HR0678 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0678 LRB102 26316 MST 36355 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to commend Roger Addelson on his five years of distinguished service as a Vernon Township Trustee; and

WHEREAS, Roger Addelson helped oversee the expansion of hours of the Vernon Township Food Pantry and its conversion into a grocery store experience, so the Vernon Township community's seniors, immigrants, and people in need would have access to a reliable, dignified source of healthful food; and

WHEREAS, Roger Addelson spearheaded the creation of the Vernon Township Energy Resilience Commission and championed initiatives that would fight climate change, reduce Vernon Township's dependence on fossil fuels, and promote conservation efforts; projects were completed to weatherize Vernon Township's facilities to reduce energy consumption and save taxpayers money; Vernon Township established a free community garden to supply fresh produce to the food pantry; and

WHEREAS, Roger Addelson supported Vernon Township's efforts to address the COVID-19 crisis; free masks and hand sanitizer were distributed to residents; a call center was established to help connect local seniors with appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine; and

WHEREAS, Roger Addelson contributed to these accomplishments without once raising Vernon Township's property tax levy; he was a leader in Vernon Township's efforts to solicit grants to support and expand services; the Township Board increased and improved services without increasing taxes by cutting unnecessary expenses, identifying alternative sources of revenue, consolidating Vernon Township's road district to eliminate unnecessary administrative expenses, and maximizing the value of its existing assets; and

WHEREAS, Roger Addelson was passionate about building a local government that is responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable members of our community; he oversaw the establishment of Vernon Township's first ever Welcoming and Inclusion Policy to ensure that all residents are treated with respect, fairness, and dignity regardless of their ethnicity, religion, nation of origin, or federal immigration status; he advocated to ensure that the township's employees were fairly compensated and were provided a safe workplace free from harassment or discrimination; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Roger Addelson on his years of dignified and faithful service to the people of Vernon Township; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Roger Addelson as an expression of our esteem and respect.