Dupage Policy Journal

At its March 28 meeting, the Bolingbrook Village Board welcomed a couple of young guests who were looking to raise their civic engagement levels.

Samantha Gianino, a student at Glenbard North High School in Carol Streams, led the meeting in the Pledge of Allegiance. She was in attendance at the meeting as a part of a civic engagement requirement for the U.S. Government and Politics class she had chosen to take at school. 

Trustee Michael Lawler thanked her for attending.

“And I want to thank you for being here and for being involved, because this is a very important initiative in anyone's life,” Lawler told Samantha. “(Residents) should take the time to get more involved in local government and understand government as it works.”

Lawler also called up Kyle Hochema, who is with the Boy Scouts and was attending the meeting to work toward his Citizenship and Community badge, the last merit badge he needed before he became a full Eagle Scout.

Lawler, standing in for Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta, who was attending business in Springfield, encouraged the students to ask any questions they had throughout the meeting and that they were welcome to stick around after and chat with the board members about city government and their roles and responsibilities.

The board uploaded a livestream of its public meeting to the village’s YouTube channel.

In other business, the board made an official proclamation declaring April 2023 Child Abuse Prevention Month, which was endorsed by members of the Exchange Club of Northern Will County, who asked residents to wear blue on Mondays to spread awareness. 

Board members also read off and approved their consent agenda, a list of items considered routine or noncontroversial. 

The board also made changes to the village code through a resolution amending the process of city payroll to simplify systems, and approved the purchase of two new vehicles for the city, a replacement Ford F150 for the battalion chief and a new Ford F550 ambulance. 

The board also discussed paying approximately $730,000 to pay Brothers Asphalt Paving, Inc., for the village’s 2023 community Development Block Grant Reconstruction Program.

The board will meet again at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Village Hall on 375 West Briarcliff Road.