SUBLETTE — The Village of Sublette conducted its April board meeting remotely.

Pursuant to Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order No. 2020-07 (COVID-19 Executive Order No. 5), Governor Pritzker has suspended certain rules of the Open Meetings Act – specifically the Executive Order permits remote public meetings. In light of the current COVID-19 public health emergency and the prohibition of public gathering of 10 or more, the Sublette Village Board chose to conduct the board meeting remotely on April 13.

Attendees had the option of calling into the meeting or viewing the meeting through their computer. Acting Sublette Village President John Stenzel said those viewing could only see his computer monitor. Stenzel said at the start of the meeting, he put a picture of the American Flag up on his computer while the Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 

He then shared the agenda on the screen for those listening and viewing.

Stenzel said the board will continue to meet this way until it is deemed safe to meet as a group again.

Residents were still allowed to ask questions during the Audience Participation portion of the meeting – with the difference being how they asked the question. Stenzel asked that those with questions to them prior to the start of the meeting to stenz1@hotmail.com and said that those questions and/or comments will be read during the meeting and addressed, if appropriate, at that time. 

Business addressed:

• The board set the year ending meeting date and time of 6 p.m., on April 30.

• The board hired an appraiser out of Sycamore to appraise excess village property. The motion was approved 4-2, with Village of Sublette Trustees Julie Kessel and Scott Hanson voting no.

• The village is moving forward with the new UBmax billing software. Stenzel said it looks like the software is working fine and that the new software looks to go live in May.