421 N. COUNTY FARM ROAD  
WHEATON, IL 60187  
DU PAGE COUNTY  
Public Aid Committee  
Summary  
www.dupagecounty.gov  
Monday, July 13, 2026  
12:30 PM  
3-500B  
1.  
CALL TO ORDER  
12:30 PM meeting was called to order by Chair Deborah A. Conroy.  
2.  
ROLL CALL  
Elizabeth Higgins-Beard was present for this meeting, but was not participating as a committee  
member.  
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PRESENT Conroy, Hernandez (Addison), Hovde (Bloomingdale), Murray (York), and Rutledge  
(Winfield)  
EXCUSED Higgins-Beard (Milton)  
ABSENT Bedford (Naperville), Savage (Downers Grove), Ramey (Wayne),and Wright (Lisle)  
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3.  
PUBLIC AID APPEAL FROM MILTON TOWNSHIP REGARDING APPELLANT  
#PA062026  
A motion was made by Member Hernandez and seconded by Member Rutledge to open the  
hearing on the Appeal No PA062026 .Appellant Julie Gaedke and Respondents Elizabeth  
Higgins-Beard and Shelia Beine were sworn in. Neither party presented any additional witness.  
Documentation received by both parties was admitted into record. Both parties provided opening  
statements. Appellant Gaedke provided her testimony and presented her Exhibits 1-6.  
Respondents Higgins-Beard and Beine also provided testimony and Milton Township's  
Statement of Facts and Exhibits 1-32, consisting of 14 pages. Both parties provided closing  
statements.  
4.  
EXECUTIVE SESSION  
A motion was made by Member Hovde and seconded by Member Murray that pursuant to Open  
Meetings Act 5 ILCS 120/2(c) (4) and 120/2(c)(21), the Committee moved into Executive  
Session for the purpose of considering evidence or testimony presented in open hearing to the  
committee and semi-annual review of closed session minutes.  
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MOVER: Michael J. Hovde (Bloomingdale)  
SECONDER: Timothy Murray (York)  
PRESENT Conroy, Hernandez (Addison), Hovde (Bloomingdale), Murray (York), and Rutledge  
(Winfield)  
EXCUSED Higgins-Beard (Milton)  
ABSENT Bedford (Naperville), Savage (Downers Grove), Ramey (Wayne),and Wright (Lisle)  
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4.A. Closed session pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2 (C)(4) and (c)(21) to consider evidence or  
testimony presented in open hearing to the committee and semi-annual review of closed  
session minutes.  
PRESENT  
Conroy, Hernandez (Addison), Hovde (Bloomingdale),  
Murray (York), and Rutledge (Winfield)  
ABSENT  
Bedford (Naperville), Savage (Downers Grove),  
Ramey (Wayne), and Wright (Lisle)  
A roll call was taken to go into Closed Session.  
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PRESENT Conroy, Hernandez (Addison), Hovde (Bloomingdale), Murray (York), and Rutledge  
(Winfield)  
EXCUSED Higgins-Beard (Milton)  
ABSENT Bedford (Naperville), Savage (Downers Grove), Ramey (Wayne), and Wright (Lisle)  
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5.  
ACTION ITEMS  
5.A. Announcement of the decision.  
A roll call vote was taken to either affirm or deny the appeal.  
Milton Township's decision was affirmed 5-0. Chair announced the decision and gave her  
recommendations.  
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PRESENT Conroy, Hernandez (Addison), Hovde (Bloomingdale), Murray (York), and Rutledge  
(Winfield)  
EXCUSED Higgins-Beard (Milton)  
ABSENT Bedford (Naperville), Savage (Downers Grove), Ramey (Wayne), and Wright (Lisle)  
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5.B. Disposition of closed session minutes.  
As to the matter of review of closed session minutes, the Committee finds the need for  
confidentiality still exists as to the Executive Session minutes from March 11, 2022 as well as  
previous closed sessions and the verbatim recordings thereof, and those minutes should not be  
released.  
6.  
7.  
OTHER BUSINESS  
No other business was discussed.  
ADJOURNMENT  
Motion to adjourn was made by Member York and seconded by Member Rutledge. With no  
further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:10pm.