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Residents ask committee to fix Channel 25, revisit fluoride and siren removal, and speed budget schedule
Summary
During public comment, residents raised technical issues with Channel 25 broadcasting, urged the village to study removing fluoride from the water utility to save about $49,000 annually, expressed concern about the defunding of the siren system and asked for an earlier department budget schedule.
Two residents used the public comment period to raise operational and budgetary items for committee attention.
Melanie Smythe, who provided her address, reported intermittent outages on Channel 25 and asked staff to correct the issue. Smythe also urged the village to study removing fluoride from the water utility, saying the change could "save approximately $49,000 a year" and that new studies have called the public-health benefit into question. She also questioned the December decision to defund the outdoor siren system for alerts, calling the move "a little hasty" and asking the committee to consider alternatives for people who work outdoors and may not have phones.
Allen Short, a resident, spoke briefly and praised a proposed change to an ethics board membership rule in the packet (supporting resident-only membership). He also urged the village to prepare executive summaries of financial reporting so non-accountants can quickly see trends and to honor the intent of the public safety referendum by keeping funds earmarked for public safety hires.
Clerk and staff members responded later in the meeting on Channel 25, explaining that brief outages are expected during hybrid/live meeting setup and are not caused by unauthorized interference.
