were prior to 2008.
Tim Hauft: Call to question.
Moderator: Call to question. Is there a 2nd?
Joe: I 2nd.
Moderator: …..All those in favor of calling the question, please stand.
All those opposed, please stand. Call to question’s passed.
We will proceed to vote on the motion.
(People express frustration that the moderator ignored hands that were raised during discussion.)(Someone commented, “Their going to bankrupt themselves!”)(Gerry McMahon: “That’s exactly right!”)
The motion is, that we are voting on right now: To accept the resolution by the GraftonT ownship Road District and his attorney dated February 26th, 2010 which unwinds the Grafton Township Road District – Grafton Township real property transaction that was unlawfully executed. All those in favor of the motion, please stand. (“Green Shirts” hold up cards to direct voting in favor of the motion.) All those opposed, please stand. (People scream to use the paper ballots that were provided and were instructed to use, by the moderator, at the start of the meeting) Motion has carried. It is clear….(Inaudible due to cheering) In the state of Illinois rules the chair can count ballots by people standing. The potion has passed. (Someone yells, “Who’s registered voters!” and another, “How do you know they’re registered voters?!”)

Moderator: I’d like to ask a motion now with that motion being passed to strike items 2 thru 6 or 2 thru 7 which were originally 1 thru 6. So we need a motion to strike those items. (The moderator automatically looks up to Mr. Kurns.) (From the crowd, “Is that your brother?” “Yes it is”)
(Diane Aires moves from her seat and approaches the moderator - perhaps refusing to be ignored. The moderator hesitates before calling on her.) (A gentleman from the crowd says, “I quit.”) (People begin to leave.)
Diane Aires: …privilege as a person who has studied constitutional law and……I believe the rules or laws have been violated here. For two reasons: For one thing, you did say you have the right to take a vote by standing, however, you have allowed more people into this audience than just qualified voters. So if you take a vote by the number of people in this audience standing….qualified to vote here? And secondly, this is another point of which I’m concerned, I do believe that the rule of law requires if we use a paper ballot, that this be a secret ballot that we need not announce our vote to the world. You know, when you came in here, you were handed a ballot and each ballot has a number on it, and that number was written next to your name on your voter registration. Therefore, there is nothing secret about this ballot. All they have to do is look at the sheet and the number and they know exactly how you voted. (The right side of the room begins to shout, “Point of Order!”) I call for reconsideration.
Moderator: There has been a call for reconsideration.
Unknown male: Mr. Chairman, on the question of the Point of Order, the young lady has put a motion for reconsideration on the floor. Only a person who has voted for the motion can make such a motion.

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