Meeting Summary and Briefs: Jackson Township Board for July 9, 2025

The Jackson Township Board on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, learned of two major projects that will affect the area: a proposal for an anaerobic digester to turn hog manure into gas and a plan by the City of Joliet to permanently close a section of Millsdale Road. The board will hear a formal presentation on the digester at a future meeting, while the road closure is expected to proceed by the end of the construction season, rerouting traffic onto Manhattan Road. More details on these topics are available in standalone articles.

In other business, the board discussed formalizing its donation policies, heard that a recent road project was completed under budget, and tabled a donation request for youth programs until its next meeting.

Road Project Comes in Under Budget: Highway Commissioner Walsh reported that a project with Austin Tyler blacktop was completed for $143,000, which was $4,000 under the original bid of $147,000. Walsh expressed his satisfaction with the work performed.

Township to Formalize Donation Process: The board is reviewing its process for making donations to community organizations. Supervisor Matt Robbins compiled a report of all donations made since 2021. Trustees are considering creating an online donation application, which could be posted on the township website, to standardize requests and ensure funds are used for township residents. The board plans to discuss the parameters further next month.

Property Assessment Notices Due in August: Assessor LeGrett reported that the assessment books have been signed at the county and that property assessment notices will be published in mid-August. LeGrett is also working with the county and other townships to analyze industrial property values ahead of the next quadrennial assessment year.

Donation Request for Youth Programs Tabled: A request for a $615 donation to support the Soapbox Derby and local boy scouts, an effort connected to a Manhattan Firefighters golf outing, was presented to the board. After a brief discussion, the board agreed to hold a formal vote on the donation at its August meeting.

Community Groups Seek Volunteers: During public comment, Lois Hemphill from Elwood Church announced that its bible school, with 17 students, could use volunteers. Additionally, Brandon Doden of the Elwood Food Pantry asked for help connecting with local schools, Boy Scouts, or baseball teams to find student volunteers for the pantry.