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Trustees table proposed organizational volunteer program amid liability and insurance concerns
Summary
Village staff proposed a formal organizational volunteer program allowing groups to volunteer collectively; trustees raised liability, insurance, training and staff‑resourcing questions and moved to table the item indefinitely pending review with the village’s risk managers and insurer.
Staff presented a proposal to formalize organizational volunteering—allowing civic and nonprofit groups to provide volunteers to village events under a structured framework including hold‑harmless agreements and supervision requirements.
Trustee Milani led much of the questioning on liability and fairness for volunteers, asking whether organizations and individual volunteers would sign hold‑harmless agreements and whether the village would require certificates of insurance naming the village as additional insured. "If I'm an individual and I sign up and I'm a volunteer and I'm picking up garbage and I get hit by a bus, I'm on my own for the damages?" Trustee Milani asked, reflecting concern about volunteers' protection.
Staff and the village attorney explained options: require third‑party organizations to provide certificates of insurance and add the village as additional insured, require training and supervision, or explore whether the village’s carrier or workers’ compensation could be extended to cover certain volunteers (for example, EMA/ESDA volunteers who are already under village coverage). The attorney noted Illinois tort immunity provisions limit municipal liability absent willful or wanton conduct; staff said they will consult the insurance carrier and risk managers on costs and feasible coverage options.
Trustees also questioned whether volunteers would perform duties that overlap with paid staff (traffic control or security were explicitly excluded) and asked about staff time needed for orientation, background checks and supervision. Trustee Catenacci asked for clearer cost and implementation estimates; other trustees suggested requiring organizations to show proof of insurance before permitting volunteers.
Given outstanding questions about insurance, training, cost and staff resources, Trustee Milani moved to table the proposal; the board voted to table the item indefinitely by roll call.
Staff will research insurance options, costs, and possible policy language and return with recommendations.
