Resident alleges township vehicles occupied ADA spaces at cleanup day and questions police response

A Delhi Hills resident told the Board of Trustees on May 27 that township vehicles occupied disabled-parking spaces during the township's May cleanup day and that he was later trespassed after protesting the arrangement.

Rich Gaes said he observed what he estimated were multiple township vehicles parked in a row of ADA spaces while the cleanup-day lot was configured for the event. "I pointed out what I believe was a violation," Gaes said, adding that after he protested he was told he was trespassed and that the police report documenting the interaction was "procedurally flawed" and "one-sided." He asked the board to preserve evidence and requested body-worn-camera footage; he said he had told township officials he might sue if the matter was not resolved.

Why it matters: The cleanup day is a widely used town service that trustees said benefited many residents by allowing free disposal of bulky items. Gaes's complaint, if sustained, could prompt changes to event parking practices and procedures for police documentation of interactions at public events.

Trustees and staff responded at the meeting, acknowledging the event's value while promising to investigate. Trustee Sturds and others described the event's staging needs'including space for dump trucks, tire collection and equipment'and said the township historically uses some on-site vehicles to support operations. Fire and public-works officials said the vehicles were staged to support tire collection and equipment needs.

Police Chief Brown said Lieutenant Smalls is reviewing the cleanup-day footage and will produce a formal report for chief-level review. "We'll get to the bottom of it and we'll make a recommendation," a trustee said during the exchange.

Gaes said he initially requested the body-camera footage without pursuing formal filings and that he offered a possible informal remedy: "Had you given me the body cam for free, this would have been an overdeal," he said. He also criticized the police report's characterization of events and said he was listed in a non-offensive report despite being told he was trespassed.

At the meeting trustees repeatedly emphasized their interest in preserving the cleanup day while following the law: "If in fact there's a violation, we'll look at it," one trustee said. Administrators agreed to follow up with Mr. Gaes after the internal review and to report to the board with definitive answers.

Next steps: Lieutenant Smalls will review the body-worn camera and other footage and prepare a report to the police chief, who will then make a recommendation to trustees. The board asked staff to examine whether parking procedures should change for future cleanup days and to confirm whether vehicles were authorized to occupy ADA spaces for operational reasons.