General

Agenda Village of Glen Ellyn Community Relations Commission Thursday, November 13, 2025 7:00 PM Glen Ellyn Civic Center, Room 301 Meeting Procedures Statement Visitors are most welcome to attend all public meetings and can find copies of the Agenda online at www.glenellyn.org prior to the meeting. Any individual with a disability requiring reasonable accommodation in order to participate in a meeting should contact the Village of Glen Ellyn ADA Coordinator, 630-469-5000, at least five (5) business days in advance of the next scheduled meeting. A. Call to Order B. Roll Call C. Review of Minutes 1) Thursday, June 5, 2025 Community Relations Commission Minutes D. Liaison Reports E. Commission Action Discussion 1) 1. Mission & Role of CRC and Areas of Focus 2. 2026 Meeting Dates 3. Unity Breakfast F. Next Meeting - December 11, 2025 G. Adjourn Civility Pledge - In the interest of civility, I pledge to promote civility by listening, being respectful of others, acknowledging that we are striving to support and improve our community, and understanding that we each may have different ideas for achieving that objective. Page 1 of 5 Village of Glen Ellyn Minutes Village of Glen Ellyn Community Relations Regular Meeting Commission June 5, 2025 7:00PM Glen Ellyn MCivic Center Board or Community Relations Date: June 5, 2025 Commission: Meeting: Regular Called to 7:00 p.m. Order: Quorum: Yes Adjourned: 7:58 p.m. MEMBER ATTENDANCE: Sania Irwin Chairperson Present Mir Ali Commissioner Present – late 7:07 pm Molly McGinnis Knapke Commissioner Absent Amanda Musacchio Commissioner Present Nancy McKee Commissioner Present Maariya Quadri Commissioner Present Alisha Badie Student Commissioner Present Also Present: Grant Paplauskas Communications Coordinator Steve Szymanski Trustee Liaison Public Present: A. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL - The June 5, 2025 regular meeting of the Community Relations Commission was called to order by Chairperson Irwin at 7:00 PM at the Glen Ellyn Civic Center. B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM MAY 8, 2025 MEETINGS – Commissioner McKee made a motion to approve the minutes as amended from the May 8, 2025 meetings. Commissioner Musacchio seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Page 2 of 5  Community Relations 2 June 5, 2025 C. COMMISSION LIAISON REPORTS 1. Library – No report. 2. Village Board – Trustee Szymanski addressed the commission, offering an update and emphasizing that his primary role is to listen, understand, and provide support. He expressed his commitment to assisting both the Village Board and the commission in any way possible and encouraged members to reach out to him directly with questions, concerns, or requests for guidance. 3. Staff Report – Staff Liaison Paplauskas reported that the ADA Transition Plan will include a survey focused on sidewalk accessibility in Glen Ellyn, particularly for specific mobility needs. He encouraged everyone to participate in the survey to help inform future improvements. 4. Chair Report – Chairperson Irwin opened a discussion on liaison reports and participation. She noted the need to establish a baseline understanding of the current situation, having reviewed other commission minutes and their engagement with village entities. From her review, it appears that participation is often limited, and liaisons typically attend when a topic directly overlaps with their group’s focus. She emphasized that there are no concerns about extending invitations to other organizations and liaisons when relevant issues arise. In hindsight, she suggested that the commission should proactively reconnect with past liaisons to share updates on current initiatives and to encourage their involvement. Commissioner Ali agreed, suggesting a shift in approach—positioning the effort as outreach and expressing genuine interest in collaboration and shared perspectives. Commissioner McKee raised the idea of reaching smaller demographic groups within Glen Ellyn and noted that support from other agencies or commissions could assist in that outreach. Staff Liaison Paplauskas added that the library may have a DEI committee that could be helpful in this effort. Irwin concluded by stating she would follow up with the library board to explore potential collaboration. Next steps: Commissioner Ali will work with Chairperson Irwin on developing a framework for contacting the Park District, College of DuPage (COD), library, and school districts, as well as drafting the outreach communication to be sent to them. D. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – None E. COMMISSION ACTION DISCUSSION 1. Did You Know … series write-up for Juneteenth (updated from 2024, attached) and Did You Know … series write-up on Pride Month (updated from 2024, attached). Chairperson Irwin presented the updated "Did You Know…" series write-up for Pride Month and Juneteenth, noting that while the core content remains largely the same as the 2024 version, she made edits to reflect updated statistics and links. The Commission reviewed and approved both the Pride Month and Juneteenth write-ups. Page 3 of 5  Community Relations 3 June 5, 2025 Commissioner Musacchio motioned to approve the updated "Did You Know…" entries for both observances, and Commissioner McKee seconded the motion. The motion unanimously passed. 3. Did You Know … series write-up on National Immigrant Heritage Month (attached) - Chairperson Irwin introduced the "Did You Know…" series write-up for National Immigrant Heritage Month (attached), noting that the Commission did not publish a write-up on this topic last year. Following last month’s discussion, she drafted a piece and asked if the Commission would like to move forward with publication this year. The CRC reviewed and approved the write-up. Commissioner Quadri motioned to approve it for publication, and Commissioner Badie seconded the motion. The motion unanimously passed. The piece will be released on June 11, followed by the Juneteenth write-up on June 18, and the Pride Month feature on June 25. 4. Glen Ellyn and 1834 - Commissioner Quadri noted that signage around Glen Ellyn refers to the village as having been “settled in 1834.” She suggested reconsidering the word "settled," as it may carry connotations of colonization. Alternative wording was proposed, such as using “established” or simply listing the year as “Glen Ellyn – 1834.” Another option discussed was including a land acknowledgment alongside the date. The CRC engaged in a broader conversation about the language used and its historical context. Commissioner McKee suggested inviting a representative from the Historic Preservation Commission to attend a future meeting to help educate the CRC on the origins and implications of the signage and verbiage. McKee also noted that the 1834 date is part of the Village logo. Chairperson Irwin added that further research is needed before making any recommendations. Commissioners Quadri and Musacchio volunteered to conduct additional research on the topic. 5. Community Topic: Homeless - Commissioner Musacchio shared a recent personal experience she and a friend had, noting that during their regular morning runs around Lake Ellyn, they encountered a homeless individual who appeared to be living in the public restroom facility. They observed the individual on multiple occasions, which raised concerns for both the individual's well-being and the safety and comfort of others using the restroom. She also recounted a separate incident near the train station, where she was approached aggressively by another individual experiencing homelessness that was yelling and acting erratically. Feeling unsafe, she contacted the authorities. Commissioner Musacchio emphasized that while these encounters highlight a lack of support and resources for people experiencing homelessness, they also create situations that can feel unsafe for community members. Chairperson Irwin expressed empathy, stating it is deeply unfortunate when individuals do not have a place to call home. She emphasized the need to better understand how the community can provide direction or support for those in need. Irwin also mentioned that after hearing Commissioner Musacchio’s experience, she contacted the police. Page 4 of 5  Community Relations 4 June 5, 2025 Trustee Szymanski noted that the "Coffee with a Cop" program at the Police station is a great opportunity to raise these kinds of concerns directly with the police. He added that the police can also explain the protocols in place for handling such situations and how the community can work collaboratively to address them. The CRC discusses attending an upcoming Coffee with a Cop. F. ADJOURNMENT & NEXT MEETING DATE Commissioner Ali moved and Commissioner Badie seconded to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 7:58 p.m. Next meeting – September 11, 2025 Submitted by Elisa Pollina, Recording Secretary Reviewed by Grant Paplauskas, Staff Liaison Page 5 of 5